Fi Sabil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya
- Author died
- 1404 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Ba'th li-l-Tiba'ah wa-l-Nashr
Fi Sabil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya (In the Path of the Islamic Creed) is a book by the Algerian scholar and preacher Abd al-Latif Sultani (d. 1404 AH / 1984 CE), dedicated to exploring Islamic creed and highlighting historical models of steadfastness in faith .
Background and Purpose
Sultani composed the work to address what he viewed as mounting campaigns of ideological distortion, atheism, and materialism targeting Muslim society—particularly the youth—in post-independence Algeria . He argued that the Algerian people had preserved their identity and ultimately liberated their country from French colonial rule due to the firmness of their Islamic faith and monotheism (tawhid) . Observing post-independence efforts by ideological adversaries to spread doubt through misleading writings and oppose the circulation of Islamic literature, Sultani called upon scholars to confront atheistic ideas by producing educational works that reinforce sound doctrine and cultivate moral and spiritual resilience .
The book opens with the Quranic verse: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وُدًّا ("Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds—the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection" [Maryam: 96]), which the author highlights as uniting faith and practice . The author dedicated the text to the suffering and deprived, to sincere believers, and to free people everywhere, urging them to stand firm upon their land for the sake of the Islamic creed .
Contents and Method
The book draws its material primarily from Quranic narratives and classical works of the prophetic biography (sira) . Linguistically and conceptually, Sultani defines aqida as an inner conviction derived from the root meaning of binding (ʿaqd), representing an unyielding commitment that shields a believer from weakness, compromise, and moral collapse .
The core of the book consists of thematic chapters profiling historical figures and groups whom the author terms "the heroes of the Islamic creed" (abtal al-aqida al-islamiyya) . These narratives illustrate endurance in the face of tyranny, persecution, and torture, including:
- The steadfastness of prophets, such as Ibrahim (Abraham) when confronted by his hostile people .
- The believers of the Ditch (Ashab al-Ukhdud), who chose death by fire under the persecution of the Himyarite ruler Dhu Nuwas rather than abandon their faith .
- The early companions of the Prophet Muhammad, notably Bilal ibn Rabah, examining his origins, his endurance under severe torture in Mecca by Umayya ibn Khalaf, and his repeated proclamation of divine oneness (Ahad, Ahad) .
Throughout these accounts, Sultani presents historical steadfastness as an instructional guide for contemporary Muslims engaged in ideological struggles against modern atheism and disbelief .
Publication
The work was published in its first edition in 1402 AH / 1982 CE by Dar al-Ba'th for Printing and Publishing in Constantine, Algeria .
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