Ghayat al-Amani fi al-Radd ala al-Nabhani
- Author died
- 1342 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Rushd
Ghayat al-Amani fi al-Radd ala al-Nabhani (The Utmost Hope in Refuting al-Nabhani) is a two-volume theological refutation written by the Iraqi scholar Mahmud Shukri al-Alusi (1273–1342 AH / 1856–1924 CE) . The book was composed as a comprehensive rebuttal of Shawahid al-Haqq fi al-Istighatha bi-Sayyid al-Khalq (Witnesses of Truth Regarding Seeking Aid from the Master of Creation) by Yusuf ibn Isma'il al-Nabhani .
Background and Authorship
Al-Alusi wrote the work to challenge al-Nabhani's defense of invoking and seeking assistance from other than God (al-istighatha bi-ghayr Allah), grave visitation practices, and what al-Alusi regarded as extremist Sufi doctrines, including monism (wahdat al-wujud) and divine indwelling (hulul) . He also sought to defend earlier scholars, notably Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, whom al-Nabhani had sharply criticized .
Due to political sensitivities and fear of retribution from Ottoman authorities and influential state figures who supported al-Nabhani, al-Alusi initially concealed his real name . He published the book under the pseudonym Abu al-Ma'ali al-Husayni al-Salami al-Shafi'i .
Structure and Content
The work spans two large volumes and systematically responds to the chapters of al-Nabhani's Shawahid al-Haqq . The second volume, for instance, opens with an examination of the fifth chapter of al-Nabhani's treatise, addressing the discussions around Ibn al-Qayyim's Ighathat al-Lahfan, Ibn Abd al-Hadi's al-Sarim al-Munki, and Nu'man al-Alusi's Jala' al-'Aynayn . Throughout the book, al-Alusi critiques al-Nabhani's reliance on weak or fabricated hadiths, evaluates his scriptural deductions, and addresses historical critiques directed at figures like Abu Hamid al-Ghazali and Ibn Arabi . He also engages with arguments from other anti-Wahhabi treatises, such as those of Ahmad Zayni Dahlan .
Printing and Distribution
The work was first printed in two parts in Cairo at Matba'at Kurdistan al-'Ilmiyya in 1327 AH, financed and sponsored by Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Talmasani . Copies were distributed in Egypt and sent to Muhammad Nasif in the Hijaz . Nasif personally wrote al-Alusi's true name on the copies he distributed and later announced in Beirut newspapers that the book was authored by Mahmud Shukri al-Alusi . In modern times, the work was published with an introduction and editing by Abu Abd Allah al-Dani ibn Munir Al Zahwi .
Reception
Ghayat al-Amani received significant praise from contemporary Salafi and reformist scholars:
- Muhammad Rashid Rida reviewed the book in his journal al-Manar, praising it for dismantling al-Nabhani's arguments and calling it a rich resource on theology, hadith, exegesis, jurisprudence, history, and literature. Rida regularly referred correspondents seeking a refutation of al-Nabhani to al-Alusi's book .
- Muhammad Taqi al-Din al-Hilali described it in al-Hadiyya al-Hadiya as one of the most valuable Salafi works, noting its eloquence and rigor against innovative Sufi practices .
Following the circulation of Ghayat al-Amani, al-Nabhani composed a poetic reply known as al-Ra'iyya al-Sughra, prompting al-Alusi to author an additional refutation entitled al-Aya al-Kubra ala Dalal al-Nabhani fi Ra'iyyatihi al-Sughra .
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