Hadhihi Mafahimuna
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Idarat al-Masajid wa-al-Mashari' al-Khayriyyah
Hadhihi Mafahimuna ("These Are Our Understandings") is a theological treatise written by the Saudi scholar Salih Al al-Shaykh (Salih ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad Al al-Shaykh) as a systematic refutation of the book Mafahim Yajib an Tusahhah ("Concepts That Must Be Corrected") by Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki.
Background and Purpose
The impetus for authoring the work arose following the publication of Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki's Mafahim Yajib an Tusahhah in Egypt in 1405 AH, which was subsequently reprinted and widely circulated across Saudi Arabia, particularly around the Two Holy Mosques. In his book, al-Maliki argued for the permissibility of various devotional and intercessory practices, such as seeking intercession (shafa'ah) and help (istighathah) from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ at his grave, invoking righteous figures, and asking the Prophet ﷺ directly for the removal of afflictions or the restoration of health.
Salih Al al-Shaykh composed Hadhihi Mafahimuna to counter these positions, framing his critique as a defense of the Salafi understanding of monotheism (tawhid) and the revivalist teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. He argued that al-Maliki's arguments legitimized practices amounting to major polytheism (shirk) and that they mirrored earlier polemical attacks against the Najdi reform movement.
Content and Method
Rather than addressing every detail in al-Maliki's work, Al al-Shaykh focused his critique on the entirety of the first part and one chapter of the second part, where the core doctrinal foundations and arguments regarding worship, intermediaries, and polytheism were established. While noting numerous auxiliary errors in hadith criticism and deduction throughout the rest of the book, he restricted his discussion primarily to matters concerning polytheistic acts, their avenues (shirkiyyat wa-wasa'iluha), and the theological methodology underpinning al-Maliki's concepts.
The author criticized al-Maliki for relying on fabricated (mawdu'), uncorroborated (munkar), baseless (batil), and weak (da'if) narrations, as well as applying forced interpretations to traditional texts instead of adhering to authentic hadith reports and the consensus recorded by earlier jurists in classical legal manuals—particularly in chapters on apostasy (riddah).
Publication History
The work has been published in multiple editions:
- The first edition was printed in Riyadh by Matabi' al-Qasim in 1406 AH, and also issued by Matabi' Sharikat al-Safahat al-Dhahabiyyah in 1407 AH.
- An edition was published by the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta (al-Ri'asah al-Ammah li-Idarat al-Buhuth al-Ilmiyyah wa-l-Ifta' wa-l-Da'wah wa-l-Irshad) in Riyadh.
- A second edition was published by Idarat al-Masajid wa-l-Mashari' al-Khayriyyah in Riyadh in 1422 AH.
- An undated edition was also issued by Dar al-Bukhari.
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