Hashiyat Kitab al-Tawhid
- Author died
- 1392 AH
- Editions
- Hashiyat Kitab al-Tawhid
Hashiyat Kitab al-Tawhid (The Marginal Gloss on the Book of Monotheism) is a commentary by the Hanbali scholar Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Qasim (1312–1392 AH / 1894–1972 CE) on Kitab al-Tawhid by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1115–1206 AH) .
Purpose and Sources
In his introduction, Ibn Qasim noted that Kitab al-Tawhid is a peerless work that expounds the monotheism that God obligated upon His servants, while warning against major polytheism, minor polytheism, and innovations . Observing that the text had become widely memorized and that earlier scholars had produced substantial commentaries and marginal notes upon it, Ibn Qasim authored a concise, selective gloss to facilitate study for students of religious knowledge .
In compiling the work, Ibn Qasim drew upon earlier commentaries, including Taysir al-Aziz al-Hamid by Sulayman ibn Abd Allah, Fath al-Majid and Qurrat Uyun al-Muwahhidin by Abd al-Rahman ibn Hasan Al al-Shaykh, as well as annotations by Hamad ibn Ali ibn Atiq and Abd Allah Aba Butayn . In addition to these written sources, he integrated the oral explanations and lessons transmitted by his teachers, notably Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Latif Al al-Shaykh, Sa'd ibn Hamad ibn Atiq, and Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al al-Shaykh .
Structure and Content
The book opens with a biographical profile of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and reproduces testimonies and poetic eulogies praising his reformist effort and writings by figures such as Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani, Muhammad ibn Ismail al-San'ani, Husayn ibn Ghannam, Abd al-Qadir ibn Badran, and Sulayman ibn Sahman .
The commentary proceeds sequentially through the chapters of the base text, elucidating its Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, and doctrinal points . As noted in the work's conclusion, it addresses the monotheism of worship (tawhid al-ilahiyyah) from its outset and concludes with chapters on God's divine names and attributes (tawhid al-asma wa-l-sifat), thereby covering all three categories of monotheism .
Reception and Publication
The gloss is considered among the finest annotations composed on Kitab al-Tawhid and is included in contemporary curricula for students of Islamic texts . Later scholars, including Abd Allah ibn Jibreen, adopted it as a primary reference when teaching the base work . The book was published in a single volume, including a 410-page first edition printed in Riyadh in 1396 AH .
Answer updated