Ithaf Dhawi al-Albab fi Qawlihi Taala Yumhu Allah ma Yashaa wa Yuthbit wa Indahu Umm al-Kitab
- Author died
- 1033 AH
- Editions
- Ḥāzim Khanfar
Ithaf Dhawi al-Albab fi Qawlihi Taala Yumhu Allah ma Yashaa wa Yuthbit wa Indahu Umm al-Kitab (Arabic: إتحاف ذوي الألباب في قوله تعالى ﴿يمحو الله ما يشاء ويثبت وعنده أم الكتاب﴾, lit. 'Gifting the Wise Regarding the Exalted's Saying: "Allah Eliminates What He Wills and Confirms, and With Him is the Mother of the Book"') is a theological and exegetical treatise by the Hanbali scholar Mari ibn Yusuf al-Karmi (d. 1033 AH / 1624 CE) . The work examines the Quranic verse يمحو الله ما يشاء ويثبت وعنده أم الكتاب (Surat al-Ra'd, 13:39), addressing divine decree (al-qadar), the increase and decrease of lifespans, and the nature of erasure and confirmation in divine inscription .
Subject Matter and Structure
Al-Karmi authored the treatise to collect and summarize previous scholarly discussions concerning the verse while providing analytical clarifications and textual proofs . The book centers on two primary questions surrounding the interpretation of the verse:
- What categories of decree are subject to erasure and confirmation (al-mahw wa-l-ithbat) .
- What is meant by the "Mother of the Book" (Umm al-Kitab) .
The text opens with an introduction affirming the reality of divine predestination (ithbat haqiqat al-qadar), establishing that Allah decreed the measures and destinies of creation in pre-eternity (al-azal) prior to their occurrence . Al-Karmi refutes the views of groups that diverged from this doctrine, such as the Qadariyyah and the Mu'tazilah, supporting his refutation with scriptural evidence from the Quran and Sunnah .
The treatise engages with theological problems regarding whether predestined lifespans (al-umur) and sustenance (al-arzaq) can change, integrating narrations attributed to Companions such as Umar ibn al-Khattab and Abdullah ibn Abbas, as well as classical exegetical views cited by scholars such as Abu al-Hasan al-Mawardi .
Attribution and Transmission
The treatise is cited by al-Karmi himself in his work Raf' al-Shubhah wa-l-Gharar 'amman Yahtajju 'ala Fi'l al-Ma'asi bi-l-Qadar, where he refers the reader to Ithaf Dhawi al-Albab for an expanded discussion on the topic . It is also documented among his authored works by biographical and bibliographical dictionaries, including Muhammad al-Amin al-Muhibbi's Khulasat al-Athar and Isma'il Pasha al-Babani's Iydah al-Maknun and Hadiyyat al-'Arifin .
Manuscripts of the treatise have survived in several collections, including a 21-folio copy at the Al-Azhar Library in Cairo (MS 309486), a manuscript in the As'ad Efendi collection at the Süleymaniye Library in Istanbul (MS 1300), and copies in the Public Awqaf Library in Mosul . An edition of the work, edited by Hazim Khanfar, was published with an introductory note by Ali ibn Hasan al-Halabi .
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