Kashf al-Shubhatayn
- Author died
- 1349 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-‘Āṣimah
Kashf al-Shubhatayn (Kashf al-Shubhatayn ‘an Risalat Yusuf ibn Shabib wa-l-Qasidatayn, "The Clarification of the Two Misconceptions Regarding the Treatise of Yusuf ibn Shabib and the Two Poems") is a theological and polemical treatise by the Najdi Hanbali scholar Sulayman ibn Sahman (d. 1349 AH / 1930 CE) . The work was written to refute misconceptions concerning the excommunication (takfir) of theological opponents and the doctrine of loyalty and disavowal (al-walaʾ wa-l-baraʾ) .
Context and Occasion
The composition of the treatise arose after Ibn Sahman received inquiries from associates on the coast of Oman reporting that certain claimants to religious knowledge in their region were befriending, defending, and socializing with local Jahmis, Ibadis, and grave-worshippers, as well as accepting their gifts and consuming their slaughtered meat . Ibn Sahman initially counseled patience and gentle preaching until he encountered a printed tract titled Nasihat al-Mu'minin (published in 1325 AH by the sons of Abdullah al-Ghaznawi) and attributed to a Kuwaiti man named Yusuf ibn Shabib . In that tract, the author cited passages from Ibn Taymiyyah out of context to argue against declaring the Jahmiyya to be outside the pale of Islam, prompting Ibn Sahman to compose a structured rebuttal dismantling these arguments alongside two accompanying polemical poems .
Contents and Core Themes
The work centers on two primary creedal issues: the principles governing takfir according to Ahl al-Sunnah and the imperative of allegiance to believers and disavowal of disbelievers (al-walaʾ wa-l-baraʾ) . Ibn Sahman traces the origins of the Jahmi doctrine of divine attribute negation back to figures such as Ja'd ibn Dirham and Jahm ibn Safwan, linking its intellectual roots to Hellenistic philosophy and pagan influences . He marshals statements from early authorities—including Abu Hanifa, Malik ibn Anas, Al-Shafi'i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Ibn Khuzaymah—affirming divine transcendence above the Throne and condemning the negation of attributes .
In addition to theological polemics, the book addresses various subsidiary legal and practical matters:
- The question of repeating the prayer performed behind an innovator or open sinner .
- Specific juridical topics, including the sitting of rest (jalsat al-istirahah), praying while wearing shoes, raising the hands in supplication after obligatory prayers, and counting dhikr using prayer beads (al-misbahah) .
- Practical guidance for callers and scholars on how to interact with and advise people of diverse theological orientations .
Publication History
The book was first printed as a lithograph in India in 1326 AH . A later critical edition, prepared by Abd al-Salam ibn Barjas Al Abd al-Karim, was published in Riyadh by Dar al-Asimah in 1408 AH / 1988 CE .
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