Lawami al-Anwar al-Bahiyya
- Author died
- 1188 AH
- Editions
- Mu'assasat al-Khafiqayn wa-Maktabatuha
Lawami al-Anwar al-Bahiyya wa-Sawati al-Asrar al-Athariyya (The Radiant Glimmers of Splendor and the Luminescence of Traditional Secrets) is an extensive commentary on Islamic creed written by the Hanbali scholar al-Safarini (1114–1188 AH / 1702–1774 CE) to explain his own didactical poem, al-Durrah al-Madiyyah fi 'Aqd al-Firqah al-Mardiyyah .
Background and Composition
In 1173 AH (1759/1760 CE), several students from Najd requested that al-Safarini versify the foundational principles of the Athari school after they had studied concise creedal texts under him, including Ibn Qudama's Lum'at al-I'tiqad, Ibn Balban's Mukhtasar Nihayat al-Mubtadi'in, and 'Abd al-Baqi al-Mawahibi's al-'Ayn wa-l-Athar . Al-Safarini composed the poem al-Durrah al-Madiyyah—consisting of over two hundred and ten verses—and subsequently composed this comprehensive commentary at the urging of the same students to elucidate its meanings .
Structure and Contents
The work opens with an introduction comprising ten foundational definitions covering the nature of theological discourse (ilm al-kalam), its subject matter, sources, aims, and utility, as well as the historical consensus of the Prophet's companions regarding theological attributes . Al-Safarini establishes that religious doctrine is derived from textual evidence—the Quran and authentic Sunnah—while dialectical reasoning is employed primarily to refute deviant objections .
Throughout the book, al-Safarini expounds upon major theological subjects, including:
- Tawhid and Divine Attributes: Defining monotheism across three divisions—tawhid al-rububiyyah (lordship), tawhid al-uluhiyyah (divine worship), and tawhid al-asma wa-l-sifat (names and attributes)—while affirming God's attributes without anthropomorphism (tamthil) or denial (ta'til) .
- Theological Debates: Detailed treatments of contentious issues between early traditionalists and later speculative theologians, such as the uncreated nature of the Quran, God's aboveness (al-'uluww) and elevation over the Throne (al-istiwa'), and the beatific vision (ru'yah) in the Hereafter .
- Eschatology and Portents: Detailed accounts of the major signs of the Hour, including the emergence of the Mahdi, the descent of the Messiah, the False Messiah (al-Dajjal), Gog and Magog, and the destruction of the Kaaba .
In constructing his arguments, al-Safarini drew extensively from earlier authorities, particularly the works of Ibn Taymiyya and his student Ibn al-Qayyim .
Reception and Scholarly Engagement
The commentary became a widely studied manual of creed, receiving commendation for its encyclopedic breadth and gathering of theological viewpoints from diverse schools supported by textual and rational arguments . Rashid Rida praised the text as indispensable for students of theology, noting its reliance on the methodology of the early generations as transmitted through Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn al-Qayyim, and published an edition under the title Lawa'ih al-Anwar al-Bahiyya .
Later scholars also offered critical commentary on specific formulations within the text. Al-Safarini broadened the categorization of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah to encompass three theological branches: the Atharis (led by Ahmad ibn Hanbal), the Ash'aris (led by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari), and the Maturidis (led by Abu Mansur al-Maturidi) . Other critics observed that he included extensive eschatological details more typical of works on tribulations and apocalyptic events (al-malahim wa-l-fitan) .
Abridgments and Commentaries
Due to its detailed and lengthy exposition, several scholars prepared abridgments and glosses:
- Abridgments: Summarized by Hasan al-Shatti in Mukhtasar Lawami al-Anwar al-Bahiyya, Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Sallum, and 'Ali al-Mansur al-Karmi .
- Annotations and Glosses: Annotated with marginalia and critical notes by 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman Aba Butayn and Sulayman ibn Sahman (the latter also authoring Tanbih Dhawi al-Albab al-Salimah) .
- Related Works on the Base Poem: The underlying poem, al-Durrah al-Madiyyah, was further commented on by Muhammad ibn Mani' in al-Kawakib al-Durriyyah, glossed by 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Qasim in Hashiyat al-Durrah al-Madiyyah, and explained by Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Uthaymin .
Answer updated