Masalat al-Taqrib bayna Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Shia
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- Dār Ṭaybah lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzī‘
Masalat al-Taqrib bayna Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Shia (The Question of Rapprochement between Sunni Muslims and the Shia) is a two-volume theological study by the Saudi scholar Nasir al-Qaffari examining the doctrinal differences between Sunni Islam and Twelver Shia Islam and critically assessing historical and modern efforts at ecumenical rapprochement.
Background and Composition
The book originated as a master's thesis submitted to Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh. The research topic was officially registered on 6 Rajab 1398 AH (1978 CE), and the thesis was approved with distinction (mumtaz). The author chose to publish the thesis without modifications, stating that he delayed its initial publication so it would not be misconstrued as serving contemporary political agendas. The work was published by Dar Tayba in Riyadh, with a first edition in 1412 AH (1991 CE) and a third edition in 1428 AH (2007 CE).
Structure and Scope
The work is organized into four main parts (abwab) followed by a documentary appendix:
- Part One: Ahl al-Sunna: Defines Sunni orthodoxy, its foundational sources for deriving creed (aqida), and the core doctrines from which Shiism diverges, relying directly on standard Sunni theological works.
- Part Two: The Shia: Focuses primarily on Twelver Shiism, detailing its positions on shared Islamic foundations—the Quran, the Sunnah, and ijma (consensus)—as well as distinct Shia doctrines, including the Imamate (imama), infallibility (isma), dissimulation (taqiyya), bodily return (raj'a), occultation (ghayba), divine alteration of decree (bada'), claims regarding the textual corruption (tahrif) of the Quran, veneration of graves, and their stance toward the Sahaba.
- Part Three: Views of Proponents of Rapprochement: Analyzes arguments advanced by advocates of rapprochement (du'at al-taqrib) regarding specific disputed doctrines, assessing both Shia and Sunni perspectives.
- Part Four: Historical Attempts and Prospects: Reviews past and modern rapprochement endeavors, including institutional projects such as Dar al-Insaf and Dar al-Taqrib bayna al-Madhahib al-Islamiyyah in Cairo, as well as individual initiatives by figures such as Muhammad Abduh, Rashid Rida, and Mustafa al-Sibai. The second chapter examines potential avenues for resolving theological disputes and outlines the author's preferred position.
Documentary Appendix
The author appended a collection of primary documents, rare texts, and personal testimonies to substantiate his analysis. Notable inclusions are the fatwa of Mahmud Shaltut permitting devotion according to the Ja'fari legal school, a counter-ruling by the Iraqi Shia scholar Muhammad al-Khalisi prohibiting adherence to the four Sunni schools, and a signed statement dictated to al-Qaffari by the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, Hasanayn Makhluf, recording his opposition to the rapprochement movement and to introducing Shia jurisprudence into al-Azhar.
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