Matn Tashil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya
- Author died
- 1438 AH
- Editions
- T 6
Matn Tashil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya (Arabic: متن تسهيل العقيدة الإسلامية, lit. 'The Primer for Facilitating Islamic Creed') is a concise pedagogical text on Sunni theology compiled by the Saudi scholar Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Jibrin (d. 1438 AH / 2017 CE) .
Background and Purpose
The primer originated as the core theoretical text of the author's broader pedagogical project on Islamic doctrine . Al-Jibrin originally prepared a detailed exposition titled Tashil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya, supplied with extensive footnotes and source references for researchers and university-level students . Alongside this comprehensive treatment, the core text was presented separately as an abridged primer to facilitate memorization and structured study for beginning students and general readers .
Structure and Content
The text is arranged into thematic sections, opening with an introductory overview and systematically addressing the foundations of creed, the branches of monotheism (tawhid), its nullifiers, its impairments, and the doctrine of loyalty and disavowal:
- Introduction and Creedal Concepts: Defines aqida and its traditional designations—such as the Sunnah, Usul al-Din, and al-Fiqh al-Akbar—and outlines the defining qualities of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama'a (also termed Ahl al-Hadith, al-Firqa al-Najiyya, and al-Firqa al-Mansura) . It highlights fundamental characteristics of Islamic doctrine, noting that it is derived strictly from divine transmission (tawqifiyya) and addresses unseen matters (ghaybiyya) . It also explains the middle stance (wasatiyya) of Sunni orthodoxy regarding the divine names and attributes (between negation and anthropomorphism), divine decree (qadar), and the textual promises and warnings (al-wa'd wa-l-wa'id) .
- Faith (Iman) and Spiritual Excellence (Ihsan): Treats faith when used generally as encompassing speech, belief, and bodily actions, while noting its internal dimensions when paired with islam . It outlines the six pillars of faith: belief in Allah, His angels, His revealed scriptures, His messengers, the Last Day (including the trials, punishment, and bliss of the grave, the blowing of the trumpet, resurrection, and the Day of Judgment), and divine decree . It defines ihsan as comprising two spiritual stations: witnessing (al-mushahada) and sincerity (al-ikhlas) .
- Tawhid and Its Divisions: Classifies monotheism into lordship (rububiyya), worship (uluhiyya), and divine names and attributes (asma' wa-sifat) . It details the seven conditions of the testimony لا إله إلا الله (la ilaha illa Allah), divides worship into pure devotional acts and non-pure acts transformed through righteous intention, and sets forth love, fear, and hope as the core pillars of worship .
- Nullifiers and Impairments of Tawhid: Identifies major polytheism (al-shirk al-akbar) across lordship, worship, and attributes, alongside rulings on minor polytheism (al-shirk al-asghar), minor disbelief (al-kufr al-asghar), minor hypocrisy (al-nifaq al-asghar), and religious innovation (al-bid'ah) . It warns against avenues leading to polytheism, such as excessive veneration of the righteous, building structures over graves, and unlawful forms of seeking blessing (tabarruk) or intercession (tawassul) .
- Loyalty and Disavowal (al-Wala' wa-l-Bara'): Outlines the requirement of loving and supporting believers while disavowing disbelief and enemies of the faith . It delineates prohibited alliances—distinguishing between acts of major apostasy and lesser prohibited solidarity—while concluding with guidelines on obligatory justice, fulfilling covenants, peaceful trade, and permissible social interaction with non-hostile non-Muslims and protected minorities (ahl al-dhimma) .
Publication and Related Works
The text has been published individually and also prefixed to its commentaries and abridgments, including Sharh Tashil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya, Tahdhib Sharh Tashil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya, and Mukhtasar Sharh Tashil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya . It has seen several editions by Saudi publishing houses, including Dar al-Sumay'i, Maktabat al-Rushd, and Madar al-Watan, with the author completing revisions up through 1438 AH .
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