Mujmal I'tiqad Aimmat al-Salaf
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Mujmal I'tiqad Aimmat al-Salaf (A Summary of the Creed of the Early Imams) is a doctrinal treatise authored by the Saudi scholar Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Turki, compiling textual statements from early Sunni authorities on the foundational tenets of Islamic theology.
Background and Purpose
The author composed the treatise in response to observations made during academic seminars and gatherings regarding theological divergence in parts of the contemporary Muslim world. Noting that attendees often expressed surprise at the premise that early scholars held unified positions on fundamental tenets of belief, al-Turki compiled transmitted texts to document this consensus. The stated purpose was to demonstrate that the early generations (al-salaf al-salih) shared a single methodological foundation derived from the Quran and the Sunnah, and to urge scholars and preachers to adhere to their unified approach without introducing unnecessary dispute.
Contents and Structure
The work begins with an introductory discussion emphasizing Islamic monotheism (tawhid) across its three dimensions: divine lordship (rububiyya), divine worship and exclusivity (uluhiyya), and divine names and attributes (al-asma' wa-l-sifat), drawing on relevant Quranic verses. The introduction also addresses the historical transmission of Islamic creed by successive generations of scholars and relates this heritage to the founding of the first Saudi state under Muhammad ibn Sa'ud and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, continuing through the unification of Saudi Arabia under King Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd al-Rahman Al Sa'ud.
The core body of the book compiles textual statements on doctrine attributed to early scholars, organized under distinct headings for each figure. The author notes that separating these statements by name does not indicate sectarian difference among them, but rather preserves their specific transmitted wordings. The covered authorities include:
- The founders of the four Sunni legal schools: Abu Hanifa, Malik ibn Anas, al-Shafi'i, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
- Other prominent classical scholars, including al-Bukhari, al-Tahawi, Ibn Taymiyya, and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.
The work concludes with general principles governing the study of theological matters according to the methodology of the early imams, drawn from the introduction of the edited edition (1408 AH) of Ibn Abi al-Izz's Sharh al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya (Commentary on the Creed of al-Tahawi).
Publication
The book has been printed in multiple editions, including a second edition published in 1417 AH (1996/1997 CE) by Mu'assasat al-Risala in Beirut.
Answer updated