Mukhtasar al-Asila wal-Ajwiba al-Usuliyya ala al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya
- Author died
- 1422 AH
- Editions
- Mukhtasar al-Asila wal-Ajwiba al-Usuliyya ala al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya
Mukhtasar al-Asila wal-Ajwiba al-Usuliyya ala al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya (The Abridgment of Fundamental Questions and Answers on al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya) is a pedagogical catechism on Islamic creed by the Saudi scholar Abd al-Aziz al-Salman (d. 1422 AH / 2001 CE), abridging his own larger commentary on Ibn Taymiyya's (d. 728 AH / 1328 CE) al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya .
Background and Purpose
Al-Salman authored the original unabridged work, al-Asila wal-Ajwiba al-Usuliyya ala al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya, for students while teaching at Ma'had Imam al-Da'wa in Riyadh . Because the original exposition was broad and detailed, peers requested a condensed version to accommodate students facing crowded study schedules and diminishing resolve . The author completed the abridgment on a Wednesday morning at 1:30 during Muharram 1381 AH .
Structure and Method
The work is structured as a direct question-and-answer catechism consisting of 249 numbered questions and answers . It opens with an introductory biographical overview of Ibn Taymiyya, detailing his birth, education, teachers, and major writings .
The main text tracks the themes of al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya, covering:
- Linguistic and theological definitions of the opening phrases, divine praise, the divine name Allah, prophethood, and guidance .
- The meaning of the two testimonies of faith (shahadatayn), their essential pillars, and the seven prerequisite conditions of la ilaha illa Allah .
- The affirmation of divine names and attributes according to the Quran and Sunnah without misinterpretation or denial .
- Core theological tenets regarding the articles of faith, the status of the Companions, saintly wonders (karamat), and the concluding discussion on the definition of religious virtues (manaqib and fadail), the substitute saints (abdal), and the leaders of the religion (aimmat al-din) .
Publication
The book was designated by the author as a religious endowment (waqf) for free distribution to students and seekers of knowledge . The first edition was published without an indicated press or date, after which it went through multiple printings, including a sixth edition in 1402 AH printed by Matba'at Bahr al-Ulum under the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, a tenth edition in 1410 AH (1990 CE) in Riyadh, and a twelfth edition in 1418 AH (1997 CE) .
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