Mukhtasar al-Tuhfa al-Ithna Ashariyya
- Author died
- 1342 AH
- Editions
- al-Maṭba‘ah al-Salafiyyah
Mukhtasar al-Tuhfa al-Ithna Ashariyya (The Abridgment of the Twelver Gift) is an Arabic theological work abridged and refined in 1301 AH (1884 CE) by the Iraqi scholar Mahmud Shukri al-Alusi (1273–1342 AH / 1857–1924 CE) . It is a condensed redaction of the Arabic translation of the Persian anti-Twelver polemical treatise al-Tuhfa al-Ithna Ashariyya by the Indian scholar Shah Abd al-Aziz al-Dihlawi .
Background and Translation
The original work was composed in Persian by Shah Abd al-Aziz Ghulam Hakim al-Dihlawi in India to address the doctrines of the Twelver Shia (Imamiyya) . Approximately a quarter of a century after its publication and widespread circulation in India and beyond, Indian Muslims recognized the need for an Arabic translation . Following a proposal by Hafiz Muhammad Haydar to Prince Muhammad Abd al-Ghaffar Khan Bahadur Thabit Jang, Ghulam Muhammad ibn Muhyi al-Din ibn Umar al-Aslami (al-Madrasi) was chosen for the task due to his knowledge of Shia literature and fluency in Persian .
Al-Aslami commenced the Arabic translation during the reign of Azim al-Dawla Bahadur and completed it on Friday eve, 5 Sha'ban 1227 AH, in the port city of Madras under the title al-Tarjama al-Abqariyya wa-l-Sawla al-Haydariyya . The full translation formed a large manuscript totaling 1,051 pages, though it suffered from stylistic shortcomings and scribal errors, remaining unprinted in its complete form .
Abridgment and Purpose
In 1301 AH, Mahmud Shukri al-Alusi abridged and edited al-Aslami's Arabic translation . Al-Alusi stated in his introduction that he undertook the abridgment because Shia debaters were actively proselytizing among Sunni laypeople, especially in Iraq and neighboring territories of the Ottoman State, misleading many who lacked knowledge of foundational arguments . The completion of this abridgment at the end of the thirteenth century AH was commemorated in chronogrammatic verse by Shihab al-Din al-Mawsili .
Content and Scope
The book serves as a comprehensive refutation of the tenets, sects, and theological arguments of Twelver Shiism . Its chapters examine the origins of the sect, analyze Shia epistemological sources, and critically evaluate fundamental doctrines such as the Imamate . It also includes sections dedicated to defending the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the Companions of the Prophet, and Aisha against sectarian criticisms and polemical charges .
Publication
The work was edited and annotated by Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib, who utilized a manuscript of al-Aslami's translation sent to him from Jeddah by Muhammad Nasif to verify and correct al-Alusi's abridged text . It was published in a single volume by al-Matba'a al-Salafiyya in Cairo in 1373 AH (1953–1954 CE) .
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