Qawaid al-Aqaid
- Author died
- 505 AH
- Editions
- ‘Ālam al-Kutub
Qawaid al-Aqaid (The Foundations of the Articles of Faith) is a treatise on Islamic theology (kalam) and creed by the Shafi'i jurist and theologian Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (450–505 AH / 1058–1111 CE) .
Overview and Structure
Qawaid al-Aqaid was composed both as an independent theological tract and as the second book within the opening quarter of acts of worship (rub' al-ibadat) of al-Ghazali's major work, Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences), placed immediately after Kitab al-Ilm (The Book of Knowledge) and preceding Kitab Asrar al-Taharah (The Secrets of Purification) .
The treatise is organized into four main chapters (fusul) :
- Chapter One: An exposition of the Sunni creed (aqidat ahl al-sunnah) centered on the two testimonies of faith (shahadatayn) that constitute the foundation of Islam, establishing God's existence, oneness, eternity, transcendence beyond bodily form and spatial containment, and the prophecy of Muhammad ﷺ .
- Chapter Three: A systematic exposition of theological proofs titled al-Risala al-Qudsiyyah (The Jerusalem Epistle), which al-Ghazali initially wrote as a standalone tract for the inhabitants of Jerusalem before incorporating it into Qawaid al-Aqaid . It arranges the pillars of faith into four core foundations (arkan): the Divine Essence (Dhat), the Divine Attributes (Sifat), the Divine Acts (Af'al), and the Veracity of the Messenger (Sidq al-Rasul), each subdivided into ten foundational principles (usul), comprising forty principles in total .
- The work concludes with discussions concerning faith and the validity of qualification or exception in one's declaration of belief (al-istithna' fi al-iman) .
Commentaries and Derivatives
A notable commentary on Qawaid al-Aqaid was composed by the scholar Rukn al-Din al-Astarabadi (d. 717 AH; also cited as d. 715 AH) under the title Sharh Qawaid al-Aqaid .
Its embedded section, al-Risala al-Qudsiyyah, also generated independent scholarly engagement:
- The Hanafi jurist and theologian Ibn al-Humam (d. 861 AH) initially abridged it and then expanded upon it, producing his independent theological treatise al-Musayarah .
- Burhan al-Din al-Nasafi (d. 687 AH; also recorded as d. 688 AH) authored a dedicated commentary on it .
Reception and Editions
Qawaid al-Aqaid held an esteemed status among Sunni scholars and Ash'ari theologians. Biographical works by chroniclers such as Ibn Asakir, Taj al-Din al-Subki, and al-Yafi'i record favorable testimonials and pious dream narratives praising the text as an accurate formulation of Sunni orthodox creed .
In addition to appearing in all complete printings of Ihya Ulum al-Din, the work has been edited and published independently, including a critical edition prepared by Awni Muhammad Ali (published in Beirut, 1405 AH) .
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