Sharh al-Aqida al-Tadmuriyya - al-Barrak
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- Mu’assasat Waqf al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Nāṣir al-Barrāk
Sharh al-Aqida al-Tadmuriyya (Commentary on the Tadmuriyya Creed) is a work of Islamic theology by Abd al-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Barrak (b. 1352 AH / 1933 CE), providing an extensive explanation of the creedal treatise Al-Aqida al-Tadmuriyya by Ibn Taymiyya . The book clarifies the theological principles governing the divine names and attributes as well as the reconciliation between divine decree and religious obligation .
Origin and Scope
The base text, originally titled Tahqiq al-Ithbat li-l-Asma' wa-l-Sifat wa-Bayan Haqiqat al-Jam' bayna al-Qadr wa-l-Shar' (Verifying Affirmation for the Names and Attributes and Clarifying the Reconcilement of Decree and Law), was composed by Ibn Taymiyya to articulate the methodology of the early generations (Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama'a) and respond to philosophical and theological debaters . Al-Barrak's commentary developed over several years while teaching creed at the College of Sharia and the College of Usul al-Din in Riyadh, addressing the specialized terminology and complex dialectical arguments in the base text that posed difficulties for students .
The commentary focuses on two fundamental foundations (aslan) addressed in the base text:
- Divine Names and Attributes (al-Tawhid wa-l-Sifat): detailing the Sunni creed regarding affirmation (ithbat) and negation (nafy), while countering the arguments of philosophers (mutafalsifa), the Batiniyya, and the Jahmiyya through textual and rational proofs . It explicates two foundational principles (aslan), two illustrative analogies (mathalan), and a concluding section containing six or seven universal rules (qawa'id) .
- Divine Decree and Sacred Law (al-Shar' wa-l-Qadr): detailing the reconciliation between belief in divine predestination and adherence to divine commands and prohibitions .
Editorial History and Publication
The commentary was originally delivered as oral lectures, which were recorded on audio tapes and circulated among students as written transcripts . It was first edited and prepared for publication by Sulayman ibn Salih al-Ghusn, who read it back to al-Barrak before it was published in a single volume by Dar Kunuz Ishbilya in 1425 AH / 2004 CE .
To address editorial errors and incorporate further clarifications, al-Barrak subsequently authorized Abd al-Rahman ibn Salih al-Sudays to re-edit the work . Al-Sudays collated the text against the edition of al-Tadmuriyya edited by Muhammad al-Sa'wi, cross-referenced passages across theological, grammatical, and exegetical literature, documented hadiths and scholarly citations, and read the entire revised text back to al-Barrak, who introduced textual modifications and additions . This edition was completed in 1431 AH / 2010 CE and subsequently issued in multiple editions by publishers including Dar al-Tadmuriyya and the Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Barrak Endowment Foundation .
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