Sharh al-Aqida al-Tahawiya - Abd al-Rahim al-Sulami
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- Sharh al-Aqida al-Tahawiya - Abd al-Rahim al-Sulami
Sharh al-Aqida al-Tahawiya (Explanation of the Tahawite Creed) is a commentary by Abd al-Rahim al-Sulami on the foundational creedal text composed by Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi, explicating Islamic theological doctrines from the perspective of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah.
Theological Foundations and Creedal Issues
The commentary expounds core tenets of belief, including the definition of faith (iman), which the author affirms as consisting of both speech and action ( قول وعمل ) in accordance with the consensus of early scholars (al-salaf). In this context, he contrasts the position of Ahl al-Sunnah with that of the juristic Murji'ites (Murji'at al-fuqaha), who excluded deeds from the definition of faith, as well as the positions of the Ash'arite and Maturidite schools, and those who classified action merely as a condition of completeness (shart kamal).
Regarding prophetic events and miracles, al-Sulami addresses the Night Journey and Ascension (al-Isra wa-l-Mi'raj), maintaining that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ undertook both physically and spiritually—with body and soul—refuting claims that it occurred solely in a dream or spirit. He deduces several creedal conclusions from the event, such as proofs of prophethood, God's transcendence (al-'uluww), the divine attribute of speech, the beatific vision, the current existence of Paradise and Hell, and the eschatological appearances of the Dajjal and Gog and Magog. On the question of whether the Prophet ﷺ saw his Lord during the ascension, al-Sulami reconciles the reports by stating that the absolute narrations transmitted from Abd Allah ibn Abbas are interpreted by his restricted statements to mean spiritual perception with the heart rather than physical vision with the eye, in agreement with the denial of physical sight reported from Aisha, while the vision mentioned in Surah al-Najm refers to seeing the angel Gabriel.
Eschatology, the Basin, and Intercession
The work details eschatological matters, including the Prophet's Basin (al-Hawd), defending its reality against the historical denials attributed to the Kharijites, the Mu'tazilites, and the Umayyad governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, relying on narrations from Companions such as Abu Barza al-Aslami, Anas ibn Malik, and Zayd ibn Arqam. Al-Sulami examines reports describing the Basin's dimensions—ranging between a month's journey and half a month—evaluating reconciliations offered by al-Qadi Iyad and endorsing the resolution of al-Nawawi and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, which holds that broader measurements encompass shorter ones without contradiction, while also referencing al-Diya al-Maqdisi's textual analysis of specific geographic transmission errors.
Regarding intercession (al-shafa'a), the commentary outlines its conditions—divine permission and God's pleasure with the recipient, who must adhere to monotheism (tawhid)—while rejecting polytheistic notions of intercession. It enumerates valid categories, including:
- The Great Intercession (al-Shafa'a al-Uzma or al-Maqam al-Mahmud) at the gathering on the Day of Judgment to commence the reckoning.
- Intercession to open the gates of Paradise for its inhabitants.
- Intercession to lighten punishment or deliver sinners among the believers.
- Intercessions granted to others, such as angels, prophets, righteous believers, martyrs, fasting, and the Quran.
When discussing hadiths on the gathering, al-Sulami engages with the commentary of Ibn Abi al-Izz and critiques the reliance on the "Hadith of the Trumpet" (Hadith al-Sur), which hadith scholars graded as weak due to its narrator Ismail ibn Rafi'.
Epistemology and Methodology
In epistemological discussions, al-Sulami rejects the theological principle of subordinating transmitted revelation (al-naql) to speculative reason (al-'aql), specifically critiquing the universal rule formulated by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi in Asas al-Taqdis. He argues that authentic revelation and sound intellect cannot genuinely conflict because God is both the creator of human intellect and the sender of revelation; apparent contradictions stem either from inauthentic transmission, faulty comprehension, or defective reasoning, noting that the Quranic text itself is rich in sound rational arguments.
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