Sharh al-Aqida al-Tahawiya - al-Barrak
- Author died
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- Editions
- T al-Muassasa · T al-Tadmuriyya
Sharh al-Aqida al-Tahawiya (Commentary on the Tahawiyyan Creed) is a contemporary theological commentary by Abd al-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Barrak on the classical creedal treatise al-Aqida al-Tahawiya authored by Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi (d. 321 AH) .
Origin and Composition
The work originated as oral lessons delivered by al-Barrak across multiple teaching assemblies, including an intensive summer lecture series hosted at Jami' al-Imam Ali ibn al-Madini in Riyadh over a four-year period from 1422 AH to 1425 AH (2001–2004 CE) .
Following these sessions, Abd al-Rahman ibn Salih al-Sudays sought al-Barrak's permission to transcribe, edit, and prepare the commentary for print . The preparation involved transcribing the audio recordings while omitting student question-and-answer segments, refining and structuring the spoken prose for publication, and verifying the citations of Quranic texts, prophetic hadiths, narrations (athar), and scholarly excerpts against their original primary sources .
Method and Scope
The commentary offers a comprehensive exposition of al-Tahawi's concise doctrinal text, following the tenets of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama'a . It is characterized by several methodological features:
- Doctrinal Substantiation: It substantiates theological positions with textual proofs from the Quran and the Sunnah, alongside quotations from early scholarly authorities .
- Thematic Integration and Clarification: It connects interrelated issues that are scattered across different parts of the matn and highlights problematic or ambiguous phrases in al-Tahawi's wording, elucidating the correct understanding .
- Critique of Sects: It outlines the deviations of differing theological factions and provides systematic responses to them .
- Style and Length: It maintains an intermediate length, balancing detail without being overly expansive or excessively brief .
Publication History
The commentary was first published in mid-1429 AH (2008 CE) by Dar al-Tadmuriyya in a single volume . It went through several subsequent printings, including a third edition by Dar al-Tadmuriyya in 1434 AH . A sixth edition was issued on 16 Safar 1443 AH (September 2021 CE) by Mu'assasat Waqf al-Shaykh Abd al-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Barrak, following typesetting, coordination, and revision by its scientific committee, with minor adjustments approved by the author .
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