Sharh al-Qawaid al-Muthla - Abd al-Rahim al-Sulami
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- Sharh al-Qawaid al-Muthla - Abd al-Rahim al-Sulami
Sharh al-Qawaid al-Muthla (Explanation of the exemplary rules) is a theological commentary delivered by the contemporary scholar Abd al-Rahim al-Sulami on the treatise al-Qawaid al-Muthla fi Sifat Allah wa Asmaihi al-Husna (The exemplary principles regarding the divine names and attributes) by Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin.
Overview and Theological Framework
The work focuses on one of the foundational domains of Islamic creed (aqidah): belief in the names and attributes of Allah (al-asma wa-l-sifat). Al-Sulami explains that Sunni scholars established systematic principles (qawaid) to facilitate a precise understanding of the divine names and attributes, safeguarding the doctrine from theological errors and bidah (heretical innovations). The commentary grounds this field within the broader Islamic pillar of belief in Allah, which comprises three core aspects of divine unity (tawhid): tawhid al-rububiyyah (the oneness of divine Lordship), tawhid al-uluhiyyah (the oneness of divine worship), and tawhid al-asma wa-l-sifat.
Key Principles and Content
Throughout the explanation, al-Sulami elucidates the foundational categories and rules outlined in Ibn Uthaymin's text:
- Categorization of Divine Terms: The commentary distinguishes three types of terms applied to Allah: the divine name (al-ism), the divine attribute (al-sifah), and divine reports or predicates (al-khabar). A divine name denotes both the divine essence and an attribute of absolute perfection.
- Nature of the Divine Names: The names of Allah serve both as proper designations and as descriptive titles of perfection (alam wa awsaf); each name conveys the highest beauty and majesty, without deficiency in any respect.
- Revelation-Bound Authority (Tawqifiyyah): The commentary emphasizes that divine names are strictly tawqifiyyah—derived solely from textual revelation in the Quran and the Sunnah rather than speculative intellect, philosophy, or human reason. Al-Sulami also explains that the divine names are not restricted to an exhaustive finite number, as corroborated by prophetic texts.
- Derivation and Naming Boundaries: The text details that divine names are taken directly from explicit revealed scriptural forms rather than freely extracted from descriptive attributes, underscoring adherence to the boundaries of revealed texts.
- Rejection of Ilhad (Deviation): The work treats the concept of ilhad concerning the divine names and attributes as prohibited, describing it as any deviation from their rightful truth, including denying revealed names, negating what they denote of attributes and rulings, or assigning them unauthorized meanings.
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