Sharh al-Tadmuriyya - Muhammad ibn Khalifa al-Tamimi
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- Dār Īlāf al-Duwaliyyah lil-Nashr wal-Tawzīʻ
Sharh al-Tadmuriyya (Commentary on the Tadmurian Treatise) is a theological commentary by contemporary scholar Muhammad ibn Khalifa al-Tamimi on Ibn Taymiyya's foundational creedal treatise al-Risala al-Tadmuriyya . The work elucidates the core tenets of Islamic theology (aqida) regarding God's names and attributes as well as divine decree and legislation .
Background and Purpose
The base text, al-Risala al-Tadmuriyya, was originally authored by Ibn Taymiyya in response to an inquiry from the inhabitants of Tadmur (Palmyra), a town in the Levant, who requested a clarification of the orthodox doctrine concerning two pivotal theological principles: divine oneness and attributes (al-tawhid wa-l-sifat), and divine law and predestination (al-shar' wa-l-qadar) . Al-Tamimi composed his commentary to explain the concise yet complex expressions of Ibn Taymiyya's text, systematically addressing the rational and textual arguments used to defend the approach of early Muslim scholars (al-salaf) against philosophical and theological deviations .
Structure and Content
Al-Tamimi organizes his commentary by prefixing the line-by-line explanation with three foundational introductions, followed by the exposition of the treatise's two principal themes :
Preliminary Introductions
- The Etiquettes and Methodology of Seeking Knowledge: An opening discussion highlighting the virtues of acquiring religious knowledge, the necessity of sincerity (ikhlas) and practical application (amal), the stages of learning, and the categorizations of people regarding their reception of divine guidance .
- Methodological Orientations in Creed: A comparative overview contrasting the Prophetic methodology of Ahl al-Sunna—which unifies sound knowledge of God with righteous action—against speculative theological (kalami) schools that focused on theoretical argument while lacking scriptural adherence, and Sufi devotional (ibadi) groups that prioritized subjective practice over orthodox knowledge .
- The Constitution of the Soul and Mind: An analytical rule discussing human nature as composed of body and spirit, detailing the cognitive faculties of knowledge (al-quwwa al-ilmiyya) and will (al-quwwa al-amaliyya), and explaining how divine revelation provides the spiritual nourishment necessary to protect the heart from misconceptions (shubuhat) and unlawful desires (shahawat) .
Commentary on the Two Principles
- The First Principle (Tawhid and Divine Attributes): Explains the doctrine of affirming the divine names and attributes without anthropomorphism (tamthil) or divestment (ta'til), refutes the negators of attributes through core rational maxims, and details the seven universal rules formulated by Ibn Taymiyya to establish the balance between textual affirmation and divine transcendence .
- The Second Principle (Divine Law and Predestination): Expounds the synthesis between God's universal decree (al-qadar) and His legislative commands and prohibitions (al-shar'), emphasizing that genuine monotheism requires recognizing God's absolute sovereignty and creation while maintaining human moral responsibility and sincere obedience .
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