Sharh Kashf al-Shubuhat li-Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al al-Shaykh
- Author died
- 1389 AH
- Editions
- Printed at the expense of Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Qāsim
Sharh Kashf al-Shubuhat is a theological commentary on Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's treatise Kashf al-Shubuhat ("The Clarification of Doubts"), based on the teachings of the Saudi scholar and Grand Mufti Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al al-Shaykh (1311–1389 AH / 1893–1969 CE) .
Background and Compilation
The work was not authored directly as a written book by Muhammad ibn Ibrahim; rather, it consists of his recorded lessons and lecture notes (taqrirat) delivered in his mosque and at his home in Riyadh between 1366 AH and 1372 AH . His student Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Qasim compiled, arranged, and published the text . Ibn Qasim noted down the commentary directly from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim during lesson cycles repeated six times over those years, completing the preface for publication on 24 Rabi' al-Thani 1417 AH .
Contents and Core Themes
The commentary elucidates the context and arguments of Kashf al-Shubuhat, which Muhammad ibn Ibrahim describes as a response to contemporary detractors who alleged that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab declared mainstream Muslims to be unbelievers (takfir al-Muslimin); the commentator emphasizes that excommunication is only applied to those who commit an explicit act of major unbelief after proof has been established against them .
Key topics covered across the commentary include:
- Definition of Monotheism (Tawhid) and the Religion of the Messengers: Muhammad ibn Ibrahim details that tawhid centers on directing all forms of worship—such as supplication, sacrificial slaughter, vowing, and seeking divine rescue (istighathah)—exclusively to God .
- The Nature of Pre-Islamic Polytheism: The text explains that the polytheists of Quraysh acknowledged God as the sole creator and sustainer, yet committed idolatry by setting up intermediaries (such as angels, prophets, or righteous figures) to intercede and bring them closer to God .
- Refutation of Specific Doubts: The commentary answers multiple polemical objections raised against the Wahhabi reform movement, including claims that uttering the two testimonies of faith (shahadatayn) or performing prayers precludes an individual from falling into polytheism if they also direct acts of worship toward graves or intermediaries . It also clarifies the distinction between permissible seeking of intercession on the Day of Resurrection and impermissible supplication directed to deceased or absent beings .
- Requirements of Faith: In its concluding section, the commentary affirms that authentic tawhid necessarily requires the unison of conviction in the heart, proclamation with the tongue, and physical performance of righteous deeds, and that a deficiency in any of these compromises one's Islam .
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