Sharh Lumat al-Itiqad li Khalid al-Muslih
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- Sharh Lumat al-Itiqad li Khalid al-Muslih
Sharh Lumat al-Itiqad (Explanation of the Radiance of Faith) is a contemporary commentary by the Saudi Islamic scholar Khalid al-Muslih on the classical creedal primer Lum‘at al-I‘tiqad al-Hadi ila Sabil al-Rashad authored by Ibn Qudama (d. 620 AH) . The work expounds the theological principles of the early generations (salaf) and the Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama‘a regarding core matters of Islamic doctrine, including the Divine names and attributes, scripture, destiny, and the Companions .
Background and Explanation of the Title
In his commentary, al-Muslih notes that Ibn Qudama—one of the foremost jurists and scholars of the Hanbali school—wrote several works in the field of creed, including Dhamm al-Ta’wil (The Censure of Figurative Interpretation), Tahrim al-Nazar fi Kutub Ahl al-Ahwa’ (The Prohibition of Looking into the Books of Heretics), and a treatise on Divine transcendence (al-‘Uluww) . Creedal works, al-Muslih explains, are generally authored to clarify the path of the salaf in distinction from innovated factions, or to address and refute specific doubts .
Regarding the title Lum‘at al-I‘tiqad, al-Muslih points out two linguistic explanations:
- Lum‘ah in Arabic refers to al-bulgha, meaning a modest, sufficient portion of livelihood, signifying that the text serves as a concise summary of essential sound belief .
- Some scholars relate lum‘ah to brilliance and radiance (lama‘an), indicating that the doctrinal points presented are evident, manifest, and established by clear textual proofs from the Quran and Sunnah .
He accepts both interpretations as fitting for the treatise, and defines i‘tiqad (belief) as a decisive conviction of the mind (al-hukm al-dhihni al-jazim) .
Subject Matter and Key Themes
The commentary follows Ibn Qudama's text in elucidating the six pillars of faith found in the Hadith of Gabriel: belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree (qadar) . Al-Muslih observes that creedal authors traditionally elaborate heavily on areas that experienced theological contention, while summarizing subjects that saw little disagreement, such as belief in the angels .
The major areas treated in the work include:
- Divine Names and Attributes: Differentiating between general faith (iman mujmal)—affirming everything Allah and His Messenger have affirmed—and detailed faith (iman mufassal) regarding individual divine names and attributes . Al-Muslih explains that Allah possesses the Most Beautiful Names (al-Asma' al-Husna), which combine complete meaning and elegance of phrasing, and the Exalted Attributes (al-Sifat al-‘Ula) .
- Scriptural Interpretation: Affirming the stance of the salaf toward clear (muhkam) and ambiguous (mutashabih) texts, and accepting reports of the unseen without distortion or speculative reasoning .
- Iman and the People of the Qibla: Addressing historical controversies surrounding the definition and realities of faith (iman), emphasizing that Ahl al-Sunna do not excommunicate (takfir) any of the people of the prayer direction (ahl al-qibla) for committing sins, and maintaining that jihad and pilgrimage remain valid under both righteous and transgressive rulers .
- The Companions and Leadership: Affirming the consensus that the best of the Muslim community after the Prophet ﷺ is Abu Bakr, followed by ‘Umar, with subsequent consensus establishing their rank of virtue according to the order of the Rightly Guided Caliphate . The text also affirms bearing witness of Paradise specifically for the Ten Promised Paradise and others whom the Prophet ﷺ designated, while refraining from definitive individual judgments of Paradise or Hellfire for the general body of believers .
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