Sharh Lumat al-Itiqad lil-Mahmud
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- Sharh Lumat al-Itiqad lil-Mahmud
Sharh Lumat al-Itiqad is a contemporary theological commentary by Abd al-Rahman ibn Salih al-Mahmud on the classical Hanbali creedal treatise Lumat al-Itiqad al-Hadi ila Sabil al-Rashad (The Luminary of Creed Leading to the Path of Guidance) by Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi (d. 620 AH) . It serves as an accessible exposition of the foundational tenets of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah .
Background and Transmission
The commentary originated as an audio lecture series delivered by al-Mahmud, recorded across ten cassette tapes . These recorded lessons were subsequently transcribed and published digitally by the Islamweb platform .
The work has also been printed in book format, including an edition titled Sharh Lumat al-Itiqad published by Dar al-Watan in Riyadh (first edition, 1423 AH) . It is also circulated under the title Taysir Lumat al-Itiqad (Facilitating the Luminary of Creed), which was published by Dar al-Watan and made available on the author's official website .
Scope and Methodology
The commentary explains Ibn Qudama's concise text, which was intended not as an exhaustive reference work, but rather as an essential summary (bulghah) and a guiding light pointing students toward sound doctrine . Al-Mahmud follows a pedagogic approach that links each doctrinal issue to evidence from the Quran, the Sunnah, and traditions from the early generations (salaf) .
The commentary addresses several core topics of Islamic creed:
- Divine Names and Attributes: It elucidates the Sunni stance of affirming the divine attributes established in the texts—such as the Face (al-Wajh), the Self (al-Nafs), Coming (al-Maji' and al-Ityan), Pleasure (al-Rida), Love (al-Mahabbah), Anger (al-Ghadab), Wrath (al-Sakhat), and Descending (al-Nuzul)—in a manner befitting God, without distortion (tahrif), negation (tatil), anthropomorphism (tashbih), or likening (tamthil) .
- The Quran and Divine Speech: It presents the belief regarding the speech of God and the status of the Quran .
- Faith and Divine Decree: It discusses the definition and components of faith (iman), as well as submission to divine decree (qadar) .
- The Leadership and Companions: It details the Sunni position on legitimate political leadership (imamah) and the status and virtues of the Prophet's Companions .
Throughout the work, al-Mahmud stresses adherence to the understanding of the Salaf, portraying the middle position of Ahl al-Sunnah between theological extremes of overinterpretation and denial on the one hand, and excessive literal anthropomorphism on the other .
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