[Sharh] Tashil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya
- Author died
- 1438 AH
- Editions
- T. 2
[Sharh] Tashil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya (Facilitating Islamic Creed and its Commentary) is a contemporary manual of Sunni theology written by the Saudi scholar Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Jibrin (d. 1438 AH / 2017 CE) to provide an accessible yet documented exposition of orthodox creedal doctrines .
Background and Composition
The book was conceived to serve university-level students, religious institutes, and participants in specialized Sharia courses, aiming to present core theological subjects with clarity of style and direct substantiation from the Quran, the authentic Sunnah, and scholarly consensus (ijma'). The author compiled extensive footnotes containing the critical referencing (takhrij) of hadiths and traditions, as well as citations across the four Sunni legal schools (madhhabs), early authorities (salaf), and leading independent jurists (mujtahid imams) .
Prior to uniting the work in book form, al-Jibrin divided its core chapters into six peer-reviewed research papers published across academic journals to incorporate scholarly review:
- al-Tawhid wa-al-Shirk al-Akbar ("Monotheism and Major Polytheism"), published in the journal of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University .
- al-Kufr al-Akbar ("Major Disbelief"), in the journal of Umm al-Qura University .
- al-Nifaq al-Akbar ("Major Hypocrisy"), in the journal of Umm al-Qura University .
- al-Wasa'il allati Tu'addi ila al-Shirk al-Akbar ("Avenues Leading to Major Polytheism"), in the journal of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University .
- Munaqqisat al-Tawhid ("Factors Diminishing Monotheism"), in Majallat al-Buhuth al-Islamiyya issued by the Council of Senior Scholars .
- al-Wala' wa-al-Bara' ("Loyalty and Disavowal"), in Majallat al-Buhuth al-Islamiyya .
Additionally, the introductory chapter was serialized in al-Jundi al-Muslim magazine, issued by the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation . The text was reviewed and benefited from remarks by several scholars, including Nasir ibn Abd al-Karim al-Aql, Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad al-Abd al-Latif, Fahd ibn Sulayman al-Fuhayd, Abd al-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Barrak, and Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah al-Rajihi, along with guidance from the author's teachers Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz and Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin .
Structure and Content
The work opens with an introduction defining key theological terms such as aqida, sunna, and usul al-din . The body covers six major thematic topics:
- Distinguishing characteristics of Islamic creed (khasa'is al-aqida al-islamiyya) .
- The moderate nature and balance of Islamic theology (wasatiyyat al-aqida al-islamiyya) .
- Monotheism (tawhid) and its categories .
- Nullifiers of monotheism (nawaqid al-tawhid), including major polytheism, major disbelief, and major hypocrisy .
- Factors impairing or diminishing monotheism (munaqqisat al-tawhid), encompassing minor polytheism, innovations, and forbidden means .
- Theological loyalty and disavowal (al-wala' wa-al-bara') .
Abridgment and Publications
To make the text more accessible to general students and non-specialists, al-Jibrin abridged the work under the title Mukhtasar [Sharh] Tashil al-Aqida al-Islamiyya by stripping most of the detailed referencing footnotes and making minor condensations in the core prose .
The original work and its abridgment were published in multiple editions in Riyadh, including printings by Dar al-Sumay'i, Dar al-Usaymi, Maktabat al-Rushd, and Madar al-Watan .
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