Sharh Thalathat al-Usul li-Salih al-Fawzan
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Sharh Thalathat al-Usul (Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles) is a commentary authored by the Saudi scholar Salih al-Fawzan on the foundational creedal treatise Thalathat al-Usul (or al-Usul al-Thalathah) by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (d. 1206 AH / 1792 CE) .
Background and Purpose
In his introduction, Salih al-Fawzan describes the base work as a concise and venerable treatise supported by evidentiary texts from the Quran and the Sunnah, focused on the primary foundation of Islamic belief (‘aqidah) . He notes that Islamic scholars historically devoted substantial care to authoring, editing, and refining such primers so students could memorize them as enduring foundational knowledge . Al-Fawzan explains that studying these concise summaries serves as the essential pedagogical entry point for students of Islamic knowledge, allowing them to advance gradually from fundamental principles to more detailed subjects .
Content and Structure
The commentary follows the systematic arrangement of the original treatise, addressing its introductory sections, the three core principles, and its concluding discussions :
- Introductory Preliminaries: The work explains the obligatory four matters outlined at the beginning of the text—knowledge, acting upon it, calling to it, and exercising patience in the face of harm—alongside subsequent preliminary matters regarding God's exclusive right to worship and the disavowal of polytheism (shirk) .
- The Three Principles: Al-Fawzan comments on the three fundamental duties of knowledge:
- Knowing the Lord: Identifying God through His signs and creation, and dedicating all forms of worship solely to Him .
- Knowing the Religion of Islam with Evidence: Exploring the three ascending levels of the religion—Islam (submission), Iman (faith), and Ihsan (excellence)—and their respective pillars .
- Knowing the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: Detailing his lineage, his prophetic mission, his migration (hijrah), and the universal scope of his message .
- Conclusion: The text addresses eschatological matters including resurrection (ba‘th) and accountability, followed by the imperative of rejecting taghut (false objects of worship or tyrannical excess) and affirming faith in God alone .
Method
In explaining the terminology, al-Fawzan analyzes the linguistic and grammatical roots of the text, noting that usul is the plural of asl (that upon which other matters are constructed) to emphasize that the entire religion rests upon these core fundamentals . He emphasizes that these three matters were specifically highlighted because they represent the exact questions posed by the two angels to every deceased individual in the intermediate realm of the grave (al-barzakh) regarding their Lord, their religion, and their Prophet . His commentary elucidates the scriptural proofs cited from the Quran and the Prophetic traditions, expanding upon the theological principles and their practical applications in worship and monotheism .
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