Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah lil-Lalakai - Muhammad Hasan Abd al-Ghaffar
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah lil-Lalakai - Muhammad Hasan Abd al-Ghaffar
Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah lil-Lalakai (Commentary on the Explanation of the Foundations of the Creed of the Sunnis by al-Lalaka'i) is a contemporary commentary by the Egyptian Salafi scholar Muhammad Hasan Abd al-Ghaffar, delivered as an extensive lecture series explicating the classical theological compendium of Abu al-Qasim al-Lalaka'i (d. 418 AH) on Sunni and Athari dogma.
Background and Methodology
The work serves as an oral and transcribed commentary on the eleventh-century collection of Sunni doctrine compiled by Abu al-Qasim Hibat Allah ibn al-Hasan ibn Mansur al-Razi al-Tabari al-Lalaka'i, who was born in Tabaristan, moved to Rayy, and settled in Baghdad. In introducing the original work, Abd al-Ghaffar highlights that it is purely traditionalist (athari) in nature, transmitting reports with authentic chains of narration from the early generations (salaf), foremost among them the Prophet's Companions and the four leading jurists of the Sunni legal schools.
Abd al-Ghaffar structures his commentary by moving from general doctrinal overviews (ijmal) to specific and granular expositions (tafsil), arguing that establishing broad principles first provides a foundation before addressing intricate refutations of theological innovators and practitioners of scholastic theology (kalam).
Doctrinal Themes and Content
The commentary systematically covers the primary articles of Islamic belief as documented in al-Lalaka'i's transmission:
- The Companions of the Prophet: The work discusses the supreme standing of the Companions, detailing their collective probity ('adalah) and relative rankings, headed by Abu Bakr, followed by Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib, alongside the legal rulings regarding reviling them.
- Divine Names and Attributes: Abd al-Ghaffar details the affirmation of Allah's divine attributes (al-sifat al-dhatiyyah al-thubutiyyah) such as Hearing, Sight, Power, the Face (al-Wajh), and Speech (al-Kalam), affirming that the Quran is the uncreated speech of Allah. He argues that affirming speech does not imply physical bodily parts such as a mouth or tongue, and refutes figurative reinterpretations (ta'wil) advanced by Ash'ari and Mu'tazili theologians.
- Definition of Faith (Iman): The commentary defines faith according to the traditionalist stance as consisting of speech, action, and intention (qawl wa 'amal wa niyyah), which increases through acts of obedience and decreases with sin.
- Divine Decree and Eschatology: The text addresses belief in the Divine Decree (Qadar), the theological positions of early figures such as Sufyan al-Thawri, and various categories of Intercession (Shafa'ah) on the Day of Judgment. It also covers eschatological events including the Basin (al-Hawd), the Bridge (al-Sirat), the Resurrection (al-Ba'th), and the emergence of the Antichrist (al-Masih al-Dajjal) before his death at the hands of Jesus.
Answer updated