Sharh Usul Itiqad Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jamaa

Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a (Explanation of the Fundamental Beliefs of the People of the Sunnah and the Community) is a compendium of traditionalist Islamic theology compiled by the Shafi'i hadith scholar Abu al-Qasim Hibat Allah ibn al-Hasan al-Lalaka'i (d. 418 AH / 1027 CE) Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa…+1. It serves as an extensive sourcebook documenting the creed of early Sunni scholars and traditionalist traditionists (Ahl al-Hadith) through narrated chains of transmission (asānīd) Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1.

Background and Title

Al-Lalaka'i stated in his opening remarks that he composed the work in response to recurring requests from fellow scholars asking him to elucidate the theological positions of Ahl al-Hadith, as well as his observation that contemporaries were drifting away from early Sunni principles and busying themselves with newly originated intellectual disciplines Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1.

Scholars and catalogers cited the work under various titles, including al-Sunan, Sharh al-Sunna, Usul al-Sunna, Sharh I'tiqad Ahl al-Sunna, and Sharh Hujaj Usul I'tiqad Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1. Al-Lalaka'i did not assign a single formal title on a dedicated title page, instead describing the treatise as an exposition organized according to the way of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a and the path of the traditionalists Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1. The title Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a is the title recorded on surviving manuscript copies, such as those preserved in the Zahiriyya and Indian collections Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al….

Method and Sources

In his introductory preface, al-Lalaka'i explained that he examined the writings of earlier authorities to extract their positions and outline the chronology and originators of theological innovations Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa…. His method of theological deduction relies strictly on textual and narrated proofs in hierarchical order: first the Quran, then the Prophetic Sunnah, followed by the reports of the Sahaba, and finally the statements of the Successors (Tabi'un) and subsequent leading scholars Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa…+1.

The material is structured in the manner of hadith compilations, arranging traditions with full isnads under thematic chapter headings designed to clarify the doctrinal stances being argued Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa…+1. Al-Lalaka'i predominantly lists narrations consecutively without extensive running commentary, and he rarely discusses opposing doctrinal schools except in isolated instances such as the issue of the Name and the Named (al-Ism wa al-Musamma) Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa…. In matters where internal disagreement existed among early traditionalists, he generally abstained from detailing the dispute and presented the position he deemed weightiest alongside its evidence; for instance, he affirmed that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw his Lord during his ascension with his heart rather than with physical eyes Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al….

Contents and Structure

The book opens with a lengthy introduction warning against theological innovation (bid'a) and speculative disputation, emphasizing adherence to transmitted traditions Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1. It includes biographical lists of approximately 600 scholars acknowledged as imams of the Sunnah across various regions, along with specific creedal statements transmitted from eleven major early authorities Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1.

Across its main divisions, the work addresses key theological themes:

• Affirming divine attributes established in the texts, such as God's ascension over the Throne (istiwāʾ), loftiness (ʿulūw), and descent (nuzūl) Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa…+1.
• Upholding that the Quran is the uncreated Word of God and refuting opposing doctrines Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa…+1.
• The definition of faith (īmān) as consisting of speech and action, subject to increase and decrease, and the status of perpetrators of major sins Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa….
• Eschatology and unseen realities, including the resurrection, the Basin (al-Ḥawḍ), intercession (shafāʿa), Paradise and Hellfire, and the beatific vision of God by believers in the hereafter Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa….
• The virtues of the Companions, the legitimacy of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs in their historical order of succession, and the obligation to refrain from disputing their historical conflicts Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1.

The complete text comprises hundreds of chapters containing thousands of narrations and historical reports Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1. It has been published in modern multi-volume editions, including an edition edited by Ahmad Sa'd Hamdan, which brought together parts previously missing from earlier printings Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1.

Reception and Criticism

The work is regarded as one of the primary historical references for the creed of Ahl al-Sunna, widely cited and relied upon by later theologians and traditionists Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahl al…+1.

Scholars have noted certain critical observations regarding its compilation:

• The inclusion of some unscrutinized or weak narrations alongside authentic ones without critical differentiation in the text Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa…+1.
• The repetition of certain reports with identical chains and matns across different headings Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa….
• Harsh polemical reports directed against Abu Hanifa, including narrations attributing unacceptable theological positions to him that later researchers have evaluated as unproven or fabricated Tariq al-Hidaya Mabadi wa….