Taliq Mukhtasar ala Lumat al-Itiqad lil-Uthaymin
- Author died
- 1421 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat Aḍwāʼ al-Salaf
Taliq Mukhtasar ala Lumat al-Itiqad (A Concise Commentary on Lumat al-Itiqad) is a theological commentary written by the Saudi scholar Ibn Uthaymin (d. 1421 AH / 2001 CE) on the creedal primer Lumat al-Itiqad al-Hadi ila Sabil al-Rashad by the Hanbali scholar Ibn Qudama (541–620 AH / 1146–1223 CE) .
Background and Purpose
Ibn Uthaymin completed the commentary on 10 Muharram 1392 AH . The work was motivated by the decision of the Presidency of Scientific Institutes in Saudi Arabia to designate Ibn Qudama's primer as part of the curriculum for first-year secondary students . Noting the absence of an available commentary at the time and the primer's methodological importance, Ibn Uthaymin composed concise notes to clarify its obscure expressions, identify textual sources, and elucidate its theological lessons .
Structure and Content
Before commenting on the text, Ibn Uthaymin introduces a preliminary section outlining foundational principles (qawa'id) concerning the divine names and attributes :
- Affirming literal meaning: Texts regarding divine names and attributes must be maintained upon their apparent meaning (zahir) without alteration or figurative reinterpretation (ta'wil) lacking textual proof .
- Rules governing divine names: All names of Allah are entirely excellent (husna), denoting perfect attributes with no deficiency, and they are not restricted to a specific number .
Following the preliminary rules, the commentary moves through the subjects addressed in Lumat al-Itiqad, including the affirmation of divine attributes, the divine speech and the Quran, the beatific vision of Allah in the hereafter, divine decree and predestination (qadar), faith (iman), the companions of the Prophet, and the stance toward innovators . Throughout the text, Ibn Uthaymin adds clarifying remarks where Ibn Qudama's phrasing could be open to misinterpretation; for instance, commenting on Ibn Qudama's statement that Allah speaks with "eternal speech" (kalam qadim), Ibn Uthaymin clarifies that under the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama'ah, this refers to speech being eternal in kind while individual utterances take place as He wills (qadim al-naw', hadith al-ahad) .
Publication History
The commentary was initially published on its own without Ibn Qudama's base text by Maktabat al-Rushd in Riyadh in 1403 AH . It was later released in several edited printings integrating the original text and the commentary, notably an edition edited and documented by Ashraf ibn Abd al-Maqsud, published by Maktabat al-Imam al-Bukhari in Egypt (second edition, 1412 AH), Maktabat Dar Tabariyya in Riyadh (third edition, 1415 AH / 1995 CE), and Maktabat Adwa' al-Salaf . The commentary is also included in Ibn Uthaymin's multi-volume compilation Majmu Fatawa wa Rasail al-Uthaymin .
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