Tashih al-Mafahim fi Janib al-Aqida
- Author died
- 1415 AH
- Editions
- Islamic University of Madinah
Tashih al-Mafahim fi Janib al-Aqida (Correcting Misconceptions in Aspects of Creed, also titled Tashih al-Mafahim fi Jawanib al-Aqida) is a theological treatise by the scholar Muhammad Aman al-Jami (d. 1415 AH / 1996 CE), Dean of the Faculty of Hadith and Islamic Studies at the Islamic University of Madinah, addressing theological misconceptions and outlining the creed of Ahl al-Sunna on key doctrinal issues .
Background and Publication
The work originated as public lectures delivered within the cultural lecture series of the Islamic University of Madinah . Al-Jami first spoke under this title during the 1394–1395 AH (1974–1975 CE) lecture season, covering four topics: worship (al-ibadah), seeking a means of approach (al-tawassul), the Divine Attributes (mabhath al-sifat), and the Quran . He delivered a subsequent lecture on 22 Rabi al-Awwal 1398 AH (1978 CE) to address three additional subjects: the allies of Allah and miracles, intercession, and the Prophetic Sunna . The text was published in issue 42 of the Journal of the Islamic University of Madinah and issued as a separate publication by the university press in 1399 AH (1979 CE) .
Content and Doctrinal Arguments
The treatise critiques foreign and philosophical concepts that entered Muslim thought, specifically targeting doctrinal errors stemming from extreme Sufism and scholastic theology (ilm al-kalam) .
Sainthood and Miracles
Al-Jami defines a true saint or ally of Allah (wali) according to the Quran, stating that sainthood requires knowledge, piety (taqwa), and adherence to the Quran and Sunna, rejecting the notion that an ignorant person or charlatan can be a saint . He rejects the concept of hereditary sainthood and clarifies that the manifestation of extraordinary occurrences (khawariq al-adah) is neither a prerequisite nor exclusive to true saints, noting that extraordinary feats may be performed by allies of Satan (awliya al-shaytan) through sorcery, devils, or divine enticement (istidraj) .
He affirms the consensus of Ahl al-Sunna regarding the reality of saintly miracles (karamat), citing scriptural proofs such as the Companions of the Cave, Maryam, and the Prophetic report of the three men trapped in the cave who supplicated through their righteous deeds . He refutes the Mu'tazilite denial of miracles, referencing refutations by Ibn Taymiyya and Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani . Additionally, he critiques the doctrines of existential monism (wahdat al-wujud) and the dropping of religious obligations (isqat al-takalif) promoted by figures such as Ibn Arabi and Ibn al-Farid, comparing them to contemporary claims such as the "Second Message of Islam" advocated by Mahmud Muhammad Taha in Sudan .
Regarding the proper stance toward the righteous, he warns against grave veneration, prostration at shrines, and excessive reverence, articulating three distinct rights: the exclusive right of Allah to be worshiped alone without partners; the right of the Prophet ﷺ to be loved, obeyed, and followed; and the rights of righteous believers to receive love and loyalty for Allah's sake without deification .
Intercession and Supplication
Al-Jami distinguishes between legitimate intercession (shafa'a) and prohibited practices . In the practice of the Companions, intercession and tawassul referred to asking a living, present person to pray to Allah on one's behalf—as when Companions requested the Prophet's ﷺ prayer for rain, or when Umar ibn al-Khattab asked al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan asked al-Aswad ibn Yazid to supplicate during droughts . He contrasts this with calling upon deceased individuals or asking them for rain, healing, or offspring, which he classifies as polytheism (shirk) . He also affirms the Sunna doctrine that the Prophet ﷺ will intercede on the Day of Judgment for perpetrators of major sins among his community, contrary to the views of the Kharijites and Mu'tazilites .
The Authority of the Sunna
In the final section, al-Jami emphasizes that Islamic religion rests on two foundational principles: worshiping Allah alone, and worshiping Him strictly through the legislation delivered by His Messenger ﷺ . He traces theological deviations back to the translation of Greek logic and philosophy during the Abbasid era, particularly under al-Ma'mun . He criticizes the theological division of hadiths into mass-transmitted (mutawatir) and solitary (ahad) when used by scholastic theologians (mutakallimun) to dismiss solitary authentic reports as authoritative proof in matters of creed .
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