Usul al-Aqida - Abd al-Rahim al-Sulami
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- Usul al-Aqida - Abd al-Rahim al-Sulami
Usul al-Aqida (Uṣūl al-ʿAqīdah, "Principles of Creed") is an instructional work on Islamic theology by the contemporary scholar Abd al-Rahim al-Sulami (Dr. Abd al-Rahim ibn Sumayyil al-Sulami).
Overview and Method
The work comprises a transcribed series of nine educational lectures designed to instruct students on the foundational principles of Islamic faith. Unlike traditional commentaries tied to a single classical treatise, it is structured thematically around unified theological topics. Al-Sulami focuses on grounding the primary concepts of doctrine (al-taʾṣīl) from textual proofs before delving into intricate theological disputations and divergent opinions.
Content and Structure
The lessons cover core creedal topics alongside methodological guidance for students of sacred knowledge:
- Etiquette and Methodology of Learning: The opening lesson addresses the etiquette incumbent upon students of knowledge (ādāb ṭālib al-ʿilm), drawing upon the tradition of the early generations (al-salaf). Al-Sulami enumerates the successive stages of acquiring knowledge (manāzil al-ʿilm): sincere intention (al-niyyah), attentive listening (al-istimāʿ), understanding (al-fahm), memorization (al-ḥifẓ), practical implementation (al-ʿamal), and dissemination through teaching (al-nashr). He emphasizes mastering primary objectives (ʿulūm al-maqāṣid), particularly creed and jurisprudence, before moving to auxiliary sciences (ʿulūm al-wasāʾil).
- Core Theological Themes: The work examines the innate disposition toward monotheism (fiṭriyyat al-tawḥīd), the categories of monotheism, faith (īmān) and its components, disbelief (kufr), and the regulations and criteria governing excommunication (ḍawābiṭ al-takfīr).
- Pillars of Faith and Innovation: The ninth and final lesson is devoted to two primary subjects: the six pillars of faith (arkān al-īmān) and fundamental rulings, followed by the definition and boundaries of Sunnah and religious innovation (al-Sunnah wa-l-bidʿah).
In responding to student questions, the author recommends essential introductory literature for beginners in theology, including short treatises by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (such as al-Uṣūl al-Thalāthah, al-Qawāʿid al-Arbaʿ, and Kitāb al-Tawḥīd), Hafiz al-Hakami (Aʿlām al-Sunnah al-Manshūrah and Maʿārij al-Qabūl), as well as works by modern scholars such as Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin, and Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar.
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