Usul al-Sunnah li-Ibn Abi Zamanin
- Author died
- 399 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Ghurabā’ al-Athariyyah
Usul al-Sunnah (The Foundations of the Sunnah) is a classical treatise on Islamic creed (aqidah) authored by the Andalusian Maliki jurist and scholar Ibn Abi Zamanin (324–399 AH / 936–1008 CE) .
Overview and Structure
The book is organized topically into dedicated chapters (abwab) outlining traditional Sunni theological doctrines through textual proofs, prophetic traditions, and reports from early authorities .
Content and Methodology
Usul al-Sunnah focuses on core matters of dogma based on transmitted reports (athar), adhering to the approach of early scholars (al-salaf) . Key subjects addressed in the text include:
- Divine Attributes and the Throne: The author dedicates sections such as the chapter on belief in the Throne (Bab al-Iman bi-l-Arsh), asserting that God created the Throne, distinguished it with elevation over all creation, and ascended over it as He willed, referencing الرَّحْمنُ عَلى العَرْش اسْتَوَى (The Most Merciful rose over the Throne) [Ta-Ha: 5], as well as traditions regarding the divine descent (hadith al-nuzul) .
- Predestination (Qadar): The work records narrations detailing that all actions and occurrences are decreed by God, citing transmissions via authorities such as Sufyan al-Thawri and Salim ibn Abd Allah ibn Umar .
- Status of the Companions: The text covers scholarly consensus regarding the virtues of the Prophet's Companions, specifically documenting the precedence of Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab through statements of early scholars, including Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak, Sharik ibn Abd Allah al-Nakha'i, and Yusuf ibn Adi .
Later scholars, including Ibn Taymiyyah in al-Fatwa al-Hamawiyyah al-Kubra, cited Ibn Abi Zamanin's Usul al-Sunnah when documenting the theological positions of early Maliki authorities .
Manuscripts and Editions
A manuscript reproduction of Usul al-Sunnah is preserved in the library of the Islamic University of Medina under accession number 1863 . The work was edited by Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Bukhari and published by Maktabat al-Ghuraba al-Athariyyah in Medina in 1415 AH (1994 CE) .
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