Aqida Treatises

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From matn to treatise

A matn states; a treatise demonstrates. The commentary takes each proposition, cites the verses and hadiths that ground it, sets out the objections raised against it in history and answers them. This is where the student moves from a learned formula to understanding what it commits him to, and it is why a commentary on the Tahawiyya fills a thick volume where the matn fills fifteen pages.

The reference commentaries

Sharh al-aqida al-tahawiyya by Ibn Abi al-'Izz: the most studied commentary on the most widespread matn. Available as one dense volume or as a verified multi-volume edition.
Sharh al-aqida al-wasitiyya: several commentaries coexist, including those of Muhammad Khalil Harras, Salih al-Fawzan and Ibn Uthaymin. The first is the briefest, the last the most pedagogical.
Ma'arij al-qabul by Hafiz al-Hakami: a full exposition of aqida in questions and answers, commenting on his own poem Sullam al-wusul. Widely used as a manual.
Sharh Lum'at al-i'tiqad: the counterpart for Ibn Qudama's matn, beginner to intermediate level.

Choosing a commentary

Three simple criteria. The matn commented on first: take the commentary on the text you memorised, not another. The level next: a transcribed lecture reads easily, a classical commentary assumes the language and the technical vocabulary. The size last: a one-volume work gets finished, a six-volume one is often abandoned at the second. Better to finish a short commentary than to start a long one.

What to check in an edition

That the matn is typographically distinct from the commentary, or reading becomes confusing. That the cited texts are referenced, verses and hadiths with their source and grading. And the editor, since several of these works circulate in careless editions. These points appear on every listing, with the volume count and the publisher.

Related sections

The base texts are in Aqida matns. Particular questions have their own sections: Tawhid, Names and attributes, Faith. The early sources are in Works of the salaf.

Ordering and shipping

Real stock shown, dispatched within 24 to 48 working hours, shipped across Europe and worldwide. If you hesitate between two commentaries on the same matn, write to us: we will tell you the real level of each and the page count before you order.

Which commentary for the Tahawiyya?

Sharh al-aqida al-tahawiyya by Ibn Abi al-'Izz is the reference commentary. It exists as one dense volume and as a verified multi-volume edition: the first is enough for a first study, the second is for those who want the work on the sources.

And for the Wasitiyya?

Several commentaries coexist. Muhammad Khalil Harras's is the briefest, Salih al-Fawzan's is intermediate, Ibn Uthaymin's is the most pedagogical since it is transcribed from his lectures. Take the last if you study alone.

Should I memorise the matn before reading the commentary?

That is the proven method and it saves time. The commentary follows the matn phrase by phrase: if the phrase is already in memory, the explanation attaches to something. Otherwise you read a lot and retain little.

Is Ma'arij al-qabul suitable for a beginner?

It is more accessible than the great classical commentaries, being arranged as questions and answers, but it is not a first book: it covers the whole of aqida and runs to several volumes. Start with a short matn and its commentary.