This article is an explanation of al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah, a concise yet profound creed authored by Imām Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 321 AH), which encapsulates the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah as understood by the early Imams of the Ummah. The significance of learning and studying īmān is evident from the statement of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (radiyallahu ʿanhuma, d. 73 AH). When he was asked, “What is dīn (religion)?”, he replied: ‘عليك بالايمان فتعلمه (Adhere firmly to īmān, and learn it).’

Also, Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 150 AH) regarded this as the most virtuous form of knowledge when he stated: “Understanding (fiqh) in matters of religion—namely, sound comprehension of beliefs (ʿaqīdah and what pertains to them)—is superior to understanding legal rulings. For a person to gain insight into how to worship his Lord (with sound belief and sincerity) is better for him than accumulating a vast amount of knowledge.” (See: Al-Fiqh al-Absat, Afḍal al-Fiqh wa Taʿrīf al-ʾĪmān wa Arkānihi, p. 82, Maktabah al-Furqān)

 

Contents

 

Introduction

 

– The Linguistic and Technical Meaning of ʿAqīdah

– Meaning of al-Sunnah and al-Jamāʿah

– The Origin of the Term Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah

– The Saved Group (al-Firqah al-Nājiyah) in the Aḥādīth: Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah

– Understanding a Madhhab: A Brief Biography of the Three Imams of the Ḥanafī School 

 

Creed One: The Oneness of Allah, The Most Exalted

 

– The requirements of faith (īmān)

(Additional chapters will be added monthly, inshāʾAllāh)

 

 

 

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the all merciful, the most merciful

Imām Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 321 AH) states:

 

 

هَذَا ذِكْرُ بَيَانِ عَقِيدَةِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ عَلَى مَذْهَبِ فُقَهَاءِ الْمِلَّةِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ الْكُوفِيِّ وَأَبِي يُوسُفَ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ وَمَا يَعْتَقِدُونَ مِنْ أُصُولِ الدِّينِ وَيَدِينُونَ بِهِ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِين This (treatise) is a declaration of the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah, according to the view of the jurists of the religion, Imam Abu Hanifah al-Nu’man ibn Thabit al-Kufi (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 150 AH), Imam Abu Yusuf Ya’qub ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 182 AH) and Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 189 AH), may Allah be pleased with them all, and what they believe regarding the principles of religion and their faith in the Lord of the worlds.

 

The Linguistic and Technical Meaning of ʿAqīdah

 

The term ‘Aqīdah refers to that which the heart firmly affirms with conviction and intent. It is, therefore, a term that relates to one’s inner beliefs.

 

[End of quotation — Imam al-Bāʿbirti (d. 786 AH), with the footnotes of Imam ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī Shanʿār, p. 16]

 

 

Meaning of al-Sunnah and al-Jama’ah

 

Legally, the term Sunnah refers to a path followed in matters of religion [i.e., a practiced way in dīn], and it may also be understood as referring to the statement of a Companion [i.e., as a source of legal guidance], according to us (the Ḥanafīs).

 

Imām al-Shāshī (raḥimahu Allāh) likewise defines the Sunnah as follows: ‘A term used for an established path followed in religion, whether it originates from the Prophet ﷺ or from the Companions.’

 

As the Prophet ﷺ said — in a narration reported by ʿIrbāḍ ibn Sāriyah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) — part of the ḥadīth states:

 

عَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ، تَمَسَّكُوا بِهَا، وَعَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ

 

“Hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs after me.
Cling to it firmly, and bite onto it with your molar teeth…”

 

[سنن أبي داود, كتاب السنة, باب فِي لُزُومِ السُّنَّةِ, حديث رقم: ٤٦٠٧]

 

[End of quotation — Imām Maḥmūd ibn Muḥammad al-Rūmī al-Ḥanafī (d. 916 AH), with the footnotes of Dhākir awdah hamādi al-hanafī, p. 27]

 

Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ received a divine command to invite people to this path, as stated by Almighty Allah:

 

قُلْ هَـٰذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِي ۖ وَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

 

Translation: Say, “This is my way: I invite to Allah with insight — I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah, and I am not of the polytheists.”

 

[al-Qur’an, Surah Yūsuf (12), Ayah (108)]

 

[End of quotation — Imam al-Bāʿbirti (d. 786 AH), with the footnotes of Imam ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī Shanʿār, p. 17]

 

[Translator’s note: Imām al-Baghawī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 516 AH) explains the phrase “my way” in the above verse as:

 

سُنَّتِي وَمِنْهَاجِي

 

‘My way of practice (Sunnah) and my methodology.’

 

Thereafter he (raḥimahu Allāh) explains the phrase from the same verse ‘I and those who follow me’ by citing  a statement of the ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā (d. 68 AH) which states: 

 

قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: يَعْنِي أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ كَانُوا عَلَى أَحْسَنِ طَرِيقَةٍ وَأَقْصَدِ هِدَايَةٍ، مَعْدِنَ الْعِلْمِ، وَكَنْزَ الْإِيمَانِ وَجُنْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ 

 

Ibn ʿAbbās (radiyallahu ‘anhu) exlains: ‘Allah is referring in this verse to the Companions of Muḥammad ﷺ, for they were on the best path [i.e., the most correct and sound way in religion] and the most balanced guidance [i.e., the middle, just, and upright approach], the repository of knowledge, the treasure of faith, and the soldiers of the Most Merciful [i.e., those who actively uphold and defend Allah’s cause].’

 

Also the statement of Abdullah ibn Masood raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā (d. 32 AH) stating similar:

 

قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: مَنْ كَانَ مُسْتَنًّا فَلْيَسْتَنَّ بِمَنْ قَدْ مَاتَ [فَإِنَّ الْحَيَّ لَا تُؤْمَنُ عَلَيْهِ الْفِتْنَةُ] أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ كَانُوا خَيْرَ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ، وَأَبَرَّهَا قُلُوبًا، وَأَعْمَقَهَا عِلْمًا، وَأَقَلَّهَا تَكَلُّفًا، قَوْمٌ اخْتَارَهُمُ اللَّهُ لِصُحْبَةِ نَبِيِّهِ ﷺ وَإِقَامَةِ دِينِهِ، [فَاعْرِفُوا لَهُمْ فَضْلَهُمْ، وَاتَّبِعُوهُمْ فِي آثَارِهِمْ وَتَمَسَّكُوا بِمَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ أَخْلَاقِهِمْ وَسِيَرِهِمْ] ، فَإِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى الْهُدَى الْمُسْتَقِيمِ

 

“ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (radiyallahu anhu) said: ‘Whoever seeks to follow an example, let him follow those who have already passed away [i.e., the deceased whose path is known and secure], for the living are not safe from tribulation [i.e., they may still be tested and deviate]. Those were the Companions of Muḥammad ﷺ; they were the best of this Ummah, the most righteous in heart [i.e., purest in intention], the deepest in knowledge [i.e., most firmly grounded in understanding], and the least affected by affectation [i.e., least pretentious or artificial]. They were a people whom Allah chose for the companionship of His Prophet ﷺ and for the establishment of His religion. So recognize their virtue [i.e., acknowledge their rank and merit], follow them in their footsteps [i.e., their guidance and practice], and adhere, as much as you are able, to their character and conduct [i.e., their manners and way of life], for indeed they were upon the straight guidance.”

 

[تفسير البغوي — البغوي (٥١٦ هـ)]

 

We clearly see here that the path of the Noble Prophet ﷺ and the righteous Companions [i.e., their creed, practice, and methodology] is the rightly guided path, which is termed Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah.

 

 

[End of the Translator’s Note]

 

However, Imam Shafi rahimallahu (d. 204 AH) stated: ‘In its absolute sense, it (i.e Sunnah) refers to the way of the Prophet ﷺ (only)’. 

 

Its ruling: A believer strives to establish it, though it is neither obligatory (farḍ) nor mandatory (wājib), as it constitutes a path that we have been commanded to revive. However, a person is blameworthy for neglecting it. (Constant neglect can lead to a person being sinful, we seek the protection of Allah). 

 

 

Sunnah is of two types:

 

1. Sunnah al-Hudā: These are the emphasized Sunnah practices, such as the adhān and congregational prayer. Persistently abandoning them constitutes wrongdoing and may lead to sin.
2. Sunnah al-Zawāʾid: These are Sunnah practices related to the personal habits of the Prophet ﷺ, such as his manner of dress, walking, and sitting. Leaving these does not entail sin nor constitute wrongdoing.”

 

As for al-Jamāʿah, the term is applied to those who adhere to the religion of the Prophet ﷺ, follow him upon it, and invite the entire Ummah to it.

 

It has been narrated from Abū ʿIṣmah Nūḥ ibn Abī Maryam (d. 173 AH) that he said: ‘I asked Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh): Who are the people of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah?’

 

He (rahimallahu) replied: 

 

مَنْ فَضَّلَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، وَعُمَرَ، وَأَحَبَّ عَلِيًّا، وَعُثْمَانَ وَآمَنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَمَسَحَ عَلَى الْخُفَّيْنِ وَلَمْ يُكَفِّرْ مُؤْمِنًا بِذَنْبٍ وَلَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ فِي اللَّهِ بِشَيْءٍ

 

“Whoever gives precedence to Abū Bakr and ʿUmar, and loves ʿAlī and ʿUthmān; believes in divine decree—both its good and its evil—from Allah; performs wiping over the leather socks [i.e., accepts the established Sunnah ruling of wiping over the khuffayn]; does not declare a believer an unbeliever due to a sin; and does not speak about Allah without knowledge [i.e., does not engage in speculative theology].”

 

 

[ الاعتقاد والهداية إلى سبيل الرشاد على مذهب السلف وأصحاب الحديث]

 

[The quote has been extracted from the book by Imam Baihaqi (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 458 AH), the author also adds ولم يحرم نبيذ التمر] 

 

What Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh) intends by this statement is that one who ascribes to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah does not speak about Allah—His Essence, Names, or Attributes—based on personal opinion. Rather, the foundational principle is to adhere firmly to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and to refrain from following whims, desires, and religious innovations.

 

Likewise, it entails holding firmly to the path of the Sunnah and the Jamāʿah—namely, that which the Companions and the Tābiʿūn were upon. The pious predecessors before us passed away without delving into speculative opinion, as stated by Imām Abū Yūsuf (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 182 AH):

 

مَنْ لَمْ يَعْرِفِ الْحَقَّ بِالْقُرْآنِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، فَهُوَ بِالْخُصُومَةِ بِالرَّأْيِ عَنْ مَعْرِفَتِهِ أَبْعَدُ

 

‘Whoever fails to identify the truth by way of the Qur’an and the Sunnah will be absorbed in speculative opinion, distant from true understanding.’

 

[END QUOTE – Imam Mahmud Ibn Muhammad al-Rumi al-Hanafi (d. 916 AH), pp: 27-30]

 

“This path is termed Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah because it stands in opposition to the path of the people of desires and innovation [i.e., the opposite of Sunnah is following desires, and the opposite of Jamāʿah is innovation and division]. For this reason, the designation Ahl al-Sunnah was chosen rather than Ahl al-Kitāb—even though attribution to the Kitāb is praiseworthy, as it includes the Qur’an—because the term Ahl al-Kitāb is conventionally used to refer to the Jews and Christians.”

 

[End of quotation — Imam al-Bāʿbirti (d. 786 AH), with the footnotes of Imām ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī Shanʿār, p. 17]

 

 

The Origin of the Term Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah

 

 

The designation Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah came into natural usage toward the end of the first century Hijri (around 100 AH) or in the second century AH (after 100 AH). This emerged out of the need to distinguish the people of truth (Ahl al-Ḥaqq) from the people of falsehood (Ahl al-Bāṭil). Thereafter, the term al-Jamāʿah was appended to emphasize unity upon the truth and adherence to the collective way of the Companions.

 

Imam Ibn Sireen (rahimallahu, d. 110 HJ) stated:

 

عَنِ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ، قَالَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَسْأَلُونَ عَنِ الإِسْنَادِ، فَلَمَّا وَقَعَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ قَالُوا سَمُّوا لَنَا رِجَالَكُمْ فَيُنْظَرُ إِلَى أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ فَيُؤْخَذُ حَدِيثُهُمْ وَيُنْظَرُ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ فَلاَ يُؤْخَذُ حَدِيثُهُمْ

 

“They would not ask about the chains of narration, and when the Fitnah occurred, they said: ‘Name for us your men’. So Ahl us-Sunnah would be regarded, and their Ḥadīth were then taken, and Ahl ul-Bi’dah would be regarded, and their Ḥadīth were not taken”.

 

[المقدمة صحيح مسلم،, باب في أن الإسناد من الدين وأن الرواية لا تكون إلا عن الثقات وأن جرح الرواة بما هو فيهم جائز بل واجب وأنه ليس من الغيبة المحرمة بل من الذب عن الشريعة المكرمة، حديث رقم ٢٧

 

Another usage of the term Ahlul Sunnah wal Jama’ah, is related from Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (rahimallahu, d. 161 AH):

 

إِذَا بَلَغَكَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ بِالْمَشْرِقِ صَاحِبِ سُنَّةٍ وَآخَرَ بِالْمَغْرِبِ، فَابْعَثْ إِلَيْهِمَا بِالسَّلَامِ وَادْعُ لَهُمَا، مَا أَقَلَّ أَهْلَ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ

 

“If you hear about a man from the East who is a follower of the Sunnah, and another from the West, then send them your greetings of peace and pray for them. How few are the people of the Sunnah and the Jamāʿah [i.e., the rightly guided, united group adhering to the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions]!”

 

[شرح أصول اعتقاد أهل السنة والجماعة، رقم ٥٠]

 

The claim that ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā) was the first to use the term Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah is incorrect, due to the weakness of the isnāds (chains of transmission).

 

 

 

The Saved Group (al-Firqah al-Nājiyah) in the Aḥādīth: Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah

 

 

 

According to the Prophetic aḥādīth, Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah constitutes the Saved Group.

 

These narrations have been related from multiple Companions, among whom are:

 

• Sayyiduna Abū Hurayrah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu)
• Sayyiduna ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā)
• Sayyiduna Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā)
• Sayyiduna Anas ibn Mālik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu)
• Sayyiduna ʿAwf ibn Mālik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu)

 

 

Narration of Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu’ anhu)

 

The narration narrated by Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu’ anhu) is found in Sunan al-Tirmidhi (hadith number: 2640), Sunan Ibn Majah (hadith number: 3991) and Sunan Abu Dawud (hadith number: 4596), all with slightly different wording. The narration is as follows:

 

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “افْتَرَقَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى إِحْدَى أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً وَتَفَرَّقَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَى إِحْدَى أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً ‏”‏.‏

 

Narrated Abū Hurayrah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu):

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

 

“The Jews split into seventy-one or seventy-two sects, and the Christians split into seventy-one or seventy-two sects; and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects.”

 

[سنن أبي داود، كتاب السنة، باب شرح السنة، حديث رقم ٤٥٩٦]

 

Narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā)

 

As for the narration transmitted by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā), it is recorded in Sunan al-Tirmidhī (ḥadīth no. 2641). A portion of the narration reads as follows:

 

عن عبد الله بن عمرو رضي الله عنهما: قال رسول الله ﷺ: وَإِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ تَفَرَّقَتْ عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً كُلُّهُمْ فِي النَّارِ إِلاَّ مِلَّةً وَاحِدَةً قَالُوا وَمَنْ هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَا أَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَأَصْحَابِي

 

Narrated ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā):

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Indeed, the Children of Israel split into seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects. All of them will be in the Fire except one.”

It was said: “Which one is it, O Messenger of Allah?”

He ﷺ replied: “That which I am upon, and my Companions.”

 

[جامع الترمذي، كتاب الإيمان عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، باب ما جاء في افتراق هذه الأمة، حديث رقم ٢٦٤١]

 

Regarding this ḥadīth, Imām al-Tirmidhī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 279 AH) remarks:

 

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ مُفَسَّرٌ غَرِيبٌ لَا نَعْرِفُهُ مِثْلَ هَذَا إِلَّا مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ

 

Narration of Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu)

 

As for the narration transmitted by Muʿāwiyah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu), it is recorded in Sunan Abī Dāwūd (ḥadīth no. 4597). The narration reads as follows:

 

عَنْ أَبِي عَامِرٍ الْهَوْزَنِيِّ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، أَنَّهُ قَامَ فِينَا فَقَالَ أَلاَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَامَ فِينَا فَقَالَ ‏”‏ أَلاَ إِنَّ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ افْتَرَقُوا عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً وَإِنَّ هَذِهِ الْمِلَّةَ سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ ثِنْتَانِ وَسَبْعُونَ فِي النَّارِ وَوَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَهِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ

 

 

Abu `Amir al-Hawdhani (raḥimahu Allāh) said:

 

Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā) stood among us and said: 

 

‘Beware! The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) stood among us and said: Beware! The people of the Book before were split up into seventy two sects, and this community will be split into seventy three: seventy two of them will go to Hell and one of them will go to Paradise, and it is the majority group.’

 

[سنن أبي داود، كتاب السنة، باب شرح السنة، حديث رقم ٤٥٩٧]

 

Narrations of Anas Ibn Mālik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu)

 

The narrations of Anas Ibn Malik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) is as follows:

 

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم:‏ ‏إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ افْتَرَقَتْ عَلَى إِحْدَى وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلاَّ وَاحِدَةً وَهِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ

 

Narrated Anas bin Malik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) 

 The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

‘The Children of Israel split into seventy-one sects, and my nation will split into seventy-two, all of which will be in Hell apart from one, which is the main body.”

 

[سنن ابن ماجه، كتاب الفتن، باب افتراق الأمم، حديث رقم ٣٩٩٤]

 

Also another narration mentioned by Imam al-Lālikāʾī  (d. 418 AH) in ‘Uṣūl Iʿtiqād Ahl al-Sunnah’: 

 

قال أنس: قال النبي ﷺ: إن بني إسرائيل افترقت على إحدى وسبعين فرقة، كلها في النار إلا واحدة

فقيل: يا رسول الله وما هذه الواحدة؟ -ما هذه الفرقة؟ – فقبض يده وقال: الجماعة

فاعتصموا بحبل الله جميعًا ولا تفرقوا

 

Anas (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) said: The Prophet ﷺ said:

 

“Indeed, the Children of Israel split into seventy-one sects; all of them will be in the Fire except one.”
It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, which one is that [i.e. which group is it]?”
So he clenched his hand and said: ‘al-Jamāʿah’.
Then [The verse of the Qur’an was cited]: ‘So hold fast, all of you, to the Rope of Allah and do not divide [al Qur’an, Surah Āl ʿImrān (3), Ayah (103)].’

 

[شرح أصول اعتقاد أهل السنة للالكائي، باب سياق ما روي عن النبي ﷺ في الحث على اتباع الجماعة والسواد الأعظم، وذم تكلف الرأي والرغبة عن السنة، والوعيد في مفارقة الجماعة، رقم ١٤٨]

 

[Translator’s note: The author has mentioned this hadith as narrated by Abdullah Ibn Abbas (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhuma), and is found in Ibn Majah, this seems to be an error, as it has been narrated by Anas (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) and is not mentioned in Sunan Ibn Majah. However it is possible the blessed hand that is referred to in this hadith is a reference to Abdullah Ibn Abbas (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu). Allah knows best].

 

Narration of Awf Ibn Mālik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu)

 

The narration of Awf Ibn Mālik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) is as follows:

 

عَنْ عَوْفِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏”‏ افْتَرَقَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى إِحْدَى وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً فَوَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَسَبْعُونَ فِي النَّارِ وَافْتَرَقَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً فَإِحْدَى وَسَبْعُونَ فِي النَّارِ وَوَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَتَفْتَرِقَنَّ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً فَوَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَثِنْتَانِ وَسَبْعُونَ فِي النَّارِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ هُمْ قَالَ ‏”‏ الْجَمَاعَةُ ‏”‏ 

 

Narrated ʿAwf ibn Mālik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu): 

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

 

“The Jews split into seventy-one sects: one of them will be in Paradise and seventy in the Fire. The Christians split into seventy-two sects: seventy-one will be in the Fire and one in Paradise. By Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad ﷺ, my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects: one will be in Paradise and seventy-two in the Fire.”

It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, who are they?”
He ﷺ replied: “The Jamāʿah [the united group].”

 

[سنن ابن ماجه، كتاب الفتن، باب افتراق الأمم، حديث رقم ٣٩٩٢]

 

Understanding a Madhhab: A Brief Biography of the Three Imams of the Ḥanafī School

 

 

 

As for the statement ‘عَلَى مَذْهَبِ فُقَهَاءِ الْمِلَّةِ’ (according to the view of the jurists of the religion): 

 

Literally, a madhhab denotes a place to which one goes, and by extension, a path that is followed. Technically, it refers to the juristic methodology and legal opinions of a mujtahid Imām.

 

The madhhab of a mujtahid Imām is founded upon four sources:

 

1. The Qur’an
2. The Sunnah
3. Ijmaʿ (the consensus of the Ummah)
4. Qiyās (analogical legal reasoning derived from and grounded in the preceding three sources).

 

The term fuqahāʾ refers to the scholars of the divine scriptures, while ‘millah’ denotes the path that Allah commanded the Prophet ﷺ to follow and uphold.

 

[End of quotation — Imam Maḥmūd ibn Muḥammad al-Rūmī al-Ḥanafī (d. 916 AH), with the footnotes of Dhākir awdah hamādi al-hanafī, pp. 29-30]

 

 

Imām al-Ṭaḥāwī (d. 321 AH) attributes this treatise to three scholars, namely Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 150 AH), Imām Abū Yūsuf (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 182 AH), and Imām Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 189 AH). These three scholars are the founding Imāms of the Ḥanafī madhhab, upon whose opinions and methodology the madhhab is established.

 

The founder of the Madhab, Imam Abu Hanifah (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 150 AH), al-Numan ibn Thabit, al-Imam al-Adham, al-Faqih al-Mujtahid, one of the four Imams from Ahlul Sunnah, he rahimallahu was strong in proofs, very well articulated, very generous and beautiful in appearance. He rahimallahu passed away in the year 150 AH in prison (due to rejecting the post of chief judge). He authored the masterpiece ‘Fiqh al-Akbar’ in aqidah. 

 

His student, Imām Abū Yūsuf ibn Ibrāhīm al-Anṣārī al-Kūfī al-Baghdādī (raḥimahu Allāh), was both a companion and pupil of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh). He was the first to widely disseminate the Ḥanafī madhhab and served as a judge under three caliphs: al-Mahdī, al-Hādī, and Hārūn al-Rashīd. Imam Abu Yusuf (rahimallahu) was the first to bear the title Qāḍī al-Quḍāt (Chief Judge) and passed away in 182 AH (raḥimahu Allāh). Among his notable works is al-Kharāj, one of his most famous books.

 

One of the youngest students of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh), Imām Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Shaybānī (raḥimahu Allāh), was a leading authority in fiqh and uṣūl al-fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence). He played a major role in disseminating the knowledge of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh). Caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd (raḥimahu Allāh) appointed him as a judge in al-Riqa. He passed away in 189 AH (raḥimahu Allāh) and authored al-Mabsūṭ fī Furūʿ al-Ḥanafiyyah, one of his most famous works.

 

[End of quotation — Imam al-Bāʿbirti (d. 786 AH), with the footnotes of Imām ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī Shanʿār, p. 16]

 

 

[Translator’s Note: A madhhab provides the methodological framework through which a mujtahid Imām derives and organizes rulings. It is within this structured path that fiqh—the understanding of the legal rulings of Sharīʿah—is developed. In other words, a madhhab represents the systematic approach, while fiqh is the body of knowledge and rulings that emerge from following that approach. Together, they guide Muslims in applying the principles of the Qur’an and Sunnah to practical matters of worship, transactions, and social conduct]. [End of the Translator’s Note]

 

Linguistically, fiqh refers to a deep, precise type of understanding–one that is attained through careful consideration of contextual clues and indicators. 

 

Technically, fiqh refers to knowledge of the rulings of Islamic law along with their evidences. Imām al-Bazdawī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 482 AH) further added that it includes acting upon this knowledge, emphasizing that the purpose of acquiring knowledge is incomplete without implementation.

 

Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 150 AH) stated:

 

الفقه معرفة النفس ما لها وما عليه

 

 ‘Fiqh is the recognition of the soul—what is beneficial for it and what is harmful.’ 

 

This means understanding that which will benefit a person and earn reward through righteous actions, as well as that which will harm a person and incur punishment through committing prohibited acts.

 

The definition of fiqh mentioned above encompasses both deep understanding and the implementation of its teachings, both of which are exemplified in Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 150 AH).

 

As for his knowledge, its impact can be seen across the East and the West. Imām al-Wākī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 197 AH) stated: ‘In fiqh and al‑kalām, what was opened up for Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh) was not opened up for anyone else.’

 

Imām al-Ḥusayn al-Marwazī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 244 AH) stated: I heard Imām al-Nadhr ibn Shumayl (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 203 AH) say: “The people were asleep regarding fiqh until Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh) awakened them through his deep understanding, his use of evidence, and his ability to substantiate his views.”

 

“It has been authentically reported from Imām al-Shāfiʿī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 204 AH) that he stated: ‘Everyone is indebted to Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh) in fiqh.’ It is also reported that he asked his teacher, Imām Mālik (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 179 AH), ‘Have you seen Abū Ḥanīfah?’ He replied: ‘I have seen a man who, if he were to argue that this pillar is made of gold, would be able to prove it.’”

 

As for his actions (ʿamal), ʿAlī ibn Zayd (raḥimahu Allāh) stated: ‘I saw Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh) complete the recitation of the Qur’an sixty times during the month of Ramaḍān—once during the day and once in the evening.

 

Imām Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth (raḥimahu Allāh) stated: ‘Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh) offered the Fajr prayer in the same wudūʾ that he performed for ʿIshā’ for forty years.’ His virtues (manāqib) in knowledge and action (ʿamal) are well known and cannot be fully enumerated.

 

[End of quotation — Imam al-Bāʿbirti (d. 786 AH), with the footnotes of Imām ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī Shanʿār, pp. 17-19]

 

 

[Translator’s note: ʿAllāmah al-Zarnūjī (raḥimahu Allāh), in his treatise offering counsel to students of knowledge entitled Taʿlīm al-Mutaʿallim Ṭarīq al-Taʿallum, cites Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh) regarding the definition of ʿamal, wherein he states:

 

ما العلم إلا العمل به والعمل به ترك العاجل للآجل  

 

Knowledge is nothing but acting upon it, and acting upon it is to forsake the immediate (worldly gain) for the sake of the deferred (Hereafter).

 

[Imam al-Zarnūjī (raḥimahu Allāh), Taʿlīm al-Mutaʿallim Ṭarīq al-Taʿallum, p. 11]

 

[End of Translator’s note]

 

One of the reasons Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī (raḥimahullāh) referred to them as “fuqahāʾ al-millah” (jurists of the religion) is that Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahullāh) was born during the era of the Ṣaḥābah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhum), narrated from some of them, and acquired his fiqh during the era of the Tābiʿīn (the successors of the Companions). This generation was explicitly praised by the Prophet ﷺ, as mentioned in the following ḥadīth:

 

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ‏ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ 

 

Narrated `Abdullah (radiyallahu ‘anhu):

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The best people are those of my generation, and then those who will come after them (the next generation), and then those who will come after them (i.e. the next generation), and then after them. 

 

[صحيح البخاري، كتاب الرقاق، باب ما يحذر من زهرة الدنيا والتنافس فيها، ٦٤٢٩]

 

[End of quotation — Imam al-Bāʿbirti (d. 786 AH), with the footnotes of Imām ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī Shanʿār, pp. 17-19]

 

 

[Translator’s note: To summarise fiqh comprises of three components:

 

• Istinbaat (Extracting rulings from the Qur’an and Sunnah)
• Ilal (Understanding the reasonings and wisdoms of the rulings)
• Amal (Acting upon the knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah in one’s daily life).

 

 

Furthermore, according to the uṣūliyyīn, the definition of fiqh underwent three distinct stages of development:

 

1. The First Stage: During this stage, the term fiqh was used in a comprehensive sense to encompass all that came from Almighty Allah. This included matters related to ʿaqīdah (beliefs), akhlāq (upright character), ʿibādāt (acts of worship), and muʿāmalāt (social dealings, such as trade). For this reason, Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 150 AH) entitled his treatise on creed Fiqh al-Akbar.
2. The Second Stage: In this stage, the scope of fiqh became more defined and specialised. Matters of belief (ʿilm al-ʿaqāʾid) were separated and developed into an independent discipline, known as ʿilm al-tawḥīd or ʿilm al-kalām. Consequently, fiqh came to denote knowledge related specifically to ʿilm al-aḥkām al-farʿiyyah —the legal rulings of the religion, such as those concerning ṣalāh and zakāh—together with their detailed evidences.

   One reason for this development is that al-ʿulūm al-aṣliyyah (the foundational sciences upon which all else is built) refer to matters of creed, whereas al-ʿulūm al-farʿiyyah refer to subsidiary matters. These include ʿilm al-aḥkām as well as aʿmāl al-qalbiyyah (states and actions of the heart, such as the prohibition of pride and envy).

3. The Third Stage: In this stage—which has remained the prevailing understanding to the present day—fiqh came to be defined as ʿilm al-aḥkām: knowledge of legal rulings together with their detailed evidences and supporting proofs. Matters relating to aʿmāl al-qulūb (actions and states of the heart) were further distinguished and developed into an independent discipline, known as taṣawwuf or akhlāq (and even adab).

 

 

Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimallāhu) defined the term dīn as encompassing all matters related to Īmān, Islām, and the religion in its entirety.

 

[End of quotation — Maḥmūd ibn Muḥammad al-Rūmī al-Ḥanafī (d. 916 AH), with the footnotes of Dhākir awdah hamādi al-hanafī, p. 36]

 

 

Furthermore, dīn refers specifically to Islām, as Almighty Allah states:

 

إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمُ

 

Translation: Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.

 

[Surah Āl ʿImrān, Ayah 19 (3:19)]

 

Also in another verse, Almighty Allah states:

 

وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًۭا

 

Translation: And have approved for you Islam as a religion.

 

[al-Qur’an, Surah al-Mā’idah (5), Ayah (3)]

 

[End of quotation — Imam al-Bāʿbirti (d. 786 AH), with the footnotes of Imām ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī Shanʿār, p. 20]

 

توحيد الله تعالى

 

Creed One: The Oneness of Allah, the Exalted

 

نَقُولُ فِي تَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ مُعْتَقِدِينَ بِتَوْفِيقِ اللَّهِ    With the divine assistance of Allah, we say regarding our belief in Tawḥīd (oneness of Allah):

This section contains three discussions (matters or issues).

 

Discussion 1: The two requirements of faith (īmān)

 

Al-Imām al-Ṭaḥāwī rahimallahu (d. 321 AH) gathered in this statement two requirements for faith (īmān), which both are necessary and failure to have one of these components, means one does not have faith:

 

• Verbal acknowledgment (iqrār bil-lisān),
• Inner belief (iʿtiqād bil-janān).

 

A mere verbal acknowledgment without belief in the heart does not suffice for faith (īmān). Rather, that is hypocrisy (nifāq). 

 

Regarding the requirement of Verbal acknowledgment (iqrār bil-lisān) and Inner belief (iʿtiqād bil-janān), Almighty Allah states:

 

قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قُلُوبُهُمْ 

 

Translation: They say (Munāfiqūn):  ‘We believe,’ with their lips while their hearts believe not; 

 

[al-Qur’an, Chapter: al-Ma’idah (5), Verse (41)]

 

[Translator’s note: Another verse in this regard, Almighty Allah states: 

 

 

إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ (63)

 

Translation: “When the hypocrites come to you, they say, ‘We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of God.’ God knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.” (al-Munāfiqūn 63:1)

 

[al-Quran, Chapter: al-Munāfiqūn (63), Verse (1)]

 

Here, in the above verse we see that the requirement of inner belief (iʿtiqād bil-janān) is necessary and without sincerity and true belief, faith (iman) is not found. 

 

Other verses in this regard (see: Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt (49:14), Sūrat al-Nisāʾ (4:136)). [End of translator’s note].

 

Discussion 2: Definition and meaning of Tawfīq

 

It is only through tawfīq (divine guidance) from Allah that we are able to perform righteous actions, and Allah grants tawfīq (divine guidance) to whomever he wills. Almighty Allah states in Āyat al-Nūr (The Verse of Light): 

 

يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ

 

“Allah guides to His light whom He wills.” 

 

[Reference: al-Qur’ān, Sūrat al-Nūr (24), Āyah 35]

 

 

Definition of Tawfīq: Tawfīq is that Allah aligns a believer’s statements and actions with His commands and prohibitions. It is commonly defined as Allah facilitating and creating the means that lead a person toward goodness.

 

[Translator’s note: Imām al-Baghawī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 516 AH) states similar:

 

تَسْهِيلُ سَبِيلِ الْخَيْرِ وَالطَّاعَةِ

“Facilitating the path to goodness and obedience.”

 

[End of Translator’s note]

 

Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 321 AH) begins his exposition with the Oneness of Allah, the Exalted, because the first duty prescribed for humankind is iqrār (testification with the tongue) and yaqīn (firm conviction in the heart). This is rooted in the reality that Allah is One and free from all partners, which is why every prophet (alayhi as-salām) commenced their mission by calling their people to the Oneness of Allah. As Allah, the Exalted, states:

 

 

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ

 

Translation: We did not send before you any messenger but We revealed to him that there is no deity but I, so worship Me. 

[Reference: al-Qur’ān, Surah Al-Anbiyāʾ (21), Ayah 25]

 

 

[Translator’s note: The cited verse clearly demonstrates that all of the messengers of Allah called their people to the Oneness of Allah and to worship Him alone. This is the very purpose of creation, as Allah, the Most Exalted, states:

 

 

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا

 

Translation: “Allah is the One Who created seven heavens and of the earth the like of them. His command descends among them so that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah encompasses all things in knowledge.“

 

[Reference: al-Qur’ān, Surah al-Ṭalāq (65), Ayah (12)]

 

Also, the statement of Allah, Most Exalted:

 

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

 

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.“

 

[Reference: al-Qur’ān, Surah adh-Dhāriyāt (51), Ayah (56)]

 

 

 

The two verses cited above succinctly encapsulate the purpose of our creation, namely:

 

• Recognising Allah
• Worshipping Allah alone.

 

[End of Translator’s note]

 

Furthermore, Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 321 AH) states, “with the tawfīq of Allah,” because it is only through Allah’s tawfīq that righteous actions are completed and brought to perfection. In this regard, Almighty Allah relates the statement of Shuʿayb (ʿalayhi al-salām):

 

وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

“And my success is only by Allah. Upon Him I rely, and to Him I turn in repentance.”

 

[al-Qurān, Surah Hūd (11), Ayah (88)]

 

[End of quotation — Mufti Raḍā al-Ḥaqq, al-ʿAsīdah al-Samāwiyyah, Vol. 1,  pp. 149]

[Translator’s note: Regarding the phrase of Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 321 AH) ‘With the help of Allah, we say…’ ‘We’ indicates Ahlul Sunnah wal Jama’ah, which he (raḥimahu Allāh) refers to earlier in this treatise ‘This is a declaration of the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l Jama’ah’.  

 

Furthermore, the phrase “with the help of Allah…” conveys humility, submission, and reliance upon Allah, while simultaneously negating any claim to one’s own independent ability or strength. From this, we learn that a believer should not attribute righteous deeds to himself, but rather ascribe them to Allah alone. 

 

It is narrated that The Noble Prophet ﷺ stated:

 

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Shall I not tell you of a phrase that is one of the treasures of Paradise? It is: Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh.” 

 

[صحيح البخاري, كتاب الدعوات, باب الدعاء إذا علا عقبة, رقم ٦٣٨٤]

 

 

Therefore, one should frequently recite this dhikr, while reflecting deeply upon its meanings.

 

لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّه 

“There is no power (to do good) nor strength (to abstain from evil) except by Allah.”

 

 

[End of Translator’s note]

 

Discussion 3: The difference between الْوَاحِدُ and أَحَدٌ

 

The terms ‘الْوَاحِدُ’ and ‘أَحَدٌ’ are both employed in the Qur’an, each with its own implication. With respect to ‘الْوَاحِدُ’, Allah says:

 

لَوْ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا لَّاصْطَفَىٰ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ سُبْحَانَهُ ۚ هُوَ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

 

Translation: “If Allah had intended to take a son, He could have chosen from what He creates whatever He willed. Exalted is He! He is Allah, the One, the Subduer.”

[Surah az-Zumar (39), Ayah 4]

 

Regarding ‘أَحَدٌ’, Allah, Most Exalted, states:

 

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

 

Translation: Say: He is Allah, the One.

[Surah al-Ikhlāṣ (112), Ayah 1]

 

Each carries a subtle distinction that conveys a meaning not found in the other.

 

As for ‘الْوَاحِدُ’, it is used in relation to the Attributes (Ṣifāt), whereas ‘أَحَدٌ’ refers to the Essence (Dhāt). Thus, it is said that Allah is Aḥad in His Essence and al-Wāḥid in His Attributes.

 

Imam al-Azhari (rahimallahu, d. 370 AH) states: ‘الْوَاحِدُ’ in relation to the ‘sifaat’ have two meanings:

 

Imam al-Azhari (raḥimahu Allāh, d. 370 AH) explains that the term ‘الْوَاحِدُ,’ when used in relation to the divine attributes (ṣifāt), carries two meanings:

 

• Allah is One, having no equal, and nothing resembles Him. The Arabs would say, “So-and-so is wāḥid among his people,” meaning that he has no equal among them.
• Allah is the sole Ilāh (deity) and the sole Rabb (Lord). He has no partner in His ulūhiyyah (oneness in worship) nor in His rubūbiyyah (oneness in lordship).

 

Some of our scholars have stated regarding tawḥīd: it is to affirm the Oneness of Allah while negating any partners, equals, or likenesses to Him. Allah is One in His actions, having no partner in creation; One in His essence (Dhāt), having no equal or rival; and One in His attributes (Ṣifāt), bearing no resemblance to His creation.

 

[End of quotation — Sharh Aqeedah Tahawiyyah, Imam Siraj al-din Umar Ibn Ishaq al-Ghaznawi al-Hindi (d. 773 AH), p. 33]

 

This is what the commentator has chosen in his definition of tawhid. The famous definition of tawhid is that tawhid has three meanings with three types. The three definitions are:

 

• Linguistic definition: It is knowledge that something is one.
• Technical definition: It is singling out someone with worship, with the belief of his oneness in his countenance, his qualities and his actions. This is the meaning of his statement ‘al-wahdaniyah’.
• Subject meaning: It is knowledge with which is capable upon establishing proofs of religious beliefs with certain knowledge.

 

[End of quotation — Imam al-Bāʿbirti (d. 786 AH), with the footnotes of Imām ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī Shanʿār, p. 22-23]

 

 

Recognition of Allah Ta’ala and an explanation of its obligation and path

 

The majority have stated that it is necessary to recognise Allah, Most Exalted, however they have differed regarding its path.

 

“The majority of the Mutakallimūn (Islamic theologians) said:

The path to knowing Almighty Allah is nothing but rational reflection and inference (al-naẓar wa al-istidlāl), since knowledge of His existence is not self-evident (ḍarūrī). Therefore, it necessarily requires proof. The textual evidence (al-dalīl al-naqlī) from the Quran and Sunnah is a branch contingent upon establishing His existence and the truth of Prophethood — so it cannot itself be used as the means to arrive at that knowledge. Therefore, one must rely on rational proof (al-dalā’il al-‘aqliyyah) that transmission (al-naql) has also confirmed and validated.”

 

Human knowledge is divided into two types: self-evident knowledge (ḍarūrī) and acquired/rational knowledge (naẓarī).

Self-evident knowledge is that which requires no reflection or inference, while acquired knowledge is that which does require it. Knowledge of God Almighty is not self-evident, since it requires proof — though what is meant here is for the majority of people; for some, the existence of God is more manifest to them than anything else, as the gnostic Ibn ʿAṭāʾ Allāh Al -Iskandarī said:

“How vast the difference between one who uses created things as proof of Allah, and one who uses Allah as proof of created things. The latter has recognized the Truth and made it known to those worthy of it — affirming the reality from its very origin. As for using created things to infer Allah, it implies that Allah was absent until the inference reached Him, and that He is distant until the traces lead back to Him.”

He also said: “Those journeying toward Him are guided by the lights of their aspiration (tawajjuh), while those who have arrived are illuminated by the lights of direct encounter (muwājaha). The former are seekers of the lights, while the latter are the very people of light — for they exist for Allah alone, with nothing else beside Him.”

 

[End of quotation — Sharh Aqeedah Tahawiyyah, Imām Sirāj al-din Umar Ibn Ishāq al-Ghaznawi al-Hindi (d. 773 AH), with the footnotes of Shaykh Hāzim al-Kaylāni and verified by Shaykh Muhammad Abdul al-Qadir, p. 35]

 

The Foundation of Tawḥīd and Belief

 

His statement “Allah is One, having no partner” means that He is absolutely unique in His Essence, His attributes, and His actions.

This matter is in opposition to the dualists who claim two eternal principles: light and darkness. It is also against the Magians who claim that the world has two creators — one called Yazdān who creates good and light, and another who creates evil and darkness. They say that one is eternal and the other originated. Allah تعالى is exalted far above what they say.

The proof that there cannot be two creators of the world is that the situation would not be free from the following possibilities: either each of them is capable independently, or neither is capable, or one is capable without the other. If neither is capable, both are deficient. If one is capable without the other, then the incapable one cannot be a god. If both are capable, then either they act independently or in cooperation.

If they act in cooperation, then each is dependent on the other, which contradicts divinity. If each acts independently, then one could suffice without the other, and what is not needed cannot be a true deity. Furthermore, this would lead to one created thing being under the power of two independent creators, which is impossible.

This is supported by the Qur’anic proof of mutual prevention (dalīl al-tamānu‘), as Allah تعالى says:

 

لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَآ ءَالِهَةٌ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا ۚ فَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ (٢٢)

Had there been gods beside Allah, in the heavens and the earth, both of them would have fallen in disorder. So pure is Allah, the Lord of the Throne, from what they describe.

 

Also:

 

مَا ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِن وَلَدٍۢ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُۥ مِنْ إِلَـٰهٍ ۚ إِذًۭا لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَـٰهٍۭ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ٩١

 

Allah has never had ˹any˺ offspring, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what he created, and they would have tried to dominate one another. Glorified is Allah above what they claim!

Surah Muminun (23:91)

 

 

 

[End of quotation — Sharh Aqeedah Tahawiyyah, Imām Ismael Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Ali al-Shaybani (d. 629 AH), p. 9]

 

 

It is explained in Kitab al-Tawhid by Imam Abi Mansur, that Allah is one (in his sifāt and one in his dhāt, exalted is he) and not in terms of number. He states:

 

“not by way of number — which is the name for the principle of arithmetic and the starting point of counting — for unity (al-waḥda) derived from numbers is not exclusive to Allah Almighty. Rather, it is a necessary attribute of every individual particular reality.

Therefore, the negation in his (rahimallahu) statement is a negation of the intention of number, and not a negation of numerical unity itself. This is what he (rahimallahu) pointed to with his words: ‘not by way of number’ — meaning: that is his intended meaning — for every single number has component parts; such as a half and a quarter. Also this is the evidence of composition (tarkīb), which is a sign of neediness (iftiqār) and contingency (ḥudūth).

So when the word ‘number’ is used and what is meant by it is the principle of arithmetic, one says: one, two, three… and so on. He (rahimallahu) negated this, because it is impossible (muḥāl) to apply to Allah the Almighty for several reasons:

 

Among the reasons [why numerical oneness cannot apply to Allah]:

 

• That what is numbered is limited, and what is limited is a contingent, overpowered thing.
• That when something has another added to it that is more than it, it becomes deficient — and this is a sign of neediness. (And God is the Self-Sufficient, while you are the needy.)
• That the second only comes into being after the first has passed away and its unity is abrogated — and God is the First and the Last. Therefore it is impossible that anything precede Him or that non-existence follow Him.
• That when distinguishing between numbered things, you cannot move from the first to the second except after the first’s limits and dimensions have ended — whether internally or externally. But God Almighty is exalted above limits and endpoints.
• That numbers share resemblance and commonality, even in their counting — whereas God is exalted above all that. (There is nothing like unto Him.)
• That a number increases through addition to another — and this is a sign of neediness and dependence. (And God is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.)
• The strongest refutation: if something were numerically “one,” it would admit of a second, a third, and so on.
• That numbers are of the same genus as one another — whereas God is exalted and transcendent above genus. Those who have disbelieved by making God something other than His own kind, saying “the third of three”, have placed Him — glory be to Him — within the genus of numbered and created things that came before.

 

Allah, Most Exalted states:

 

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ

“And He is the Subjugator (al-Qāhir), above His servants.”
— Qur’an, Sūrah al-Anʿām 6:18

 

[End of quotation — Maḥmūd ibn Muḥammad al-Rūmī al-Ḥanafī (d. 916 AH), with the footnotes of Dhākir awdah hamādi al-hanafī, pp. 37-38]

 

The various types of evidences and their proofs

 

There are various types of evidences given in the Qur’an to prove the existence of Allah, such as:

 

• Contingency of created beings (refuting the claim that the world came into existence on its own).
• Evidence of Inner creation.
• Evidence of External creation.

 

Imam al-Bāʿbirti (rahimallahu) states:

 

“This alludes to the proof based upon the contingency of created essences, as indicated in the statement of Allah:

 

وَاللَّهُ الْغَنِيُّ وَأَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ

 

‘Allah is the Self-Sufficient, and you are the needy.’ (Surah Muhammad: 38).”

 

This is because created beings are in need themselves towards something that exists, and Allah is free of anyone else in his existence.

 

The evidences that allude towards creation in the statement of Allah in the event of Ibrahim عليه السلام (which will be quoted and explained soon Insha-Allah):

 

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ رَأَىٰ كَوْكَبًا ۖ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي ۖ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَا أُحِبُّ الْآفِلِينَ

 

“When the night grew dark upon him, he saw a star and said, ‘This is my Lord!’ But when it set, he said, ‘I do not love things that set.'” 

— Qur’an, Sūrah Fusillat

 

 

This is the methodology that is the closest to the minds and intellects of the people. This methodology is refined to two matters:

 

• Evidence of the inner creation (within the human being, such as the heart, lungs and liver).
• Evidence of the outer creation (such as the stars and planets).

 

Allah mentions both of these methodologies in his statement:

 

سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ

 

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it (Qur’an) is the Truth.”

 

 

As for the evidence of the inner creation: It is self-evident that a person was not in existence, then came into existence, as everything that came into existence from nothingness, was dependent on something that existed. This is why something that existed was not by itself, nor the parents, nor the rest of creation — for their incapacity to produce anything like this composition is self-evident. Therefore there must exist an eternal Creator distinct from all existing things.

 

As for the cosmic proofs (dalā’il al-āfāq): The world is changing, and change is perceived by observation — from the variation of seasons, day and night, rising and setting, thunder, lightning, clouds, and other such things. Everything that changes is contingent (ḥādith), for if it were eternal it would need another contingent cause — leading either to circular reasoning (dawr) or infinite regress (tasalsul), both of which are impossible.

This is the method of inference used by the Prophets (peace be upon them), the leading scholars, and the intellectuals. This is because Allah manifested Adam’s عليه السلام knowledge to the angels as proof of His favour upon him — and that was pure inference.

 

Allah Almighty said, quoting from Nuh عليه السلام:

 

قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى وَءَاتَىٰنِى رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِهِۦ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَٰرِهُونَ

 

“He said: ‘O my people, do you not see — if I stand upon clear evidence from my Lord, and He has granted me a mercy from Himself, but it has been obscured from you — can we compel you to accept it while you are averse to it?'”

— Qur’an, Sūrah Hud

 

Allah informs regarding his nation, with his statement:

 

قَالُوا۟ يَٰنُوحُ قَدْ جَٰدَلْتَنَا فَأَكْثَرْتَ جِدَٰلَنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ

 

“They said: ‘O Noah, you have disputed with us and prolonged the dispute. So bring us what you threaten us with, if you are of the truthful.'”

— Qur’an, Sūrah Hud

 

It is well known this rational debate (jidāl) was not regarding subsidiary matters, rather regarding tawhid, nubuwwah, establishing the truth via clear indisputable proofs.

 

[End of quotation — Imam al-Bāʿbirti (d. 786 AH), with the footnotes of Imām ʿAbdus-Salām ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī Shanʿār, p. 24-26]

 

 

Note: The oneness of Allah is evident to mankind in that which they see from creation and in the wider universe. The originator of this universe is Allah, Most Exalted.

 

Refutation of Atheism 

 

We state: Everything in this universe indicates towards the oneness of Allah. A poet stated:

 

فيا عجبا كيف يعصى الاله ام كيف يجحده الجاحد

 وفي كل شيء له آية تدل على أنه واحد

 ولله في كل تحريكة وتسكينة أبدا شاهد

How astonishing it is — how can Allah be disobeyed?
And how can the denier deny Him,
when in everything there is a sign
that points to His Oneness?

And for Allah, in every movement
and every stillness, there is always a witness.

 

 

Surely the heart of a believer is not in need towards evidences upon tawhid, however due to the widespread of trials, doubts and and the callers of the enemies of Islam, the Ulama were forced to speak and compile the evidences of tawhid, especially in this era, in which the Ulama have enumerated more proofs.

This is because the Ulama due to the progression of knowledge (science and technology) have found new knowledge, which indicates towards the oneness of Allah, Most Exalted; as some of them have stated:

 

الله يتجلى في عصر العلم

 

Allah manifests Himself in the age of knowledge. 

(i.e, The signs of Allah become manifest in the age of knowledge, science and technology.)

 

 

 

Some Ulama have authored a book called: العلم يدعو للإيمان, the summary of this book is that a true scholar can only be a believer, just as even the common person can only truly be a believer. Surely apostasy, disbelief appear from those who have been taught a small amount of worldly knowledge, However, he has lost the innate believing nature (the fiṭrah of faith).

   

Therefore the scholars have extracted more evidence with the hope that this will result in faith from them. And guidance belongs to Allah.

 

دليل الإيجاد من العدم

The Proof of Creation from Nothing 

 

The minds all agree that it is impossible to find a basic tool without someone making it, for example take a car, if one were to say it came into existence on its own, one will be labeled a madman, so how can one say for something that is greater and more complex.

 

The rational mind cannot accept that if a child who has spent his whole life placing his fingers on the keys of a computer could write poetry that is genuinely correct — how then could this mind accept that this world, with its wondrous and complete system, came into being without a maker?

This is because the human being sees and believes that nothing in this world possesses the property of self-existence (al-wujūd al-dhātī), and that it is capable of bringing itself forth from nothingness — for if it dies, is destroyed, and perishes, it cannot restore itself as it once was.

So if every thing lacks the property of self-existence, how could it have the property of bringing forth other things from nothingness? Almighty  Allah states:

 

أَمْ خُلِقُوا۟ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُونَ

“Were they created from nothing, or are they themselves the creators?” [al-Ṭūr: 52:35]

 

 

 

دليل الإبداع في الخلق

the Proof of Creativity in Creation

 

Among the proofs also: the Proof of Creativity in Creation (Dalīl al-Ibdāʿ fī al-Khalq) — as Allah Almighty said: “He who perfected everything He created” [al-Sajda: 7], and said: “He who created seven heavens in layers — you do not see in the creation of the Most Merciful any inconsistency. So return your gaze — do you see any rifts? Then look again and again; your sight will return to you humbled and exhausted” [al-Mulk: 3–4].

 

For there is found no flaw, no deficiency, no error, and no disorder in the system of the universe, nor in the system of the single created being, nor in the system of the relationships between the various creatures — whether they be living or inanimate. And with the existence of the materialists, we find that they cannot say: “If a human being had three eyes it would be better for him, or if he had four hands, or if the sun never set, or if the water of the sea were fresh…” and so on. There is nothing in this existence that the scholars have proven to be an error.

 

The intellectuals agree that it is an error — and when a human imagines there is an error in something, it turns out to interfere with the natural laws of the world, as though problems — rather disasters — would occur. For every existing thing is upon the best that it can possibly be, unlike what humans invent, which begins simply and primitively, then gradually becomes slightly more refined over time, then improves further — as is the case with various machines and instruments.

 

There is a third important proof, though it is an experiential (wijdānī) and not a rational (ʿaqlī) proof — and it is what some scholars call “the Proof of Natural Disposition (Dalīl al-Fiṭra)” — which is that every human soul feels within itself a need to believe in the existence of a Creator, feels security with Him, and turns to Him in times of hardship. And there is no meaning to the claim of one who says: “This is something inherited by humanity from the primitive human being who felt fear of natural forces and invented the idea the protecting deity — for humanity does not inherit emotional sentiments; the love of certain things by their very nature was not inherited, nor the hatred of certain things by their very nature. Sentiments vary between people, and they are tied to the particular circumstances of each individual, changing with the changing of times and places.

 

And despite the fact that most of humanity has fallen into idolatry (shirk), the multiplying of deities, and the deification of created things — complete atheism is something humanity did not know until the modern era. This is because the common masses of atheists cannot establish a rational or scientific proof for their position, and their atheism is nothing but self-indulgent rebellion — wishing to be free of the restrictions that religions imposed upon their behaviour. As for their elite, many of them have repented from denying the existence of the Creator — either during their lifetime or at the approach of death — where incapacity becomes real, arrogance is broken, and tyranny is extinguished; such as the philosopher Roger Garaudy, the scholar Geoffrey Lang, and others.

 

 

[End of quotation — Imam Nasiri al-Hanafi (d. 652 AH), with the footnotes of Ali Muhammad Zanyu and Muhammad Tariq Maghrabiya,  p. 132-134]

 

 

[End of Update 2]

 

 

 

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Last Updated: April 2026