Aqeedah Tahawiyyah - A Book Of Islamic Belief

Al-Aqeedah al-Tahawiyyah is one of the most widely acclaimed and studied book on Islamic beliefs. The book was written by Imam al-Tahawi.

Abu Jafar Ahmad at-Tahawi was a tenth-century Egyptian theologian and Hanafi jurist. He lived 239-321 A.H., an epoch when both the direct and indirect disciples of the four Imams: Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi'i and Imam Hanbal - were teaching and practicing. This period was the zenith of hadith and fiqh studies, and Imam Tahawi studied with all the living authorities of the day. He learned from three hundred teachers.

Ibn Katheer said about him: He was one of the trustworthy, sincere and a haafiz.

One of his famous book is Ma’aani al-Athaar, which contains research on fiqh accompanied by evidence and discussion of controversial matters, and pointing to which view is more correct.

Al-Aqeedah al-Tahawiyyah mentions a number of the beliefs of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. This book is brief, easy to read and clear in meaning. The writer explained in his introduction:

“This is an explanation of the aqeedah of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaah according to the view of the fuqaha of this madhhab: Abu Haneefah al-Nu’maan ibn Thaabit al-Kufi, Abu Yoosuf Ya’qoob ibn Ibraaheem al-Ansaari, and Abu Abd-Allaah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybaani, may Allaah be pleased with them all, and the beliefs concerning the fundamentals of Islam, on the basis of which they submit to the Lord of the Worlds.”

Then he mentioned these basic beliefs, and the total number of things he mentioned was 105 things believed by Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaaah in general. Main topics in the book are: Tawhid, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Al-Quran, Miraj, Al Kawthar, Intercession, the Covenant, Taqdir, the Throne and Chair, The Status of Ibrahim (AS) and Musa (AS), the Books of Allah (SWT), Muslim and Mumin, the Messengers.

Many commentaries were written based on the book, the most famous of them is the lengthy commentary by Ibn Abi al-Izz al-Hanafi.