In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful

 

by Abu Ja'far al-Warraq al-Azdi at-Tahawi al-Misri (rahmatullah alaihi)
Translated, verified and revised with Introduction by Fakhr'ud Din Ahmad Anis Abd'ur Rahman al-Sharifi

 

Publisher’s Note

The Islamic Library Press is pleased to publish the English translation, together with a correspondingly brief but critically important introductory essay, this brief, but very basic text of Islamic Studies. The Islamic Library Press is one of services of the Islamic Association of Australia Inc. The Press is primarily interested in publishing texts for the Islamic Library’s Public Education Program. The text here is intended as a required reading for the Public Education Program’s intensive course in Basics of Islamic Law (Shari’ah and Fiqh). But it will be found useful for anyone interested in knowing and understanding the basic beliefs which are required of a Muslim to hold and live by. The need for a verified English translation, with necessary introduction for modern Muslim readers in that language can hardly be emphasized. This has become even more of an urgent need, in view of the burgeoning onslaught of all kinds of literature flooding Muslim homes, mosques and centers, which, while appearing to be in the service of Islam, are not always grounded in correct Islamic doctrines of faith.

We are grateful that Dr. AA Rahman (Ph.D., MIT) who has agreed to undertake the task of preparing this manuscript for publication as required for the Program’s courses. Himself a former Professor, Fellow, Head, and/or Dean of Shari’ah and Islamic Studies at various universities including Harvard University (USA) and Melbourne University (Australia), and currently Senior Fellow in Comparative and Islamic Law at the Islamic Library Public Education Program, is indeed well-acquainted with the subject dealt with in this document.

We hope and wish that this presentation, coming from one of the greatest authorities in the understanding of Tawhid and ‘aqidah within the broader field of Islamic Studies, will be widely read amongst Muslims readers in the English language. The guidance that will emanate from this work, by the grace of Allah, will be a blessing for life, both here and hereafter. May Allah bless us all with His good guidance. Amin.

Hafiz Muhammad Abdul Wahid (Melbourne, 3rd Sept 2000)

Introduction
B’Ismi ‘Llaahi ‘r-Rahmaani ‘r-Rahiim

Hujjat al-lslam Imam Abu Ja'far al-Warraq al-Azdi al-Tahawi al-Misri rahmatullahi ‘alayhi (239-321 AH), prepared the following summary of the Muslim Articles of Faith, known as ‘al-`’aqidah‘, from the Qur’an and the sahih books of hadiths, containing the basic essential beliefs of Islam, discarding any of which might constitute kufr. This is an elaborated, clarified, explained form of the basic creed of Islam, "Laa ilaaha ill’ Allah, Muhammadun Rasuul Allah".

This text, representative of Islam's mainstream, has long been the most widely acclaimed, and indeed indespensable, reference work on Muslim beliefs. This is also a very convenient, yet authentic and reliable, criterion by which to judge any deviant ideas spread amongst Muslims, under the guise of Islam.

Imam al-Tahawi rahmatullahi ‘alayhi, was from among the most outstanding authorities of the Islamic world on hadith and jurisprudence ‘(fiqh) ‘. He lived at a time which was the greatest age of hadith and fiqh studies, and Imam Tahawi rahmatullahi ‘alayhi studied with all the living authorities of the day. When Imam Bukhari rahmatullahi ‘alayhi passed away from the worldly life, Imam Tahawi rahmatullahi ‘alayhi was 27; when Imam Muslim rahmatullahi ‘alayhi so passed away, he was 32; when Imam Ibn Majah rahmatullahi ‘alayhi so passed away, he was 44; when Imam Abu Dawud rahmatullahi ‘alayhi so passed away, he was 46; when Imam Tirmidhi rahmatullahi ‘alayhi so passed away, he was fifty; when Imam Nasa'i so passed away, he was 74.

Ibn Kathir rahmatullahi ‘alayhi says in his note on al-Tahawi in ‘al-Bidaya wa al-nihaya’, "He is one of the trustworthy narrators of established reliability, and one of the massive memorizes of hadith." Kawthari rahmatullahi ‘alayhi relates the consensus of scholars, rahmatullahi ‘alayhim ajma’iin, that Imam al-Tahawi rahmatullahi ‘alayhi allied in himself the kamal in the two knowledge of hadith and fiqh, and states that, "No-one disregards Tahawi's knowledge of the defective hadith except someone whose own defects have no remedy, and may Allah protect us from such."

 

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