The Muslim Creed

by Abu Jafar Al-Tahawi, Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdullah Bin Baz (Annotator), Suhaib Hasan Abdul Ghaffar (Translator)

In an age of bewildering spiritual and intellectual confusion, creed has never been more important. Every Muslim is obliged to learn it and is promised protection from deviant beliefs by following the unassailable texts of the scholastic community of Islam. Of them all, The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi is the simplest, the most effective, and the least controversial. It serves as a sound basis for Islamic faith and is the most reliable of the early articulations of Muslim belief. Because Imam al-Tahawi avoided involuted theological issues and systematically presented the most fundamental aspects of dogmatic theology, his creed has achieved an unusual degree of acceptance in the Muslim milieu. In the thousand years since it was written, many great Muslim scholars have penned commentaries on it. It is still studied throughout the Muslim world and increasingly in the West.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Theology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Spirituality

Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Lumumba Shakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cover to cover, this is an indispensable translation of an indispensable classical text that Sh. Hamza Yusuf spent years tweaking. The straight-forwardness of the translation and the minimalist commentary makes this work extremely practical and extremely useful as a reference work - the first of Zaytuna's curriculum series. Sh. Hamza did a tremendous service to the English-speaking world with this publication. And my copy is autographed ;)

Because of the similarities, I would highly recommend Imam Abu Hanifa's Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar Explained as an advanced "commentary" on this particular translation. Though they are of two different works, the historical role that Imam al-Tahawi played in the Hanafi school makes them complementary.

UPDATE: After scanning another translation of this wonderful work, I felt the need to add the following:

The notes that Sh. Hamza Yusuf includes are very beneficial and are free of the partisan attacks unfortunately found in most other English translations of Tahawi's creed. It is quite a shame that in spite of the fact that Sh. Hamza has attempted to avoid controversy with this translation (making it universally useful as a textbook in Islamic studies), the individuals who have appropriated Imam Tahawi's creed as their own (while they deny many of its implications) have nonetheless have attacked Sh. Hamza for not reflecting their Anthropomorphic leanings. They condemn mainstream scholarship for their "interpretations" and "distortions" while they themselves are guilty of what they accuse their opponents of. This is nothing but the manifestation of the sickness that is within their own hearts:

It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding. (Qur'an 3:7)

After reading both sets of translations (and you can pick any translations funded or approved by Saudi Arabia) and the attitudes of each "party", it is obvious whose approach the Qur'an Itself is condemning.

The "criticisms" of this translation greatly annoyed me - particularly when Sh. Hamza is the one who completely avoided the specific points of contention in his translation (while the footnotes of others are rife with accusations and condemnations). This is especially so when you compare this translation to another translation entitled "The Muslim Creed", which is clearly more guilty of the translation choices that Sh. Hamza was condemned for (assuming they are even correct in their nitpicking), but for which no criticism is given.

I usually avoiding such discussions in my reviews, but I had to make an exception with this one.

[نورة · Rating 5 out of 5]

الحمدلله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وبعد:
"فإن عقيدة الإمام أبي جعفر الطحاوي الحنفي، هي عقيدة أهل السنة والجماعة المتفق على اتباعها من علماء الأمة؛ لأنها وافقت معتقد علماء هذه الملة خلال قرون متعددة, ومنهم أبو حنيفة النعمان، ومالك، والشافعي، وأحمد بن حنبل، وأكثر أتباعهم, كما أنها عقيدة الإمام أبي الحسن الأشعري، التي استقر عليها أخيرًا بالجملة, ولم يشذ عنها إلا من أشرب في قلبه نوع من الاعتزال، والجهمية، ومناصبة السنة العداوة."
اللهم إنا ندين لك بذلك، فاللهم أحينا على الحق، وأمتنا عليه..

شرح شيخنا الغفيص مسموعا على هذه السلسلة:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

[Wayfarer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential read for all Muslims (and all interested non-Muslims) - it covers succinctly and comprehensively the fundamental creed/doctrine of Sunni Islam. This is an essential text that should ideally be studied under a qualified teacher with an unbroken chain of teaching authority and transmission back to the original author (Imam al-Tahawi) as it is scant on commentary and elaborations. I'd highly recommend the reading and study of this text for all concerned Muslims - in fact if you read or study only a handful of Islamic books in a lifetime then this has to be one of the essential short-listed texts that makes that list of 'a handful'.

[Abeer Arain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise read on Aqeedah Tawhid that covers all the major concepts of Aqeedah in this short book.

[Syed Abdurrahman Warsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The agreed upon creed text amongst mainstream muslims. This should be in every library. Hamza Yusuf's translation is really good, and his inclusion of short biographies of the people mentioned in the text as well as the author is phenomenal.

[Omar Alhashimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for all muslims.

In an age where the ever growing landscape of contradicting or downright misrepresented voices about islam has thrived. It is important for people to read this to understand the core beliefs of your own religion. Because it seems like certain issues that some modern Muslims claim to be core ideological differences are anything but. Hamza Yusuf's translation is incredible, and essential for introducing this amazing piece of text to many people.

[Shannen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm taking a class on this book currently. It is a very deep book and my teacher states that it is a book that is meant to be taught, not just read passively.

[Tuscany Bernier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic book of aqeedah (Islamic theology) that takes our creed step-by-step. I enjoyed this particular translation as well. I hope it becomes 'in print' once again soon.

[Mohamed · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi is a basic creed text for all times. However the nature of the text is such that it should only be studied with a teacher. It is not something that you just pick up and read. After completing the text my teacher requested that I continue learning Arabic and go through the text again but in Arabic because of the profound language Imam al-Tahawi uses.

[Yaser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only excellent - the appendices are great as well. I recommend this for Non-Muslims wanting to know what Muslims believe and for Muslims who are wondering as well!

[Tahir Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this work, Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī (d.321/935) was born in Taha, Egypt in 239/853 AH/CE. He came from a family of scholarship, piety and intellect hence, "he was destined to live more than an ordinary life" (p.25). The mother of Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī and her brother, Imam al-Muzanī (d. 264/878) were direct students of Imam ash-Shāfiʿī (d.204/820) and were his first teachers. Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī however followed the School of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (d.150/767) and even though he was an independent scholar, as described by Shāh Walīullāh (d. 1176/1762), he maintained allegiance to Imam Abū Ḥanīfah and was a prominent proponent of the Ḥanafī School.

He was born during the Abbasid period and this is important in the context of this book because it was a time when many rationalists and those influenced by Hellenistic thought were advocating their ideas. It was at a point where the Muʿtazilah doctrine penetrated throughout the Muslim world, even taking the status of the official state creed under the caliph al-Ma'mun (d. 218/833). Hence theological debates were common place and scholars were busy in answering them in defence of the pure creed of ahl as-sunnah wa l-jamāʻah. This book is cut from that cloth. It should be noted that Imam Abū Ḥanīfah left behind more works on theology than any of his contemporaries and these works provided the basis for this book (p.21).

Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī was a master of the sciences and his works are testimony to this fact. He was a brilliant grammarian and philologist but his major discipline was mastery of the primary sources of Islam, the Qur'an and the Sunna. He was admired for his exposition of "the sciences of hidden defects" in the hadith in which he was an expert, even correcting his uncle, the great Imam of the Shāfiʿī school, al-Muzanī. There are too many superlatives to describe Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī, among scholars he is of the highest calibre. I can only look forward to more of his works being translated in to English as they will undoubtedly benefit the English speaking Muslims.

The Creed of Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī espouses the Islamic faith in adherence to the first community of Muslims in the simplest and yet most powerful way. As a Muslim you are obliged to learn your creed and it is the most fundamental part of your nature. As Imam Subki (d.771/1370) noted, the Ḥanafīs, Māliks, Shāfiʿīs and Hanbālis are one in creed (p.34) and as stated in the introduction, "The creed is one with which the entire community concurs" (p.3). In this book you will find the pure and precise articulation of Muslim creed. It is easy to understand and learn, however as advised by the translator, "it should be studied with a qualified teacher" (p.24). It is the soundest text of the scholastic community of Islam and protection from deviant beliefs which are outside the fold of Islam. It occupies the highest respect in my collection of books as it is from where I take the articulation of my creed in one hundred and thirty points. A glimpse of which I have listed below:

1. God is one, without partner
2. Nothing is like Him.
8. Imaginations cannot attain Him; comprehensions cannot perceive Him.
32. He is the finality of the prophets, the paragon of the pious, the master of the messengers, and the beloved of the Lord of all worlds.
33. Any claim to prophecy after him is deviation and heresy.
38. Whoever ascribes any human qualities to God has blasphemed...
40. All that came [to us] from the Messenger (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) in the authentic hadith is just as he said it was, and the meaning is as he intended. We do not interpret any of it to accord with our opinions, nor do we presume any of it to accord with our whims.
48. The Ascension is true. The Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) was taken by night and ascended in person and consciously to the heavenly realm...
62. Whatever misses a person could not have afflicted him. And whatever afflicts him could not have missed him.
74. We do not dissent from the majority of Muslims.
92. We adhere to the Sunnah and the majority [of scholars], and we avoid isolated opinions, discord, and sectarianism.
93. We love just and trustworthy people and we loathe oppressive and treacherous people.
118. We love the companions of God's Messenger (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam). We are not, however, extreme in our love for any one of them. Nor do we dissociate from any of them. We loathe those who loathe them, and we only mention their merits. Loving them is essential to religion, faith, and spiritual excellence, and hating them amounts to infidelity, hypocrisy, and extremism.
124. We believe in the miracles of the saints as conveyed and verified by trustworthy narrators.
125. We believe in the signs of the End of Time, including the appearance of the Antichrist and the Descent of Jesus, the son of Mary (alaihsalaam), from the celestial realm. We also believe in the sun's rising in the west and the appearance of the Beast of the Earth from its appointed place.

I could have quoted all one hundred and thirty points as they are just as important as the ones listed above. The original Arabic of al-Aqīdah al-Tahāwiyyah has been translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and he leaves it parallel to the English. It has no added commentary, just an introduction, a short biography of Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī, an appendix (which includes biographies of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah, Imam Abū Yūsuf, Imam Muhammad al-Shaybānī and the ten Companions promised Paradise) as well as notes to the text. As the Mufti of Bahrain, Dr. Nizam Yaqubi has said, "Out of several translations of Imam al-Tahawi's creed available in the market, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf's is, in my opinion, by far the best rendition to date of this famous and very important treatise. We can expect no less of a scholar of the caliber of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf due to his command over his native tongue, English, as well as his acquired and well-learned Arabic."

I insist you buy this book.

[Anum Sattar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This treatise is a primer to understand normative mainstream Creed of the large body of Islam also referred to as Ahlul Sunnah wal Jammah. Sheikh Hamza Yusuf’s erudition in Arabic language and rhetoric, Shakespearean style of writing and dependability supplies quintessential quality to the text. The entries in the main text are annotated with deliberate considerations as to keep ambiguities, incoherencies and contentions at bay. In spite of that, the commentary is marinated with Kalam derived Ashari beliefs on many occasions due to Author’s subscription to said beliefs. Nonetheless, this book serves as the foundational course for a layman to form or to align his or her beliefs aright, as well as a prerequisite to further inquiry into the realm of Islamic Theology.

[Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be taught to every Muslim since childhood because the knowledge of Allah is not only important, but essential in building a foundation of the Muslim Ummah. There are so many Muslims who are falling into the pit of feminism and the so-called "social justice", they literally worship them and consider them as absolute morality. They will not become like that if they have Islam as their way of life, and this book is one of the keys to the door of the deen.

I don't know Arabic so I can't comment on the accuracy of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf's translation of this book. But as far as I know, this is a really well-written translation (I have read the Indonesian translation of the Creed of Imam al-Tahawi and it was bad).

[Hande · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book not only due to its clear and straightforward translation but especially because of the additional context, short biography of Tahawi, notes and appendices. Critical piece of classical text every Muslim should read.

[Shakeel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detail Book on Understanding of Creed of Ahlus Sunnah.

[Azam Farooqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely important work in the matters of Creed in the Hanafi school.

[Arefin Hossain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf did his best to retain the depth in the translation. The annotations that he gave were helpful to have an overall better understanding of the book.

[Omar Alsibaie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instead of Twitter, peruse the Xtra notes for acceptance.

[hanaazq · Rating 5 out of 5]

A notable piece of work that must be studied extensively. I liked how concise it was and I found the introduction as well as the notes at the end to be of utility.

[Saif Ahmad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is concise and delivers all the creeds that are believed in Islam. The translator has expained all creeds with references from Quran and Hadith.

[Yaseen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful introduction by Sh. Hamza Yusuf prior to a translation that he has produced. Ever careful with what he goes to press with, his translation is brilliant and helps those who cannot access the Arabic. However, the Arabic being alongside make this book invaluable for those who continue to learn Arabic and advance in Islamic studies. Some of the footnotes could easily be expanded upon into their own books as they can be incredibly thorough. An necessary asset for Muslims. A helpful tool for non-Muslims who wish to understand what it is that Muslims believe, not just focus upon what it is that Muslims may or may not do.

[Suzane D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read most of this, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm so glad this had been translated! I'll update and let you all know what else is juicy about it. But hey, it's creed, so it's the real stuff, and the stuff no one ever wants to talk about, let alone learn.

Update...I finished reading this around a month ago before leaving to Madinah. It was actually beautiful. Very well translated, very easy to understand. Thank God it was translated, and hopefully inshaAllah we can get more works like this done, like a Seerah book of some sorts.

[Ifreet_Mohamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dont know how to review an Aqeedah book that has been around for over a Millenium. A Creed book which has been the subject of untold numbers of Commentary's and explanations over the centuries.
The reason for my giving this four stars rather than five which is what the true Arabic version deserves is because though I respect Sh.Hamza's unbelievable effort in translation and this contribution is remarkable, there were a few things that were translated that brought up questions though and may be some words that were used in certain places that seemed to be a stretch.

[Ainun Najib · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book you'll find the most concise possible yet complete basic tenets of Islamic faith, written by a Salaf scholar: Imam Abu Ja'far ath-Thohawi and translated eloquently into English by Syaikh Hamza Yusuf Hanson.

It's a must read for Muslims who want to know what is the true and genuine Islamic belief (aqidah).

It's a good read for non-Muslims who want to understand what majority of Muslim believe in.

[Eric Dykes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Translations of Imam Al-Tahawi's creed can be found all over the internet; but Sheikh Hamza's translation does the text justice. Sheikh Hamza's commentary and notes are also essential. Anyone who wants a basic understanding and well-grounded knowledge of orthodox Islamic theology should read this. It is well written, and enjoyable to read. It's amazing for such a short book, you can get a deep understanding of the origins of Islamic theology, and its contemporary status and implications.

[Anab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suuuchhhh an amazing read. Has basically everything you need to know about Islamic theology, or Aqeedah. At-Tahawi's creed was actually the earliest creed of Islam and this is why this book is highly regarded - it reflects the earliest views of Islam - views that were held not long after the Prophet's death. It refutes many arguments too and explains the reasonings behind the theology in reference to the Qur'an and Sunnah. The commentary was very informative and well-researched.

[LucidVerity · Rating 5 out of 5]

like classic English theological texts that have made their mark through time, Islamic history also has undiscovered libraries of information and portals to pivotal moments of the past. I'm thus appreciative of this author's efforts to publish a translation and interpretation of an influential piece of writing which non-Arab readers can now discover.

[Saad Rehman Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable boook for people who want to learn the creed of Islam. Imam tahavi talks about what it means to be a muslim and what it means to be a sunni (ahl-e-sunnat wal-jamat). He talks about what beliefs we should have as muslims, what't the extent of our knowledge of Allah swt, and how to resolve some of the paradoxes we develop due to lack of knowledge.

[saain Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bis mihlah,
A must read for every Muslim and non Muslim who wants to learn the basic ageedha (creed) of ahluh Sunna wal jama' a
Which is accepted by all four madhahib (four schools of ahluh sunna wal jama' a).

[Hafizi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitab tulisan imam abu ja’far at-tahawi yang membincangkan usul akidah para salaf. Sangat bagus untuk rujukan umat islam. Lagi baik jika dapat mendengar syarahan secara langsung/rakaman semasa menelaah kitab ini.