This volume provides an exhaustive exposition of the foundational beliefs and theological tenets of the Sunni Hanafi tradition. It serves as a comprehensive guide to the correct creed, detailing the nature of the Divine, the status of Prophethood, the existence of the unseen, the reality of the afterlife, and the distinctions between orthodox belief and various misguided sects.

Key topics & takeaways

Belief in Allah

• The Divine Being — The work holds that Allah is One, without partners in Being, attributes, or actions, and that His existence is necessary and eternal (page 51).
• Divine Attributes — It teaches that Allah’s attributes are neither identical to His Being nor separate from Him, and they are eternal and uncreated (page 52).
• Impossibility of Defect — The text asserts that Allah is free from all deficiencies, such as lying, ignorance, or tyranny, and that attributing such defects to Him is a rejection of His Divinity (page 55).
• Divine Knowledge — The source affirms that Allah’s knowledge encompasses all things, manifest and hidden, and that He is the Creator of all actions and beings (page 57).

Prophethood

• Nature of Prophethood — It holds that Prophets are human men chosen by Allah, and that Prophethood is a bestowed grace rather than something acquired through personal striving (page 67).
• Infallibility (Ismat) — The work teaches that Prophets are protected from all sins, major and minor, both before and after their appointment, and that they are free from physical defects that cause abhorrence (page 73).
• Knowledge of the Unseen — It affirms that Prophets are granted knowledge of the unseen by Allah, which is a bestowed knowledge (Ataa’i) distinct from Allah’s self-existent knowledge (Zaati) (page 75).
• Finality of Prophethood — The text maintains that Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets, and that any claim to Prophethood after him is an act of infidelity (page 82).

The Unseen and Afterlife

• Angels and Jinn — The work details that Angels are created from light, are sinless, and have specific duties, while Jinn are created from fire and include both believers and unbelievers (page 94).
• The Grave (Barzakh) — It holds that the soul remains connected to the body after death, and that the deceased experiences questioning by Munkar and Nakeer, followed by either comfort or punishment (page 98).
• Resurrection and Reckoning — The text asserts that the physical body will be resurrected, and that the weighing of deeds (Mizaan) and the crossing of the Bridge (Pul Siraat) are indisputable facts (page 116).
• Paradise and Hell — It teaches that both Paradise and Hell are currently in existence and that their inhabitants will remain in them eternally (page 128).

Sectarian Distinctions

• Defining Imaan and Kufr — The work defines faith as the sincere conviction of the heart regarding the fundamental principles of religion, and states that rejecting any such principle constitutes infidelity (page 146).
• Misguided Sects — The source warns against groups like the Qadianis, Raafdhis, and Wahabis, detailing specific beliefs held by these groups that the text classifies as blasphemous or contrary to the established Sunni creed (page 160).
• Wilaayat (Sainthood) — It holds that saints are beloved servants of Allah granted special closeness, and that seeking their assistance through permissible means is a valid practice (page 202).