Sharh al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyya (Arabic: شرح العقائد النسفية) is a commentary written by the Hanafi-Shafi'i scholar al-Taftazani (d. 791/1389 or 792/1390) on the creed of Najm al-Din 'Umar al-Nasafi (d. 537/1142-3),[1] an authoritative compendium on Islamic Sunni theology that remained a standard textbook in Ottoman schools.[2] The book is a commentary on al-Nasafi's treatise, in which al-Nasafi systematized Hanafi-Maturidi theology. However, al-Taftazani adopted an Ash'ari perspective in his commentary.[3][4][5]
'Aqā'id al-Nasafī
'Aqā'id al-Nasafi, a short summary of the authentic Muslim beliefs by Najm al-Din 'Umar al-Nasafi. 'Aqā'id is the plural of 'aqidah, which means, religious belief, creed, or theology. This short treatise has gained much popularity and acceptance amongst the Islamic community because of its comprehensive summary of the beliefs of Islam.[6][7][8]
Al-Nasafi compiled and enumerated some 60 points of belief, each one of them being established directly or indirectly by a Qur'anic verse or a authentic Hadith. Although written from the perspective of the Maturidi school of theology, there is a consensus about all the fundamental beliefs mentioned in its pages amongst the Sunni scholars and they have only differed on a few of the subsidiary issues dealt with in this work. Many commentaries have been written on this work differing in size;[11] among them are:[10]
Al-Durra Sharh 'Aqa'id al-Nasafi (Arabic: الدرة شرح عقائد النسفي) by Ibn al-Nafis (d. 687/1288).
One of the most popular was the commentary written by Sa'd al-Din al-Taftazani (d. 792/1390).[2] Since then, it has been taught in Islamic schools and seminaries throughout the world, particularly in Central and South Asia.[12]
In 1988, Syed Naquib al-Attas put forward the 'Aqā'id al-Nasafi manuscript as the oldest Malay manuscript with the date of authorship established as 1590 CE (998 AH), during the era of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Syah's rule in Aceh (1589–1604). Like most religious manuscripts in the early stages, this manuscript was a translation from Arabic to Malay and this text was written in both languages, with the translated text written below the lines of the original text in Arabic.[13][14][15]
Al-Taftazani's commentary
Al-Taftazani started the book by praising Ash'aris after criticizing the Mu'tazilis. Part of his intention when he wrote this commentary was to thoroughly refute the Ahl al-Batil (the people of falsehood), such as the Mu'tazila, the Karramiyya, the Khawarij, the Philosophers, etc. Though his commentary in parts reflects an Ash'ari-Maturidi synthesis, the main framework was Ash'ari theology.[5]
Al-Taftazani's commentary is the oldest manuscript copied on the territory of Macedonia. The scribe Muhammad ibn Sinan mentioned that he had copied it in Skopje, in the madrasa (school) of Isa Bey, in 926/1519.[16]
There have been many scholars and theologians who have written glosses and notes on al-Taftazani's commentary, among them are the following:[3][17][2]
Muhammad b. Ahmad b. 'Ali al-Buhuti al-Khalwati al-Hanbali (d. 1088/1678), the student of Mansur al-Buhuti (d. 1051/1641) and also his nephew and son-in-law.
Nidal Ibrahim Alah Rashi (Arabic: نضال إبراهيم آله رشي).[33][34]
Translations
English
A Commentary on the Creed of Islam: Sa'd al-Din al-Taftazani on the Creed of Najm al-Din al-Nasafi, translated with introduction and notes by Earl Edgar Elder, New York: Columbia University Press, and London: Oxford University Press, 1950.[35]
^Seyyed Hossein Nasr; Oliver Leaman, eds. (2013). History of Islamic Philosophy. Routledge History of World Philosophies. Vol. 1. London and New York: Routledge. p. 1137. ISBN9781136780448. the Malay translation of the Sharḥ al-'aqā'id al-nasafiyyah, which is Sa'd al-Dīn al-Taftāzānī's (d. 791/1388) famous commentary on Abū Ḥafs Najm al-Dīn al-Nasafī's (d. 537/1142) 'Aqā'id, a comprehensive treatise on the articles of Islamic belief
^"شرح العقائد النسفية". arabicdawateislami.net (in Arabic). Dawat-e-Islami. Archived from the original on 22 Feb 2023. وقد خرج أحاديث "شرح العقائد" العلاّمة جلال الدين السيوطي والمولى علي بن محمّد القاري المكّي المتوفّى سنه أربع عشرة وألف من الهجرة.
^"الشيخ علي القاري ورسالته "فرائد القلائد على أحاديث شرح العقائد"". alukah.net (in Arabic). 29 October 2015. Archived from the original on 20 Jun 2023. وكان أول مَنْ نهض لتخريج أحاديثه - فيما أعلم - العلامة قاسم بن قُطلوبغا الحنفي (ت:879هـ) وسمّى كتابَه "بغية الرائد في تخريج أحاديث شرح العقائد"[2] ثم جاء السيوطي فكتب تخريجًا آخر بعد وفاة ابن قطلوبغا بسبع سنين، جاء في آخر تخريجه: "علقته يوم الأحد العشرين من شعبان سنة ست وثمانين وثمانمئة، أحسن الله خاتمتها"[3]. ثم كتب الشيخُ علي القاري "فرائد القلائد"، وهي موضوع حديثي. وأخيرًا قام بتخريج هذه الأحاديث "كلود سلامة" أثناء تحقيقه لهذا الشرح ونشره،[4] ويبدو أنه لم يطّلع على أي تخريجٍ سابق، لما وقع فيه من أخطاء وعدم استيفاء، وظهور قصورٍ في هذا المجال.
^"Толкование акиды «Ан-Насафия». I раздел. О сути вещей и путях их познания". islam.kz/ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 12 Mar 2023. Перевел с арабского языка кандидат исторических наук, старший научный сотрудник отдела общественной мысли и исламоведения Института истории им. Ш. Марджани АН РТ, преподаватель РИУ Адыгамов Рамиль Камилович.