[عقيل الهندي]

An Introduction to al-‘Aqeedatu at-Tahaawiyyah

The Author of this Beneficial Salafi ‘Aqeedah – Imaam at-Tahaawi

Shaykh Muhammad bin ‘Abdil ‘Azeez bin Maani’[1]

He is the Imaam, al-‘Allaamah Abu Ja’far Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Salaam at-Tahaawi al-Azadi – an Imaam of great standing, well-known in all parts, whose mention is oft within the papers [books of knowledge]. He was born in 290AH and it has been said 230AH.

He learnt, firstly, under his maternal uncle al-Mizzi – the companion of Imaam ash-Shaafi’i upon the mathhab of Imaam ash-Shaafi’i. He then became Hanafi[2] and gained knowledge through the Hanafi mathhab.

He was, may Allaah have mercy upon him, like the rest of the senior Imaams - who never took the way of those who blindly follow – those who have no insight in understanding rulings. However, in the fundamental principles of the Shariyyah that he adhered to conformed to the fundamentals that Imaam Abu Haneefah based his mathhab upon. For this reason, when Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned a group of the people of knowledge in an-Nooniyah, he said[3],

There is not from those I previously mentioned, from the Hanbalis a single one responsible

Rather, all of them, by Allaah are from the party of Ahmad, For their fundamental principles and his are the same.

He wrote, may Allaah have mercy upon him, many famous works, such as Ma’aani al-Aathaar [the meanings of the narrations] and Mushkil al-Aathaar [The Difficult Narrations] and other than these.

He died in 321AH.

He is connected to the town of Tahaa, in the lowest region of Egypt, may Allaah the High have mercy upon him.[4]

[1] This is the second translated instalment of the Shaykh’s introduction. It will be published on this blog in 3 parts, in sha Allaah. [Translator’s note]

[2] See an-Nathaa’ir, pp98-99, by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd, may Allaah pardon him.

[3] Nos 1469 and 1470

[4] His biography is in Siyar A’laam n-Nubalaa (15/27). And in his footnotes are the following sources for his biography: al-Fahrsat (292) by an-Nadeem; Tabaqaat ash-Shiraazi (142); al-Ansaab (8/218) by as-Sam’aani; Taarikh ibn Asaakir (2/189-190); al-Mutanthim (6/250) by Ibn al-Jawzee; Wafiyaatul A’yaan (1/71-72) by Ibn Khalakan; Tathkiratul Huffaath (3/808-811); al-Ibar (2/186) – both by ath Thahabi; al-Waafi bil Wafayaat (8/9-10) by as-Sadafi; Maraatul Janaan (2/281) by al-Yaafi’i; al-Bidaayah wan Nihaayah (11/174) by Ibn Katheer; al-Jawaahir al-Madiyyah (1/102-105) by al-Qurashi; Ghaayat un Nihaayah (1/116); by Ibn al-Jawzee; Lisaan al Meezaan (1/274-282) by al-Haafith Ibn Hajr; an Nujoom uz Zaahirah (3/239) by Ibn Taghriburdi; Tabaqaat ul Huffath (327); Husnal Muhaadarah (198) both by as-Suyooti and Shatharaat uth Thahab (2/288) by Ibn al-‘Imaad [Shaykh ‘Ali al-Halabi]