The series aims to provide readers from the English-speaking world access to Ibn Taymiyyah’s articulations of these important matters of the Faith in an effort to demonstrate the superior rationality embodied in Islamic Faith over the conflicting claims of rationality offered by other religions, philosophies, and theological positions.
It is my estimation that such an English series is much needed nowadays, especially in response to current challenges posed by growing trends of atheism. Ibn Taymiyyah’s exceptional insight and distinguished explanations of Quranic arguments have helped many Muslims remain intellectually satisfied in the face of doubts and challenges presented by competing world views.
In Sharh al-Asfahaniyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah criticizes the theology of al-Asfahani and other Kalam theologians and disagrees with many of their key arguments by which they sought to demonstrate the main tenets of the Islamic creed. He dedicates an entire chapter to pointing out errors in the argument from composition, an argument adopted from Avicennian philosophy to prove the Oneness of God.
Ibn Taymiyyah goes on to provide alternative rational arguments for God’s Oneness from the Qur’an, giving a lengthy explanation of two specific arguments from the chapter of Al-Mu’minun.
mhakimhanafi (verified owner) –
“Allah has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. [If there had been], then each deity would have taken what it created, and some of them would have sought to overcome others. Exalted is Allah above what they describe [concerning Him]”. (al-Mu’minun 23:91)
It is the first pillar of Islam that Muslims declare there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah.
Ibn Taymiyyah explains monotheism, or Tawhid, which is the firm belief that God is the Eternal Creator who alone possesses perfect qualities and attributes which can be inferred by observing His acts of creation in the natural world.
He provides his explanations from the verses of the Quran and explains the contradictions that exists in the arguments where more than one lord exists.
May this book help us to increase our faith to rely only on Allah and worship Him as He should be worshipped.