Al-Aqeedah Al-Tahawiyyah: Unity and Division Among Salafis, Ash‘aris, and Maturidis
The following are Dr. Hammad Al-Hammad's concluding findings as presented in his comprehensive study, Sharh Al-Aqeedah Al-Tahawiyyah Bayn Ahl Al-Sunnah wal-Mutakallimeen (pp. 781–782).
At the conclusion of this research, I praise Allah – exalted is He – for what He facilitated and aided. Below is a presentation of the most significant findings reached.
As for the most important findings, they can be summarized as follows:
1- The creed of al-Tahawi was accepted by the followers of the four Imams from the pure Ahl al-Sunnah and others, without any specific group claiming exclusive affiliation to it.
2- Ahl al-Sunnah, the Ash‘aris, and the Maturidis differed regarding the attribution of the creed of al-Tahawi, and this disagreement remains ongoing.
3- The dispute surrounding the creed of Abu Ja‘far al-Tahawi, may Allah have mercy on him, had many motivations, the most prominent of which was the lofty status of its author, in addition to his claim that it represents the creed of three eminent early Imams of the Salaf; namely, the Imams Abu Hanifa al-Nu‘man and his two companions, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan and Abu Yusuf – may Allah have mercy on them.
4- The greatest reason for the disagreement regarding the creed of al-Tahawi is that many of its statements are general and not exclusive to Ahl al-Sunnah, the Ash‘aris, or the Maturidis. In numerous instances, al-Tahawi aimed to oppose the doctrine of the Mu‘tazilah, while the expressions distinguishing his precise beliefs were either few or general. For this reason, the method relied upon to uncover his creed is comparison and gathering indications, as it is impossible to determine his stance on many issues definitively.
5- The criterion some commentators use on al-Tahawi’s creed to assess his beliefs is to focus solely on his creed itself. This approach does not lead to a satisfactory conclusion, especially given that generality is a predominant feature of his creed. His beliefs on many issues become clearer by referring to his other works.
6- The predominant tendency among the commentators from the Mutakallimun was to interpret al-Tahawi’s words in alignment with their own creed in all statements. This led them to contrived interpretations. In contrast, the commentators from Ahl al-Sunnah were not as excessive in this regard, as some of them provided critical commentary on statements they deemed incorrect. However, they differed in the extent of their critiques and how they addressed them.
7- Imam al-Tahawi, in his approach to sources of reception and reasoning, aligns with Ahl al-Sunnah and diverges from the methodology of the Mutakallimun. This is evident in his affirmation of relying exclusively on the Qur’an and Sunnah, rejecting anything that contradicts them, and in his principle of accepting texts with absolute submission. He maintains that no conflict is conceivable between transmitted texts (al-manqul) and rationality (al-ma‘qul), let alone believing in the occurrence of such a conflict, as claimed by the Mutakallimun. Moreover, he emphasizes the obligation to accept all that has been authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ, without differentiating between what is mutawatir and what is ahad, in contrast to the approach of the Mutakallimun and those influenced by them.
8- Imam al-Tahawi, in matters of Tawhid and divine attributes, is generally closer to the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah. His treatise contains no explicit opposition to their beliefs, while it notably diverges from the views of the Mutakallimun. For example, he affirms Allah’s transcendence over His creation and affirms tied to His will—such as speech, love, satisfaction, and anger—following the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah. However, it is noted that he sometimes uses ambiguous expressions that could be interpreted as a denial of certain attributes. Nevertheless, explicit statements take precedence over what is ambiguous. This becomes even clearer upon examining his other works, such as Mushkil al-Athar, where he does not problematize the texts concerning attributes that Mutakallimun often find problematic. On the contrary, in numerous passages, he explicitly affirms attributes that Mutakallimun consider anthropomorphic and impermissible to ascribe to Allah—such as love and mercy.
9- In the matter of Iman, al-Tahawi followed the approach of the Murji’ah al-Fuqaha, which diverges from the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah and aligns with the Ash‘ari and Maturidi schools in the foundational concept of irja’. However, agreement on the foundational concept does not necessarily entail agreement on its details. The Mutakallimun have unanimously interpreted al-Tahawi’s statements in light of the irja’ of the Mutakallimun. Meanwhile, the commentators from Ahl al-Sunnah have differed in their interpretation of his statements: some leaned toward accepting them, while others sought to reconcile or weigh them comparatively.
10- In the matter of divine decree (qadar), al-Tahawi elaborated on points agreed upon by Ahl al-Sunnah, the Ash‘aris, and the Maturidis, such as the levels of qadar. However, he was general in addressing disputed issues, such as the ability of human beings to perform their actions, using expressions shared by all groups. Regarding capability (istita‘ah) and accountability, his language diverged from the Ash‘ari approach but employed terms common to both Ahl al-Sunnah and the Maturidis, even though their precise interpretation differed.
11- As for the remaining pillars of Iman—namely, belief in the angels, the scriptures, the Messengers, the Sahabah, and leadership (Imamah)—these were generally points of agreement between Ahl al-Sunnah, the Ash‘aris, and the Maturidis. Imam al-Tahawi’s statements on these matters aligned with the principles shared by the groups. However, he did not explicitly address the aspects where differences arose. Notably, certain interpretations by al-Jubba’i—one of the Mutakallimun—stand out, particularly his criticism of the Sabah and their integrity (may Allah be pleased with them), a stance that contradicts not only the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah but also those of the Ash‘aris and Maturidis.