THE WASITIYYAH CREED
One of the most excellent and summarized Classical writings on our History on the Creed of Ahlus Sunnah Wa al-Jamā’ah is the epistle: “Al-‘Aqīdatu Al-Wāsitiyyah” which was written by the Master Ālim and Polymath Taqiyuddīn Abū Al-‘Abbās Ahmad Ibn ‘Abdil Halīm Ibn ‘Abdissalām Ibn Taymiyyah Al-Harrānī – rahimahullāh – who passed away 728 Hijrah.
One of the Judges of the Muslim City of Wāsit wrote to him complaining of the severity of ignorance and the dimness of the light of Knowledge and Sunnah in their lands due to the suzerainty of the Tatars and the influence of the Scholars of misguidance.
Shaykhu Al-Islām responded to the noble request when once he observed his Salātu Al-‘Asr and made his Adhkār. He wrote it all in that one sitting from the dictations of his heart…
The Scholars that inclined to bid’a challenged him to numerous debates on the basis of this writing and he defended all that lies in it, laying to bare the fallacies in their Creed. He particularly mentioned three Locutions where he quoted all he wrote without return to the text.
The Ulamā have written reviews and recommendations for the Book right from his days to this era.
Al-Hāfidh Adh-Dhahabī – rahimahullāh – said of it:
“Then, a consensus has been formed that the Creed laid down in it is excellent and Salafī (Orthodox)”
Shaykhu Al-Islām, aside generally mentioning the outlined details of the Six Articles of Īmān (Arkānu Al-Islām As-Sitt), he laid particular emphasis on the Names and Attributes of Allāh (Al-Asmā’u Wa As-Sifāt).
If you are yet to study Al-‘Aqīdatu Al-Wāsitiyyah, find a teacher whom you trust to teach you this book that you may know your creed…
Bārakallāhu fīkum
