 1207 AH manuscript excerpt | |
| Author | Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi |
|---|---|
| Original title | العقائد النسفية |
| Language | Persian and Arabic |
| Subject | Kalam |
| Genre | Treatise |
| Publication place | Seljuk Empire |
| Media type | |
| 297.2 | |
| Website | nasafi |
Al-Aqaid al-Nasafiyya (Arabic:العقائد النسفية) is a classicalIslamic creed treatise of theMaturidi school, attributed to theHanafi scholarAbu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi. Some scholars have suggestedBurhan al-Din al-Nasafi as the author, but most evidence from manuscripts and research supports Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi. The work was likely written at the request ofSeljuk authorities to present a clear statement ofSunni belief and counter the influence of sects such as theIsmailis. It is considered a summary ofTabsirat al-Adilla byAbu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi, which itself drew onAbu Mansur al-Maturidi'sKitab al-Tawhid. The treatise became widely studied over time, especially afterAl-Taftazani wrote the first major commentary, i.e.,Sharh al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyya, and it was taught for centuries inOttoman and other madrasas such asAl-Azhar University. Today, it remains a major textbook on Islamic creed in scholarly circles.
According to some Persian manuscripts preserved in the Maktaba-i Majlis Shura-i Islami Iran, the work was compiled at the request of the Seljuk authorities to unify Sunni beliefs in response to the spread of sects, likely the Ismailis, in the province ofSistan.[1] The emir of Sistan, Abu al-Fadl, requested Sultan Ahmad Sanjar's assistance, who then instructed the scholars ofSamarkand to prepare a treatise outlining the main tenets ofAhl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a. Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi was chosen to undertake this task. After completing the work, he presented it to the scholars of Samarkand, who reviewed its contents, approved its doctrinal positions, and signed the manuscript as a form of endorsement.[1] The treatise thus became a doctrinal standard, officially recognized by the Seljuk state.[2] Initially written in Persian, it later circulated widely in Arabic, with an added section (Asbab al-'Ilm,Paths of Knowledge) not present in the Persian version.[2] The work largely abridges earlier Hanafi creed texts, particularly Abu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi'sTabsirat al-Adilla, which itself systematized Maturidi'sKitab al-Tawhid, making al-Nasafi primarily a compiler and summarizer rather than an independent author.[2]
The authorship ofAl-Aqaid al-Nasafiyya has been the subject of scholarly debate. Some, includingAbd al-Hayy al-Lucknawi citingMuhammad al-Zurqani'sSharh al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah, and Ismail Hakki Izmirli (tr), argued that the treatise was authored by Burhan al-Din al-Nasafi, a scholar ofkalam, rather than Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi, who was primarily known as ajurist.[3] However, the majority of scholars and researchers—including Al-Taftazani, the first commentator of the treatise, as well asKâtip Çelebi, Ismail Pasha, Wensinck (de), andCarl Brockelmann—attribute the work to Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi. The oldest manuscript copies consistently ascribe the treatise to him, with no references suggesting Burhan al-Din al-Nasafi's authorship.[3] One manuscript in the Suleymaniye Library explicitly states, 'This is a book of creed abridged by Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi,' indicating that he compiled the text from the creeds of preceding Nasafi scholars. Linguistic and structural similarities betweenAl-Aqaid al-Nasafiyya and earlier works by Abu al-Muin al-Nasafi, as well asRisala fi al-aqaid by Ibn Abi al-Muayyad Ahmad b. Mahmud al-Nasafi, further support its attribution to Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi, who died before Burhan al-Din al-Nasafi (687 AH / 1288 CE).[3] Recent research by Ibrahim Bayram ofTokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, based on the discovery of the collectionMatla al-nujum wa majma al-ulum (facsimile published in 2015), confirms that the creed text included at the beginning of this compendium is identical toAl-Aqaid al-Nasafiyya, effectively resolving doubts about its authorship and establishing Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi as its compiler.[4]
Al-Aqaid al-Nasafiyya begins by affirming the real existence of theworld and identifying the sources of knowledge as thesenses,reason, and widely transmitted reports (mutawatir khabar). It presents theexistence of God through the argument of origination (huduth) and then discussesHis attributes. The treatise addresses human actions, human capability (istitāa), provision (rizq), and the appointed term of life (ajal). It also considers life after death, including experiences in the grave, divine questioning, judgment, the balance (mizan), the pool (hawd), and the states of paradise and hell.[3]
The text continues with discussions on the state of sinners, signs of faith and unbelief, belief in prophets, theprophethood ofMuhammad, belief inangels andscriptures, andmiracles (karamat). It examines the order of precedence among the nobleCompanions (tafdil), theimamate, fundamental principles accepted byAhl al-Sunnah, and the rejection ofesoteric interpretations (batini tawils). The treatise also outlines beliefs and actions that lead to unbelief, the signs of the Last Day, and issues such asijtihad. Finally, it specifies the hierarchy between angels and human beings.[3]
The treatise presents Islamic creed in a concise and clear way, with each statement (faṣl) discussing a separate theological issue.[5] It uses scriptural evidence (Nass) from theQuran andSunnah to demonstrate certainty (yaqīn) in matters of faith.[5] The text explains that nass refers both to clear divine speech and to any statement with an obvious meaning. The treatise addresses the issues of creed with precision (tanqīḥ) and refinement (tahdhīb) and follows an organized order (tanzīm and tartīb) to present core Islamic beliefs in a structured way.[5]
Despite its brevity,Al-Aqaid al-Nasafiyya became influential in Islamic intellectual circles and was widely disseminated beyond the Hanafi school.[3] According to M.M. Ovezov of theBulgarian Islamic Academy, perhaps it is one of the most popular works on creed across different schools of thought.[1]
Historical records and manuscripts preserved in theTopkapi Palace Museum and Suleymaniye libraries indicate that approximately seventy studies were written on the treatise, most of them marginal notes (hashiyas), with more than ten full commentaries (sharh).[3] Contrary to claims that Al-Taftazani was the only commentator, others also produced commentaries, including Shams al-Din Mahmud b. Abdurrahman al-Isfahani, Abu Abdullah al-Shaykh Zayn al-Din, Mollazade Ahmad b. Osman al-Herawi, Ibn al-Ghars Muhammad b. Muhammad al-Hanafi, Ibn al-Haram al-Andalusi, Ibrahim b. Ibrahim al-Lakani, Abu al-Abbas Shihab al-Din Abdullah b. Muhammad al-Maqari, Muhammad Nur al-Arabi of the Melami order, and Karabash Veli of the Shabaniyya order.[3] The main commentary remains Al-Taftazani'sSharh al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyya, which emphasized the role of reason in theology.[3] Muhammet Ali KOCA ofYalova University notes that the treatise's recognition outside Samarkand increased particularly through Al-Taftazani,[6] leading to its inclusion in the madrasa system and its teaching in Ottoman madrasas and at al-Azhar.[3] Over time, it became a central textbook in the study of creed, a status it retains in various universities and scholarly circles today.[3]
The work was rendered into Arabic verse by Tajizade Sadi Celebi and Damadzade Ebubekir of Corum, translated into English byDuncan Black MacDonald (Development of Muslim Theology, Jurisprudence and Constitutional Theory, 1903), into German by C.H. Ziegler (Turkischer Catechismus der muhammedanischen Religion, 1792), and into French by Mouradgea d'Ohsson (Tableau général de l'Empire Ottoman).[3] During the final years ofAbdul Hamid II's reign, the section onimamate was removed from printed editions due to political concerns regarding the caliphate andQuraysh lineage.[3]
