Who was the First Jurist to Codify the Muslim Belief System?

 Once the high-ranking Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum and the senior Tabi'een rahimahumullah had passed on, the deviated and astray groups and sects had begun to emerge. At the forefront of these groups and sects were people of desires and innovations like the Khawarij, the Rawafid, the Qadariyyah and the Jahamiyyah. A pressing need arose to gather and codify the true beliefs of the Muslims in-line with the track of the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum. 

Imam Al-A'dham Abu Hanifah rahimahullah turned his focus and attention in this direction and he wrote and dictated a number of works on this topic. 

Some of them were:

1. Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar

2. Al-Fiqh Al-Absat

3. Kitab Al-Wasiyyah

4. Kitab Al-Alim wal Muta'allim

Imam Al-A'dham Abu Hanifah rahimahullah had clarified the principles of the religion and he elucidated the beliefs ('Aqa'id) of Islam in these works. Moreover, he responded to the doubts and misgivings of the Khawarij, the Shia, the Qadariyyah, and the Dahriyyah, also commonly referred to as the Atheists. 

These groups and sects resided in Basra and Kufa. Imam Al-A'dham Abu Hanifah rahimahullah travelled to Basra more than 20 times with the intention of debate, and he silenced the detractors using evidences and proofs. Due to this, his name became well-known in all the cities of the Islamic world. 

His students and associates adopted his methodology and approach in order to establish the truth and destroy the falsehood. Imam Abu Yusuf rahimahullah, Imam Muhammad rahimahullah, Imam Zufar rahimahullah, Imam Hammad bin Abi Hanifah rahimahullah were famous for debate against the innovators and detractors. 

The books written and dictated by Imam A'dham Abu Hanifah rahimahullah were brief, but they clarified the principles of the religion according to the need. They were not arranged in chapter and section format.

Qadi Kamal-ud-Deen Ahmad Bayadi Rumi rahimahullah was from the leading 'Ulama' of the 11th century. He took the books of Imam A'dham Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, and gave them a sequence, and prepared them in-line with the methodology of the Mutakallimeen, and then titled it Al-Usul Al-Munifah lil Imam Abi Hanifah. He ensured that the words of Imam A'dham Abu Hanifah rahimahullah were kept intact, and he did not make any changes to them. Then he wrote a commentary on this work called Ishaaraat Al-Maraam min 'Ibaaraat Al-Imam. This book is a unique treasure of rational and narrated evidences. 

After Imam A'dham Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, the 'Ulama of the Ummah continued researching and writing in the work of Kalaam, the principles of the religion, and the belief system of Islam so that Muslims could be educated and taught of the true and correct belief system to adopt and guard. 

Imam Tahawi rahimahullah wrote a work on the beliefs of the Ahl-us-Sunnah wal Jama'ah. Its status and acceptance around the world is well-known, Alhamdulillah.

The 'Ulama' continued working in this line of study, research, and teaching until Imam Abul Hasan Ash'ari rahimahullah and Imam Abu Mansur Maturidi rahimahullah came. They had clearly showed the beliefs of the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum and the Taabi'een rahimahumullah in the light of rational and narrated evidences. They left no stone unturned in refuting the deviated groups and sects. May Allah Ta'ala reward them on behalf of Islam and the Muslims. Ameen Ya Rabb al-'Alameen.

[Adapted & Translated from: 'Aqa'id-ul-Islam by Mawlana Muhammad Idris Kandehlawi rahimahullah, pp.294-295]

The Modernist & Liberal Attack on the Belief System of Islam

With the intense spread of Modernism and Liberalism, we find that the attack upon the belief system of Islam has not abated. In fact, it has intensified. 

Modernists and Liberals do not have a set of beliefs that they adhere to. They accommodate blend in with any deviant group and astray sect, as long as it is in line with their practical implementation of their foundational aim of obliterating the truth and establishing falsehood. 

For this reason, it is essential for the traditional 'Ulama' to stand up and refute this wave of tribulations that have been set in motion upon the Muslim Ummah in the line of 'Aqa'id. 

The Modernist mindset holds that silence in the face of their attacks is taken as an endorsement of their activities. Hence, there is a pressing need to continuously refute the doubts and misgivings that the Modernists and Liberals spread in the light of the work done by Imam A'dham Abu Hanifah rahimahullah and his illustrious students and companions. One cannot afford to remain silent, especially when these attacks are upon the core beliefs of Muslims around the world. 

Take the issue of interfaith. This is such a horrible and terrible heresy that causes a person to eventually lose his Imaan. In interfaith, a person embraces polytheism and monotheism as equal, Astaghfirullah. 

This is accompanied by accommodating and embracing the alphabet confused crowd, another heresy that could eventually cause a person to lose his Imaan. 

This is compounded by embracing secularism, humanism and scientism, all of which are utilised to replace Allah Ta'ala totally. Not even the name of Allah Ta'ala is tolerated by secularists, scientists, modernists and liberals. In fact, the modernists and liberals are now known for saying 'The Almighty' instead of Allah Ta'ala. This is how they desensitize the common Muslim and please the modernist and liberal that accommodates for polytheism. 

May Allah Ta'ala keep us on the straight path, and save us from modernism, liberalism, and all its associated heresies and evil. Ameen