Sharhul Aqaid
Author : Sa'ad al-Din Masud ibn Umar ibn Abd Allah al-Taftazani
Translated to English by : Muhammad Sajeer Bukhari
Varieties of Religious Edicts
اعلم أن الأحكام الشرعية، منها ما يتعلق بكيفية العمل وتسمى فرعية وعملية. ومنها ما يتعلق بالاعتقاد، وتسمى أصلية واعتقادية
Know that religious rulings (are of two types.) It includes those related to the manner of action, and they are called subsidiary and practical; and those related to belief, which are called fundamental and doctrinal.
فالعلم المتعلق بالأولى، يسمى علم الشرائع والأحكام، لما أنها لا تستفاد إلا من جهة الشرع، ولا يسبق الفهم عند إطلاق الأحكام إلا إليها. وبالثانية علم التوحيد والصفات، لما أن ذلك أشهر مباحثه وأشرف مقاصده.
Therefore, the science concerned with the first category is called the science of laws and rulings (ʿilm al-šarāʾiʿ wa-l-ʾaḥkām), since these cannot be derived except from the point view of Law (Sharīʿah), and when the term 'rulings' (ʾaḥkām) is used in general without qualification, our initial comprehension doesn't proceed beyond them. The science concerned with the second category is called the science of Tawheed (monotheism) and attributes (ʿilm at-tawḥīd wa-l-ṣifāt), since this is the most prominent subject matter and the noblest objective of that science.
Early Generations and Their Pure Beliefs
وقد كانت الأوائل من الصحابة والتابعين رضوان الله عليهم أجمعين لصفاء عقائدهم، ببركة صحبة النبي عليه السلام، وقرب العهد بزمانه، ولقلة الوقائع والاختلافات، وتمكنهم من المراجعة إلى الثقات، مستغنين عن تدوين العلمين وترتيبهما أبوابا وفصولا، وتقرير مقاصدهما فروعا وأصولا.
The early generation of our community, comprising the companions and successors of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them all) because of the purity of their beliefs due to the blessings of accompanying the Prophet (peace be upon him) and their closeness to his time, and due to the scarcity of events and disagreements, and their ability to refer to trustworthy authorities, were not needed to record and organize these two sciences into chapters and sections, and to systematize its purposes into branches and principles.
The Emergence of Tribulations and the Need for Systematization
الى أن حدثت الفتن بين المسلمين، وغلب البغى على أئمة الدين، وظهر اختلاف الآراء، والميل الى البدع والأهواء، وكثرت الفتاوى والواقعات، والرجوع الى العلماء فى المهمات. فاشتغلوا بالنظر والاستدلال والاجتهاد والاستنباط وتمهيد القواعد والأصول، وترتيب الأبواب والفصول، وتكثير المسائل بأدلتها، وإيراد الشبه بأجوبتها، وتعيين الأوضاع والاصطلاحات، وتبيين المذاهب والاختلافات.
وسموا ما يفيد معرفة الأحكام العملية عن أدلتها التفصيلية: بالفقه. ومعرفة أحوال الأدلة اجمالا، فى إفادتها الأحكام: بأصول الفقه، ومعرفة العقائد عن أدلتها: بالكلام. لأن عنوان مباحثه: كان قولهم الكلام فى كذا وكذا ولأن مسألة الكلام كانت أشهر مباحثه، وأكثرها نزاعا وجدالا، حتى أن بعض المتغلبة قتل كثيرا من أهل الحق، لعدم قولهم بخلق القرآن، ولأنه يورث قدرة على الكلام، في تحقيق الشرعيات، وإلزام الخصوم، كالمنطق للفلسفة، ولأنه أول ما يجب من العلوم التي إنما تعلم وتتعلم بالكلام، فأطلق عليه هذا الاسم لذلك ثم خص به، ولم يطلق على غيره تمييزا.
They named the knowledge that facilitates understanding of practical rulings from their detailed evidence as Jurisprudence (fiqh). And the understanding of the general conditions of the evidence in its application to the rulings is known as the Principles of Jurisprudence (Usool al-fiqh). And the understanding of beliefs from their evidence is referred to as Kalam (which means in spoken language speech or discussion). Because the title of the discourses of this science was: their statement 'the discussion regarding such and such'. And because the issue of the Kalam (Kalam of Allah, ie. the Quran) was the most renowned of its dialogues, and the most disputed and debated among them, to the extent that some of the oppressors killed many of the people of truth for not asserting that the Quran was created [the fitnah of the creation of the Quran appeared during the reign of Caliph al-Ma'mun, may Allah be pleased with him]. And because it bestows the ability to speak in establishing religious matters and obligating (silencing) opponents, akin to logic for philosophy. And because it is the foremost among the sciences that must be learned and taught through speech. Therefore this name [kalam] was attributed to it. Subsequently, it was exclusively applied to it, without being attributed to anything else as a distinguishing feature.
ولأنه انما يتحقق بالمباحثة وادارة الكلام من الجانبين، وغيره قد يتحقق بالتأمل، ومطالعة الكتب، ولأنه أكثر العلوم خلافا ونزاعا فيشتد افتقاره إلى الكلام مع المخالفين والرد عليهم، ولأنه لقوة أدلته صار كأنه هو الكلام دون ما عداه من العلوم كما يقال للأقوى من الكلامين هذا هو الكلام، ولأنه لابتنائه على الأدلة القطعية المؤيد أكثرها بالأدلة السمعية أشد العلوم تأثيرا فى القلب وتغلغلا فيه، فسمى بالكلام المشتق من الكلم، وهو الجرح. وهذا هو كلام القدماء.
And because it is only realized through dialogue and the exchange of words from both sides, while other sciences may be realized through contemplation and studying books. And because it is the most disputed and debated of the sciences, so it’s need for debate (kalam) with dissenters and rebuttal of them becomes more intense. And because of the strength of its evidence, it has become as if it is the one and only ‘speech’, excluding other sciences, Just as the stronger of two speeches is called 'the speech.' And because it is based on definitive evidences, the majority of which is supported by Auditory evidences (ie. traditional, testimonial and scriptural proofs), it is the most powerful in influencing the heart and deeply penetrating within it, so it was called "kalam" (theology), derived from "kalm", which means "the wound." And this is the Kalam of the ancient scholars.