. J i ? . .r--J i ? (cont.)

Instead, it is a hand that is becoming of His Majesty and Godliness.' Al-Nawawi 's Taweel It must be first pointed out that al-Nawawi never wrote any book on aqeedah (creed and faith). There is a book entitled al-Maqaasid fl Bayaan Ma Yajib Marafatuhu min al-Deen min al-Aqeedah wa al-Ibaadah wa Usool al­ Tasawwuf that is ascribed to him.2 According to Salmaan3, Al-Zirikili and al­ Diqr do not mention this book among al-Nawawi's writings. However, this is not correct. Al-Zirikili mentions it and states that it is a writing on tauheed.4 Al-Diqr, not in the section on al-Nawawi's writings but elsewhere, makes one mention of it but he simply states that al-Zirikili mentions it as one of al­ Nawawi's works.5 Actually, al-Nawawi's close student ibn al-Attaar did not mention this as one of al-Nawawi's books in his abbreviated discussion of al­ Nawawi's writings.6 Also, neither al-Dhahabi nor ibn Katheer mention this who says it. Furthermore, when convenient, these modem-day Asharis also disagree with great scholars, such as ibn Hajr and al-Nawawi on points related to aqeedah, fiqh and other matters. Hence, if they are free to disagree with them, then obviously people like Abdulazeez ibn Baaz may disagree with them, especially when he has the backing of the Quran, sunnah and way of the Sala/ 1 This methodology, as well as the evidence for it, is given in the commentary to Hadith #2, under the section, "Belief in Allah." 2 Unfortunately, this book has been translated and published in English with al-Nawawi's name on it. This has led many people to believe that it contains the teachings of the well-respected Imam al-Nawawi. Furthermore, the Maqaasid is an extremely small work. The English translations is filled with comments that have nothing to do with the original Maqaasid. Hence, in all honesty, the English work should be entitled a commentary on al-Maqaasid and not simply a translation of Maqaasid. 3 Mashhoor Hasan Salmaan, Al-Rudood wa al-Taaqqubaat ala ma waqa li-l-Imaam al-Nawawi fl Sharh sahih Muslim min al-Taweelfi al-Sifaat wa Ghairaha min al-Masaail al-Muhimaat (al­ Thuqba, Saudi Arabia: Dar al-Hijrah, 1 993), p. 20. 4 Khair al-Deen al-Zirikili, al-Alaam (Beirut: Dar al-Ilm al-Malayeen), vol. 8, p. 149. 5 See al-Diqr, p. 63. Also see Al-Zirikili, vol. 9, p. 85; al-Diqr, pp. 72-104. 6 See ibn al-Attaar, pp. 75-100. The Life-of Imam al-Nawawi particular work of al-Nawawi, although they were very close to his time and, one could assume, they would have considered any work on aqeedah and the basics of Islam to be important. 1 Al-Suyooti, who considers himself an Ashari, also did not mention that work when he discussed al-Nawawi's writings.2 Similarly, Ahmad al-Haddaad, who listed many works of al-Nawawi including those that are still in manuscript form which al-Haddaad could not see, nowhere mentions this as one of al-Nawawi's works. Similarly, Hitu, a specialist in Shafi'ee fiqh, mentions thirty-eight of al-Nawawi's works and does not mention al-Maqaasid.3 More important, however, is Salmaan's argument that the al-Maqaasid contains many aspects that demonstrate that it is not one of al-Nawawi's works. Its style of writing is different from that of al-Nawawi. Furthermore, it contains many passages that contradict what al-Nawawi has written in the books that are definitively known to be from him. Indeed, there is no question that al­ Maqaasid has been written by a pure Ashari and al-Nawawi's name has been put on the work just to give it some credence.4 One may, however, derive al-Nawawi's understanding of aqeedah from his commentary on Sahih Muslim. It is here where al-Nawawi's taweel and divergence from the way of the Salafi school has appeared. One can conclude from that commentary that al-Nawawi was definitely not a pure Ashari. He would sometimes resort to taweel, sometimes he would leave the meaning of an attribute to Allah (tafweedh5) and other times he would remain silent. In any case, no one can deny that al-Nawawi made taweel for a number of the attributes of Allah. For example, on one occasion, he explains the hand of Allah as meaning His power. 6 On another occasion, he explains it as meaning Allah's mercy.7 However, one will note that al-Nawawi was not very consistent in his taweel. In one of his discussions of Allah's Hand, he seemingly rejected the taweel of Qaadhi Iyaadh and argued for leaving the wording of the Hand of Allah alone without giving it any reinterpretation.8 This "inconsistency" on the part of al-Nawawi has led people to form different conclusions about al-Nawawi. Some people call him Salafi, others 1 For al-Dhahabi, see the excerpt from Tadhkirat al-Huffaadh in the introduction to al-Nawawi, Sharh sahih Muslim, vol, I, pp. J-.J. For ibn Katheer, see Imaad al-Deen ibn Katheer, al­ Bidaayah wa al-Nihaaya (Beirut: Daar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, 1985), vol. 13, p. 294. Both of them mention a number of al-Nawawi's works, including those he did not finish, and neither of them make any allusion whatsoever to al-Maqaasid. 2 Al-Suyooti, al-Minhaaj, pp. 53-65. 3 See Muhammad Hasan Heetoo, "Introduction," to Yahya al-Nawawi, al-Usool wa al­ Dhawaabit (Beirut: Daar al-Bashaair al-Islamiyyah, 1988), pp. 14-16.