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

4 See Salmaan, al-Rudood, p. 20 and p. 25. 5 Tafweedh implies recording the wording as it is and then stating that the meaning of the word is known only to Allah and has no understandable meaning to humans. 6 Al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih, vol. 1 7, p. 132. 7 Al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih, vol. 6, pp. 38-39. 8 Al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih, vol. 1 7, p. 132. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi call him Ashari and yet others call him Tafweedhi.1 Al-Dhahabi, a Salafi, once wrote about him, "His attitude toward the sami'iyah attributes2 was one of being silent. He would report them as they have come [without trying to re­ explain them]. Perhaps, he would rarely make taweel in his commentary to Sahih Muslim." Commenting on that statement, al-Sakhaawi wrote, "This is what [al-Dhahabi] said. But one can find taweel often in al-Nawawi's words."3 The concepts of much and little are relative, but it seems that al-Sakhaawi's view is closer to the correct stance. Al-Yafi'ee and al-Taaj al-Subki, leading Ashari scholars, have both declared al-Nawawi an Ashari.4 Many of the modern-day scholars seemed inclined to consider him more Salafi than Ashari. For example, the author of the dissertation al-Imam al-Nawawi wa Juhoodahu ft al-Tafseer wrote, "He was a Salafi in his beliefs but he occasionally made taweel if necessity required that."5 In his book on the Ashari school, Safar al-Hawaali wrote, "It is not correct to consider him Ashari. It should be said, 'He agrees with the Asharis on some points. "'6 Naasir al-Aql wrote, speaking of al-Nawawi and others similar to him, "With respect to their general beliefs, they are from ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaah. As for calling them Asharis, this in need of some verification and confirmation ... They are closer to being from the people of hadith than they are to being from the scholastic theologians."7 Salmaan has offered the strongest argument as to why there is so much confusion concerning al-Nawawi and his beliefs. Salmaan wrote, He agrees with the Asharis when he quotes from their works and is silent about what they have said. In some cases, he explicitly states that he accepts what they state. He is also in agreement with the Salaf in much of their beliefs. This is because he was influenced by and preoccupied by the transmitted reports [from the Prophet (peace be upon him), his Companions and so forth]. This was also because he stayed away from scholastic theology (ilm al-kalaam) and did not delve into its particular issues. So the researcher who notes the places where he was influenced by the Asharis will consider him an Ashari. The one who notes those places where he was in agreement with the beliefs of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al1 Salmaan, al-Rudood, p. 1 8. 2 There are some attributes of Allah that can be "proven" logically and rationally. These would include the fact that Allah is living, knowing and so forth. There are other attributes that can only be known through revelation and what has been passed on from the Prophet (peace be upon him). This would include, for example, the fact that Allah has a hand. These are the "attributes known through transmitted reports" or the sami'iyah attributes. 3 Both of these statements were quoted in Salmaan, al-Rudood, p. 1 8. 4 Salmaan, al-Rudood, p. 1 8. 5 Quoted in Salmaan, al-Rudood, p. 1 9. 6 Safar al-Hawaali, Minhaj al-Ashaa'irahfi al-Aqeedah (Kuwait: Daar al-Salafiyah, 1 986), p. 29. 7 Naasir al-Aql, Mabaahith ft Aqeedah Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaah wa Muwaqif al-Harakaat al-Islamiyyah al-Muasirah Minha (Riyadh: Daar al-Watn, n.d.), p. 63. The Life of Imam al-Nawawi Jamaah, where he also defends those beliefs and refutes the heretics and misguided people, will consider him a Salafi. This is the main reason why people get confused and perplexed as to where to place him. May Allah have mercy on ibn Taimiya who once said, "Almost everyone of the later scholars had some mistakes in his writings due to the misconceptions and confusions spread by the heretics. That is why one will find in many of the writings on legal theory, creed, fiqh, asceticism, Quranic commentary, and hadith, that a person will quote on a very important issue a number of opinions and will quote a number of different views and people but the view with which Allah sent His Messenger will not be mentioned. This is not because they do not like what the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught but simply because they had no knowledge of it."1 Ibn Taimiya's above statement applies one hundred percent to Abu Zakaria al­ Nawawi. 2 Indeed, Salmaan studied the sources of al-Nawawi's views. He discovered that, for the most part, his mistakes appeared most prominently when he was quoting from the earlier scholars who had commented upon Sahih Muslim. These earlier scholars included al-Maazari and Qaadhi Iyaadh. These two respected scholars were very clear and outspoken in their use of taweel.3 Al-Nawawi was also not a detailed researcher in the area of creed and faith.