Commentary On Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah's Al-Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah By Sheikh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaymeen (2 Vols)

Al-Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah is one of the most studied texts in Islamic aqeedah — a concise but comprehensive statement of the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaah written by Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in 698 AH. Despite its brevity, it addresses the full range of aqeedah: the names and attributes of Allah, the articles of faith, the position of the Salaf on the matters that divided the ummah, and the correct methodology for understanding what Allah has revealed about Himself. The scholars have given it extraordinary attention precisely because it achieves so much in so few pages.

Commentary on Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah's Al-Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin is an accessible explanation of that text available in English. Spanning two volumes, it represents Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin's full scholarly treatment of every sentence al-Wasitiyyah contains — a treatment the Shaykh personally reviewed, corrected, and added important additions to before publication.

What This Commentary Covers

The Correct Methodology for Allah's Names and Attributes

The central subject of al-Wasitiyyah is how a Muslim correctly understands what Allah has said about Himself in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin explains Ibn Taymiyyah's position — which is the position of the Salaf — with his characteristic precision: affirm what Allah has affirmed for Himself, without distorting the meaning, without denying the attribute, without asking how, and without likening it to the attributes of creation. This four-part methodology is explained, defended, and distinguished from the deviant positions in detail that shorter commentaries do not provide.

The Articles of Faith — In Full Depth

The six articles of iman — belief in Allah, the angels, the books, the messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree — are all covered with the depth and breadth that two full volumes allow. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin does not merely restate what the articles are. He explains what correct belief in each one requires, what falls short of it, what the Salaf understood, and how the various theological schools erred in their treatments of them.

Benefits Beyond Aqeedah

One of the qualities that distinguishes Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin's commentary from others is that it is, as described by those who studied under him, replete with benefits not only on aqeedah but on fiqh and its usool, character and manners, and the broader Islamic sciences — all arising naturally from the text. A student who completes these two volumes emerges with more than a knowledge of creed; they emerge with a stronger overall understanding of how scholarship works in Islam.

Reviewed and Corrected by the Shaykh Himself

This edition was personally reviewed by Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin before his passing — he corrected, revised, and added to it. This is not a transcription of lessons that was published without the Shaykh's knowledge or approval. What the reader holds is a text the Shaykh himself sanctioned as the form in which he wished his commentary to reach the students of knowledge.

About the Authors

The original text, Al-Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah, was written by Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in 698 AH. This commentary upon it is by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin (1347–1421 AH / 1929–2001 CE), who studied under Shaykh Abdur-Rahman Nasir as-Sa'di, taught for decades in the Grand Mosque of Unayzah and at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, and served on the Senior Scholars Council of Saudi Arabia. Published by Darussalam Publishers.

Who This Book Is For

A standard aqeedah text for the serious student of knowledge, commonly used as a curriculum text in Islamic institutions and study circles. Anyone who has read a one-volume explanation of al-Wasitiyyah and wants to go deeper will find that these two volumes contain what the shorter commentaries could not. It is also a useful reference for any Islamic teacher explaining aqeedah to students at an intermediate or advanced level.

Continue Reading

This is the fullest of the three al-Wasitiyyah editions we carry. Ibn Taymiyyah's original text with its own explanation is Sharh Al-Aqeedat-il-Wasitiyah, and Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan's Explanation of al-Aqeedat al-Waasitiyyah sits between the two — a concise single-volume commentary for students beginning the text. See our guide to the best aqeedah books for beginners, or see more from this scholar in Books by Ibn al-Uthaymeen: where to start.