The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi

العقيدة الطحاوية

Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahawi · Egypt · died 321 AH / 933 CE

This is Imam al-Tahawi’s own short creed — the original text he wrote. It is not Ibn Abi al-Izz’s later explanation, and it is not an Ash'ari or Salafi commentary. Schools have taught this same short text for a thousand years. Nur gives it in plain English, with the Arabic for anyone who wants it. He wrote it in Egypt. He died in 321 AH / 933 CE. He was a Hanafi scholar. He said he was writing the creed of Abu Hanifah and his two companions. For a thousand years almost every school has taught this same short text.

1
Allah is One. He has no partner.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَاحِدٌ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ
2
Nothing is like Him.
وَلَا شَيْءَ مِثْلُهُ
3
Nothing is beyond Him.
وَلَا شَيْءَ يُعْجِزُهُ
4
There is no god except Him.
وَلَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرُهُ
5
He has no beginning, and He has no end.
قَدِيمٌ بِلَا ابْتِدَاءٍ، دَائِمٌ بِلَا انْتِهَاءٍ
6
He does not perish, and He does not pass away.
لَا يَفْنَى وَلَا يَبِيدُ
7
Nothing happens except what He wills.
وَلَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا مَا يُرِيدُ
8
No thought can reach Him. No mind can fully grasp Him.
لَا تَبْلُغُهُ الْأَوْهَامُ، وَلَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَفْهَامُ
9
He does not resemble people.
وَلَا يُشْبِهُ الْأَنَامَ
10
He is Living and does not die. He sustains all things and does not sleep.
حَيٌّ لَا يَمُوتُ، قَيُّومٌ لَا يَنَامُ
11
He creates and needs nothing. He provides and is not burdened.
خَالِقٌ بِلَا حَاجَةٍ، رَازِقٌ بِلَا مُؤْنَةٍ
12
He gives death without fear. He raises the dead without strain.
مُمِيتٌ بِلَا مَخَافَةٍ، بَاعِثٌ بِلَا مَشَقَّةٍ
13
He has always had His qualities, before He created anything.
مَا زَالَ بِصِفَاتِهِ قَدِيمًا قَبْلَ خَلْقِهِ
14
Creating the world did not give Him a new name. He was already the Creator.
لَيْسَ مُنْذُ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ اسْتَفَادَ اسْمَ الْخَالِقِ
15
Just as He is the One who gives life to the dead — He already deserved that name before He gave them life.
كَمَا أَنَّهُ مُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى بَعْدَمَا أَحْيَا، اسْتَحَقَّ هَذَا الِاسْمَ قَبْلَ إِحْيَائِهِمْ
16
That is because He has power over all things.
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
17
Everything needs Him. Every matter is easy for Him. He needs nothing.
وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِلَيْهِ فَقِيرٌ، وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍ عَلَيْهِ يَسِيرٌ، لَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ
18
There is nothing like Him. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ، وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
19
He created all things with His knowledge.
خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ بِعِلْمِهِ
20
He measured out their lots.
وَقَدَّرَ لَهُمْ أَقْدَارًا
21
He set their appointed times.
وَضَرَبَ لَهُمْ آجَالًا
22
Nothing they would do was hidden from Him before He created them.
وَلَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ أَفْعَالِهِمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ خَلَقَهُمْ
23
He commanded them to obey Him, and He forbade them to disobey Him.
وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِطَاعَتِهِ، وَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ مَعْصِيَتِهِ
24
Everything runs by His measure and His will.
وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ يَجْرِي بِتَقْدِيرِهِ وَمَشِيئَتِهِ
25
His will is carried out. People will only what He has willed for them.
وَمَشِيئَتُهُ تَنْفُذُ، لَا مَشِيئَةَ لِلْعِبَادِ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ لَهُمْ
26
What He wills for them happens. What He does not will does not happen.
فَمَا شَاءَ لَهُمْ كَانَ، وَمَا لَمْ يَشَأْ لَمْ يَكُنْ
27
He guides whom He wills, and He protects and heals by His grace. He leaves to stray whom He wills, and He withholds and tests by His justice.
يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ، وَيَعْصِمُ وَيُعَافِي فَضْلًا، وَيُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ، وَيَخْذُلُ وَيَبْتَلِي عَدْلًا
28
Everyone moves within His will, between His grace and His justice.
وَكُلُّهُمْ يَتَقَلَّبُونَ فِي مَشِيئَتِهِ بَيْنَ فَضْلِهِ وَعَدْلِهِ
29
He is far above rivals and equals.
وَهُوَ مُتَعَالٍ عَنِ الْأَضْدَادِ وَالْأَنْدَادِ
30
No one turns back His decree. No one overturns His judgement. No one overpowers His command.
لَا رَادَّ لِقَضَائِهِ، وَلَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِ، وَلَا غَالِبَ لِأَمْرِهِ
31
We believe all of this. We are sure that all of it is from Him.
آمَنَّا بِذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ، وَأَيْقَنَّا أَنَّ كُلًّا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ
32
And that Muhammad is His chosen servant, His selected prophet, and His approved messenger.
وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ الْمُصْطَفَى، وَنَبِيُّهُ الْمُجْتَبَى، وَرَسُولُهُ الْمُرْتَضَى
33
He is the last of the prophets, the leader of the God-fearing, the master of the messengers, and the beloved of the Lord of the worlds.
وَأَنَّهُ خَاتَمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَإِمَامُ الْأَتْقِيَاءِ، وَسَيِّدُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَحَبِيبُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
34
Any claim to prophethood after him is error and desire.
وَكُلُّ دَعْوَى النُّبُوَّةِ بَعْدَهُ فَغَيٌّ وَهَوًى
35
He was sent to all jinn and all people, with truth and guidance, with light and brightness.
وَهُوَ الْمَبْعُوثُ إِلَى عَامَّةِ الْجِنِّ وَكَافَّةِ الْوَرَى، بِالْحَقِّ وَالْهُدَى، وَبِالنُّورِ وَالضِّيَاءِ
36
The Quran is the speech of Allah.
وَأَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ
37
It began from Him as speech, without us asking “how.” He sent it down on His Messenger as revelation.
مِنْهُ بَدَا بِلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ قَوْلًا، وَأَنْزَلَهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَحْيًا
38
The believers accepted that as true.
وَصَدَّقَهُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَقًّا
39
They were sure it is truly the speech of Allah — not created, like the speech of people.
وَأَيْقَنُوا أَنَّهُ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِالْحَقِيقَةِ، لَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ كَكَلَامِ الْبَرِيَّةِ
40
Whoever hears it and claims it is the speech of a human being has disbelieved.
فَمَنْ سَمِعَهُ فَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ كَلَامُ الْبَشَرِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ
41
The people of Paradise will truly see Allah — without surrounding Him, and without asking “how.”
وَالرُّؤْيَةُ حَقٌّ لِأَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، بِغَيْرِ إِحَاطَةٍ وَلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ
42
As our Lord’s Book says: Faces that Day will be bright, looking at their Lord.
كَمَا نَطَقَ بِهِ كِتَابُ رَبِّنَا: وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ
43
Its meaning is what Allah willed and knows.
وَتَفْسِيرُهُ عَلَى مَا أَرَادَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَعَلِمَهُ
44
We do not argue about it.
وَلَا نَخُوضُ فِي ذَلِكَ
45
We do not dispute it.
وَلَا نُجَادِلُ فِيهِ
46
We do not ask “how,” and we do not imagine a shape.
وَلَا نُكَيِّفُ، وَلَا نَتَوَهَّمُ
47
A person’s religion is not sound until they submit to Allah and to His Messenger ﷺ.
لَا يَسْلَمُ دِينُ عَبْدٍ حَتَّى يَسْتَسْلِمَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلِرَسُولِهِ ﷺ
48
And until they hand back whatever is unclear to the One who knows it.
وَيَرُدَّ عِلْمَ مَا اشْتَبَهَ عَلَيْهِ إِلَى عَالِمِهِ
49
Islam does not stand except on surrender and trust.
وَلَا تَثْبُتُ قَدَمُ الْإِسْلَامِ إِلَّا عَلَى ظَهْرِ التَّسْلِيمِ وَالِاسْتِسْلَامِ
50
Whoever tries to know what was kept from them, and will not be content with trust, is screened from pure oneness of Allah.
فَمَنْ رَامَ عِلْمَ مَا حُظِرَ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَمْ يَقْنَعْ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ فَهِمُهُ، حَجَبَهُ مَرَامُهُ عَنْ خَالِصِ التَّوْحِيدِ
51
The Night Journey and the ascent are true.
وَالْمِعْرَاجُ حَقٌّ
52
The Pool which Allah honoured him with, as a drink for his nation, is true.
وَالْحَوْضُ الَّذِي أَكْرَمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ غِيَاثًا لِأُمَّتِهِ حَقٌّ
53
The intercession he stored for them is true, as reported in the narrations.
وَالشَّفَاعَةُ الَّتِي ادَّخَرَهَا لَهُمْ حَقٌّ، كَمَا رُوِيَ فِي الْأَخْبَارِ
54
The pledge Allah took from Adam and his children is true.
وَالْمِيثَاقُ الَّذِي أَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مِنْ آدَمَ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ حَقٌّ
55
Allah has always known how many will enter Paradise, and how many will enter the Fire.
وَقَدْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِيمَا لَمْ يَزَلْ عَدَدَ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَعَدَدَ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ
56
And He has always known the deeds they would do.
وَأَعْمَالُهُمْ فِيمَا عَلِمَ مِنْهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ يَفْعَلُونَهُ
57
Each person is made able for what they were created for.
وَكُلٌّ مُيَسَّرٌ لِمَا خُلِقَ لَهُ
58
Deeds are by their endings.
وَالْأَعْمَالُ بِالْخَوَاتِيمِ
59
The blessed is the one Allah decreed blessed. The wretched is the one Allah decreed wretched.
وَالسَّعِيدُ مَنْ سَعِدَ بِقَضَاءِ اللَّهِ، وَالشَّقِيُّ مَنْ شَقِيَ بِقَضَاءِ اللَّهِ
60
The root of the decree is Allah’s secret in His creation.
وَأَصْلُ الْقَدَرِ سِرُّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي خَلْقِهِ
61
No close angel, and no sent prophet, has been shown the whole of it.
لَمْ يَطَّلِعْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ، وَلَا نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ
62
Digging into it is a path to being left without help.
وَالتَّعَمُّقُ وَالنَّظَرُ فِي ذَلِكَ ذَرِيعَةُ الْخِذْلَانِ
63
So be very careful of looking into it, thinking about it, or being whispered about it.
فَالْحَذَرَ كُلَّ الْحَذَرِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ نَظَرًا أَوْ فِكْرًا أَوْ وَسْوَسَةً
64
Allah has folded the knowledge of the decree away from people.
فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى طَوَى عِلْمَ الْقَدَرِ عَنْ أَنَامِهِ
65
And He forbade them from chasing it.
وَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ مَرَامِهِ
66
We believe in the Preserved Tablet and the Pen, and in all that was written there.
وَنُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّوْحِ وَالْقَلَمِ، وَبِجَمِيعِ مَا فِيهِ قَدْ رُقِمَ
67
If all creation gathered to stop something Allah had written would happen, they could not stop it.
فَلَوِ اجْتَمَعَ الْخَلْقُ كُلُّهُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِيهِ أَنَّهُ كَائِنٌ لِيَجْعَلُوهُ غَيْرَ كَائِنٍ لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا عَلَيْهِ
68
The Throne and the Footstool are true.
وَالْعَرْشُ وَالْكُرْسِيُّ حَقٌّ
69
He has no need of the Throne, or of anything beneath it.
وَهُوَ مُسْتَغْنٍ عَنِ الْعَرْشِ وَمَا دُونَهُ
70
We say: Allah took Abraham as a close friend, and Allah spoke to Moses with speech.
وَنَقُولُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ اتَّخَذَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلًا، وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيمًا
71
We believe in the angels, the prophets, and the books sent down on the messengers.
وَنُؤْمِنُ بِالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَالْكُتُبِ الْمُنَزَّلَةِ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ
72
We call the people of our prayer-direction Muslims and believers, so long as they accept what the Prophet ﷺ brought.
وَنُسَمِّي أَهْلَ قِبْلَتِنَا مُسْلِمِينَ مُؤْمِنِينَ، مَا دَامُوا بِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مُعْتَرِفِينَ
73
We do not speak about Allah with guesswork.
وَلَا نَخُوضُ فِي اللَّهِ
74
We do not wrangle over the religion of Allah.
وَلَا نُمَارِي فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ
75
We do not declare a person of the prayer-direction an unbeliever because of a sin, unless they call that sin lawful.
وَلَا نُكَفِّرُ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقِبْلَةِ بِذَنْبٍ، مَا لَمْ يَسْتَحِلَّهُ
76
And we do not say: faith makes a sin harmless for the one who does it.
وَلَا نَقُولُ: لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ الْإِيمَانِ ذَنْبٌ لِمَنْ عَمِلَهُ
77
We hope that Allah will pardon the good among the believers, and enter them into Paradise by His mercy.
وَنَرْجُو لِلْمُحْسِنِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ وَيُدْخِلَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ
78
We do not feel safe for them, and we do not testify that a given person is in Paradise —
وَلَا نَأْمَنُ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَلَا نَشْهَدُ لَهُمْ بِالْجَنَّةِ
79
and we ask forgiveness for those of them who do wrong.
وَنَسْتَغْفِرُ لِمُسِيئِهِمْ
80
We fear for them, and we do not make them despair.
وَنَخَافُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا نُقَنِّطُهُمْ
81
Feeling totally safe, and falling into despair, both take a person out of the way of Islam.
وَالْأَمْنُ وَالْإِيَاسُ يَنْقُلَانِ عَنْ مِلَّةِ الْإِسْلَامِ
82
People of the truth stand between those two.
وَأَهْلُ الْحَقِّ بَيْنَهُمَا
83
A servant does not leave faith except by denying what brought them into it.
وَلَا يَخْرُجُ الْعَبْدُ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ إِلَّا بِجُحُودِ مَا أَدْخَلَهُ فِيهِ
84
Faith is to say it with the tongue, and to believe it in the heart.
وَالْإِيمَانُ هُوَ الْإِقْرَارُ بِاللِّسَانِ، وَالتَّصْدِيقُ بِالْجَنَانِ
85
All of the law and the explanation that is soundly reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is true.
وَجَمِيعُ مَا صَحَّ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الشَّرْعِ وَالْبَيَانِ كُلُّهُ حَقٌّ
86
Faith, in its root, is one. Those who have it are equal in that root.
وَالْإِيمَانُ وَاحِدٌ، وَأَهْلُهُ فِي أَصْلِهِ سَوَاءٌ
87
They differ by fear of Allah, by piety, by going against desire, and by holding to what is better.
وَالتَّفَاضُلُ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْخَشْيَةِ وَالتُّقَى، وَمُخَالَفَةِ الْهَوَى، وَمُلَازَمَةِ الْأَوْلَى
88
All the believers are friends of the Most Merciful.
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلُّهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ
89
The most honoured of them with Allah are the most obedient, and the most faithful to the Quran.
وَأَكْرَمُهُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَطْوَعُهُمْ وَأَتْبَعُهُمْ لِلْقُرْآنِ
90
Faith is belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the decree — its good and its harm, its sweet and its bitter — from Allah.
وَالْإِيمَانُ هُوَ الْإِيمَانُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ، حُلْوِهِ وَمُرِّهِ، مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى
91
We believe in all of that.
وَنَحْنُ مُؤْمِنُونَ بِذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ
92
We do not separate between any of His messengers.
وَلَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ
93
We believe all of them in what they brought.
وَنُصَدِّقُهُمْ كُلَّهُمْ عَلَى مَا جَاءُوا بِهِ
94
People of major sins from the nation of Muhammad ﷺ will not stay in the Fire forever, if they die affirming that Allah is One.
وَأَهْلُ الْكَبَائِرِ مِنْ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ فِي النَّارِ لَا يُخَلَّدُونَ، إِذَا مَاتُوا وَهُمْ مُوَحِّدُونَ
95
Prayer behind any person of the prayer-direction is valid — whether they are righteous or sinful.
وَالصَّلَاةُ خَلْفَ كُلِّ بَرٍّ وَفَاجِرٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقِبْلَةِ صَحِيحَةٌ
96
And we pray the funeral prayer over those of them who die.
وَنُصَلِّي عَلَى مَنْ مَاتَ مِنْهُمْ
97
We do not place a given one of them in Paradise or in the Fire.
وَلَا نُنْزِلُ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ جَنَّةً وَلَا نَارًا
98
We do not testify they are unbelievers, or idolaters, or hypocrites, unless something of that is clear from them.
وَلَا نَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِكُفْرٍ وَلَا بِشِرْكٍ وَلَا بِنِفَاقٍ، مَا لَمْ يَظْهَرْ مِنْهُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ
99
We see holding together as true and right, and splitting as crookedness and a punishment.
وَنَرَى الْجَمَاعَةَ حَقًّا وَصَوَابًا، وَالْفُرْقَةَ زَيْغًا وَعَذَابًا
100
The religion of Allah in the earth and in the sky is one. It is Islam.
وَدِينُ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاءِ وَاحِدٌ، وَهُوَ دِينُ الْإِسْلَامِ
101
It sits between going too far and falling short; between likening Allah to creation and stripping His names; between forcing people and denying the decree; between feeling safe and despairing.
وَهُوَ بَيْنَ الْغُلُوِّ وَالتَّقْصِيرِ، وَبَيْنَ التَّشْبِيهِ وَالتَّعْطِيلِ، وَبَيْنَ الْجَبْرِ وَالْقَدَرِ، وَبَيْنَ الْأَمْنِ وَالْإِيَاسِ
102
This is our religion and our belief, outward and inward.
فَهَٰذَا دِينُنَا وَاعْتِقَادُنَا ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا
103
We are clear before Allah of anyone who goes against what we have said and made plain.
وَنَحْنُ بُرَآءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ كُلِّ مَنْ خَالَفَ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنَاهُ وَبَيَّنَّاهُ
104
We ask Allah to keep us firm on faith, and to end our lives upon it.
وَنَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يُثَبِّتَنَا عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ، وَيَخْتِمَ لَنَا بِهِ
105
And to protect us from scattered desires and split opinions.
وَيَعْصِمَنَا مِنَ الْأَهْوَاءِ الْمُخْتَلِفَةِ، وَالْآرَاءِ الْمُتَفَرِّقَةِ

This is the original creed, in plain English. Later books explain it. Those explanations disagree with each other. The text below is Imam al-Tahawi’s own words, not theirs.