06

Two later short creeds

لمعة الاعتقاد والواسطية

Two short books Hanbali teachers still use. The Gleam of Belief is Ibn Qudamah’s classroom creed. The Wasit Creed is a letter Ibn Taymiyyah wrote to people in Wasit. Both talk about Allah’s names, the Companions, faith, and the last things. Neither is meant to turn a new Muslim into a partisan.

1. The Gleam of Belief

   لمعة الاعتقاد

   Ibn Qudamah (died 620 AH)

   Short and clear. A good second text after Tahawi.

2. The Wasit Creed

   العقيدة الواسطية

   Ibn Taymiyyah (died 728 AH)

   A letter, not a war. Pair it with good manners, not with internet arguments.

If a page makes you hate a Muslim who prays, you have left the point of the book.