Lamp of the Sciences concerning Knowledge of the Living Divine Sustainer

Islamic Theology in Thirty Topics

By Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan al-Raṣṣāṣ (d. 621/1224)

This draft translation is based on the editions edited by Kafafi (1971) and al-Mahatwary (2003),
[and MS British Library Or. 3916]
The pagination refers to Kafafi’s edition.
Note that the introduction is absent from earliest manuscripts of Miṣbāḥ al-ʿulūm, such as MS
London, British Library Or. 3916 and MS Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Nuovo Fondo A48
(dated Dhu l-Hijja 842/May-June 1439), but it is present in the 11th/17th century manuscripts.

[p. 7]
In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Introduction
All praise belongs to God, the Possessor of bounties and favors, the Wise in acts, the Truthful in
statements, the Destroyer of His ignorant adversaries, who protected us from the delusions of the
astray folk, and the ornate lies of every imposter. He has aided us in choosing [the way] of
indicators and proofs over [the way of] unquestioning acceptance of men and He has delivered
us, by means of the knowledge He has helped us acquire, from the diseases of ignorance and the
ignorant. May His blessings be showered upon His prophet, who ascended to the pinnacle of
perfection, on account of his nobility, Muhammad, the chosen one, and upon his family, the best
of families.
To continue: Verily knowledge of God is the highest field of knowledge and foremost among
them in terms of preference and precedence, in accordance with what has been narrated to us
with a trustworthy [chain of transmitters] on the authority of the Prophet (May God send down
blessings and peace upon him and his family):
A man came to him and said, “O Messenger of God, teach me the obscurities of
knowledge.”
The Prophet (May God send down blessings and peace upon him and his family) replied,
“What have you achieved in the highest field of knowledge (ra’s al-ʿilm), such that you
ask me about its obscurities?”
The man said, “O Messenger of God, and what is the highest field of knowledge?”
He (ṣ) said, “Knowledge of God in the correct way He is to be known.”
He said, “And what is knowledge of God in the correct way He is to be known?”

1
 He (ṣ) replied, “That you know Him to be without likeness or similarity, and that you
know Him as a singular god, who is First and Last, Manifest and Hidden, who has neither
an equivalent nor likeness.”1

It has been narrated to us on his authority (ṣ) that he said, “Affirmation of the oneness [of God] is
the price of Paradise.”2

It has been narrated to us on his authority (ṣ) that he said [p.8], “The best knowledge is ‘There is
no god save God’ and the best supplication is seeking forgiveness [from God].”3

Once it has been established that this is the best field of knowledge, it becomes incumbent upon
the intelligent person to exert themself to seek it, so they will prosper on Resurrection Day on
account of it, according to the statement of the Prophet (ṣ): “Seek knowledge, even if it is in
China, for verily the seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim.”4 Also, [consider] his
statement, “Whoever forsakes knowledge because its possessor is poor or younger than him in
age, let him prepare his sitting-place in the Hellfire.”5

Once that has been confirmed, know that the first thing that is incumbent upon every legally
responsible person (mukallaf) is that they know God (Exalted is He), His oneness, His justice,
and the veracity of His promise and His threat. This sum [of knowledge] encompasses three
divisions, the first of which is God’s oneness, the second of which is [God’s] justice, and the
third of which is the promise and the threat.

1
This hadith is found with a complete isnād in Taysīr al-maṭālib fī amālī Abī Ṭālib, by Imām al-Nāṭiq bi-l-Ḥaqq
Abū Ṭālib Yaḥyā b. al-Ḥusayn al-Hārūnī (d. 424/1033), Bāb 9, p. 209 (no. 149): Imām Abū Ṭālib Muḥammad b.
ʿAlī al-ʿAbdakī Muḥammad b. Yazdād  al-Faḍl b. al-ʿAbbās al-Ḥasan b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Jaʿfar  Aflaḥ b.
Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā  Juwaybir  al-Ḍaḥḥāk  Ibn abbas said: “A man came to the Prophet (ṣ)….”
2
This hadith is found with a complete isnād that passes through the companion Anas b. Mālik in al-Amālī al-
khamīsiyya by Imam al-Murshad bi-llāh Yaḥyā b. al-Ḥusayn (d. 479/1086-7), 1:42.
3
This hadith is found without an isnād in al-Daylamī’s Musnad al-Firdaws on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar (1:352).
4
This hadith is found with a complete isnād that passes through Anas b. Mālik in al-Murshad bi-llāh’s al-Amālī al-
khamīsiyya, 1:57.
5
Imām al-Nāṭiq bi-l-Ḥaqq Abū Ṭālib, Taysīr al-maṭālib, Bāb 9, p. 217 (no. 168): Imām Abū Ṭālib Abū Aḥmad
Ibn ʿAdī al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Naṣr Aḥmad b. Saʿīd al-Firyābī ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Ḥasan al-Butī  Ibrāhīm b. Yūsuf al-
Sulamī  Ḥammād b. Zayd Ayyūb  Nāfiʿ Ibn ʿUmar said: The Messenger of God (ṣ) said….”

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God’s Oneness
As for the topics concerning God’s oneness (tawḥīd), they are ten topics.
The First Topic
This world has a Maker who made it and a Manager who manages it.
The indicator for this is that these bodies are originated in time, because they are not free of these
accidents, which are motion and rest, union and separation. These accidents are originated in
time because they [sometimes] are nonexistent and cease to exist, while the body remains. Were
they eternal, it would not be possible for them to be nonexistent, because the eternal is
necessarily existent (wājib al-wujūd), so nonexistence is not possible for Him. Once we have
established that accidents are originated in time, it is necessary that [all] bodies be originated in
time as well, because it is not possible for bodies and accidents to exist together if one of them is
eternal and the other is originated. This is because the eternal must precede the originated such
that there is nothing prior to it.
Once it is established that these bodies are originated, it is necessary that they have an originator
(muḥdith), and that is God (Exalted is He). [The originator is God] because people are incapable
of any form [of originating], so therefore it is necessary that their6 originator is God (Exalted is
He). Do you not see that our actions, when they are originated, are in need of us for their
origination?
Therefore, it is established by this passage that this world has a Maker who makes it and a
Manager who manages it. [p. 9]

The Second Topic

God (Exalted is He) is Powerful
The true meaning of being powerful is that one can produce an act.
The indicator that God (Exalted is He) is powerful is that an act—which is the world—came into
existence on account of Him (Exalted is He). Had He not been capable of causing it to exist, He
would not have caused it to exist, because a weak, incapable being is not capable of causing an
action to exist. [This] act became existent because of God (Exalted is He), so it is necessary that
He (Exalted is He) be described as powerful.

6
This is a reference to “these bodies” mentioned in the previous sentence.

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The Third Topic
God (Exalted is He) is Knowing
The true meaning of being knowing is that one can produce a complex act.
The indicator that God (Exalted is He) is knowing is that a complex act has come to exist on
account of Him (Exalted is He). This is obvious in the domains of the heavens and earth, and all
the animals that are between them. In all of this there is an arrangement and system that is
greater than each complex creation in the visible world, such as buildings, writing, and other
things. If a writing indicates that the person who made it is knowing, then there can be no doubt
that the arrangement of these creations is more impressive than the arrangement of that complex
writing. Therefore, it is necessary that its arrangement indicates that God (Exalted is He) is
knowing.

The Fourth Topic

God (Exalted is He) is Living
The true meaning of living is someone who is capable of acting or knowing.
The indicator that God (Exalted is He) is living is that He is powerful and knowing, as has been
clarified previously. Once it has been established that He (Exalted is He) is powerful and
knowing, it is necessary that He be living. Do you not see that neither a corpse nor an inanimate
object can be powerful or knowing, and that is only on account of them lacking life? It has been
established that God (Exalted is He) is powerful and living, so it is necessary to describe Him as
living.

The Fifth Topic

God (Exalted is He) is Hearing and Seeing
The true meaning of hearing and seeing is someone who is capable of perceiving audible and
visible things.
The indicator that He is living [p. 10] has been clarified previously. What indicates that He does
not have any infirmity is that infirmities are the corruption (fasād) of instruments, and [these
instruments] can only exist in a being that has a body. God (Exalted is He) has neither a body
nor an accident, as will be made clear shortly. Therefore, it is established that God (Exalted is
He) is living without any infirmity, and once it is established that He (Exalted is He) is living
without any infirmity, it is necessary that He be hearing and seeing.
Do you not see that that if one of us were alive and free of any infirmity that would prevent him
from perceiving audible and visible things, we would describe him as hearing and seeing?
Therefore, it is established that God (Exalted is He) is hearing and seeing.

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The Sixth Topic
God (Exalted is He) is Eternal
The true meaning of “eternal” is an existent whose existence has no origin.
The indicator that God (Exalted is He) is eternal is that it has been established that He (Exalted is
He) is an existent, because He caused the world to exist. Had [God] been nonexistent, He would
not have caused it to exist, because a nonexistent thing categorically cannot cause something to
exist. This is obvious to every intelligent person. Therefore, once it is established that He
(Exalted is He) is an existent, it is necessary that He be eternal, because were He originated in
time, He would be in need of an originator to originate Him, in the same way that bodies, when
they are originated, are in need of an originator.
Were God (Exalted is He) in need of an originator, the issue concerning His originator would be
like the issue concerning Him. If [this originator] was in need of another originator, that would
lead to an infinite regress, which is impossible. If this situation ends with an originator that is
not in need of another originator, then it is what we wish to establish with the eternal [being],
who is God (Exalted is He). Therefore, it is established by this passage that God (Exalted is He)
is eternal.
When it is established that God (Exalted is He) is powerful, knowing living, existent, then the
only way He has a claim (yastaḥaqq) to these attributes is on account of His essence (li-dhātih).
He is not in need of an agent to establish [these attributes] as His own or entities (maʿānin) that
would make them apply to Him. The indicator for this is that if He lacked a claim to [these
attributes (p. 11)] in His essence, He would be in need of an agent [who could] make Him in
accordance with these attributes or originate for him entities that would make them apply to Him.
This would be like the case of one of us who, when these attributes are not possessed in his
essence, is in need of an agent to make them exist in his essence or to make entities that would
make these attributes apply to him, which are power, knowledge, and life.
It has been established that God (Exalted is He) is eternal and so not in need of an agent to
establish these attributes, or originated entities that would make these attributes apply to Him. It
is not possible for Him to have a claim to [these attributes] through eternal entities, because they
necessarily would be similar to God (Exalted is He), on account of them sharing the quality of
eternity with Him, by which He is distinguished from all originated things.
It has been established that there is no similar thing to God (Exalted is He), so it is established
that God (Exalted is He) has a claim to these attributes through His essence. Once this is
established, it is necessary that [the attributes] are established for Him (Exalted is He) in a
manner that never ceased nor will ever cease. It is not possible for Him to be separated from
them in one condition and not another because there is nothing which can restrict the
establishment of them in one condition to the exclusion of another condition.

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The Seventh Topic
God (Exalted is He) does not resemble anything among the originated things
The indicator for this is that were He (Exalted is He) to resemble them, He would necessarily be
originated like them or they would necessarily be eternal like Him. This is because it is not
possible for one of two similar things to be eternal and the other one to be originated. It has been
established that God (Exalted is He) is eternal, and that all things other than Him are originated,
so therefore it is not possible that he resembles them.

The Eighth Topic

God (Exalted is He) is Self-sufficient
The true meaning of self-sufficient (ghanī) is that He is not in need [of anything].
The indicator that God (Exalted is He) is self-sufficient is that it has been established that He
(Exalted is He) is living, which means that He is either self-sufficient or in need. It is not
possible for God to be [p. 12] in need, because were He in need, it would be necessary that He
cause to exist all the things in which He was in need in a single instant, on account of His
knowledge that He would obtain a pure benefit and perfect pleasure from bringing them into
existence. He would be capable of bringing them into existence and could not be prevented from
doing that, just as one of us, if he were in need of something and were capable of making it exist,
without risk of being prevented and no deterrent (ṣārif), he would make it exist, without a delay
(lā maḥāla). In our knowledge that the existence of things that are needed come one after
another is an indicator that God (Exalted is He) does not cause them to exist on account of His
need for them. He only causes them to exist in order to benefit His servants and so by that it is
established that God (Exalted is He) is self-sufficient.

The Ninth Topic

God (Exalted is He) cannot be seen by the eyes in either the temporal world or the
Hereafter
The indicator for this is that were it possible for Him to be seen in one state among all states, it
would be necessary that you could see Him now, because our senses are healthy and all
impediments are removed. This is because the understood impediments to vision are extreme
distance and proximity, subtlety and thinness, a thick screen, the placement of the object behind
the field of view, for the locus (maḥall) of the visible object to be among these qualities, and the
absence of sufficient light for the eye.
These are the impediments to seeing bodies and colors, and God (Exalted is He) is neither a body
nor a color, on account of what was clarified previously.

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Since it has been established that God is an existent, we say: Were it possible for Him to be seen
in one condition, it would be necessary to see Him now. There is no doubt that we do not see
Him now, and so it is necessary that He cannot be seen in any of His states.
He (Exalted is He) said: The eyes do not grasp Him, while He grasps what eyes see; He is the
Subtle, the Informed (Q. 6:103). By means of this verse, God (Exalted is He) negated [the claim]
that eyes can grasp Him, and this applies to all times. Therefore, it is established [p. 13] by this
that God (Exalted is He) cannot be seen by the eyes, neither in the temporal world, nor in the
Hereafter.

The Tenth Topic

God is One, and there is no second eternal divine being
The true meaning of “one” is that He is totally singular in His attributes of divinity and
perfection, according to the definition that no partner shares in them. These [unique attributes]
are His being powerful over all categories of finite things (maqdūrāt),7 knowing of all individual
intelligibles, living, and eternal.
The indicator for this is that were there a second eternal being with Him that shared with Him
these attributes that we have just mentioned, it would be necessary that it be similar to Him
(Exalted is He). It is not possible for there to be something similar to God (Exalted is He)
because were there something similar to Him (Exalted is He), then we could conceive of one of
them willing to make a body at rest and the other willing to make it move. The only possible
outcomes are: [1] that both things they will are brought into existence together, such that the
body is moving and at rest simultaneously, which is impossible; [2] that neither thing the two of
them will is brought into existence, such that the body is neither moving nor at rest
(simultaneously), and this is impossible, since in this case, there is an indicator that both of them
are impotent, on account of their inability to make what they will come to exist; or [3] that the
will of one of them will be brought into existence while the other one’s will will not be brought
into existence. In this case there is evidence of the impotence of one of them, on account of [its
will] not being brought into existence, and that too is impossible.
Given that the claim of a second eternal being leads to these impossible outcomes, it is necessary
to decree its invalidity. The [verse] Say: He is God, One (Q. 112:1) indicates this point, as does
His statement, There is no god save a single god (Q. 5:73). God has informed us (Exalted is He)
that there is no god other than Him, and His report (Exalted is He) must be truthful.
These principles are what every legally responsible person must know concerning the topics of
God’s oneness. [p. 14]

7
Dr. al-Mahatwary identifies thirteen types of “finite things” in a footnote to his edition of Lamp of the Sciences; p.
34.

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Divine Justice
As for the topics on divine justice, there are ten topics.
The First Topic
God (Exalted is He) is Just and Wise
The true meaning of “just” is someone who does not do anything evil (al-qabīḥ), like oppression,
pointless acts, lying, and similar things; who does not forsake doing what is necessary; and
whose actions—all of them—are good.
The indicator that God is just and wise is that it has been established that He (Exalted is He)
knows that evil deeds are evil, is not in need of doing them, and knows that He is not in need of
doing them or of forsaking what is incumbent upon Him. Every being who knows the evil of
evil deeds, is not in need of doing them, and knows that he is not in need of doing them, does not
do them, without a doubt. This is obvious to every reasonable person from [their examination
of] the visible world. Once it is established that God (Exalted is He) is the most knowing of the
knowers of the evil of evil deeds, the most not in need of those who are not in need of doing
them, then it is necessary that He does not do a single one of them, and it is established that God
(Exalted is He) is just and wise.

The Second Topic

People’s acts—the good and the bad among them—are from themselves, not from God
(Exalted is He)
The indicator for this is that were they from God (Glorified and exalted is He), there would be no
good in His commanding them to do acts of obedience nor His forbidding them from acts of
disobedience. [Consider] their colors and forms, when they are created by God in them: it is not
good for God to command them regarding them or to forbid them regarding them. Since we
know that God commanded them to do acts of obedience and forbade them from acts of
disobedience, that indicates that their acts are from them, not from God (Exalted is He).
God (Exalted is He) has attached people’s acts to them in His noble Book. He (Exalted is He)
said, recompense for what they did (Q. 56:24), and [p.15] You will only be recompensed for what
you have earned (Q. 11:52). He (Exalted is He) said, You created a lie (Q. 29:17) and Why do
you say that which you do not do? (Q. 61:2). (There are many more examples.) All of this
indicates that [their acts] are from them, not from God (Exalted is He).

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The Third Topic
God (Exalted is He) does not reward anyone save for their deeds, and does not punish
anyone save for their sins
The indicator for this is that recompense with a reward for someone who does not merit it is evil,
because this is honoring someone who does not deserve honor. There is no doubt that honoring
someone who does not deserve honor is evil, according to every reasonable person.
Likewise, the recompense of punishment for someone who does not merit it is evil, because this
is oppression (ẓulm). There is no doubt that oppression is evil, according to every reasonable
person.
In accordance with what was clarified previously, it has been established that God (Exalted is
He) does not do anything evil, and so it is established that God (Exalted is He) does not reward
anyone save for his deeds, nor does he punish anyone save for their sins. God (Exalted is He) has
said: No soul shall bear the burden of another (Q. 6:164), and A person has nothing save what he
does (Q. 53:40).

The Fourth Topic

God (Exalted is He) does not decree acts of disobedience
The indicator for this is that the expression “decree (qaḍāʾ) can have one of three meanings:
One of them is the meaning of “creating” and “completing,” as He (Exalted is He) said: He qaḍā
the seven heavens in two days (Q. 41:12); here, its meaning is “He completed their creation.”
The second [meaning] is “informing” and “announcing,” as He (Exalted is He) said: We qaḍaynā
the Children of Israel in the Book that you will work corruption on the earth twice (Q. 17:4);
here its meaning is “We informed [you] of their condition.”
The third [meaning] is “to command” and “to necessitate,” as He (Exalted is He) said: Your Lord
qaḍā that you worship none save Him (Q. 17:23); here its meaning is “He commanded” and “He
made necessary.”
It is not possible that acts of disobedience are by the decree (qaḍāʾ) of God (Exalted is He) with
the meaning of “creating,” because had He created them in [people], it would not be just (good)
for Him (Exalted is He) to punish them on account of them, just like [were He to punish them
for] their bodily colors. Given that God (Exalted is He) created them in [people], it would not be
just (good) for Him (Exalted is He) to punish them for [their colors].
It is not possible that acts of disobedience are by the qaḍāʾ of God (Exalted is He) [p. 16] with
the meaning of “commanding them,” because that would be evil, and God (Exalted is He) does
not command evil. He (Exalted is He) has said: Say: Verily God does not command wickedness!
Do you ascribe to God that which you do not know (Q. 40:2)? This is something that would only
be said of an oppressor (mubṭil). Instead, God (Exalted is He) says, He commands in accordance

9
with truth (Q. 40:20). There can be no doubt that commanding acts of disobedience is invalid, so
it is not possible for this to be by His qaḍāʾ (Exalted is He).

The Fifth Topic

God (Exalted is He) does not impose an obligation upon any of His servants save that they
are capable of fulfilling it.
The indicator for this is that the obligation of something that [a person] cannot do is evil,
according to every intelligent person, and it has been established that God (Exalted is He) does
not do anything evil. God (Exalted is He) has said, God does not task any soul beyond its scope
(Q. 2:286) and the word “scope (wusʿ)” is inferior to “capacity.” Therefore, it is established that
God (Exalted is He) does not impose an obligation upon any of His servants save that they are
capable of fulfilling it.

The Sixth Topic

All illnesses, infirmities, and deficiencies are from God (Exalted is He) in a wise and correct
manner.
The indicator that these things are among the acts of God is that they are originated, because they
are among the necessary accidents (al-aʿrāḍ al-ḍarūriyya), and it has been established that [all]
accidents are originated. Once it has been established that the accidents are originated, then it is
necessary for them to have a originator, and that is God (Exalted is He), because no being has the
capacity to make necessary accidents save God (Exalted is He). Once it has been established
that these things are acts of God, it is necessary that they be [considered] wise and correct,
because it has already been established that God is Just and Wise.8 The wise being does not act
save [in accordance] with wisdom and correctness, so it is necessary for there to be
compensation and beneficial lessons from these [hardships], otherwise they would be evil. The
affirmation of compensation is indicated scripturally by the statement of the Prophet (ṣ), “In the
Hereafter, the people who have been afflicted wish that God had increased their affliction [in the
temporal world] on account of the tremendous reward He has prepared for them in [p. 17] the
Hereafter.” The affirmation of the beneficial lessons caused by these illnesses is indicated by
[God’s] statement (Exalted is He), Do they not see that they were tested once or twice every
year, then they neither repented not reflected? (Q. 9:126) The meaning of “were tested” in this
verse is trial by illness and other things. God (Exalted is He) informs them that He tests them
with [these things], and that His goal for doing this is for them to repent and reflect.

8
See the First Topic in this section.

10
The Seventh Topic
God does not will any of His servants’ acts of disobedience, nor does He like them, nor is
He pleased by them.
The indicator for this is that God, were He to will [an act of disobedience], it would not be good
for him to punish them on behalf of it, like if He (Exalted is He) were to will them an act of
obedience, it would not be good for Him to punish them for doing this act. Rather, it would be
obligatory for Him to reward them for their act [of obedience], as we have clarified previously
that He (Exalted is He) cannot forsake any necessary obligations. Furthermore, God (Exalted is
He) has said: God does not will any wrongdoing for the servants (Q. 40:31) and He (Exalted is
He) said: God loves not corruption (Q. 2:205).

The Eighth Topic

The Qurʾān that is before us is the speech of God (Exalted is He), His inspiration, and His
revelation
The indicator for this is obvious by necessity from the religion of the Prophet (ṣ), insofar as he
informed [us] that the Qurʾān that he brought is the speech of God (Exalted is He) and that it is
not his (ṣ) [own] speech. Furthermore, he (ṣ) did not inform us of anything save that it is truthful,
which we shall clarify.9 [Also,] He (Exalted is He) said: And if one of the polytheists seeks safe
residence with you, grant it to him so that he can hear the word of God (Q. 9:6), and there is no
doubt that [the word] the polytheists would hear from the Prophet (ṣ) is [the Qurʾān] that is
before us and that we recite. [p. 18]

The Ninth Topic

This Qurʾān is originated, not eternal
The indicator for that is this it is organized and structured, parts of it follows after other parts of
it, and this is obvious by necessity. Do you not see how His statement, All praise belongs to
God, Lord of the worlds (Q. 1:1), consists of letters, some of which precede others? Anything
that is preceded by something else must be originated, because it is not possible for something
other than [the eternal] to precede the eternal. Furthermore, His (Exalted is He) statement, No
originated reminder is brought to them save they hear it while playing heedlessly (Q. 21:2),
indicates that [the Qurʾān is originated] because God (Exalted is He) described “the reminder—”
which is the Qurʾān—as being “originated (muḥdath).” There can be no doubt that God (Exalted
is He) is the One who originated it, because it has been established that it is His speech and
speech is an act of the speaker. Thus, by this statement, it is established that the noble Qurʾān is
originated rather than eternal.

9
See below, the Tenth Topic, in this section.

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The Tenth Topic
Muḥammad (God’s blessings and peace upon him and His family) is a truthful prophet
The evidence for this is that God (Exalted is He) elevated him with the miracle, which is the
Qurʾān, which became manifest in his presence10 after his claim to being a prophet. This is
obvious by necessity for every person who has investigated reports of the Prophet (ṣ) who will
conclude/know that Muḥammad (ṣ) brought the Qurʾān and challenged the Arabs, who had
attained the highest level of eloquence, to bring forth something equivalent to it or to
acknowledge the truthfulness of his claim. There is no doubt that the Arabs did not bring
anything that met his (ṣ) challenge. Instead, they deflected to fighting him when they could not
respond to [his challenge]. This established that the Qurʾān is a miracle that became manifest in
his (ṣ) presence, and if that is established, then the truthfulness of Muḥammad’s claim of
prophethood is established because were he a liar, God (Exalted is He) would not have
confirmed his truthfulness with the miracle, which is the Qurʾān. The reason for this is that [had
He done that] it would be a case of affirming the truth of a liar, and that would be evil, and God
(Exalted is He) does not do anything evil, as we have explained at the beginning of the topics
concerning divine justice. This argument established the prophethood of Muḥammad (ṣ), and so
we must assent to all that he has informed us, concerning [p. 19] the prophethood of the other
prophets (upon them peace), and to agree with him and follow him with regard to the rulings he
brought.
This is the sum of what is incumbent upon the legally responsible person to know regarding the
topics of divine justice.

10
Literally, “between his hands,” meaning in front of him.

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The Promise and the Threat
Concerning the promise and the threat, there are ten topics.

The First Topic

Whomever among the believers God promises to reward, when he dies in a state of
righteousness and faith, he goes directly to the Garden without delay, wherein he resides
permanently, perpetually in a never-ending reward.

The Second Topic

Whomever among the disbelievers God threatens with punishment, when he dies
obstinately in his state of disbelief, he goes directly to the Fire without delay, permanently
in it, perpetually.
The indicator for the veracity of what we follow concerning these two topics is obvious by
necessity from the religion of the Prophet (ṣ), who summoned humanity to obey God while
promising them the Garden whose width is the heavens and the earth, prepared for the God-
fearing (Q. 3:133). Likewise, he threatened whoever opposed him and rejected what he brought
with the Fire whose fuel is people and stones, prepared for the disbelievers (Q. 66:6).
It has been established that he (ṣ) only follows (yadīn) the truth and only conveys [the message]
truthfully, so therefore our position concerning these two topics is true.

The Third Topic

Whomever God has threatened with punishment among the major sinners (fussāq), when
he dies obstinately in his state of sin, he will enter the Fire, [and reside] permanently in it,
perpetually.
The indicator for this is His (Exalted is He) statement: and whoever disobeys God and His
messenger, lo! his is fire of hell [p. 20], wherein such dwell forever (Q. 72:23). There can be no
doubt that the major sinner (fāsiq) is among the people who disobey God (Exalted is He), so it is
necessary that He send him into the Fire to reside in there permanently, because God (Exalted is
He) does not inform [us of anything] save that it is truthful. Furthermore He (Exalted is He) has
said: The statement that comes from Me cannot be changed, and I am in no way a wrongdoer to
the servants (Q. 50:29).

The Fourth Topic

The people who commit major sins among this [Muslim] community, such as the wine-drinker,
the fornicator, and those who do similar things, are to be called “major sinners” (fussāq), and not
to be called “disbelievers,” like what the Khārijites call them, because were they [truly]
disbelievers, it would not be permissible to bury them in Muslim cemeteries or marry them or

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inherit from them. Once we recognize that all these things are [legally] permissible, then that
indicates [major sinners] cannot be called “disbelievers.” They cannot be called “believers,” like
what the Murjiʾa call them, because a believer, according to the Law (sharīʿa), deserves praise
and honor, and it is impermissible to praise or honor a major sinner. Therefore, there only
remains calling them “major sinners,” as it is not permissible to call them categorically by the
name of disbelief or belief.

The Fifth Topic

The Prophet’s (ṣ) intercession on Resurrection Day is certain and will only be for those who
enter the Garden—God will augment their blessings and happiness with additional blessings and
happiness.
The indicator for this is His (Exalted is He) statement: there will be no friend for the wrong-
doers, nor any intercessor who will be heard (Q. 40:18). There can be no doubt that the major
sinner is a wrong-doer, as there is no disagreement [about this] among the community of
Muḥammad (ṣ). Therefore, it is impermissible for the Prophet (ṣ) to intercede on behalf of any of
the major sinners and if it is impermissible for him to intercede on their behalf, that leaves only
his (ṣ) intercession for the believers. Likewise, [consider] His (Exalted is He) statement: The
wrong-doers have no helpers (Q. 2:27). Thus, he cannot intercede on behalf of any [p. 21] of
them because were he to intercede on behalf of any of them, he would be helping them, but that
is impermissible because it would be a denial11 of God’s speech (Exalted is He).

The Sixth Topic

It is incumbent upon every legally responsible person to command the good and forbid the
wrong whenever they are capable of doing it.
Neither his command nor his prohibition may lead to a wrong other than one that he has
forbidden, nor abandoning a good other than one that he has commanded.
The indicator for this is God’s (Exalted is He) statement: And let there spring from you a
community who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they
who are successful (Q. 3:104). The way this verse serves as an indicator is that God (Exalted is
He) commanded that there be among us someone who commands the good and forbids the
wrong, and anything that God commands is obligatory and cannot be forsaken, on the basis of
His (Exalted is He) statement: And let those who conspire to evade his commands beware lest
grief or painful punishment befall them (Q. 24:63). There can be no doubt that the punishment
will not befall anyone save if they have abandoned something God (Exalted is He) has made
incumbent upon them or done an act He has forbidden.

11
Literally: It would make God’s speech into a lie.

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The Seventh Topic
The Imam after the Prophet (ṣ) is ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (upon him peace).
The indicator for his Imamate is the Prophet’s (ṣ) statement on the day of Ghadīr Khumm, when
he had gathered his companions:
He said, “Am I not closer to you than your own selves?”
They said, “Of course, O Messenger of God.”
He said, “Whoever I was his master (mawlā), ʿAlī is his master. O God—protect whoever protects him,
oppose whoever opposes him, help whoever helps him, and forsake whoever forsakes him.
The way this report supports his Imamate is that the Prophet (ṣ) made [ʿAlī] the protector of
everyone, just as he himself was. The word “master (mawlā)” means the person who has the
right to dispose of the affairs [of others] (mālik al-taṣarruf), like one says, “This is the master [p.
22] of the house.” By this, he means the person who has the right to dispose of what (or who) is
in it.
When it is established that ʿAlī (upon him peace) has the right to dispose of the affairs of the
[Muslim] community, then he was an Imam, because the Imam is the person who has the right to
dispose of the affairs of people in accordance with the laws of God (Exalted is He). All this
establishes his Imamate, and that he was more deserving of the [Imamate] than the companions
who preceded him.12

The Eighth Topic

The Imam after ʿAlī (upon him peace) was his son al-Ḥasan (upon him peace).
The Ninth Topic
The Imam after al-Ḥasan was his brother al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī (upon them peace).
The indicator for the veracity of what we follow regarding these two topics is the statement of
the Prophet (ṣ), “al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn are Imams, whether they stand or sit, and their father is
better than both of them.” This report indicates the affirmation of their Imamate at all times,
except that we have excluded the time of the Prophet (ṣ), on the basis of consensus of the
community, because the [Muslim] community is in agreement that neither [al-Ḥasan and al-
Ḥusayn] nor anyone else had a claim to leadership (al-amr) during the time of the Prophet (ṣ).
Likewise, neither they nor anyone else had a claim to leadership during the time of their father,
ʿAlī (upon him peace), and al-Ḥusayn did not have a claim to leadership during the time of his
brother al-Ḥasan (upon him peace), on the basis of consensus. Therefore, the ruling of this
prophetic hadith applies to all the remaining times [that we have not just excluded].

12
In other words, ʿAlī’s claim to the Imamate/Caliphate was greater than the claims of Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, and
ʿUthmān.

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This has established that their Imamate is according to the order just mentioned and that they had
a greater claim to leadership than anyone who took it from them, like Muʿāwiya and Yazīd.
(May God [Exalted is He] curse them both with a constant curse.)

The Tenth Topic

The Imam after al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn (upon them peace) is a person who leads an
uprising and summons the people to obey God (Exalted is He), who is among the descendants of
al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn [p. 23] (upon them peace), and who combines the qualities of the Imam,
which are:
[1] Knowledge of what the community is in need of, concerning religious and worldly matters;
[2] Scrupulousness in avoiding all that God has forbidden;
[3] Excellence in religion, such that he is the most excellent of people in his age or among the
most excellent of them;
[4] Liberality in meeting people’s claims in the manner God commanded;
[5] Courage, such that he has the strength in his heart to do what is necessary to wage war
against the enemies of God (Exalted is He);
[6] Strength to manage the affairs of the [Muslim] community, such that he has a healthy body,
is free of infirmities that would prevent him upholding the command of God, such as blindness
and others. It is also necessary that he has a share of good judgment (jawdat al-ra’y) and good
management such that makes him fit enough to refer to him in consultation.
There is no disagreement among the community that the Imam must bring together these
mentioned qualities and when [someone] perfects them and summons people to obey God (Glory
to Him), it is incumbent upon them to respond to his call and wage war with him.
The indicator for this is the statement of the Prophet (ṣ), “Whoever hears a summoner from the
family of the Prophet and does not respond to him, God will cast him down on his nose in the
Fire of Gehenna.”
We have restricted the Imamate to the children of al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn (upon them peace)
because the community has agreed that it is permissible for them and has disagreed over
everyone else [who is qualified], once [we acknowledge] the invalidity of the Imāmī [Shīʿī]
claim that all of the Imams have been designated from among the sons of al-Ḥusayn (upon him
peace). [This claim is invalid] because were what they claimed correct, it would be necessary for
it to be apparent and widely known among all legally responsible people. Given that [naṣṣ
designation] is not obvious, it must be rejected.
It has been established that the [Muslim] community has agreed upon the permissibility of [the
family of the Prophet serving as Imams], while they have disagreed over [the permissibility] of
everyone else.

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The Muʿtazila say: It is permissible for any Qurayshī to be Imam.13

The Khārijites say: It is permissible for any person to be Imam.

There can be no [p. 24] doubt that the sons of al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn are the best of the
Quraysh and the best of all humanity, so we have taken what the community has agreed upon
and rejected that over which they disagreed, because there is no indicator for [their opinions] and
consensus of the [Muslim] community is a proof that must be followed, on the basis of the
Prophet’s (ṣ) statement, “My community will never agree upon an error.” If they did not agree
upon an error, then what they agreed upon is the truth, and they agreed upon the permissibility of
the Imamate of the children of al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn (upon them peace).

Conclusion
To conclude: This is an abbreviated summary of what every legally responsible person must
know and [they must] reflect upon its indicators. It is impermissible to accept this summary
without understanding it because unquestioning acceptance of the principles of religion is evil,
according to every intelligent person, and [because the Prophet] (ṣ) said:
Whoever bases his religion on reflection upon the bounties of God, careful examination of the Book of
God, and understanding of my Sunna—the mountains could cease to exist, yet his [faith] remains. And
whoever bases his religion on the utterances14 of men and unquestioningly accepts them, the men will go,
from good to bad,15 and the religion of God will face the greatest collapse.16

The Messenger of God (ṣ) has spoken truthfully because if a legally responsible person
unquestioningly accepts the principles of his religion, he will not be secure from going from the
path of salvation, which is the station of the Companions of the Right, to the path of perdition,
which is the station of the Companions of the Left. Therefore, it is necessary for every legally
responsible person to examine the veracity of his religion, because the Prophet (ṣ) said,
“Whoever is careful in his examination of religion will be glorified in his provision on
Resurrection Day.”17

We ask God to make us among those who listen to [His] speech and follow the best of it—those
of the people whom God guides, and those of the people who are knowledgeable—and our final
supplication is that all praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds.

13
This is the opinion of all Sunnis, not just the Muʿtazila.
14
Literally, “mouths of men.”
15
Literally, “from the right to the left.”
16
Imam al-Nāṭiq bi-l-Ḥaqq Abū Ṭālib, Taysīr al-maṭālib, Bāb 9, pp. 215-16 (no. 164): Imam Abū Ṭālib  Abū
Aḥmad Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-ʿAbdakī  ʿAlī b. Yaḥyā al-Ubulī and Muḥammad b. Mūsā al-Waḍḍāḥ 
Muḥammad b. Shadād al-Masmaʿī ʿAbbād b. Ṣuhayb and Abū Bakr al-Hudhalī  Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad [al-
Ṣādiq] My father, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī  My father, ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn  My father, al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī  My
father, ʿAlī said: I heard the Messenger of God (ṣ) say….”
17
Shaykh al-Mahatwary located this hadith in Imam ʿAbd Allāh b. Ḥamza’s book al-Shāfī. Note that Imāmī
scholars consider this to be a quote of Imam ʿAlī, rather than a prophetic hadith, as can be seen in Ghurar al-ḥikam,
by ʿAbd al-Wāḥid al-Āmidī (d, 550/1155), p. 342, no. 681.

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