Suyūṭī's Summary of ʿAqīdah from His Kitāb al-Nuqāyah

A Book of Selections Containing a Summary of Fourteen Islamic Sciences

Authors Introduction

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and all gratitude is owed to Him, and blessings and peace be upon the best of the prophets He sent forth. These selections (nuqāyah) are from a number ⌜Islamic⌝ sciences that a seeker ⌜of knowledge⌝ needs, and every ⌜other⌝ science is based upon. By Allah, I ask that ⌜the seekers of knowledge⌝ benefit from these and leverage them for causes toward goodness.

Foundations of the Religion

Foundations of the Religion is a science for us to discover upon what is belief mandatory. The universe is a ḥādith (creation), the Creator of which is Allah al-Wāḥid (the Absolutely Unique), the Qadīm (Pre-eternal) whose existence has no beginning and no end. His dhāt (Essence) is incomparable to any other essences, and He is attributed with: Ḥayāh (Life), Irādah (Will), ʿIlm (Knowledge), Qudrah (Power/Ability), Samʿ (Hearing), Baṣar (Sight), and Kalām (Speech).

⌜Allah⌝ is al-Qāʾim (Self-Subsisting), from whom the Quran is a manifestation written in manuscripts, preserved in the chests, recited on tongues, Pre-eternal, that exalts the Most High from ⌜imperfect attributes such as:⌝ body, color, taste, representation, and embodiment. All what is mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah that is difficult ⌜to reconcile⌝, we believe in it in its apparent ⌜meaning⌝. We exalt Him, the Most High from His Reality, and we defer its meaning back to Him, the Most High, and use allegories. ⌜All⌝ destiny, the good of it and the evil of it, is from Him. What He Wills comes into existence, and what He does not ⌜Will to be⌝ does not. He does not forgive ⌜any⌝ association with Him unless as He Wills ⌜to forgive it⌝. Nothing is mandated upon Him.

He sent His Messengers with amazing miracles and sealed ⌜the line of prophethood⌝ with Muḥammad, may blessings of Allah and peace be upon him. Miracles are extraordinary occurrences according to what is known to occur. Charismatics (karāmāt) are ⌜known⌝ for ⌜the one close to Allah⌝ (walī) except in begetting or parenting.

We believe that the punishment in the grave is true, the questioning of the two angels is true, the gathering and the Return is true, the Bridge is true, the Balance is true, the Intercession is true, and His vision to those who believe in Him is true. And the Ascension in body ⌜and form⌝ of the Chosen One is true, the descent of Jesus near the Hour and his killing of the Dajjāl is true, and the lifting of the Quran is true.

And ⌜we believe⌝ that Paradise and Hellfire are two creations on the Day, Paradise is in the sky while we remain silent about the Hellfire, the soul lives on, and death has an appointed time. And that immorality does not nullify the īmān ⌜of a believer⌝ nor does innovation – except for anthropomorphism, or the denial of the knowledge of Allah about final judgements – and we do cut off the unrepentant from punishment, while ⌜believing that those who believe will not be damned⌝ forever.

And ⌜we believe⌝ that the best of ⌜all⌝ creation is the beloved of Allah, the Muṣṭafá (the Chosen One, i.e. Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ), His friend is Abraham, and Moses, Jesus and Noah, ⌜all five together⌝ are the Arc-Prophets, then all ⌜other⌝ prophets, and then the angels, and the best of them is Gabriel.

Then ⌜the next best is⌝ Abū Bakr, then ʿUmar, then ʿUthmān, then ʿAlī, then the remaining of the ten, then the ones at Badr, then those at Uḥud, then those at the pledge of Ḥudaybiyyah, then all the Companions, and then the rest of the Ummah while they disagree upon their virtues.

And ⌜we believe⌝ that the best from among the women are Mary and Fātima, and the Mothers of the Believers Khadījah and ʿĀʾishah. And that the prophets are sinless, the Companions are credible,

and ⌜we believe that⌝ Shāfiʿī, Mālik, Abū Ḥanīfah, Aḥmad, and all the imāms are upon guidance, and that Imām Abu al-Hasan al-Ashʿarī is a major imām of the Sunnah, and the Path of Junayd and his companions is an established Path.