A Critique of the Palmyran Creed: Deconstructing Ibn Taymiyya’s Theology of Resemblance | Shaykh dr. Saʿid Foudah

A Critique of the Palmyran Creed is a detailed theological examination of Ibn Taymiyya’s al-ʿAqīdah al-Tadmuriyyah (The Palmyran Creed) by contemporary theologian Shaykh Saʿid Foudah.

The Palmyran Creed occupies an important place in Ibn Taymiyya’s theological writings. In it, Ibn Taymiyya sets out principles concerning Divine Oneness (tawḥīd), the Names and Attributes of Allah (al-asmāʾ wa-l-ṣifāt), and the relationship between revelation and rational inquiry.

Shaykh Saʿid Foudah subjects these principles to a systematic theological critique, examining their underlying assumptions through both rational argumentation and transmitted evidence.

Divine Transcendence and the Attributes of Allah

Central to the work is the classical theological question of tanzīh: affirming the absolute transcendence of Allah ﷻ from resemblance to created things.

Foudah examines Ibn Taymiyya’s approach to the Divine Attributes and critically analyses principles used in his theological methodology.

Among the subjects discussed are:

• Divine transcendence (tanzīh)
• the Divine Names and Attributes
• tashbīh — resemblance
• tajsīm — corporealism
• takyīf — assigning modality
• tamthīl — drawing likeness
• taʾwīl and tafwīḍ
• the relationship between the Creator and creation
• rational and textual arguments concerning the Divine Attributes
• direction, movement, spatiality, limits and boundaries in theological discourse

A close examination of Ibn Taymiyya’s principles

Rather than limiting himself to general criticism, Foudah works through specific principles found in Ibn Taymiyya’s theological framework.

The book examines, among other things, the principles:

“What is said regarding some Attributes is said regarding others as well”

and:

“What is said regarding the Attributes is similar to what is said regarding the Entity.”

Foudah investigates the logical consequences of these formulations and contrasts them with the theological principle that nothing in creation resembles Allah ﷻ.

The discussion also addresses the famous statement associated with Imām Mālik concerning istiwāʾ, as well as examples involving Paradise and the human soul.

Beyond introductory ʿaqīdah

This is not an introductory creed manual. It is a focused work of theological argumentation dealing with questions of kalām, rational demonstration and the interpretation of theological language.

It is therefore particularly suited to readers who already possess some familiarity with classical discussions of ʿaqīdah and wish to study contemporary scholarly criticism of Ibn Taymiyya’s theological methodology.

About Shaykh Saʿid Foudah

Shaykh Saʿid ʿAbd al-Laṭīf Foudah is a contemporary scholar specialising in Islamic theology (ʿilm al-kalām), logic (manṭiq), and legal theory (uṣūl al-fiqh).

Born in Haifa in 1967 and raised in Amman, Jordan, he pursued the traditional study of Qurʾan, Arabic, Shāfiʿī jurisprudence and Islamic theology from an early age. His scholarly work has become particularly associated with advanced theological and rational discussions and with critical studies of Ibn Taymiyya’s theology.

This English translation by Abdul Aziz Suraqah makes one of Foudah’s focused theological critiques accessible to an English-reading audience.

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NEDERLANDS

Een kritische studie van al-ʿAqīdah al-Tadmuriyyah

A Critique of the Palmyran Creed is een Engelstalige theologische kritiek van Shaykh Saʿid Foudah op al-ʿAqīdah al-Tadmuriyyah van Ibn Taymiyya.

Foudah analyseert verschillende principes uit Ibn Taymiyya’s benadering van de Namen en Eigenschappen van Allah en bespreekt deze aan de hand van rationele en tekstuele argumentatie.

Centraal staan onderwerpen als tanzīh, de Goddelijke Eigenschappen, tashbīh, tajsīm, takyīf, tamthīl, taʾwīl en tafwīḍ, evenals discussies over richting, beweging, ruimtelijkheid en begrenzing.

Dit is geen eenvoudige introductie tot ʿaqīdah, maar een inhoudelijk stevig werk voor lezers met enige voorkennis van klassieke islamitische theologie.

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العربية

نقد العقيدة التدمرية

كتاب باللغة الإنجليزية للشيخ سعيد فودة يتناول بالنقد والتحليل جملة من الأصول والقواعد التي قررها ابن تيمية في العقيدة التدمرية، ولا سيما ما يتعلق بأسماء الله وصفاته.

يناقش المؤلف مسائل التنزيه، والصفات الإلهية، والتشبيه، والتجسيم، والتكييف، والتمثيل، والتأويل والتفويض، مستعملاً الأدلة العقلية والنقلية في مناقشة هذه القضايا.

وهو كتاب مناسب لطلاب العقيدة وعلم الكلام والمهتمين بالمناقشات المتقدمة في الإلهيات.

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BOOK DETAILS

Title: A Critique of the Palmyran Creed
Subtitle: Deconstructing Ibn Taymiyya’s Theology of Resemblance
Author: Shaykh Saʿid Foudah
Author Arabic: سعيد فودة
Translator: Abdul Aziz Suraqah
Original work discussed: al-ʿAqīdah al-Tadmuriyyah | العقيدة التدمرية
Original author discussed: Taqī al-Dīn Ibn Taymiyya
Subject: ʿAqīdah / ʿIlm al-Kalām / Islamic Theology
Language: English
Publisher: Sunni Publications
Place: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Edition: First Edition
Year: 2018
Pages: 192
Binding: Paperback
Weight: 240 g
ISBN: 978-90-79294-26-8
ISBN-13: 9789079294268
Condition: New

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