Notions That Must Be Corrected | Shaykh Muhammad b. ʿAlawi al-Maliki

Notions That Must Be Corrected is one of the best-known works of the late Makkan scholar Shaykh Muhammad b. ʿAlawi al-Maliki al-Hasani رحمه الله.

In this wide-ranging work, the author addresses a number of theological, devotional and legal questions that have become sources of controversy among Muslims. His stated aim is to clarify what he considers the balanced position of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jamaʿa, while grounding his discussion in the Qurʾan, the Sunna and the inherited scholarly tradition.

Rather than treating these questions in isolation, Shaykh Muhammad al-Maliki examines the principles behind them and discusses how misunderstandings in creed, devotional practice and legal terminology can lead to unnecessary conflict.

Three major areas of discussion

The book is broadly divided into three major sections.

Part I – Matters of Doctrine

The first section addresses questions of Islamic creed and theological terminology, including:

• careless accusations of disbelief and misguidance
• the distinction between Creator and creation
• figurative language and interpretation
• intermediation and intercession
• the meaning and limits of shirk
• innovation and the distinction between different types of innovation
• Sufism and adherence to the Sacred Law
• the Ashʿaris
• principles relevant to theological disagreement

A recurring concern is the danger of using theological labels too quickly or without sufficient precision.

Part II – Matters relating to the Prophet ﷺ

The second section focuses on questions connected to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Among the subjects discussed are:

• the unique characteristics of the Prophet ﷺ
• the reality of Prophethood
• the humanity of the Prophet ﷺ
• seeking blessings through the Prophet ﷺ
• relics and traces associated with the Prophet ﷺ
• love, reverence and proper etiquette towards him

The author seeks to distinguish, from his perspective, between legitimate veneration and forms of belief or practice that would cross theological boundaries.

Part III – Related devotional and theological questions

The final section addresses a number of related issues, including:

• life in the barzakh
• visiting the Prophet ﷺ
• relics and sacred places
• religious gatherings and occasions
• other disputed devotional practices

Throughout the book, Shaykh Muhammad al-Maliki draws on earlier Sunni scholarship and presents his arguments as part of the broader inherited tradition of Ahl al-Sunna.

A work on disagreement, doctrine and devotional practice

A major theme running through Notions That Must Be Corrected is the problem of excessive condemnation in matters of disagreement.

The author argues that certain practices and theological expressions have often been misunderstood or judged without sufficient attention to language, intention, scholarly precedent and legal context.

For that reason, the book is especially relevant to readers studying:

• Sunni creed
• Ashʿari theology
• devotional practice
• tawassul and shafaʿa
• tabarruk
• bidʿa
• takfir
• Sufism
• Prophetic veneration
• contemporary intra-Muslim theological debates

About Shaykh Muhammad b. ʿAlawi al-Maliki

Shaykh Muhammad b. ʿAlawi al-Maliki al-Hasani رحمه الله was a prominent Makkan scholar from a distinguished scholarly family.

He was born in Makkah in 1367 AH and studied under his father and numerous other scholars. He later obtained a doctorate in the science of Hadith from al-Azhar University.

He taught in Makkah, including at Umm al-Qura University, and authored numerous works in hadith, theology, law, spirituality and other Islamic disciplines.

His scholarship became particularly associated with the defence of traditional Sunni devotional practice and the scholarly heritage of the Hijaz.

Who is this book for?

This book is especially suited to:

• students of ʿaqidah and Islamic theology
• readers interested in Ashʿari theology
• students of Sufi and devotional traditions
• readers researching tawassul, shafaʿa and tabarruk
• students examining questions of bidʿa and takfir
• readers interested in modern Sunni theological debates
• teachers and study circles

It is not merely an introductory creed text, but a broad defence of a particular Sunni theological and devotional framework.

BOOK DETAILS

Title: Notions That Must Be Corrected
Author: Shaykh Muhammad b. ʿAlawi al-Maliki al-Hasani
Arabic: الشيخ محمد بن علوي المالكي الحسني
Foreword: Shaykh Hasanayn Muhammad Makhluf
Translator: Suraqah Abdul Aziz
Subject: ʿAqidah / Islamic Theology / Devotional Practice / Ahl al-Sunna
Language: English
Publisher: Sunni Publications
Place of publication: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Edition: Third Edition
Year: 2018
Earlier edition: 2008
Pages: 384
Binding: Paperback
Weight: 425 g
ISBN: 978-90-79294-25-1
ISBN-13: 9789079294251
Condition: New

Summary 

Notions That Must Be Corrected by Shaykh Muhammad b. ʿAlawi al-Maliki al-Hasani is a wide-ranging English-language work addressing controversial questions in creed, devotional practice and Islamic theology.

Topics include takfir, tawassul, shafaʿa, tabarruk, bidʿa, the Ashʿaris, Prophetic veneration, barzakh and visiting the Prophet ﷺ. With a foreword by Shaykh Hasanayn Muhammad Makhluf.

NEDERLANDS

Notions That Must Be Corrected

Een Engelstalig werk van Shaykh Muhammad b. ʿAlawi al-Maliki al-Hasani رحمه الله waarin verschillende omstreden onderwerpen binnen geloofsleer en religieuze praktijk worden besproken.

Het boek behandelt onder andere takfīr, tawassul, shafāʿa, tabarruk, bidʿa, de Ashʿarīs, het eren van de Profeet ﷺ, barzakh en het bezoeken van de Profeet ﷺ.

De auteur verdedigt hierbij wat hij beschouwt als de klassieke positie van Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jamāʿa en waarschuwt tegen overhaaste veroordeling en extremisme in religieuze geschillen.

Een uitgebreid werk voor lezers met interesse in ʿaqīdah, islamitische theologie en traditionele soennitische devotionele praktijk.

العربية

مفاهيم يجب أن تصحح

كتاب للشيخ محمد بن علوي المالكي الحسني رحمه الله يناقش عددًا من القضايا العقدية والعبادية التي وقع فيها الخلاف بين المسلمين.

يتناول الكتاب مسائل مثل التكفير، والتوسل، والشفاعة، والتبرك، والبدعة، والأشاعرة، وتعظيم النبي ﷺ، وحياة البرزخ، وزيارة النبي ﷺ.

ويعرض المؤلف ما يراه موقف أهل السنة والجماعة مع الاستدلال بالنصوص وأقوال العلماء، والتحذير من الغلو والتسرع في الحكم على المسلمين.