Lumat al-Itiqad

Lumat al-Itiqad al-Hadi ila Sabil al-Rashad (Arabic: لمعة الاعتقاد الهادي إلى سبيل الرشاد), commonly known as Lumat al-Itiqad, is a 12th-century Islamic creed treatise written by the Hanbali scholar Ibn Qudama. It presents a concise summary of the essential topics of Islamic belief based on the traditional Sunni creed, later associated with the Salafi understanding. The book remains influential and is used as a textbook in Saudi Arabia for students in the first year of secondary education.

Lumat al-Itiqad al-Hadi ila Sabil al-Rashad

An old manuscript excerpt
Author	Ibn Qudama
Original title	لمعة الاعتقاد الهادي إلى سبيل الرشاد
Language	Arabic
Subject	Aqidah
Published	12th century
Media type	Print
Dewey Decimal	297.1

Background

Ibn Qudama did not explicitly state his reason for writing Lumat al-Itiqad. However, the purpose of the book is evident from its content. It explains the creed (aqidah) of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaah concerning the names and attributes of Allah, divine decree (qadar), the Hereafter, and the status of the Companions of the Prophet. It also defines the Sunni stance on religious innovations (Bid'ah).^[1]

It has been published under several titles and in numerous editions. It appeared as Aqidat al-Imam Muwafaq al-Din in Cairo in 1329 AH, included within the larger collection al-Majmu al-mushtamil ala al-durur al-atiya (The Complete Collection Containing the Essential Works).^[2] Another edition titled al-Itiqad, edited by Adil Abd al-Munim Abu al-Abbas, was printed in Cairo in 1411 AH (1990 CE). The work was also included in the compilation Ashr Rasa'il wa Aqaid (Ten Treatises and Creeds), published in Cairo in 1372 AH (1953 CE). Further critical editions were prepared by scholars such as Abd al-Qadir al-Arnaut, published in Damascus between 1391 and 1408 AH (1971–1987 CE), and Badr bin Abdullah al-Badr, published in Kuwait in 1406 AH (1986 CE) and again in 1416 AH (1995 CE). These editions often included additional related works, such as Isbat Sifat al-Uluw (Affirmation of the Attribute of Highness) and Zamm al-Tawil (Condemnation of Figurative Interpretation).^[2]

One of the most well-known commentaries on Lumat al-Itiqad was written by the modern Saudi scholar Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin. His explanation was published in Riyadh in 1403 AH (1983 CE) and later edited by Ashraf bin Abd al-Maqsud bin Abd al-Rahim in 1415 AH (1995 CE).^[2]

In Saudi Arabia, Lumat al-Itiqad has been officially adopted by the education board as a standard textbook for students in the first year of secondary education.^[3]

Themes

The treatise includes belief in divine decree and predestination (qada wal-qadar), faith (iman), the Hereafter, and the correct creed regarding the Companions. It also contains refutations of those who deny predestination.^[4]

The book was not written as a detailed theological debate or a polemic against opposing sects. Instead, Ibn Qudama intended it to be a concise and accessible guide—a 'gleam' (lumat)—to clarify the correct creed and direct readers toward sound belief. Each topic is supported by authentic evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah.^[5]

The author affirms Allah's attributes as they are mentioned in the Quran, authentic Hadith, and the reports of the early generations (salaf al-salih) without distortion (tahrif), figurative interpretation (tawil), denial (tatil), or anthropomorphic comparison (tamthil).^[5]