A Critique of the Palmyran Creed: Deconstructing Ibn Taymiyya’s Theology of Resemblance by Shaykh Saʿid Foudah | Translated by Abdul Aziz Suraqah
A Critique of the Palmyran Creed is a rigorous theological study that examines and challenges the doctrinal positions associated with Ibn Taymiyya’s exposition of divine attributes, commonly referred to in this work as “The Palmyran Creed.” Written by Shaykh Saʿid Foudah, this book engages deeply with questions of Islamic theology (ʿaqidah), particularly the interpretation of the divine attributes and the boundaries of affirming them in relation to the concept of divine transcendence.
The work analyzes Ibn Taymiyya’s presentation of theology as expressed in his creed, where he affirms the divine attributes mentioned in revelation while rejecting modality, likeness, distortion, and denial. Shaykh Saʿid Foudah critically evaluates this approach, arguing that it leads to problematic theological implications regarding resemblance and corporeal understanding.
Through systematic rational and textual argumentation, the author deconstructs what he identifies as underlying anthropomorphic assumptions in this theological framework. He discusses attributes such as hand, face, eyes, direction, movement, spatial limitation, and other related concepts, demonstrating their incompatibility with absolute divine transcendence as understood in classical Sunni theology.
The book aims to move beyond polemical discourse by engaging in structured theological analysis grounded in rational inquiry and traditional scholarship. It provides readers with a detailed critique of contested theological interpretations while reinforcing a conception of divine oneness that emphasizes absolute incomparability.
Product Details
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 192
- Weight: 240g
- ISBN: 978-90-79294-26-8