Al-‘Ayn wa-al-Athar fi ‘Aqa’id Ahl al-Athar

Al-‘Ayn wa-al-Athar fi ‘Aqa’id Ahl al-Athar occupies a distinctive place in the intellectual history of the seventeenth century. Written by the renowned Shafi‘i scholar, hadith master, and Sufi Ibrahim al-Kurani, the work presents a detailed defense of the theological positions associated with Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his student Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. It was written in response to criticisms directed against Ibn Taymiyyah by the prominent Shafi‘i jurist Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974 AH / 1567 CE), particularly in works such as Al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyyah.

Historical Context and Significance

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami’s criticisms of Ibn Taymiyyah—including accusations of tajsim (anthropomorphism) and objections to his positions concerning the Divine Attributes and tawassul—were influential among many Shafi‘i and Ash‘ari scholars in the Ottoman lands, the Hijaz, and Egypt.

In Al-‘Ayn wa-al-Athar, Ibrahim al-Kurani undertakes a systematic examination of these criticisms, seeking to demonstrate that the positions attributed to Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim were consistent with the creed of Ahl al-Athar and the methodology of the early scholars of Islam.

Defense of the Divine Attributes

A major portion of the work concerns the Divine Names and Attributes. Al-Kurani argues that affirming the Attributes mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah does not necessitate tajsim or tashbih. He explains the principle of affirming the revealed texts without specifying a modality (bi-la kayf), negating the Attributes (ta‘til), or imposing unwarranted interpretations upon them.

The author also examines passages cited by Ibn Hajar al-Haytami and analyzes their context and terminology, challenging what he considers to be inaccurate interpretations or characterizations of Ibn Taymiyyah’s theological positions.

Intellectual Importance

The significance of Al-‘Ayn wa-al-Athar is heightened by the scholarly background of its author. Ibrahim al-Kurani was himself a Shafi‘i jurist, hadith scholar, and prominent Sufi based in Madinah. His engagement with Ibn Taymiyyah’s theology therefore represents an important example of a scholar from within the broader Shafi‘i and Sufi intellectual tradition undertaking a sympathetic and scholarly reassessment of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim.

The work provides valuable insight into the theological debates of the Ottoman-era Muslim world and into the diverse scholarly attitudes toward Ibn Taymiyyah during this period. It remains an important source for studying the reception, defense, and reassessment of Ibn Taymiyyah’s thought among later Muslim scholars.