A Commentary upon the Creed of Imam al-Dardir

A Commentary upon the Creed of Imam al-Dardir is an accessible English explanation of the concise theological text of Imam Ahmad al-Dardir, also known as the Tawhidiyya.

The original creed was composed to present the essential foundations of Islamic belief in a short and memorable form. Its concise structure made it suitable for teaching and memorisation, while covering the central doctrines every Muslim is required to affirm.

Siddiq Adam Mitha’s commentary expands upon the text in a clear and structured way, making it suitable for readers beginning their study of ʿaqidah while still drawing upon a substantial body of classical and modern Sunni scholarship.

A beginner-friendly introduction to classical theology.

The book begins by introducing the broader framework of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jamaʿa, including discussion of:

Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ashʿari, Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, the Muʿtazila, the definition and subject matter of theology, the place of Imam al-Dardir within the Sunni theological tradition.

The English translation of the creed is then presented alongside the Arabic text, followed by the detailed commentary.

Core questions of Islamic creed, The commentary discusses foundational theological themes such as:, the obligation of knowing Allah, the relationship between revelation and reason, the legally responsible person (mukallaf), the first obligation in religion, the meaning of maʿrifa, taqlid in matters of faith, the Divine Names, the attributes of Allah, classifications of Divine attributes, the Maturidi doctrine of takwīn, matters of ilāhiyyāt and other core questions of Sunni theology.

The book therefore serves not merely as a translation of a short creed, but as an introduction to the language, structure and reasoning of traditional Sunni theology.

Drawing on major Sunni scholars.

A major strength of this commentary is its use of a broad range of traditional sources.

Siddiq Adam Mitha draws especially upon Shaykh Mustafa al-ʿAqabawi’s commentary on the Tawhidiyya, as well as Imam al-Dardir’s own works, including the Kharida al-Bahiyya and its commentary.

Imam al-Bayhaqi, Imam al-Ghazali, al-Nasafi, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, al-Baydawi, al-Subki, al-Taftazani, al-Sanusi, Ibn Kamal Pasha, al-Qari, al-Bayadi, al-Laqqani, al-Zabidi, al-Sawi, al-Bajuri, Zahid al-Kawthari, Muhammad al-Hashimi, Saʿid Ramadan al-Buti, Nur al-Din ʿItr, Saʿid Foudah.

This makes the book useful not only as an introductory text, but also as a bridge into the wider literature of Ashʿari and Sunni theology.