inshallah I will try to advance in its translation and post it here.


here is a breif biography of this shafi'ee Imaam

translated by Abdullah ibn Moulay

The Text

ابن قدامة ، أخبرنا الشريف أبو العباس مسعود بن عبد الواحد بن مطر الهاشمي ، قال انبأ أبو الحسن على بن محمد الجرجاني ، أنبأ أبو القاسم حمزة بن يوسف السهمي ، أنبأ أبو بكر أحمد بن إبراهيم الإسماعيلي (*) ، قال :

[ اصول الاعتقاد عند أهل الحديث ]


اعلموا رحمنا الله وإياكم أن مذهب أهل الحديث أهل السنة والجماعة الإقرار بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسله ، وقبول ما نطق به كتاب الله تعالى ، وصحت به الرواية عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، لا معدل عن ما ورد به ولا سبيل إلى رده ، إذ كانوا مأمورين باتباع الكتاب والسنة ، مضمونا لهم الهدى فيهما ، مشهودا لهم بأن نبيهم صلى الله عليه وسلم يهدي إلى صراط مستقيم ، محذرين في مخالفته الفتنة والعذاب الأليم

Ibnul-Qudaamah said
“We were informed by Sharif Abul-‘Abbass Mas’ood bin Abdul-Waahid Bin Matr al-Haashimi who said < It was informed to us that Abul-Hasan Ali Bin Muhammad al-Jurjaani who said< We were informed by Abul-Qaasim Hamza Bin Yusif as-Sahmi who said < we were informed by Abu Bakr Ahmad Bin Ibraheem al-Ismaa’eeli who said

1. The Foundational beliefs of the Ahlul-Hadeeth

As you know, Allah have mercy on us, and to those upon the madhaab of ahlul-hadeeth, the ahlu-sunnah wal-jama’ah, is to have firm conviction with (in) Allah and the Angels and His Divine Books and His Messengers and accepting whatever is said in the Book of Allah the Most High (The Quraan) and what is authentically said (reported) about the narrations of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. There’s no abstention about what it came in and no way to it’s response (in refutation of it), since they were ordered with following the book and the sunnah which guaranteed for them guidance (that is in it: i.e. book and sunnah), And is well known to them that their prophet salallahu alaihi wa sallam only guides to the right path and warns against its violation and divergence (or sedition) and the painful torment”

[ القول في الاسماء والصفات ]
ويعتقدون أن الله تعالى مدعو بأسمائه الحسنى وموصوف بصفاته التي سمى ووصف بها نفسه ووصفه بها نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم ، خلق آدم بيده ، ويداه مبسوطتان ينفق كيف يشاء ، بلا اعتقاد كيف ، وأنه عز وجل استوى على العرش ، بلا كيف ، فإن الله تعالى انتهى من ذلك إلى أنه استوى على العرش ولم يذكر كيف كان استواؤه


2. Speech Concerning the Names and Attributes (of Allah)

And to have firm belief upon Allah the Most High and to proclaim His beautiful Names and in describing His Attributes in a way (in accordance to) what He has described for Himself and whatever the Prophet salallahu alaihi wa sallam has described of Him.
“I have created Adam with My Hands” and “And His Hands are widely outstretched, He spends as He pleases” without believing in how (these attributes are). And He, the Exalted, Rose over the Throne without how. And indeed Allah, the Most High, ceased from that to Him, that His Rising over the Throne is without mention (of how) and in how was His Rising”

[ ذكر بعض خصائص الربوبية ]

وأنه مالك خلقه وأنشأهم لا عن حاجة إلى ما خلق ولا معنى دعاه إلى أن خلقهم ، لكنه فعال لما يشاء ويحكم كما يريد ، لا يسأل عما يفعل ، والخلق مسؤولون عما يفعلون .

3. Mentioning of Some of the Divine Lordship (rububiyyah)

And indeed the Master (al-Maalik) creates and created them (the creation) without any need of the creation, and without (the need of) the intended meaning of supplications to Him from His creation (meaning they don't overide His will even if He grants them what they ask). He does whatever He Wills and He judges on whatever matter He wishes. And He is not questioned about what He does (meaning He is beyond being questioned as to His Will and Judgment or Action), and (but) the creation, they are inquired of (questioned) as to what they do

[ إثبات أسماء الله الحسنى وصفاته العلا ]

وأنه مدعو بأسمائه ، موصوف بصفاته التي سمى ووصف بها نفسه ، وسماه ووصفه بها نبيه عليه الصلاة والسلام ، لا يعجزه شيء في الأرض ولا في السماء ، ولا يوصف بنقص أو عيب أو آفة ، فإنه عز وجل تعالى عن ذلك

4. Affirmation of the Beautiful and Lofty Names of Allah and His Sublime Attributes

And indeed He is known by His Names. His Attributes are described with what He Himself has named and characterized as well whatever the prophet alaihi salatu wa sallam has named and characterized for Him. He is not in need of anything whether on earth nor in the heavens. And He is not described as non existent, or with defect, or with disease. And indeed Exalted and Glorified be He is above such things.

[ إثبات صفة اليدين ]

وخلق آدم عليه السلام بيده ، ويداه مبسوطتان ينفق كيف شاء ، بلا اعتقاد كيف يداه ، إذ لم ينطق كتاب الله تعالى فيه بكيف .
ولا يعتقد فيه الأعضاء (1) ، والجوارح ، ولا الطول والعرض ، والغلظ ، والدقة ، ونحو هذا مما يكون مثله في الخلق ، وأنه ليس كمثله شيء تبارك وجه ربنا ذو الجلال والإكرام .
ولا يقولون إن اسماء الله عز وجل كما تقوله المعتزلة (2) والخوارج (3) وطوائف من أهل الأهواء مخلوقة (4)


5. Affirmation of the Attribute of Hands

And He created Adam (alaihi sallam) with His Hands and His Hands are outstretched spending how He pleases. We believe in this without how His Hands are. This is since He did not mention about its nature (how) in His book, The Most High. And we do not believe in them (the Attributes) as being organs. And they are not organs. And they (Hands) are neither without length or width nor with thickness, nor can it be described with accuracy and towards that which is of its like within the creation. And He is not as the like of anything and the blessing of our Lords Face is with His Magnificence and hospitality. And they (ahlul-hadeeth) do not say of the Names of Allah the Exalted the Majestic as the Mu’tazilah say, nor of the Khawaarij and the differing sects among the people of desires that they (His Names) are created.

[ قولهم في صفة الوجه والسمع والبصر والعلم والقدرة والكلام ]


ويثبتون أن له وجها ، وسمعا ، وبصرا ، وعلما ، وقدرة ، وقوة ، وكلاما ، لا على ما يقوله أهل الزيغ من المعتزلة وغيرهم ، ولكن كما قال تعالى : { ويبقى وجه ربك } وقال : { أنزله بعلمه } وقال : { ولا يحيطون بشيء من علمه إلا بما شاء } وقال : { فلله العزة جميعا } وقال : { والسماء بنيناها بأيد } وقال : { أولم يروا أن الله الذي خلقهم هو أشد منهم قوة } وقال : { إن الله هو الرزاق ذو القوة المتين } .
فهو تعالى ذو العلم ، والقوة ، والقدرة ، والسمع ، والبصر ، والكلام ، كما قال تعالى : {ولتصنع على عيني } { واصنع الفلك بأعيننا ووحينا } وقال : { حتى يسمع كلام الله } وقال : { وكلم موسى تكليما } وقال : { أنما أمره إذا أراد شيئا أن يقول له كن فيكون }

6. Their saying (of Ahlul-Hadeeth) Concerning the Attributes of Face, Hearing, Seeing, Knowledge, Ability, and Speech

And they (Ahlul-Hadeeth) affirm for Allah (the Attribute of) Face, and Hearing, and Seeing, and Knowledge, and Ability, and Strength, and Speech. And their saying is not upon what the people of deviation say from the mu’tazilah or other than them. However, as it was said from the Most High “And the Lord’s Face remains” and His Saying “He has sent it down with His Knowledge” and His Saying “And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills” and His Saying “to Allah belong all honour, power and glory” And His Saying “And the Sky, We built it by Our Hands” and His Saying “See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them” and His Saying “Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong”.

And He, the Most High, has all Knowledge and all Power and all Will (Ability) and all Hearing and all Seeing and all Speech. Like His Saying the Most High “In order that you may be brought up under My Eye” (and) “And Construct the Ark under Our Eyes and Our Inspiration” and His Saying “Until they hear the Words (speech) of Allah” and His Saying “to Musa Allah spoke directly” and His Saying “Verily! Our Word unto a thing when We intend it, is only that We say unto it: "Be!" and it is”

إثبات المشيئة
ويقولون ما يقوله المسلمون بأسرهم : ( ما شاء الله كان ، وما لا يشاء لا يكون ) ، كما قال تعالى : { وما يشاؤون إلا أن يشاء الله }

7. Affirmation of His Will

And they (ahlul-hadeeth) say what the Muslims say as a whole as in “Whatever Allah Wills, will be, and whatever is not in accordance with His Will cannot be” as the saying of Allah the Most High “And you (all) will not, unless (it be) what Allah wills”

علم الله
ويقولون لا سبيل لأحد أن يخرج عن علم الله ولا أن يغلب فعله وإرادته مشيئة الله ولا أن يبدل علم الله ، فإنه العالم لا يجهل ولا يسهو ، والقادر لا يغلب

8. Knowledge of Allah

And they (ahlul-hadeeth) say that there’s no way for anyone to escape from the Knowledge of Allah, and He is not overcome by the actions and the wills of others over His Will and none of them can change the Knowledge of Allah. Indeed the Most Knowledgeable is not ignorant nor does He become forgetful and He is All-Capable and cannot be overcome (by anything)