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Bajuri’s Tuhfat al-Murid ‘ala Jawharat al-Tawhid: An Advanced Study of Islamic Beliefs

In this important study, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani reads Imam Bajuri’s Hashiya on Imam Laqani’s famous poem, Jawharat al-Tawhid. Imam Laqani’s poem covers mainstream Islamic beliefs about Allah Most High, His messengers (peace be upon them), and the Hereafter. This Hashiya is regarded as the most relied-on commentary of the Jawhara. It provides a very clear explanation and mentions various opinions that differ each other by the expert in this field.

This class is an advanced class for upper intermediate level students who have studied two or three complete texts in Islamic Beliefs, with a teacher.

This course falls under Level Four of SeekersGuidance’s Islamic Studies Curriculum.

The purpose of this course is to master the nuances of the science of Islamic beliefs by covering one of the most authoritative late commentaries in mainstream Islamic beliefs according to the Ash‘ari school, Tuhfat al-Murid.

This course is crucial for students of beliefs to take to deepen their knowledge by understanding nuances and details and the critical issues in theology.

They will learn the building blocks of how to present faith in a clear and cogent manner and how to defend it from confusion and the arguments of those who reject faith.

Students will learn the methodology of the science of Islamic Theology and its deep underlying principles—through teaching and recommended readings of the reference works by the great Imams of Islamic Beliefs.

This course is not for beginners, it focuses on broadening the horizons of the students by building on previous foundations.

Students need to be able to follow and understand the Arabic text, as the text will be read in Arabic, and explained in English.

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About the text:

Imam Laqqani’s poem Jawharat al-Tawhid (Jewel of Divine Unity) has been broadly accepted by the scholarly community as a summary work representative of mainstream Islamic beliefs. In the hundreds of years that have passed since its authorship, this work has attracted dozens of commentaries and super-commentaries.

These commentaries include the author's own three commentaries, including his 2,400-page Umda al-Murid; his son's commentary, Ithaf al-Murid—which was edited by Shaykh Muhyi al-Din ‘Abd al-Hamid and also has the famous marginalia called Hashiya al-Amir; Imam Bajuri’s commentary, Tuhfat al-Murid; Imam Sawi’s commentary; and the modern commentary of Shaykh Tattan, ‘Awn al-Murid.

Imam Bajuri’s commentary is accepted as being one of the most reliable and authoritative late works of the Ash‘ari school. It is nuanced, and representative in its illustrations of the beliefs and authoritative in its judgements; it is a must study for advanced students.

Shaykh Adib Kallas referred to Imam Bajuri and this work as “one of the finest verifications of the creed of mainstream Islamic beliefs.”

Students are recommended to have completed at least one Level Two and one Level Three text in the Seekers Islamic Studies Curriculum before the study of this work.
About the Author:

Imam Burhan al-Din Ibrahim al-Laqani was born before the year 960 AH, his exact day of birth is unknown.

He was a great scholar of hadith, beliefs (‘aqida), and law (fiqh). Imam Laqani took from many great scholars such as the author of Nihaya al-Muhtaj Sharh al-Minhaj, Muhammad Ramli, and the author of Nahr al-Fa’iq, Umar ibn Nujaym, and many others.

His spiritual guide, Ahmad al-Sharnubi, advised him one day to write a work on beliefs. Taking his teacher's advice, Imam Laqani wrote Jawharat al-Tawhid —over one night! It is said that he recited it one day and 500 copies were immediately written by those around him.

He wrote his larger commentary on Jawharat al-Tawhid called Umda al-Murid and finished it in the year 1019 AH and his shorter commentary Hidaya al-Murid in the year 1029 AH. Imam Laqani passed away in the year 1041 AH / 1631 CE on his way home from Hajj.

Imam Ibrahim al-Bajuri was a prolific scholar, authoring authoritative works in many different Islamic disciplines. His works are authoritative, deeply admired, taught, and used as references. Among the subjects he wrote about were: theology, logic, hadith, Islamic law, estate division, Arabic morphology, Arabic grammar, and Arabic literature. His works have been highly regarded by generations of teachers and students for their precision, comprehensiveness, and depth of scholarship.

He studied and taught at al-Azhar, becoming its foremost scholar and rector (Shaykh al-Azhar) in 1263 AH / 1847 CE, a position that he retained until his death. His marginalia (hashiya) on Jawharat al-Tawhid is a nuanced text for advanced students — typically studied at Level Four in SeekersGuidance’s Islamic Studies Curriculum.

Among his other most significant works are his Hashiya on Imam Laqani’s Jawharat al-Tawhid (Tuhfat al-Murid), his marginalia on Imam Sanusi’s Umm al-Barahin; his marginalia on Ibn Qasim’s Sharh Matn Abi Shuja‘ in Shafi‘i fiqh; his commentary on Imam Busiri’s Burda, in praise of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); just to name a few.
Who is this course for:
  • This course is for advanced students of Islamic Beliefs
  • It is a Level Four course. In order to successfully complete this course, students should take at least one Level Two and one Level Three text in the Seekers Islamic Studies Curriculum, or equivalent.
Learning outcomes:
  • Understand the advanced concepts of Islamic Beliefs
  • Understand how to present the sound understanding of faith in a clear and cogent manner.
  • Learn how to defend mainstream understanding from confusion and the arguments of those who reject faith
  • Appreciate the subtleties of the arguments of the scholars of Islamic Beliefs
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