Preface

The Author and His Works

1. The Metaphorical Interpretation of the Baring of the Shank (Kashfu 'S-Saq)

2. The Metaphorical Interpretation of "The Hand (Al-Yad)"

3. The Breathing of the Spirit (into man) (Nafkhu 'l-Arwah)

4. Metonym and Metaphor (in the Qur’an)

5. The Attribution of Scheming: beguiling and Mockery to Allah

6. The Attribution of Forgetfulness to Allah

7. The Attributes of Allah (Sifat Allah)

8. The Belief concerning the Origination of Human Actions

9. Concerning Human Actions (faslun fi af‘Ali 'L-khalq)

10. Predestination and Free Will (Al-Jabr wa 't-tafwid)

11. The Belief concerning Allah's Intention and Will (Al-Mashiah Wa 'l-Iradah)

12. The belief concerning destiny and decree (Al-Qada’ wa 'L-Qadar)

13. The interpretation of the reports concerning Al-Qada’ and Al-Qadar

14. The Natural Religion (Al-Fitrah)

15. Concerning Human Capacity (Al -Istita‘Ah)

16. Concerning Al-bada’

17. Concerning Religious Disputation (Al-Jidal)

18. The belief concerning the tablet and the pen (Al-Lawh Wa 'L-Qalam)

19. The Metaphysical Meaning of the Throne (Al-‘Arsh)

20. Concerning Souls and Spirits (Al-Arwah wa 'n-Nufus)

21. What Ash-Shaykh Abu Ja‘far has described about Death

22. The Belief concerning the questioning in the Grave

23. What Ash-Shaykh Abu Ja‘far has mentioned about Divine Justice

24. Chapter on Al-A‘raf

25. The Belief concerning the Bridge (As-Sirat)

26. Chapter concerning Al-‘Aqabat

27. The belief concerning reckoning and balance (Al-Hisab wa 'l-Mizan)

28. Concerning Paradise and Hell (Al -Jannah wa 'N-nar)

29. The Point of Unbelief

30. Concerning the descent of revelation (Nuzulu 'l-Wahy)

31. On the Revelation of the Qur’an (Nuzulu 'l-Qur’an)

32. The Belief on Impeccability (Al-‘Ismah)

33. Chapter on Excess and Delegation (Al-Ghuluww wa’t-Tafwid)

34. On Dissimulation (At-Taqiyyah)

35. That the ancestors of the prophet were monotheists (Muwahhidun)

36. Concerning the interpretation of the verse 42:43

37. On Prohibition and Permission (Al-Hazr wa 'l-Ibahah)

38. On Medicine (At-Tibb)

39. On the Divergent Traditions (Al -Ahadithu 'l-Mukhtalifah)

Bibliography

This text is a translation of Tashihu 'l-I‘tiqad of Abu ‘Abdillah,
Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu‘man, Known as ash-Shaykh al-Mufid (336/948
or 338/950 – 413/1022)


The Emendation of A Shi‘ite Creed

35. That the ancestors of the prophet were monotheists (Muwahhidun)
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Abu Ja‘far says: "Our belief concerning the ancestors of the Prophet,
may the blessing of Allah be upon him and his pro- geny, is that they
were Muslims".ash-Shaykh al-Mufid adds that: The ancestors of the
Prophet,may the blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny, as far as
Adam, peace be upon him, were monotheists (muwahhidun) and believers in
Allah, as has been demonstrated by Abu Ja‘far, may Allah have mercy upon
him, and the consensus of opinion of the adherents of the truth. Allah,
the Exalted, says:

***Who sees thee when thou standest, and when thou turnest about among
those who prostrate themselves [26:218-9],***

which means his transmission through the loins of the monotheists. His
Prophet, may the blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny, says: "I
was transmitted from the loins of the pure to the wombs of the chaste
till Allah, the Exalted, brought me forth in this world of yours," which
demonstrates that his ancestors were all believers, since had there been
an unbeliever amongst them, then they would not merit the description
'pure', for Allah, the Exalted, says: The polytheists are indeed unclean
[9:28]. Hence, He stigmatized the unbelievers are unclean. Consequently,
when the Messenger of Allah, may the blessing of Allah be upon him and
his progeny affirmed that his ancestors were all chaste and so described
them, he confirmed that they were believers.


