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

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

Abu Ja‘far, may Allah have mercy upon him, maintained that the meaning
of Allah's saying:

***(The hypocrites) seek to beguile Allah, but it is He Who beguileth
them [4:142],***

***and: They have forgotten Allah, so He hath forgotten them [9:67],***

***and: And they devised, and Allah devised, and Allah is the best of
devisers [3:54],***

***and: Allah shall mock them [2:15],***

is that Allah will requite them for their base acts[^1] .

Abu ‘Abdillah concurs, and adds that the interpretation advanced by Abu
Ja‘far is sound, but he has not supplied the reason; for the reason for
the interpretation given above is that the Arabs often called a thing by
the name of the recompense it brought, because of the relation which
exists, and the comparison which can be made between the name and the
recompense, since acts which bring a certain requital can fittingly be
called by its name[^2].

***Allah says: Those who consume the property of orphans unjustly, they
only consume fire in their belies [4:10].***

Thus, He called the consumed property, though in itself good; fire,
because the punishment for it is fire.

[^1]: T, ‘an jazai 'l-af‘al: N, al-jaza’ ‘ala 'l-af‘al, which is
correct.

[^2]: T, falamma kanati 'l-mujaza: N, falamma kanati 'l-af‘ali
'l-mujaza, which is correct.


