Discussion of the Book of Creed by al-Tahawi.

The questioner : "Abu al-'Izz al-Hanafi."

The Shaykh : This is the work of a man from...

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Did you say four hundred pages? Did you say four hundred pages? What are you saying now: it is small; how?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : This book is four hundred pages, and it is written on it that you imagined it to be the work of a group of scholars, no; this—my brother—is, unfortunately, the words of our brother "Zuhayr al-Shawish" in order to promote the merchandise, but the one who reads the book will know what is intended by it. The author of this book's text, as is well known, is "Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi." The text is a very small treatise, and I had printed it with some simple explanations, perhaps you saw them or perhaps not, consisting of sixty or seventy pages, perhaps you did not see them.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Sixty or seventy pages, Professor Adnan.

The questioner : With an explanation and commentary.

The Shaykh : Yes, an explanation and commentary, the important thing is...

The questioner : So, for example... it is al-Tahawi, but...

The Shaykh : Be patient, I am explaining to you so that we may address the doubt regarding the four scholars. The author of the text is "Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi," the explanation is by "Abu al-'Izz al-Hanafi," the explanation, the tracing of its hadiths is by "al-Albani," the Shaykh "Ibn Baz" has, I think, a word at the end of the book as a correction, the important thing is...

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : About seventy pages.

Another questioner : The last thing.

The Shaykh : The important thing—my brother—is that no one participated in the book. The book is a text by "Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi al-Hanafi," an explanation by "Abu al-'Izz al-Hanafi," and a tracing by "al-Albani," but this is the book. However, in terms of the subject matter, it revolves around "al-Tahawi" and around the commentator "Abu al-'Izz al-Hanafi," and that is all. So the purpose—my brother—is that these people composed this book and composed it in their style in their time. Now, of course, this style is not only in tawhid and creed, but even in books of fiqh and books of hadith, it needs what? Renewal and development, and so on. This is not a subject of disagreement, but the whole research is that I was surprised for the first time, and from a person we count as one of us and among us, that there is strictness in their view. I hope we will see this strictness so that we may address it.

The questioner : Do you want me and you to sit and read... and I will tell you the points that I feel there is strictness in...

Another questioner : Okay; he said this, besides this thing, he said: this speech was composed in an era of about seven hundred years.

The questioner : ... .

Another questioner : Meaning it really needs simplification to suit some people or the concepts of some people in this time.

Another questioner : ... strictness ... the issue of strictness, my Shaykh, is there a reference if you permit?

The Shaykh: Go ahead.