What is the difference between ʿaqīdah and fiqh?
ʿAqīdah is what a Muslim believes. Fiqh is what a Muslim does. The classical scholars kept them distinct because confusing them leads to two different kinds of error — believing the wrong thing, or doing the wrong thing on the basis of a belief you didn't examine.
5 passages from 4 books in the library
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 4 books by Ibn Battuta, Imam al-Ghazali, and Ibn Kathir — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
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"When Ayn al-Mulk was defeated and captured along with his companions, the young merchant's son and his brother-in-law, the son of Qub al-Mulk, were among them."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
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"This aligns with their observations of the tangible world, planting the belief in monotheism in their heart in a way that suits their intellect."
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"Now if you ask whether such a foundational belief in monotheism can serve as the basis for reliance on God, the answer is yes."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Another group is deluded in jurisprudence, believing that a servant's judgment between himself and God follows his court ruling."
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
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"Refers to the belief that it contained fragments of the tablets and a portion of the manna sent down to them in the wilderness"
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