Part of their theological doctrine was that the Qur'an was created. This belief caused a lot of debate and argument among the Muslim theologians in the medieval times and the main proponents of this doctrine was the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun and his brother al-Mu'tasim, and its main opponent was the famous Muslim jurist Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.

26. Rawafid or Rafidah is one of the names given to the Shi'ah. Al-Ash'ari explains this denomination as those who rejected the caliphate of Aba Bakr and 'Umar:

27. al-Khawarij-See al-Haruriyah.

28. Allah's Books are: The Books which He revealed, namely; The Old Testament (at-Tawrah), The New Testament (al-Injil) and the Qur'an.

29. Here Ibn Taimiyah is responding to the Mu'tazilah who claimed that the Qur'an is created.

30. According to the Muslim faith, when a dead person is buried in his or her grave two angels, one called Munkar and the other called Nakir; examine and if necessary punish him or her in the tomb. To the examination in the tomb the infidels and the faithful, the righteous as well as the sinners are liable. They are set upright in their tombs and must answer certain questions. The righteous faithful will answer them properly, thereupon they will be left alone until the Day of Resurrection. The sinners and the infidels, on the other hand will not have satisfactory answers at hand. Consequently, the angels will beat them severely.

31. Uncircumcised means that people will be resurrected as they were created the first time, as Allah, The Exalted said:

"Now have you come unto Us solitary as We did create you at the first..." (al-An'am 6/94)

32. The believers and the righteous will receive their record of deeds in their right hand, but the infidels and the sinners will receive their records in their left hand or behind their backs.

33. Here means the murderer.

34. If the heir of the murdered person forgives the murderer by not executing him for committing the murder, rather he accepts the blood- money, in this case Allah recommended that the forgiving person should continue to be magnanimous and not to ask the blood-money in harsh and rough terms, and to wait if the murderer cannot afford it right away. At the same time, Allah commands the murderer to pay the blood-money without reducing the requested amount and without very much delay.

35-36. In the year 628 C.E., the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) led a band of believers to perform 'umrah (smaller pilgrimage) to Makkah, but the non-believers of Makkah prevented him and his followers from entering Makkah by blocking their way with a large army at a place called al-Hudaibiyah located nine miles out of Makkah. As a result, a war almost broke out between the two parties, but negotiations took place instead. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) to Makkah to represent him at the negotiations, but he did not return for three days and rumors reached the Prophet and his followers that 'Uthman was killed by the Makkans. Although unprepared for battle, the Prophet could not leave the Makkans unpunished for their treacherous act. So, he assembled his followers and, standing under a large tree, they pledged allegiance to him to fight the Makkans. Therefore, Allah praised them in the Qur'an:

"Lo! Those who swear allegiance unto you (Muhammad), swear allegiance only unto Allah. The Hand of Allah is above their hands..."(al-Fat-h 48/10)

In the same chapter, verse 18, Allah expressed His pleasure with the believers who pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him) under the tree in Hudaibiyah, He said

: "Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance unto you beneath the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down peace of reassurance on them, and has rewarded them with a near victory."

37. Nawasib is a group of people who do not like 'Ali or his family; they are the counterpart of the Rawafid.

Wa-ahhira da'wana: "Al-Hamdu lil-Lahi Rabbi al-'Alamin, was-salatu was- salamu 'ala ashrafl al-mursalin, Sayyidina Muhammad, wa-'ala alihi wa-sahbihi ajma'in wa-man walahum ila yawmi ad-din. Allahumma ighfir li wa-li- walidayya, wa-arhamhuma ha-ma rabbayani saghiran."