Book Review: Risaalah fee Ithbaat al-Istiwaa wal-Fawqiyyah

This is a treatise written by al-‘Allaamah Aboo Muhammad ‘Abdullah bin Yusoof al-Juwaynee may Allah have mercy upon him. His Nisbah is attributed to Juwayn which was a large suburb in Neesaaboor. He was the Shaykh of the Shaafi’i scholars of his time. He was praised by many scholars such as Shaykh-ul-Islaam Aboo Uthmaan as-Saaboonee, al-Haafith Ibn Assaakir, Ibn al-Jawzee, and Imaam adh-Dhahabee. The Shaykh died on Dhul-Qa’dah in the year 438 A.H. Others have said he died in 434 A.H. in Neesaaboor.

Shaykh Aboo Saalih al-Mua’dhin said, “Shaykh Aboo Muhammad al-Juwaynee fell terribly ill for 28 days. He advised me to be in charge of washing his body and preparing the funeral so when he died I washed him. When he was being wrapped in his funeral garments I saw his right hand all the way up to his armpit glowing with an immense light without any defect. It was shining as the moon shines. I pondered for a moment and then I said to myself this was due to the blessings of the rulings that he gave.” Wafayaat-ul-A’ayaan 3/47-48 and Tabaqaat-ash-Shaafi’iyyah al-Kubraa 5/75

This is an old printing published by Daar Tareeq in Riyaadh in 1419 A.H. I found it in one of the used bookstores here in Riyaadh.

The treatise is very brief with a verification by Dr. Ahmad Mu’aadh Haqqi who references the sources for the prophetic narrations used as well as explaining some difficult words or expressions. Here al-‘Allaamah al-Juwaynee (rahimahullah) brings the evidences from the Book and the Sunnah to establish the proof for three major issues; the ‘Uloww of Allah, His Fawqiyyah, and His Istiwaa. He goes over each issue in detail and brings evidences against those Shaafi’iyyah in his time who did not affirm these three issues or who explained them in a way that went against the explanation of the Salaf.