Sharh Hanafiyah Page 89 New

On this page, Ibn Abī al-‘Izz clarifies the Hanafi distinction between two inseparable yet distinct aspects of a human act:

To appreciate page 89, one must understand the work’s structure. Al-Ṭaḥāwī’s original text is a concise, pre-creedal statement of Sunni orthodoxy, accepted by both Ashʿarīs and Māturīdīs. Ibn Abī al-‘Izz, a jurist of the Hanafi school, wrote his commentary in the 14th century, largely from a Māturīdī-Hanafi perspective. The “new” edition (e.g., al-Turki, 1997) organizes these dense arguments with modern pagination and annotation. On page 89, the commentary tackles a notoriously difficult line from al-Ṭaḥāwī: “Actions of servants are created by Allah and acquired by servants.”

Page 89 usually kicks off in the middle of a critical debate: Is a report narrated by a single trustworthy person (Khabar al-Wahid) sufficient to establish a definitive ruling (Qat'i)? sharh hanafiyah page 89 new

The author argues that while the Qur’an and Mutawatir (mass-transmitted) hadith provide Yaqeen (certainty), Khabar al-Wahid provides Dhan (strong presumption). The "new" edition adds a contemporary note: "Some Orientalists claim that Hanafis reject authentic hadith. This is false. On page 89, the author clarifies acceptance conditions."

To make the Hanafi position accessible, Ibn Abī al-‘Izz (on this page or in close proximity) often uses a vivid analogy, which the new edition’s footnotes on page 89 help clarify: On this page, Ibn Abī al-‘Izz clarifies the

A man is sitting on a moving throne (the act’s existence). Another person pushes the throne from behind (Allah creates the movement). The seated man, however, intentionally leans into the direction of movement and holds on (human acquisition). The act exists by the pusher’s power, but the moral responsibility—the “doing”—belongs to the seated man.

The new edition’s marginal notes on page 89 emphasize that this is not “occasionalism” (where humans have zero effect) nor “dual creation” (where two creators exist). Rather, it is a single created act with two descriptions: divine origin and human appropriation. A man is sitting on a moving throne (the act’s existence)

Yes – because the “new” edition has been verified by a board of Hanafi muhaqqiqun (verifiers). However, always cross-reference with Radd al-Muhtar for contemporary issues.

Dr. Salah Abu’l-Hajj (Professor of Fiqh, University of Jordan) states:

“The correction found on page 89 of the new Sharh Hanafiyah resolves a century-old confusion regarding the timing of wiping over footwear. Previous fatwas that permitted wiping after 25 hours must be reviewed in light of this verified text.”

Mufti Taqi Usmani (in his Takmilat Fath al-Mulhim) also references this page as a prime example of how modern tahqiq has improved our reliance upon transmitted texts.