Ibn Abi il-`Izz and his Sharh Aqidah Tahawiyyah

[maneatinglizard]

I've heard both good and bad things about this Sharh. I was wondering what specifically was objectionable/praiseworthy about the work, because a lot of bothers have harshly criticized it and its author without substantiating their criticism. For example, in a footnote to his translation of Sharh Fiqh al-Akbar, Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf mentions that the author takes some incorrect positions in matters of Aqidah, but neglects to mention any of them.

I've come to understand that the author was not a Maturidi, but rather a Athar/follower of Ibn Taymiyyah . However, I know a brother who is studying Dars Nizami with a Shaikh in Karachi, that is being taught this Sharh by his teacher.

[Zubair]

Wa 'alaykumus Salam

I personally don't understand why people keep saying he's 'unknown' when there are biographical notes regarding him, as hafidh ibn Hajar gives. He definitly held some views contrary to AhlusSunnah, as Haddad mentions, read below. Mulla 'Ali Qari does a good job of critcising some of his views, though he doesn't mention him by name, but says 'the commentator of Aqidah Tahawi' as mentioned in sharh fiqhul Akbar. His commentary is the biggest, and i'm sure it has good, but there are some very problamatic stances that he took. I've heard his work is pretty famous in some of the Darul Ulooms in the indo pak, and even 'Allama Budakhshani summarized it, i haven't started reading it yet .
Salafis don't like the fact that he took some extremely diverted positions, but Khayr.

Haddad said

http://www.livingislam.org/n/nkhar_e.html

"2.1 Ibn Abi al-`Izz's commentary on al-Tahawi's `Aqida. The latter is a normative classic of Islam but Ibn Abi al-`Izz is an unknown, unacceptable as a source for Ahl al-Sunna teachings. Examples of his unreliability are his rejection of al-Tahawi's articles §35 ("The Seeing of Allah by the People of the Garden is true, without their vision being all-encompassing and without the manner of their vision being known") and §38 ("He is beyond having limits placed on Him, or being restricted, or having parts or limbs, nor is He contained by the six directions as all created things are") by the statements, "Can any vision be rationally conceived without face-to-face encounter? And in it there is a proof for His elevation (`uluw) over His creatures," and "Whoever claims that Allah is seen without direction, let him verify his reason!"2 He also endorses Ibn Taymiyya's view of the finality of Hellfire3 in flat contradiction of the al-Tahawi's statement, §83. "The Garden and the Fire are created and shall never be extinguished nor come to an end." There is also doubt as to Ibn Abi al-`Izz's identity and authorship of this Sharh (cf. 4.1.3)"

For more you'd have to read Mulla 'Ali Qari's Sharh Fiqhul Akbar