The Department of Qur’anic Sciences and Islamic Education at the College of Education for Humanities, Tikrit University, held on Sunday (September 28, 2025) the defense of the Ph.D. dissertation submitted by Baha al-Din Nuh Zarnan, entitled “Ḥadāʾiq al-Fuṣūl wa Jawāhir al-Uṣūl (al-ʿAqīda al-Ṣalāḥiyya) by Tāj al-Dīn al-Ḥamawī (d. 599 AH): From the Beginning to the Chapter on the Acts of God – Presentation and Study.”
The study aimed to present and analyze a theological poem composed by Imam Tāj al-Dīn al-Ḥamawī and dedicated to Sultan Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī (may God have mercy on them both). The Sultan ordered that it be recited from the minarets before the dawn prayer and taught to students, hence it came to be known as al-ʿAqīda al-Ṣalāḥiyya. This poem is characterized by its objectivity and doctrinal moderation, reflecting the creed of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jamāʿa, far from religious extremism or intellectual rigidity. The research involved presenting the verses, analyzing their themes, explaining difficult passages, and referencing both supporters and opponents of the author’s views.
The study reached several conclusions, among them:
- The author generally aligned with the creed of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jamāʿa, and his poem encompassed most issues of Islamic creed.
- The personality of the author was evident: while his work reflected Ashʿarī thought and included many references to Imam al-Bāqillānī and Imam al-Juwaynī (may God have mercy on them), he also exercised independent judgment, favoring tafwīḍ (consigning the meaning to God) over taʾwīl (figurative interpretation), unlike many later scholars.
- No trace of religious extremism or intellectual intolerance was found in the views of Imam Tāj al-Dīn al-Ḥamawī; rather, his writings reflected a sound creed, moderation, and tolerance, avoiding derogatory language against opponents despite doctrinal differences.
The examining committee consisted of:
- Prof. Saad Fathallah Omar – Tikrit University, College of Education for Humanities – Chair
- Prof. Mohammed Hadi Shihab – Tikrit University, College of Islamic Sciences – Member
- Prof. Rahim Saloom Marhoon – Tikrit University, College of Islamic Sciences – Member
- Prof. Maʿalim Salem Younis – University of Mosul, College of Education for Humanities – Member
- Assoc. Prof. Ahmed Shaker Mahmood – Tikrit University, College of Education for Humanities – Member
- Assoc. Prof. Khalid Obeid Saleh – Tikrit University, College of Education for Humanities – Member & Supervisor
#Media and Government Communications Division – College of Education for Humanities – Tikrit University
