Writings of Sheikh Shihab al-Din al-Noubi

Ḍawʾ al-Laʾālī fī Sharḥ Badʾ al-Āmālī

by Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Nūbī

The 103 Creeds of Timur

Title Meaning

· Ḍawʾ al-Laʾālī (ضوء اللآلي) → The Light of the Pearls, a metaphor for the shining clarity and value of its theological insights.

· Sharḥ Badʾ al-Āmālī (شرح بدء الأمالي) → Commentary on Badʾ al-Āmālī, a classic poetic summary of Sunni Ashʿarī beliefs by Sirāj al-Dīn al-Ūshī.

· Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Nūbī → The commentator, an Egyptian Ashʿarī scholar, linked by ancestry or office to Nubia (hence al-Nūbī).

· 103 ʿAqāʾid Taymūr (103 عقائد تيمور) → The 103 Creeds of Timur, theological points systematically laid out to align Sunni orthodoxy with Timur’s imperial religious policy.

Introduction

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

Praise be to Allah, the One, the Eternal, the Everlasting, who is characterized by perfect attributes, exalted beyond resemblance, and free of deficiency or need.

Blessings and peace upon our master Muhammad, the best of those sent, the mercy to all worlds, and upon his family and noble companions.

This is a humble commentary prepared by the poor servant in need of his God’s mercy, Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Nūbī, may Allah forgive him and his parents, on the poem Badʾ al-Āmālī, authored by the great imam Sirāj al-Dīn al-Ūshī, may Allah have mercy on him.

I saw many students desiring clarity on matters of creed, confused by conflicting claims, and eager to understand the path of the Ahl al-Sunna.

So I set forth, seeking Allah’s aid, to illuminate the meanings and remove doubts, trusting in His guidance and hoping for His acceptance.

I ask Allah, exalted is He, to make this work sincerely for His sake, to benefit the readers, and to reward all who assisted, for He is the Generous, the Giver.

Historical Context

The Ashʿarī school was the intellectual backbone of Sunni Islam, striking a balance between reason and revelation, and opposing both Muʿtazilī rationalists and rigid literalists.

Biographical Profile: Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Nūbī

Also known as Sheikh Shihab al-Din Abu al-Abbas Ahmad al-Noubi al-Ash’ari al-Ansari al-Shafi’i

Also known as Sheikh Shihab al-Din Abu al-Abbas Ahmad al-Noubi al-Ash’ari al-Ansari al-Shafi’i

An Egyptian Ashʿarī and Shāfiʿī scholar and a judge, likely born ca. 1390 in Egypt, with family or administrative links to Nubia (hence his title al-Nūbī).

He was:

· A master of kalām (theology) and jurisprudence.

· A commentator known for clear explanations of creedal texts.

· Active under the Timurid successors, especially during the reign of Shāh Rukh, helping define and spread Sunni orthodoxy.

He specialized in:

· Ashʿarī theology, defending the creed of the Ahl al-Sunna wa’l-Jamāʿa.

· Shāfiʿī jurisprudence produced respected legal and doctrinal works.

· Writing explanatory commentaries that make complex texts accessible to students.

·        

·       Established a well-known charitable endowment in Cairo and founded a mosque bearing his name — Al-Noubi Mosque — in the Ghait Al-Noubi neighborhood near Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. It has remained a religious center and a lasting landmark, bearing witness to his piety and dedication to serving the people.

·        

Though less is known about his biography, his scholarship positioned him at the crossroads of religious authority and political legitimacy, serving both the Mamluk and early Timurid intellectual worlds.

Timeline of al-Nūbī’s Life and Works

Year	Event
ca. 1380–1390	Born in Egypt.
ca. 1400–1410	Trained in Ashʿarī and Shāfiʿī sciences in Cairo.
ca. 1435–1440	Wrote key commentaries, including on Badʾ al-Āmālī.
ca. 1440–1450	Completed Ḍawʾ al-Laʾālī, gaining international influence.
ca. 1450–1460	Contributed to formalizing Timur’s 103 Creeds for religious-political unity.
	Died, leaving a legacy of orthodox scholarship. 1460 Comparative Note: al-Nūbī vs. Other Ashʿarī Scholars Scholar Contributions Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī (d. 936) Founder; merged rational argument with Sunni creed. al-Bāqillānī (d. 1013) Defended orthodoxy against philosophers and heretics. al-Juwaynī (d. 1085) Codified Ashʿarī thought with legal rigor. al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) Synthesized theology, mysticism, and ethics. al-Rāzī (d. 1210) Advanced philosophical sophistication in kalām. al-Nūbī (d. ~1460s) Provided clear, accessible commentary; applied Ashʿarī creed in a political empire-wide framework.

 The 103 Creeds of Timur (from al-Nūbī’s Work)

Detailed Study Guide: The 103 Creeds

Here’s how the theological points break down:

 Divine Essence and Attributes (1–20)

· Affirming God’s oneness, timelessness, eternity.

· Recognizing His knowledge, will, power, life, hearing, sight, and speech.

· Denying any likeness between God and His creation.

· Declaring His absolute self-sufficiency.

 Prophethood and Revelation (21–40)

· Belief in all prophets and their miracles.

· Acknowledging Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the final prophet.

· Upholding the Qurʾān as uncreated, eternal.

· Respecting revealed scriptures in their original forms.

 The Unseen and Afterlife (41–60)

· Belief in angels, jinn, and the unseen.

· Affirming the resurrection, Judgment Day, Paradise, and Hell.

· Accepting intercession by the Prophet and the weighing of deeds.

 Divine Decree and Human Responsibility (61–80)

· Recognizing predestination under God’s will.

· Affirming human accountability for choices.

· Valuing repentance, intention, sincerity.

 Community and Leadership (81–100)

· Respecting the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs.

· Upholding consensus and unity.

· Avoiding innovations and divisive sectarianism.

 Final Affirmations (101–103)

· Commitment to the Sunni Ashʿarī framework.

· Rejecting heretical movements.

· Trusting in God’s mercy and justice.

Divine Essence and Attributes (1–20)

 God exists eternally, without beginning.

 God endures eternally, without end.

 God is One, without partner or peer.

 God is unique, without likeness or resemblance.

 God is self-sufficient, needing nothing.

 God has attributes: life, knowledge, will, power, hearing, sight, speech.

 God’s life is eternal and uncaused.

 God’s knowledge encompasses all things, past and future.

 God’s will determines all that happens.

 God’s power is absolute over all creation.

1 God hears without ear or instrument.

1 God sees without eye or organ.

1 God speaks without letter or sound.

1 God’s attributes are neither identical to nor separate from His essence.

1 God is exalted beyond body, form, or place.

1 God existed before creating place or time.

1 God does not change, move, or transform.

1 God does not dwell in creation or outside it — He is beyond location.

1 God is not subject to direction or spatial confinement.

2 God’s essence cannot be grasped by human intellect.

Prophethood and Revelation (21–40)

2 Prophets are infallible in conveying God’s message.

2 Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets.

2 The Qurʾān is God’s eternal, uncreated speech.

2 Angels are real, noble beings of light.

2 Books revealed before the Qurʾān are true in their original form.

2 Prophets performed true miracles by God’s will.

2 Jesus was born of a virgin, without father.

2 Jesus was neither killed nor crucified; God raised him.

2 The Mahdī will appear at the end of time.

3 Jesus will descend before the Last Day.

3 The Prophet’s Companions are the best of generations.

3 Abū Bakr is the most virtuous, then ʿUmar, then ʿUthmān, then ʿAlī.

3 The Companions are all upright and worthy of respect.

3 The Ahl al-Bayt (Prophet’s family) have honored status.

3 Wives of the Prophet are mothers of the believers.

3 Miraculous events occur at saints’ hands (karāmāt), not prophethood.

3 Saints (awliyāʾ) are beloved to God.

3 God’s mercy encompasses His creation.

3 God’s wisdom governs His actions.

4 God’s justice is perfect and unopposable.

The Unseen and Afterlife (41–60)

4 Angels record human deeds.

4 There is a questioning in the grave (Munkar and Nakīr).

4 The grave has bliss or punishment.

4 The Resurrection will occur bodily.

4 Deeds will be weighed on the Day of Judgment.

4 The Reckoning will be conducted justly.

4 The Scale is real and literal.

4 The Bridge (Ṣirāṭ) is real and will be crossed by all.

4 The Pond (Ḥawḍ) of the Prophet is real.

5 Intercession (shafāʿa) is real by God’s permission.

5 Paradise is eternal bliss.

5 Hell is eternal punishment.

5 Believers see God in Paradise, without encompassing Him.

5 Punishment of grave sinners is under God’s will.

5 No believer remains eternally in Hell.

5 Repentance wipes away sins.

5 God forgives whom He wills.

5 Believers’ deeds vary in rank and reward.

5 Hypocrisy (nifāq) is inward disbelief despite outward faith.

6 Disbelief (kufr) is the gravest sin.

Divine Decree and Human Responsibility (61–80)

6 God creates all acts, good and evil.

6 Humans acquire (iktisāb) their deeds, though God creates them.

6 Reward and punishment are real and deserved.

6 God guides whom He wills.

6 God misguides whom He wills, with justice.

6 Human reason alone cannot know all duties; revelation is needed.

6 God’s attributes are eternal, not newly acquired.

6 God’s speech is eternal, not created.

6 God’s names refer to His essence or attributes.

7 God is neither confined by time nor affected by events.

7 God does not lie or break promises.

7 God’s actions are wise, though not bound by human reasoning.

7 God’s mercy and justice are perfect.

7 God’s knowledge includes the possible, actual, and impossible.

7 The universe is contingent, dependent on God.

7 Miracles are possible by God’s will.

7 Habitual causes (ʿādāt) are subject to God’s power.

7 Prophetic signs are truthful.

7 Disbelief invalidates deeds.

8 Sincere repentance renews faith.

Community and Leadership (81–100)

8 The saved group is Ahl al-Sunna wa’l-Jamāʿa.

8 Consensus (ijmāʿ) is authoritative.

8 The community must avoid schism.

8 Leadership of the imamate belongs to Quraysh.

8 Obedience to rulers is required if lawful.

8 Rebellion is forbidden unless clear disbelief is shown.

8 Commanding right and forbidding wrong is obligatory.

8 Innovations (bidʿa) in religion are rejected.

8 Major sects deviating from Sunni creed are in error.

9 Love for the Companions is obligatory.

9 Love for the Ahl al-Bayt is part of faith.

9 Prayer behind righteous or sinful imams is valid.

9 The Muslim’s blood, property, and honor are sacred.

9 Scholars are heirs of the prophets.

9 Seeking knowledge is a duty.

9 The Qurʾān is the primary source of law.

9 The Sunnah is authoritative and explanatory.

9 Qiyās (analogical reasoning) is valid in deriving rulings.

9 Ijtihād (independent reasoning) is required by qualified scholars.

10 Taqlīd (following scholars) is valid for laypeople.

Final Affirmations (101–103)

10 The Ashʿarī school is the sound framework of belief.

10 Sects deviating from Ahl al-Sunna wa’l-Jamāʿa are rejected.

10 Faith is trust in God’s mercy, fear of His punishment, and firm reliance upon Him.

Why This Work Matters

 Critical for defining Sunni identity across Egypt, Nubia, and the Timurid Empire.

 Bridges theology and political legitimacy.

 Preserves Ashʿarī orthodoxy in a practical, applied form.

 Remains part of the enduring intellectual heritage studied by Islamic scholars today

This commentary is not just a theological manual — it’s:

 A historical snapshot of medieval Sunni orthodoxy

 A bridge between scholarship and political power (notably under Timur)

 A key text preserving the intellectual heritage of the Ashʿarī school

 A reflection of the religious and cultural tensions of its time, showing how scholars balanced reason, revelation, and politics

This text is a jewel of Islamic intellectual history, reflecting:

 Scholarly rigor — preserving the core of Sunni orthodoxy.

 Political context — aligning religious identity with Timurid rule.

 Cultural depth — showing how Egyptian scholars contributed to shaping a vast, interconnected religious world.

 Enduring relevance — offering clear articulations of creed still studied today.

Al-Nūbī’s exposition is renowned for its clarity and depth, making complex theological concepts accessible to students and scholars alike. His work has been preserved in various manuscripts and has been referenced in academic discussions on Islamic theology.

For those interested in exploring this work:

• Online Access: The book is available for reading on QuranicThought.com.

• Printed Edition: A physical copy was published by Maktabat al-Ḥaramayn in Riyadh, encompassing 115 pages.

• Manuscript Collections: A manuscript of this commentary is housed in the National Library of Israel, dated 1302 AH (1885 CE), indicating its historical significance and preservation.

This commentary serves as a valuable resource for those studying classical Islamic theology, offering insights into the interpretation of foundational creedal texts.

https://www.quranicthought.com/ar/books/ضوء-اللآلي-في-شرح-بدء-الأمالي-لشهاب-الد/