# Al-Muhannad ala al-Mufannad

Al-Muhannad 'ala al-Mufannad (Arabic: المهند على المفند, lit. 'The Sword on the Disproved'), also known as al-Tasdiqat li-Daf' al-Talbisat (Arabic: التصديقات لدفع التلبيسات, lit. 'Endorsements Repelling Deceits'), was subsequently published in Urdu as 'Aqa'id 'Ulama' Ahl al-Sunna Deoband (The Beliefs of the Sunni Scholars of Deoband) is a book that expresses some of the beliefs held by the Sunni Hanafi Deobandis. It was authored by the Indian Hanafi-Maturidi hadith scholar and Sufi master Khalil Ahmad al-Saharanpuri in 1907, who wrote a commentary on Sunan Abi Dawud, entitled Badhl al-Majhud.
The book is not an independent book on creed, but rather a compilation of questions and answers which were asked by the Arab scholars at that time. These questions were sent to the Deobandi scholars by Husain Ahmad al-Madani, who was living in Medina, so Saharanpuri responded and answered them, and then these questions and answers were compiled into a book and were printed under the name of al-Muhannad 'ala al-Mufannad. Since most of these questions were related to beliefs, and in the correct jargon, were related to the branches which pertain to beliefs and the science of Kalam, it became published under the title of Mabahith fi 'Aqa'id Ahl al-Sunna (Arabic: مباحث في عقائد أهل السنة, lit. 'Discussions in the Beliefs of the People of Sunna').

## Summary

The text succinctly summarizes Deobandi perspectives on a range of controversial issues, such as: the ruling on Wahhabis, the ruling on celebrating Prophet Muhammad's birth (al-Mawlid al-Nabawi), whether the Deobandis believe it commendable to visit the Prophet Muhammad's grave (they do, according to Saharanpuri), whether intercession through the Prophet or saints is permissible (it is, so long as one understands the power to intercede comes from God), whether the Prophet is living in his grave (he is), whether it is permissible to send salutations to the Prophet (it is), whether any part of creation is better than the Prophet (it is not), whether the Prophet is the Seal of the Prophets (he is), and the possibility of the occurrence of lying or reneging on a promise, among other topics and issues that were raised by various sects of Islam towards Deobandi scholars.

## Publication history

According to Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, the book first appeared in the 1325 Hijri year.

### Revised Arabic edition

The edited version of al-Muhannad ala al-Mufannad by Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, entitled Mabahith fi Aqa’id Ahl al-Sunna al-Musamma al-Muhannad ala al-Mufannad was first published in Arabic in 2004 in Amman (Jordon) by Dar al-Fath for Research and Publishing and copies of it are available in bookshops in many Arab counties such as Syria, Jordon, UAE, Yemen and Egypt.

### Pashto edition

The book was translated into Pashto by Habib al-Rahman Habibi.

### Persian edition

The book was translated into Persian by Abd al-Rahman Sarbazi, an Iranian Sunni Hanafi scholar, and published in 2015 in Mashhad.

## Quotes

Here are some quotations from the book:

### Issue of the possibility of lying
## Reception

The book has been described by Muhammad Ali Jalandhari (1895–1971) as “the ‘official spokesperson’ (sarkari tarjuman) for the maslak (track) of Deoband, to accept which is to be Deobandi, and to deviate from which is to depart from the maslak of Deoband.”
Qadi Mazhar Husayn (1914–2004) said: “Al-Muhannad is, as it were, a unanimous historical document of the senior scholars (akabir) of Deoband that has preserved the maslak of Deoband in terms of its principles.”
Muhammad Yusuf Ludhianvi (1932–2000) said, as mentioned in Fatawa Bayyinat (Urdu: فتاوى بينات):
   The first phase is that of Hadrat Nanautawi, Hadrat Gangohi, Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ya'qub Nanautawi (Allah have mercy on them) and their contemporaries.
   The second phase is that of the students of these Akābir, amongst whom Shaykh al-Hind (the Shaykh of India), Hadrat Mawlana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, Hadrat Hakim al-Ummat Tahanwi (Allah have mercy on them) and other Akābir are included.
   The third phase is that of their students, amongst whom Hadrat Mawlana Anwar Shah Kashmiri, Mawlana Sayyid Husayn Ahmad Madani, Hadrat Mawlana Shabbir Ahmad 'Usmani (Allah have mercy on them) and others are included.
   The fourth phase is that of their students amongst whom Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf Banuri, Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Shafi' Sahib (Allah have mercy on them) and their contemporary Akābir are included.
Several prominent scholars praised the book, including Mahmud Hasan Deobandi, Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Muhammad Shafi' Deobandi, Muhammad Yousuf Banuri, Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi, Zafar Ahmad Usmani, Mahmud Ashraf 'Usmani, and Selim al-Bishri [ar] (chief Maliki mufti and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar), and others.