What is the meaning of “the text of ‘aqeedah”?

Al-matn (text) in Arabic
means the back. In Islamic terminology it refers to the contents of a book,
such as the text of Saheeh al-Bukhaari or the text of Zaad
al-Mustaqni’. 

The scholars usually use
this word to refer to brief books that are in circulation among the scholars
and seekers of knowledge in a particular field of knowledge. For example, in
the case of ‘aqeedah (tenets of faith), they may say Matn al-Waasitiyyah,
referring to the brief book on ‘aqeedah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah,
which is called al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah. Similarly, Matn
al-Tahhaawiyyah refers to a brief book on ‘aqeedah by Imam al-Tahhaawi. 

Usually what is meant by
the word matn (text) is to distinguish the book from its commentary. For
example they may say Matn al-Tahhaawiyyah to distinguish it from
Sharh al-Tahhaawiyyah (the commentary on al-Tahhaawiyyah), which
is another book in which Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz al-Hanafi commented on the original
short book, al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah. 

Mutoon (pl. of matn) or
texts are usually short but contain many meanings and important principles
of knowledge which are written about in brief terms to make it easy to
memorize them and focus on issues of knowledge. Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad said: Words may be made brief
in order to memorize them and made long in order to understand. Khalq
Af’aal al-‘Ibaad, no. 244. 

And Allaah knows best.