A Series of Sacred Books Ash’ari Texts

Description

The Ash’ari school of Islamic jurisprudence considers itself part of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah (Sunni Muslims). It was founded by Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari, who was known as the Imam of the People of Truth, the Sheikh of Islam and the Muslims, and the Reviver of the Third Century. He was a theologian, philosopher, exegete, and jurist. He combined the schools of thought of the People of Reason and the People of Hadith. The Ash’aris maintain that they do not contradict the consensus of the four Imams, nor do they declare any Muslim to be an unbeliever. They consider themselves to have a middle path between those who advocate absolute rationalism and those who rigidly adhere to the literal meaning of the text. In contrast, most Sunnis believe that Imam al-Ash’ari recanted all the ideas that contradicted their beliefs. They also argue that most later Ash’aris do not follow his school of thought because they rely on allegorical interpretation and deny the attributes of God. Many imams after al-Ash’ari embraced his school, expanding upon its arguments and advocating adherence only to the conclusions, not the premises.