Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (; 874âÂÂ936 CE) was an Arab Muslim theologian known for being the eponymous founder of the Ash'ari school of kalam in Sunni Islam.
Al-Ash'ari was notable for taking an intermediary position between the two diametrically opposed schools of Islamic theology prevalent at the time: Atharism and Mu'tazilism. He primarily opposed the Mu'tazili theologians on God's eternal attributes and Quranic createdness. On the other hand, the Hanbalis and traditionists were opposed to the use of philosophy or speculative theology, and condemned any theological debate altogether.
Al-Ash'ari established a middle way between the doctrines of the aforementioned schools, based both on theological rationalism (kalam) and the interpretation of the Quran and Sunna. His school eventually became the predominant school of theological thought within Sunni Islam. By contrast, Shia Muslims do not accept his theological beliefs, as his works also involved refuting Shia Islam.
Abà « al-Ḥasan al-Ashÿarë was born in Basra, Iraq, and was a descendant of Abà « Mà «sa al-Ashÿarë, who belonged to the first generation of Muhammad's closest companions (á¹£aḥÃÂba). As a young man he studied under al-Jubba'i, a renowned teacher of Muÿtazilite theology and philosophy.
According to the traditional account, al-Ashÿarë remained a Muÿtazilite theologian until his 40th year, when he allegedly saw the Islamic prophet Muhammad in his dreams three times during the month of Ramaá¸ÂÃÂn. The first time, Muhammad told him to support what was narrated from himself, that is, the prophetic traditions (ḥadëth). Al-Ashÿarë became worried, as he had numerous strong proofs contradictory to the prophetic traditions. After 10 days, he saw Muhammad again: Muhammad reiterated that he should support the ḥadëth. Subsequently, al-Ashÿarë forsook kalÃÂm (dialectical theology) and started following the ḥadëth alone. On the 27th night of Ramaá¸ÂÃÂn, he saw Muhammad for the last time. Muhammad told him that he had not commanded him to forsake kalÃÂm, but only to support the traditions narrated from himself. Thereupon, al-Ashÿarë started to advocate in favor of the authority of the ḥadëth reports, finding proofs for these that he said he had not read in any books.
After this experience, he left the Muÿtazilite school and became one of its most distinguished opponents, using the philosophical methods he had learned from them in order to refute their theological doctrine. Then, al-Ashÿarë spent the remaining years of his life engaged in developing his views and in composing polemics and arguments against his former Muÿtazilite colleagues. Al-Ashÿarë wrote more than 90 works during his lifetime, little of which have survived to the present day.
After leaving the Muÿtazila school, and joining the side of traditionalist theologians al-Ash'ari formulated the theology of Sunni Islam through Kalam and the usage of the Qur'an and Sunnah, following in the footsteps of Ibn Kullab and confirming the methods of other traditionalists such as Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal a century earlier. He was followed in this by a large number of distinguished scholars of Sunni Islam, many of whom belonged to the Shafi'i school of law. The most famous of these are , al-Baqillani, al-Juwayni, al-Nawawi, al-Ghazali and al-Razi. Thus Al-Ash'ari's school became, together with the Maturidi, the main schools reflecting the beliefs of the Sunnah. He is also known to have directly taught the Sufi Ibn Khafif.
In line with Sunni tradition (Ahl us-Sunnah wal JamaâÂÂah), al-Ash'ari held the view that a Muslim should not be considered an unbeliever on account of a sin even if it were an enormity such as drinking wine or theft. This opposed the position held by the Khawarij. Al-Ash'ari also believed it impermissible to violently oppose a leader even if he were openly disobedient to the commands of the sacred law.
Al-Ash'ari spent much of his works opposing the views of the Muÿtazila school. In particular, he rebutted them for believing that the Qur'an was created and that deeds are done by people of their own accord through their direct creation of them. He also rebutted the Muÿtazili school for denying that Allah can hear, see and has speech. Al-AshâÂÂari confirmed all these attributes stating that they differ from the hearing, seeing and speech of the creation.
He was also noted for his teachings on atomism.
The 18th century Islamic scholar Shah Waliullah stated:
Earlier major scholars also held positive views of al-Ash'ari and his efforts, among them Qadi Iyad and Taj al-Din al-Subki.
According to scholar Jonathan A.C. Brown, although "the Ash'ari school of theology is often called the Sunni 'orthodoxy,' "the original Ahl al-Hadith, early Sunni creed from which Ash'arism evolved has continued to thrive alongside it as a rival Sunni 'orthodoxy' as well." According to Brown this competing orthodoxy exists in the form of the "Hanbali über-Sunni orthodoxy".
The Ash'ari scholar Ibn Furak numbers Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari's works at 300, and the biographer Ibn Khallikan at 55; Ibn AsÃÂker gives the titles of 93 of them, but only a handful of these works, in the fields of heresiography and theology, have survived. The five main ones are:
Early Islam scholars