Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari facts for kids

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī (born around 874 CE, died 936 CE) was a very important Arab Muslim scholar. Many Sunni Muslims call him Imām al-Ashʿarī. He was a reformer and a theologian, known for starting the Ashʿarite school of Islamic theology. This school became a major way of understanding Islamic beliefs.

Al-Ashʿarī was famous for finding a middle ground between two main ways of thinking in Islamic theology at his time. One group, called the Muʿtazila, used a lot of rationalism (logic and reason) in their religious discussions. They believed that the Quran was "created" by God. The other group, called the Traditionalists or Muḥaddithīn, focused strictly on the literal meaning of the Quran and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad). They did not like using philosophy or kalām (dialectical theology) at all.

Al-Ashʿarī created a new path. He used both the sacred scriptures of Islam and logical reasoning. This helped explain ideas like God's attributes and human free will. His Ashʿarite school of thought eventually became the most common way of understanding theology for Sunni Muslims. However, Shīʿa Muslim scholars do not follow his ideas, as al-Ashʿarī also wrote against Shīʿīsm. He wrote over 90 books, but only a few have survived until today.

Al-Ashʿarī's Life Story

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī was born in Basra, a city in Iraq. He was a descendant of Abū Mūsa al-Ashʿarī, who was one of the closest companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. When he was young, al-Ashʿarī studied under al-Jubba'i, a famous teacher of Muʿtazilite theology and philosophy.

According to stories, al-Ashʿarī was a Muʿtazilite theologian until he was 40 years old. It is said that he saw the Prophet Muhammad in his dreams three times during the month of Ramadan. The first time, Muhammad told him to follow what was in the prophetic traditions. Al-Ashʿarī was confused because he had many arguments against these traditions.

Ten days later, he saw Muhammad again, who repeated that he should follow the ḥadīth. After this, al-Ashʿarī decided to stop using kalām (dialectical theology) and only follow the ḥadīth. On the 27th night of Ramaḍān, he saw Muhammad one last time. Muhammad told him that he hadn't asked him to stop using kalām, but only to support the traditions. After this, al-Ashʿarī began to strongly support the authority of the ḥadīth reports. He found new ways to prove them that he said he had never read before.

After these experiences, he left the Muʿtazilite school. He became one of their strongest opponents. He used the philosophical methods he had learned from them to argue against their ideas. Al-Ashʿarī spent the rest of his life developing his own views and writing arguments against his former Muʿtazilite teachers. He wrote more than 90 books, and many of them are still available today.

His Main Ideas

After leaving the Muʿtazila school, al-Ashʿarī joined the side of traditionalist thinkers. He then developed the theology for Sunni Muslims using Kalam (dialectical theology). Many important Sunni scholars followed his path, especially those from the Shafi'i school of law. Famous scholars like Abu Bakr Al-Baqillani and Al-Ghazali were among his followers. Because of this, al-Ashʿarī's school, along with the Maturidi school, became the main ways to understand Sunni beliefs.

Al-Ashʿarī believed that a Muslim should not be called an unbeliever just because they commit a sin, even a big one like drinking wine or stealing. This was different from the Khawarij group, who had stricter views. Al-Ashʿarī also thought it was wrong to violently oppose a leader, even if the leader did not follow religious laws.

Much of al-Ashʿarī's work was spent arguing against the Muʿtazila school. He disagreed with them for believing that the Quran was created. He also disagreed with their idea that people do deeds completely on their own. Al-Ashʿarī also argued against the Muʿtazili school for denying that Allah (God) can hear, see, and speak. Al-Ashʿarī confirmed that Allah has these qualities, but explained that they are very different from how humans hear, see, or speak.

His Lasting Impact

The Islamic scholar Shah Waliullah (who lived in the 1700s) said that a Mujaddid (a great reformer who renews Islam) appears at the end of every century. He listed al-Ashʿarī as the Mujaddid of the third century.

Other important scholars before Shah Waliullah also had good opinions of al-Ashʿarī and his work. These included Qadi Iyad and Taj al-Din al-Subki.

According to scholar Jonathan A.C. Brown, the Ash'ari school is often called the "Sunni orthodoxy" (the main accepted belief). However, he notes that the original ahl al-hadith (people of tradition) — the early Sunni belief from which Ash'arism grew — has also continued to exist as another accepted Sunni belief, especially in the form of the Hanbali school.

His Writings

The scholar Ibn Furak said that Abū al-Hasan al-Ashʿarī wrote 300 books, while another biographer, Ibn Khallikan, said 55. Ibn Asāker listed the titles of 93 of them. However, only a few of these books, mainly about different Islamic groups and theology, have survived. The three most important ones are:

• Maqalat al-Islamiyyin wa Ikhtilfa al-Musallin ("The Discourses of the Proponents of Islam and the Differences Among the Worshippers"): This book is like an encyclopedia of different Islamic groups and their ideas. It also looks at problems in kalām (scholastic theology) and discusses the Names and Attributes of Allah. Most of this book seems to have been finished before he left the Muʿtazilite group.
• Al-Luma`: This is a shorter book. Its full title is Al-Luma` fi-r-Radd `ala Ahl al-Zaygh wa al-Bida` ("The Sparks: A Refutation of Heretics and Innovators").
• Kitāb al-ibāna 'an usūl al-diyāna: This book explains the basic principles of religion. However, some scholars have debated whether this book was truly written by al-Ashʿarī.

See Also

In Spanish: Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari para niños

• Ash'ari
• Abu Musa al-Ash'ari
• Ibn Kullab
• Al-Tahawi
• Abu Mansur al-Maturidi
• Abu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi
• List of Ash'aris and Maturidis
• List of Muslim theologians
• List of Muslim comparative religionists
• 2016 international conference on Sunni Islam in Grozny

Early Islam scholars

Images for kids

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  A drawing of Baghdad from 1808. Al-Ashʿarī lived in this city in the 900s.