Page 61 - The Importance of the Ahl Al-Sunnah

ADNAN OKTAR

The Ash`ariyyah School
Abu al-Hasan al-Ash`ari, the founder of this school, was
born in Basra in 260 AH. He studied with Abu `Ali al-Jubba'i, a
Mu’tazili scholar, until he was forty years old.
Imam al-Ash’ari wrote several books aimed at Mu’tazilah,
who were Ahl al-Bid`ah (people of [un-Islamic] innovation),
philosophers, naturalists, atheists, Jews, and Christians. The
first two of his works that come to mind are the Risalat al-Iman
and the Maqalat al-Islamiyyin. Some twenty of his works have
come down to us. It is said that he performed the morning
prayer for twenty years while in the same state of ablution
with which he had performed the night prayer. He died in
Baghdad in 324 AH.
Some members of the Shafi`i and Maliki schools of thought
are linked to the Ash`ariyyah in terms of creed. The
Ash’ariyyah school is widely accepted, especially in Iraq, Syria,
and Egypt.
The views of Imam al-Ash`ari are very important in forming
the Ahl al-Sunnah’s creed. Apart from the subject of free will,
there was no great difference of opinion with al-Maturidi.
Some of al-Ash`ari’s tenets are as follows:
- The reckoning in the grave (adhab al-qadr), the gathering of
humanity on the Day of Resurrection (hashr), and as-sirat
(bridge) and al-mizan (just balance) are true. The Qur’an is a
miracle in terms of its literary style. No one can compose an
equivalent document.
- It is essential that a prophet perform miracles. The Awliya’
can also exhibit wonders (karamah). Prophets perform their
miracles to prove their prophethood. A wali, on the other hand,
must not attain superiority and must conceal his karamah.

59