A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is a defence of the Ash’ari school of creed, by one of the foremost scholars of ahadits and fiqh , Shaykh Muhammad al-Hasan ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki ( r.a. ).   Shaykh Muhammad al-Hasan ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki ( r.a. ) said that Many Muslims are ignorant of the Ash’ari school, whom it represents, and its positions on the tenets of ‘aqidah , and yet some of them are not God-fearing enough to refrain from accusing it of deviance, departure from the religion of Islam, and heresy about the Attributes of Allah ( s.w.t. ).  The ignorance of the Ash’ari school is a cause of rendering the unity of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah dispersing its ranks.  Some have gone as far as to consider the Ash’ariyyah among the categories of heretical sects, though it is beyond me how believers can be linked with misbelievers, or how Sunni Muslims can be considered equal with the most extreme faction of the Mu’taziliyyah , the Jahmiyyah . ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Like the rest of Wahhabi innovators, Muhammad Naswir ad-Din al-Albani declared Ash’aris, Maturidis, and Sufis to be outside the fold of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah and even outside the fold of Islam, although Allah ( s.w.t. ) and His Prophet ( s.a.w. ) Praised them:   سُوۡرَةُ المَائدة يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَن يَرۡتَدَّ مِنكُمۡ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَسَوۡفَ يَأۡتِى ٱللَّهُ بِقَوۡمٍ۬ يُحِبُّہُمۡ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ ۥۤ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ يُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوۡمَةَ لَآٮِٕمٍ۬‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤۡتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٲسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ (٥٤)   O you who believe!   If any from among you turn back from his faith, soon will Allah Produce a people whom He will Love as they will love Him, ― lowly with the believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the Way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproaches of such as find fau...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Do all Muslims believe in an eternal hell?   If so, why would Allah ( s.w.t. ) sentence people to an infinite punishment for their finite deeds of not believing? ”   Many scholars, including Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) himself, say that there are those who are Sent to the Fire without hope of Salvation.   And there are opinions that state that the disbelievers, the hypocrites and the polytheists abide in forever.   There are verses in the Qur’an that may be read such. The word “ ila al-abad ” is translated as “forever”.   However, it may also be understood as a very long time, beyond human reckoning.   Also, we must also consider the following verses:   سُوۡرَةُ هُود فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ شَقُواْ فَفِى ٱلنَّارِ لَهُمۡ فِيہَا زَفِيرٌ۬ وَشَهِيقٌ (١٠٦) خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا مَا دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَب...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that the Speech of Allah ( s.w.t. ), is not heard. rather, what is heard is that which points to it.   Imam al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said al-masmu’ , that which is heard, only applies to that which connects with the sense of hearing; that which connects with it are the sounds that point to the Pre-Eternal Attribute.   As for the actual Pre-Eternal Attribute, both Imam al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) and Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) held that it has no connection with the senses and that the senses have no connection with it.   The disagreement is regarding whether a Pre-Eternal Attribute being heard or not.   For Imam al-Maturidi ( r.a. ), hearing is conditioned upon the connection of the senses, and for that reason he denied that Kalam Nafsi , Inner Speech, can be heard.   Imam al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) said that it is heard – as is well known ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that Allah ( s.w.t. ) Wills obedience or disobedience for all beings, be they essences or accidents, however; obedience occurs by Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Will and Decree, and His Pre-Ordainment and Predestination, Pleasure, Love and Command.  Disobedience occurs by Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Will and Decree, and His Predestination and Pre-Ordainment; not with His Pleasure, Love or Command.  In contrast, Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) said that Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Love and Pleasure are inclusive of all things just as His Will.   Shaykh Sa’id ‘Abd al-Lathif Fawdhah wrote, in Sharh Risalah al-Ikhtilaf bayn al-Asha’ira wa al-Maturidiyyah , “As for Imam al-Ash’ari, the ustadz reported that he believed that Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Love is inclusive of every accident, be it an act of obedience or an act of disobedience.  This general statement suggests that Allah...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that some of the rulings that relate to taklif , legal responsibility, are known by the intellect, because the intellect is a tool by which the goodness and evil of some things can be comprehended, and it is a tool by which the obligation of faith is comprehended, as well as the obligation of gratitude to the Giver of Bounties.  The One Who Makes this known and obligatory is Allah ( s.w.t. ), however; it is through the medium of the intellect; just as the Messenger ( s.a.w. ) made the obligations known and the One Who Made things obligatory is, in reality, Allah ( s.w.t. ), but it was through the medium of the Messenger ( s.a.w. ).  Imam al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said, “No one is excused by ignorance of his Creator, due to what he sees in Creation of the heavens and earth.”  He also said, “Had Allah ( s.w.t. ) not Sent a Messenger, still it would have been obligatory for Cr...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that the action of the servant is called an acquisition, and not creation; and that the Action of the Real is called Creation, and not acquisition – and both are inclusive of action.  Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) said that “action” denotes a Real Bringing into existence, and the acquisition of the servant is called “action” only figuratively.  It has been said, “That which is permissible for the All-Powerful to be singularly, is called Creation, and that which is impermissible for the All-Powerful to be described with is acquisition.  The gist of this disagreement is that Imam al-Ash’ari held that the word ‘action’ is literal when applied to Allah since He is the Doer, and is figurative when applied to the servant.  Imam al-Maturidi, on the other hand, held that the word ‘action’ is also literal when applied to the servants.”  This is...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that the Creator of the universe is described with wisdom, hikmah , whether that wisdom takes the meaning of knowledge, ‘ilm ; or the meaning of perfection or mastery, ihkam .  Imam al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that Allah ( s.w.t. ), is described with wisdom, and that wisdom is a description of Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Entity.  This refers either to the knowledge of the precise, or perfected actions, or it refers back to the Pre-Eternal Attribute of Takwin , Creation, that Imam al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) affirmed.  This means that mastery and precision are from the implications of Takwin .   Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) said that if wisdom takes the meaning of knowledge, then it is an Eternal Attribute that Subsists with Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Entity, and if it takes the meaning of perfection or mastery, then it is a contingent quality akin to Takwin , an...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Shibab ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hajr al-Haytsami ( r.a. ) wrote, in al-Fatawa al-Haditsiyyah , “The ‘man of bid’ah ’ means one whose beliefs differ from the Ahl as-Sunnah creed.  The Ahl as-Sunnah creed is the creed of Imam Abu Manswur al-Maturidi, and Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari, and those who followed them.  One who brings forth something which is not approved by Islam becomes a man of bid’ah .”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that it is rationally impermissible for disbelief to be pardoned.  Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) said that it is rationally permissible, but textually impermissible.  Imam al-Ash’ari’s ( r.a. ) view was based upon a rational judgement alone, whereas Imam al-Maturidi’s ( r.a. ) view was based on his understanding of Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Will.  Disbelief, here, refers to wilful rebellion against the Divine, in the presence of clear proof.  An example would be when Abu Lahab ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn ʿAbd al-Muththalib disregarded the various signs, and prophetic miracles, and persisted in his opposition to the prophetic mission.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that the wretched person could become felicitous, and the felicitous person could become wretched.   Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) said that there is no consideration given to either felicity, or wretchedness, except during the end, death, and the requital.   According to Imam al-Maturidi ( r.a. ), felicity is defined as Islam, and wretchedness is defined as disbelief.   According to Imam al-Ash’ari (r.a.), felicity is dying upon Islam, and wretchedness is dying upon disbelief. In summary, the difference between the Maturidi and the Ash’ari is when one has attained Salvation.   According to the Maturidi, Salvation or damnation swings upon our belief, and disbelief, every moment of our life.   According to the Ash’ari, there is no such state until the closing of the books of deeds, upon death.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Shihab ad-Din Ahmad ibn Ahmad al-Qaylubi ( r.a. ) said, “One who departs from what Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari and Abu Manswur al-Maturidi reported is not a Sunni.  These two followed the footprints of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), and his companions.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) believed that being Legally Ordered with that in which there is no capacity to endure is impermissible, whereas being Burdened with that which cannot be borne is permissible.  This meant that the principles of shari’ah precluded burdening anyone for something they had no capacity to fulfill, whereas it is possible that we are given challenges we cannot bear as an Exercise of Divine Sovereignty, so that we recognise Allah ( s.w.t. ), as the only Succour.   Thus, Imam al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) distinguished between being legally ordered, and being burdened.  According to Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ), both are permissible since the Ash’ari school of theology did not recognise the distinction.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that being male is a condition for prophethood, and consequently, it is impermissible for a woman to be a prophetess.  Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) said that being male is not a condition for it, and that being female does not negate it.  This is taken from Bidayah al-Kalam .   As can clearly be seen, there is no ijma’ , consensus, whether there is a possibility of female prophets.  There were as many scholars who believe there were, as those who believe there were not.  Yet, even in these discussions, none of these scholars doubted the Islam of each other over a mere difference of opinion on this matter.  It is the sign of ignorance of the religious sciences in this age, where we have Muslims who are willing to declare takfir on those who disagree.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said it is rationally, and textually impermissible, for the believers to abide eternally in the Hellfire, and for the disbelievers to abide in Paradise.  Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) said that it is rationally permissible, but textually impermissible.   These are legalistic positions based solely on reading the text, and not born out of gnosis.  It does not mean that they are wrong, since they are only quoting from their understanding of the text, out of wara’ , caution.  This is what needed to be told to the Muslims then, so that they would not take the religion, and the struggles of the pious, against kufr , bid’ah , and shirk , for granted.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The founder of the Ash’ariyyah school, Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ), was one of the first to study under, but then quit, the Mu’taziliyyah .  The Ash’ari came to comprise the largest Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah group, including among its ranks such great scholarly giants as Imam al-Haramayn Dhiya’ ad-Din ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Yusuf al-Juwayni ( r.a. ), Imam Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fath Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Karim ash-Shahrastani ( r.a. ), and Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali ( r.a. ).   Like the Mu’taziliyyah , the Ash’ariyyah held that the Divine Essence was Transcendent and repudiated anthropomorphism.  However, they understood the Qur’anic verses whose apparent sense could yield similarities between Allah ( s.w.t. ) and human beings to employ conventional Arabic figures or metaphors, without subjecting them to further speculative or abstracting interpretation.  Hafizh Khathib al-Baghdadi Ab...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Some people claim Allah ( s.w.t. ) is on the ‘Arsh , based on verses such as the following:   سُوۡرَةُ طٰه ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱسۡتَوَىٰ ( ٥ )   (Allah) Most Gracious is Firmly Established on the Throne (of Authority). (Surah ThaHa:5)   Imam Abu Manswur ‘Abd al-Qahir ibn Thahir al-Baghdadi ( r.a. ), in Uswul ad-Din , wrote, “The correct position according to us is the interpretation of the Throne in this verse to mean Sovereignty, as if He meant that Sovereignty has not been established for any but Him.  This interpretation is taken from the saying of the Arabs, ‘So-and-so’s throne has toppled,’ if he lost his power.”  He then cited three examples from poetry illustrating this.   He further said, about the characteristics of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah , in his al-Farq bayn al-Firaq , “The Ahl as-Sunnah are in consensus that Allah, the Flawless, the Exalted, is not bounded by location.”...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam al-Mayraqi al-Maliki ( r.a. ) said, in reference to Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ), “Abu al-Hasan was not the first to argue the theology of the people of the sunnah .  Rather he traverses an already established path and increased in its proofs and clarity.  He did not innovate a new position or school.  Is it not clear that the school of Madina claimed to follow the Maliki school and those of this school call themselves Maliki.  Malik, however, simply followed the example of the pious ancestors who came before him and he was strict in following them.  When his school increased in proofs and clarity, it became ascribed to him.  This is the same situation with the school of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari.  He did nothing but clarify the positions of the pious ancestors, and his writings scored them victory.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Taqi’ ad-Din Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Kafi’ as-Subki ( r.a. ) wrote, “Know that Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari did not innovate a position nor did he start a new school; rather, he restated the school of the pious ancestors, fighting for the cause that was the way of the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ).  Those who follow his way, do so in the sense that he gave a voice to the way of the pious ancestors and he established firm proofs and arguments for this voice.  Therefore, those who follow this system of proofs and arguments call themselves Ash’ariyyah .”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that Takwin , Creation, is an Eternal Attribute that Subsists with Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Being, as do all of His Attributes, and that it is distinct from that which is Brought into existence, mukawwan , and that it is linked with that which is Brought into existence in the world and every part of it from the time of its inception.  Just as Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Will is Eternal and linked with that which is Willed at the time of its existence, so too is His Eternal Omnipotence linked with that which is Decreed.   Shaykh Sa’id ibn ‘Abd al-Lathif Fawdhah ( r.a. ) wrote, in Sharh Risalah al-Ikhtilaf , “In other words, Takwin is a Pre-Eternal Attribute that Subsists with Allah and has a contingently effective lineage with that which is Brought into existence at the time it is Brought into being.  For this reason, the scholars say that Takwin is different from that which is Brou...