Ahl al-Sunna: The Ash`aris

Publisher's summary

In an age in which intra-Muslim religious argumentation dominates, heterodox groups have tried and had great success in presenting their beliefs as normative Islam to the average lay Muslim. Unfortunately many of these beliefs are largely at odds with the classical articulations of Sunni orthodoxy throughout the ages.

This work, Ahl al-Sunna: The Ashʿaris, aims to remedy this problem. Drawing from the works of Islam’s greatest scholars through the centuries, Shaykh Hamad al-Sinan and Shaykh Fawzi al-ʿAnjari detail the genesis, rise, beliefs, and contributions of the Ashʿari school of theology, and address—in a refreshingly fair-minded and non-sectarian way—common misconceptions about the Ashʿari school and demonstrate how its rich religious discourse is firmly anchored in the Qurʾan, the Sunna, the way of the Companions, and sound reasoning.

"The book in front of us is a useful and blessed endeavor that clarifies what Shaykh al-Islam and Imam amongst the Imams, Abu al-Hasan al-Ashʿari, was upon: a creed free from anthropomorphism or negation of Allah’s attributes. His was indeed the creed of the pious predecessors [Salaf]. Through its compelling arguments, numerous scholarly quotes, and discussions by prominent scholars, Ahl al-Sunna: The Ashʿaris succeeds in its aim, and is added to the long list of works compiled by Hadith scholars and theologians who defended Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ashʿari, such as Ibn ʿAsakir’s Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari (Clarifying the Lie of the Calumniator), al-Bayhaqi’s declaration in the beginning of his compilation on belief entitled al-Iʿtiqad, and others… May Allah reward the two authors with goodness for their eagerness through this work to defend the tenets of faith upheld by the vast majority of Muslims." - Shaykh Husayn ʿAbd al-ʿAli

"Allah has guided these brothers in writing this book to clarify the truth and refute and expose falsehoods concerning the origin and creed of the Ashʿaris, clarifying to those who may not know about them, or only know of them through false information that has reached them." - Shaykh Hasan Hito