Acquiring knowledge from the Ash'aris
Q: Is it
permissible to study fiqh or 'uloom al-hadeeth (sciences of
hadeeth) with an Ash'ari individual?.
A:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Ash'aris are a sect that is named after Imam Abu'l-Hasan
al-Ash'ari (may Allaah have mercy on him). Al-Ash'ari passed
through three stages - as mentioned by Ibn Taymiyah in (Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 4/72) - which
may be summed up as follows: a Mu'tazili stage; then following Ibn
Kilaab; then following Ahl al-Sunnah, chiefly Imam Ahmad ibn
Hanbal. Al-Ash'ari clearly stated his final position in his three
books: Risaalah ila Ahl al-Thaghr, Maqaalaat al-Islaamiyyeen, and
al-Ibaanah. Whoever follows al-Ash'ari at this stage is in
accordance with Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah in most issues. Whoever
follows his path at the second stage is going against al-Ash'ari
himself, and is going against Ahl al-Sunnah in many issues.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said in
(al-Fataawa, 3/338):
"Those later scholars who called themselves after Abu'l-Hasan
al-Ash'ari were following the second of his stages of 'aqeedah.
They followed the method of misinterpreting most of the divine
attributes, and this only affirmed the seven attributes mentioned
in the following line of verse:
"Ever-Living, All-Knowing, Able (to do all things), He speaks, He
wills, He hears and He sees."
They also differed with Ahl al-Sunnah as to how these attributes
are to be understood.
The Standing Committee issued a fatwa
(no. 6606, vol. 3/220):
The Ash'aris are not kuffaar, rather they erred in their
interpretation of some of the Divine attributes.
Based on this, it is better for a Muslim to study Islamic knowledge
and sharee'ah only with scholars who are well known for their
knowledge and sound belief ('aqeedah), and to keep away from those
who follow bid'ah and go against Ahl al-Sunnah, including the
Ash'aris. This is something that is easy to do - praise be to
Allaah - because the means of learning have become readily
available to all people. The knowledge of the scholars of Ahl
al-Sunnah is available through many means such as Islamic tapes,
books, and leaflets; there are Islamic bulletin boards and sites on
the internet, and many easy ways of accessing knowledge - praise be
to Allaah.
O Allaah, teach us that which will benefit us, benefit us by that
which we learn and increase us in knowledge.
For more information see Question no. 10693.
And Allaah knows best.
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