How to refute those who say that most of the ’Ulama were ’Ash’aris

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Shaykh Mashhoor bin Hasan Aal Salmaan

(hafidhahullaah)
ON HOW TO REFUTE THOSE WHO SAY THAT MOST OF
THE ’ULAMA OF THE UMMAH WERE ’ASH’AREES1

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Question:

How do we respond to those who say that most of the ’Ulama of the Ummah were
’Ashaa’irah and that the four Imams were ’Ashar’irah, and use this as a proof that the
’Ash’aree creed is the true (Islamic) creed?

Answer:

To say that the four Imams were ’Ash’arees is a mistake! Abu’l-Hasan al-’Ash’aree came after the
Fourth Islamic Century so how can the Imams be followers of him?! Abu’l-Hasan al-’Ash’aree
was after the four Imams! So how can the Imams be ’Ash’arees?! This is incorrect, the four
Imams had a Salafi ’aqeedah, Imam Aboo Haneefah, Imam Maalik, Imaam Shaafi’ee and Imaam
Ahmad, as Imaam adh-Dhahabee mentioned in his book al-’Uluww and also Imam Ibn ul-
Qayyim in his book Ijtimaa’ Juyoosh al-Islaamiyyah – mention the creed of those (four Imams) in
regards to Allaah’s ’Uluww over His creation and in regards to affirming Allaah’s Attributes. They
also mention their creed and likewise the creed of the Companions and the Successors
(Taabi’een), so far from it that the Imams that they be upon other than this. To say that the four
Imams were ’Ashaa’irah is like if someone today was asked “who studied with you?” and he
says “Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalaanee”! How could this be possible when Ibn Hajar died in 852 AH!

One of those who spread the ’Ash’aree creed was Abu’l-Waleed al-Baajee2, especially among
the Maalikees. He also had regular debates with Ibn Hazm, Abu’l-Waleed al-Baajee was also

1 From the Shaykh’s Saheeh Muslim lesson dated 29/11/08 CE: http://www.mashhoor.net/

2 Al-Baajee was born in Badjos (Batalywas) in Muslim Spain in 403 AH/1012 CE but then his family moved to
Beja hence his nisba ‘al-Baajee.’ He died in 494 AH/1101 CE. He was a scholar of fiqh and was well versed in the
Mâlikî madhab, he was also a judge and wrote books concerning fiqh, tafsîr, hadîth, ‘ilm ur-Rijâl and poetry. He
had many disagreements with Ibn Hazm and some of al-Baajee’s students went on to become jurists themselves,
such as Aboo Bakr at-Tartooshee who settled and died in Alexandria, Egypt. [TN]

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supported by one of the rulers of his time over Ibn Hazm.3 The voice of the Sunnah and the
voice of evidence was silenced (due to al-Baajee’s support for the ’Ash’aree creed) and this
became the reference point for the Maalikees as Abu’l-Waleed was enthusiastic in his support for
the ’Ash’aree creed. Thus, the ’Ash’aree creed became the reference point for the later Maalikee
scholars in particular except for when many other serious Maalikee Imaams arrived with Ibn
’AbdulBarr taking the lead. This is evident in volume 7 of Ibn ’AbdulBarr’s at-Tamheed printed by
the Ministry of Awqaaf in Morocco,4 because he strongly supported the Salafi ’aqeedah. Imaam al-
Qurtubee mentions in his Tadhkirah that he meet a judge who denied Allaah’s ’Uluww over His
creation and Imaam al-Qurtubee became angered at this. Al-Qurtubee says that he read to the
judge part of at-Tamheed from Ibn ’AbdulBarr as within it contains an affirmation of Allaah’s
’Uluww over the creation.

Unfortunately, the one who was responsible for printing the first edition of at-Tamheed by Ibn
’AbdulBarr in Morocco was ’Abdul’Azeez al-Ghumaaree the biased partisan of the ’Ash’arees. As
a result he distorted and commented upon this in a way which contradicts the ’aqeedah of Ibn
’AbdulBarr, his commentaries therefore have to be explained in a small treatise in order to
caution against such commentaries from al-Ghumaaree in this regard. I have a small treatise
which explain the creed of these scholars (who had Salafi ’aqeedah including) Aboo ’Umar at-
Talamankee5 and Aboo ’Amr ad-Daanee6 and many other great scholars. However, most of the

3 Al-Baajee had Ibn Hazm expelled to Majorca. There is a complete book on these debates between al-Baajee and
Ibn Hazm by Abdul-Majeed at-Turkee entitled Munadharaat fee Usool ash-Sharee’ah Bayna Ibn Hazm wa’l-
Baajee (Beirut: Daar ul-Gharb al-Islaamee, 1986 CE). Also Mustafa al-Wadifee, al-Munaadharah fee Usool it-
Tashree’ al-Islaamee: Darasaat fi’t-Tanaazur Bayna Ibn Hazm wa’l-Baajee (Rabat: Wizaarat Awqaaf wa’sh-
Shu’oon al-Islaamee, 1998 CE). Abu’l’Abbaas Ahmad bin Muhammad al-Maqqaaree at-Tilmisaanee (d.1632 CE)
of Algeria in his Kitaab Nafth ut-Teeb, Muhammad ’Abdul-Hameed (ed.), (Cairo: 1949 CE), vol.1, p.505 also
mentions these debates between the two. Also see edition of Nafth ut-Teeb by Ihsaan ’Abbaas (Beirut: Daar us-
Saadir, 1968 CE), vol.1, p.358. [TN]

4 Editions of this have been by:

9Mustafa bin Ahmad al-’Alawee and Muhammad ’AbdulKabeer al-Bakree (eds.), Morocco: Wizaarat
’Umoom Awqaaf wa’sh-Shu’oon al-Islamiyyah, 1397 AH.

9Muhammad ’AbdulQaadir ’At’aa (ed.), Beirut: Daar Kutub al-’Alamiyyah, 1999 CE

9Muhammad Bookhabzah and Sa’eed Ahmad A’raab (eds.), Morocco: Wizaarat Awqaaf wa’sh-Shu’oon al-
Islamiyyah, 1402 AH. [TN]

5 Died in 339-429 AH, was born in Talamanca in Spain and he is the author of al-Wusool ila Ma’rifat Usool [TN]

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Maalikees are ’Ash’arees but we are not able to say that all of the Maalikee scholars are ’Ash’arees.
As for saying that all of the Maalikee scholars are ’Ash’arees then that is an error and we explained
in a previous lesson solely on this subject that Imaam an-Nawawee for example retracted from
his ’Ash’arism and he died upon the correct ’aqeedah and authored a book on the issue of kalaam
a month before his death wherein he supports the true creed and Allaah knows best.

6 Aboo ’Amr ’Uthmaan bin Sa’eed ad-Daanee al-Andaloosee (d.444 AH/1053 CE), was born in Dania in Spain and
authored Kitaab ut-Tayseer fi’l-Qira’aat, al-Muhkam fee Naqt il-Masaahif, al-Bayaan and as-Sunan al-
Waaridah fi’l-Fitan. [TN]

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