Imam Abul Hasan Ashari approach in aqeedah & Muatazellah problem

After Imam Ahmad Ibne Hanbal death Muatazell again surfaced with some other issues and this time with much logical and philosphical preparation. 

Then Imam Abul Hasan Ashari led the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat to end this fitna finally.
 

To deal with the Fitna Imam Abul Hasan Ashari used a two  way approach.

First Part of his approach

1.    He Emphasised that muslim should know and believe the aqeeda as detailed in quran and Ahadith as explained by sahaba and great scholars and Imams of first few generation of muslim

2. No philosophical and interpretational approach (Taweel is commonly used word for this among scholar) will be applied to explain it.

2.  Second part of his approach

To counter the philosophical explanation and approach of misled group like Muatazila, al-Mujassamah etc the philosophical and interpretaional approach should be applied. Because each subject has its own words and language. By the help and bounty of Allah He proved through words ,language of Logic and philosophy  also that Quranic Ayats and Ahadith explaining Aqeeda are correct in their meaning. 

He established the supremacy of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat over all other groups who were claiming themselves as Ratioal,logical and philosophical.

         By the help of Allah He not only deafted and chased away the groups of Deviated Aqeeda ,He also saved Ummat from a big catastroph.

Abul Hasan Ashari was not an advocator of interpretational approach.He brought these philosophical and logical approach to deal with the specific situation.(Out of necessity).
 You can understand it by this incidence

“One of his student Abu Abdullah bin Khafeef asked Imam Abul Hasan Ashari that I could not understand one point why you remain silent initially and give time to Muatazelli.You are of such capability that you can start the debate and then you can defeat them.Imam Ashari replied “I donot like to utter these sentences and points by my own tongue but once it is utterd by anyone then to counter it and to prove it as wrong becomes duty of people with right path” (Tabeen e kizbul muftari page 95,Tareekhe dawat o Azeemat Vol.1 page 107).

With this it is clear that he used these Interpretational approach to deal with the misled group only.

He himself written his position on Aqeeda in his book in these words

“My Aqeeda on which I am is to hold Quran Majeed And Sunnat Rasool with firm Hand and to accept and comply from scholars and Hadeeth only,I am firm on this Maslak, and I am adherent and follower of Imam Ahmad Ibne Hanbal (May Allah increase his level in Akhrat and give him the best reward).Whosoever is away from his Maslak I am away from him. Because he was such a Great Scholer and complete leader  and Allah clarified the right through him and weaned the wrong on his hand.Allah glorified the Sirate Mustaqeem and downed the Ahle Bidat ,and the spoiler,and those who create confusion on the hand of Imam Ahmad Ibne Hanbal.May Allah bless his mercy on the great Imam”

Imam Abul Hasan Ashari thought 

           
           1.He was of the view that source of Aqeeda is only Quran and Sunnat and explanation of Salfussalihin.

         2. But as under the influence of Greek philosophy issue is already burning and as philosophy is based on some hypothetical man made terms that is obviously not in quran and hadeeth, to remain silent at this juncture only because that these term are not in quran and hadith is a grave mistake.

        3.This silence will undermine the superiority of Quran and Sunnat and to intellectual class (muslims & Nonmuslims) it will be considered as weakness. (Nauzubillah).

       4. Already muslim youth mind and a good number of intellectual and kings were under influence and supremacy of the greek philosophy.

         5. So to counter them and to support the Aqeeda of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ther is no harm in using logic and philosophical approach/hypothetical philosophical words prevailing at that time. He considered it not only necessary rather Jihad of that time.

          6. He was of the view that sahaba did not used these words because they did not faced the situation.

       7. In making Ta'weel,(Interpretational approach) he did not intend to oppose the Salaf, but to oppose the misled groups. He has stated if he was in the era of the Salaf, he would not have made any Ta'weel.

ALLAH MADE HIM SUCCESSFUL IN HIS EN DEVOUR 

 
    1.    He became successful in stopping the flood of Muatazellah, and leashed a fresh blood in muslim Ummah and gave  confidence to Ahle Sunnat to counter any further intellectual assault on the Aqeeda of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat.  

2. And he finished the job he undertook for saving ummat Aqeedah  in the best possible manner.

3.Apart from verbal argument with Muatazellah he has written so many books also to neate the Aqeeda of naturist,atheist and other non believers. Some people has counted number of his books as 300 hundred.(Ref Tabeene kizbul Muftari).

Thats why he is regarded as Imam Of Ahle Sunnat.He has been described by Shah waliullah (R.A) as the Mujaddid of 3^RD Century Hijri.He died in 324 Hijri and on his death it was announced that today Nasir e Sunnat has died.(From Saviors of Islamic sprit in short and after editing)

 May Allah give him best reward.

ABUL HASAN ASHARI LIFE AND WORK

Imam Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy was born in the year 260AH after the Emigration (Hijrah)  and lived most of his life before that, so he belongs to the people of the Salaf.

HIS LIFE itself was a Sign of Allah POWER 

HE first became a Muatazelli and was emerging as the front leader of deviated Muatazella school of thought.

But ALLAH decides Something else. It is the power of Allah that he didnot bring anyone else to counter MUATAZALLAH rather HE CHANGED THE heart of ABUL HASAN ASHARI and took the WORK OF saving of Aqeedah of Ahle sunnat Wal Jamaat from him.

Once ALLAH CHANGED HIS HEART HE went to Mosque ON FRIDAY and announced.

ALL THOSE WHO KNOW ME And those who donot know Let now know that I was Muatezelli,BUT FROM NOW ONWARDS I will be Ahle sunnat Wal Jamaat and will strive for the supermacy of Quran and sunnah.

(Taken from Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi book SAVIORS OF ISLAMIC SPRIT VOL 1)

THE DETAIL IS BELOW

he became a student of al-Jubba’iyy, one of the leaders of the faction of the Mu^tazilah, and associated with him for a period of time. Although Al-Jubba’iyy was well-known and famous among the Mu^tazilah,

Ibnu ^Asakir  narrated that Imam Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy saw the Prophet in a dream ordering him to support the school of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama^ah.

In his dream,

(it is history you may accept the dream or may not,DONT FIGHT ON THAT ISSUE ...............

 BUT THE FINAL RESULT IS  100%  TRUTH THAT ALLAH UTILISED HIM FOR THE 

SUPERMACY OF AHLE SUNNAT WAL JAMAAT AND for the defeat of deviated Muatazella group

Abul-Hasan asked the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), "How should I do that? How should I back the school of Ahl us-Sunnah when I have spent so many years associating with the school of the Mu^tazilah?"

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told him: "If I did not know that Allah would support you with a special support enabling you success in this matter, I would teach you myself and detail for you every single aspect of how to do it."

 Later, Imam Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy said, "I would be present in a session debating opponents, those who oppose Ahl us-Sunnah, and a case I had not heard the answer to would arise. All of a sudden, the perfect answer would be clear in my mind, and I would use it to discredit those people. I knew this was Allah’s special support the Prophet informed me about."

After he saw that dream, Imam Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy publicly declared he was clear of the school of the Mu^tazilah, and that he was following Ahl us-Sunnah. It was mentioned he climbed to the top of the mimbar in the mosque one Friday and declared he was clear of the school of the Mu^tazilah and committed himself to refute them and expose their falsehood.

From then on, he worked diligently to spread the school of Ahl us-Sunnah by producing the crystal clear textual and intellectual proofs in support of their methodology. He authored new books refuting books he had authored previously when he was still following the Mu^tazilah. For each book he authored while he was with the Mu^tazilah, he authored a refutation from the school of Ahl us-Sunnah.

The Faqih,

Abu Bakr as-Sayrafiyy, said: "The Mu^tazilah had raised their heads up high until al-Ash^ariyy stood up against them and trapped them in the most tiny corner."

The Hafidh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadiyy in Tarikh Baghdad said: "Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy is one who defended the creed and one who authored books and works refuting the atheists and others among the Mu^tazilah, Jahmiyyah, Khawarij, and all other innovators of misguidance."

Shamsud-Din Ibn Khillikan in his book, Al-A^yan, said: "Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy is the forefather in explaining the essentials of the belief, the one who supported the school of Ahl us-Sunnah; the Ash^ariyysare named in reference to him, and his fame is beyond lengthy description."

Imam Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy was astonishing in his ability to produce the proofs to discredit the innovators of misguidance.

Abu Sahl as-Su^lukiyy, who was among the great scholars and God-fearing people said:

"We attended a debate between Imam al-Ash^ariyy and some of the heads of the Mu^tazilah at the house of a prominent man in al-Basrah. Imam al-Ash^ariyy debated them all and defeated every one of them! He dealt with them one by one until he silenced each one of them. After that, they agreed on another session of debate. When Imam al-Ash^ariyy showed up at the specified time, he found none of the Mu^tazilah dared to show their faces. Imam al-Ash^ariyy told the house-boy to write on the door, "They escaped."

Imam Abu ^Abdullah Ibn Khafif, who was one of the great waliyys said:

"When I was a young man, I went to al-Basrah to meet Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy because I heard about him. When I first entered al-Basrah, I saw a handsome shaykh. I asked him, "Where is the residence of Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy?"

He said, "What do you want from him?"

I said: "I would like to meet him."

This shaykh told me, "Come back tomorrow morning to this same location, and I shall help you with that."

I came the next morning, and went with that shaykh to a session in the house of a prominent person. Present in that session were several scholars and knowledgeable people. When the people saw that shaykh come in, they treated him respectfully and seated him in the best and most prominent location in that session. Then, one of the people there was asked a question pertaining to the creed. When that person started responding, this shaykh interfered and began to debate the one who was asked the question--until he silenced him. I was astonished by the extent of that shaykh’s knowledge, so I asked some of those who were near to me who this shaykh was. They told me this was Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy. When the session was over and the people left, I followed him.

He looked at me and asked, "Young man, how did you find Abul-Hasan al-Ash^ariyy?"

I said, "Just as I have heard about him, and I am your servant." Then I asked Imam al-Ash^ariyy, "Why did you not start talking yourself?"

Imam al-Ash^ariyy said, "I do not initiate talking with those innovators of misguidance. but once they have uttered deviated thought it becomes obligatory on me to give the correct answer"

Imam al-Ash^ariyy did not initiate talking with innovators because he did not want to open a door for them to speak unlawful words. He would not, however, allow them to get away with speaking unlawful words should they initiate them. Rather, he would debate them and refute them in accordance with what Allah obligated us to do in forbidding the unlawful (munkar) and ordering the obligatory (ma^ruf). This showed a great level of understanding and comprehension.

FOR DETAIL and read BOOK TAREEKH E DAWAT O AZEEMAT vol 1 in urdu