The Proofs of the Validity of Ash’ari Creed:

1. Al-Ash‘ari as an Imam Ash‘aris argue that their belief is valid because the founder of their school, Abu al-Hasan al-Ash‘ari, is a great Imam.
   Response:
   When did he become an Imam? He lived as a Mu‘tazilite for forty years before repenting in 300 AH. When did he study and master the books of the Salaf to surpass his contemporaries and become an undisputed Imam?
   • After his repentance, what books did he study, and under whom did he qualify in the Islamic sciences?
   • Were the Ahl al-Sunnah without an Imam, waiting for this Mu‘tazilite to repent to make him their leader?
     Ibn al-Mubarrad said, “He admitted to being a Mu‘tazilite and a preacher of it. SubhanAllah! Before his repentance, did Muslims have no Imams to follow until they made a repented innovator their Imam? It’s as if people perished entirely until this innovator repented and became their leader, prioritizing a theologian over the Imams of Hadith during an era rich with scholars. What kind of absurdity is this?”
     Ibn Qudamah said, “It is astonishing that their Imam, who founded this heresy, was a man not known for piety, righteousness, or expertise in any Shari‘ah sciences. He was only known for the condemned knowledge of kalam. They admit he spent forty years in Mu‘tazilism before showing repentance. After his repentance, he exhibited nothing but this innovation. How could they imagine that Allah would only grant knowledge of the truth to His enemy, making guidance exclusive to someone with no share in Islamic sciences or religion?”
2. Claim: Al-Ash‘ari Did Not Oppose the Salaf Response: Provide us with statements from the Salaf that align with his beliefs.
   Even ignoring his retractions on beliefs ascribed to later Ash‘arites (like al-Juwayni and al-Razi), let’s examine the claims regarding core Ash‘arite beliefs:
   • Who among the Salaf preceded him in denying that Allah is above His Throne?
   • Who among the Salaf claimed that verses mentioning Allah’s face and hands imply anthropomorphism?
   • Who among the Salaf denied that Allah’s speech consists of letters or that He has a voice?
     These arguments are invalid, and I have compiled a series titled “The Chains of Ash‘arites” exposing their misattributions to the Salaf.
3. Claim: The Prophet ﷺ Praised the Ash‘aris
   Ash‘aris quote the Prophet’s ﷺ statement, “They are from me, and I am from them,” as praise for their sect.
   Response:
   This is a fabrication. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The Ash‘arites, when they run out of provisions during war or food for their families in Madinah, collect what they have in one cloth and divide it equally among themselves. They are from me, and I am from them.”
   This refers to a Yemeni tribe, not a sect that emerged to distort the Prophet’s teachings three centuries after his death.
   If Ash‘aris interpret praise for the tribe as an endorsement of their Imam’s innovations, consider that Ahl al-Bayt have far greater praise in Islam. By their logic, as someone from Ahl al-Bayt, I would have a stronger claim to truth than Abu al-Hasan al-Ash‘ari.
4. Claim: Ash‘ari Beliefs are Valid Because of Their Numbers Response:
   Are you counting the common folk who identify as Muslims or scholars specifically?
   • If it’s the common folk, they do not understand Ash‘ari theology, such as belief in speech without letters and sound, or the negation of Allah being above His Throne. Their creed doesn’t resonate with the masses.
   • If it’s scholars, most of them are mere imitators. Their knowledge is borrowed from Ahl al-Sunnah, inflating their works with quotes from Sunni scholars.

   As a challenge, take al-Khatib al-Baghdadi’s Tareekh Baghdad, which documents 7,783 scholars up to the 5th century. Prove that even 5% of them were Ash‘ari. That would require finding just 38 Ash‘ari scholars out of 7,783. If you cannot meet this challenge, it demonstrates that Ash‘arite beliefs were not the creed of the majority of scholars during the first five centuries of Islam.

   As Ibn Qudamah said, “It is astonishing that the people of innovation consider their wealth, numbers, and prominence as proof of their correctness while using the small numbers and estrangement of Ahl al-Sunnah as evidence against them. Yet, the Prophet ﷺ described the people of truth in the last days as being few and estranged while the people of falsehood would dominate.”

5. Claim: Sunni Scholars Rely on Ash‘ari Books Response:
   Reality shows the opposite. Ash‘aris have borrowed extensively from the works of Ahl al-Sunnah. Examples will be detailed separately.
6. Claim: Notable Figures Like Al-Nawawi and Ibn Hajar Were Ash‘aris Response:
   These figures excelled in summarizing books and compiling Hadith. Their contributions stem from quoting Sunni scholars, not their Ash‘arite beliefs. If they focused solely on Ash‘arite theology, they would be as obscure as other Ash‘arite theologians like al-Amidi and al-Luqani.
7. Claim: Ash‘arite Chains of Transmission Validate Their Creed Response:
   Chains of transmission (isnads) for books do not validate creed. The scholars themselves distinguish between the isnad of the content and the chain connecting readers to a book. The latter is irrelevant to the content’s correctness.
8. Claim: Al-Tahawi’s Creed Contains Ash‘arite Phrases Response:
   While some phrases like “beyond limits and boundaries” appear in al-Tahawi’s creed, this does not align with Ash‘arite theology, as al-Tahawi affirms Allah’s transcendence and His being above creation.
9. Claim: The Salaf Made Interpretative Concessions (Tafwid) Response:
   Interpretations by some Salaf on specific terms do not equate to Ash‘arite theological methodology, which negates attributes based on philosophical constructs.
10. Claim: Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih Was a Maturidi Response:
    This assertion lacks evidence. Even if true, the Prophet ﷺ’s praise in the Hadith about the conqueror of Constantinople relates to his leadership, not his personal theology.
11. Accusation: Salafis Worship a Youth Response:
    The narration about seeing Allah as a youth is weak. Even if authentic, scholars, including Ash‘arites like al-Nawawi, agree that dreams do not reflect Allah’s reality.
12. Claim: Salafis Agree with Jews Response:
    Concordance with some Jewish texts on theological matters is coincidental. Islam derives its beliefs from the Qur’an and Sunnah, not from Jewish traditions.
13. Claim: “There is nothing like Him” Negates Attributes Response:
    Ash‘arites claim that affirming any attribute leads to resemblance (tashbih). This argument is fallacious, as it conflates shared terminologies with shared realities.

These responses aim to dismantle Ash‘arite claims, demonstrating their divergence from the methodology of the Salaf and the essence of Islamic creed.