The Ash'ari Creed and the Ruling on Praying Behind an Ash'ari

Question:
This questioner asks: What is the Ash'ari creed? And is it permissible to pray behind an Ash'ari?

Answer:
The Ash'ari creed. It is the creed attributed to Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari. Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari was a Mu'tazili at first; he was on the doctrine of the Mu'tazilah in the beginning.
Then he repented from the doctrine of the Mu'tazilah. He adopted the doctrine of the Kullabiyyah, who are the followers of Sa'id ibn Kullab, Muhammad ibn Sa'id ibn Kullab. He used to interpret the attributes, but his position was lighter than that of the Mu'tazilah. Then Allah guided him in the end, and he returned to, or embraced, the creed of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him). He repented from interpreting the attributes. So he turned away from his original doctrine and adopted the doctrine of the people of the Sunnah. However, his followers adopted his old doctrine, not his final doctrine, which agreed with the people of the Sunnah. Therefore, they are called the Ash'ariyyah, and this naming is incorrect, because the appropriate name for them is the Kullabiyyah, because al-Ash'ari (may Allah have mercy on him) repented from this matter, and one who repents from a doctrine is not attributed to it. The most common and correct expression is to call them the Kullabiyyah, because they follow the doctrine of Ibn Kullab in interpreting the attributes, or interpreting many of the attributes. They affirm some of them, yes, they affirm the seven or fourteen attributes that they claim reason indicates, and they interpret the rest. This is the doctrine of those called the Ash'ariyyah, which is the interpretation of many of the attributes and the failure to affirm them.
As for praying behind an Ash'ari, the Ash'ari is undoubtedly misguided in his creed regarding the interpretation of the attributes. So, praying behind him, if it is possible to find someone better than him, is not permissible. First, it is not permissible to appoint an imam in the mosque who is an Ash'ari. But if he is appointed and leads the people in prayer, the prayer behind him is valid, because he is a Muslim who has not left Islam, even if he differs in creed, meaning he differs in the chapter of names and attributes. But he is a Muslim, and the prayer is valid behind every Muslim, according to the correct opinion.
The one behind whom the prayer is not valid is the apostate and the disbeliever. This is the one behind whom the prayer is not valid. As for the Muslim, the prayer is valid behind him. But whenever it is possible to pray behind someone else, that is obligatory as a precaution for the religion and as a precaution for the prayer. And I said, and I say, and I repeat: it is not permissible, if we have authority, it is not permissible for us to appoint an Ash'ari as an imam in the mosque, if we have authority. But if the authority is not ours, such as if we are in other lands where the authority is in the hands of people other than the people of the Sunnah, and they appoint Ash'aris as imams in the mosques, and you do not find anyone to pray with, pray with the congregation even if the imam is an Ash'ari. Yes.