How to deal with scholars whose independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) has led them to adopt the Ash'ari school of jurisprudence

Question : How do we deal with sincere people, whose sincerity is well known, and Allah is their accountant, who exerted themselves in examining the evidence and were upon established scientific principles, and then their contemplation led them to a school, for example the Ash'ari school or another? How do we deal with these people? As for the people of desires, the matter is clear regarding them. How do we deal with them?

Answer : If we know that the man has a standing of truthfulness in the Shari'ah, and that his intention and purpose are good, and that his religious innovation (bid'ah) is not one that entails disbelief, then it is obligatory for us to ask Allah for his forgiveness and mercy, and we do not disavow him; we disavow his statement, but we do not disavow him.