The Story of Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari.

The Shaykh : The Ash'aris are named after Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (may Allah have mercy on him). Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari was undoubtedly an imam. In the beginning, he was on the methodology of the Mu'tazilah and remained with them for forty years. Then the invalidity of their position became clear to him, and he announced it publicly before the people, after the Friday prayer, that the methodology of the Mu'tazilah is invalid. He explained its invalidity and began to refute them strongly. Then he followed 'Abd Allah ibn Sa'id ibn Kullab and took the methodology from him, but the methodology he took was not explicit; rather, it contained a trace of impurity. A group of scholars took from al-Ash'ari during this period and spread this methodology, and it became the prevailing methodology of the Ash'aris. Then Allah bestowed upon Abu al-Hasan, due to his good intention and soundness of character, that he embraced the methodology of the people of the Sunnah. In his book, which is among his last books, *Al-Ibanah*, he announced that he is on the methodology of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him).
Therefore, we say to those who were Ash'aris on his methodology: if you are truthful, return as he returned, for following his example requires that one remains upon what he remained upon and leaves what he left. "They affirmed what they affirmed on the grounds that reason indicates it, and denied what they denied on the grounds that reason denies it or does not indicate it."