99

-10-
THE BOOK OF AL-IMĀM ABUL-HASAN AL-ASHʿARĪ (),
AL-IBĀNAH ʿAN USŪL AD-DIYĀNAH.
Chapter One: Exposition of the Belief of the
People of Deviation and Innovation
(Ahluz-Zaygh wal-Bidʿah)
Al-Imām Abul-Hasan Al-Ashʿarī () said:
Many of those who have deviated from the truth among the
Muʿtazilah and ahlul-Qadar 167 were deviated by their desires into
blindly following their leaders and those who preceded them. So,
they interpreted the Qurān according to their opinions with inter-
pretations for which Allāh gave no authority and for which He did
not reveal any proof—and for which they do not cite anything from
the Messenger of the Lord of all existence, nor from the early Salaf.
1. They oppose the reports of the Sahābah () from the Prophet
() concerning the Seeing of Allāh [on the Day of Resurrec-
tion] with one’s eyes (ar-Ru’yah) even though the narrations men-
tioning it are reported from numerous different sources—and they
reach the level of tawātur, narrated by many narrators at every level
of the chain of narration, followed up and supported by numerous
reports.
2. They reject the intercession of Allāh’s Messenger () for
the sinners [on the Day of Judgement] and they reject the narrations
from the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) concerning it.

Ahlul-Qadar (al-Qadariyyah) are the deniers of the Divine Pre-Decree, and

167

they are the Muʿtazilah.

© Copyright AbuKhadeejah.com —2023 All rights reserved

 100

3. They deny the punishment of the grave and that the Kuffār are be-
ing punished in their graves―even though the Sahābah () and
their Successors (at-Tābiʿīn) agreed upon that.
3. They believe that the Qur’ān is created, similar to the saying of
their brothers from the polytheists who said:
َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َّ َ ٰ َ ْ
‫ش‬
ِ ‫ قول ٱلب‬+ِ ‫إ ِن هـذآ إ‬
“This is nothing but the word of a human being!”168
So, they claim that the Qur’ān is the saying of a human.
4. They affirmed and believed that the people create evil similar to
the saying of the Magians (Zoroastrians) who hold that there are two
creators: one that creates good and the other who creates evil. And
the Qadariyyah claim that Allāh () creates good and the Shaytān
creates evil.
5. And they claim that Allāh () wills what does not occur, and
things occur which He did not will. This opposes the saying of Allāh:

ِ ‫? كن عل ِيًما َح‬
‫كيًما‬ ُ َّ َ َ َ َ َّ َ
َ َ َ َ َّ ‫? إَّن ٱ‬ ََ ََ
ِ ‫وما تشآُءون إ ِل أن يشآء ٱ‬
“But you cannot will unless Allāh wills. Verily, Allāh is Ever
All-Knowing, All-Wise.”169
So Allāh () has stated that we do not will anything except
that which Allāh has willed for us to will. And due to His saying:
ُ ْ ُ َّ ‫َول َْو َشآَء ٱ‬
‫? َما ٱقَتَتلوا‬

168
Al-Mudaththir: 25.
169
Al-Insān: 30.

© Copyright AbuKhadeejah.com —2023 All rights reserved

 101

“If Allāh had willed, they would not have fought against one
another.”170
And due to the saying of Allāh ():
ْ َ َّ ُ َ َ ْ َ
‫ َٰها‬X‫َولْو ِشئَنا ل َـٔاتيَْنا ك نفٍس ُهَد‬
“And if We had willed, surely We would have given every
person his guidance.”171
And due to His () saying:
ّ ٌ َ
‫فَّعال ل َِما يُرِيُد‬
“He (Allāh) is the doer of whatsoever He intends.”172
And due to His () saying where He stated that His Prophet
Shuʿaib () had said:
ُ َّ ‫ٓ أَن ي ََشا َٓء ٱ‬+َّ‫كوُن َلَا ٓ أَن َّنُعوَد فِيَها ٓ إ‬
? ُ َ‫َوَما ي‬
ِ
“And it is not for us to return to it unless Allāh, our Lord,
should will.”173
So it is for this reason, Allāh labelled them (the deniers of the Pre-
Decree) as the Magians (Majūs) of the Ummah because they adopted
the religion of the Magians. They have parallel sayings and claim
that good and evil each have a creator just as the Magians
claim―and that there are affairs of evil that Allāh did not will just
as the Magians say.

170
Al-Baqarah: 253.
171
As-Sajdah: 13.
172
Al-Burūj: 16.
173
Al-Aʿrāf: 89.

© Copyright AbuKhadeejah.com —2023 All rights reserved

 102

6. They claim that they have control, besides Allāh, over harm and
benefit to themselves and this opposes the saying of Allāh to His
Prophet ():
ُ َّ ‫ َما َشا َٓء ٱ‬+َّ‫ضا إ‬
? ُ ‫ٓ أَْمل‬+َّ ‫قُل‬
ًّ َ +َ‫ك ِلَْفِس َنْفًعا َو‬
ِ ِ
“Say: I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself ex-
cept as Allāh wills.”174
So, they shun the Qur’ān and that which the people of Islam have
agreed upon.
7. They believe that they have an independent ability over their ac-
tions without their Lord (). So, they affirm for themselves free-
dom and self-sufficiency from Allāh (). They attribute to them-
selves ability in that which they do not attribute to Allāh of ability,
just as the Magians, may Allāh’s curse be upon them, affirmed for
Shaytān the ability over evil which they do not affirm for Allāh. So,
they are the Fire-worshippers of this Ummah because they have
adopted their beliefs and they hold fast to their fabrications, and
they went astray into their deviations.
And [due to this misguidance] the people despaired from the mercy
of Allāh and lost hope in His beneficence―and they judged that the
sinners are in Hell forever in opposition to the saying of Allāh
():
ٓ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ ُ ‫ َيْغِفُر أَن ي‬+َ ?
‫شَك ب ِهِ َويَغفُِر َما ُدون ذل ِك ل َِمن ي َشاُء‬ َ َّ ‫إَّن ٱ‬
ِ
“And He forgives what is less than shirk (polytheism) for
whomever He wills.”175

174
Al-Aʿrāf: 188.
175
An-Nisā: 48.

© Copyright AbuKhadeejah.com —2023 All rights reserved

 103

8. And they claim that the one who enters the Fire does not leave it,
in opposition to that which is narrated from the Messenger of Allāh
(), “Allāh will take out from the Fire a group after they
have been burned in it and become ashes.”176
9. They reject that Allāh has a Face even though He () said:
ْ ْ َ َْ ُ َ ّ َ ُ ْ َ ٰ َ ْ َ َ
‫للٰـِل َوٱ ِلكَراِم‬ ‫ويبق وجه رب ِك ذو ٱ‬

“And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will
remain forever.”177
And they reject that Allāh has two Hands even though He ()
said:

‫ت ب َِيَدَّى‬ ُ ‫ك أَن ت َْس‬

ُ ‫جَد ل َِما َخلَْق‬ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ ٰٓ َ َ َ
‫قال يـإ ِبل ِيس ما منع‬
“O Iblees! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to
the one whom I have created with both my Hands.”178
10. And they reject that Allāh has two Eyes even though He ()
said:

176
Al-Bukhari’s report has the wording: Abu Sāʿīd Al-Khudri () nar-
rated that Allāh’s Messenger () said, “When the people of Paradise
have entered Paradise, and the people of the Fire have entered the Fire,
Allāh will say. ‘Take out of the Fire whoever has Imān equal to a mustard
seed in his heart.’ They will come out, and by that time they would have
burnt and become like ashes, and then they will be thrown into the river of
Hayyāt (Life) and they will sprout just as a seed grows on the bank of a rain-
water stream.” The Prophet () said, “Do you not see that the ger-
minating seed starts out yellow and twisted?” (Al-Bukhāri no. 6560, Muslim
no. 184).
177
Ar-Rahmān: 27.
178
Ṣād: 75.

© Copyright AbuKhadeejah.com —2023 All rights reserved

 104

ْ َ َْ
‫ترِى ب ِأعُين َِنا‬
“[The Ark of Noah] sailing under Our Eyes, a reward for him
who had been rejected!”179
And His saying:
ٰ َ َ ‫َوِلُْصَنَع‬
ٓ ِ ْ ‫‚ َعي‬
‫ن‬
“And I bestowed upon you [O Mūsā] love from Me that you
would be brought up under My Eye.”180
11. And they denied that Allāh has Knowledge even though He
() said:
ْ َ َ
ِ‫أنَز ُل ب ِعِلِمه‬
“He has sent it (Qurān) down with His knowledge.”181
12. And they denied that Allāh has Power even though He ()
said:
ُ ِ ‫? ُهَو ٱلَّرَّزاُق ُذو ٱلُْقَّوة ِ ٱل َْمت‬
‫ي‬ َ َّ ‫إَّن ٱ‬
ِ
“Verily, Allāh is the Provider, Possessor of Power, the
Strong.”182
13. And they negated that which was reported from the Prophet
(), “He descends to the nearest Heaven of this Earth
every night.” 183 ―and other than that which has been narrated

179
Al-Qamar: 14.
180
Tāhā: 39.
181
An-Nisā: 166.
182
Adh-Dhāriyāt: 58
183
Reported by Bukhāri no. 1145, Muslim no. 758.

© Copyright AbuKhadeejah.com —2023 All rights reserved

 105

through trustworthy narrators from Allāh’s Messenger

().184
14. Likewise, all of ahlul-Bidʿah from among the Jahmiyyah, Murji’ah,
Harūriyyah (the Khawārij), and the people of deviation (ahluz-Zaygh)
in whatever they have innovated and opposed the Book and Sunnah,
contradicted that which the Prophet () and his Compan-
ions () were upon—and differed from what the Ummah has
united upon (ijmāʿ)—such as the oppositions of the Muʿtazilah and the
Qadariyyah—then I will mention them chapter-by-chapter, point-by-
point, by the permission of Allāh, with His help and support, and
from Him is guidance and steadfastness.185

Al-Bukhāri reported from Abu Hurairah () that Allāh’s Messenger

184

() said:
ُ ُ َّ ُ ُ ُ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ
‫خُر َيقول َمْن يَْدُعوِن‬ِ ‫ي َيبق ثلث الليِْل ال‬ ‫ح‬ِ ‫ الَّسَماءِ اُّلنَيا‬2ِ ‫ ك لْلٍة إ‬2‫يَنِل َرُّبنا تَباَرك َوتَعا‬
َ ْ ََ ْ ْ َُ َُ َ َ َ ْ ََ
‫ب ُل َمْن ي َْسألِن فأعِطَيُه َمْن ي َْسَتغفُِرِن فأغفَِر ُل‬ ‫جي‬
ِ ‫فأست‬
“Our Lord, the Blessed and Most High, descends every night to the
nearest Heaven of the Earth when the last third of the night remains,
saying: ‘Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his in-
vocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his re-
quest? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive
him?’” (no. 1145)
185
With this concludes Chapter 1 of Al-Ibānah ʿan Usūl ad-Diyānah, pp. 10-13.

© Copyright AbuKhadeejah.com —2023 All rights reserved