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The Creed of Abu Hasan al-Ash'aree in the Latter Part of His Life

Ascription of The Book al-Ibaanah to Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari

As for those who have ascribed the book al-Ibaanah to Abu Hasan al-Ash'aree andhave testified that it was his last book concerning aqeedah then they are numerous and amongst them:Al-Haafidh Ibn Asaakir in Tabyeen Kadhibul-Muftaree (p.152) which is a refutation of al-Ahwaazee who accused al-Ash'aree with taqiyah (deception),Al-Bayhaqee in al-I'tiqaad (p.31),Imaam adh-Dhahabee in al-uluww (no.276) andIbn ul-'Imaad in Shadhraat udh-Dhahab (p.303).Furthermore, Abu Qaasim Abdul Malik bin Eesaa bin Darbaas [1] (d. 659H) in his book, "adh-Dhabb an Abee Hasan al-Ash'aree" (Defence of Abu Hasan al-Ash'aree), mentions the People of Knowledge who have ascribed this book to Abu Hasan al-Ash'aree and have testified to it being his aqeedah which he embraced at the end ofhis life.

He said:

He said, commencing his book, adh-Dhabb an Abu Hasan al-Ash'aree:

To proceed: Know O community of Brothers - may Allaah grant success to us and toyou in the straight and upright Deen and guide us all to the Straight Path - th

at the book al-Ibaanah an Usool id-Diyaanah, which the Imaam Abu Hasan Alee binIsmaa'eel al-Ash'aree authored is the one in which his affair was settled with respect to that which he held as his aqeedah and worshipped Allaah - the Sublimeand Exalted - with, after his return from I'tizaal [the madhhab of the Mu'tazilah] by the Grace of Allaah and His Benevolence. And every saying [or treatise] which are ascribed to him now and which oppose that which is in al-Ibaanah, then he turned back from that and declared himself to be innocent of it in front of Allaah - the Sublime. How can it be otherwise, when he stated in it the religion with which he worships Allaah - the Sublime - which he reports and [when he] establishes himself upon the way of the Sahaabah, the Taabi'een and the Scholars ofHadeeth - those who have passed, and the saying of Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal - mayAllaah be pleased with them all. And that it [i.e. his religion] is that which the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger points to. Is it then permissi

ble for it to be said that he turned back from that to other than it? To what exaclty, did he turn back to, and which you can see [evidently]? Did he turn backfrom the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allaah, to the oppositeof that which the Sahaabah, the Taabi'een and the Scholars of Hadeeth, who havepassed away, were upon? And with his knowledge that that was their madhhab? Henarrated this [i.e. his aqeedah in al-Ibaanah] from them and by my life, how canthat which does not befit the common Muslims be ascribed to the Scholars of theReligion? Or can it be said that he was ignorant - during the passage of his life in which he explored the madhaahib and acquainted himself with the various sects - of what he was relating from the Salaf who have passed. This is somethingwhich a just person can never imagine and suspect, and none but an arrogant person and a profligate can hold this...And then he continues to mention those who have affirmed the ascription of the b

ook al-Ibaanah to Abu Hasan a-Ash'aree as listed above. Refer to the book adh-Dhabb an Abee Hasan al-Ash'aree, checked and verified by Alee bin Muhammad bin Naasir al-Faqeehee (p.97-108)

Notes

[1] Ibn Darbaas al-Qaadee Kamaal ud-Deen Abu Haamid Muhammad bin Qaadee al-Qudaat Sadr ud-Deen Abdul-Malik bin Eesaa al-Maaraanee al-Misree ash-Shaafi'ee ad-Dareer, born in the year 576H. He studied and gave fataawaa, occupying himself (with learning). He heard from al-Buwaiseeree and al-Qaasim bin Asaakir. He died in

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the month of Shawaal in the year 659H. See al-'Ibar (5/256) and Shadhraat udh-Dhahab (5/299).

Next Ascription of The Book al-Ibaanah to Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari (Continued)