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 (Continued)

Abu Qaasim Abdul Malik bin Eesaa bin Darbaas (d. 659H) in his book, adh-Dhabb an
Abee 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 of his life.
He said:
And a group from the notable and outstanding Scholars from among the Fuqahaa (Ju
rists) of Islaam, the Scholars of the Cities, the Huffaaz (Preservers) of the Ha
deeth and others besides have mentioned the book, have depended upon it, have af
firmed that it belongs to Abu Hasan al-Ash'aree - may the mercy of Allaah be upo
n him -, have praised him on account of what he has mentioned therein, have decl
ared him free from every innovation that has been ascribed to him and have quote
d from him - from his work [i.e. Usool ud-Diyaanah]...
Then he mentions them and included amongst those whom he mentions are:
Al-Haafidh Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqee [1],
Abul-Qaasim bin Alee bin al-Hasan bin Hibatullaah (known as Ibn Asaakir) [2],
Al-Imaam al-Haafidh Abul-Abbaas Ahmad bin Thaabit at-Turqee [3],
Abu Uthmaan Ismaa'eel as-Saaboonee [4],
Al-Imaam al-Haafidh Abu Taahir as-Silafee [5],
Imaam ul-Qurraa Abu Alee Hasan bin Alee bin Ibraaheem al-Faarisee [6],
Al-Imaam al-Faqeeh Abul-Fath Nasr al-Maqdisee [7],
Al-Faqeeh Abul-Ma'aalee Majallee [8], and
Al-Haafidh Abu Muhammad bin Alee al-Baghdaadee.
Regarding Al-Haafidh Abu Muhammad bin Alee al-Baghdaadee, Ibn Darbas said (p.130
-131):
And amongst them is Abu Muhammad bin Alee al-Baghdaadee, the resident of Makkah
- may Allaah guard it. I saw a manuscript of the book al-Ibaanah with his writin
g from its beginning to its end. And at the end of it was what has just been men
tioned. It was in the possession of our Shaikh, the Imaam, the head of the Schol
ars, the Faqeeh, the Haafidh, al-Alaamah Abul-Hasan bin Mufaddal al-Maqdisee. I
prepared my own manuscript from it and compared it after I had made another copy
from what I found in the book of the Imaam Nasr al-Maqdisee at the Bait ul-Maqd
is - may Allaah protect it - and one of our companions presented it, in the prec
incts of Bait ul-Maqdis, to one of those with high ranking among the Jahmiyyah w
ho attributed the forged statement [of not writing al-Ibaanah] to Abu Hasan al-A
sh'aree. But he rejected it and argued against it saying: We have never heard of
it, and nor is it one of his works...
And each one of those listed above has testified to the specific details of the
aqeedah of Abu Hasan al-Ash'aree, - as contained and expounded in his final book
al-Ibaanah - and to its agreement in most affairs with that of the Salaf us-Saa
lih.
As for the Ash'ariyyah of today then they are upon a way and path which Abu Hasa
n al-Ash'aree declared himself free of in front of Allaah
Notes
[1] He is the Imaam, the Haafidh, the Alaamah, the Shaikh of Khurasaan Abu Bakr
Ahmad bin al-Husain bin Alee bin Moosaa al-Khasroojardee al-Bayhaqee, the author
of many compilations. He was born in Sha'baan of the year 384H. Amongst his wor
ks are: Al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (2 volumes), as-Sunan al-Kubraa (10 volumes), As-Sun
an wal-Aathaar (4 volumes), Shu'ab ul-Eemaan (2 volumes), Dalaa'il un-Nubuwwah (
3 volumes), al-Mu'taqad (1 volume). Adh-Dhahabee has mentioned many of his other
works. He died in the year 458H.
[2] Ibn Asaakir al-Qaasim bin Alee bin al-Hasan bin Hibatullaah, the esteemed Ha
afidh and Muhaddith, Abu Muhammad Ibn Asaakir ad-Dimashqee. Born in the year 527
H. He was a Muhaddith and a Sadooq. Ibn Nuqtah said about him: 'Thiqah' (precise
, reliable and trustworthy). He died in the year 600H. See Tadhkiratul-Huffaadh
(4/1367).
[3] Abul-Abbaas Ahmad bin Thaabit bin Muhammad at-Turqee al-Asbahaanee. He was a
Haafidh, Mutqin (extremely precise in his memorisation). He heard (in Asbahaan)
from Abul-Fadl al-Mutahhar bin Abdul Waahid, Abdul-Qaasim al-Busree, Abu Alee a
l-Tustaree and others besides them. See al-Lubaal fee Tahdheeb il-Insaab (2/280)
[4] Abu Uthmaan As-Saaboonee, Shaikh ul-Islaam Ismaa'eel bin Abdur-Rahmaan an-Ne
esaapooree al-Waa'idh (the admonisher), al-Mufassir (the exegete), al-Musannif (
the author), one of the outstanding scholars. He narrated from Zaahir as-Sarkhas
ee. He died in the year 449H at the age of seventy-seven. He was the Shaikh of K
hurasaan of his time. See al-'Ibar (3/219).
[5] Abu Taahir as-Salafee Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Haafidh al-Kabeer al-A
sbahaanee. He is thiqah (precise, reliable and trustworthy), haafidh (preserver)
. He died in the year 576H at the age of one-hundred and six. See Tadhkirat-Huff
aadh (4/254).
[6] Abu Alee al-Ahwaazee al-Hasan bin Alee bin Ibraaheem al-Muqri, the reciter o
f the people of ash-Shaam and author of many compilations. Born in the year 362H
, he met many of the senior scholars of his region such as Abul-Faraj ash-Shanbo
odhee and Alee bin al-Husain al-Ghadaayaree. He narrated ahaadeeth from Nasr al-
Murjee and Mu'aafee al-Jareeree. He died in the year 446H. See Shadhraat udh-Dha
hab (3/274).
[7] Al-Faqeeh Nasr bin Ibraaheem bin Nasr al-Maqdisee an-Naabilisee Abul-Fath az
-Zaahid. The shaikh of the Shaafi'ees of Shaam and the author of many compilatio
ns. He was an Imaam and and outstanding scholar. A muftee, a muhaddith, a haafid
h, a zaahid. He lived for more than eighty years and heard many ahaadeeth. He re
sided in Quds for a long duration and died on the Day of Aashooraa in 490H. See
al-'Ibar (3/328).
[8] Majallee bin Jamee' the Qaadee of the Qaadees of the lands of Misr, Abul-Ma'
aalee al-Qurshee, al-Makhzoomee ash-Shaafi'ee, the author of the book 'adh-Dhaka
a'ir fil-Madhhab'. He died in Dhul-Qa'dah of the year 550H. See al-'Ibar (4/148)