The Author's Return to the Creed of Ahmad ibn Hanbal

Among the most remarkable intellectual journeys in Islamic history is that of Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Ismail al-Ash'ari (d. 324 AH / 935 CE). For much of his early scholarly life, al-Ash'ari studied under the Mu'tazilite theologian al-Jubbai in Basra, mastering the rational methods of that school. Then, at approximately forty years of age, he publicly renounced the Mu'tazilah and declared his return to the creed of the Salaf as represented by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

The book Al-Ibanah an Usul ad-Diyanah — 'The Clarification of the Principles of Religion' — was written in the aftermath of this dramatic public declaration. In it, al-Ash'ari announces in the clearest terms his allegiance to the theological path of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who was, in al-Ash'ari's own time, only a generation removed and whose scholarly reputation was at its apex following his steadfast resistance during the Mihna.

In the opening pages of Al-Ibanah, al-Ash'ari writes with unmistakable directness: 'Our statement which we hold and our religion which we profess is the clinging to the Book of our Lord, the Exalted, and to the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and to what has been narrated from the Companions and the Followers and the leaders of hadith. We cling to that and hold to what Abu Abdillah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal — may Allah illuminate his face, raise his degree, and grant him a great reward — held to.'

This passage is significant for several reasons. First, it demonstrates that al-Ash'ari's self-understanding was one of returning to the Salafi creed, not founding a new theological school. Second, it shows that the criterion for correct creed, in al-Ash'ari's view, was the Quran, the Sunnah, and the transmitted understanding of the scholars of hadith — not rationalist philosophy or speculative kalam.

Historians have sometimes noted that the positions articulated in Al-Ibanah appear more firmly in line with the Athari school than the positions found in some of al-Ash'ari's other works, such as Al-Luma. Scholars have debated whether this represents an evolution in his thought, a difference of audience, or a difference in subject matter. The traditional Athari view holds that Al-Ibanah represents al-Ash'ari's mature and final position — a sincere embrace of the method of the Salaf.

For the student of Islamic theology, Al-Ibanah is invaluable as a document of the late third century AH when the major theological fault lines were being drawn. It shows a major intellectual figure making a decisive choice in favor of revealed texts over rationalist methodology, and in favor of the creed of the early community over the innovations of the speculative schools. Al-Ash'ari's journey is itself a lesson in intellectual honesty and the courage required to follow the truth wherever it leads.