The Ash'ari Method in Practice

The Ash'ari method as practiced in Al-Iqtisad fil-I'tiqad combines several distinct moves. It begins from positions grounded in Quranic and prophetic evidence. It then provides rational arguments that support those positions, making them defensible against philosophical objection. When philosophical arguments appear to conflict with scriptural positions, it examines those arguments carefully and shows where they go wrong. And it distinguishes between what is essential to correct theology and what is a secondary question on which differences among Sunnis are permissible.

Al-Ghazali's handling of the divine attributes illustrates the method. He affirms the seven core Ash'ari attributes — knowledge, power, life, will, hearing, sight, speech — as real attributes of God. He provides rational arguments for why God must have each of these attributes, drawing on the nature of divine creation and divine perfection. He responds to Mu'tazili objections that the attributes introduce plurality into the divine reality, showing that the attributes are distinct from but not separate from the divine essence in a way that does not compromise divine unity. And he distinguishes between the affirmation of these attributes — which is essential — and questions about their precise metaphysical nature — which are not.

On questions where different Sunni positions are defensible, al-Ghazali is notably tolerant of diversity. He distinguishes between the core creedal positions where deviation constitutes error or heresy and secondary questions where scholars within the Sunni tradition have reached different conclusions without compromising their orthodoxy. This nuance reflects his experience as a senior scholar who had encountered the full range of scholarly diversity.

Al-Ghazali's use of Aristotelian logical tools throughout the work — categories, syllogisms, distinctions — reflects his conviction that these tools are religiously neutral instruments that can be used in defense of any position, not inherently philosophical weapons. His Miyar al-Ilm (Standard of Knowledge) was an extended exposition of Aristotelian logic precisely to establish its usefulness for kalam purposes. The application of these tools in Al-Iqtisad demonstrates his program in practice.

The work also engages directly with specific philosophical positions, showing where the Neoplatonic tradition represented by Ibn Sina conflicts with Islamic theology and how those conflicts should be resolved. This engagement both prepares the ground for the more systematic Tahafut al-Falasifah and demonstrates that al-Ghazali's critique of the philosophers was part of a larger theological project, not merely a polemical exercise.