It’s shocking to see the name of Ibn Taymiyyah being included amongst the Atharis.

Wasalam,

Could you please define “Athari” for us?

And is it the same as “Salafi” or different?

I know that a lot of hardcore salafis love to call themselves “Athari”. However, these brothers consider would also consider you an absolute deviant for including the “Asha’ris” and “Maturidis” in the “Ahl al-Sunnah”… as they called Shaykh Dido also.

I personally support the Ash’ari Way as that is what has worked for the Ummah for a millennium and produced it’s greatest Ulama, Awliya, Sultans, Mujahadin, Thinkers and Savants. What worked for them works for me. The Jama’ah I guess.

Anyways, do define “Athari” for us as opposed to traditional Ash’ari and modern Salafi approaches.

Shukran

Assalam 3aleykum wr wb,

where can i get textual proof (in english) that the works of Ibn Taymiah do match with the other mentioned aqeeda books? I have read an english translation of the Aqeeda Al-Wassitiyah by Sheikh Ibn Taymiah from a site which promotes also Kitab At-Tauheed from Muhammad Abdul Wahhab. According to what i have read i can still find “Tajseem” in there. Is that the authentic Aqeeda of Sheik Ibn Taymiah ( i have never read the arabic book – maybe you can help us to get the real meaning in english). I have read that some claim to be Salafis but do not keep it like the way of salaf -e.g. they go into explaining. Example: An arm of a robot is not like an arm of an human. hand of allah is not like the hand of a human. They really try to give Allah a form by insisting on the words given in the qur'an and ahadith! And say nothing is like him-he is the all-seer, all-hearer. But they actually do cut the qur'an in pieces and do Kallam which does not fit into the boundaries of qur'an and sunna as the prophet muhammad a.s.s said that we should not focus on how allah looks like. And we do know from historical proofs that even in judaism and christianity – shaytan's influence led people to worship bodies – e.g. creation. Please help us to understand the aqida works of Sheikh ibn Taymiyah. May allah bless all who seek for the truth. ameen. wa salaam

My question: Why we are making such our ‘preferences/viewpoints’ (Athari, Ashari, Maturidi, etc) into sects? Did the Sahaba(RAZ) divided themselves into sects/groups?

Now, as to my knowledge (please correct me if I am wrong) -
Maturidi -belief (iman) does not increase nor decrease but remains static; it is piety (taqwa) which increases and decreases.
Ash’ari – It was a taqlid (“faith” or “imitation”) based view which did not assume that human reason could discern morality. This doctrine is now known as occasionalism.
Athari – believe in textual interpretation of Holy Quran to avoid delving into extensive theological speculation.
Mu’tazili – who believed that Holy Quran was ‘created’ i.e. part of Khalq(creation). (not prevailing today)
Zahiri – Literalists (not prevailing today, though some Salafis follow them)

After this division of Schools of Theology, we have division based on ‘Schools of Law’ viz. Hanafi • Shafi`i • Maliki • Hanbali

Then, we have two major sects, Shia and Sunni.
Even in Shia, there are various sub-sects, viz. Twelvers, Zaidi, etc.
just like Sunni.

And this goes on, each professing their viewpoint/stand is correct, (let me rephrase), that their viewpont IS ONLY correct.

Now, consider this scenario, as we all muslims know that Isa(Jesus) AS, is going to come and also Imam Mahdi (AS).
Then, after that, there will be peace all over the world. Everyone is going to become Muslim and everywhere there will be justice.

But, still after some time, people are going to go corrupt and corrupt like none before. On such people will Qiyamah will come, as mentioned in Hadeeth that “…Qiyamah will be upon the worst of the people”.
Who are these people? which faith do they belong to? Aren’t they all Muslims?
Why this is going to happen????
Note: There is no Dajjal as he had been already been killed by Isa(Jesus) AS.

My bottom line is making a person Muslim, Athari/Ashari, Hanafi/Shafi, Sunni/Shia, etc. will not save him/her. But making a person good can only save. And each person can make himself/herself only good and not others. Others he/she can only convey the message and thats it.

Ofcourse, I believe in Allah and thank God Almighty that I am Muslim. But, a writing of ‘Muslim’ on my passport, etc. will not save me from Hell or take me to Heaven. It is my good/bad deeds that will; and Ofcourse, the most important of all, the Good Grace of AllahuAkbar.

Answered by: A group of scholars and authors.

Date: 06/1427/09.

Question:

What is the ruling on working with the opponents to the creed of Salaf as-Salih, such as the Ash’arees and Maturidees and those who follow their way, and cooperating with them in matters of goodness and piety and general affairs? Is it forbidden to work with them no matter if the administration was in our control and they work under our auspices, or if it was under their control? Are they from seventy-two misguided sects, and is working with them considered from the realm of allegiance with other than the believers?

Answer:

All praise is for Allah, and may the Salah and Salam be upon the Messenger of Allah. In response to this we say: The Ash’arees and Maturidees have opposed what is correct when they performed Ta’weel of the Divine Attributes of Allah the Exalted, however, they are from Ahl us Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah and not from the seventy-two misguided sects except those who go into extremes among them in denial and agree with the Jahmiyyah- where his ruling would then be like those of the Jahmiyyah. As for the remainder of the Ash’arees and Maturidees, then they are not like that, and they are excused for their Ijtihaad even if they erred in the truth. It is permissible to work and cooperate with them in piety, righteousness and goodness. Take Ibn Taymiyyah, who studied under many of the scholars of the Ash’arees, nay, he even fought under the banner of the Mamlooks-the rulers of that time-and the generality of them were Ash’arees, nay, the military leader of that time, the brave Nuruddin al-Zanki the martyr as well as Salaahuddin al-Ayoobi were both Ash’arees, as has been stated by Imam adh-Dhahabi in his Siyar ‘Alam an-Nubala. And there were many besides them from the scholars, military leaders and people of rectification. Many of the scholars and Imams of the Muslims were Ash’arees and Maturidees such as; al-Bayhaqi, al-Nawawi, Ibn al-Salah, al-Mizzi, Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, al-Iraqi, al-Sakhawi, al-Zayla’i, al-Suyuti, and indeed, all of the explainers of (Sahih) al-Bukhari were Ash’arees and many besides them. So with this, the people benefited from their knowledge and admitted their virtue and leadership in the Deen while believing them to be excused for what they made Ijtihaad in and erred. May Allah forgive them and pardon them. The Khalifah al-Ma’mun was a Jahmee Mu’tazilee, as well as Mu’tasim and al-Wathiq, they were misguided Jahmees, however, none of the Imams of Islam delivered Islamic legal verdicts to the effect that it was not allowed to follow them in prayers and fighting under their banner in Jihad. So no one, for example, gave a legal verdict stating that it was not allowed to fight with al-Mu’tasim on the day of al-Amuriyah, despite the large numbers of Imams in those times such as: Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ali ibn al-Madini, Yahya ibn Ma’in and their likes from the major Imams in the third generation of the Hijrah. We have not heard any of them forbidding working with these people or preventing (others) from following them or fighting under their banners. So, it is an obligation that we observe the manner of the Salaf as-Salih with the opponent, and Allah knows best. May Allah send Salah and Salam upon Muhammad and his family and companions

Signed:

Dr, Abdul Aziz ibn Abdul Fattah al-Qari’ (former head of the faculty of the Qur’an at the Islamic University)
Dr. Muhammad ibn Nasir al-Suhaibani (teacher at the Prophets Masjid)
Dr. Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Ghunayman (former head of the department of higher studies at the Islamic University who added to this fatwa the following:

” This is a correct and upright answer that a Muslim cannot take but it. The differences have not ceased taking place among the ranks of the scholars, yet that was not a cause for separation and the hearts differing. And the story of the companions when they went to Banu Quraydhah is well known and famous as well as others.”