Ashari Creed

Question 1

Who is the author of al-murshid al mu’in ‘ala ad-Daruri min Ulum al Din ?

Answer 1

Abdul Wahid ibn Ali Ibn Ashur, from Andalusia. Died in Fez.

A Prominent Maliki jurist of the 10th C.

He died in 1402 (1631).

Question 2

When did Abul Hasan al Ashari die?

Answer 2

332 AH. (943)

Question 3

What are the three areas that the science of Aqida is traditionally divided into?

Answer 3

Ilahiyaat - Knowledge of God and His attributes
Nubuwwiyat - knowledge of the messengers and their attributes - Prophetology.
Ghaibiyyat (Sam’iyat) - extrasensory matters, eschatology and angelology.

Question 4

What are some other names for the science of Aqida?

Answer 4

Kalam
Ilm al Tawhid
Usul ad-Din

Question 5

What are the three kinds of propositions? (Hukm)

Answer 5

Hukm Aqli - Rational proposition
Hukm Shar’i - Religious propositions
Hukm Aadi - Empirical propositions

Question 6

What are the three kinds of rational propositions (hukm Aqli)?

Answer 6

Wajib - which must necessarily be true. E.g: the body is either moving or still.
Inconcievable (mustahil) - which cannot possibly be true (a body may move and be still at the same time)
Conceivable (Mumkin) - which may or may not be true (a body may be moving)

Question 7

What 13 things are necessarily true about God?

Answer 7

1. Wujud
2. Qidam (Pre-eternity)
3. Everlastingness (Baqa)
4. Absolute Independence (Ghina Mutlaq)
5. Difference from creation (Mukhalafutu lil-hawadith)
6. Oneness (Wahdaniyya)
7. Power (Qudra)
8. Will (Irada)
9. Knowledge (Ilm)
10. Life (Haya)
11. Hearing (Sama’)
12. Seeing (Basar)
13. Speech (Kalam) - Lafthi and Nafsi. Nafsi is present in the essence, and unlike human speech. Lafthi - Quran and revelation.

Question 8

What is necessarily true regarding the messengers?

Answer 8

Truthfulness (Sidq)
Trustworthyness (Amanah)
Conveyance of the message (Tabligh)

Question 9

How is ‘‘Islam’’ defined by Ibn Ashir?

Answer 9

He says that ‘‘complete Islam’’ (Al-Islam al Rafi’) is to fulfil the commands and avoid the prohibitions of Allah with the seven limbs:
1. eyes
2. ears
3. hands
4. feet
5. belly
6. genitals
7. tongue

Question 10

What are the 6 pillars of iman?

Answer 10

Belief in:

1. God
2. His Angels
3. His books
4. his messengers
5. the final day
6. Qadr (decree) - khayrihi wa sharihi - the sweet and bitter of it

add to that

7. the Sirat - the bridge across the abyss of Hell, crossed in an identical manner to conduct in Dunya
8. Scales (Mizan)
9. Al-Hawd (pool where believers will drink)
10. Heaven and Hell (Garden and the fire) - he states that Adam and Hawa descended from this garden to the earth. Those in the Garden will have the Beautific Vision.