Ash{ʽ}ariyyah

School of Muslim theology founded by Abū al-Ḥasan al-Asharī in the 10th century.

It supported the use of reason and speculative theology (kalām) to defend the faith but was not as extreme in its rationalism as the Mutazilah school. Followers attempted to demonstrate the existence and nature of God through rational argument, while affirming the eternal, uncreated nature of the Qurān. They were accused by the Muʽtazilah of believing in predestination because they claimed the human capacity for action was only acquired at the very moment of action.

* * *