Acharism

Acharisme or ach `arism or ash `arism this last Anglo-Saxon C-W communication but nevertheless being used in French works (Arab: rear RTL أشاعرة ašā `will go, the school acharite ).

The acharism is theological school of thought of the Islam sunnite developed by Abû Al-Hassan Al-Ach `arî (873 - 935). Nevertheless, it is to be specified that in Islam, there are not science of God but science of the relation of the man with God. Al-Ach `arî is resulting from a tribe Yemen ite of which it bears the name.
Initially follower of the mutazilism and Al-Jubbâ disciple `iy, Al-Ach `arî separated some at least on two essential points:

It challenges the Thèse free will and takes again that of the Prédestination.
It takes again the thesis of the Coran eternal and incréé denied by the mutazilites.

He followed in that the way of 'Abd-Allâh Ibn Kullâb, and developed his theses. He differentiates traditionalists such as the hanbalites by the need to add the reasoning to the revelation contained in Coran and the Sunna. This methodology of theological reasoning is called Kalâm.

The acharism was then taken again by Abû Hamid Al-Ghazali (death in 1111) which on the point of predestination, takes against foot of the position of the mutazilites. God does not have of account to return to anybody and does not have to subject itself to any law, the universe is perfect as it is without nothing being able to be improved there. The condition of each human is not the object of any injustice because it would be contrary with the principle of divine justice: miseries of the terrestrial life are certainly losses on ground, but they are also profits in beyond. Without the night, the day would not have a value. Without the disease, health would not be so appreciable. If the imperfection had not been created, the perfection would remain unknown.

In its work entitled ruin of philosophy . It is a question of taking the opposite course to the Greek rational Philosophie. Its influence is very deep on everyone Moslem until our time. Averroès (1126-1198) counteracted with the ruin of the ruin .

The acharism was especially propagated by the dynasty of Almohades to the the Maghreb and the dynasty ayyoubide with the Machrek.

When Atatürk reversed the Othoman khalifat in 1924, he was wary so much of the thought acharite, very influential at the time in Turkey, that he made prohibit the modern Turkish edition (in Latin characters) of works of Imam Al-Ghazali.

Evolutions of the acharism

By comparing the writings of the first acharites (Abu-L-Hassan Al-Ach' ariy, Ibn Fawrak, Al-Bâqillâniy, Al-Bayhaqiy) with those later (Al-Ghazali, Ar-Razi…), one realizes that the beliefs of the acharites evolved/moved much, under the influence of their debate with the mu' tazilites, in particular about the divine attributes. This is why detractors of the acharism (in particular among the hanbalites), such as Ibn Al-Qayyim called them afrâkh ul-mu' tazilah (the small ones of the mu' tazilites).

Criticisms of the acharism

In addition to the mu' tazilites (which were the first adversaries of the acharites), there were criticisms towards the acharites coming from others sunnites (often little known because of the hegemony acquired by the acharism through the centuries, in the current sunnite):

Ibn Hazm (11th century) was very critical in their connection, showing them almost mécréance.
Ibn Qudâmah Al-Maqdiciy brought back in one little book a debate that it had with notable a acharite in connection with the nature of the Coran. It there known as in particular: “ the sunnites said: “Coran that we have between the hands, it is the word of God, and it is incréé”. The mu' tazilites said: “Coran that we have between the hands, it is the word of God, but it is created”. And the acharites further went than them while saying: 'Coran that we have between the hands, is not the word of God, and it is created ”. It thus refers to the dogma acharite according to which Coran which is composed of letters and the words is created, and it is not the word of God, but “an expression of the word of God” ( ibâratun 'year kalâm it-llêh ), which it is incréée, but of which we cannot be informed.

Ibn Taymiyyah (XIIIe-14th century) wrote several refutations of the acharites, of which a book in several volumes entitled Dar `U ta' ârudh it “aqli wan-naql (Refutation of contradiction between the reason and the revelation) or Muwâfaqatu sah' îh it-manqûl Li-sarîh” it-ma' qûl (Conformity between the authentic revelation and the explicit reason). It aimed at refuting the idea founder of the mo' tazilites but also of the ach' arites later, and according to which “If the reason contradicts the revelation, it is the reason which precedes”. Ibn Taymiyyah was judged several times by the authorities acharites (definitely dominant at the time) to be explained on its beliefs. But each time, they recognized that its beliefs were in conformity. He was imprisoned for other reason, nonrelated to his belief (in particular for Fatwa S on repudiation, opposites with the opinion of the four Madhhab S).

Ibn Al-Qayyim (14th century), disciple of Ibn Taymiyyah refuted the opinions of the acharites in several works, in particular in Have-Sawâ' iq ul-Mursalah “went-L-djahmiyyati wal-mu' attilah (it often named the acharites djahmiyyah name of a sect more radical, nearer of the mu' tazilites, and rather quickly disappeared), Idjtimâ” it-djuyûsh it-islâmiyyah Li-ghazw it-mu' attilati wal-djahmiyyah (delivers devoted to show, by innumerable quotations, the dogma according to which God with the top of the skies, is refused by the acharites which do not give any place nor direction to God). He also devoted part of his poem Al-Kâfiyat ush-Shâfiyah to the criticism of the acharites. This poem was diffused in secrecy, by fear of reprisals. Have-Subkiy retorted there later.

the salafists take again the arguments of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Al-Qayyim, and regard the acharism as a denaturation of the dogma sunnite.