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The question

What is your opinion on the book “Risālat Istihsān al-Khawḍ fī ʿIlm al-Kalām” authored by Sheikh Abu al-Hasan al-Ashʿari, and on Sheikh Abdullah al-Harari, known as al-Habashi, who is referred to in the book's introduction, and on the Naqshbandi and Shadhili orders, which he is said to follow, given that they are rejected by scholars?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

"Ilm al-Kalam (Islamic scholastic theology) is an intrusion upon Muslims, and the Imams have warned against it. The treatise 'Istihsan al-Khawd fi Ilm al-Kalam' (Commending Engagement in Ilm al-Kalam) is of doubtful attribution to Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari; it is more likely attributed to a later Ash'ari scholar, or it was authored by him during his period as a Mu'tazilite. As for the Habashi group, it deepens disagreements among Muslims and stirs up theological problems, which has led to the tearing apart of Muslim unity in Lebanon."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy