In short, although Abū al-Ma'ālī and others like him hold this method to be obligatory, many—or most—of the leading Ash'arīs disagree with him and do not consider it obligatory. Rather, they either forbid it, discourage it, or permit it alongside other methods. They explicitly state that knowledge of Allah Most High does not depend on this method and that pursuing it is not obligatory.

They fall into two groups. One permits both this method and others, regarding it as one method among several. On this view, its invalidity would do them no harm. The second group condemns it, finds fault with it and with pursuing it, and instructs people not to pursue it, either as something discouraged or as something forbidden. Abū al-Hasan al-Ash'arī stated this in his epistle, as we shall report from him. This was also stated by groups who do not consider that method invalid, such as Abū Sulaymān al-Khattābī and others like him. The following was stated by the shaykh