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al-Ashʿarī, Abū Abd Allāh ibn Mujāhid (1), Abū al-Hasan al-Tabarī (2), and Judge Abū Bakr ibn (3) al-Bāqillānī. The position of al-Ashʿarī and the early leading scholars among his followers did not differ on this matter. However, later followers of his, such as Abū al-Maʿālī and others, affirm only the attributes known through reason. As for those known through revelation, some of them deny these attributes, while others withhold judgment concerning them [such as al-Rāzī, al-Āmidī, and others] (4).
Among them, those who deny the attributes known through revelation include [some who interpret their scriptural texts figuratively, and others] (5) who consign their meaning to Allah.
(1) Al-Subkī states (Tabaqāt al-Shāfiiyya, 3/368) that al-Asharī had four especially close disciples, among whom he names Ibn Mujāhid and Abū al-Hasan al-Tabarī. Ibn Mujāhid was Abū Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yaqūb ibn Mujāhid al-Tāī. Al-Dhahabī states (al-Ibar fī Khabar man Ghabar, 2/358): “He was an associate of al-Asharī and the author of numerous works on the fundamentals of religion. He came from Basra and settled in Baghdad. Al-Qādī Abū Bakr al-Bāqillānī studied under him. He was devout, Sunnī, and virtuous.” Al-Dhahabī dates his death to after 360 AH. See also his biography in Tabyīn Kadhib al-Muftarī, p. [0–9] 77; and Nashat al-Ashariyya wa-Tatawwuruhā, pp. [0–9] 17–318.
(2) Abū al-Hasan Alī ibn Muhammad ibn Mahdī al-Tabarī. Ibn Asākir states in his biography (Tabyīn Kadhib al-Muftarī, pp. [0–9] 95–196): “He accompanied Abū al-Hasan—may Allah have mercy on him—in Basra for some time, studying under him, receiving his training, and benefiting from his knowledge. He authored several works that attest to his extensive learning and exceptional merit. He was the author of the well-known book interpreting the hadiths and difficult reports concerning the divine attributes.” See his biography and works in Tabaqāt al-Shāfiiyya, 3/466–468; Sezgin, m. [0–9], vol. [0–9], pp. [0–9] 4–45; Mujam al-Muallifīn, 7/234.
(3) The word “ibn” is omitted from B and M.
(4) The text within square brackets is omitted from N and M.
(5) The text within square brackets is omitted from N alone.
الْأَشْعَرِيِّ وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُجَاهِدٍ
(١)
وَأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الطَّبَرِيِّ
(٢)
وَالْقَاضِي أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ
(٣)
الْبَاقِلَّانِيِّ، وَلَمْ يَخْتَلِفْ فِي ذَلِكَ قَوْلُ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ وَقُدَمَاءِ أَئِمَّةِ أَصْحَابِهِ. لَكِنِ الْمُتَأَخِّرُونَ مِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِ كَأَبِي الْمَعَالِي وَغَيْرِهِ لَا يُثْبِتُونَ إِلَّا الصِّفَاتِ الْعَقْلِيَّةَ، وَأَمَّا الْخَبَرِيَّةُ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْفِيهَا وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَتَوَقَّفُ فِيهَا
[كَالرَّازِيِّ وَالْآمِدِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِمَا]
(٤)
.
وَنُفَاةُ الصِّفَاتِ الْخَبَرِيَّةِ مِنْهُمْ
[مَنْ يَتَأَوَّلُ نُصُوصَهَا، وَمِنْهُمْ]
(٥)
مَنْ يُفَوِّضُ مَعْنَاهَا إِلَى اللَّهِ.
(١) قَالَ السُّبْكِيُّ (طَبَقَاتِ الشَّافِعِيَّةِ ٣/٣٦٨) : إِنَّ أَخَصَّ تَلَامِذَةِ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ أَرْبَعَةٌ وَذَكَرَ مِنْهُمُ ابْنَ مُجَاهِدٍ وَأَبَا الْحَسَنِ الطَّبَرِيَّ. وَابْنُ مُجَاهِدٍ هُوَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ مُجَاهِدٍ الطَّائِيُّ. قَالَ الذَّهَبِيُّ (الْعِبَرِ فِي خَبَرِ مَنْ غَبَرَ ٢/٣٥٨) : " صَاحِبُ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ وَذُو التَّصَانِيفِ الْكَثِيرَةِ فِي الْأُصُولِ، قَدِمَ مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ فَسَكَنَ بَغْدَادَ وَعَنْهُ أَخَذَ الْقَاضِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْبَاقِلَّانِيُّ، وَكَانَ دَيِّنًا سُنِّيًّا خَيِّرًا " وَجَعَلَ الذَّهَبِيُّ وَفَاتَهُ بَعْدَ السِّتِّينَ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ. وَانْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ أَيْضًا فِي تَبْيِينِ كَذِبِ الْمُفْتَرِي، ص [٠ - ٩] ٧٧ ; نَشْأَةِ الْأَشْعَرِيَّةِ وَتَطَوُّرِهَا، ص [٠ - ٩] ١٧ - ٣١٨.
(٢) أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ الطَّبَرِيُّ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ فِي تَرْجَمَتِهِ (تَبْيِينُ كَذِبِ الْمُفْتَرِي، ص [٠ - ٩] ٩٥ - ١٩٦) : " صَحِبَ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ - بِالْبَصْرَةِ مُدَّةً وَأَخَذَ عَنْهُ وَتَخَرَّجَ بِهِ وَاقْتَبَسَ مِنْهُ وَصَنَّفَ تَصَانِيفَ عِدَّةً تَدُلُّ عَلَى عِلْمٍ وَاسِعٍ وَفَضْلٍ بَارِعٍ وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَلَّفَ الْكِتَابَ الْمَشْهُورَ فِي تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَالْمُشْكِلَاتِ الْوَارِدَةِ فِي الصِّفَاتِ. انْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ وَمُؤَلَّفَاتِهِ فِي: طَبَقَاتِ الشَّافِعِيَّةِ ٣/٤٦٦ - ٤٦٨ ; سِزْكِينْ م [٠ - ٩] ، ج [٠ - ٩] ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٤ - ٤٥ ; مُعْجَمِ الْمُؤَلِّفِينَ ٧/٢٣٤.
(٣) بْنِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (م) .
(٤) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .
(٥) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ.