Al-Ash'ari, Al-Ghazali, & Salvation

 

Al-Ash'ari, Al-Ghazali, & Salvation

Abu al-Hasan 'Ali al-Ash'ari in "Maqalat al-Islamiyyin wa Ikhtilaf al-Mushallin" [Cairo: Maktabah an-Nahdhah al-Mishriyah, 1969, Volume I, p. 350], in the clause "Hikayat Jumlah Qauli Ahlil Hadith", wrote:

ويقرون بأن الايمان قول وعمل يزيد وينقص ويقولون اسماء الله هى الله ولا يشهدون على احد من اهل الكبائر بالنار ولا يحكمون بالجنة لأحد من الموحدين حتى يكون الله سبحانه ينزلهم حيث شاء ويقولون امرهم الى الله ان شاء عذبهم وان شاء غفر لهم

“Ahlus Sunnah asserts that faith is word and deed; can increase and decrease. Ahlus Sunnah states that the names of Allah are Allah Himself (not something separate existence). The Ahlus Sunnah do not testify that every major sinner will go to hell, just as they do not judge that everyone who believes in monotheism will enter Paradise, until Allah alone determines according to His will. The Ahlus Sunnah states that the matters of those people in Paradise are left to Allah. If He wills, He will punish them. If He wills, He forgives them."

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Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali in "Fayshal at-Tafriqah", clause "Fi Ba'tsin-Nar" (Majmu'ah Rasa'il al-Imam al-Ghazali, Dar al-Kutub, 2006, Volume III, p. 96) , about the breadth of His grace:

وأنا أقول: إن الرحمة تشمل كثيراً من الأمم السالفة، وإن كان أكثرهم يعرضون على النار إما عرضة خفيفة، حتى في لحظة، أو في ساعة، وإما في مدة، حتى يطلق عليهم اسم بعث النار بل أقول: إن أكثر نصارى الروم والترك في هذا الزمان تشملهم الرحمة إن شاء الله تعالى. أعني الذين هم في أقاصي الروم والترك، ولم تبلغهم الدعوة.

فإنهم ثلاثة أصناف: صنف لم يبلغهم اسم محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم أصلاً، فهم معذورون. وصنف: بلغهم اسمه ونعته، وما ظهر عليه من المعجزات، وهم المجاورون لبلاد الإسلام، والمخالطون لهم، وهم الكفار الملحدون. وصنف: ثالث بين الدرجتين، بلغهم اسم محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولم يبلغهم نعته وصفته، بل سمعوا أيضاً منذ الصبا أن كذاباً ملبساً اسمه محمد ادعى النبوة، كما سمع صبياننا أن كذاباً يقال له المقفع، ادعى أن الله بعثه وتحدى بالنبوة كاذباً. فهؤلاء عندي في معنى الصنف الأول

“I say, Allah's mercy covers many of the former nations, although most of them will be thrown into hell. There are those who enter in a short time, even for a moment, some are in some time, until they are called resurrected from hell (ba'tsin-nâr). I even said: Most of the Christians in Rome and Turkey at this time (al-Ghazali's time) will be covered by Allah's mercy, if Allah wills. I mean, those who live in remote areas of Rome and Turkey and the da'wah has not yet reached them.

They (Roman Christians and Turks) consist of three groups. First, the group whose name Muhammad has not reached them at all. These people are tolerated (ma'dzurûn). Second, the group that reached them the name of Muhammad, know his nature, and his miracles; they also live near Muslim countries and even mix with Muslims. These are the infidels and disbelievers. Third, the group that is between the two groups: the name of Muhammad has reached them, but his nature has not reached them. In fact, they heard from their childhood that there was a liar named Muhammad who claimed to be a prophet, just as children of this age (Al-Ghazali's time) often heard that there was a liar named Al-Muqaffa' who was sent by God as a liar to challenge prophethood. They, this third group, for me,

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Abu al-Hasan 'Ali al-Ash'ari (874-936 AD) is the theological founder of Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jama'ah. The creed formulation of the Sunni majority today refers to him. In many books, he is often referred to as Sheikh Ahlis Sunnah (Master of Ahlus Sunnah).

Abu Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 AD), who is often dubbed Hujjatul Islam, is the author of Ihya 'Ulumuddin's major work which to this day has been widely studied in various Islamic universities and Islamic boarding schools. He became a reference for the sciences of Sufism Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jama'ah.