The Creed of the Four Imams — Consensus and Method
📚 The Creed of the Four Imams — Consensus and Method
"The best generation is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them."
— Agreed upon
📖 Imam Abû Hanîfah (80-150 AH)
In the foundations of belief
| Issue | His statement |
|---|---|
| The Quran | "The Quran is Allah's speech, not created" |
| The Attributes | "Allah is only described by what He described Himself" |
| Al-Istiwâ' | "Whoever says 'I don't know if my Lord is in the heaven or on earth' has disbelieved" |
| Faith | "Faith is attestation of the tongue and belief of the heart" |
His works on creed
- Al-Fiqh al-Akbar
- Al-Wasiyyah
- Letter to 'Uthmân al-Battî
📖 Imam Mâlik (93-179 AH)
In the foundations of belief
| Issue | His statement |
|---|---|
| Al-Istiwâ' | "Al-Istiwâ' is known, the how is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, asking about it is innovation" |
| The Quran | "The Quran is Allah's speech, not created" |
| Predestination | "He is not asked about what He does, but they will be asked" |
| The Companions | "Whoever insults the Companions has no share in the spoils" |
His method
- Adhering to the practice of Madinah's people
- Censuring dialectical theology and debates
- Glorifying the Sunnah
📖 Imam Ash-Shâfi'î (150-204 AH)
In the foundations of belief
| Issue | His statement |
|---|---|
| The Quran | "Whoever says the Quran is created is a disbeliever" |
| The Attributes | "I believed in Allah and in what came from Allah according to what Allah intended" |
| Predestination | "If Allah wills, among Ahl as-Sunnah" |
| Kalâm | "My ruling on the people of Kalâm is that they be beaten with palm sticks and paraded among the clans" |
His works
- Ar-Risâlah (foundations of Fiqh)
- Ikhtilâf al-Hadîth
📖 Imam Ahmad (164-241 AH)
In the foundations of belief
| Issue | His statement |
|---|---|
| The Quran | Stood firm during the trial that the Quran is Allah's speech, not created |
| The Attributes | "We believe in them and reject nothing of them" |
| Faith | "Speech and action, increases and decreases" |
| The Companions | "The best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abû Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthmân, then 'Alî" |
The Trial (Al-Mihnah)
- Endured torture on the issue of the Quran's creation
- Refused the Mu'tazilah doctrine
- Called the Imam of Ahl as-Sunnah
⚖️ Their Consensus in Creed
Issues they unanimously agreed upon
| Issue | Consensus |
|---|---|
| Tawhid | Affirming the Names and Attributes |
| The Quran | Not created |
| The Vision | Seeing Allah on the Day of Resurrection is true |
| Predestination | Believing in predestination, good and bad |
| The Companions | Honoring them and being pleased with them |
| Innovation | Censuring Kalâm and debates in religion |
| Faith | Speech and action (with difference in details) |
🚫 What They Did Not Adopt
| False belief | Their position |
|---|---|
| The created Quran | Unanimous on the disbelief of whoever says it |
| Denying Attributes | Affirmed the Attributes |
| Seeing Allah is impossible | Affirmed the Vision |
| Kalâm and philosophy | Censured them |
| Excess toward 'Alî | Disapproved of it |
🎯 Contemporary Cases
⚔️ Case 1: Debate Between Salafis and Ash'aris on Forums
Situation: Heated discussions on forums between Salafi and Ash'ari proponents, each accusing the other of misguidance.
❓ How should these disagreements be handled?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| The four imams | All on the path of the Salaf |
| Purpose of debate | To reach truth, not to win |
| Method | With knowledge and wisdom |
| Avoid | Mutual accusations and division |
💡 Rule: Debate should be scholarly and respectful. The four imams wouldn't have approved of sectarian disputes.
📚 Case 2: Student Who Changes Madhab in Creed
Situation: A student of Islamic sciences, after reading, decides to leave Ash'arism for Salafism, causing family tensions.
❓ How should this change be handled?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| Freedom of inquiry | Right to seek truth |
| Wisdom | Present with gentleness |
| Family ties | Must be preserved |
| Patience | Gradual change |
💡 Rule: Seeking truth is praiseworthy, but wisdom in presentation and maintaining family ties are obligatory.
🎓 Case 3: University Teaching Only One School of Aqeedah
Situation: An Islamic university teaches only the Ash'ari school without mentioning the Athari approach or vice versa.
❓ Is this exclusive approach correct?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| Complete education | Know the different approaches |
| Unity of four imams | All followed the Salaf |
| Scholar formation | Should know the opinions |
| Objectivity | Present the evidences |
💡 Rule: The student should know the different approaches to understand the four imams' agreement on foundations.
🤝 Case 4: Imam Who Refuses to Pray Behind a Mâturîdite
Situation: An imam refuses to pray behind another imam because he's a Mâturîdite.
❓ Is this refusal justified?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| The four imams | Prayed behind each other despite differences |
| Muslim unity | Priority |
| Conditions of prayer | The imam is Muslim |
| Sectarianism | Must be avoided |
💡 Rule: We pray behind any Muslim imam. The four imams, despite their differences, prayed together.
📖 Case 5: Reading Kalam Books - Permissible or Forbidden?
Situation: A student wonders if he can read kalâm (speculative theology) books to understand the debates.
❓ Is it permissible to study kalâm?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| Four imams' position | Censured kalâm |
| Student's level | Beginner should avoid |
| Objective | If to refute with knowledge |
| Guidance | With a guiding scholar |
💡 Rule: Kalâm should be avoided by laypeople. Advanced students may study it to refute, with guidance.
💭 Reflection
"The four imams are unanimous on the foundations of belief. Their legacy is unity, not division."
— Teaching of the scholars
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Did the four Imams differ in creed?
Answer: No, they are unanimous in the foundations of belief. Their juristic differences don't touch creed.
Q2: What is their position on Ash'arites and Mâturîdites?
Answer: These schools came after them. The four Imams are on the path of the Salaf in affirming Attributes.
Q3: Why are some Ash'arites attributed to Ash-Shâfi'î and Mâlik?
Answer: This is a historical error. Al-Ash'arî himself returned to the Salaf's path at the end of his life.
📚 Sources
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| I'tiqâd al-A'immah al-Arba'ah | Muhammad al-Khamîs |
| Sharh Usûl I'tiqâd Ahl as-Sunnah | Al-Lâlikâ'î |
| Al-Ibânah | Abû al-Hasan al-Ash'arî |
والله أعلم — And Allah knows best