The Effect of the Theologians’ Endeavors to Safeguard God from What Is Inappropriate on Their Approaches

Abstract

Theologians from among Ash’aris, Maturidis and Mu’tazilah have differed on multiple issues. This difference has a reached a level where each sect has accused the other of committing blasphemy, especially between Ash’aris and Maturidis from one side and the Mu’tazilah from the other. The most important dispute that history has witnessed between them was in matters of the divine. upon investigation, it is found that most of these disputes ultimately relate to what ensures the protection of God from blasphemy. This study attempts to highlight the major issues relating to the above matter quoting the exact words and stands of theologians from the Mu’atazilah school and those from the Ash’aris and Maturidis schools as the latter being representative of the Sunnis. The most prominent issues that have stirred controversy in this context are the self-attributes of God Almighty; the Qur'anic and the Sunnah texts that liken God to His creation, seeing God on the Day of Judgment, the creation of human acts and the creation of the Qur'an.