Description: (Theologian)
Al-Ash'ari, a Sunni Muslim scholar, is renowned for establishing the Ash'ari school of Islamic theology. He was a jurist of the Shafi'i school, exegete, reformer, and scholastic theologian. Al-Ash'ari adopted a moderate approach between Atharism and Mu'tazilism, critiquing the rationalism of the latter and the anti-philosophical stance of the Hanbalis. His teachings emphasized the importance of Islamic scriptures and rational thinking in theological discussions such as free will and the attributes of God. The Ash'ari school eventually became the predominant theological perspective within Sunni Islam, though it was not accepted by Shia Muslims.