Is it correct to assign the Ash'ariyyah to the Jahmiyyah? The answer is: No!

Who are the Jahmiya?

The Jamiya are a group of Murjia that emerged at the end of the Umayyad era in Tirmidh in Khorasan, Iran. The name derives from their founder Jāhm b. Ṣafwān. They are considered Jabariyya and their beliefs aim to return Muslims to the prevailing beliefs in the time of ignorance.

He visited one of the leading scholars of the Tabi'in, Wahb b. Munabbih, and frequently asked him questions about the attributes of Allah, which Wahb disapproved of and warned him not to delve into.

It should be noted that the Jahmiyya appeared before the Mu'tazila and advocated the Jabr, described the Quran as creation, denied the Attributes and rejected Ar-Ru'yah.

Belief includes: denying the eternal attributes of Allah such as power, will and knowledge and claiming man is not described as capable of action, but is compelled by what Allah creates as actions, as He creates in other things. Belief is a conviction in the heart, and even if a person expresses disbelief, it does not harm the belief. Because of this teaching, they are considered murji'ah. The claim that Allah exists everywhere is proven by a narration of Ibn Khuzaymah in the book "Tawheed" with its chain of narrators, in which it is reported that Jahm ibn Safwan once stood on the bridge of Tirmidh and was asked to describe Allah. He went into the house and did not come out until after a few days he said: "It is this wind that is with everything and in everything, and there is nothing in which He is not." And the statement that paradise and hell are transient.

It should be made clear that the aforementioned beliefs are not in accordance with the teachings of Ahl-Sunnah Ash'ariyyah. However, some followers of the sects influenced by Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Al-Qayim have adopted and spread these false ideas. This is because Ibn Taymiyyah makes no distinction, anyone who does not understand the attributes of Allah as he does is a Jahmi in his eyes and this opinion is held only by him, his disciples and his ignorant followers. This illusion creates a bubble of fantasies and pseudo-scientific refutations against any opponent of Ibn Taymiyyah. The followers adapt this behavior and quote the existing answers against the Jahmiyah to all opponents and call every opponent in this subject Jahmi.

Often the self-proclaimed Salafi followers such as the Wahhabis and others use the term "Jahmiyah" and falsely attribute it to the most prominent scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah in order to spread ignorance. The book "Al-Sunnah" by Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal, whose full name is "The Book of Sunnah and Refutation of Jahmiyah", and the invented book "Al-Sunnah" by Harb Al-Kirmani are used for this purpose.

It should be clarified that the Ash'ariyyah and the Jahmiya are two different theological schools in Islam. A common misconception is that the Ash'ariyyah and the Jahmiya are synonymous or that the Ash'ariyyah is similar to the Jahmiya. This is often claimed by some followers of the Wahhabi movement who want to portray the Ash'ariyyah as Jahmiya and claim that the refutations against the Jahmiya are also applicable to the Ash'ariyyah. However, these claims are false and based on ignorance or deliberate misleading.

There is an artificial construction that feigns the superiority of the Wahhabi currents by transferring the refutations against the Jahmiya to the Ash'ariyyah. Ignorant people, especially young people, often fall for this trap and spread this nonsense. The Jahmiya have been refuted mainly by the arguments of the Ash'ariyyah. It is perfidious that this artificial debate is presented by using arguments of the Ahl as Sunnah against the Jahmiya as if these arguments are against the Ash'ariyyah. The Jahmiya are a heretical group that emerged late. The Jahmiya have a minority opinion and are considered erroneous and false by most Muslims.

It is important to distinguish between these two schools and not fall for the false claims of those who try to defame the Ash'ariyyah.

An analysis of Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal's book 'Al-Sunnah and the refutation of the Jahmiya.

The Ash'ariyyah scholars have two positions on this book.

Some deny the attribution of this book to Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Dr. Sahib Al-Saqar said in his book "Tajsim in Islamic Thought": "It seems to me that this book is by someone named Aba Ismail Al-Harawi, who is known for his works known as Salafi doctrine. It is believed that the book was written by Abu Ismail al-Harawi, who is known as Sheikh al-Islam among his followers and is known for his works on the Salafi faith. Al-Harawi is known for his strong fanaticism and it is possible that this tradition of Abu Ya'qub Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Qarab al-Harawi was passed on to him by an unknown person. It is not impossible that this tradition was taken from the book of Abu Ismail al-Harawi.

As for Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, we do not think that he would go beyond Allah, His Messenger, Imam Ahmad and Imam Abu Hanifa. The editor has mentioned the transmission of the book and its attribution to the author in the documentation of the book and its correctness, which were transmitted from him by the Hanbalites, and anyone who transmitted them from him after the age of the aforementioned Harawi. These traditions should not remove the doubt about the attribution of the book to him or the correctness of his attribution.

This book contains over one hundred and eighty passages that belittle Imam Abu Hanifa and even portray him as an unbeliever. It is claimed that he behaves like a goat whose beard is shorn and that he had to be asked several times to renounce disbelief. It is also claimed that he issued fatawa permitting the eating of pork and that Imam Malik is mentioned negatively in this book.

The editor has reviewed and documented the chain of transmission of this narration and other terrible accusations. Some have claimed authorship of the book and claimed that the Mujassima distorted the book according to their false beliefs, while some of the Maturidites claimed that it should be attributed to Abdullah and blamed him for it, like al-Kawthari. The truth, however, is that the book was attributed to Abdullah ibn Hanbal.

However, we cannot be sure that the copy is free of forgeries and alterations. Among the evidence for attributing the book to him is what al-Khatib al-Baghdadi mentioned in his story. He said, "Dalaj bin Ahmad reported to me that Musa bin Harun told us that Abu al-Hasan bin al-Attar, our trusted shaykh, told us that Ali bin Muhammad al-Daffaq told us: We heard from al-Husayn bin Harun about Abu al-Abbas bin Said that he said: I heard Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal and asked him, I said: you are a shaykh, and Muhammad bin Muhammad bin al-Attar? He replied: He was trustworthy and reliable. And Abdullah bin Ahmad reported about him in his book "Answer to the Jahmiyya"." The book "Answer to the Jahmiyya" is a book about the Sunnah.

And what Ibn Hajar said in al-Isabah: "Al-Baghawi said that he lived in Kufa, and Abu Ahmad al-Hakim mentioned him in his book "Those who received the title from the Sahaba", and Ibn al-Sakan, Ibn Abi Khaythama and al-Baghawi and Abdullah ibn Ahmad mentioned him in their book al-Sunnah, and al-Tabarani narrated it via Israil from Thawr ibn Abi Fakhtah, who heard a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who was called Abu al-Khattab and was asked about the Witr prayer. He replied: "My favorite way to pray Witr is to pray until the middle of the night, because Allah descends to heaven at the seventh hour and says: "Is there anyone who asks Me?"

Adh-Dhahabi said: "Abdullah ibn Ahmad narrated it in his book "As-Sunnah", which was authorized to me by several people except Ibn Abi Al-Khair, narrated by Abu Zur'ah Al-Kaftani, narrated by Abu Abdullah Al-Khallal, narrated by Abu Al-Muzaffar ibn Shabeeb, narrated by Abu Umar Al-Salimi, narrated by Ahmad ibn Muhammad Al-Lanbani from him." Adh-Dhahabi also said in his book "Al-Arsh": "Abdul Qadir Al-Ruhawi informed us that Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr from Isfahan informed us that Al-Hussein ibn Abdul-Malik Al-Khallal informed us that Abdullah ibn Shuaib informed us that Abu Umar Al-Salimi informed us, that Abu Al-Hussein Al-Lanbani informed us, that Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his book "Al-Radd Alal-Jahmiyah" informed us, that Ahmad ibn Ibrahim Ad-Dawraqi informed us, that Ali ibn Al-Hussein ibn Shuqeeq asked Ibn Al-Mubarak: "How shall we know our Lord?" He said, "On the seventh heaven, on His throne, and we do not say like the Jahmiyah that He is here on earth."

If it is true, then it should be interpreted in context, as he was about to respond to the Jahmiyah who believe that Allah is in every place in its essence. He was replying to them with what is according to the Quran, and there is no proof in the Quran or in the Prophet's words about the position or space for Allah. The word "upon" is used in Arabic for place, but it can also be used for position and dominance, and this is the meaning that Ibn al-Mubarak wanted. All these texts indicate the correctness of the attribution of the Book of Sunnah to Abdullah bin Imam Ahmad, not the popularity of the version that is free from forgery and substitution. This indicates two things:

There are two unknown narrators in the chain of transmission of the book: the first is Abu al-Nasr Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Sulaiman al-Samsar. Some scholars have tried to identify Abu al-Nasr, calling him Abu Bakr Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Sulaiman al-Samsar. However, this is an obvious solution that is of no use, as the first narrator is called Abu al-Nasr and his kuniya is Abu al-Nasr, while the second narrator is called Ahmad and his kuniya is Abu Bakr. Some have also called him "Abu al-Nathr", as Muhammad al-Sari did in his study of "Mujam Shuyukh Abi Dharr al-Harawi", and called him one of the trustworthy students of Abi Dharr al-Harawi. The confusion in determining the name of the narrator is a fact that is undisputed.

The second man is Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Khalid al-Harawi and his identity is unknown. He was only mentioned by Ibn Hibban in the Thiqat. However, Ibn Hibban is criticized for his negligence in authenticating hadith, as stated by al-Muallimi al-Yamani in al-Anwar al-Kashifah.Even al-Albani noted that one should be careful when using Ibn Hibban, as he differs from other scholars in authenticating unknowns. It is not known whether this man was a reliable narrator or not. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani noted in al-Nukat that a mention of Ibn Hibban in the Thiqat alone is not enough to confirm the reliability of this hadith.

If it is transmitted by someone who has memorized it, he should be a connoisseur of the meanings. It was not required to meet the same requirements in terms of connection and justice that the author emphasized in Al-Sahih, such as the presence of precision and the absence of deviations and errors. Although Ibn Hibban did not explicitly mention these requirements, he would take them into account if he found them, but if not, he would transmit the hadith as he received it, because the presence of these requirements does not preclude what he required. Ibn Khuzaymah called his book "Al-Musnad Al-Sahih Al-Mutasil Bin Qawl Al-Adl 'An Al-Adl Min Ghayr Qat'in Fi Al-Sanad Wa La Jarhin Fi Al-Naqilah". This criterion is the same as that of Ibn Hibban, as Ibn Hibban was a student of Ibn Khuzaymah and was influenced by his work and style.

There should be no tolerance for the confirmation of beliefs from a book with this tradition. The scholar Abdulrahman Khalifa has narrated in his book "Al-Mushabbaha wal-Mujassima" under the chapter "The Book of Sunnah of Al-Hafiz Abdullah bin Ahmad" on page 51 that the Fiqh scholar Khalil Al-Khalidi, the former chairman of the Court of Cassation and Notary in Palestine, said: "The rule among the hadith scholars and usul scholars is that a book can only be attributed to its author if it is either in the author's handwriting or if it is from that author based on reliable traditions recorded in reliable traditions that are either in the author's handwriting or in the handwriting of the narrators. Only in this way can it be proven that the book originated from its author, otherwise it cannot be proven." The Mujassima have investigated the attribution of the book to Abdullah bin Ahmad and have endeavored to take action against those who engage in such matters. However, these have no scientific basis, but are merely sayings that cannot refute the existence of unknowns in two layers of the chain of transmission of this book.

Their adherence to these traditions in a book that was originally compiled to collect the traditional Sunni beliefs is the best example of how denigrating the greatest of Muslims and their scholars is a cornerstone of this anthropomorphic doctrine that the scholars have opposed. This is their method of deceiving the ordinary Muslims who are blinded by their superficial religion and misled by the calls to follow the Book, the Sunnah, and the ancestors. The second aspect is that this Book contains clear texts comparing Allah to His creation and describing Him as physical and in terms of His ways and favoring Him in one direction. It also contains such bold statements about Allah that make one shudder, such as the claim that he sits on the throne and has a chest and arms, that he is heavy and has a form on which Adam was created, that he sits on a golden throne supported by four angels, that he puts his feet on the throne and that the throne fits his feet like a shoe, that when he wants to frighten one of his servants, he shows something of himself, that he brought Dawoud so close that he touched him and took hold of his feet. These are outrageous statements and abominations.

The following are examples of direct comparisons and denials:

• A - In part 1, sheet 106, number 10, in the book "Al-Sunnah" printed by Dar Al-Kutub in Riyadh, it says: "Can exaltation be achieved only by sitting?" The commentator said: "This expression is closer to the embodiment and comparison of the Creator with the creatures, and our pious ancestors were among the fiercest rejecters of people who use similes and humanize the Creator."
• B - In Part 1, pages 175-176, number 217, it says: "He saw him sitting on a golden chair supported by four angels: an angel in the form of a man, an angel in the form of a lion, an angel in the form of a bull and an angel in the form of an eagle, in a green garden with a bed of gold." The commentator said: "This tradition is weak and cannot be used as evidence, especially in matters of faith. Moreover, it is a discussion about the manner, which is contrary to the teaching of the pious ancestors that talking about the manner of the entity or attributes is an innovation (bida)."
• C - In part 1, sheet 110, it says: "Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Shibawayh Abu Abdullah Al-Rahman reported that I heard Ali bin Al-Hasan, the nephew of Ibn Shaqiq, say: I heard Abdullah say: 'Faith consists of words and deeds that increase and decrease, and I heard him say: 'We narrate the words of the Jews and Christians, but we cannot narrate the words of Jahmiyyah.' He said, 'And I heard Abdullah say, 'We know our Lord, the Exalted, above the seven heavens on the Throne, clearly distinguishable from His creatures, with a definite measure, and we do not say what the Jahmiyyah say.'' And he pointed with his hand to the earth."

Abu Malik Ahmad bin Ali said in his review of the book: "This is an authentic tradition without the word 'with a certain measure', which is unusual or rejected."

This is an indication that this book does not quote scientifically and adds things that support the sectarian doctrine.

This is in addition to many passages in the book that condemn Imam Abu Hanifa and exclude him from the religion, and God save us from that. The followers of the anthropomorphists (Mujassimah) refer to this book and argue with the traditions contained in it, which are full of comparisons and anthropomorphism and extend to insolence towards Allah.

It seems that a scholarly examination of the book shows that it is improperly quoted and much of the content is not in accordance with the teachings of Ahmad bin Hanbal. Many of these extreme statements are only found in this book and if they were statements of the Salaf and Sunnah, they would have to be mutawatir or authentic in multiple traditions and sources, which is not the case.

Therefore, neither the chain of tradition nor the content of this book is suitable to serve as a fundamental book of doctrine. For this sect, however, it is not so important how authentic their sources are in questions of Aqida, but they accept everything that corresponds to their anthropomorphistic doctrine. They have also endeavored to present this chain of tradition as authentic.

It is also important to mention that the Ash'ariyyah have very strict rules for texts and even traditions that they include in the aqida, whereas the sects do not. They even go so far as to accept books that do not even have a chain of tradition, such as that of Harb al-Kirwani.