Athari
Encyclopedia
Athari , or "textualism
" is derived from the Arabic word athar, literally meaning "remnant", and also referring to "narrations". Their disciples are called the Atharis. The Atharis are considered to be one of three Sunni schools of Aqidah: Athari, Ash'ari
, and Maturidi
.
and his characteristics in the fashion that they were mentioned in the Quran, the Sunnah
and by the Sahabah
. They do not attempt to further interpret the aforementioned texts through tamtheel (anthropomorphism), nor through tahrif (distortion), ta‘weel (figurative interpretation), tamthil (making a likeness), tashbih (resemblance), nor ta’teel (denial). They avoid entering into deep rational philosophical discussions of matters relating to Islamic beliefs that are not supported by the Quran, the Sunnah or the understanding of the Sahabah with specific wording; rather, their discussion and presentation of beliefs revolves entirely around textual evidences found in these sources, without taking the path of the literal anthropomorphists either. The Atharis believe this to be the methodology adhered to by the first three generations of Muslims (i.e. the Salaf
), therefore making it the school of Sunni Aqidah that they believe is the closest to the truth.
Due to the emphasis of the Hanbali school of thought on textualism, Muslims who are Hanbali usually prefer the Athari methodology in Aqidah. However, Atharis are not exclusively Hanbali, many Muslims from other schools of thought adhere to the Athari school of Aqidah also.
, Ahmad ibn Hanbal
is often pointed to as an early champion of the Athari creed. This became a serious issue within the Muslim World
during the Mu'tazili
controversy over the belief of the Qur'an being created, rather than being the Speech of Allah. Others are cited as earlier proponents, such as, Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 778
) was a Follower
from Kufa
who held what would later become the Athari creed..
One of the earliest texts that outlined the Athari creed was the famous tract of Imam al-Tahawi, al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah (The Creed of al-Tahawi). The other two schools of Sunni Islamic theology, the Ash'ari and the Maturidi schools, are also fundamentally based on The Creed of al-Tahawi, with a number of differences in their directions.
Textualism
Textualism is a formalist theory of statutory interpretation, holding that a statute's ordinary meaning should govern its interpretation, as opposed to inquiries into non-textual sources such as the intention of the legislature in passing the law, the problem it was intended to remedy, or...
" is derived from the Arabic word athar, literally meaning "remnant", and also referring to "narrations". Their disciples are called the Atharis. The Atharis are considered to be one of three Sunni schools of Aqidah: Athari, Ash'ari
Ash'ari
The Ashʿari theology is a school of early Muslim speculative theology founded by the theologian Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari...
, and Maturidi
Maturidi
In Islam, a Maturidi is one who follows Abu Mansur Al Maturidi's theology, which is a close variant of the Ash'ari theology . The Maturidis, Ash'aris and Atharis are all part of Sunni Islam, which makes up the overwhelming majority of Muslims...
.
Views
The Athari methodology of textual interpretation is to avoid delving into extensive theological speculation. They believe in AllahAllah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
and his characteristics in the fashion that they were mentioned in the Quran, the Sunnah
Sunnah
The word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...
and by the Sahabah
Sahabah
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
. They do not attempt to further interpret the aforementioned texts through tamtheel (anthropomorphism), nor through tahrif (distortion), ta‘weel (figurative interpretation), tamthil (making a likeness), tashbih (resemblance), nor ta’teel (denial). They avoid entering into deep rational philosophical discussions of matters relating to Islamic beliefs that are not supported by the Quran, the Sunnah or the understanding of the Sahabah with specific wording; rather, their discussion and presentation of beliefs revolves entirely around textual evidences found in these sources, without taking the path of the literal anthropomorphists either. The Atharis believe this to be the methodology adhered to by the first three generations of Muslims (i.e. the Salaf
Salaf
A Salaf is an early Muslim of the first three generations of proponents of the religion.-First generation:* See: List of SahabaThe Salaf are the first generation of Muslims, which included Muhammad's companions and followers at the time....
), therefore making it the school of Sunni Aqidah that they believe is the closest to the truth.
Due to the emphasis of the Hanbali school of thought on textualism, Muslims who are Hanbali usually prefer the Athari methodology in Aqidah. However, Atharis are not exclusively Hanbali, many Muslims from other schools of thought adhere to the Athari school of Aqidah also.
Prominent figures
While there is no precise founder of this school of creed within IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Abu `Abd Allah al-Shaybani was an important Muslim scholar and theologian. He is considered the founder of the Hanbali school of fiqh...
is often pointed to as an early champion of the Athari creed. This became a serious issue within the Muslim World
Muslim world
The term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
during the Mu'tazili
Mu'tazili
' is an Islamic school of speculative theology that flourished in the cities of Basra and Baghdad, both in present-day Iraq, during the 8th–10th centuries. The adherents of the Mu'tazili school are best known for their having asserted that, because of the perfect unity and eternal nature of God,...
controversy over the belief of the Qur'an being created, rather than being the Speech of Allah. Others are cited as earlier proponents, such as, Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 778
778
Year 778 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 778 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* August 15 – Battle of Roncevaux Pass...
) was a Follower
Tabi‘in
The Tābi‘ūn are the generation of Muslims who were born after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad but who were contemporaries of the Sahaba "Companions". As such, they played an important part in the development of Islamic thought and philosophy, and in the political development of the...
from Kufa
Kufa
Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....
who held what would later become the Athari creed..
One of the earliest texts that outlined the Athari creed was the famous tract of Imam al-Tahawi, al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah (The Creed of al-Tahawi). The other two schools of Sunni Islamic theology, the Ash'ari and the Maturidi schools, are also fundamentally based on The Creed of al-Tahawi, with a number of differences in their directions.