The Social Reflections of Differentiation Between Ash？arism and Hanbalism

There is a close relationship between Ash？arism and ？anbalism since the emergence of Ash？arism. However, they often conflicted with each other as they approached to religious matters from different perspectives. These conflicts were not only limited to theological discussions but also turned into social conflicts, which occasionally resulted with deaths. First massive events occurred in 429/1038 in Baghdād between Ash？arites and ？anbalities. When Ni？ām al-Mulk was appointed as vizier, the conflicts reached a peak. The apparent reason of the conflicts was the theological controversy between these two sects. However, the rise of Ash？arism, which was usually against ？anbalism, was the main reason of the social conflicts. Supports of the Ash？arite thought by the leading statesmen of the era such as Ni？ām al-Mulk and Ayyūbid sultans, and accusations of some Ash？arite preachers about ？anbalities relying on this political support were also among the factors that led to these conflicts. Nevertheless, even if any accusation was not made, it occurred that the members of both sects resorted to violence in case of criticisms about their beliefs. This shows that the most important reason of the conflicts was sectarian fanaticism. Summary: Ash？arism is the name of the sect that was formed around the ideas of Abū al-？asan al-Ash？arī. It is a continuation of Kullābism in terms of general thought system. Ash？arism replaced Kullābism by the end of the 5th century of the Hijrah, and started to be called as an independent sect. It spread mostly among the Shāfi？ites and Mālikites in Iraq, Khurāsān, Damascus, Maghreb, and Yemen. When it was arrived to the last quarter of the 5th century, it became the common theological sect of most of Shāfi？ites and Mālikites. Bāqillānī (d. 403/1013), Ibn Fūrāk (d. 406/1015), and Abū Is？āq al-Isfarāyīnī’s (d. 418/1027) efforts played an important role in rising of Ash？arism in this period. In the following periods, contribution of the Seljuk vizier Ni？ām al-Mulk (d. 485/1092) to Ash？arism was massive by establishing the Ni？āmiyah Colleges to strengthen the Ash？arites against the Hanafites in Khurāsān and against the ？anbalites in Baghdād. The Ni？āmiyah Colleges were donated by Ni？ām al-Mulk to Shāfi？ite scholars for the mission of primarily limiting the influence Shī？ī thought. The condition of belonging to Shāfi？ites in waqfiyyah (endowment certificate) of the colleges provided some important advantages for Shāfi？ites and Ash？arites. On the other hand, the Ayyūbids provided important contributions to Ash？arites in the regions of Egypt,