Thread by @Alminhaji

Explaining The claim that Shahrastani claimed that Ashari broke Ijmaa!!!!

In order to understand what was he saying we have to start from the top!

He says:
ولقد كان الأمر في أول الزمان على قولين أحدهما: القدم والثاني:
الحدوث

In the beginning; the issue (of Kalam) was between two ideas: Not Created (Qidam) & Created (Hadeth)

والقولان مقصوران على الكلمات المكتوبة والآيات المقروءة بالألسن

Both opinions were referring to the written words and what was read (with out going deeper into the details)

فصار الآن إلى قول ثالث وهو حدوث الحروف والكلمات وقدم الكلام والأمر الذي تدل عليه العبارات

and now we have a 3rd opinion; which states: Letters & Words are Created, yet His Kalam is not created (qidam), and those letters and words are an expression of the Kalam

وقد حسن قول ليس منهما على خلاف القولين

and so we are agreeing (Or made better) with an opinion, that wasn't part of the old battle of two opinions.

فكانت السلف على إثبات القدم والأزلية لهذه الكلمات دون التعرض لصفة أخرى وراءها وكانت المعتزلة على إثبات الحدوث والخلقية لهذه الحروف والأصوات دون التعرض لأمر

But actually;the Salaf were focused on the concept of Qidam (uncreated)and everlasting of these words in general, without discussing anything beyond that,while the Mu'tazilah were focused on proving that these letters & sounds were created not looking at anything else beyond that

فأبدع الأشعري قولا ثالثا وقضى بحدوث الحروف وهو خرق الإجماع وحكم بأن ما نقرأه كلام اللّه مجازا لا حقيقة وهو عين الابتداع

So Al-Ashari initiated a 3rd opinion; claiming that these letters were created; breaking the Ijmaa, and ruling that the words we read is Allah's Kalam by Majaz not literally, and this is indeed innovation!

فهلا قال ورد السمع بأن ما نقرأه ونكتبه كلام اللّه تعالى دون أن يتعرض لكيفيته وحقيقته كما ورد السمع بإثبات كثير من الصفات من الوجه واليدين إلى غير ذلك من الصفات الخبرية

Shouldn't he have just stuck to what we read and what we write as being the Kalam of Allah, with out discussing its nature or reality AS WE DO WITH THE WAJH & YADAYN and the rest of the mentioned attributes?!

قالت السلف: لا يظن الظان أنا نثبت القدم للحروف والأصوات التي قامت بألسنتنا وصارت صفات لنا فإنا على قطع نعلم افتتاحها واختتامها وتعلقها بأكسابنا وأفعالنا

As the Salaf said: Do not ever think that we believe that these letters and sounds are uncreated (Qidam) for they are on our tongues and attributes to us! for we assert that they are all beginning and ending and details with in are our kasb & Actionssssssssssssss

وقد بذلت السلف أرواحهم وصبروا على أنواع البلايا والمحن من معتزلة الزمان دون أن يقولوا: القرآن مخلوق، ولم يكن ذلك على حروف وأصوات هي أفعالنا وأكسابنا

For indeed the Salaf gave their lives and were patient to the trials and tribulations of the Mu'tazilah of their time, and stood firm with out stating the Quran was created. For all of this was not for the actual letter and sounds that are OUR ACTION & KASB

He goes on to explain what the salaf meant; which again is what we say, not what the wahhabis claim of their nonsense and falsehood.
You see Shahristani isn't claiming there was a consensus that Ashari broke!
But He is arguing that the battle had a strategy ...

and Ashari changed the strategy, that is the Ijma, and you can call it innovation, but it isn't a bad one!
you see as it turned out it was a very good one indeed.
Now he isn't referring to the nafsi as some claim!

As a matter of fact he as I showed has explained what the salaf believed; Letter & Sounds are not QADEEM!
But they weren't vocal on that, they kept it simple, and repeated: Quran is Allahs Kalam, which is not created.

So he felt that Ashari by adding a detail with in the argument he changed the rules of engagement!
But we could argue; that since the salaf did indeed believe in what Ashari said, is it really that bad?! I mean he took down the Mu'tazilah completely!!

So in conclusion;
Salaf simply said: Quran Kalam Allah not created. end
Mu'tazilah said: Quran is created. end
Ashari: Letter & Sounds Created. Kalam Not created.
Shahrastani: Why open that can of worms Ashari! the salaf didn't claim letters and sounds were uncreated!

Lastly; Ashari did nothing wrong! if he did we would be the first to call him out! End of story!

Case closed!