Abu Al-Qasim Al-Ansari and His Kalãm Doctrines: The Book Sharh Al-Irshãd as A Case Study

This study aims to highlight the doctrinal theological methodology of Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Ansari (d. 512 AH), one of the prominent figures of the Ash'ari school, through an analytical examination of his work Sharh al-Irshad, one of the most important commentaries on the foundational text al-Irshad by Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni. The research employs a historical approach to explore al-Ansari’s personality, an inductive method to identify the most notable commentaries on al-Irshad, a comparative method to demonstrate the distinctiveness of al-Ansari’s commentary over others and an analytical approach to study selected texts and extract some of his theological views, as well as to show the intellectual influence of his teacher, al-Juwayni, on him. The study is divided into four main sections: the first provides a brief biography of al-Ansari and his scholarly status; the second discusses the significance of al-Irshad and its commentaries; the third analyzes key opinions on issues such as intellectual perception, the creation of the world, and the proof of existence of the Creator; and the fourth addresses his views on certain Divine Attributes including Existence, Eternity, Non-neediness of athers, Oneness, and Non-resemblance to the Creations. The research concludes that the Ash'ari creed was not merely a doctrinal trend but a robust intellectual fortress against ideological turmoil. This was evident in al-Ansari’s handling of complex issues, including his refutations of the Mu'tazilites, the Mushabbihah and the philosophers. Moreover, al-Ansari’s commentary remains a significant source for documenting the views of major Ash'ari theologians who preceded him.