Abstract:

Abū Djafar al-Simnānī (d. 444/1052) was born in Simnān, which is located within the borders of Iran today and received knowledge from many names, especially Abū Bakr al-Bāqillānī. Simnānī, who died while he was a judge in Mosul, draws attention with his adoption of Hanafī in fiqh and Ash‘arī in kalam. The fact that he was a student of al-Bāqillānī, that he was among Abū al-Walīd al-Bājī’s teachers, and most importantly, that his work named al-Bayān ‘an usūl al-īmān has survived to the present day provides a wide range of information about Simnānī's theological personality. Simnānī’s work is remarkable in revealing the author’s view of the Ahl al-Sunnah and giving information about the period he lived in and the approach of geography. The fact that the work was written as a refutation of the Mu‘tazila sect is important in reflecting the period’s climate. Abū Djafar al-Simnānī’s criticism of Mu‘tazila or his perception of Mu‘tazila is the subject of this article. The study, which accepts the method of historical science as a basis, aims to determine the place of Simnānī and his work in the tradition of Islamic thought by deepening the person and the work. It should be stated that the study contributes to the literature under the title of “relationship between sects” and that it provides important information, especially within the framework of the “Ash‘arism-Mu‘tazila struggle”.

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