ABSTRACT
The movement towards a rational defence of the central dogmatic positions of Sunnism finds its climax—in the absence of fuller information about al-Maturidi—in the "conversion" of al-Ash'ari. He was born at Basra in 873, and studied under the head of the Mu'tazilites there, al-Jubba'L as a distinguished pupil he sometimes took the place of the master, and might conceivably have succeeded him, it is said. The positive side of the "conversion" was the acceptance of Sunnite dogma in its Hanbalite form; and for the rest of his life al-Ash'ari devoted himself to the intellectual defence of the position. Besides the strictly theological motive al-Ash'ari was presumably dissatisfied with the Mu'tazilite position because it was ceasing to be relevant to the contemporary situation. By the time of al-Ash'ari the field of discussion had been extended, and one of the points to the fore was man's power or capacity to perform an act.
