ASHARI Hasan `Ali ibn Ismail ul-Ash`ari) (873- 93 5) , Arabian theologian, was born of pure Arab stock at Basra, but spent the greater part of his life at Baghdad. Although be longing to an orthodox family, he became a pupil of the great Mu`tazalite teacher al-Jubba`i, and himself remained a Mu'taza lite until his fortieth year. In 912 he returned to the faith of his fathers and became its most distinguished champion, using the philosophical methods he had learned in the school of heresy. His theology, which occupied a mediate position between the ex treme views on most points, became dominant among the Shafi'ites. He is said to have written over a hundred works, of which only four or five are known to be extant.
See W. Spitta, Zur Geschichte Abu al AFari's (Leipzig, 1876) ; A. F. Mehren, Exposé de hi ref orme de l'Islamisme commencee par Abou 'l-Hasan Ali el-Ash'ari (Leyden, 1878) ; and D. B. Mac donald's Muslim Theology (1903), especially the creed of Ash'ari in Appendix iii. (G. W. T.)