Q: Can you please explain who the Ash’arees are? I am very confused about them because ulema-e-Deoband usually list themselves as Ash’aree or Matreedi, but Arabian scholars like Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al Uthaymeen and bin Baz clearly consider Ash'aree and Matreedi out of Ahle-Sunnah wal Jamaah. Why do the Arabian scholars consider Ash'aree and Matreedi to be outside of Ahle-sunnah wal Jamaah. What is even more confusing is that our ulema respect the aforementioned scholar, but if you read fatwa work of these scholars, you will clearly see that they consider Ash'aree and Matreedi to be a batil sect.
A: Whomsoever's actions and beliefs conform to the actions and beliefs of the Sahaaba are regarded as the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah. Since the actions and beliefs of the Ash’arees and Maatureedis conform to the Sahaaba, they enter within the purview of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah.
The founder of the Ash’aree school was Ali ibn Ismaeel ibn Abi Bishr al-Ash'aree al-Yamaani al-Basri. A descendent of the famous Companion Abu Musa al-Ash'aree. He passed away in the year 324 hijri.
The founder of the Maatureedi school of though was Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad, Abu Mansoor al-Maaturidi. He was born in maatureed, a district of Samarqand, in present day Uzbekistan. Aside from being one of the Imaams of the fundamentals of Deen, he was a prominent jurist of the Hanafi school, having studied under Nusayr ibn Yahya al-Balkhi and he was the author of numerous works in fiqh, usool, tafseer, and kalaam. he passed away in 333 hijri.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained (Pg. 15-17)
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