The Historical Background of Ash‘arism: Kullâbism

Ash‘arism displayed a different aspects of formation and development process from that of other sects. To a large extent, the historical experience of al-Ash‘arî played a role in this fact. His attempt, in the period after he departed from Mu‘tazila, to find a place for himself in his new milieu also continued after him and turned the sectarian formation attributed to his name into an eclectic form. Kullâbism constituted the pre-formation form of Ash‘arism, as well as its being a new al-Ash‘arî’s new milieu after his departure from Mu‘tazila. In this article, the formation process of Kullâbism into Ash‘arism and the main factors determining this process will be analysed.