Work · Philosophy in the Islamic World
The Book of Highlights (Kitab al-Lumaʿ)
A short summa against the Mutazila: God’s eternal attributes, the uncreated Qur’an, the vision of God, and human acts created by God and acquired by humans.
Introduction
A compact Arabic treatise in which al-Ashari sets out his theology in dialectical form, often by stating an objection of the Mutazila and answering it. It argues for God’s existence from the coming-to-be of the world, defends the reality and eternity of God’s attributes and the uncreatedness of the Qur’an, affirms that believers will see God, and explains human acts as created by God and “acquired” by humans. It also treats faith, the imamate and the promise of reward and punishment. Richard J. McCarthy published an edition and English translation in 1953 under the title The Theology of al-Ashari. The Luma is one of the few works securely attributed to him and a principal source for his mature position.
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