Sources of the Ash'ari tradition of Maqalat

Works in the maqālāt genre constitute the primary sources of the History of Islamic Sects. In the formation of the maqālāt tradition, authors' tendencies to defend their own sects while refuting others played a significant role, and the earliest works of this tradition were limited in scope by this framework. However, over time, the tradition underwent both horizontal and vertical development. With this evolution, the content of the works expanded and distinct methodological understandings emerged. Within this framework, although authors sharing similar sectarian inclinations often differed in methodology, they developed similar characteristics in areas such as the use of sources, their approach to the audience, and content. Accordingly, various classifications have been developed to categorize maqālāt works according to their sectarian traditions. These classifications hold functional importance for understanding the fundamental characteristics of the maqālāt tradition, particularly its methodological approach. In this context, the present study focuses on the literature classified within the Ashʿarī maqālāt and firāq tradition and aims to identify the primary sources of this tradition. To maintain a clear scope, the study is limited to three works within this tradition: Maqālāt al-Islāmiyyīn wa Ikhtilāf al-Musallīn by Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī, al-Farq bayn al-Firaq by ʿAbd al-Qāhir al-Baghdādī, and al-Milal wa al-Niḥal by al-Shahrastānī. In this research, individuals from whom opinions are cited in these three works are regarded as sources. Accordingly, a list of individuals accepted as sources in all three works has been compiled, and observations have been made regarding their methods of source usage. Although the Ash'arite maqalat tradition is mentioned as a whole, the methods of the authors in the tradition in using sources are examined comparatively and evaluations are made about the differences in method.