Ash'âriyya in the Seljuk State

The ash'arism sect, founded by Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari, is one of the I'tikadi factions under the roof of AHL-Sunnah along with the Maturidism sect. Scholars such as Ibn Fûrek, İsferâyinî, Bâkıllânî, Abdulkahir al-Bağdâdî, and Juveyni played a major role in its development and systematization. Ash'ariism had largely completed its systematization until it came to the Seljuk State. The asharism sect faced the danger of extinction during the Seljuks and also experienced its golden age. During the reign of Sultan Tugrul Bey, mihne events were held for Ash'ari scholars with the influence of Vizier Kündürî. In the events of Mihne, Abu'l-Hasan al-Ashari and the scholars who followed his path were cursed from the pulpit. After the death of Sultan Tughrul Bey, this mihne applied to the ash'ars ended when Alparslan became the Sultan and Nizamul-Mulk became the vizier. The Ashari scholars, who were forced to migrate due to oppression and persecution, returned to their hometowns when Nizâmü'l-Mülk was appointed as the vizier. At the same time, madrasas called Nizamiye were built for Ash'ari scholars by Nizâmü'l-Mülk. The fact that non-Ash'ari scholars were not appointed as professors to the Nizamiye madrasahs enabled the Ash'ari sect to get stronger day by day. In this respect, the Ash'ari Sect lived its golden age in this period. In the post-Nizamü'l-Mülk period, with the interest of the sultans in sectarian activities, the Ash'ari Sect was replaced by the Maturidite Sect, which completed its systematization. Although the Ash'ari sect has always preserved its existence throughout history, it could not reach the level in the Seljuk Period.