Comparison of Qadariyah and Asy'ariyah Thought in Classical Theological Aspects: Free Will, Destiny, Justice, Epistemology, and Human Actions

Komparasi Pemikiran Qadariyah dan Asy'ariyah dalam Aspek Teologi Klasik: Kebebasan, Takdir, Keadilan, Epistemologi, dan Perbuatan

Abstract

This research analyzes the comparative thought between the Qadariyah and Asy'ariyah schools in five main aspects of Islamic theology: the concept of human freedom, the concept of destiny, the concept of divine justice, the epistemological source of reason versus revelation, and the concept of human actions. Using a library research method with a qualitative-descriptive approach and content analysis of classical and contemporary texts, this study finds that Qadariyah represents the rationalist-extreme pole that emphasizes absolute human freedom, rejects destiny, places reason above revelation, and believes that humans are the creators of their own actions to maintain divine justice. In contrast, Asy'ariyah emerges as a moderate middle path by accepting absolute destiny, making revelation the highest authoritative source, and introducing the concept of kasb (acquisition), which states that God is the true creator of human actions while humans are empirical actors through acquisition. The conclusion is that Asy'ariyah is more dominant in the history of Sunni Islamic thought because it is able to harmonize pure monotheism with human moral responsibility.