Why Ash'arism argues that natural laws are merely divine customs, not fixed physical rules.

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Ash'arism, the most influential school of Sunni Islamic theology, rejects the idea of fixed natural laws like gravity. Instead, it proposes that God creates every moment and particle, and what we perceive as cause and effect are simply divine customs that God chooses to maintain in the natural world.

Founded by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari in the 10th century, Ash'arism emerged as a middle path between the literalist Athari school and the rationalist Mu'tazila. Al-Ash'ari, a descendant of one of Muhammad's companions, utilized atomism to argue that God is the sole creator of every particle and moment in time. This framework allows for divine omnipotence, as any fixed natural law would theoretically limit God's absolute freedom to act.

Central to this theology is the doctrine of kasb, or acquisition. Because Ash'arites believe God creates all human actions, they faced the challenge of explaining moral responsibility. They argue that while God wills and creates an action, humans 'acquire' responsibility for it. This allows for free will within a limited scope: humans possess the freedom to choose between possibilities that God has already created. In Western philosophy, this perspective is often categorized as occasionalism.

The school also maintains a specific approach to divine attributes. Ash'arites hold that God possesses the attributes mentioned in the Qur'an, such as sight and speech, but these are beyond human comprehension. When faced with ambiguous verses, they practice tafwid—consigning the meaning to God without asking 'how'—or ta'wil, which involves interpretation based on language and revelation. By the 12th century, theologians like al-Taftazani increasingly emphasized that scripture must be validated through rational arguments, cementing the school's commitment to both faith and intellectual inquiry.

Ash'arism has been shaped by prominent thinkers including al-Ghazali, Ibn Khaldun, and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. Its influence extends far beyond theology, impacting the history of Islamic science and philosophy. By insisting that reason is God-given and necessary for understanding, the school established a rigorous intellectual tradition that remains a cornerstone of Sunni orthodoxy, balancing the authority of sacred texts with the necessity of rational thought.

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