In the field of Islamic sciences, many disciplines have developed, grown and thrived over the centuries. Classical Islamic sciences such as jurisprudence, hadith transmission and Qur’anic sciences developed in the early post prophetic era. In contrast to this, theology (ilm al Kalām), philosophy and sufism developed systematically at later dates. Many Muslim scholars such as Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī are known to have mastered many of these sciences at once, as well as to have showed interconnections between apparently opposing sciences. For instance, in the case of al-Ghazālī, his impact in developing a neo-Ash’arism by merging philosophy and theology is well appreciated (Griffel, F, 2009). Equally, his rejection of philosophy in favour of sufism is understood as a demonstration of the superiority of the sufi path in reaching the ultimate purpose of gnosis (ma’rifa) (McCarthy, R, 2000).

In contrast to the many studies conducted on the connection between theology and philosophy, little has been done to investigate the interplay between theology and sufism (Shihadeh, A, 2007). Of particular interest is whether the rise of systematic rational theology has contributed to the evolution of sufi ethics. This is of particular importance when considering the fact that many sufi masters had direct and indirect contributions to the field of theology. In addition, early sufi texts rely on theological content to demonstrate orthodoxy, thereby highlighting evidence of early interaction between both disciplines despite a lack of structured interdisciplinarity. Equally, the identical purpose of these paralleling currents in Islam (knowledge of God), either by a rational approach (theology) or by a systematic disciplinary approach (Sufism), foregrounds a need for a deeper understanding of the relationship between both disciplines (Shihadeh, A, 2007).

Abū al-Qāsim ‘Abd al-Karim al-Qushayrī (d.465/1072) is undoubtedly a significant scholar of sufism. His fame as a sufi scholar was a result of his Risāla: a sufi manual that was aimed at establishing sufi ethics in a ‘sobre’ and ‘orthodox’ fashion (Ingalls, M & Nguyen, M, 2013). Sufism, as a discipline, was under rising pressure to establish itself within Islamic orthodoxy, especially after the well-known incident of al-Hallāj (Mojaddedi, J, 2000). Al-Qushayrī’s reputation as a ‘sobre’ mystic therefore contributed to his widespread fame. He was educated in sufi traditions by his first master: Abū Alī al-Daqqāq, and then by Abd al-Rahmān al-Sulāmi following al-Daqqāq’s death (Alan, G & Abdullah, A, 1985). Alongside the Risāla, his second most important sufi work is a mystic Qur’anic exegesis: Latā’if al-Ishārāt. Al-Qushayrī’s sufi legacy has been under the spotlight for some time, and his work has been collated and translated by many in the academic field (Chiabotti, F, & Nguyen, M 2014).

Alongside his successful career in sufism, al-Qushayrī was also educated as a scholar of Shaf’ite jurisprudence and Ash’arite theology. In fact, his direct teachers in Ash’arism were ibn Fūrak (d. 418/1027) and Abu Ishāq al-Isfarayinī (d. 405/1015). He was, therefore, exposed to classical Ash’arism at its earliest stages of development (Ohlander, E, 2013). Though his works in Ash’arite theology did not capture as much attention, they have been translated and analysed by Richard Frank, who frequently references al-Qushayrī in his study of classical Ash’arism (Frank. R, 1982, 1983a & 1983b). Al-Qushayrī commitment as a theologian is undeniable, as he was actively involved in defending Ash’arism and was subsequently imprisoned due to a tense climate that was hostile to the notion of rationalism in Islam (Ahmad, R, 1969).

Rationale and Aims of the Study