The reality of Sunni Usulites views regarding the issue of ratification (tasvīb) and its roots

Ratification as a term common among the Imami Usulites entails that divine decree is consistently in compliance with the mujtahid’s opinion, and even in cases where the opinions of the mujtahids differ with one another, all of them are right and true and divine. This notion of ratification has been expressed in both Mu‘tazilī and Ash‘arī manners. The question now is whether Sunni Usulites believe in this ratification? To find the truth, various definitions of ratification are given, following which the meanings of verdict and ijtihād and their position and usage are explained in the eyes of the Sunni Usulites, and their branches are explored in theology, jurisprudence and principles, from the beginning until now. Then the opinions of Sunni Usulites, especially al-Jaṣṣāṣ, al-Ghazali and Ibn Arabi are widely examined. Regarding the application of Ash‘arite ideas about good and evil deeds by al-Ghazali and Ibn Arabi in their jurisprudential principles, it becomes clear that they consider divine decree as command only in the case of absolute address, and that they consider the rest not as command but as a mantaqatul-faragh within divine decree. Therefore, they do not believe in ratification as a term; but, they reject it in their books and refer to its advocates as Mu‘tazilī and Ash‘arī. However, Sunni Usulites believe in another type of ratification which is false. It seems that in order to determine the origins of ratification as a term we must study and explore the foundations and doctrines of Sunni theology.