Mans Role in the Actions He Performs (A Study on the Theory of Kasb)

Concerning man's role in the actions he performs, Islamic scholars have presented different opinions. Among Muslim theologians, the Mutazilites believe in man’s free will, whereas determinists reject the idea of man's free will. As for the Asharites, they have developed the theory of "Kasb". Resting on theological books and texts, the present study touches on the Asharite's motivation for presenting the theory of "Kasb", and their most important rational and traditional arguments and proves that their arguments are not convincing. Also, different expositions made by Asharites about "Kasb" are explained and criticized. However, the Asharite's arguments are not convincing and cannot support their claims and their multiple expositions do not provide a precise idea about "Kasb". Hence, the name given the theory of "Kasb" is not consistent with its content. Consequently, the Asharite's efforts to confront determinism have been futile, because the theory of "Kasb" has been categorized as a theory of "determinism". As a result, all the criticism directed to the followers of determinism are levelled at the proponents of the theory of Kasb, with the exception of some Asharites, such as Jovini and Taftazani, whose expositions of Kasb are consistent with the Imamiyah theory which says: “it is neither determinism nor free will but something between the two.