Acquiring knowledge from the Ash’aris
Question

                Is it permissible to study fiqh or ‘uloom al-hadeeth (sciences of hadeeth) with an Ash’ari individual?.
Praise be to Allah.The Ash’aris 
    are a sect that is named after Imam Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash’ari (may Allaah have 
    mercy on him). Al-Ash’ari passed through three stages – as mentioned by Ibn 
    Taymiyah in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/72 – which may be summed up as 
    follows: a Mu’tazili stage; then following Ibn Kilaab; then following Ahl 
    al-Sunnah, chiefly Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Al-Ash’ari clearly stated his 
    final position in his three books: Risaalah ila Ahl al-Thaghr, 
    Maqaalaat al-Islaamiyyeen, and al-Ibaanah. Whoever follows 
    al-Ash’ari at this stage is in accordance with Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah 
    in most issues. Whoever follows his path at the second stage is going 
    against al-Ash’ari himself, and is going against Ahl al-Sunnah in many 
    issues. 
Shaykh Ibn 
    ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Fataawa, 3/338: 
Those later scholars who 
    called themselves after Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash’ari were following the second of 
    his stages of ‘aqeedah. They followed the method of misinterpreting most of 
    the divine attributes, and this only affirmed the seven attributes mentioned 
    in the following line of verse: 

    “Ever-Living, All-Knowing, Able (to do all things), He speaks, He wills, He 
    hears and He sees.” 
They also 
    differed with Ahl al-Sunnah as to how these attributes are to be 
    understood. 
The Standing 
    Committee issued a fatwa (no. 6606, vol. 3/220): 
The Ash’aris 
    are not kuffaar, rather they erred in their interpretation of some of the 
    Divine attributes. 
Based on 
    this, it is better for a Muslim to study Islamic knowledge and sharee’ah 
    only with scholars who are well known for their knowledge and sound belief 
    (‘aqeedah), and to keep away from those who follow bid’ah and go against Ahl 
    al-Sunnah, including the Ash’aris. This is something that is easy to do – 
    praise be to Allaah – because the means of learning have become readily 
    available to all people. The knowledge of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah is 
    available through many means such as Islamic tapes, books, and leaflets; 
    there are Islamic bulletin boards and sites on the internet, and many easy 
    ways of accessing knowledge – praise be to Allaah. 
O Allaah, 
    teach us that which will benefit us, benefit us by that which we learn and 
    increase us in knowledge. 
For more 
    information see Question no.
    10693. 
And Allaah 
    knows best.