The 40 year misconception about Imam al-Ash’ari

The theological development of Imam al-Ash‘ari It’s often mentioned that Imam al-Ash’ari was a Mu‘tazili for 40 years of his life – he had become an Imam and authority of theirs. Then suddenly, one day, he experienced a tipping point (also known as the story about the three brothers[1]), upon which he became Sunni. Some…