The Ashaa'irah, or singular "ashari" are those who have given themsleves to 'figurative interpretation" on the versus of the Quraan and Hadeeth about the Names and Attributes of Allah and use the arguements that

 

1. The versus pertaining the sifaat (attributes) then they are mutashabiha absolutely

 

2. They should be interpreted figuratively since taking it upon its literal affirmation entails tajseem (attributing body to Allah) and tasbeeh (likening Allah to His creation).

 

They can also be called or refered to as 'muwafidha" because they carry another principle with them which is

 

3. Tafweedh al-M'ana (entrusting the meanings) of what Allah has said regarding Himself to Allah because the meanings are not known

 

These three matters, if existant in a person, falls in the category of being ashari, so a sunni is a sunni until these three principles comes hand in hand with their beleif in Allah, specifically His Attributes.

 

And these matters are due to certain mutazili influenced methods of deduction with regard to understanding the Islamic creed. An example of their denial of Allah's Istiwaa over the Throne is the following method of deduction

a. If He rose over the throne, then the action of rising is an action which means it was a hudooth (new occurances) and new occuranances (according to their Imaam Aristotle) necessitates an accident, and Allah is not an accident. (note, this is what got them to deny any actions for Allah thus rendering Him incapable to do as He wishes since any action done means (according to them) a new occurance whcih did not exist before, and therefore Allah did'nt do it)

b. rising over the throne entails He put Himself in a spatial boundary, in a place, and thus being above the throne (according to them) necessitates a direction for Allah whcih limits Allah, therefore, they deduce that Allah really did not istiwaa alal arsh as He said He did in His Book.