ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Scholastic Theology (kalam) Lesson Three: The Mu’tazilites (1) We embark on this study into the Mua’tazilites for a reason, which we will discuss later. This group came into being towards the end of the first century of the Islamic era, or at the turn of the second century. Naturally, during this period, kalaam , or scholastic theology, had already developed into a fully-fledged science.

At the outset, we list down the Mua’tazilites’ distinctive systems of belief. We will then make reference to their famous personalities, stating some outstanding dates in their calendar, and ending with the process of change their doctrines had gone through before they took their final shape. The issues the Mu’tazilites had discussed were diverse, in that they were not only interested in purely religious beliefs, which should be upheld from their perspective.

Any thing that has a bearing on the religious, they did not hesitate to embark on discussing. Thus, issues of philosophical, social, humanitarian, and environmental dimensions were discussed. However, according to them, these issues have a relationship with issues of faith and conviction. They believe that discussing the latter was not going to come true unless the former subjects were discussed. The Mu’tazilites hold five tenets, they consider fundamental to their core belief: Monotheism, i.e.

in Essence and Attributes. Justice, i.e. God is Just and is incapable of doing injustice. Promise and threat, i.e. God has promised those who obeyed Him with reward. By the same token, He has threatened those who disobeyed Him with punishment. And since the promised reward will not be revoked, so will the threat of punishment. However, forgiveness is feasible only with man’s repentance. Forgiveness will not be granted without it. The middle way, i.e. the fasiq (godless), i.e.

the person who has committed a cardinal sin, such as consuming alcohol, adultery, or lying, is neither a believer nor an unbeliever. That is, they are neither here nor there; in other words, half way between belief and unbelief. Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil; the Mu’tazilites argue that the way to know what is good and what is evil is not confined to sharia law, in that independent reasoning is capable of recognizing good and evil.