He has availed me in my religion and my world.

He has availed me in my religion and my world.”[^6] The Italian orientalist, Nilino, and the orientalist, Nisboh, thought that the start of the i‘tizal (retirement) was from a political origin.[^7] Ahmed Amïn said: “Surely, the boldness of the Mu‘tazilites in criticizing the men was a strong support for the Umayyads.

For criticizing and analyzing the opponents and using reason in judgment for them or against them remove, at least, the thought of glorifying ‘Ali, which was spread among the masses of the people.”[^8] However, the Umayyad and the Abbasid governments respected and honored the Mu‘tazilites because of their support to them.

The Mu‘tazilites and the Christians It is not logical to say that the beliefs of the Christians had an effect on the Mu‘tazilites, and that the beliefs of the Mu‘tazilites were similar to that of the Christians who followed Greek philosophy. Daybu believed in that. In this connection, he said: “There are separate proofs for that a group of the early Moslems, who believed in preference, studied under Christian teachers.”[^9] Dr. Nu‘man al-Qadi inclined to that.

In this respect, he said: “An Iraqi Christian was the first to talk about fate. The Christian became Moslem, and then he returned to his religion. Ma‘bid al-Jahni and Ghaylan al-Dimashqi learned from him.”[^10] What Dr. al-Qadi has mentioned is not a proof for what he believed in. For the Imams of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them, were the first to talk about fate. They explained it and supplied proof of what they believed in.

Suppose that an Iraqi Christian was the first to speak about doom, this does not mean that the Christian had ideological effects on the Mu‘tazilites. To say the truth, the Christians had no effects on the religious and the philosophical views of the Mu‘tazilites. The Fundamental Doctrines As for the general ideological fundamentals in which the Mu‘tazilites believed, they were five basic fundamentals. Whoever adopted them was a Mu‘tazilite.

Whoever denied one of them or increased them was not a Mu‘tazilite.[^11] They are as follows: 1. Oneness of Allah. The strongest one of the five principles, on which the Mu‘tazilites agreed, is tawhïd, or belief in the oneness and uniqueness of Allah. They said that Allah was not similar to His creatures. They thought Allah was neither body nor accident nor essence, and that neither time nor space encompassed him.