They ignored the fact that the basic principles of religion are...

They ignored the fact that the basic principles of religion are, by their very nature, incapable of logical demonstration or rational proof. The basic principles of Islam deal with supersensible realities and, as such, they must first be accepted on the authority of revelation. The Mu'tazilites, in their zeal to judge everything by reason alone, destroyed the personality of God and reduced Him to a bare indefinable universality or to an abstract unity.

This idea of an abstract, impersonal, absolute God could not appeal to the ordinary Muslims. The orthodox section of the people reacted strongly against the Mu'tazilite rationalism and began to consider the Mu'tazilites to be heretics. The extreme rationalistic attitude of the later Mu'tazilites was followed by powerful reaction from the orthodox section of the people.

This reaction was greatly aggravated by the unfortunate attempt of the Caliph al‑Mamun to force Mu'tazilism (rationalist Kalam ) on his subjects by introducing mihnah (a compulsory test of faith) in the Mu'tazilite doctrines, particularly in their doctrine of the createdness of the Qur'an. The whole of the third/ninth century was a time of reaction.

The orthodox Muslims (and among them were the Traditionists [the Muhaddithin]), the Zahirites (the followers of Dawud ibn `Ali), and the Muslim jurists ( fuqaha' ) adhered strictly to Tradition and literal interpretation of the Qur'an and the Sunnah,[^2] and refused to admit any “innovation” ( bid'ah ) in the Shari'ah (the Islamic Code).

Any theological discussion was considered an “innovation” and was as such a cause of dis­pleasure to them.[^3] The reactionary influence of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and his Zahirite followers was very strong at that period and the orthodox Muslims kept themselves safely aloof from the Mu'tazilites and the philosophers. The reaction against the rationalist Kalam went to such an extreme that even the anthropomorphic verses of the Qur'an were interpreted by them in a purely literal sense.

Malik bin Anas said: “God's settling Himself firmly upon His Throne is known, the how of it is unknown; belief in it is obligatory; and questioning about it is an innovation.”[^4] Any speculation about sacred things was considered an innovation. Every dogma was to be believed in with­out raising the question how or why ( bila kaifa ). But such an attitude of blind faith could not be maintained for any length of time.