The Mu’tazila are known as the Withdrawers. They are a group of Islamic speculative theologians whose school flourished in Basra and Baghdad between the 8th and 10th centuries.
Origins
The origin of the Mu’tazila traces back to Wasil b. ‘Ata (d. 131 H.). Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 H.), whilst teaching, is said to have been asked:
O Imam of the religion, there is a group in our time which charges those who have committed major sins with disbelief: a major sin is disbelief according to them with which one exits the fold of Islam, they are the anathematizing Khawarij. Yet there is another group which defers judgement upon grave sinners: they say a major sin does not affect faith, just as an act of devotion is devoid of benefit without faith, and they are the Deferrers [Murji’a] of this nation. What is your judgement with regards to what should be believed in this matter?”
Hasan al-Basri begins to ponder. However, before he could reply, Wasil b. ‘Ata, one of Hasan al-Basri’s students, answered and said: “I do not say that the one who has committed a major sin is a complete believer or an outright disbeliever, but he is in a state between two states, neither a believer nor a disbeliever.”
He is then reported to have withdrawn himself to a pillar in the mosque, relating his answer to others. To this, Hasan al-Basri said: “Wasil has withdrawn [i’tazala] from us.”
al-Shahrastani’s Al-Milal wal-Nihal.
Wasil and his followers were the first termed as the Mu’tazila i.e., the ones who withdrew.
It was the Muslims who opposed them that labelled them ‘the Mu’tazila.’ The name they chose for themselves were ‘Ahl al-Tawhid wal-Adl’ or the People of Oneness and Justice.
From thence, the school developed until it became the established doctrine in 827 CE in the reign of the Abbasid caliph Mamun, which resulted in the great inquisition in the year 833 CE.
The Mu’tazili school introduced Greek philosophical reasoning and gave the intellect a role beyond what can be rationally justified for it. They did not disregard scripture, but subjugated it to fit the limitations of their minds. This led to the introduction of “a variety of abhorrent innovations” in creed and caused them to deviate from the way of the early generations [salaf].
Many amongst the early Mu’tazila heavily occupied themselves with refuting Christians, Jews, and atheists, and these ‘frequent close encounters with deviant groups’ may have been a cause of their downfall.
Five Principles
Their creed was summarized into five main principles [al-usul al-khamsa] by the Mu’tazili theologian and Qadi, Abd al-Jabbar al-Hamadhani:
- Tawhid (Divine Oneness)
- ‘Adl (Divine Justice)
- Al-Wa’d wa-l-Wa’id (The Promise and the Threat)
- Al-Manzila bayna al-Manzilatayn (The Intermediate Station)
- Al-Amr bil-Ma’ruf wal-Nahi ‘an al-Munkar (Commanding the Good and Forbidding Evil)