Mutazila
Mutazila, or Muʿtazilah, is a rationalist school of Islamic theology (kalam) that arose in the late 8th century among Basran and later Baghdadi scholars. It sought to apply reason to theological questions and to defend ethical and doctrinal positions through speculative argument. The movement played a prominent role in Abbasid-era debates on God, revelation, and human accountability, and its ideas influenced both theology and philosophy before declining in the medieval period.
- al-adl (divine justice): God acts with perfect justice, and humans must be morally responsible for their
- free will and acquisition: humans have the capacity to choose, and God creates acts in a way
- the createdness of the Qur’an: the Qur’an is created rather than co-eternal with God, a stance aimed
- tawhid and rejection of anthropomorphism: God’s unity is emphasized, and God’s attributes are understood in a
- use of reason: rational demonstration and systematic argument were valued; interpretation of revealed texts was informed
Mutazila enjoyed varying degrees of state support in the 9th and 10th centuries, notably in parts of