The Mu'tazilah are an Islamic sect attributed to Wasil ibn Ata al-Ghazal. They are known for prioritizing reason over transmitted texts, and for their five foundational principles, which are shared across all their branches. They have also been called the Qadariyyah, the Wa‘idiyyah, and the ‘Adliyyah. They were named “Mu'tazilah” (those who withdrew) because their founder withdrew from the circle of al-Hasan al-Basri after a disagreement regarding the ruling on a grave sinner.
Detailed explanation of the five principles of the Mu'tazilah:
1. Tawhid (Divine Unity):
This refers to declaring Allah free from any resemblance to His creation. Based on this, they denied the eternal attributes (such as knowledge, power, hearing, and sight) as being additional to the Divine Essence, arguing that His essence itself encompasses these attributes.
They also denied the possibility of seeing Allah in the Hereafter, as this would imply direction and place, which they consider impossible for God.
They held that the Qur’an is created—it is the speech of Allah, but not eternal.
2. Divine Justice (‘Adl):
They believe that Allah only does what is good and just, does not ظلم (wrong), and does not burden people beyond their capacity.
They also believe that humans create their own actions (good and evil) through a power granted to them by Allah, and therefore they deserve reward or punishment.
3. The Promise and the Threat (al-Wa‘d wa al-Wa‘id):
They believe that Allah must fulfill His promise of reward for the obedient and His threat of punishment for the disobedient, and that He does not go against His word.
From their perspective, Allah must punish those who deserve punishment and cannot forgive them, because forgiving someone deserving punishment would be considered injustice.
4. The Intermediate Position (al-Manzilah bayna al-Manzilatayn):
This is the principle upon which the doctrine originated. It means that a person who commits a major sin (such as adultery or theft) is neither a believer nor a disbeliever, but in an intermediate state called “a sinner” (fasiq).
If such a person dies without repentance, they will remain eternally in Hell, but their punishment will be less severe than that of disbelievers.
5. Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil (al-Amr bil-Ma‘ruf wa al-Nahy ‘an al-Munkar):
They believe it is obligatory upon every Muslim to enjoin good and forbid evil, including opposing unjust rulers and working to remove wrongdoing—even by force if necessary.