Islamic Philosophy from Its Origin to the Present: Philosophy in the ...

Dimensions of the Islamic Intellectual Tradition 121
with which Muslims were also becoming acquainted, was also an
important factor in the formation of the early schools of kalåm.
The rapid spread of Islam had brought diverse groups within
the fold of the Islamic community and necessitated a clear definition
of the creed to prevent various kinds of error. Because of the emphasis
of Islam upon the Divine Law and its practice, these creeds are not as
important as the credo in traditional Christianity, but they are nonetheless
of significance for an understanding of the early theological concerns
of the Islamic community. These creeds include the Fiqh al-akbar
(The Great Knowledge) and the Wa„iyyah (Testament) either by or
based upon the teachings of Imam Ab¨ ¡an¥fah (d. 150/767), who
was also the founder of one of the major Sunni schools of Law. These
creeds emphasize above all else the unity of God and His power over
human life. They usually also emphasize the importance of gaining
knowledge of God to the extent possible. There were later theologians
who insisted that every Muslim must know as many proofs for the
existence of God as he is able to master.
THE MU‘TAZILITES
The first systematic school of kalåm grew out of the bosom of the circle
of traditional scholars of the Quran and ¡ad¥th in the second/eighth
century and came to be known as the Mu‘tazilite. Its founder, Wå∑il
ibn ‘A†å˘ (d. 131/748), is said to have been a student of the famous
scholar of ¡ad¥th and Sufism in Basra, ¡asan al-Ba∑r¥, but he separated
from his master and established his own circle in that city.
The Mu‘tazilites, who were seen as the “freethinkers” and rationalists
of Islam by early Western Islamicists, dominated the theological
scene in Iraq for more than a century and developed an imposing
theological edifice based on emphasis on the use of reason in matters
pertaining to religion and the importance of human free will. The
outstanding Mu‘tazilites were either from Basra—for example, Ab¨˘l-
Hudhayl al-‘Allåf (d. 226/840), Ab¨ Is±åq al-Naππåm (d. 231/845),
and the famous literary figure ‘Amr ibn Ba±r al-Jå±iπ (d. 255/869)—
or from Baghdad, among whose leaders were Bishr ibn al-Mu‘tamir
(d. 210/825) and Ab¨ ‘Al¥ al-Jubbå˘¥ (d. 303/915). After al-Ma˘m¨n,
early in the third/ninth century, the fortunes of the Mu‘tazilites began
to wane, and soon they were replaced as the dominant school of kalåm
by the Ash‘arites. They did not completely die out, however, but continued
to survive for at least another two centuries in various parts of
the heartland of the Islamic world, as can be seen in the vast Mu‘tazilite