Mutazalites

**endo** · 10-04-2011, 03:21 AM

Does the mutazalite school of islam still exist at all today?

**XTREME** · 10-04-2011, 03:31 AM

The movement emerged in the Umayyad Era, and reached its height in the Abassid period. Scholarship on the movement stagnated for centuries owing to an absence of sympathetic accounts of the movement (and an abundance of hostile accounts) until the latter 20th century, when the 11th century texts of Abd al-Jabbar al-Qadi were unearthed in Yemen.
It is still adopted by some Muslim scholars and intellectuals today.

**endo** · 10-04-2011, 03:40 AM

does anyone have a good resource for learning more about it?

**XTREME** · 10-04-2011, 03:44 AM

Originally Posted by endo

does anyone have a good resource for learning more about it?

http://www.mutazila.com/

**Saad** · 10-04-2011, 03:49 AM

Assalam o 'alaykum,

If you can read Urdu:

http://www.4shared.com/document/mCKCyMHK/Mutazilah.html

**endo** · 10-04-2011, 03:55 AM

thanks xtreme.

On a somewhat unrelated note. What is the view on sikhism. It appears to me to be completely monotheistic, but more reasonable in its beliefs at time than islam. At other time it does not, and I can appreciate that islam seems to have a more developed theology/philosophy etc.... but islamic culture seems to have committed intellectual suicide (with few exceptions). I think at least part of this stems from living in islamic societies in which politics and religion are so intertwined that they have corrupted each other.

What I am looking for is a way to approach God. My only strongly held belief is that their is only one God, and reason and theology should cooexist. I also believe strongly in freedom of thought and religion, and I have been concerned about islamic thoughts on these matters.

I am interested in islam and sikhism because both of the these groups have presented me with examples of piety and conviction... and of course they both believe in one God. Any discussion would be appreciated.. I am taking the night off.

I also love the extreme monotheism of islam. It is the discouragement of inquiry and free thinking that scares me about Islam.

**XTREME** · 10-04-2011, 04:14 AM

The first man Prophet Adam (AS) also gave the dawah of Islam.
Islam is not even a religion it's a deen too and that is it's +point, all of the other are just religions but somewhat corrupted.

The previous Holy books ie ; Psalms , Torah , Bible were Kitab ullah but Quran is Kalam ullah + kitab ullah.

Hazrat Ali (RA) said, When I want to say something to Allah I start offering prayer but I want that Allah say something to me I start reciting Quran.

I don't know what is the story behind Sikhism & how it was originated.

To get closer to Allah is the remembrance of Allah

**amr123** · 10-04-2011, 04:55 AM

Originally Posted by endo

What I am looking for is a way to approach God. My only strongly held belief is that their is only one God, and reason and theology should cooexist. I also believe strongly in freedom of thought and religion, and I have been concerned about islamic thoughts on these matters.

I am interested in islam and sikhism because both of the these groups have presented me with examples of piety and conviction... and of course they both believe in one God. Any discussion would be appreciated.. I am taking the night off.

I also love the extreme monotheism of islam. It is the discouragement of inquiry and free thinking that scares me about Islam.

I am glad you got it right with the oneness of God. Maybe there are few misunderstandings about Islam that you might have that must be restraining you from it.

I dont know where you got the idea that Islam discourages inquiry and free thinking. Allah says in the Quran: "and say: `My Lord! Increase me in knowledge" [Quran, 20:114]
The first word revealed in the Quran is 'Iqra' which means to read.
He clearly commands us to seek knowledge.

But some people use 'free thinking' to just create trouble, they just want to argue. Thats is disliked. Allah has clearly said: "...Nor defame one another" (Quran 49:11)

If you have more doubts please post, InshAllah someone here will help you understand the correct stand of Islam.

**sudoku** · 10-04-2011, 05:19 AM

Knowledge is a must in Islam, hence there is inquiry and free thinking. However this inquiry and free thinking must not take the person past the boundaries of Islam where a person will begin questioning the laws of Islam and accepting the laws of other ideologies.

**endo** · 10-04-2011, 05:27 AM

Yes, but who makes these determinations?

I don't want to say things that are offensive, but a faith not questioned and wrestled with is not much of a faith.

The islam that is practiced today was formed in its entirety over generations of wrestling with these questions... but it appears to me that islamic thought decided to stop developing. When I read of early islamic thinkers... I marvel at their creativity and free thinking. Now Islam tends to be very reactionary... and islamic society lags behind the rest of the world... a world that it used to lead.

Polymaths, astrologist, avicenna, averroes... this is the Islam I am interested in. The islamic world of today... I can't imagine this intellectual vigor in the current ummah.