Mu'tazila: Difference between revisions

Bishr b. Mu'tamir was the first Mu'tazili scholar who moved from [[Basra]] to [[Baghdad]]. He opposed some of the beliefs held by the Mu'tazila in Basra, and thus, formed a new branch of i'tizal in Baghdad. He was close to the 'Alawis. Since then, the Mu'tazila of Baghdad had more Shi'a tendencies, for example, they believed in the superiority of Imam 'Ali (a) to [['Uthman b. 'Affan]] and even other caliphs. The Mu'tazila of Baghdad had more interactions with the Shi'as. In this city, Shi'as and the Mu'tazila were close to one another. This was why the problem of the superiority of Imam 'Ali (a) to 'Uthman or other caliphs turned into a significant issue among the Mu'tazila. Many of the Mu'tazila in Baghdad believed in the superiority of Imam 'Ali (a), and some of them, such as [[Abu Ja'far al-Iskafi]] (240/854) so insisted on his superiority that they came to be known as "'Alawi al-Ra'y" (that is, of an 'Alawi view). However, it should be noted that some of the Mu'tazila, such as those of Basra, were strong advocates of 'Uthman. For example, Jahiz—a well-known Mu'tazili scholar—wrote a book entitled ''al-'Uthmaniyya'' in which he defended the view that other caliphs were superior to Imam 'Ali (a). Abu Ja'far al-Iskafi wrote a rejection to Jahiz's book, which shows that the problem of the superiority of Imam 'Ali (a) to other caliphs, which is rooted in Shiism, turned into a significant issue among the Mu'tazila.