The Sharing Group Discussion on Predestination from the Ash’ari & Mu’tazilah Perspective

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following was posted, by Mat Rumi, on The Sharing Group, on the 20^th May 2016, “I read somewhere that the Ash’ari school of thought is favoured by Muslim leaders historically.  This is because their position on qada’ wa qadr is that leaders are put in power by Allah’s (s.w.t.) Decree, and to revolt against the rulers is to defy Allah’s (s.w.t.) Decree.  In connection to this, the Abbasids initially supported the Mu’tazilah in their fight against the Umayyads. Once they held power, they considered the Mu’tazilah position on qada’ wa qadr dangerous.  Is that true? 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: The Abbasids did not favour the Mu’tazilah.  Only three or four of their caliphs did so.  The Mu’tazilah only gained ascendancy in the ‘Abbasid government during the reign of the Caliph al-Ma’mun, from 813 CE.  al-Ma’mun was the founder of Bayt al-Hikmah.  He became a Mu’tazilah, and used his position as caliph to enforce them. 

He launched the mihna, a Muslim version of the Inquisition, and this carried on in the reign of his successors, al-Mu’taswim and al-Watsiq.  The mihna imprisoned, tortured, and killed scholars of Sunni Islam who refused to follow the official theological positions of the Mu’tazili rulers, particularly the belief that the Qur’an is Created, and not the Eternal Word of God. 

Imam Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ḥanbal (r.a.) refused and was famously tortured during the reigns of al-Ma’mun and his successors for it.  It is written, in Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, by Imam Abu al-Faraj ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Jawzy (r.a.), that one of the things the scholars had to do was proclaim that the Qur’an was Created and disavow it as the Eternal Speech of Allah (s.w.t.).  The very foundations of Islam were under attack and should all the great scholars have given in, the masses would have been corrupted.  And the greatest scholar of his time in Baghdad was none other than Imam Ahmad (r.a.) himself.  He alone stood in the way of the ruler who sought to make this heresy the ‘aqidah of the ummah. 

When neither bribery nor threats would get Imam Ahmad (r.a.) to proclaim this heretical belief, in 833 CE, the year of Mu’taswim’s ascension, Imam Ahmad (r.a.) was put to the question, to which he answered that the Qur’an was uncreated.  Mu’taswim removed him from his post, imprisoned him, and had him flogged publicly until he was unconscious. 

Imam Ahmad (r.a.) later said that during this ordeal, there came a moment where his resolve was about to break and he thought to himself that since his life was in danger and Islam, in such conditions, allow one to lie about belief, he was about to relent and proclaim the heresy.  Just as he was about to fold under the pressure, he heard a man from amongst the onlookers shout, “Ya Imam!  I have taken eighteen thousand lashes of Mu’taswim over the years, and it did not make me give up following Shaythan and leave thievery.  Do not let them make you leave the Truth!.” 

At that moment, he resolved never to give in and withstood so much whipping that he almost died.  Eventually, the persecution stopped when the people of Baghdad threatened to riot.  So Mu’taswim had Imam Ahmad (r.a.) released.  Imam Ahmad (r.a.) even managed to outlive his persecutor.  The mihna was kept in force by another two caliphs but they never persecuted the scholars to that extent again.  It became a formality and the testimony of any person who did not subscribe to the Mu’tazilah ideology was inadmissible in court.  A few sincere words from a sinner saved the ‘aqidah of the Muslims.  We must never forget that. 

The miḥna was wildly unpopular with the general population.  Riots in the streets of Baghdad threatened ‘Abbasid rule, and in 848 CE, Caliph al-Mutawakkil ended the mihna and released Imam Ahmad (r.a.) from prison.  But the miḥna had already done its damage to the Mu’tazilah cause. The brutal methods used by those in power to led to the inevitable decline of Mu‘tazilah influence. 

The Ash’ari school of theology, of which Imam Ahmad (r.a.) did not belong to, was founded by Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari (r.a.).  Its prominence was precisely because it was a reaction to the Mu’tazilah.  After the mihna, a generation of scholars arose who used the methodology of the school to comprehensively refute the Mu’tazilah.  One of them, and the flag-bearer of refuting deviancy, was Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (r.a.), a Persian.  It is because of this that he was given the title, “al-Hujjatullah”, “Proof of Allah”.  The Ash’ari school, along with the Maturidi, are the largest schools of creed in Sunni Islam, with both about equal in size.  The other two schools, the Thahawi and the Atsari, are much smaller. 

Brother Zeeshan Mahmood: The Umayyads certainly used this doctrine of predestination to justify their tyranny. 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis, you have skilfully given a great historical lesson and exposition of the Mu’tazilah and Ash’ariyyah.  I would also like to add that after the mihna, no further inquisitions were to follow.  In fact, the caliphs left it to scholars to sort out doctrinal issues amongst themselves. 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: It is said by the Sufis that this was amongst the sins of the Abbasids that incurred the Wrath of God.  When the Mongols were upon Baghdad, the armies of the various Sufi orders heeded the call of the caliph and came to the field before Baghdad.  There, they saw al-Khidhr (a.s.) before that army, carrying the black flag of Islam.  They dispersed and left Baghdad to its fate. 

Brother Mat Rumi: Thank you, Brother Terence.  You did not address the issue of the doctrine of predestination and its favour among Muslim leaders.  Can you elaborate on that? 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: There is no one definitive doctrine of predestination.  The word does not even appear in the original discourse.  We have translations such as “fate” and “predestination”, and they are inadequate, thus leading to misunderstanding.  The term, “qada’ wa qadr”, refer to His Will and His Decree.  “Qadr” refers to whatever is Measured Out for us in terms of our rizq, provision.  Our rizq includes every breath and every heartbeat. 

As for what God has Willed, we do not know, so we are not answerable for them, neither are we fatalistic.  It is our amanah, trust, to do the best we can with what we are Provided in each and every moment. 

The Umayyads stated that since they were in power, it was Divine Will and to oppose them would be opposing Divine Will.  Muslim dictators and tyrants use the same argument now.  That is presumptuous.  How does anyone know whether it is Divine Will to remove them?  That would be like saying, in the case of the tyrant, God has Willed evil. 

The Mu’tazilah say Allah (s.w.t.) is Above committing evil, meaning everything is good no matter what. 

The Ash’ari reply, that since Allah (s.w.t.) is Omniscient, nothing occurs without His Permission, meaning God has Allowed evil for a greater good. 

The Mu’tazilah logically counter, if Allah (s.w.t.) Wills that He be disobeyed, it would be unjust for there to be Judgement.  This also denies Heaven and Hell. 

The Ash’ari counter, Allah (s.w.t.) cannot be disobeyed against His Will, meaning while He did not induce disobedience, He Permitted it. 

This raises the next question, which the Mu’tazilah asked, if Allah (s.w.t.) Denies anyone guidance and decrees their perdition, does Allah (s.w.t.) Commit a good or an evil act? 

The Ash’ari position to this is if Allah (s.w.t.) Denies us something that belongs to us, then Allah (s.w.t.) Commits an evil act.  But if Allah (s.w.t.) Denies us something that Belongs to Him, then Allah (s.w.t.) simply Singles Out for His Mercy whomever Allah (s.w.t.) Pleases.  And that is the reality of Malik al-Mulk and Maaliki Yawm ad-Din. 

But how do we make sense of this?  We have to go back to tawhid al-af’al.  All acts Originate from Him.  As such, it is like crossing the road.  We intend to cross, and it is His Will, His Qadha’ whatever the outcome.  So we intend to remove an evil dictator, as in the case of the Umayyads, and that intention, even as a passing thought, is a du’a.  Allah (s.w.t.) Wills it.  But we do not see His Will so we say He permits evil, which is incorrect.  We correct ourselves first, and roads appear an doors open, and victory is eventually Manifest.  Our efforts fail or are twisted not because of Divine Decree, which we have no say, but because the intention was itself corrupted.  And that is the reason for this ayat: 

سُوۡرَةُ الرّعد

…‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوۡمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِہِمۡ‌ۗ … (١١) 

... Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls) ... (Surah ar-Ra’ad:11) 

Brother Mat Rumi: The reason I am persisting on this issue is we are poor because of this very doctrine of qada’ wa qadr.  A great shaykh among us, Shaykh Sa’id Muhammad Swadiq (q.s) once said when Ethiopian Muslims develop a correct understanding of qada’ wa qadr, most of our problems will be gone for good.  I hope you can see how important this is for us.  Can I continue my questions? 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: Your shaykh is correct.  Recognise that we are all fuqara’, the poor, and Allah (s.w.t.) is al-Ghany, and you will never overstep your boundaries.  How can a man be wealthy when nothing he has, not even the next breath, the next heartbeat, is his?  Even if he had all the gold in the world, it is still not his since he has no ownership when he dies, and even when he lives, Allah (s.w.t.) can Take it away.  When we can recognise that, then we can trust God, knowing that there can be no better controller of our sustenance than He.  When we can see the Hand of God even in the falling leaf, that is true wealth. 

Brother Mat Rumi: Yes, but again I ask how much I am in control?  The uncertainties around me are too enormous to count.  I am not certain if I will be alive in the next seconds.  For so long, I have understood qada’ wa qadr in relation to how much are we in control of the future.  My country is known for famines.  Every ten years, they visit us.  It is depressing and degrading to see this, people beginning with their whole family dispersed on the streets.  And it is disgusting when qada’ wa qadr mentioned as a reason.  Sometimes I wonder: are we puppets of Allah (s.w.t.)? 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, if you wanted to plant a tree, and saw the Day of Judgement approaching, plant that tree.  Whatever is uncertain is not your concern so leave it.  Whatever is in your control is yours, so fulfill your amanah. 

Brother Mat Rumi: Is there such thing called the fixed and the flexible?  I read somewhere, fire burns, this is fixed, but my going into fire is flexible.  So question I am facing is this: is planting the tree in my control or I plant tree if Allah (s.w.t.) Wills? 

Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: That which is fixed and that which is flexible is from the realm of al-‘ubudiyyah, our perspective.  In reality, since Allah (s.w.t.) is beyond Creation, including time, there is no “future” to Him.  It is not Granted by your du’a.  It is His Granting that Moves you to du’a.  But that is not our concern.  Our concern is to du’a for something better and move towards it, and He will Make it so, since that need is from His Prompting, that Desire was Put in our heart, and the means are Provided.