A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   According to Dr. Muhammad Kamal ibn Hassan, the denial or the acceptance of the Divine Attributes has led to an issue in Muslim theology with regard to the nature of the Qur’an - whether it is Eternal or Created.   Sunni scholars argued that the Qur’an is the Word of Allah ( s.w.t. ) and Existed before its Revelation and even before the Creation of the world.   There are two arguments developed by Sunni scholars in support of this view.   First, the Eternity of the Qur’an is a logical consequence of the acceptance of the Divine Attributes as something Real and Eternal.   The Speech of Allah ( s.w.t. ) is an Attribute, which is Real and Eternal and Subsists in the Essence of Allah ( s.w.t. ) and for this reason, we need to pronounce the Co-Eternal Characteristic of Allah ( s.w.t. ) and His Speech.   Imam Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal ( r.a. ) stated, “Whatever is between the covers of the Qur’an is the Speech of Alla...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following was adapted from an article by Dr. Muhammad Kamal.   The Mu’tazilah was the first rationalist theological school, founded in Baswra and later developed in Baghdad, in particular during al-Ma’mun’s caliphate from 813 to 833 CE.   The main figures behind the establishment of the school in Baswra were Waswil ibn ‘Atha’, ’Amr ibn ‘Ubayd, Abu al-Hudhayl al-‘Allaf, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Sayyar ibn Hani Nazhzham, Mu’ammar ibn Abbad al-Jubay, and Abu Hashim ibn al-Jubay.   The founder of the school of Baghdad was Bishr ibn al-Mu’tamir and thinkers such as Imam Abu ‘Ali Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Junayd al-Askafi ( r.a. ), Abu ‘Abdallah Ahmad ibn Abi Du’ad al-Iyadi, and Abu al Qasim ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Balkhi al-Ka’bi contributed to the development of the school.   al-Ma’mun, the Abbasid caliph, encouraged the development of rational thinking and philosophy in Baghdad.   He also patronised the Mu’tazilah schoo...