Mutazilah Position on the Imamah

The main dispute between the ahl al-Sunnah Wal Jamaah with the Shia was the question of Imammah.

The main proponent of Mutazila sect, Qadi Abd al Jabbar, who was previously a Shafii, and now a hanafi, believed that the rightful leaders for the Ummah were Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. He rejected the Shia Imami position that Ali was superior than other calips.

A Zaydi by the name of Manekdim (or Abu-1-Husayn Ahmad) disagreed with the above position.

He presented the following arguments, not from the Shia Imami position but from his own sect the Zaydi.

- The Imam has authority over those who hold the offices of the land (such as qadis/judges).

- The Imam is needed to carry out and enforce divine legislation. (Shi'a generally (refers them as ah1 al-bayt).

- Imam is needed to implement the Shari'a

- Imam functions specifically as mujtahid, one who is entrusted with ijtihad, authority to decide in legal and theological matters.

- Imam is designated/chosen by al-nass

- His view, based on the Zaydi sect, was that the Prophet appointed 'Ali ibn Abi Talib as Imam. His sons Hasan, then Husayn, were appointed, down to the fifth Imam, Zayd ibn 'Ali, and thereafter those (and there could be more than one at a time) who followed in their path.


Reference
[1] Martin, Richard C, Woodward, Mark R and Atmaja, Dwi S. 1997. Defenders of Reason In Islam: Mu'tazilism and Rational Theology from Medieval School to Modern Symbol. Oneworld Oxford. Preface. ISBN 978-1851681471