A Comparison of Ibn Ḥazm and Shahrastāni’s Study and Methodologies on Mutazilites

معتزلہ کے متعلق ابن حزم اور شہرستانی کی تحقیقات اور مناہج (ایک تقابلی مطالعہ)

Abstract

Mu'tazila (Mutazilites) were Muslim rationalists who emerged in the 1^st century hijra as an independent theological school of thought. There were a number of Muslim intellectuals who authored books on them.  Among them are Ibn Ḥazm and Shahrastāni who have authored two encyclopedic writings, with the titles of “al-Fiṣal fī al-Milal wa al ahwāʼ wa-al-Niḥal” and “al-Milal wa-al-Niḥal” respectively. “Al-Fiṣal” and “al-Milal wa-al-Niḥal” serve as fundamental sources on Mutazilites’ history, ideology, their schisms and differences between them.

This paper discourses on research and methodologies of Ibn Ḥazm and Shahrastāni on Mutazilites. Both Muslim intellectual giants presented their views in the light of the Qur’ān and Sunnah. The writing of Ibn Ḥazm is more philosophical and rational in nature in comparison to Shahrastāni who is more descriptive in style. Shahrastāni’s account of Mutazilites distinguished from Ibn Ḥazm being exhaustive, profound and more particularizing about the twelve main and sub-divisions of Mutazilites. All successors of Shahrastāni followed his footprints on Mutazilites. Moreover, Ibn Ḥazm being a critic and polemic, adopts critical and polemical methods while Shahrastāni is less critical. Shahrastāni’s account is more systematic in order of the contents in contrast to Ibn Ḥazm. The paper has been written employing a comparative research approach.

Keywords: Mu'tazila, Ibn Ḥazm, Shahrastāni, al-Fiṣal, al-Milal wa-al-Niḥal, Manhaj