Mu‘tazilites vs. Traditionalists Free will/personal God creates/ responsibility controls all acts God’s attributes God’s attributes metaphorical real Preferred reason Preferred text over text - Qur’an i.e. Qur’an/ created hadith - Qur’an eternal kalam (Muslim apologetic theology) al-Ma’mun (r. 813-33) Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855) 1017 and 1041 Caliphs require subjects to reject Mu‘tazilite theology

Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash‘ari (d. 935) and followers God’s attributes truly exist, but do not detract from power, because they are not like our attributes and are beyond our understanding Faith important, but must be proved through action (mixes Mu‘tazilite and Traditionalist positions) God and Qur’an are eternal, universe is not

Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash‘ari (d. 935) and followers God controls all actions, but humans are responsible for their good and bad actions even though God decrees what is good and evil (opposes Mu‘tazilite view that reason can determine this) because God creates all actions, but humans “acquire” the actions they perform, so are still responsible for them

Al-Maturidi of Samarqand (d. 944) Humans acquire their actions, but connected to intention of humans to perform acts, so evil deeds result of human choice God gave humans capacity for reason, so required to use it. Reason even allowed knowledge of God before prophets (al-Ash‘ari claims prophets necessary) Follows al-Ash‘ari on eternal God and issue of God’s attributes