HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE MU‘TAZILITE THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

The paper examines the historical development of Mu'tazilite theological school of thought which arises from speculative method and influences of Greek thought that sparked the discursive tradition of early Islamic intellectual history. This was essentially brought forth by the textualist and rationalist school and their classical debate that had formative influence in the rational school developed by the Mu'tazilites in the early centuries. The paper studies the history and development of Mu'tazilite theology and their conceptual and doctrinal impact on modern neo-Mu'tazilite works. The study is based on classical works that provide underlying textual and interpretive history of Mu'tazilism. It uses qualitative method based on documentary survey and content analysis. Data were collected from related primary and secondary sources and analyzed using descriptive, normative, historical and theological approaches in order to make accurate findings. The finding shows that the Mu'tazilites ideology was historically developed to counter the alleged philosophical influence of deviant sects of the heretics, Magians, Manichaeism, atheism, naturalists and materialists by refuting their philosophical premises. This contributes to the formative development of kalam or speculative theology thanks to the flowering of Mu'tazilite theology and their rational expression that helps to foster higher ethical and religious norms and theological ideas and its consequential influences on contemporary contexts that espouses neo-Mu'tazilite outlook calling for the return of reason and their enlightened movement.