The Role of Shiite Mutazilis in the Tendency of Imami's Theology To Itizal

Shiite Mutazilis are some of Shiite theologians who had Itizali ideas before bcoming Shiites. Abu Isa Warraq, Ibn Ravandi, Ibn Qibah Razi, Ibn Momallek Isfahani and Ibn Fasanjas were among the figures of this group of theologians. They adopted the Imamis’ ideas with knowledge of the theological system of Mutazilis and they tried to defend and explain the theological doctrines of Imamis. This attempt brought with it changes in the thoughts of Imamiah, directing them towards Itizali thoughts. The paper is concerned with an investigation and verification of this thesis. It seems that the scholarly community of Imamis often had a positive view about Shiite Mutazilis, but all of them cannot be treated in the same way. Two of the most prominent figures of this current—Abu Isa Warraq and Ibn Ravandi—were heirs of Imamis’ theology in Kufa with anti-Mutazili tendencies. The emphasis on the intellectual foundation of Imamiah, that is, the issue of Imamat, constituted the center of the ideas of Shiite Mutazilis, but this common feature was not necessarily followed by the same theological approach among them regarding monotheism and theodicy.