Interaction between Intellectual and Political Life under the Umayyads

Throughout the history, scholars have had an influential role on the political life of societies. Being aware of their important role and position, rulers have deemed it necessary to have interaction with scholars, to get acceptability & legitimacy and to make the intellectual life of the society follow the state, in order to dominate society easily.
However, this interaction was not all the time beneficial for the state, but, sometimes, scholars’ confrontation with rulers led to their weakness and even their fall. This article investigates the interaction between the Umayyads and scholars, and indicates the establishment, goals and influences of some of these intellectual schools like Traditionists, Procrastinators (Murji’ites), Necessitarians and Freewillers (Qadarites), and demonstrates that these scholars have not acted in the same way: some of them were at Umayyad’s service, to justify their right to rule; while others criticized Caliphate, in general, and Umayyads’ Caliphate, in particular, which led to changes and developments in Islamic society.