A Revision of Nawbakhtī and Shi’ite-Converted Mu’tazilites on Imamatiwith Focus on Ibn-Qiba

Today the history of Imamite is involved with the history of Imamite theology and it could not be comprehended without knowing all the Imamite theological schools including Medina, Kufa, Qom, Baghdad, Rey, Hilla, Isfahan, Shiraz, etc, and could not be revised without of these schools be considered. The formation of these schools in various geographical regions results in changes and evolutions in the method and content of Islamic theologians in the related issues, especially in Imamate. This paper tries to revise the doctrine of Imamate among the first Imamite theologians in Baghdad before Shaykh Mufid and his prominent students. This study emphasizes on the views of the Nawbakhtī family and the Shiite-converted Mu’tazilite, especially Ibn Qiba, and compared their beliefs in the most important issues of Imamate. Although these two currents had some difference in method and approach, in which some theologians were inclined to and influenced by the theorists Kufa theologians and some had intemperate attention to reason like the Mu’tazilites, they had some similarities which the most important one is their gradual separation from the Kufa school and their tendency to the Mu’tazilite theological system.