to bear on
the precepts of religion. According to Shahrastani the Mutazilites hold:--

"That God is eternal; and that eternity is the peculiar property of His
essence; but they deny the existence of any eternal attributes (as
distinct from His nature). For they say, He is Omniscient as to {126}
His nature; Living as to His nature; Almighty as to His nature; but not
through any knowledge, power or life existing in Him as eternal
attributes; for knowledge, power and life are part of His essence,
otherwise, if they are to be looked upon as eternal attributes of the
Deity, it will give rise to a multiplicity of eternal entities."

"They maintain that the knowledge of God is as much within the province
of reason as that of any other entity; that He cannot be beheld with
the corporeal sight; and with the exception of Himself everything else
is liable to change or to suffer extinction. They also maintain that
Justice is the animating principle of human actions: Justice according
to them being the dictates of Reason and the concordance of the
ultimate results of this conduct of man with such dictates."

"Again, they hold that there is no eternal law as regards human
actions; that the divine ordinances which regulate the conduct of men
are the results of growth and development; that God has commanded and
forbidden, promised and threatened by a law which grew gradually. At
the same time, say they, he who works righteousness merits rewards and
he who works evil deserves punishment. They also say, that all
knowledge is attained through reason, and must necessarily be so
obtained. They hold that the cognition of good and evil is also within
the province of reason; that nothing is known to be right or wrong
until reason has enlightened us as to the distinction; and that
thankfulness for the blessings of the Benefactor is made obligatory by
reason, even before the promulgation of any law upon the subject. They
also maintain that man has perfect freedom; is the author of his
actions both good and evil, and deserves reward or punishment hereafter
accordingly."

During the reigns of the 'Abbasside Khalifs Mamun, Mutasim and Wathik
(198-232 A.H.) at Baghdad, the Mutazilites were in high favour at Court,
Under the 'Abbasside dynasty[113] the ancient Arab Society was
revolutionized, Persians filled the most important off