r, "God will, in truth, be severe on us, if
He deprives us of a liberty which He accorded to the Prophet and his
Companions." The Khalif assented, and at once restored the old man to
liberty. So ended one of the fiercest persecutions the orthodox have ever
had to endure, but so also ended the attempt to break through the barriers
of traditionalism.[114] The next Khalif, Al Mutawakhil, a ferocious and
cruel man, restored the orthodox party to place and power. He issued a
fatva (decree) declaring that the dogma that the Quran was created was an
utter falsehood. He instituted severe measures against Christians, Jews,
Shia'hs and Mutazilites. Ahmad Ibn Abu Da,ud was one of the first to be
disgraced. Heresy and latitudinarianism were banished.

The final blow to the Mutazilites, however, came not from the Khalif but a
little later on from Abu Hasan-al-Ash'ari (270-340 A.H.)

The Mutazilites expelled from power in Baghdad, still flourished at Basra
where one day the following incident occurred. Abu 'Ali Al-Jubbai, a
Mutazilite doctor, was lecturing to his students when Al-Ash'ari propounded
the following case to his master: "There were three brothers, one of whom
was a true believer, virtuous and pious; the second an infidel, a debauchee
and a reprobate; and the third an infant; they all died. What became of
them?" Al-Jubbai answered: "The virtuous brother holds a high station in
Paradise, the infidel is in the depths of hell, and the child is among
those who have obtained salvation." {129} "Suppose now," said Al-Ash'ari,
"that the child should wish to ascend to the place occupied by his virtuous
brother, would he be allowed to do so?" "No," replied Al-Jubbai, "it would
be said to him: 'thy brother arrived at this place through His numerous
works of obedience to God, and thou hast no such works to set forward.'"
"Suppose then," said Al-Ash'ari, "that the child should say: 'this is not
my fault, you did not let me live long enough, neither did you give me the
means of proving my obedience.'" "In that case," said Al-Jubbai, "the
Almighty would say: 'I knew that if I allowed thee to live, thou wouldest
have been disobedient and have incurred the punishment of hell: I acted,
therefore, for thy advantage.'" "Well," said Al-Ash'ari, "and suppose the
infidel brother were here to say: 'O God of the Universe! since Thou
knowest what awaited him, Thou must have known what awaited me; why then
didst Thou act for his advantage and not for