Many were the branehes of the Mutazilites. There were apart from the disciples of Abu al 1111db:tit, the Jobbain118, who adopted Alm Ali ibn Abd al-Wahhab's (A1-.Inbbai, d. 914) opinion to the effect that the knowledge ascribed to God was not an 'attribute'; nor was his knowledge 'necessary'; nor did sin prove anything as to the belief or unbelief of him who committed it who would anyhow be subjected to eternal punish ment if lie died in it. Besides these. there were the Hashimites, the disciples of Abu .Abd al-Salam, son of Al-Jubliai, who held that an infidel was not the creation of (hal, who could not produce evil. Another branch of the Mutazi lites were the disciples of Ahmad ibn Habit (or HaR), who held that Jesus was the eternal word incur/tate, and that He had assumed a real body: that there were two gods or creators. one eternal —viz. the Most high God—and the other not eter nal—viz. Jesus—not unlike the Soeinian and Aria n theories on this subject ; that there is a successive transmigration of the soul from one body into another, and that the last body will enjoy the reward or suffer the punishments due to each soul, and that God will be seen at the resurrec tion with the eyes of understanding, not of the body.
Four more divisions of this sect are mentioned —viz. the la/Jiziyriah, whose master's (Amr ihu Bahr al-dahiz) notion about the Koran was that it was "a body that might grow into a man, and sometimes into a beast, or to have, as others put it, two faces, one human, the other that of an animal, according to the different interpreta tions." He further taught that the damned would become tire, and thus be attracted by hell: also that the mere belief in God and the Prophet constituted a 'faithful one.' ill rather different tendencies was lsa al-Muzdar, the founder of the branch of the 11 u:duriyyth. He not only held the Koran to he untreated and eternal. but so far from denying God the power of doing evil, he declared it to be possible for God to be a. liar and unjust. Another branch was formed by the Iiishriyyalb (from hlislir flu] ?l-Mutautir)s who, while they carried man's free agency rather to excess, yet held that God might doom even an infant to eternal punishment—all the while granting that lie would be unjust in so doing.
The last of these :\littazilite sectarians to he mentioned are the Thiehiconiyyah, who held. after their master, Thum:moth ihn Asl'as, that sinners will undergo eternal damnation and punish ment: that free actions have no proilueing au thor; and that, at the resurrection, all infidels, atheists, .Jews, Christians, .Nlagians, and heretics will be returned to dust, and will not cuter either paradise or hell. For the scientific development which the doctrines of the Alutazilites begot, and which resulted in the encyclopaalic labors called Treatises of the Sincere Brethren and True Friends.... see SINCERE llitt:tunEx.
sthied to the Alutazilites in their view of the divine attributes, hut diametrivally opposed to them in their view of predestination. were the J.ttiminEs (Neeessarians). They held that titan's every act is the result of the will of God, and that there is no human responsibility. There are pure Jaharites and middle dabarites.
Opposed to both the Mutazilites and the barites vvere the Sll'ATITES t t . With then[ llod's attributes, whether essential or opera tive, or declarative or historical—i.e. used in Historical narration (eyes, face, anthro pomorphhints. in fact—were considered eternal. But here again lay the germs for more disscit shins and more sects. Smite. taking this doctrine of God's attributes in a strictly literal sense. assured a likeness between Clod and created while others gave it a more allegorical interpretation. without. however. entering into any particulars beyond the reiterated doctrine that God had no eonipanion or similitude. The different sects into which the Sifatites split were, first. the Asharion.c., so called from Hasan al-.Ashari (AS3-951 I. who, at first a Mittazilite, disagreed with his masters on the point of God's being bound to do always that which is hest. lie became the founder of a new Se11001, witieh held (11 that God's attributes are distinet from Ilis essence. anil that any literal understanding of the words that stand for members in the Koran is reprehensible. (21 That predestination must lie taken in its most literal ineanimz—i.e. that. God preordains everything. The opinion, on this point of (VIP will are, however. much divided. as. indeed. to combine a predestina tion which ordains every act with man's flee choice is MA easy, The middle path. adopted the greater number of the doctors, is ex pressed in this formula: There is neither compul sion nor free liberty. lint the way lies between the two, the power and will being both created by Clod. while the merit or guilt is imputed to man. Regarding mortal sin. it was held by this sect that if a believer die guilty of it without repentance, he will not. for all that always re main a denizen of hell. God will either pardon him or the Prophet will intercede in his behalf. ho in whose heart there is faith but of the wi•i_lit if an ant shall be delivered from hell tire. From this more philosophieal opinion. how ever, departed a number id other Sifatian sects. win, taking the Koranie words more literally. transformed God's attribute- into grossly eor porcal things: the II lishahhiltiles. ur Assimi lators. conceived (lod to he a figlire basin:: limbs like those of created beings, either of a or of it spiritual nature, capable of bm.tl ;notion. ascent. ur descent, etc.