Who founded the Mu'tazilah and the Jabriyyah sects? And what is the position of the people of the Sunnah regarding the issue of the creation of the actions of servants?

The questioner : So give us a brief overview of the Mu'tazilah sect. Who are its founders, or who are the ones who...

The Shaykh : Who are they?

The questioner : Who are the ones who founded the Mu'tazilah sect?

The Shaykh : By Allah, who founded...

The questioner : Are they from the righteous Salaf, or are they...

The Shaykh : No. May Allah protect them, may Allah protect them. It is from these heads: Wasil ibn 'Ata is one of them, and Jahm ibn Daram.

Another questioner : Jahm ibn Safwan.

The Shaykh : Jahm ibn...

Another questioner : Safwan.

The Shaykh : Safwan. The important thing is, keep in mind, I want to go back and tell you something that is a fact.

The questioner : Zayn al-Abidin... and Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah.

The Shaykh : Are these the ones who...?

Another questioner : Are these the original founders of the Mu'tazilah?

The Shaykh : I will tell you, my brother, it is not permissible for us to say that the doctrine of the Mu'tazilah was written or founded by a specific person, or that the doctrine of the Jabriyyah was founded by a specific person. No, these are doctrines where a man comes with an opinion. Let us assume that this opinion is in accordance with the Sunnah, so the people follow it, support it, and defend it. It is not said that he called to this doctrine; rather, it is an opinion that he adopted and it was correct, and then the scholars, students of knowledge, and all the people followed it. And this goes back to what we mentioned earlier regarding the four Imams. On the contrary, now it cannot be said that the doctrine of the Mu'tazilah was founded by one person. The first one to call, for example, to the saying that the Qur'an is created is a known person, even if we ask what his name is, it is Jahm, who called to the saying.

The questioner : Jahm ibn Safwan.

The Shaykh : Yes, Jahm.

The questioner : Jahm, Jahm.

The Shaykh : And he was killed and slaughtered, but this...

The questioner : Al-Ja'd, al-Ja'd who slaughtered Ja'd ibn Daram.

The Shaykh : Ja'd ibn Daram.

The questioner : Yes, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh : The one who sacrificed him.

The questioner : Khalid al-Qasri.

The Shaykh : Yes, so he called to what? To the fact that the speech of Allah is created. But this opinion was adopted by the Mu'tazilah. However, the Mu'tazilah did not become the Mu'tazilah because they adopted this opinion; rather, they adopted many, many opinions. For example, they say that man creates his own actions. For example, they say that Allah the Exalted and Majestic is not seen by the believers on the Day of Resurrection, contrary to the noble verse . The point is that these doctrines take time to form and establish, so it is not correct to say, for example, that the Hanafi school was founded by Abu Hanifa. No, Abu Hanifa had companions: Abu Yusuf, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, and Zufar. Likewise, the other schools. So the question in that case is incorrect, even if it does not lead to a benefit worth mentioning. The benefit is to know whether the doctrine of the Mu'tazilah is correct so that we follow it, or misguidance so that we avoid it? This is the correct way to ask and answer. The Mu'tazilah are, without doubt, a group of Muslims, but they deviated from the correct Salafi creed in many aspects, including what I mentioned earlier. And when they said that man creates his own actions, they intended thereby to refute a group of...?

The questioner : The Jabriyyah.

The Shaykh : There are other groups, and they are the Jabriyyah. The Jabriyyah say that man is compelled to do good and evil, and this is misguidance. The Mu'tazilah countered this misguidance with another misguidance: that man creates his own actions. The truth, of course, is the creed of the people of the Sunnah, who hold that man is not compelled in everything; he is a chooser in many of his actions and compelled in many of his actions. But wherever choice exists, accountability exists, and wherever compulsion exists, accountability is lifted from him. Why? Because of the presence or absence of the cause of accountability. Where choice exists, it is the cause of accountability, and where compulsion exists, there is no accountability. The Mu'tazilah say that man creates his own actions; this is a lie and a fabrication against Allah, for Allah is the Creator with no partner. The Jabriyyah are the opposite of these; they say, as their poet described their Lord:
"He threw him into the sea bound, then said to him: Beware, beware of being wet by the water."
The Shaykh: This is how we, the Muslims, are: we pray and fast against our will. No, by Allah. Allah the Exalted said: .