𝐌𝐮ʿ𝐭𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬/𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐡ā𝐫𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐡.

1. Abd al-Qāhir al-Baghdādī (d. 429 AH) in al-Farq bayn al-Firaq (p. 9), where he said:

ولهذا قيل للمعتزلة: إنهم مخانيث الخوارج

“For this reason it was said about the Muʿtazilah: 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡ū𝐧 (𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬/𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬) 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐡ā𝐫𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬.”

2. The same expression was mentioned by Abū al-Muẓaffar al-Isfarāyīnī (d. 471 AH) in al-Tabsīr fī al-Dīn (p. 68).

3. al-Shahrastani (d. 548 AH) said about the Mu’tazilites:

الخناثى من المعتزلة لا رجال ولا نساء

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬/𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮’𝐭𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧.” Nihayat al-Iqdam (p. 159)

4. The expression

المعتزلة مخنثة الفلاسفة

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮’𝐭𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚 (𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬/𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬) 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 is found in Nafkh at-Tib (5/307).

Footnote of Kitāb al-Munāẓarāt by Haytham al-Ḥamrī, p. 577

5. Ibn Aqil al-Hanbali and Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī were associated with Muʿtazilism before later becoming Sunni in orientation.

Ibn Aqil said:

وأتوب إليه من مخالطة المعتزلة، والمبتدعة، وغير ذلك، والترحم عليهم، والتعظيم لهم فإن ذلك كله حرام ولا يحل لمسلم فعله

“I ask forgiveness for having associated with the Muʿtazilah and innovators, and for praying for mercy for them and honoring them. All of that is forbidden and not permissible for a Muslim to do.”

(ذيل طبقات الحنابلة 1/323)

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī was affiliated with the Muʿtazilah early in his life traditionally for about 40 years before withdrawing from their school and embracing Sunni theology.

6. I read in al-Bidāyah wa’l-Nihāyah that a misguided sect, the Muʿtazilah, had internal debates among themselves. In one such debate, a Muʿtazilī scholar claimed that in Paradise it would be possible to have sexual relations with boys. Another Muʿtazilī responded by rejecting this claim, saying that this would not be possible because there would be no anuses.

7. Now a days I saw some youngster Mutazila following Raafidah and even claimed, Raafidah and Mutazilah are exactly the same with regards to Asma wal Siffat.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: This post is shared purely for informational purposes. The Muʿtazilah are a misguided sect. The correct path is to follow the Ṣaḥābah, the Tābiʿīn, the Atbāʿ al-Tābiʿīn, and the great classical scholars of Islam.