Background and Objectives: By relying on their five fundamental principles—particularly "Divine Justice" and "Divine Unity" (Tawhid)—the Mu'tazila have offered one of the most coherent theological accounts of human nature and free will. The central focus of this study is how human free will is explained based on the principle of Divine Justice, along with the implications of this view for the rational nature of good and evil, moral responsibility, reward and punishment, and Divine Grace. The study also examines the relationship between the Mu'tazili perspective and Imami theology regarding free will, analyzing the commonalities and differences between the two schools
Methods: This research employs a descriptive-analytical method, drawing upon primary Mu'tazili sources—including the works of Qadi Abd al-Jabbar, Abu al-Husayn al-Khayyat, Abu al-Qasim al-Balkhi, Abu al-Husayn al-Basri, and al-Zamakhshari—as well as Imami sources, such as the works of Shaykh al-Mufid, Shaykh al-Tusi, and Allamah al-Hilli
Findings: The findings indicate that by rejecting determinism (jabr) and emphasizing genuine human agency and the rational nature of good and evil, the Mu'tazila regard the human being as a free, rational, and responsible agent, attributing voluntary actions to the individual. This perspective provides a foundation for explaining the system of religious obligation and retribution; however, it faces challenges in articulating the relationship between Divine power and human power. In contrast, the Imami school, through the theory of "a position between the two positions" (amr bayn al-amrayn), views human agency as genuine yet hierarchical (longitudinal) and non-independent. Both schools share common ground in rejecting determinism and affirming free will, Divine Justice, and the rational nature of good and evil
Conclusion: Mu‘tazilite anthropology, with its emphasis on reason, free will, and responsibility, holds significant potential for explaining human agency and moral responsibility; whereas Imami theology offers a different explanation regarding the reconciliation of human free ...