The Similarities and Differences Between Mu‘tazila and Neo-Mu‘tazila Literary Approaches to the Qur’ān

Mu‘tazila and neo-Mu‘tazila are two rationalist intellectual movements that have paid a special attention to the literary interpretation of the Qur’ān. The Mu‘tazila literary approach to the interpretation of the Qur’ān derived from their theological thought. Teachings such as the belief in the createdness of the Qur’ān, the existence of figurative expressions in the Qur’ān and the applicability of the esoteric interpretation to it, and the belief in the miraculousness of the Qur’ān had an essential role in the formation of the Mu‘tazila literary attitude to the interpretation of the Qur’ān. Nonetheless, these factors were part of the superficial issues in the neo-Mu‘tazila literary approach to the interpretation of the Qur’ān, and this approach followed Western literary criticism methods rather than the theological and doctrinal discussions to evaluate texts. Due to the use of the intellectual sources and principles of various theological sects and the consideration of thoughts based on their effectiveness in answering challenges, the neo-Mu‘tazilaists could not create a robust intellectual system like that of the Mu‘tazilaists that could be used to organize essentially their stances to various issues – including the literary approach to the Qur’ān.