ILM al-KALAM : THE JABARITIES AND QADIRITIES

The Jabarities

It is the group of Jahm ibn Safwan and his adherents. He was advocate of pure determinism. Due to his thought he was put to death by Salim ibn Ahwas al-Mazini in Marw in the last days of the Umayyads. Jabr is a doctrine which denies that a deed is in reality to be attributed to man, as ascribes it to god. There are two main groups of jabarities.

1) The pure Jabarities who do not allow any deed at all to man, not even the power to act.

2) The moderate Jabarities who admit that man has power but maintain that it is a power which is in no way effective.

Jahm ibn Jafwan agreed with the Mu’tazilities in denying the eternal attributes, but he also added other doctrines

1) It is not lawful to apply to god an attribute which is also applicable to creatures, because this would imply likeness between god and creatures, he, therefore denies that god is living and knowing, but maintains that he is powerful, an agent and a creator because to creature cannot be attributed power, action and creation.

2) God has cognitions which are not eternal and these cognitions are not in a substrate. According to Jahm ibn Safwan it is not right to say that god could know a thing before he created it, for the question would arise whether his knowledge remains as it was before or not

3) With regard to created power Jahm ibn Safwan says that a man does not have power over anything, nor can he be said to have capacity. Man is absolutely determined in his deeds. He has neither power, nor will, nor choice.

4) All motion in heaven and hell will come to an end paradise ad hell with both pass away after those who have gone to paradise have enjoyed its bliss, and those who have to hell have suffered its torments

5) If a man has knowledge of god but outwardly denies him, this denies does not make him an unbeliever because it does not take away his knowledge.

6) Jahm ibn sawan also agreed with the mu’talities in denying the beatific vision. In maintaining that the Qur-an is created, and in holding that knowledge is obligatory upon reason before revelation.

Other groups of Jabarities

The najjariya -Husain ibn Muhammad al- najjar

The Barghuthiya - Muhammad ibn Isa

The Dirariya - Dirar ibn Amr

The followers of Hafz al- Fard

Qadirities

Ths group who asserted the doctrine of free will and held that man is responsible for his deesa. Ma’bad al-Juhani(d.743) was one who esposed these views and had to pay a heavy price. He was accordingly sentenced to death by the orders of Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. Qadirities quoted Qur-an to show that man could select, out of many ways open to him, the one that he wished or liked

Ghylan al-Dimishqi

The second important name among them is Ghylan al-Dimishqi. Umar ibn Abdul Aziz is said to have questioned Ghylan about his view and to have warned him of its danger and also warned others not to hold Ghylan’s doctrines of Qadr. His views again brought him into trouble in the Caliphate of Hisham (724- 743) and he is said to have fled to Armenia with a companion. Eventually he was captured and executed probably towards the end of the reign of Hisham.

Those Qadirities more emphasizes in god’s determination. They seem to have been more of a sect than the Murjities, but there were different groups among them. Some of the kharitie rebels in the closing years of the Umayyads are said to have held qadiritie views of human free will.