The Golden Age for the Muslim nation

5-9-2006 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum, Why is that the "Golden Age of muslims" which muslims claim is actually a Mu'tazilite period who are described as heretics by Ahlus-Sunnah?.

---

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

Some ''Muslim thinkers'' spread the idea that the ideology of Mu'tazilah (a deviant sect) was founded in the Golden Age. It might be that they did so because the Mu'tazilah tried to counteract the philosophers and debated with them using rational evidences. The Mu'tazilah did so in fact, however, since their belief was (i.e. the Mu'tazilah) based on principles which had no relation whatsoever with Islam, they did not really succeed in counteracting the philosophers, on the contrary, they were affected by some of their ideas. Indeed Ibn Taymiyyah said about the Mu'tazilah: "They neither supported Islam nor succeeded in counteracting the philosophers."

Therefore, it is not permissible to spread the statement which you mentioned in the question as this may lead to deceiving the common Muslim messes and leading them to believe that the ideology of the Mu'tazilah is correct, and this is undoubtedly very serious.  

There is no doubt that the Golden Age for our Muslim nation was the era of the four caliphs, may Allaah be pleased them, as it was the era when the nation achieved great developments in all fields.

Allaah Knows best.