The principle of “Manzila bin Manzilatin (Dignity between the Dignitaries)” is one of the five principles of Mu’tazila and this principle is the starting point of the Mu’tazila group. Although this principle is in the fourth place in terms of status and rank; But in terms of appearance and emergence, the first principle and rule are with Mu’tazila, Because the foundation of Mu’tazila started with this principle.
In this part of the article, we want to examine the views of each Sunni, Jamaat, and Mu’tazila regarding this principle with their reasons. At first, we will try to provide information about this principle and then we will deal with the problem.
In order to better understand the emergence and origin of this principle, when and by whom, we consider it appropriate to tell the story of the emergence of the Mu’tazila group once again:
Shahrestani says in this regard: “A person entered Hassan Basri’s assembly, may God have mercy on him, and said to him: O Imam, in our time, a group has arisen who excommunicate the perpetrators of major sins, and the major sin for them is disbelief, the perpetrator of which is out of the religion of Islam. It is possible, and this group of Waidiyyah are “Khawarij” and there is another group that honors and delays the perpetrators of the great sin.
According to this group, the great sin does not cause any harm to anyone despite the faith, and they are the reference of this Ummah, so you Hassan Basri thought for a moment and before he answered, Wasil bin Ata said: In my opinion, the person who has committed the great sin is neither an absolute believer nor an absolute disbeliever, but he is in the middle of the status.
He is neither a believer nor an unbeliever, then Wasil got up and sat in a corner of the mosque and repeated the answer he had given to the friends and students of Hassan Basri, may God have mercy on him. Hassan Basri, may God have mercy on him, said: Wasil separated from us, from at that time, this group was called Mu’tazila.
It is clear from this story: the first person who created this term was “Wasil bin Ata” and this may be the reason for naming Mu’tazila. Therefore, according to the Mu’tazila, this principle has priority over other principles, and it precedes the rest of the principles in terms of time.
The meaning of the designation of “Manzilah bin Manzilatin (a Dignity between Dignitaries)”
This name was mentioned for the first time by Wasil bin Atta (creator and visionary of the Mu’tazili school), he also has a book about it as historians and reliable scholars have narrated from him. Apparently, Murad Wasil bin Ata took a middle status between Marjae and Khawarij from this statement; [that is, a status that is free from any excesses] and because the first group says that the perpetrator of a major sin is an infidel, and the second group says that he is a perfect believer and is connected to the will and will of Almighty God.
“The first person who considered Mazilah(Dignity) to be equal to Manzilatin(Dignitaries) was Wasil bin Ata Mu’tazili, he was one of the elders and elders of Mu’tazila and authored the book “Stage between Status”. He died in 131 Ah.
Scholars write: “Although the origin and emergence of this principle was by Wasil bin Ata; But its completion, description and explanation was done by Qazi Abdul Jabbar, one of the elders and famous people of Mu’tazili religion.
He paid attention to this principle and devoted a chapter to this principle in his book called “Sharh al-Usool al-Khamsa” and in this chapter he explained it fully and with reasons. He has also responded to the statements that are against this principle.
What does the Mu’tazila mean by the principle of “Mazilah bin Manzilatin” (a Dignity between Dignitires)?
Qazi Abdul Jabbar writes in this case: “The principle in this matter is that this phrase is used in something that is between two things, and with the similarity it has with each one, it is inclined towards each of those two things. This is basically the word; But in the term of theologians: the knowledge and awareness that the perpetrator of a major sin has one among two names and among two judgments.
Qazi Abdul Jabbar, explaining this definition, says: “A person who commits a major sin has one name between two names, so it is not possible to call him an infidel and call him a believer at the same time; Rather, his name is transgressor, similarly, the perpetrator of a major sin has two rulings, so his ruling is neither the ruling of an infidel nor the ruling of a Muslim, rather, it is considered a separate ruling for him. And this ruling that we mentioned is the reason for naming this issue as it is manzilah bin mazilatin(a Dignity between Dignitaries), the one who commits a major sin has a manzilah that these two manzilah(rank) pull towards him, so his status is neither the status of an unbeliever nor the status of a believer, but a status between the two.
This principle of “Manzilah bin Manzilatin (a Dignity between Dignitaries)” on the part of the Mu’tazila is actually a rejection of the Khawarij; Because they consider the perpetrator of a major sin to be an infidel, and it is still a rejection of the reference; Because they believe in the survival of his faith and it is a rejection of the President of the Ummah. Because they say that he is a believer but a sinner.
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