'Amr Bin Ubayd's role in the historical development of Mu'tazila

When Islam was transferred from the homogeneous cultural environment of the Hijâz to the heterogeneous cultural one of Iraq located at the intersection of the Indian, Greek, Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations, it was not understood as it was done in the Hijâz. Divinity, prophecy, the hereafter, which are the main subjects of Qalâm (Islamic Theology), and the abstract issues discussed in connection with them were understood differently in this region. Accordingly, Islam, which communicated with different religions, cultures and social environments, was interpreted by its followers in the face of challenges. As a result of this interpretation, groups and sects emerged. Among them, there were not only "nass"ists (dogmatic or follower of the text of the Quran and Hadiths) who made reference to the early periods of religion and read the texts literally by imitating the past, but also commentators who were not afraid of encountering foreign cultures and explained the texts in accordance with the spirit of the time. One of these commentators, 'Amr b. Ubayd, (d. 144/761) encountered different religions and cultures and his relationship with them, caused him to face various problems and to argue with his opponents. Ibn Ubayd, who used the rational inference method as a method in the mentioned discussions, expanded the framework of this method and applied it as a rational ta'wil to the internal discussions and became a source for the crystallisation of al-Usûl al-Khamsa (the five principles of Muʻtazila). This thesis is based on this fact and it aims to reveal the basic framework of the first period Muʻtazila thought and to determine the place where Muʻtazila theology stands on this framework. In line with this aim, our thesis consists of three sections. viii The first section examines the events and facts that played a role in the formation of 'Amr b. Ubayd's views and ideas, and different aspects of his life. The second one touches upon his scientific personality, rational tendency, moral position and intellectual aspect. The last discusses his role in the formation of al-Usûl al-Khamsa in connection with the previous sections and it studies al-Usûl al-Khamsa in this framework. The conclusion also includes a general evaluation of his role in the development of Muʻtazila in the light of the obtained data. Key Words: Kelâm, al-Mu'tazila, 'Amr b. Ubayd, al-Usûl al-Khamsa.