Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

Abdullah Al-Mn’nnm
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to propagate the liberal thinking of the Mu’tazilah (seceders) doctrine and declared it to be the state dogma in 927 A.D. The Mu’tazilites differ from orthodox only in methods and dogmas otherwise they were as fanatic as the orthodox were. He invited teachers of different schools, scholars of various sects and had discussions with them on same abstract like the relation of man with God and the nature of the Godhead and other philosophical problems. He arrived at certain conclusions which were opposed to those of the orthodox school. He believed in the two cardinal principles of Mu’tazilah namely freedom of the will in place of Predestination of the orthodox and believed that the Qura’n though inspired by God is created as opposed to the orthodox view that it is eternal and uncreated. He also held the Shi’ah view of divine Imamat and held that leadership passed from Holy Prophet (PBUH) to Hazrat Ali and vested in some members of the House of Ali. Hence he believed in some other infallible sources of divine guidance besides the Qura’n and Hadith.
Mamun interested himself in questions of religious dogma. He had embraced the Mu’tazilite doctrines about free will and predestination and was in particular shocked at the opinion which had spread among the Muslim doctors that the Quran was the uncreated word of God. In the year 212 A.H./817 A.D., he published an edict by which the Mutazilite doctrine was declared to be the religion of the State, and the orthodox faith was condemned as heretical. At the same time he ordered all his subjects to honour Hazrat Ali as the best creature of God after the Holy Prophet and forbade the praise of Mu’awiya. In 218 A.H./833 A.D. a new edict appeared by which all judges and doctors were summoned to renounce the error of the uncreated word of God.’ Most of them expressed their agreement with the views of the Khalifah, but a few stood firm in their conviction among whom was Ahmad bin Hanbal (founder of the Habali School), who was ordered to be put into prison. Two of Mamun’s successors maintained the edict and Ahmad bin Hanbal was flogged ultimately at their hands.
Ironically the champion of freedom of thought turned into a persecutor of thought. He allowed the allegorical explanation of the passages of the Qura’n and enforced his view with intolerance and cruelty as he advanced in age particularly in the year 218/833. From his last campaign in Asia Minor, Ma’mun sent a mandate to the Governor of Baghdad to call a meeting of the leading religious heads to discuss to vital doctrine that Qura’n is created or uncreated and to

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send those who did not believe that Quran’s was created and conform the Mu’tazilite doctrine to his camp. Imam Ibn Hanbal and about twenty others who were firm in their orthodox view were arrested at Baghdad and escorted to Tarsus to await there the return of Ma’mun from the campaign. They were fortunate that Ma’mun did not return alive but his dead body was brought instead and buried at Tarsus in Aug/833.1
Death
While returning from the expedition in Asia Minor Ma’mun fell ill on the Bank of Badandun and died at the age of forty eight after a glorious reign of five years as the independent ruler of the East and twenty years and five months as the caliph of the Abbasid Empire on Jumadi al-Thani 228/Aug 833. On his death bed he proclaimed his brother Abu Ishaq entitled al-Mu’tasim bi’llah as his successor. Then he gave minute instructions to his brother regarding a religious life. Just administration and the teaching of the origin of the Qura’n and other doctrines of Islam. He also left for him a practice of employing Turks as bodyguards which fact culminated during the time of Mu’tasim ultimately bringing ruin to the dynasty. ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHARACTER
In spite of his pre-occupations in suppressing revolts at home and fight frontier wars with the Byzantines, Ma’mun could find time to study books and patronize art and science. According to Qazi Yahya b. Aktham, Ma’mun was an all around scholar and scientist and an embodiment of culture and character. Baghdad lay in ruins when Ma’mun entered the city as victorious. Parts of the city were ruined and the caliph himself had to take his a book in the Barmakid palace care it again rose to prominence society and commercially. The markets and shops were full of native products and foreign goods imported from China the Malaya Archipelago, India, Scandinavia. Russia and East Africa. Ma’mun’s reign was glorious for the development of literature, science and philosophy. It has been called the Augustan age of Islam. The foundation of schools for the translation of Indian and Greek works on science and literature had been laid by Mansur but the intellectual -work culminated during the time of Ma’mun because of his personal interest particularly in Greek science. Due to his encouragement his courtiers and nobles also patronized men of literature and science. Here was undertaken
Author’s, Administrative and Cultural History of Islam, P 340.