Memories of Tomorrow

This article discusses modern interpretations of Mu‘tazilism, a rationalist tradition of Islamic thought that flourished during the time of the ‘Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258). Modern endeavours to rediscover and revive this tradition since the early 20SUPth/SUP century, often referred to as ‘Neo-Mu‘tazilism’, span geographical, cultural, and political divides. The focus of this article is on the contribution of the prominent Egyptian intellectual Aḥmad Amīn (1886–1954) who is credited with rehabilitating Mu‘tazilism in his works on the intellectual history of Islamic civilization. Aiming to explore the intellectual efforts involved in ‘thinking tradition forward’, this article examines the ways in which Aḥmad Amīn envisaged the relevance of Mu‘tazilism for the present and future of Muslim societies and the strategies he employed to convey its modern relevance to his readers

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