The Powerlessness of Al-Zamakhsyari's Argument on the First Night

 

The Powerlessness of Al-Zamakhsyari's Argument on the First Night

Mahmud bin Umar bin Muhammad al-Zamakhsyari (467-538 H.) is one of the prominent scholars who adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. Many scholars of his time acknowledged the height of his knowledge. One of his phenomenal works, Tafsir al Kasyaf, is still used as a reference in the discipline of interpretation of the Qur'an. Initially he adhered to the mu'tazilah ideology, and even became the main icon of the theological school initiated by Washil bin Atha'. Until in the end he abandoned the mu'tazilah understanding and then embraced the assawad al-a'dzam , Ahlus Sunnah wal jamaah. The following is his story of "repenting" from his mu'tazilah understanding.

Al-Zamakhsyari, who at that time was one of the prominent figures of the Mu'tazilah, came to meet a Meccan Qadhi who theologically adheres to the Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah school of thought to propose to his daughter.

At first, al-Zamakhsyari's proposal was flatly rejected by the Qadi. However, after al-Zamaksyari's idol found out, he begged his father to accept the proposal. At the insistence of his daughter, the Qadhi granted her daughter's request and was willing to marry her to al-Zamakhsyari.

Long story short, after the marriage contract took place, the first night for the bride and groom arrived. The wife told her husband, "O my husband, my idol of the heart...in fact, this first night is one of the greatest pleasures for married couples in the world. I hope in this beautiful night you do it with me seventy times. asked the wife. That is the opening premise ( muqaddimah shughra ) of the wife in order to lead opinions to weaken her husband's theological understanding.

Al-Zamakhsyari objected to his wife's request. He considered his wife's request was too heavy. He also expressed his inability to serve his wife having sex that much. It is almost impossible to find a man as strong as anything who is able to have as many husband and wife relations as his wife's unnatural request.

Knowing her husband's reaction that seemed overwhelmed, the wife attacked her husband again with questions that further cornered the husband's theological school of thought.

“Didn't you say that man is capable of creating his own actions? Now I give you two options. We make love seventy times or you withdraw and repent for your opinion!”, insisted the wife.

"Yes, I will repent of my opinion!", said al-Zamakhsyari giving up.

Since then, al-Zamakhsyari repented from the Mu'tazilah school of thought and then embraced Ahlussunnah Wal Jamaah. Moments later, al-Zamakhsyari's wife testified in front of her family that her husband had left the Mu'tazilah ideology. Al-Zamakhsyari's wife has managed to trick her husband and make him move. A smart wife who is able to break her husband's arguments and understand theology.

As is well known in theological studies, according to the Mu'tazilah, humans are capable of creating their own activities that are ikhtiyariyyah (cultivated). In contrast to Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah which states that the actions of servants, whether ikhtiyariyyah or idltirariyyah (unintentional) are God's creations, not the creations of servants. The dialogue between al-Zamakhsyari and his wife above is one proof of the limitations of a human being. He does not have the slightest power to create his actions. Good and bad human actions are essentially God who creates. Although humans are also required to endeavor .