Ibrahim an-Nazzam

Abū Isḥāq Ibrāhīm ibn Sayyār an-Naẓẓām (c. 775 – c. 845) was an Arab Mu'tazilite theologian and poet. He was a nephew of the Mu'tazilite theologian Abu al-Hudhayl al-'Allaf, and al-Jahiz was one of his students. Al-Naẓẓām served at the courts of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mamun. His theological doctrines and works are lost except for a few fragments. He diverged from many contemporary views, notably rejecting qiyas, juristic preference, and the doctrine of binding consensus. He also critiqued the reports attributed to Abu Hurayra, viewing them as contradictory and untrustworthy. Al-Nazzam believed the Quran should be interpreted literally, influencing the Zahiri school of thought. Although Shi'a scholars referenced him, he rejected their doctrine of the Imamate.