The Mu'tazilites' perspective on God’s knowledge and volition sets them apart from both Islamic philosophers and the Ash'ari-Maturidi Kalam tradition. Regarding characteristics, they share a comparable perspective with Islamic philosophers by embracing the notion of divine simplicity. While Islamic philosophers view knowledge as synonymous with the essence of God, theologians do not advocate for the eternal existence of the universe. Islamic thinkers claim that due to the identity of God's knowledge and essence and the eternal nature of His essence, the universe is thus seen as eternal. Conversely, Mu'tazilites contend that asserting the eternal existence of the universe is in conflict with the concept of monotheism. Consequently, they view the cosmos, the subject of understanding, as a creation.
In this paper, I will discuss Mu'tazilite interpretations of knowledge volition and their significant contributions to the problematics of the topic.