Ahl al-nazar (those who apply reasoning)

Ahl al-nazar, "those who apply reasoning", was first the name of the Mu'tazila, who probably coined it themselves. Later it meant careful scholars who held a sound, well-reasoned opinion on a question.

The term originally denotes the Mu'tazila, and the article judges it probable that they coined it. It occurs in Ibn Qutayba's Ta'wil mukhtalif al-hadith; al-Mas'udi speaks of ahl al-bahth wa l-nazar. Its synonyms are ahl al-kalam (used by al-Shafi'i) and al-mutakallimun (used by al-Ash'ari). Later ahl (or ashab) al-nazar came to mean the careful scholars who held a sound, well-reasoned opinion on any particular question. ¹