The Ulama vs the Caliph: Al-Ma'mun's Inquisition and the Making of Sunni Orthodoxy

In 833 CE, the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun launched the Mihna — a religious inquisition that forced scholars to affirm that the Quran was created, not eternal. This episode tells the story of the Mihna's origins, its key figures like Ahmad ibn Hanbal who refused to bend, and how the conflict between caliphal authority and religious scholars shaped Sunni Islam for centuries. We explore the theological stakes, the political power play, and the surprising aftermath: the caliph lost, the scholars won, and the ulama emerged as independent arbiters of orthodoxy. A turning point in Islamic history that still echoes today. #Mihna #Al-Mamun #AhmadIbnHanbal #AbbasidCaliphate #Ulama #IslamicHistory #SunniIslam #QuranCreatedness #Inquisition #Baghdad #Muʿtazila #Hadith #Caliphate #Theology #Orthodoxy #Islam #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo