Introduction

In the Introduction, it was pointed out that the milJ,na was described from at least two points of view, the Mu'tazili and the l:Ianbali. This chapter leans heavily (though not solely) on the l:Ianbali perspective, but it does not describe the sequence of events in Ibn ljanbal's interrogation. It does not concern itself with the insoluble question: Did Ibn l:Ianbal break down under torture or not?l Rather, it analyzes the arguments that were raised during the course of the debate and attempts to discern what the l:Ianbalis thought about the milJ,na. It also deals with how the I:Ianbalis felt after the mi~na was over. It may seem surprising, but the victorious Traditionists went through a crisis after the mi4na came to an end. I attempt to show that this crisis was probably the most important factor in shaping the ljanbali madhhab.