Bishr b. al-Muʿtamir - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
[Article]
Bennett, David
Leiden
Brill
(925 words)
Bishr b. al-Muʿtamir (d. 210/825, at an advanced age) was a Muʿtazilī theologian of Baghdad whose theory of the secondary effects of human action became a much-discussed topic in kalām (speculative theology). He was instrumental in the popularisation of early Muʿtazilī thought, and several important fragments of his didactic poetry have been preserved. As is the case with most of the early Muʿtazilīs, his theological and philosophical positions survive only in later testimonies. He was popular as a Muʿtazilī proselytiser and known for his mildly ascetic lifestyle,