What Makes Islam Different?

Islam came into contact with Hellenistic ideas early on in its history, as it expanded by conquest across the Middle East and North Africa.  The Muslim conquerors initially incorporated this Athenian inheritance into their world view.

The Mu’tazilites school of Islamic thought, which emerge in 8th century Basra and Baghdad, engaged deeply with Hellenistic philosophy, particularly Aristotelian and Neoplatonic ideas, integrating them into Islamic theology.  The Mu’tazilites were rationalist, emphasizing human reason and free will.