Is it true that Muslims should return to Mu’tazilah thought in order to become more advanced and progressive?

Summary

The claim is described as inaccurate. Mu’tazilah is a school of thought that departed from the majority of Muslims, was influenced by Greek, Indian and Persian philosophy, and placed reason above scriptural texts, to the point of rejecting religious evidence seen as contradicting reason. They also belittled the Companions, whereas Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaah scholars agree that all the Companions were upright. Their method did remove blind imitation, but making reason the absolute arbiter is treated as problematic.

Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.