Ilm Al Kalam And Ahl Al Kalam Essay Example

In the early generations of Islam after the Prophet Muhamad ﷺ’s death, Muslims relied on the teaching of the Prophet, and their faith was not fortified. The Prophet himself had warned his followers not to delve too deeply into questions about fate and destiny, and his advice gave the early scholars of Islam hesitance to tread the waters of theology.

What is Ilm al-Kalam

Ilm al-Kalam or Kalam is the science of rational theology in Islam. It developed in the first 300 years of Islam due to the translation of Greek books on philosophy and logic- initially by Khālid ibn Yazīd (an Umayyad prince) , then later commissioned by the Caliph Al-Ma'mun. The purpose of Ilm al-kalam is to break down the arguments of philosophical doubters of Islam and silence them through a rational basis. 

The Arabic term Kalām (كلام) means "speech, word,  or utterance". There are many possible interpretations as to why this discipline was originally called so; one is that one of the widest controversies in this discipline, in the second and third centuries of Hijra, has been about whether the "Word of God" (Kalām Allāh). Another is that speaking was seen as a requisite for debating religious creeds and presenting its rational basis. 

Kalam was used by two types of people. Those philosophers who allowed Greek and other philosophies to dictate its rational discourse. These Philosophers contravened religious orthodoxy and attempted to fit the teachings of ancient Greek philosophy into Islam.It was also used by people who were traditionalists and used rational tools to dismantle any argument that contravened the Qur’an and consensus-based belief. These traditionalists at the time condemned Kalam because distinction between the two groups had not been drawn. Later on in history, the term ‘Kalam’ mostly referred to the rational theology of the traditionalists ( Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah [5] )

Judgements within Islam

Methods of concluding in Islam include:

Rational Judgments of the mind

Conclusions from Sensory perception

Mass transmission

In the Arabic language, حكم (judgement) means prevention, and for this reason the ruler is called a Häkim because he prevents and keeps oppressors from the oppressed. A judgement is an affirmation or denial of one thing due to another thing. Judgments are divided into three categories: Legal, Empirical and Rational judgements. Legal judgments are found in the books of Fiqh (jurisprudence) and works discussing its theoretical basis [uşül]. Empirical judgments are known through experimentation, testing, and repetition. Rational judgments are understood by the intellect ['aql] without repetition or  a coined definition. 

Rational judgments within Islam are normally divided into three categories. The first category is necessary (wujüb). This word translates to firmness. It means that which cannot be denied by a person. The second category is the impossible (istihāla). This means "to be prevented." It means things that can’t be affirmed. The third category is possible or permissible (jawāz). This word means "to cross or pass." It means that which can be affirmed by a person.

Determinism & Freewill

Free will in accordance with Kalam relates to the limited choice 

Drawbacks of Kalam

Despite the many benefits of Ilm al-kalam, there is a narration of Imam al-Shafi‘i (the first contributor of the principles of Islamic jurisprudence) in which he stated: “My judgement upon the people of rhetoric (Ahlul-Kalām) is that they should be beaten with palm branches, placed on the back of a camel and paraded among the people & it is announced: ‘This is the punishment for the one who abandons the Book & Sunnah and takes to Kalām (theological rhetoric).” [3]

Most people hold the view that the criticism of kalam from scholars was specific to the Muʿtazila [6], as both Imam al-Ghazali & Imam an-Nawawi saw both good and bad in kalam and cautioned from the unorthodox groups such as the Muʿtazila & Jahmis. They say Imam Shafi’i was referring to the impermissible use of kalam and the Mu’tazila sect, who would use Ilm al-kalam for heretical arguments.

Ibn Taymiyyah, who was one of the prominent scholars of the Sunni world, gave a verdict declaring kalam and logic as 'unlawful'. He claimed to reject ʿilm al-kalam as an innovation (Bid'ah). Ibn Taymiyya produced a harsh attack on philosophy, entitled al-Radd ‘ala al-mantiqiyyın (Refutation of the Rational Philosophers) . Many Sunni scholars refuted Ibn Taymiyyah for his views and opposition to the consensus of the Ahl al-Sunnah [1]. However, many of his works contained numerous arguments that refer to rational arguments. Therefore he is included by some scholars as amongst the Mutakallimin (Scholars of Kalam).  Ibn Taymiyya categorised the Asha'irah alongside sects like Kharijites, Mu'tazilites, Jahmites and Shiites, which separated from Sunni orthodoxy. Despite his positions, Ibn Taymiyya held that all those sects are not to be excommunicated, except for Jahmites and extreme Shiites. 

So why is Kalam Useful?

Ilm al Kalam is more necessary and needed in this era than previous eras. In the modern world, Objections put forth to muslims are broken.