Kalam

The men of Islam took Greek philosophy through the Christians, but we have lost this.

Rambam now says, I have studied the books of the Mutakalimun.

is telling us clearly that he studied the books of the rationalist islamic philosophers and i've likewise studied the books of the greek philosophers who inspired the muslims so rambam is describing exactly what we've just described that circular route Thus also, though, do those belonging to our community, now the Rambam is referring now to the Jews, look what he says now, who imitate them, the Muslims.

Because the Jews, if you ask Sajja Gaon and ask Maimonides, they all speak about the influence of Islamic rationalist ideology.

So we see that follow Judaism.

actually brought about a seismic shift in three religions, in Christianity, in Islam, and eventually, centuries later, 900 years after Philo, it comes back into Judaism, to the medieval Jewish philosophies.

Now the Mutakalimun, the Islamic Rationalists, therefore served as a bridge.

They were the bridge for us.

This is what the text says, that's it.

The Mu'tazila used a Kalami approach.

Did they get it right? No, they didn't get it right.

Those, these are just approaches, Athari and Kalami approach.

So the Athari approach quite simply is we're sticking to the text and that's it.

You can get it right, you can get it wrong.

If people want to read and learn, uh, Hanbali aqidah and fiqh in Arabic, go to Faris al-Kazzazraji.

Sheikh Faris al-Kazzazraji.

Mm.

But w- if we're talking about, like, classically or from the Kalam side, I mean, the Muslim theologians pretty much, I mean, for the most part agreed with it.

Like Al-Ghazzali believed that, uh, uh, what do you call it, zaman is harakah.

Okay.

Ban it for all

... you'll, you'll find that the, you know, the kind of like the most like low effort response that you'll, you'll hear is, uh, from the group of people, they'll just say like, "Kalam is speculative theology," right? And what they mean by that is really an allusion to the ayah of rajm bil ghaib, and they'll use this terminology, right? You go to one of these old school, uh, you know, Salafi, uh, you know, uh, classes, and that's how they refer to Ilm al-Kalam.

And you'll find that even among, uh, like this idea is still very present among those who have never studied or opened up a book of Ilm al-Kalam, and they'll say it's all speculation.

And in fact, this can't be further from the truth.

Well, I mean, most fiqh-- all of fiqh is speculation too.

Right

... probability to be correct.

And, but when it comes to Ilm al-Kalam, the thing is-

So within the Hanbali school, um, when we're talking about these terms, there is a difference of approach regarding the use of them.

Um, should we be using these terms, jawhar or adhram or jism, etc.? And essentially, the difference of opinion as to whether or not these terms should be used goes back to the difference of op- of opinion regarding the employment of Ilm al-Kalam, because these terms are found within that particular framework.

And so those that within the Hanbali school deemed the usage of Ilm Kalam to be impermissible, then they wouldn't utilize these terms.

Whereas the others that considered Ilm al-Kalam permissible to use, um, so long as it was not in contradiction to the revelation, but was based on the outcome, or the outcome of the Ilm Kalam being used is, is based in revelation, then they would permit utilizing these terminologies.

So for example, as we see here, uh, I- Ibn Balban, and we've discussed this previously in the course, um, obviously, uh, took the side that using Ilm Kalam or employing that was permissible.

And so we find it here.

Ibn Hamdan's work, of course, which this is based on, we find it there.

Al-Qadi Abu Ya'la, you'll find it there, uh, among other, uh, scholars of the, uh, of the great H- Hanabila.

And so by becoming Westernized, in some senses, all Muslims are doing was reclaiming themselves from their erstwhile enemies or their rulers or, or whatever, which is a fascinating way of putting the relationship between the colonial present and the Muslim past.

Uh, but what Syed Ahmed Khan also wanted was the, was the creation of what he called a new science of theology, Ilm al-Kalam.

Um, that never happened.

Uh, he tried doing it.