{"_id":"66fb187beb98b24c5bd7a5bb","title":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Did Imam al-Shafi'i speak against and prohibit Kalam?\"}]}","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"What is your guidance regarding the statement attributed to Imam al-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, where he said: \\\"My ruling on the people of Kalam is that they should be beaten with palm branches and sandals, and paraded among the tribes with the proclamation: This is the punishment for those who abandon the Qur'an and the Sunnah and turn to the science of Kalam\\\"? Does this statement indicate a prohibition against the study of Kalam?\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"The statements narrated from some of the early scholars, like Imām al-Shāfiʿī and Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, even if they are authentic, should not be taken as absolute and applied universally across all times and places, nor should they be applied to everyone who engages in the study of kalām. Their criticism was specifically directed at those who engaged in kalām during their time and were from among the people of innovation. The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah in that period did not refer to themselves as \\\"mutakallimūn\\\" (those who engage in kalām), nor were they known for engaging in kalām. Therefore, the criticism from al-Shāfiʿī and others was aimed at the innovators whom they encountered, such as the Murjiʿah, the Qadariyyah, the Jahmiyyah, and the Muʿtazilah.\\n\\nHowever, the kalām that is based rational and scriptural certainties, as used by Ahl al-Sunnah, is not included in the criticism of the imams. As Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah explained in his book Darʾ Taʿāruḍ al-ʿAql wa al-Naql (Refutation of the Conflict Between Reason and Revelation), Imām Aḥmad did not prohibit examining sound rational evidence that leads to the truth. In fact, Imām Aḥmad, in his discussions on the principles of the religion and in refuting the Jahmiyyah and others, used rational arguments to demonstrate the falsehood of the positions held by those who opposed the Sunnah. This is well known in his writings and among his followers.\\n\\nTherefore, the stance of the early scholars was not a rejection of all forms of kalām, but rather a rejection of those methodologies that depart from the Qurʾa\\nān and Sunnah and lead to innovation and deviation. The forms of kalām that align with the sharʿī texts and affirm sound doctrine are not subject to their criticism; in fact, they may sometimes be necessary to refute doubts and defend the faith.\\n\\nHere is the text from Ibn Taymiyyah:\\n\\n\\\"Imām Aḥmad did not forbid the consideration of sound rational evidence that leads to the required conclusion. In his discussions on the fundamentals of the religion, particularly in refuting the Jahmiyyah and others, he used rational arguments to expose the fallacy of those who opposed the Sunnah. This is well-known in his writings and among his followers. However, Aḥmad condemned the innovated kalam that was condemned by the entire Ummah, which is the kalam that contradicts the Qurʾān and the Sunnah, and involves speaking about Allah and His religion without knowledge.\\\"\\n\\n\\\"Aḥmad was also well-known for his extensive use of definitive arguments in the fundamentals of the religion, both textual and rational, more so than any other imam, because he was tested by opponents of the Sunnah and therefore had to resort to such methods.\\\"\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668da0580b76658b4c2334b2","tag":"Knowledge: Aqeedah","count":38},{"_id":"668d9fe70b76658b4c23288e","tag":"Knowledge: Scholars","count":23}],"createdOn":"2024-09-30T21:30:35.005Z"}