Kalam Theology Of The Asharis And Maturidis

The foundation of the theology of the Jahmiyyah, Mu’tazilah, Asha’irah and Maturidiyyah is to impose the rationally derived conception of “divine perfection” spoken of by misguided idolators and star-worshippers, such as Aristotle and Plato, upon the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. This is the ‘Ilm al-Kalam that entered the ummah in the early second century hijrah and was harshly rejected by the Salaf.

Imam al-Shafi’i said: “My ruling regarding Ahl al-Kalam is that they are to be beaten with palm-branches and shoes, carried upon camels and paraded among the kinsfolk, it being announced about them, ‘This is the recompense of the one who abandoned the Book and the Sunnah and turned to kalam.’” And he also said: “No one entered into kalam and prospered.”

This brief work serves as a useful primer, a simple overview of this complex arena of speculative theology (kalam) and its history. It provides the reader with a broad overview and a useful framework in which to conduct further research and study.