نشأة الفرق و أصالة علم الكلام

The Origins of Sects and the Originality of ilm ul kalam

Abstract

The paper aims to analyze the development of early differences with the Muslim community which led to sects’ schisms within the early Muslim society and analyze the stance of the companions of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and their righteous followers. It also investigates the grounds upon which the early generations of the Muslims dealt with these differences.  It further investigates the reasons behind these differences to explore the basis and reasons that led to the development of ilm ul kalam to establish whether ilm ul kalam was originally a Muslim intellectual enterprise or a foreign influence as claimed by many orientalists and latter Muslims alike. It further clarifies the difference between the approaches of the early Muslim scholarship and later Muslim scholarship dealing with a new intellectual field being developed. The paper also sheds light on the influence of the Quranic and the prophet methodological influence upon ilm ul kalam and also looks into the political and sociological factors which led to the further methodological development of ilm ul kalam.