Ibn Kullab

Ibn Kullab (d. ca. 241/855) was an early Sunni theologian (mutakallim)[3] in Basra and Baghdad in the first half of the 9th century during the time of the Mihna and belonged, according to Ibn al-Nadim, to the traditionalist group of the Nawabit.[Note 1] He was known for his criticism of Jahmis, Mu'tazilis, and Anthropomorphists. He contradicted the Mu'tazili doctrine of Khalq al-Qur'an (Createdness of the Qur'an) by introducing a distinction between the speech of God (Kalam Allah) and its realisation.[5] His movement, also called Kullabiyya,[Note 2] merged into Ash'arism, which, along with Maturidism and Hanbalism, forms the theological basis of Sunni Islam.[7]

Ibn Kullab ابن كُلاَّب
Personal
Born	Unknown
Died	240 A.H. = 854 A.D.[1] 241 A.H. = 855 A.D.
Religion	Islam
Nationality	Iraq
Era	Islamic Golden Age
Denomination	Sunni[2]
Jurisprudence	Shafi'i
Creed	Ahl al-Hadith
Main interest(s)	Aqidah, Kalam (Islamic theology)
Notable work(s)	Al-Radd 'ala al-Hashwiyya (meaning the 'crammers,' a term also used for the deviant misguided Anthropomorphists)
Muslim leader
Influenced by Al-Salaf al-Salih (the pious forefathers of early Islam)
Influenced Dawud al-Zahiri Harith al-Muhasibi Junayd of Baghdad Muhammad al-Bukhari Ibn Hibban Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari

He was praised by several famous scholars, including Ibn Asakir, Taj al-Din al-Subki, Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, Ibn Qadi Shuhba, Jamal al-Din al-Isnawi, Kamal al-Din al-Bayadi in Isharat al-Maram, Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi in his work Kitab Usul al-Din, al-Shahrastani in al-Milal wa al-Nihal, and al-Kawthari.[8]

Name

Abu Muhammad 'Abdallah b. Sa'id b. Kullab al-Qattan al-Basri al-Tamimi.[9]

Life

He belonged to the generation of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh. His precise year of birth is unknown, but he lived in the period of the 'Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun.

Students

It has been said that Dawud al-Zahiri and al-Harith al-Muhasibi learned kalam from him, according to al-Dhahabi in his Siyar A'lam Al-Nubala'.[10] Among his students also was al-Junayd al-Baghdadi.

Books

He has a number of works that are documented such as:

• Kitab al-Radd 'ala al-Hashwiyya (meaning the 'crammers,' a term also used for the deviant misguided Anthropomorphists)
• Kitab al-Radd 'ala al-Mu'tazila
• Kitab al-Sifat (Book of Divine Attributes)
• Kitab in al-Tawhid (Book of Islamic Monotheism)
• Kitab Khalq al-Af'al (Book of the Creation of Human Acts)

These books are lost, however remnants of them can be found in other works such as Maqalat al-Islamiyyin of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari. He was also quoted by the early Ash'ari scholars such as Ibn Furak (d. 406H).

Death

He died in 240 AH, or according to some in 241 AH.

See also

• Ahmad ibn Hanbal
• Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari

Notes

1. Those who converted to Islam became known as Nawabit (Neophytes) and formed the fundament of the traditionalist opposition in Baghdad.[4]
2. The Kullabiyya, a moderate traditionalist movement, which was intended to revive the early Sunni Islam and later on turned into the Ash'ariyya.[6]

References

1. Christopher Melchert (1997). The Formation of the Sunni Schools of Law: 9th-10th Centuries C.E. Brill Publishers. p. 69. ISBN 9789004109520.
2. Nathan Spannaus (2019). Preserving Islamic Tradition: Abu Nasr Qursawi and the Beginnings of Modern Reformism. Oxford University Press. p. 147. ISBN 9780190654900.
3. Nathan Spannaus (2019). Preserving Islamic Tradition: Abu Nasr Qursawi and the Beginnings of Modern Reformism. Oxford University Press. p. 147. ISBN 9780190654900.
4. Benjamin Jokisch (2007). Islamic Imperial Law: Harun-al-Rashid's Codification Project. Walter de Gruyter. p. 622. ISBN 9783110190489.
5. "Ibn Kullāb — Brill". Brill Online Reference Works.
6. Benjamin Jokisch (2007). Islamic Imperial Law: Harun-al-Rashid's Codification Project. Walter de Gruyter. p. 622. ISBN 9783110190489.
7. Benjamin Jokisch (2007). Islamic Imperial Law: Harun-al-Rashid's Codification Project. Walter de Gruyter. p. 357. ISBN 9783110190489.
8. "Ahl al-Sunna: The Ash'aris - The Testimony and Proofs of the Scholars by Shaykh Hamad al-Sinan and Shaykh Fawzi al-'Anjari". elwahabiya.com.
9. Benjamin Jokisch (2007). Islamic Imperial Law: Harun-al-Rashid's Codification Project. Walter de Gruyter. p. 357. ISBN 9783110190489.
10. "Siyar A'lam Al-Nubala' by Al-Dhahabi". Islamweb.

Early Islamic scholars

Muhammad (570–632) prepared the Constitution of Medina, taught the Quran, and advised his companions `Abd Allah bin Masud (died 650) taught Ali (607–661) fourth caliph taught Aisha, Muhammad's wife and Abu Bakr's daughter taught Abd Allah ibn Abbas (618–687) taught Zayd ibn Thabit (610–660) taught Umar (579–644) second caliph taught Abu Hurairah (603–681) taught Alqama ibn Qays (died 681) taught Husayn ibn Ali (626–680) taught Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr (657–725) taught and raised by Aisha Urwah ibn Zubayr (died 713) taught by Aisha, he then taught Said ibn al-Musayyib (637–715) taught Abdullah ibn Umar (614–693) taught Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr (624–692) taught by Aisha, he then taught Ibrahim al-Nakha’i taught Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (659–712) taught Hisham ibn Urwah (667–772) taught Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (died 741) taught Salim ibn Abd-Allah ibn Umar taught Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (682–720) raised and taught by Abdullah ibn Umar Hammad bin ibi Sulman taught Muhammad al-Baqir (676–733) taught Farwah bint al-Qasim Abu Bakr's great grand daughter Jafar's mother Abu Hanifa (699–767) wrote Al Fiqh Al Akbar and Kitab Al-Athar, jurisprudence followed by Sunni, Sunni Sufi, Barelvi, Deobandi, Zaidiyyah Shia and originally by the Fatimid and taught Zayd ibn Ali (695–740) Ja'far bin Muhammad Al-Baqir (702–765) Ali's and Abu Bakr's great great grand son taught Malik ibn Anas (711–795) wrote Muwatta, jurisprudence from early Medina period now mostly followed by Sunni in Africa and taught Al-Waqidi (748–822) wrote history books like Kitab al-Tarikh wa al-Maghazi, student of Malik ibn Anas Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Abdul Hakam (died 829) wrote biographies and history books, student of Malik ibn Anas Abu Yusuf (729–798) wrote Usul al-fiqh Muhammad al-Shaybani (749–805) Al-Shafi‘i (767–820) wrote Al-Risala, jurisprudence followed by Sunni and taught Ismail ibn Ibrahim Ali ibn al-Madini (778–849) wrote The Book of Knowledge of the Companions Ibn Hisham (died 833) wrote early history and As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah, Muhammad's biography Isma'il ibn Ja'far (719–775) Musa al-Kadhim (745–799) Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780–855) wrote Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal jurisprudence followed by Sunni and hadith books Muhammad al-Bukhari (810–870) wrote Sahih al-Bukhari hadith books Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (815–875) wrote Sahih Muslim hadith books Muhammad ibn Isa at-Tirmidhi (824–892) wrote Jami` at-Tirmidhi hadith books Al-Baladhuri (died 892) wrote early history Futuh al-Buldan, Genealogies of the Nobles Ibn Majah (824–887) wrote Sunan ibn Majah hadith book Abu Dawood (817–889) wrote Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith Book Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni (864- 941) wrote Kitab al-Kafi hadith book followed by Twelver Shia Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (838–923) wrote History of the Prophets and Kings, Tafsir al-Tabari Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (874–936) wrote Maqālāt al-islāmīyīn, Kitāb al-luma, Kitāb al-ibāna 'an usūl al-diyāna Ibn Babawayh (923–991) wrote Man la yahduruhu al-Faqih jurisprudence followed by Twelver Shia Sharif Razi (930–977) wrote Nahj al-Balagha followed by Twelver Shia Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201–1274) wrote jurisprudence books followed by Ismaili and Twelver Shia Al-Ghazali (1058–1111) wrote The Niche for Lights, The Incoherence of the Philosophers, The Alchemy of Happiness on Sufism Rumi (1207–1273) wrote Masnavi, Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi on Sufism Key: Some of Muhammad's Companions Key: Taught in Medina Key: Taught in Iraq Key: Worked in Syria Key: Travelled extensively collecting the sayings of Muhammad and compiled books of hadith Key: Worked in Iran