Al-Kalam (book)

Al-Kalam (Urdu: الکلام) is a 20th-century Islamic theology book written by Shibli Nomani and serves as the third work in his series on Kalam. It complements his earlier work, Ilm-ul-Kalam, which focused on ancient Kalam. Shibli considered the study of ancient Kalam insufficient for the modern era due to changes in scope and scientific developments, and in Al-Kalam he attempted to lay the foundation for a modern Kalam. The book was organized according to ancient principles while addressing the requirements of the present age, presenting Shibli's own interpretation of theology. Both books received limited acceptance among the ulama, and a fatwa of takfir was issued against him. Despite this, Al-Kalam is cited and studied in academic circles.

Ilm-ul-Kalam was published by Shibli Nomani in 1902 as a historical study of classical Islamic theology, i.e., kalam. In this work, Shibli observed that early discussions of kalam mainly focused on matters of faith, since the objections raised by opponents of Islam at that time were limited to theological issues.^[1] However, in the modern era, religion began to be studied from historical, ethical, and civilizational perspectives. He noted that, according to many European scholars, the beliefs of a religion were not as objectionable as its legal and moral rules. Practices such as polygamy, divorce, slavery, and jihad were often cited by critics as evidence against a religion's truth.^[1][2] In response, Shibli proposed a new form of kalam that would deal not only with beliefs but also with worship and ethics. He also planned to write biographies of theologians, though these works remained unfinished.^[3]

Al-Kalam is mainly about the subject of beliefs.^[3] It was the third book in Shibli's planned series on kalam; the fourth was Sawanih Maulana Rum.^[4] By 1902, he had completed parts of Al-Kalam while working on Ilm-ul-Kalam, first planning to publish them together. Later, he decided to publish Ilm-ul-Kalam separately, finishing it first and then completing Al-Kalam,^[5] which was published in 1903.^[6] For this work, Shibli used various English sources to derive philosophical ideas. He mentioned that he benefited especially from Al-Islam fi ‘Asr al-‘Ilm and from the help of Habibur Rahman Khan Sherwani.^[7]

The book was later translated into Bengali by Muhammad Abdullah, a professor at the University of Dhaka, and published by the Islamic Foundation Bangladesh in 1981.^[8]

In Al-Kalam, Shibli attempted to lay the foundation for a modern kalam.^[9] He believed that, given the challenges facing Islam in the modern era, there was an urgent need for a renewed approach to Islamic theology.^[9] He structured the book based on 'ancient principles and the requirements of the present age',^[3] arranging it into three sections: beliefs (Aqidah), worship (Ibadah), and ethics (Akhlaq). Among these, the section on beliefs is the most detailed, covering doctrines such as divine unity (tawhid), prophethood (risalat), revelation (wahy), the Day of Judgment (qiyamah), hell (Jahannam), and paradise (jannah).^[10]

Shibli examined earlier theologians' proofs on key topics, including the existence of Allah, prophethood, revelation, and miracles, and found them insufficient.^[11] He believed that the traditional arguments were not strong enough to be unquestionable, so even while affirming these doctrines, he sought new evidence to support them.^[11] He focused only on beliefs that could be directly proven through the Quran and authentic Hadith, particularly those essential to faith, such as divine unity and prophethood, while excluding weak or unnecessary arguments from traditional kalam.^[12]

The book also addresses challenges arising from modern European thought and scientific developments.^[13] Many Muslims of his time believed that religion and science were incompatible and that scientific progress threatened faith.^[13] Shibli structured his arguments to show that Islamic beliefs could withstand such challenges, presenting doctrines in a way that avoided conflict between religion and reason or science. He left out old debates and focused on clear proofs so that kalam would address the issues of his time.^[13]

Commenting on Shibli’s approach, Minhaz Uddin of the University of Dhaka noted that although his proofs are innovative, they are not unfounded. The arguments in Al-Kalam are consistent with earlier kalam works and, at minimum, do not contradict the Quran, either directly or indirectly.^[14]

After its publication, Al-Kalam received both praise and criticism. Shibli’s discussion on prophethood led to a fatwa of takfir (a religious verdict of disbelief), and several ulama refused to recognize him as a religious authority.^[15][16] As a result of these disagreements, he resigned from his position at Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in 1913.^[17] Some critics accused him of supporting the view that matter is eternal and of regarding prophethood as an acquired quality. Shibli clarified that he did not consider matter eternal and that prophethood is a divine grace rather than an acquired attribute.^[18]

Several scholars have commented on the scope and content of Al-Kalam. Ammar Abdul Hai of Jamia Millia Islamia observed that the book does not address topics such as polygamy, divorce, slavery, and jihad, giving it a sense of incompleteness.^[9] Mohd Jafar Ahrari of Jawaharlal Nehru University noted the absence of these subjects, suggesting that Shibli may have considered the works of Syed Ahmad Khan and some of his contemporaries sufficient on these matters.^[19] He also stated that, despite some shortcomings, Al-Kalam is the first of its kind and has not been surpassed in quality.^[20] Abdul Lateef Azmi commented that through Al-Kalam and Ilm-ul-Kalam, Shibli introduced Urdu to a new field of knowledge and enriched its literature.^[21]

Khursheed Nomani remarked that even in the field of rational sciences, Shibli’s writing shows mastery of composition, and he uses satire and irony effectively, particularly in reference to Europe and Europeans.^[22] Mehdi Afadi described Ilm-ul-Kalam and Al-Kalam as among Shibli’s most important works, figuratively noting that he 'contained the ocean in a jar' and introduced Urdu to a completely new branch of knowledge.^[23] Sabahuddin Abdur Rahman stated that both books are true interpreters of Shibli’s thought and that, after their publication, Urdu developed a style capable of recording even subtle and intricate issues.^[23] S. M. Ikram noted that Al-Kalam reflects the work of a skilled scholar and literatus.^[24] Aftab Ahmad Siddiqi added that even after Al-Kalam, no other book of its standard or quality could be written.^[25]

• Deobandi theological works

• Gasman, Fejri (2012). Shibli Numanis contribution to revitalization of Ilm al-kalam (MA thesis). Malaysia: International Islamic University Malaysia. p. 50–90. Archived from the original on 21 September 2025.

• Bengali version at Internet Archive