Kalam

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kalam

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the academic field?Ilm al-kalam (Science of Kalam), a discipline within Islamic theology (aqida)
2. What is the core methodologies?Scholasticism, speculation, and rational argumentation using logic and dialectics
3. Why did people start Kalam?People began Kalam to explain and defend their beliefs when others questioned them, especially when ideas from Greek philosophy were being discussed.
4. Who are the main Kalam schools?Two main Kalam schools are the Ash'aris and the Maturidis, who tried to keep faith true while still using reason.

Ilm al-lahut: Another term for Kalam, referring to the study of divine matters or theology.
Bid'ah: Religious innovation or heresy, which Kalam scholars often sought to refute.
Mutakallimun: Plural of Mutakallim, scholars who engage in Kalam, employing rational methods in theological inquiry.
Usul al-din: The fundamental principles or roots of the faith, the primary subject matter of Kalam.