The Correction of a False Conceptualization: The Authenticity of the Kalām Imputation

Abstract

What are the sources of the term of kalâm? In the emergence of this term, is the external influences of Islamic thought were decisive than internal dynamics or not? This naming problem is also the process of self-fulfillment of a prophecy. At the beginning, the first group orientalists exemplified the concept of ‘kalâm’ through the word ‘logos’, which expresses thought, consciousness and logic in Ancient Greek to improve understanding of their readers. Subsequent orientalists imposed a truth value by way the using this information as reference. Some Muslim scholars who wanted to support religious knowledge with philosophy encouraged this understanding even if they did not want to. Thus, the claim that the term ‘kalâm’, whose relationship with logic was given over the Arabic language, was taken from the Greeks was adopted. In fact, there is no evidence in Islamic classical sources confirming this. This understanding is a result of the Greek West-centered perspective. In our article prepared to draw attention to this situation, the conceptual ground on which the naming of the kalâm science is based on Islamic thought has been investigated. The thesis of the word ‘kalâm’, the ability of speech, the speech of God, the reading of the Qur'an and the reason for defending a claim and its defense forms belongs to Islamic thought. It was detected that the meaning similarity between ‘kalâm’ and ‘logos’ is due to the commonness of natural language and basic human experiences.