Emergence and development of the mutakallim school

This study covers three main stages of the development of the Mutakallim school in the methodology of Muslim law. Imam al-Shafi‘i laid the foundations of this school with his method in the book “Ar-Risala”, proposing an approach based on deriving legal principles from Sharia texts in accordance with their linguistic meanings, with minimal use of logical reasoning. At this stage, the school’s foundation began to take shape under the leadership of al-Shafi‘i and other scholars, such as Abu Bakr al-Baqillani and Abdul-Jabbar ibn Ahmad al-Hamadani. The stage of development and maturity: This period was marked by the codification of legal principles for each madhhab and the emergence of comprehensive works covering various fields of usul al-fiqh (jurisprudence methodology). The introduction of kalam (theological) and philosophical issues into the science of methodology became prominent, particularly with scholars like Qadi Abu Bakr al-Baqillani and Abdul-Jabbar ibn Ahmad al-Hamadani. This stage saw active scholarly activity and flourishing, supported by rulers, as well as the rise of prominent scholars such as Qadi Abdul-Wahhab, Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi, and al-Ghazali. The stage of decline and weakening: Scholarly activity suffered due to political events and social catastrophes, leading to a stagnation of knowledge and a decline in ijtihad (independent legal reasoning). This stage was characterized by a significant decline of the Mutakallim school, as scholars began abridging previous books or repeatedly commenting on them without offering new ideas. Nevertheless, in some regions, scholarship continued to thrive due to the support of rulers and the establishment of renowned madrasas.