The method of kalam in Ibn Aqıl

Hanbalism stands out in the history of Islamic thought as a school that centers transmitted knowledge (naql) and adopts a cautious stance toward theological (kalām) debates. Ibn ʿAqīl (d. 513/1119), who was raised in the intellectual milieu shaped by this tradition, diverged significantly from the conventional Hanbalī line and developed a unique intellectual approach that emphasized reason (ʿaql). Seeking a balanced relationship between reason and revelation, Ibn ʿAqīl proposed an alternative position both to the Salafī tendencies dominant in his time and to the anti-kalām attitudes prevalent within his school. His engagement with kalām not only serves as a critique of the anti-theological stance within Hanbalism but also reflects a methodological pursuit that highlights the theoretical function of reason. In this respect, his approach is considered a distinctive attempt to reinterpret the relationship between reason and revelation in Islamic thought. This study examines Ibn ʿAqīl's theological methodology under three main headings. The first section addresses the definition, types, sources, and possibility of knowledge, and evaluates Ibn ʿAqīl's perspectives on epistemology and logic. The second section explores the relationship between reason and revelation, analyzing the roles of these two sources in the formation of knowledge, methods of resolving apparent contradictions, and principles of interpretation (taʾwīl). The third section presents Ibn ʿAqīl's view on the method of reasoning, offering a systematic assessment of his approach to knowledge production within the framework of rational and linguistic inference techniques. In doing so, the study aims to demonstrate that Ibn ʿAqīl opened a unique path toward theological thought within the Hanbalī tradition.