Ebû Saîd Muḥammad al-Ḥādimī's kalām views

Ebû Sa'îd Muhammed al-Ḥâdimî (1701-1762) was a versatile scholar of the 18th century, nurtured within the Ottoman madrasa tradition. He belonged to the Ahl al-Sunna's Ḥanafī–Māturīdī school and was also known for his Sufi orientation. Famous by his teknonym "Ebu Said al-Ḥâdimî," he appears in various sources under epithets such as "al-Ḥâdimî al-Kabīr" (the Great Ḥâdimî), "al-Naqshbandī," "al-Qunawī," and "al-Ḥusaynī," and he additionally bore the honorary title "Mevlânâ Muftī." Ḥâdimî discusses in his works many subjects concerning the principles (mabāḍī) and issues (masā'il) of the science of kalām. In the present study, his kalām views are evaluated under the headings of existence, knowledge, theology, prophethood and the hereafter. Ḥâdimî explains the concept of existence through the terms "shay'" (thing) and "wujūd" (being). Accepting the Supreme Creator as a Necessary Being (wājib al‑wujūd), he regards all other existents as Possible Beings (mumkināt), and thus limited. He conceives the wājib al‑wujūd as absolute, describing Him as self‑subsisting (qā'im bi‑dhātihī) and a reality beyond all dispute. According to Ḥâdimî, every contingent being comes into existence by Allah's decree (taqdīr), knowledge, will, and divine ordinance (qaḍā). According to Ḥâdimî, knowledge is structured on the basis of the essence–attribute (dhāt‑arāḍ) relationship. The interplay between essence and attribute gives rise to what constitutes knowledge. For him, the Necessary Being (wājib al‑wujūd) is also the source of necessary knowledge. True knowledge is attainable only through the cognition of this Necessary Being. The heart (qalb) and the intellect ('aql) play key roles in the formation of knowledge. He identifies the sources of knowledge as the senses, reliable reports (Khabar al‑sādiq), and the intellect. In Ḥâdimî's view, the eternal attributes (ṣifāt qadīm) that subsist with God's essence are neither identical with Him nor independent of Him. He grounds faith (īmān) in confirmation (tasdīq) and confession (ikrār), arguing that faith cannot be realized without tasdīq. Without confirmation, mere confession or mere knowledge alone does not satisfy the conditions of true faith. Disbelief, on the other hand, is either the absence of the faith that a believer ought to have or a condition opposed to faith. Moreover, disbelief pertains not only to belief but also to morality. According to al‑Ḥâdimî, prophets are male servants whom God has carefully chosen and endowed with special qualities. They are trained by God's revelation and supported by miracles. They are free from ignorance and all forms of imperfection, and remain under God's complete protection. The most important signs of prophethood are miracles and divine scriptures. Al‑Ḥâdimî accepts as realities all the stages of the hereafter—ba'th (resurrection), mīzān (the scales), kitāb (the record), ḥisāb (accounting), sirāt (the bridge), ḥawḍ (the Pool), Paradise (Jannah), and Hell (Jahannam). However, he observes that scholars have not reached complete consensus on the precise manner of the grave's punishment. Ḥâdimî, when elucidating the topics of kalām, relied on both rational (aqlī) and transmitted (naqlī) proofs and sought to demonstrate them within the framework of logical principles. He drew upon the views of earlier scholars—expanding on their opinions to develop his own ideas. He addressed doctrinal (aqāʾid) and kalām issues using the methodological tools of kalām science, providing reasoned justifications and explanations in accordance with its foundational rules. Keywords: Kalam, Ahl al sunna, Māturīdī–Hanafī, Ḥādimī, al Barīka.