Introduction
Ibn Kullab (d. ca. 241/855) was an early Sunni theologian (mutakallim) in Basra and Baghdad in the first half of the 9th century during the time of the Mihna and belonged, according to Ibn al-Nadim, to the traditionalist group of the Nawabit. He was known for his criticism of Jahmis,Mu'tazilis, and Anthropomorphists. He contradicted the Mu'tazili doctrine of Khalq al-Qur'an (Createdness of the Qur'an) by introducing a distinction between the speech of God (Kalam Allah) and its realisation. His movement, also called Kullabiyya, merged into Ash'arism, which, along with Maturidism and Hanbalism, foms the theological basis of Sunni Islam.
He was praised by several famous scholars, including Ibn Asakir, Taj al-Din al-Subki, Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, Ibn Qadi Shuhba, Jamal al-Din al-Isnawi, Kamal al-Din al-Bayadi in Isharat al-Maram, Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi in his work Kitab Usul al-Din, al-Shahrastani in al-Milal wa al-Nihal, and al-Kawthari.
Name
Abu Muhammad 'Abdallah b. Sa'id b. Kullab al-Qattan al-Basri al-Tamimi.
Life
He belonged to the generation of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh. His precise year of birth is unknown, but he lived in the period of the 'Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun.
Students
It has been said that Dawud al-Zahiri and al-Harith al-Muhasibi learned kalam from him, according to al-Dhahabi in his Siyar A'lam Al-Nubala'. Among his students also was al-Junayd al-Baghdadi.
Books
He has a number of works that are documented such as:
- Kitab al-Radd 'ala al-Hashwiyya (meaning the 'crammers,' a term also used for the deviant misguided Anthropomorphists)
- Kitab al-Radd 'ala al-Mu'tazila
- Kitab al-Sifat (Book of Divine Attributes)
- Kitab in al-Tawhid (Book of Islamic Monotheism)
- Kitab Khalq al-Af'al (Book of the Creation of Human Acts)
These books are lost, however remnants of them can be found in other works such as Maqalat al-Islamiyyin of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari. He was also quoted by the early Ash'ari scholars such as Ibn Furak (d. 406H).
Death
He died in 240 AH, or according to some in 241 AH.