His Name:
Abu Muhammad Abdallah b. Sa’id b. Muhammad b. Kullab
al-Qattan al-Tamimi al-Basri, known as Abdallah b. Sa’id b. Kullab or simply Ibn Kullab.
His Life:
He
belongs to the generation of al-Harith al-Muhasibi, Ahmad b. Hanbal and Ishaq b. Rahawayh. His year of birth is unknown, but
he lived prior to al-Ma’mun’s Khilafah. He was a Mutakallim, debating the Mu’tazilah, the Jahmiyyah and
others – and he wrote against them. He died after 240, and according to some in 241.
His Books:
He
wrote at least three books: Kitab al-Sifat, al-Radd ‘ala’l-Mu’tazilah and Khalq al-Af’al – all
on theology.
His Beliefs:
He believed in Kalam Nafsi, thereby denying that Allah’s Speech can
be heard. He also denied that the Qur’an consist of Letters. He also said that the Lafz of the Qur’an is created.
He invented other dogmatics which al-Ash’ari and his followers picked up and promoted.
His Following:
The earliest followers are al-Karabisi, al-Muhasibi – who repented – al-Qalanisi and later al-Ash’ari
in some of his sayings – who repented too. The major followers of al-Ash’ari, particularly Ibn Furak, al-Baqillani
and Abu Ishaq al-Isfara’ini followed al-Ash’ari in his mistakes copied from Ibn Kullab. They are sometimes known
as Kullabiyyah, and sometimes as Ash’ariyyah.
His Judgment:
Imam Ahmad condemned him, as he condemned
the Lafziyyah. Many scholars afterwards censured part of the talk he spoke about, particularly the Hanabilah – such
as Ibn Batta al-‘Ukbari, Yahya b. ‘Ammar, Abdallah al-Ansari and Ibn Taymiyyah.
As for the whole picture:
he is better then al-Ash’ari in some ways, and he upholds the overwhelming Sunnah – as stated by Ibn Taymiyyah
in various places of his works.
May Allah forgive him.
