Why some scholars studied Kalaam theology though prohibited by the Salaf
26-3-2015 | IslamWeb
Question:
Shaykh, i have read some sayings of the scholars of Salaf that they had forbidden teaching and taking with ilm al-kalam. But in other hand we see that many of great scholars have teached ilm al-kalam. My question is: Why scholars like Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Hafiz Al-Iraqi, Shaah Waliyyullaah Ad-Dahlawi and Mohammad Shah Anwar Kashmiri teached and were taking with ilm al-kalam?May Allah reward you Shaykh.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Indeed, it has been reported that many scholars among the Salaf (righteous predecessors) dispraised ‘Ilm al-Kalaam (discursive theology) and Kalaam theologians and strongly warned against it. The most famous statements about this is a statement from Ash-Shaafi‘i who said: "My judgment concerning Kalaam theologians is that they should be taken around the community and beaten with palm branches and slippers and it will be said to them: this is the punishment for leaving the Words of Allaah and the words of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam."
Ismaa‘eel Al-Harawi authored a book entitled Thamm Al-Kalaam (The Dispraise of Kalaam Theology), and Ibn Qudaamah authored a book entitled Tahreem An-Nathar fi Kutub Al-Kalaam (The Prohibition of Reading Books on Kalaam Theology), based on it being a discipline that is based on philosophical principles that contradict the revelation presented in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
Nonetheless, some scholars said it is permissible to study and teach it if one is secure from deviating from the right path.
In our view, there is no good in studying this science as it confuses the person no matter how intelligent he is. Al-Ghazaali 
who was an expert in Kalaam theology, said: "As regards its benefits (i.e. the benefits of Kalaam theology), it may be said that it leads to the truth (i.e. knowedge about Allaah in a correct manner); but how preposterous! There is no fulfillment of this noble objective in Kalaam; the most it comprises is a dramatization … So listen to this from someone who is and expert in Kalaam theology, and who came to the same conclusion as that of the Kalaam theologians, and then exceeded that and delved deeper into other sciences that suit Kalaam theology (i.e. philosophy), and then realized that the path to knowledge from these means has been obstructed." [End of quote]
Moreover, Ash-Shahristaani, author of Al-Milal wan-Nihal, Al-Aamidi, and the Imaam Al-Haramayn have all made profound statements at the end of their lives about it.
Some scholars may be interested in studying and teaching logic since the science of logic is in principle an instrumental science, and some scholars clarified the importance of studying it as an instrument to understand some branches of knowledge, because much of the literature was formulated in a logical mould, so the only way to become versed in it is by studying logic. This is in addition to the need for logic in debating with Kalaam theologians and philosophers, which is what Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and other scholars did. Hence, some well-versed scholars may study scholastic theology and philosophy for this purpose.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the science of logic itself has not been spared from being mixed with some philosophy, and this is what some scholars referred to when they mentioned the difference of opinion regarding the judgment on learning it. They said: the difference of opinion has only to do with the kind of logic that has been mixed with the statements of the philosophers. As regards pure logic that is not mixed with the statements of philosophers, then no one is prohibited from studying it and teaching it.
Allaah Knows best.