Apabila isu-isu falsafah berkaitan teologi mula meresap ke dalam fikiran umat Islam, pada penghujung pemerintahan Bani Umayyah dan permulaan pemerintahan Abbasiyyah, sebahagian ulama seperti al-Hasan al-Basri, Ghaylan al-Dimashqi dan Jahm ibn Safwan mula membincangkan pelbagai isu ilmiah. Kemudian, selepas mereka muncul ulama yang mengenali logik Aristotle, dan mereka mendalami sebahagian kitab falsafah Yunani selepas kitab-kitab itu diterjemahkan. Kajian isu-isu ilmiah semakin berkembang, dan mereka mula mempelajari ilmu yang dikenali sebagai Kalam. Antara mereka ialah Wasil ibn 'Ata, 'Amr ibn 'Ubayd, Abu Hudhayl al-'Allaf dan an-Nazzaam. Namun, kajian mereka bukanlah kajian falsafah yang menyeluruh, tetapi kajian pemikiran falsafah yang berkembang sehingga mereka menguasai pelbagai pandangan falsafah, dan pandangan setiap kumpulan ahli falsafah dalam sesetengah isu, dengan menelitinya secara mendalam dan bukan semua isu. Selain membataskan diri kepada sebahagian kajian falsafah, mereka juga mengikat diri dengan keimanan mereka kepada al-Qur'an. Sebab itulah mereka tidak keluar daripada lingkungan Islam, bahkan mereka meluaskan penaakulan dan memberi kebebasan kepada diri mereka dalam mengemukakan hujah, tetapi hanya bertujuan membuktikan perkara yang dapat mengukuhkan iman dan keinginan untuk menghapuskan unsur antropomorfisme daripada akidah terhadap Allah ﷻ. Akibatnya, tiada penyimpangan berlaku dalam akidah mereka walaupun berbeza dogma, maka kesemua mereka kekal sebagai Muslim yang mempertahankan Islam.

When philosophical issues relating to theology infiltrated the minds of the Muslims, during the end of the Ummayad reign and the beginning of Abbasid rule, certain scholars like al-Hasan al Basri, Ghaylan al-Dimashqi and Jahm ibn Safwan began to address various scholastic issues. Then, after them came scholars who were acquainted with Aristotelian logic and they familiarised themselves with some of the books of Greek philosophy after they had been translated. The study of scholastic issues expanded and they began to study the science known as Kalam. They were scholars such as Wasil ibn 'Ata, 'Amr ibn 'Ubayd, Abu Hudhayl al-'Allaf and an-Nazzaam. However, their studies were not complete philosophical studies but the expanding study of philosophical thoughts until they became well-versed with different philosophical views, and that of the view of each group of philosophers in some issues by pursuing them and not all issues. In addition to confining themselves to some philosophical studies they restricted themselves to their belief in the Qur’ān. That is why they did not leave the fold of Islam, rather they expanded in reasoning, and they gave themselves free reign in the proofs, but only to establish that which will strengthen imān and a desire to eliminate anthropomorphic elements from the belief in Allah . As a result, no deviation occurred in the beliefs despite their differing dogmas, so all of them remained Muslims who were defending Islam.

Kemudian selepas al-Mutakallimūn datanglah individu-individu yang tidak sampai ke tahap menjadi kumpulan dan mazhab, dan orang Islam sendiri tidak mengikuti mereka secara beramai-ramai, walaupun individu-individu tertentu lebih cenderung kepada kajian mereka. Mereka ialah golongan yang muncul selepas al-Mutakallimūn dalam kalangan orang Islam di negara-negara Islam, iaitu ahli falsafah Islam. Nampaknya, yang membolehkan mereka wujud dalam kalangan orang Islam ialah pengetahuan tentang pemikiran falsafah dan kitab-kitab falsafah yang menjadikan kajian-kajian ini menarik perhatian orang ramai pada zaman itu. Nampaknya, yang membolehkan golongan ini wujud dalam kalangan orang Islam ialah kerana pada zaman itu kajian tentang pemikiran falsafah dan kitab-kitab falsafah mendapat minat dalam kalangan orang ramai. Maka, sebahagian orang mengambil tanggungjawab untuk meluaskan kajian pemikiran tersebut. Lalu, mereka mengkaji pemikiran ini secara mendalam dan meluas, sebuah kajian yang menyeluruh dan tanpa had. Mereka mengikuti setiap baris (pemikiran) secara keseluruhannya. Mereka mempelajari falsafah dalam kadar yang sesuai untuk melayakkan diri mereka berfikir secara falsafah dan menghasilkan karya falsafah. Disebabkan kajian mendalam dan meluas dalam falsafah ini, terutamanya sejenis falsafah Yunani tertentu, maka wujudlah ahli-ahli falsafah dalam kalangan orang Islam. Ahli falsafah Islam pertama yang diketahui ialah Ya'qub al-Kindi (m. 260 H). Selepas beliau, ahli-ahli falsafah Islam muncul satu demi satu. Oleh itu, ahli falsafah tidak muncul melainkan selepas kewujudan al-Mutakallimūn dan selepas metodologi ahli falsafah tersebut menjadi meluas serta menjadi bahan kajian, perbahasan dan polemik. Pada pandangan ramai al-Mutakallimūn dan ulama, falsafah menjadi sesuatu yang tidak dapat diterima. Sebelum itu, tidak ada ahli falsafah dalam kalangan orang Islam. Maka, terdapat mutakallimin dan ahli falsafah dalam kalangan ulama di negeri-negeri Islam. Namun, terdapat perbezaan antara al-Mutakallimūn dan ahli falsafah. Al-Mutakallimūn mahir dengan sebahagian pemikiran falsafah. Adapun para filsuf, mereka adalah ulama falsafah. Oleh sebab itu, para filsuf biasa memandang rendah kaum Mutakallimun sebagai orang yang jahil. Para filsuf menganggap kaum Mutakallimun sebagai orang yang berpegang pada sofisme dan perdebatan. Dan mereka, iaitu para filsuf, adalah golongan yang mengkaji secara rasional persoalan-persoalan falsafah yang sahih.

Then after the Mutakallimūn came the individuals who did not reach to the stage of becoming groups and mazhabs, and even the Muslims did not follow them in mass although individuals preferred their studies. They are the ones who came after the Mutakallimūn from amongst the Muslims in the Muslims countries, they are the Muslim philosophers. It seems that what allowed them to exist amongst Muslims is that knowledge of philosophical thoughts and the books of philosophy which made these studies attractive to the people in that age. It seems what allowed these people to exist amongst the Muslims is that during that age the study of the philosophical thoughts and books of philosophy gained interest among the people. So some people took on the responsibility of widening the study of such thoughts. Thus, they studied these thoughts in a deep and extensive way, a study that was comprehensive and unrestricted. They followed every line (of thought) in its entirety. They studied an appropriate amount of philosophy to qualify themselves to think philosophically and produce philosophical output. It was due to these deep and extensive studies in philosophy, especially a specific type of Greek philosophy that led to the presence of philosophers amongst Muslim. The first known Muslim philosopher was Ya'qub al Kindi (d.260 H). After him the Muslim philosophers emerged one after another. Thus, the philosophers did not emerge except after the presence of the Mutakallimūn and after the methodology of those philosophers had become prevalent and had become the subject of study, debate and polemics. In the eyes of many Mutakallimūn and Ulama, philosophy became intolerable. Before that, there were no philosophers amongst Muslims. Hence, there were mutakallamin and philosophers amongst the Ulama in the Muslim lands. However, there is a difference between Mutakallimūn and the philosophers. The Mutakallimūn were well versed with some philosophical thoughts. As for the philosophers, they were scholars of philosophy. That is why the philosophers used to look upon the Mutakalimun as ignorant. The philosophers thought the Mutakallimūn were people of sophistry and polemics. And they, that is, the philosophers were the one who rationally studied the sound philosophical issues.

Semua ahli kalam (Mutakallimūn) dan ahli falsafah mengkaji ilmu ketuhanan (teologi), walaupun terdapat perbezaan antara kaedah ahli kalam dengan kaedah ahli falsafah. Perbezaan tersebut boleh dirumuskan seperti berikut:

All the Mutakallimūn and philosophers studied theology, although there is a difference between the method of the Mutakallimūn and that of the philosophers. The difference can be summarised as follows:

1. Ahli Mutakallimūn mempunyai keyakinan yang kukuh terhadap prinsip-prinsip īmān, mereka mengakuinya sebagai kebenaran dan beriman dengannya. Kemudian mereka menggunakan dalil-dalil akal mereka untuk membuktikannya. Maka mereka membuktikannya secara rasional dengan hujah-hujah logik. Mereka menggunakan kajian rasional melalui gaya logik sebagai cara untuk membuktikan akidah mereka, kerana mereka telah pun beriman dengan prinsip-prinsip asas Islam, lalu mereka membentuk hujah-hujah dan bukti-bukti untuk menegakkan apa yang mereka imani.

1. The Mutakallimūn had conviction in the principles of imān and they acknowledged them to be the truth and believed in them. Then they used their rational evidences to prove them. So they proved them rationally with logical proofs. They used the rational study through the style of logic as a means to prove their beliefs, because they already believed in the basic principles of Islam and they came to form arguments and proofs to establish what they believed in.

2. Kajian golongan Mutakallimūn terbatas kepada persoalan yang berkaitan dengan mempertahankan akidah mereka dan menyangkal hujah-hujah lawan mereka, sama ada lawan itu terdiri daripada orang Islam — mereka berselisih faham dengan pemahaman golongan Mu'tazilah, Murji'ah, Syi'ah, Khawarij dan lain-lain — atau lawan itu bukan Islam seperti penganut Kristian, Yahudi, Majusi dan lain-lain, walaupun aspek yang paling menonjol dalam perbincangan mereka adalah untuk menjawab golongan Mutakallimūn dan ahli falsafah dalam kalangan orang Islam. 3. Kajian golongan Mutakallimūn adalah bersifat Islam, dan mereka, walaupun berbeza pendapat dan bertentangan, dianggap sebagai pendapat Islam. Mana-mana Muslim yang yakin dengan salah satu pendapat mereka dianggap telah beriman dengan suatu pendapat Islam. Dan apa sahaja yang dia yakini dianggap sebagai akidah Islam.

2. The studies of the Mutakallimūn were restricted to issues relating to the defence of their creed and refutation of the arguments of their opponents whether they were Muslims - they disagreed with the understanding of the Mu'tazila, murji'a, Shi'a, khawarij and others - or whether they were non-muslims such as the Christians, Jews, Magians and others, although the most prominent aspect of their discussions was for the purpose of responding to the Mutakallimūn and philosophers amongst the Muslims. 3. The studies of the Mutakallimūn were Islamic and they, despite their differences and contradiction, are considered as Islamic opinions. Any Muslim who is convinced of one of their opinions is considered to have had conviction in an Islamic opinion. And whatever he was convinced of was considered as the Islamic creed.

Ini adalah metodologi para Mutakallimūn dan inilah cara ia dipandang. Adapun metodologi para ahli falsafah, ia dapat diringkaskan seperti berikut:

This is the methodology of the Mutakallimūn and this is how it is considered. As for the methodology of the philosophers, it can be summarised as follows:

1. Ahli-ahli falsafah mengkaji persoalan demi tujuan penyelidikan. Kaedah kajian mereka dan asasnya ialah mengkaji persoalan sebagaimana yang ditunjukkan oleh dalil yang boleh dibuktikan. Pandangan mereka tentang ketuhanan ialah pandangan mengenai Wujud Mutlak dan apa yang dituntut oleh Zat-Nya. Mereka memulakan kajian dengan mencari perkara yang boleh membawa kepada dalil yang boleh dibuktikan; kemudian meneruskan langkah demi langkah sehingga sampai kepada hasil, apa pun hasilnya, dan yakin dengannya. Inilah tujuan dan asas falsafah. Perbincangan mereka bersifat falsafah semata-mata dan tidak mempunyai hubungan dengan Islam dari segi perbincangannya, walaupun seseorang mungkin melihat bahawa ia berhubung dengan sesetengah perkara. Mereka sering mengakui perkara-perkara bersifat naqli dalam perbincangan mereka, yang tidak dapat ditetapkan dalil akal untuk membuktikan kebenaran atau kebatilannya, seperti perkara kebangkitan dan kebangkitan jasad. Selalunya mereka mengambil idea-idea tertentu daripada falsafah Yunani dan mengeluarkan hukum ke atas perkara berdasarkannya, walaupun dengan pengaruh akidah Islam dalam diri mereka. Dan selalunya mereka berusaha untuk mendamaikan sesetengah persoalan falsafah dengan persoalan Islam; namun ini ialah tambahan dan kesan daripada mereka sebagai orang Islam yang dipengaruhi Islam. Tetapi kesannya bukanlah kesan intelektual yang menjadikan Islam sebagai asas, sebagaimana yang berlaku pada golongan Mutakallimun. Sebaliknya, kesannya sangat menyerupai kesan Kristian terhadap ahli falsafah Kristian, dan kesan Yahudi terhadap ahli falsafah Yahudi, kerana konsep yang berakar umbi sangat mempengaruhi kajian atau memberi sedikit kesan kepadanya. Adapun asas yang mereka gunakan ialah sekitar Wujud Mutlak (al-wujud al-mutlaq) dan apa yang dituntut oleh Zat-Nya. Pengaruh sebenar mereka ialah falsafah Yunani. Minda mereka dibentuk mengikut falsafah Yunani. Maka mereka menulis tentang pemikiran falsafah setelah mencapai kematangan dalam falsafah Yunani. Tidak ada hubungan antara Islam dan falsafah mereka.

1. The philosophers studied the issues for the sake of research. Their method of study and its fundamentals are the study of issues as indicated by the demonstrable proof. And their view of theology was the view concerning the Absolute Being and whatever it’s Essence necessitated. They begin their study by searching for what would lead to demonstratable proof; proceeding step by step until they arrive at the result whatever it may be and have conviction in it. This is the aim and the basis of philosophy. Their discussions are purely philosophical having no relationship to Islam in terms of the discussion even though one may witness that it has a connection to some subjects. They would frequently admit textual things in their discussions for which a rational proof cannot be established to prove it correctness or invalidity, subjects such as the Resurrection and the bodily Ressurection. And often they would take up certain ideas from the Greek philosophy issuing judgments on matters based on them albeit with the influence of their Islamic ‘aqīdah (creed) in them. And often they would attempt to reconcile certain issues of philosophy with Islamic issues; however this was an addition to, and a result of them being Muslims effected by Islam. But the effect was not an intellectual one where they made Islam as the basis as was the case with the Mutakallimūn. Rather, the effect is akin to a great extent to the effect of Christianity on the Christian philosophers, and the effect of Judaism on the Jewish philosophers, since the deep rooted concepts will greatly affect the study or have some effect on it. As for the basis on which they proceeded, it is around the Absolute Being (al-wujud al-mutlaq) and what it necessitated for its Essence. Their true influence was the Greek philosophy. Their mentality had been formulated according to Greek philosophy. So they wrote about the thoughts of philosopy after gaining maturity in the Greek philosophy. There was no relationship between Islam and their pholoshophy.

2. Ahli-ahli falsafah Islam tidak berdiri untuk mempertahankan Islam. Mereka hanya berdiri untuk menentukan fakta dan mengemukakan bukti bagi fakta-fakta tersebut. Mereka juga tidak terlibat dalam melaporkan pandangan-pandangan yang bertentangan dan menyangkalnya demi membela Islam, walaupun mereka mungkin dipengaruhi oleh Islam. Oleh itu, kajian rasional menjadi asas dan pokok perbincangan, dan tiada yang lain hadir dalam kajian mereka selain daripada itu.

2. The Muslim philosophers did not stand in defence of Islam. They only stood to determine facts and furnish proofs for them. Nor did they enter into reporting opposing views and refuting them in Islam's defence even though they may have been influenced by Islam. Therefore, rational study was the basis and the subject matter and nothing apart from these was present in their study.

3. Kajian-kajian para ahli falsafah Muslim adalah kajian bukan Islam. Sebaliknya, ia semata-mata perbincangan falsafah dan tiada kaitan dengan Islam. Tiada tempat bagi Islam dalam perbincangannya. Ia tidak dianggap sebagai pandangan Islam dan ia bukan sebahagian daripada budaya Islam.

3. The studies of the Muslim philosophers are non-islamic studies. Rather they are purely philosophical discussions and have no relationship to Islam. It has no place for Islam in its discussion. They are not considered Islamic opinions and they are not part of the Islamic culture.

Ini adalah perbezaan antara metodologi golongan mutakallimun dengan metodologi ahli falsafah Muslim. Dan inilah hakikat ahli falsafah Muslim. Adalah satu ketidakadilan, percanggahan dengan realiti dan pemalsuan terhadap Islam untuk menamakan falsafah yang diceburi oleh tokoh-tokoh seperti al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina dan lain-lain dari kalangan ahli falsafah Muslim sebagai falsafah Islam. Ini kerana ia tiada kaitan dengan Islam; malah ia bertentangan sama sekali dengan Islam, sama ada dari segi asasnya atau dari segi banyak perincian-perinciannya. Adapun percanggahan dari segi asasnya, falsafah ini membincangkan perkara yang berada di luar alam semesta, iaitu mengenai wujud mutlak (al-wujud al-mutlaq), yang bertentangan dengan Islam kerana Islam membincangkan apa yang ada di dalam alam semesta dan perkara-perkara yang boleh dideria sahaja. Islam melarang perbincangan tentang zat Allah dan perkara yang berada di luar alam semesta. Ia memerintahkan orang Islam tunduk sepenuhnya kepadanya dan berhenti pada batas yang digariskan oleh iman, tanpa melampauinya dan tanpa membenarkan akal cuba membincangkannya. Adapun perincian-perinciannya, terdapat banyak perbincangan dalam falsafah ini yang Islam anggap sebagai kufur. Ada perbincangan yang menganggap alam ini bersifat qadim secara kekal (qadm al-'alam) dan bahawa ia kekal azali. Ada pula perbincangan yang menegaskan bahawa kenikmatan syurga itu bersifat rohani dan bukan jasmani. Dan perbincangan yang berpendapat bahawa Allah tidak mengetahui perkara-perkara terperinci, serta pandangan-pandangan lain seumpamanya yang jelas menzahirkan kekufuran menurut pandangan Islam.

This is the difference betwen the methodology of the mutakallimun and the methodology of the Muslim philosophers. And this is the reality of the Muslim philosophers. It is injustice, contradiction of the reality and fabrication of Islam to call the philosophy which the likes of al- Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina and others from the Muslim philosophers were preoccupied with, as Islamic philosophy. This is because it has no connection to Islam; rather it totally contradicts Islam whether in terms of the basis or in terms of many of its details. As for the contradiction it terms of the basis, this philosophy discusses that which is beyond the universe, that is, regarding the Absolute existence (al-wujud al-mutlaq) which is contrary to Islam which discusses what is in the universe and things that can be sensed only. It prohibits discussion about the essence of Allah  and that which is beyond the universe. It orders the Muslim to submit to it totally and stop at the limit of what imān enjoins without going further and without allowing the mind to attempt to discuss it. As for the details, there are many discussions in this philosophy which Islam considers as disbelief (kufr). Ther are discussions which hold the world to be eternally pre existent (qadm al-'alam) and that it is eternal (azali). And there are discussions which assert that the pleasure of Paradise is spiritual and not corporeal. And discussions which mantain that Allah  is ignorant of detailed aspects and other such notions which definitely manifest kufr in the view of Islam.

Bagaimana boleh didakwa bahawa falsafah ini adalah Islamik sedangkan terdapat percanggahan yang nyata ini? Selain itu, sebenarnya tiada falsafah dalam Islam kerana ia membataskan perbincangan rasional kepada objek-objek yang boleh dirasai dan melarang akal daripada membincangkan apa yang berada di luar alam ini, yang menjadikan semua perbincangannya jauh daripada falsafah, kerana ia mengikut kaedah yang berbeza daripadanya. Tiada kemungkinan yang diberikan di dalamnya untuk wujudnya sebarang kajian falsafah. Sebab itulah tiada apa yang dinamakan sebagai falsafah Islam. Dalam Islam yang wujud ialah kajian al-Qur'an dan Sunnah Nabi. Kedua-duanya merupakan asas tunggal Islam dari segi 'aqidah (akidah) dan hukum-hukum [ahkam], sama ada dari segi perintah [amr], larangan [nahi] atau maklumat. [ikhbar]

How can it be claimed that this philosophy is Islamic given this clear contradiction? In adition to the fact that there is abolutely no philosophy in Islam because it restricts the rational discussion to the sensible objects and prohibits the mind from discussing that what is beyond the universe, which makes all its discussions remote from philosophy, following a method different to it. There is no possibility given in it that there should be any philosophical studies. That is why there is nothing called as Islamic philosophy. In Islam there is the study of the Qur’ān and the prophetic Sunnah. They are the only basis of Islam in terms of the ‘aqīdah (creed) and rules [ahkam], whether in terms of an order [amr], prohibition [nahi] or information [ikhbar]