The Arabic phrase ''Bila Kayf'', also pronounced as ''Bila Kayfa'', () is roughly translated as "without asking how", "without knowing how", or "without modality" and refers to the belief that the verses of the

Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...

with an "unapparent meaning" should be accepted as they have come without saying how they are meant or what is meant, i.e. not attributing a specific meaning to them. Literally, the phrase is translated as "without how" but figuratively as "in a manner that suits His majesty and transcendence". ''Bila Kayf'' was a way of resolving theological problems in

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

in āyāt (verses of the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

) by accepting without questioning. This approach was applied to a variety of questions in

Islamic theology Schools of Islamic theology are various Islamic schools and branches in different schools of thought regarding creed. The main schools of Islamic theology include the extant Mu'tazili, Ash'ari, Maturidi, and Athari schools; the extinct ones ...

, including on traditions relating to the anthropomorphism and corporealism of God, as well as on others involved in the doctrine of the

Createdness of the Quran In Islamic theology, ''createdness of the Qurʾān'' (خلق القرآن, kḫalq al-qurʾān) is the doctrinal position that the Quran was created rather than having always existed and thus being "uncreated." One of the main areas of debate in ...

Anthropomorphism and corporealism

An example of a use of this approach is with regards to verses in the

and in

hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

that use anthropomorphic and corporeal language to describe God. The attribution, in such texts, of a "hand" or "face" of God have been approached by some in a manner that seeks to accept such statements but without applying any consideration about what they may mean, ''Bila Kayf''. In this context,

Al-Ash'ari Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (; 874–936 CE) was an Arab Islamic theology, Muslim theologian known for being the eponymous founder of the Ash'ari school of kalam in Sunnism. Al-Ash'ari was notable for taking an intermediary position between the two ...

, the founder of the

Ash'arism Ash'arism (; ) is a school of theology in Sunni Islam named after Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, a Shāfiʿī jurist, reformer (''mujaddid''), and scholastic theologian, in the 9th–10th century. It established an orthodox guideline, based on ...

, originated the use of the term and concept of ''Bila Kayf'' in formulating his approach to such statements. Another source credits

Ahmad ibn Hanbal Ahmad ibn Hanbal (; (164-241 AH; 780 – 855 CE) was an Arab Muslim scholar, jurist, theologian, traditionist, ascetic and eponym of the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence—one of the four major orthodox legal schools of Sunni Islam. T ...

, founder of the

Hanbali The Hanbali school or Hanbalism is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It is named after and based on the teachings of the 9th-century scholar, jurist and tradit ...

school of

fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ) is the term for Islamic jurisprudence.Fiqh
Encyclopædia Britannica ''Fiqh'' is of ...

(Islamic jurisprudence) as the original creator of the doctrine.

References

External links

Literalism and the Attributes of Allah by Sheikh Nuh KellerImam Ahmad ibn Hanbal by Sheikh Nuh Keller
{{Islamic theology , state=collapsed Islamic terminology Arabic words and phrases Islamic theology Allah Islamic philosophy Religious philosophical concepts

Anthropomorphism and corporealism

See also

References

External links