Simple and Composite: Definition of Body in Kalām and Ibn Kamāl’s Criticism of ？afra

The mutakallimūn, who began to take care of nature as a result of their metaphysical concerns from the early period and with the influence of the dualist and materialist groups, suggested various theories that attempt to explain the structure and functioning of the universe. Over time, many subjects of physics became an indispensable part of Kalām and were used in the proof of the fundamental principles. Thus, in addition to the definition of body (jism), Kalām books began to contain detailed topics such as time, space, movement and distance. After summarizing the definitions of body, which were made by the mutakallimūn, this article will examine the contents of Ibn Kamāl's epistle on ？afra (leaping), which has many copies with various titles in the Turkish Libraries. In the beginning of the epistle, Ibn Kamāl mentions the descriptions of body suggested by the prominent mutakallimūn, and then, he compares the views of al-Na？？ām, who believes in the finite division, with atomist mutakallimūn who accept the infinite division. He criticizes the idea of ？afra with regard to the notion of body in Kalām. After explaining the arguments of both groups with their justifications, he points out the weaknesses of the arguments of each group, as well. In this connection, he revisits the theory of ？afra , which is, he argues, a mandatory consequence of al-Na？？ām’s definition of object, as he also reviews the opinions of Qu？b al-Din al-Rāzī in this direction