Abstract
The paper outlines kalām and Akbarī ontologies within Sunnī Islam, considering their histories, aims, and epistemologies, based primarily on the writings of al-Taftāzānī and al-Qayṣarī. It focuses on issues such as how the physical universe is formed and to what extent it is recreated. It addresses common criticisms concerning the doctrine of oneness of being (waḥdat al-wujūd) central to Akbarī cosmology. Finally, it discusses which ontology Muslims should subscribe to, and argues that the differences between kalām and Akbarī ontologies are not related to the core creeds that define either a Muslim or Sunnī Islam overall. Nevertheless, this paper concludes that the Akbarī ontology is more consistent and cogent even though it contravenes commonly held assumptions.
