Maturidism

The history of the Maturidi School is characterized by three phases. The phase{{which|date=September 2024}} lasted until the end of the 10th century, and is characterized by the fact that nothing of importance happened for the development of the school. Al-Maturidi had many followers; of them the most important is Abū Salama al-Samarqandī,{{Citation |last=Rudolph |first=Ulrich |title=Abū Salama al-Samarqandī |date=2008-07-01 |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/*-SIM_0294 |access-date=2024-02-13 |publisher=Brill |language=en |doi=10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_sim_0294}} who gave us the summary of Al- Maturidi's Kitab Al Tawhid namely the Jumal usul al-dīn.

{{Muslim Beliefs|Schools}}

Al-Maturidi, being a follower of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, based his theological opinions and epistemological perspectives on the teachings of the school's eponymous founder, Abu Hanifa (8th century CE).Akimkhanov, Askar Bolatbekovich, et al. "Principles of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, Central Asian Islamic theologian preoccupied with the question of the relation between the Iman/Credo and the action in Islam." European Journal of Science and Theology 12.6 (2016): 165-176.

The Maturidi school of Islamic theology holds that:

• All the attributes of God are eternal, distinct, and also inseparable from God.Cenap Çakmak Islam: A Worldwide Encyclopedia [4 volumes] ABC-CLIO 2017 {{ISBN|978-1-610-69217-5}} page 1014
• Ethics have an objective existence and humans are capable of recognizing it through reason alone.Oliver Leaman The Biographical Encyclopedia of Islamic Philosophy Bloomsbury Publishing 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-472-56945-5}} page 311
• Although humans are intellectually capable of realizing God, they need revelations and guidance of prophets and messengers, because human desire can divert the intellect and because certain knowledge of God has been specially given to these prophets (e.g. the Quran was revealed to Muhammad according to Islam, who Muslims believe was given this special knowledge from God and only through Muhammad did this knowledge become accessible to others).
• Humans are free in determining their actions within scope of God-given possibilities. Accordingly, God has created all possibilities, but humans are free to choose.
• The Six articles of faith.Oliver Leaman The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia Taylor & Francis 2006 {{ISBN|978-0-415-32639-1}} page 41
• Religious authorities need reasonable arguments to prove their claims.Ulli Roth, Armin Kreiner, Gunther Wenz, Friedo Ricken, Mahmut Ay, Roderich Barth, Halis Albayrak, Muammer Esen, Engin Erdem, Hikmet Yaman Glaube und Vernunft in Christentum und Islam. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer Verlag 2017 {{ISBN|978-3-170-31526-6}} page 83
• Support of science and falsafa (philosophy).Ulli Roth, Armin Kreiner, Gunther Wenz, Friedo Ricken, Mahmut Ay, Roderich Barth, Halis Albayrak, Muammer Esen, Engin Erdem, Hikmet Yaman Glaube und Vernunft in Christentum und Islam Kohlhammer Verlag 2017 {{ISBN|978-3-170-31526-6}} page 83
• The Maturidites state that imān (faith) does not increase nor decrease depending on one's deeds; it's rather taqwā (piety) which increases and decreases.Cenap Çakmak Islam: A Worldwide Encyclopedia [4 volumes] ABC-CLIO 2017 {{ISBN|978-1-610-69217-5}} page 1015
• The Maturidites emphasize the importance of monotheism and the transcendence of God (tanzih).

Regarding ʿaqīdah (creed), unlike many Mu'tazilites (free-will theology), al-Maturidi does not hold that angels are necessarily infallible. Pointing at surah al-Baqara, he notes that angels too, have been tested.{{cite book |author-last=Rudolph |author-first=Ulrich |year=2015 |chapter=The Foundation and Establishment of Ḥanafite Theology in the Second/ Eighth and Early Third/Ninth Centuries |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LwOjBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA54 |title=Al-Māturīdī and the Development of Sunnī Theology in Samarqand |translator-last=Adem |translator-first=Rodrigo |location=Leiden and Boston |publisher=Brill Publishers |series=Islamic History and Civilization |volume=100 |pages=21–71 |doi=10.1163/9789004261846_003 |isbn=978-90-04-26184-6 |lccn=2014034960 |issn=0929-2403}} Referring to surah al-Anbiyāʼ, he points out, angels who claim divinity for themselves are sentenced to hell.Yüksek Lisans Tezi Imam Maturidi'nin Te'vilatu'l-kur'an'da gaybi konulara İstanbul-2020 2501171277 About Iblīs, otherwise known as Satan, he states, disputing whether he was an angel or a jinn before his fall is useless, as it is more important to know, that he has become a devil and enemy of humans.T.C.

İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ

SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ

TEMEL İSLAM BİLİMLERİ ANABİLİM DALI

YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ

İMAM MÂTURİDÎ’NİN

TE’VÎLÂTU’L-KUR’ÂN’DA GAYBÎ KONULARA

YAKLAŞIMI

ELİF ERDOĞAN

2501171277

DANIŞMAN

Prof. Dr. Yaşar DÜZENLİ

İstanbul-202

Maturidism holds that humans are creatures endowed with reason, which differentiates them from animals. The relationship between people and God differs from that of nature and God; humans are endowed with free-will, but due to God's sovereignty, God creates the acts the humans choose, so humans can perform them. Ethics can be understood just by rational thought and do not require prophetic guidance. Al-Maturidi also considered the aḥādīth to be unreliable when they are at odds with reason.Rico Isaacs, Alessandro Frigerio Theorizing Central Asian Politics: The State, Ideology and Power Springer, 2018 {{ISBN|9783319973555}} p. 108 Furthermore, Maturidi theology opposes anthropomorphism and similitude, but simultaneously does not deny the divine attributes.

Maturidism defends the idea that paradise and hell are coexisting with the temporal world, against the assertion of some Muʿtazila that paradise and hell will be created only after the Day of Judgement. The attributes of paradise and hell would already take effect on this world (dunya). Abū l-Laiṯ as-Samarqandī (944–983 CE) stated that the purpose of simultaneous existence of both worlds is that they inspire hope and fear among humans.{{cite book |last= Lange|first= Christian|author-link= |date= 2016|title= Paradise and Hell in Islamic Traditions|url= |location= Cambridge United Kingdom|publisher= Cambridge University Press|page= |isbn=978-0-521-50637-3}}{{rp|p=168}}

{{Maturidism}}

Al-Maturidi's doctrine, primarily based on Ḥanafī theology and jurisprudence,{{cite book |author-last=Rudolph |author-first=Ulrich |year=2016 |orig-date=2014 |chapter=Part I: Islamic Theologies during the Formative and the Early Middle period – Ḥanafī Theological Tradition and Māturīdism |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=70wnDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA285 |editor-last=Schmidtke |editor-first=Sabine |editor-link=Sabine Schmidtke |title=The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Theology |location=Oxford and New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=285–290 |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199696703.013.023 |isbn=9780199696703 |lccn=2016935488}} asserted man's capacity and will alongside the supremacy of God in man's acts, providing a doctrinal framework for more flexibility and adaptability. Maturidism especially flourished and spread among the Muslim populations in Central Asia from the 10th century onwards.Marlène Laruelle Being Muslim in Central Asia: Practices, Politics, and Identities Brill Publishers, 11.01.2018 {{ISBN|978-90-04-35724-2}} p. 21

According to Maturidism, belief (ʾīmān) does neither increase nor decrease depending on observation of religious law. Instead, deeds follow from faith. Based on Surah Ṭā Hā (verse 112), if a Muslim does not perform the deeds prescribed by the Islamic law (sharīʿa), he is not considered an apostate as long as he doesn't deny his obligations.Yerzhan, K. "Principles of Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi, Central Asian Islamic Theologian Preoccupied With.pdf." A. Akimkhanov, A.Frolov, Sh.Adilbaeyva, K.Yerzhan (2016): n. pag. Print. According to al-Maturidi, faith isn't based on actions or confession, but comes from the heart. He supports his doctrine by referring to Surah al-ʿImrān (verse 3:22): "They are the ones whose deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and for them there will be no helpers." These people would have performed the obligatory actions and rituals without the proper faith in their heart. Therefore, actions must be based on faith to be acceptable before God. Maturidism is known for its reserved position regarding takfir: Based on Surah 2:30, Kitāb al-ʿĀlim states that neither humans nor angels can know what is in the heart of a human, thus it couldn't be said who is inwardly a Muslim and who is not, except for those who commit acts of disbelief.Rudolph, Ulrich. al-Māturīdī and the Development of Sunnī Theology in Samarqand. Brill, 2014. One who is committing sins isn't necessarily a disbeliever, but someone who explicitly dissociates themselves from God is.

Similarly, it is argued that the obedience to God observed by angels and prophets derives from their insights to God's nature and doesn't result from their creation. Abū al-Qāsim Ishaq ibn Muhammad al Maturidi (9th to 10th centuries CE) drew an analogy on Harut and Marut, who are regarded as sinful yet not unbelievers (Kuffār) in the Islamic tradition.Tritton, A. S. "An Early Work from the School of Al-Māturīdī." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 3/4, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1966, pp. 96–99, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25202926. Al-Samarqandī further stated that children cannot be considered unbelievers and all of them go to paradise. According to al-Maturidi, human rationality is supposed to acknowledge the existence of a creator deity (bāriʾ) solely based on rational thought and independently from divine revelation. He shared this conviction with his teacher and predecessor Abū Ḥanīfa al-Nuʿmān (8th century CE), whereas the 10th-century Muslim scholar and theologian Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī never held such a view. Although Māturīdism adhers, like the Mu'tazilites, to ethical realism, the former holds that moral objects are ultimately created by God, thus God is not bound by them, but human reason can detect such moral truths on their own.The Biographical Encyclopedia of Islamic Philosophy. (2015). Vereinigtes Königreich: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 311

Yohei Matsuyama points to al-Maturidi's wording about faith, referring to the only obligation to believe in a creator (bāriʾ) or maker (sanī), not specifically in Allah, and concludes, it is only necessary for salvation to construct a belief in a creator, not necessarily accepting the theological or doctrinal formulations of Islam.Zhussipbek, Galym, and Bakhytzhan Satershinov. "Search for the theological grounds to develop inclusive Islamic interpretations: Some insights from rationalistic Islamic Maturidite theology." Religions 10.11 (2019): 609. p. 5 Toshihiko Izutsu likewise argues that "believing in islam" refers to submission to the creator, by voluntarily surrendering to his will, and not necessarily accepting a religious formula.Zhussipbek, Galym, and Bakhytzhan Satershinov. "Search for the theological grounds to develop inclusive Islamic interpretations: Some insights from rationalistic Islamic Maturidite theology." Religions 10.11 (2019): 609. p. 6

Yet, al-Maturidi did not view all religions as equal. He criticized Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and atheists or materialists (Dahrīya).{{cite book |author-last=Rudolph |author-first=Ulrich |year=2015 |chapter=Index of Religious and Political Movements |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LwOjBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA353 |title=Al-Māturīdī and the Development of Sunnī Theology in Samarqand |translator-last=Adem |translator-first=Rodrigo |location=Leiden and Boston |publisher=Brill Publishers |series=Islamic History and Civilization |volume=100 |pages=353–354 |doi=10.1163/9789004261846_015 |isbn=978-90-04-26184-6 |lccn=2014034960 |issn=0929-2403}} However, he drew a distinction between other Abrahamic monotheistic religions and non-Abrahamic non-monotheistic religions, criticizing Judaism and Christianity on the matter of prophecy and individual prophets, not about God.Zhussipbek, Galym, and Bakhytzhan Satershinov. "Search for the theological grounds to develop inclusive Islamic interpretations: Some insights from rationalistic Islamic Maturidite theology." Religions 10.11 (2019): 609. p. 3 Dualistic religions faced criticism by al-Maturidi regarding their conception of God, arguing that an omnibenevolent deity, who creates only good, opposed to a devil, who is responsible for everything evil, implies a deficit in God's omnipotence and is incompatible with God's nature.Bürgel, J. Christoph. "Zoroastrianism as Viewed in Medieval Islamic Sources." Muslim Perceptions of Other Religions (1999): 202-212.

Particularly and inextricably, Maturidism is closely linked to the Hanafi school of law. Therefore, where there are Hanafis, there are Maturidis.{{cite web|url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/maturidiyye|title=MÂTÜRÎDİYYE|publisher=İslâm Ansiklopedisi|website=islamansiklopedisi.org.tr|language=tr|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230318224224/https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/maturidiyye|archive-date=18 Mar 2023}}{{cite book|editor=John L. Esposito|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Islam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6VeCWQfVNjkC|date=2003|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780195125597|page=196}}{{cite book|author=Sherman A. Jackson|title=Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2P0LEAAAQBAJ|date=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780195382068|page=102}} Maturidism was initially spread in the Eastern realms of the Islamic world, particularly in Samarqand and Transoxiana. It became widespread among Turkic peoples in Central Asia and was introduced into the Middle East with the coming of the Seljuks.{{cite book|author=Suleiman A. Mourad|title=Ibn 'Asakir of Damascus: Champion of Sunni Islam in the Time of the Crusades|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2P0LEAAAQBAJ|date=2021|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9780861540464|page=118}} It was popular among the Arabicized Persians of eastern Khurasan and was the preferred school of the Central Asian and Ottoman Turks. From its central Asian origins, it spread all over the lands of Islam, from Egypt in the west to China and India in the east. In this capacity, at least during the High Middle Ages.{{cite web|url=https://www.youm7.com/story/2020/5/12/من-هم-الماتريدية-وهل-يعدون-من-أهل-السنة-وما-موقف/4766723|title=من هم "الماتريدية" وهل يعدون من أهل السنة وما موقف "الأزهر" منهم؟|publisher=Youm7|website=youm7.com|date=12 May 2020 |language=ar|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230318220725/https://www.youm7.com/story/2020/5/12/%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%87%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A3%D9%87%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%85%D9%88%D9%82%D9%81/4766723|archive-date=18 Mar 2023|quote=انتشرت أفكار الماتريدية انتشارا كبيرا ما بين 700ـ1300هـ وكثر أتباعها فى بلاد الهند والصين، وبنجلاديش، وباكستان، وأفغانستان وتركيا، وفارس، وبلاد ما وراء النهر، والمغرب}} Wilferd Madelung explains the connection between the earlier Seljuk Turks, Hanafi law, and Maturidi theology:{{cite book|author=Taraneh R. Wilkinson|title=Dialectical Encounters: Contemporary Turkish Muslim Thought in Dialogue|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DncxEAAAQBAJ|date=2019|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=9781474441568|page=153}} {{blockquote|As a result of the Turkish expansion, eastern Hanafism and Maturidi theological doctrine were spread throughout western Persia, 'Iraq, Anatolia, Syria and Egypt. Numerous Transoxianan and other eastern Hanafi scholars migrated to these regions and taught there from the late 5th/11th to the 8th/14th century. Maturidi doctrine thus gradually came to prevail among the Hanafi communities everywhere.}} Currently, Maturidis are widespread in Afghanistan, Central Asia, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Balkans (especially Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and Skopje), northwestern China, the Levant (especially Syria, Lebanon and Palestine), the Caucasus, Tatarstan, and Bashkortostan.{{cite journal|author1=Dilshodakhon Muminova (Senior teacher of International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, Doctor of Philosophy in Philological sciences)|author2=Sayyora Rashidova|date=March 2022|title=Ideological Doctrine and History of Moturidism|url=https://ares.uz/storage/app/uploads/public/624/1ac/487/6241ac487466c342363880.pdf|journal=Academic Research in Educational Sciences|volume=3|issue=3|pages=401–404|doi=10.24412/2181-1385-2022-3-401-404|doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |issn=2181-1385}}

• 2020 International Maturidi Conference
• 2016 international conference on Sunni Islam in Grozny
• Athari
• Islamic schools and branches
• List of Maturidis
• Muʿtazila

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.turkishculture.org/pages.php?ParentID=5&ID=22 An article from a Turkish site]
• {{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20120308153412/http://www.at-tawhid.net/article-abul-mansur-al-maturidi-as-samarqandi-al-hanafi-m-333-84786257.html Biography of Imâm Al Mâturîdî (by at-tawhid.net)]
• [https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/17177 The Place of Reason in the Theologies of al-Maturidi and al-Ash'ari (Dissertation)]

{{Maturidi}}

{{Islam topics|state=collapsed}}

{{Islamic Theology|schools}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

Category:Maturidis

Category:Islamic philosophical schools

Category:Islamic terminology

Category:Islamic theology

Category:Kalam

Category:Sunni Islam

Category:Sunni Islamic branches