Part 6
Dr. Humam Sultani
The previous part examined, in scholarly terms and in light of Sharia, the doubts that the Daeshi Khawarij and extremist Madkhalis spread concerning Deobandism and directed against the IEA and the Taliban. This part of the series looks at the historical background, doctrinal foundations and scholarly contributions of Maturidism, and at its differences with other theological schools. The claim that the Maturidi creed supposedly rests on disbelief, and that declaring the IEA and the Taliban disbelievers is therefore permissible, will then be assessed in light of Sharia principles.
Maturidism: Historical Background, Doctrinal Foundations, and a Sharia Assessment of the Takfir Claims
The Reality and Historical Background of the Maturidi Creed
Maturidism is one of the well-known theological approaches of Ahl al-Sunnah in the science of Islamic creeds. It is attributed to the renowned Hanafi scholar, exegete and theologian of the late third and early fourth Hijri centuries, Imam Abu Mansur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi al-Samarqandi (rh) (d. 333 AH). Imam Maturidi (rh) wasn’t the founder of a new religion, an independent creed or a separate sect. He played an important role in explaining, organizing and defending the doctrinal principles of the Hanafi scholarly tradition. Alongside evidence from the Noble Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunnah, he also used rational arguments to answer the doubts of the Mu’tazila, philosophical currents and other theological groups.
Among his important scholarly works are “Kitab al-Tawhid” and “Ta’wilat Ahl al-Sunnah,” which contain detailed discussions of tawhid, the Divine Attributes, prophethood, faith, qada and qadar, and other doctrinal issues. Maturidism has a deep historical and scholarly connection with the Hanafi doctrinal tradition. That doesn’t mean, however, that every theological statement of Imam Maturidi (rh) should be regarded as identical to the views of Imam Abu Hanifa (rh).
The Foundational Principles of the Maturidi Creed
The doctrinal approach of Maturidi scholars rests on the foundational beliefs of Islam. Its important principles are as follows:
1. Faith in the oneness of Allah (SWT).
Maturidis believe in Allah’s (SWT) oneness, His incomparable essence, His absolute power, knowledge and will, and His other attributes of perfection. They believe that He is free from any resemblance to His creation and is the only One worthy of worship.
Allah (SWT) says:
﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ﴾ (Ash-Shura 11)
“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
2. Faith in prophethood and messengership. Maturidis believe in the prophethood of all the prophets sent by Allah, the messengership of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his status as the final Prophet, as well as the truth of the Noble Quran.
3. Faith in the unseen and the Hereafter. They believe in the angels, the revealed Books, the Day of Judgment, the reckoning, the Scale, Paradise, Hell and the other unseen matters established in the Noble Quran and the authentic Prophetic Sunnah.
4. Faith in Qada and Qadar. Maturidis consider Allah (SWT) the creator of everything that exists. They also hold that human beings have will and choice in their voluntary actions, and are responsible for their deeds by virtue of that choice.
5. The reality of faith. In the well-known doctrinal statement of Maturidi scholars, the essence of faith is affirmation by the heart, and verbal declaration is a condition for worldly rulings to be applied. They don’t regard a person who commits a major sin as a disbeliever merely because of that sin, unless a separate Sharia-based reason for declaring the person a disbeliever is established. Their position therefore differs clearly from the creed of the Khawarij, who held a person who commits a major sin to be outside faith.
These principles make clear that Maturidi scholars believe in the fundamental beliefs of Islam. They do differ from other theological approaches in how they interpret and explain some doctrinal issues and in their method of reasoning.
Differences Between Maturidism, Ash’arism and the Athari Minhaj
Maturidism and Ash’arism are two well-known theological approaches of Ahl al-Sunnah. Ash’arism is attributed to Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari (rh) (d. 324 AH). The two approaches share much common ground on tawhid, prophethood, the Hereafter and other fundamental beliefs. Theological differences exist, however, on matters such as the relationship between reason and revelation, some Divine Attributes, faith, takwin, rational good and evil, and human choice.
The differences between Maturidi scholars and followers of the Athari or Ahl al-Hadith doctrinal approach are mostly about how to understand the texts concerning the Divine Attributes, the limits of ta’wil, the use of rational argument, and the legitimacy of the science of kalam. Athari scholars generally stress affirming the texts concerning the Divine Attributes without specifying how they are, and they oppose those theological interpretations that, in their view, don’t match the approach of the Salaf. Maturidi scholars, in contrast, also use ta’wil in interpreting some ambiguous texts, in light of divine transcendence (tanzih).
Scholars’ views on these differences aren’t uniform. Some call them minor theological differences, while others give them greater doctrinal weight. So the claim of complete unity among these approaches isn’t accurate, and raising every difference to the level of takfir isn’t consistent with scholarly fairness either. Judging a theological view to be wrong or an innovation and declaring the person who holds it a disbeliever are two separate matters under Sharia. The distinction between them must be kept in mind.
The Scholarly Contributions and Historical Influence of Maturidi Scholars
Maturidi scholars made extensive and significant contributions by refuting and critically examining the views of the Mu’tazila, Batiniyya, atheists, Rawafid and other sects. These scholars left a valuable scholarly legacy in defending, explaining and clarifying Islamic creeds. They also played an important role in teaching and spreading the Qur’an and Sunnah and promoting the study of Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh and other Islamic sciences.
The breadth of their scholarly contributions is evident from the fact that the works of this school’s scholars can still be found in Islamic libraries today. These include commentaries on the Quran and Hadith, works of Fiqh, scholarly studies and religious texts. The influence of the Maturidis and Ash’aris was not limited to Afghanistan or any one region. For centuries, both theological schools have been widespread across large parts of the Islamic world. Alongside scholarly and teaching activity, the support of various Islamic dynasties and rulers also played an important role in their growth and spread.
During the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods, the Ash’ari school in particular gained influence, while under the Ottoman sultanate the influence of the Maturidi school expanded even further. This school sank deep roots in Transoxiana, Central Asia, Anatolia, the Balkans, India, Afghanistan and other regions of the Islamic world.
Among the prominent scholars associated with this school were Imam Kamal al-Din Ibn al-Humam, Imam Nur al-Din al-Sabuni, Allamah Ibn Nujaym and other renowned jurists and theologians.
In light of these historical and scholarly facts, reducing Maturidism to a few disputed theological issues and overlooking the centuries of scholarly, religious and research contributions made by Maturidi scholars is not consistent with a fair scholarly approach.
