The Maturidi School of Islamic Theology

The Maturidi school (al-Maturidiyyah) is the third recognized theological school within Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah. Founded by Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (d. 333 AH / 944 CE) in Samarkand, Central Asia, the school developed largely in parallel with the Ash'ari school but with distinct positions on several theological questions. Due to its close association with the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, the Maturidi creed became predominant among the Muslims of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Turkey, and the Balkans, making it the theological school of perhaps the largest number of Sunni Muslims worldwide.

Abu Mansur al-Maturidi

Al-Maturidi was a Hanafi scholar of Samarkand who wrote in response to the same challenges that motivated al-Ash'ari: Mu'tazili rationalism, Shi'i claims, philosophical materialism, and various heretical groups. His major work, "Kitab al-Tawhid" (The Book of Monotheism), is a comprehensive theological treatise that defends Sunni positions using both textual and rational arguments. Like al-Ash'ari, al-Maturidi sought a middle path between the pure textualism of the ahl al-hadith and the pure rationalism of the Mu'tazilah, though his methodology gives reason a slightly more prominent role than the Ash'ari school.

Key Doctrines and Differences from Ash'arism

While the Maturidi and Ash'ari schools agree on most fundamentals, they differ on approximately thirteen points. On human action, the Maturidis hold that human beings have a real (haqiqi) capacity to act, while Ash'aris use the concept of kasb (acquisition). On the knowledge of Allah, Maturidis hold that reason alone can establish the existence of God and the obligation to believe, even before revelation reaches a person, while Ash'aris require revelation for obligation. On the Attributes, Maturidis add an eighth essential Attribute: Takwin (the Attribute of creation/bringing into existence), which Ash'aris subsume under Power. On iman (faith), both schools agree that iman consists of belief in the heart and affirmation with the tongue, but the Maturidis are firmer in excluding actions from the definition of iman itself.

Notable Maturidi Scholars

The Maturidi tradition produced numerous distinguished scholars. Abu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi (d. 508 AH) wrote "Tabsirat al-Adillah," a major Maturidi theological text. Najm al-Din al-Nasafi (d. 537 AH) authored the widely studied "al-Aqaid al-Nasafiyyah," which became a standard textbook with commentaries by al-Taftazani and others. Sa'd al-Din al-Taftazani (d. 791 AH) wrote commentaries that became central to the Ottoman madrasa curriculum. Mulla Ali al-Qari (d. 1014 AH) produced works that synthesized Hanafi jurisprudence with Maturidi theology. The Ottoman scholarly establishment was predominantly Maturidi-Hanafi, and this tradition continues in modern Turkey and South Asia.

Place Within Ahl us-Sunnah

The Maturidi school, like the Ash'ari school, is universally recognized as part of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah. The three schools, Athari, Ash'ari, and Maturidi, represent different methodological approaches to defending the same core Sunni beliefs. The Athari approach relies most heavily on direct textual evidence, the Ash'ari approach employs kalam in service of the texts, and the Maturidi approach gives rational proofs a complementary role alongside revelation. All three affirm the Quran and Sunnah as the ultimate authorities and reject the positions of the Mu'tazilah, Jahmiyyah, and other groups deemed outside Sunni orthodoxy.