As-Sanusi and the Maturidi Theological Tradition

Muhammad ibn Yusuf as-Sanusi was born in Tlemcen in the Maghreb around 833 AH (1430 CE) and died there in 895 AH (1490 CE). He was a Maliki jurist and Ash'ari theologian who taught at the famous mosque-university of Tlemcen and produced an extraordinary output of theological works aimed at systematic exposition and education. Though associated with the Ash'ari school, his theological method engaged deeply with the Maturidi tradition as well, and his creedal works synthesized elements from across the Sunni kalam tradition.

As-Sanusi lived in a period when Islamic scholarship in the Maghreb was consolidating its educational institutions and developing standardized curricula for the transmission of the Islamic sciences. This context shaped his literary output: he was above all an educator and textbook writer who excelled at presenting complex theological material in accessible forms suitable for students at various levels. He composed creedal works of different lengths — from brief summary texts to extended commentaries — to serve the full range of student needs.

Umm al-Barahin, known also as Al-Aqeedah as-Sanusiyyah (The Sanusi Creed) or As-Sanusiyyah al-Kubra, is his most celebrated work. The title Umm al-Barahin — Mother of Proofs — reflects the work's ambition to serve as the foundation from which all theological proofs branch. It became one of the most widely taught theological texts in the Islamic world, particularly in the Maliki scholarly tradition of North Africa and West Africa, but also in the Ottoman domains and South and Southeast Asia. Its widespread adoption as a madrasa curriculum text ensured that generations of Muslim students encountered Islamic theology primarily through its framework.

The Maturidi connection in as-Sanusi's work is partly institutional and partly doctrinal. The Maturidi school, named after Abu Mansur al-Maturidi of Samarqand (d. 333 AH), developed in parallel with the Ash'ari school and shares with it the fundamental commitment to using kalam methods to defend Sunni creed. While the two schools agree on the vast majority of theological positions, they differ on a number of subsidiary issues — the definition of faith, certain questions about divine will and creation, and the scope of reason's role in establishing the foundations of religion. As-Sanusi was aware of these differences and navigated them in his works, contributing to the dialogue between the two major Sunni kalam traditions.