Abu Mansur al-Maturidi

Abu Mansur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi (c. 238-333 AH / 853-944 CE) was the founder of the Maturidi school of Islamic theology, one of the two major Sunni creedal schools alongside the Ashari school. Born in Maturid, a village near Samarkand in Central Asia, he studied Hanafi jurisprudence and theology under prominent scholars in the tradition of Imam Abu Hanifah, including Abu Nasr al-Iyadi and Nusayr ibn Yahya al-Balkhi.

Al-Maturidi's theological methodology sought to defend Sunni orthodoxy through a balanced use of revealed texts (naql) and rational argumentation (aql). His magnum opus, Kitab at-Tawhid, is a comprehensive defense of Sunni creed against the Mutazilah, Jahmiyyah, Qadariyyah, and other theological opponents. He argued that reason can independently establish the existence and oneness of God, while revelation provides the details of religious obligation. He also authored Tawilat Ahl as-Sunnah (also known as Tawilat al-Quran), a tafsir of the entire Quran that addresses theological questions raised by the sacred text.

The Maturidi school became the dominant theological tradition among Hanafi Muslims, particularly in Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Turkey, and parts of the Arab world. Al-Maturidi's approach is generally considered closer to the Athari position than the Ashari school on some matters, such as the role of human will and the nature of faith. He died in Samarkand in 333 AH (944 CE) and is buried there. His theological school is followed by the majority of Hanafi Muslims worldwide.