Origins & Early Life

Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (Arabic: أبو منصور الماتريدي, romanized: Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī; 853–944; AH 333) was a Hanafi jurist and theologian, and the eponymous founder of the Maturidi school of kalam in Sunni Islam. A contemporary of al-Ashʿarī, he established an important school of orthodox, conservative theology that accorded a significant, though not paramount, role to human reason. His nisba derives from Māturīd, a district of Samarkand. His works include Tafsir al-Maturidi, a classical exegesis of the Qur'an, and Kitāb al-Tawḥīd.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The theological school associated with him remains one of the three principal Sunni schools of theology alongside Ash'arism and Atharism. Al-Maturidi opposed the Muʿtazilites, employing forms of rational argument similar to their own in order to contest their doctrines. The differences between the Ashʿarite and Maturidite schools were traditionally reckoned at thirteen, the most substantial concerning divine and human agency: Ashʿarism emphasized the absolute power of the will of Allah, whereas Maturidism emphasized human freedom and responsibility. In this connection, the Ashʿarites were characterized as saying, "I am a believer if God wills" (in...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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