'Abu Mansur Al-Maturidiyy was one of the first two imams to popularise the belief of 'Ahlu s-sunnah

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

Abu Mansur, whose full name was Muhammad, son of Muhammad, son of Mahmud, was born in Maturid, a region of Samarkand located north of the river Jayhun.

Along with Imam ‘Abu l-Hasan Al-‘Ash^ariyy, he was one of the first two imams to popularise the belief of ‘Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l- Jama^ah and to support it with both textual and rational evidence. Imam Al-Maturidiyy was nicknamed the ‘Imam of Good Guidance’ (‘Imam Al-Huda’), as well as the ‘Imam of the scholars of ^Ilmu l-Kalam’ (‘Imam Al-Mutakalimin’). Other honorifics have also been attributed to him, attesting to the eminent rank accorded to him by the Muslims of his time and by historians specialising in the period. However, despite his popularity and the prominence of his school of thought, very few historians have provided detailed accounts of his biography.

The exact year of his birth is not precisely recorded in historical literature. However, it is known that he was a contemporary of the Abbasid caliph Mutawakil. Notably, he was approximately twenty years senior to Imam Abu l-Hasan Al-‘Ash^ariyy.

He grew up in an erudite family, which enabled him to study various religious sciences from an early age. His fervour in advocating, defending, and adhering to the path of ‘Ahlu s-Sunnah, led him to focus particularly on the development of rational argumentation. Therefore, he composed works in this field, multiplying proofs and demonstrations.

His shaykhs

Despite the references citing only a small number of the shaykhs from whom he received his education, they all uniformly mention the illustrious Imam ‘Abu Hanifah An-Nu^man at the forefront of his transmission chains. The author of "Al-Jawahir Al-Mudi’ah" confirmed that Al-Maturidiyy completed his education with Abu Nasr Ahmad fils de Al-^Abbassiyy son of Al-Husayn Al- ^Iyadiyy, and that he studied jurisprudence under ‘Abu Bakr ‘Ahmad Al-Jawzjaniyy, Nasir Ibnu Yahya Al-Balkhiyy and Muhammad Ibnu Muqatil Ar-Raziyy.

As for ‘Abu Nasr Al-^Iyadiyy and ‘Abu Bakr Al-Jawzjaniyy, both were students of Imam Abu Sulayman Musa son of Sulayman Al-Jawzjaniyy, who himself had studied under ‘Abu Yusuf Al-Qadi and Muhammad Ibnu l-Hasan Ash-Shaybaniyy, the companions and student of Abu Hanifah.

Nasir Al-Balkhiyy and Muhammad Ibnu Muqatil Ar-Raziyy both studied under the two Imams ‘Abu Muti^ Al-Hakam Ibnu ^Abdu l-Lah Al-Balkhiyy and Abu and Muqatil Hafs Ibnu Salam As-Samarqandiyy, who were also disciples of Imam ‘Abu Hanifah.

Among the various sciences he mastered were the exegesis of the honoured Qur'an (Tafsir), the foundations of Jurisprudence (’Usulu l-fiqh), as well as the science of Belief and its related disciplines (^Ilmu l-Kalam). He also delved deeply into the sciences of rational reasoning and the textual sciences, mastering their intricacies and nuances. Consequently, he became a leading imam in Jurisprudence, exegesis, and rational argumentation.

After attaining extensive knowledge and cultural refinement, he dedicated himself to teaching, enlightening souls, and prolific writing. He sacrificed his life for the preservation of Islam and the advancement of the beliefs of ‘Ahlu s-Sunnah wa-l Jama^ah. His commitment was so profound that scholars esteemed him as a distinguished Imam, a fervent guardian of religion, and a zealous advocate of the beliefs of ‘Ahlu s-Sunnah. He fearlessly countered the Mu^tazilah and other misguided innovators, silencing them effectively whenever he engaged in debate.

His works

Imam ‘Abu Mansur Al-Maturidiyy authored numerous works in his preferred areas of expertise: the science of Al-Kalam and Belief, the foundations of Jurisprudence, and Qur’anic exegesis.

In the field of Al-Kalam, he authored several significant works, including "At-Tawhid ", "Al-Maqalat ", "Ar-Raddu ^ala l-Qaramitah", "Bayan wahmi l-mu^tazilah", "Raddu l-‘Usul Al-Khamsah Al-‘Abi Muhammad Al-Bahiliyy", "‘Awa’il l-‘Adilah lil- Ka^biyy", "Raddu Kitab wa ^Id Al-Fusad li l-Ka^biyy", " Raddu Tahdhib Al-Jadl lil Ka^biyy", and others.

Islamic scholars' biographical literature, along with the book " Kashfu dh-Dhunun" acknowledges Imam Abu Mansur Al-Maturidiyy’s authorship of two significant works on the foundation of Jurisprudence: "Al-Jadl" et "Ma’akhdu Ash- Shara‘if fi ‘Usul l-fiqh".

In "Bada’i^u As-Sana’i^», it is reported regarding the deduction of the five prayer times from verses 17 and 18 of Suratu r-Rum

﴿فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ (17) وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ (18)﴾

that Shaykh Abu Mansur Al-Maturidiyy As-Samarqandiyy remarked: ‘[the Arabs of that era] inferred the obligation of the five prayers from these verses. Indeed, if their comprehension mirrored that of the contemporary populace, they would only have interpreted this ‘ayah ﴾ فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ﴿ as referring to the tasbih mentioned in it.

Among the works attributed to Imam Al-Maturidiyy in Qur’anic exegesis is "Ta’wilat ‘Ahlu s-Sunnah" as named by the author of "Kashfu dh-Dhunun". However, a copy found in Kawbrilliyy is titled "Ta’wilat Al- Maturidiyy fi At-Tafsir" while experts of scholars' biographies have referred to it as "Ta’wilat Al-Qur’an". This title aligns with copies found in various locations such as Turkey, India, Germany, Medina, Damascus, the British Museum in London, and Tashqand. It is plausible that this book originally bore two different titles, later harmonised by historians and scholars of biographies. Imam ^Abdul-Qadir Al-Qurshiyy, who passed away in 750 A.H., extolled this book, remarking, "This is a work without peer or rival among those who came before it in the field of Qur’anic exegesis [Ta’wil]."

Furthermore, the first page of the Khadabakhsh library copy meticulously documents the transmission chain of the book "Ta’wilat Al-Qur’an" back to Al-Maturidiyy himself. Subsequently, the book presents its subject matter and offers definitions for Tafsir and Ta’wil. The introduction reads as follows: "The esteemed Shaykh, Imam, ascetic, a beacon of Religion, the luminary of this era, and the leader of ‘Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama^ah, ‘Abu Bakr Muhammad son of ‘Ahmad As-Samarqandiyy —may Allah ta^ala have mercy on him—stated: 'The book "At-Ta’wilat" attributed to the esteemed Imam Abu Mansur Al-Maturidiyy —may Allah have mercy on him—is a distinguished work of utmost utility for comprehending the methodology of ‘Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama^ah in matters of Belief. It also sheds light on the approach of ‘Abu Hanifah and his companions—may Allah be merciful to them—in the fundamentals of Jurisprudence and its derivative branches, all grounded in accordance with the Qur’anic Texts.'"

The author of the book "Kashfu dh-Dhunun" references the work "Ta’wilat Al-Qur’an" under the title "Ta’wilat Al-Maturidiyyah fi Bayani ‘Usuli ‘Ahli As-Sunnatih wa ‘Usuli At-Tawhid". It is explicitly mentioned to consist of eight volumes, which were compiled by Shaykh ^Ala’u d-Din Muhammad son of Ahmad.

Among the works of Imam ‘Abu Mansur Al-Maturidiyy, there is "The Commentary of [Imam ‘Abu Hanifah’s book entitled] Fiqhu l-‘Akbar”. Its title not only suggests its content but also demonstrates his adherence to the path of Imam ‘Abu Hanifah.

Among the examples illustrating the eminence of the book "Ta’wilat Al-Qur’an" is the exegesis of ‘ayah 143 of suratu l-‘A^raf: ﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي﴿: ‘The vision of the Lord in the Hereafter is a reality devoid of any ambiguity or uncertainty. Indeed, this vision is not assimilable or comparable to that of His creatures, and does not involve a how’. Thus, Allah will be seen by the Believers without being in a place or a direction, not as creatures are seen.

Thus, we can comprehend that the Maturidiyyah 's stance aligns with the Ash^ariyyah's regarding the vision of Allah in the Hereafter. It diverges from Mu^tazilah's perspective, which denies such a vision and is riddled with errors, including rejecting predestination and attributing to individuals the creation of their acts.

His death

The author of "Kashfu dh-Dhunun" initially suggested that Imam Al-Maturidiyy passed away in 332 of the Hegira. However, he later aligned with the majority of historians, confirming the Imam's death in the year 333 of the Hegira. This consensus is also echoed by ^Abdu l-Lah Al-Qurshiyy in his work "Al-Fawa’id Al-Bahiyyah" who further noted that the Imam's tomb is located in Samarqand.