Imom Buxoriy xalqaro ilmiy-tadqiqot markazi bukhari.uz
An important source about the teachings of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi
Unlike most of other scientists who lived in the Middle Ages in our country, Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi did not visit other countries but remained in his motherland — Samarkand. Perhaps because of this fact, his teachings, especially his ideas about the science of kalam were not so widely spread at his time in the territories of other Muslim countries. In comparison with the creative activity of the founder of the “Ash’ariya school”, a representative of the science of kalam Imam Abu-l-Hasan al-Ash’ari’s name and his teachings were widely spread in the East during his lifetime as he had lived in Baghdad. Even the bibliographic works contain very little information about the life and scientific legacy of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi. As an instance, we can mention the famous hook in the history of religion and its subclasses written by a well-known Arabic historian, an estimated expert in Islamic philosophy and icligious teachings Abu-l-Fatkh Muhammad ash-Sharhastani (1076-1153). In his book titled “Al-Milal va-n-nihal” (Religions and Subclasses), he did not even mention Imam Abu Mansur al-Matu-lidi’s name and his Maturidiya School of kalam.
Though the teachings of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and l he school he founded in Samarkand was not less important than the teachings of Imam al-Ash’ari, it is a pity that the area of dissemination of Imam al-Maturidi’s teachings was limited only in Mave-launnahr, mainly in Samarkand.
Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s followers and students played very important role in disseminating his teachings widely. One of the leading figures in this field who made a great effort in spreading Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s teachings throughout the Muslim world was his devoted follower and scientist without doubt, Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi (1027-1114). Born eighty years after his teacher’s death Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi made a perfect and full commentary on l he ideas and essence of his teachings from different points of view aid interpreted his ideas in his books titled as “Tabsirat al-adilla”, “Bahr al-Kalam” and “Kitab at-Tamhiyd li-qavaid at-Tawhid”.
At this very point, we would like to pay wider attention to an-Nasafi’s book “Tabsirat al-adilla” (When the Evidences Speak). In the scientific bibliographical sources, this book is mentioned with its lull title, i.e. as “Tabsirat al-adilla fi usul ad-diyn a’la tariyq al-Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi” (Evidential Commentary on Religious Styles as Commented in the Works of Imam al-Maturidi). As is seen from its title, the book was fully devoted to the commentary on religious matters under the direction shown by Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi.
It is well known that Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s one of the important books “Kitab at-Tawhid” (A Book of Having a Single God) in the field of the science of kalam was printed in 1970 in Beirut by an Arabic scientist Fatullah Khulaif in a modem style. An-Nasafi’s book “Tabsirat al-adilla” is the second source after Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s “At-Tawhid” in disseminating the ideas of the Maturidiya School of the science of kalam. “Tabsirat al-adilla” is more appreciated by the experts than “Kitab at-Tawhid” that it gives more perfect and detailed information about the main principles of the science of kalam. Therefore, we can hopefully say that no any other sources in this field can provide such a full and acceptable material dealing with the matter under discussion. It is perhaps because of this fact that Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi was appreciated among the specialists in this field with the honourable title “Sahib at-Tabsira” (The author of Tabsira) and became famous among the experts of the science of kalam.
In the second half of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th centuries when Abu-l-Muin an-Nasafi lived, the science of kalam reached its peak of development. Therefore, alongside with the teachings of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and Imam al-Ash’ari, the works of other authors, their ideas and different views were thoroughly commented on which consequently found their scientific appreciation. Alongside with the main principles of the science of kalam, the boo contains materials dealing with the debates and discussions with th opponents of the school and the refusals given by the author to the claims of the rivals in the science. The book also contains critical analyses and interpretations of the ideas promoted by different sma parties who tried to oppose the principles declared by the Maturidiya School as well as the author of the book.
The book is so thick that it consists of two volumes containing more than one thousand pages. The first volume was published in Damascus, the capital city of Syria, in 1990 and the second volume in 1993 by the French Centre of Studying the Arabic Language. Dealing with this matter it is noteworthy to mention the kind service provided by a researcher Claude Salama, who, in fact, performed a huge amount of work by comparing the four manuscripts of the book she had at her disposal and showing their merits and flaws. The first manuscript consists of 209 pages and it is preserved in the scientific library of Alexandria in Egypt under the code of 779 B. Written in the style of naskhscript, “At-Tabsira” was copied by Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn al-Husain in 659/1269 in Bukhara. This version, as is written in its preface, is considered to be the oldest copy of the book.
The second manuscri pt is also written in naskh scri pt with big letters and contains 490 pages. It is preserved in “Dar al-kutub al-misriyya” library in Cairo. However, the year of copying and the name of the scribe is not mentioned in the manuscript. Perhaps the second manuscript was copied from the first one as both of the manuscripts contain the same merits and flaws.
The third manuscript which was used for publication is preserved in al-Azhar University library in Cairo under the code of 1106 (301). It consists of 383 pages and its last page contains a short message written in naskh script that it was copied in 1129/ 1717. The first page of the manuscript says that this book was presented by the owner Ibrahim Chelebi al-Barudi to the students of al-Azhar University by his will.
The researcher used one more manuscript that is preserved in the library “Dar al-kutub al-misriyya” under the number “10 m Tawhid”. It was copied by a scribe Abdu-l-Fattah Jad al-Mavla Abu-l-Fath ad-Daliji in naskh script in 1136/1724 and consists of 395 pages. The last page contains the following short message: “This copy was compared with its original version and some corrections were made by the scribe”.
To conclude, the first edition of “Tabsirat al-adilla” is a precious research from the scientific point of view. Investigating it thoroughly and translating it into Uzbek would undoubtedly serve to study deeply the Maturidiya School founded by the great scientist Abu Mansur al-Maturidi.
