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About the teachings of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi
It is a great pity that the historians who wrote about the life and scientific career of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi left very little information about him. We have at our disposal only the materials that have been mentioned above. Nevertheless, we have to mention with great satisfaction that the scholars of the later periods wrote a great deal of materials about Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s life and scientific career.
Our great ancestor and compatriot Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, first of all, made a great historical discovery in the field of the science of kalam and founded a special school in this direction which is called by his respectable name “Maturidiya School” in the system of Islamic sciences. This school studies the religious teachings, classifies them according to their aims of study and teachings, interprets their ideas in accord with the principles declared by the ayahs of the 1 loly Qur’an and shows the right way for the real Muslims to choose and follow. The teachings of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi point out those trends and parties who lost their way in the vast held of Islam and lead them to the right way chosen for the real Muslims. 1 he experts who are engaged in the science of kalam are called mutakallims, i.e. the scholars who are interested in defining and analyzing the aims and purposes of different parties and trends in the Islamic religion on the basis of mental facts and proofs.
As has been mentioned above, at the time when Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi lived Islamic sciences and their branches constituting them flourished with all their might and covered a great deal of the Islamic world. At the same time, thanks to the courage and endeavours of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and his followers, the science of kalam as a necessary component part of the Islamic science reached its development peak and there appeared a tendency of expressing the attitude to the essence of this science by the experts of that time. This factor, of course, led to the appearance of different small parties and trends that went astray in their directions and approaches to real facts. They were called as Jahmis, Qaramits, Rafizis, Murjiis, Karramis, etc. who were misled by the representatives of parties who had different approaches to the essence and meaning of the ayahs of the Holy Qur’an. Especially the representatives of the Mu’tazilis who appeared rather earlier than the other parties had already covered a considerable part of Maveraunnahr and caused aggressive views and visions among Muslims that led to different oppositions and rivalry among the believers of the same religion – Islam.
Under such complicated and chaotic circumstances, the ideas and teachings of the Sunni order reached considerable successes in its development and dissemination. At the end of the 9th century the representatives of the Sunni order Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi in Samarkand, Imam Abu-l-Hasan al-Ash’ari in Baghdad and Imam Abu Ja’far at-Tahavi in Egypt defended the ideas and teachings as well as the rules and demands of the Sunni order which were based on mind and will-power. In order to maintain their views and attitudes, they tried to base their ideas on mental proofs and evidences and had a great success in this field. In this very complicated period, Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi earned a great fame as he appeared in the scene of religious fights as a tireless and devoted follower of the teachings of His Excellency Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafian trend in the Sunni order. Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi was one of the leading figures who precipitated the success and positive achievements of the teachings of the Sunnahva-l-jamaa order.
It seems to be expedient to mention that before Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s teachings, the representatives of the science of kalam had expressed their position in disputable questions relying on legends and oral information. If to examine the essence of teachings of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, we can see that he built his ideas and views on the bases of mind and utterance, i.e. he formed his attitude to reality in religion between these two sources which we may call “the golden mean”. It means that our Holy religion Islam leads us to occupy the so-called “golden mean” in all religious and secular matters. It would be noteworthy at this point to mention the Ayah 143 of the “Baqara” Surah of the Holy Qur’an which says “We have created you as a just and neutral nation”. It would also be expedient to mention the words of Prophet Muhammad (saas) taken from the ancient reality that “In every case it is better to choose the golden mean”.
The ideas and views of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi were declared in detail, as has been mentioned above, in his two books — “Kitab at-Tawhid” and “Ta’vilat ahli as-Sunnah”. Besides those two books mentioned above, there are also several collections of works called “refusals to opponents” by Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi in which he expressed his attitude to the ideas and viewpoints of his opponents and rivals in the world of science who had gone astray or had lost the right way to follow. Concerning this matter, it should be kept in mind that in his answers to the claims ul his opponents he used to follow the rules of morality and justice and was very accurate, modest, patient and respectful to the personality of the opponents who dared to express their views against the ideas of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi. He was always persistent in the process of defending his outlooks and visions.
In order to reach and realize the ideas and principles of the “golden mean”, it was necessary to know the rules of using aql (mind) and naql (utterance) perfectly well. In reaching the essence of these principles, Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi had always been able to meet these claims and expressed his ideas in accord with the principles of justice. Relying on these principles, he also paid necessary attention to the principles of freedom of ideas and he used to be far from being inclined to the influence of rivalling parties.
The theory of cognition has always been in the centre of mind ol those experts who were engaged in the science of kalam. It should be mentioned that Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi is one of the very rare and estimated specialists in the field of Islamic science who could combine the principles of cognition and the science of kalam in his investigations. His above-mentioned two books — “Kitab at-Tawhid” and “Ta’vilat ahli as-Sunnah” are closely connected with the theory of cognition from the very earliest introductions. Especially, his book “Kitab at-Tawhid” is the earliest source dealing with the theory of cognition where the author explained the iclations of these two aspects of knowledge in a nice and understandable for the reader style.
According to the ideas promoted by Imam Abu Mansur al-Matu-tidi, cognition may be realized under three main sources: by sense (perception), by hearing the utterance and by mind (will-power).
Absorbing the ideas promoted by Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, we can see that the problems of life have also found their reflection in his teachings. For instance, it is natural that a man may have to take different examinations during his life and pass them only by means of his mind and perception and with the help of his belief and faith.
In the creative activity of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, his theory dealing with the principles of cognition is of great importance. For instance, the qualities and peculiarities of Allah, feeling the essence of his word — the Holy Qur’an, the creation of the world by God, relations between man and Allah, the main principles in defining the activities of man and other views are based on acceptable and hopeful principles proved by definite evidences.
In Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s creative and scientific activities much attention is paid to the principles of devotion for the purity of Islamic ideas and principles, ruthless fight against the small parties and trends that went astray or fully lost their way in defining their faith and belief, providing refusals to the claims of his scientific opponents and rivals built on the bases of the principles and laws of the ayahs of the Holy Qur’an and Hadiths. Therefore, Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s immortal teachings earn and may have a great practical importance even today as they may serve a necessary tool and weapon in the fight against debaucheiy and those who lead a depraved life in religion.
