Imam Moturidi and zuhd (as Asceticism)

Great scientists undoubtedly have a great personality, embodied in themselves such great human qualities, honesty, piety, justice, a pure heart, and piety. And they had built their greatness above it. After all, there is no way to greatness without it. Our ancestors also said in vain, “It is easy to be a scientist, it is difficult to be a man” or “Don’t be a scientist, be a man!” they have not say.

As we study the life of Imam Maturidi, may God have mercy on him, we see that a great personality lies beneath the levels he has attained. The main key to his personality is undoubtedly asceticism. The word asceticism in lexicography means “believer,” “godly,” “pious.” Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal divided asceticism into three types:

the first, refusing haram; it is zuhd of avom; the second, avoiding spending excess on halal, the zuhd of these peculiar persons; and the third, that abandoning all that hinders Allah is the zuhd of these sages [1]. Undoubtedly, Imam Moturidi is the leader of the sages.

ZUHD IS THE KEY OF IMAM MOTURIDIY’S PERSONALITY

Imam Moturidi, may God have mercy on him, is a scholar who has a deep understanding of the reality of the world, who knows that it is doomed to nothingness and that the Hereafter is the realm of real life. In his commentary, the scholar focuses on implanting this concept in the hearts of people. At the same time, he emphasizes that the love of worldly blessings, which serves the interests of the Hereafter, is repeated in Islam, and that this kind of love for the world does not lead to sin and apostasy.

Asceticism of Scholar is divided into two parts: spending and leaving. That is, he did not hold wealth in his hands but shared what he found with others. He left the jobs that make the world richer and wealthy. He always sought to learn and teach, to lead the people on the right path.

Imam Maturidi observes a strange complexity in human nature, that is, the disproportion between what we see with our eyes. He said, “Is a Muslim to be blamed for loving the world and wealth?” He asks a legitimate question and answers this in his commentary on Surah Al-Insan:

“Human beings are created to love what is in front of them. In the nature of every being, there is an instinct to use something, to enjoy. People are not to be blamed for loving things that are naturally inclined to love. Their love deserves to be blamed only if it contradicts the purpose of the creation of the world. The world was created only to accumulate the blessings of the Hereafter, the abode of eternal bliss.

We understand that there is no impediment in Islam to enjoy the pleasures of this world within the framework of the Shari’ah, without wasting them. Nor does our religion prevent us from becoming rich.

It only prevents the world from being loved with the heart. If the heart is steadfast in the way of Allah, the fact that the body is in gold and silver will not prevent it from its Allah.

Hoja Ahrori Wali also said, “Enter wealth, enter. But don’t let wealth enter to yourself, don’t let it enter in your soul,” The zuhd that Imam Maturidi calls for is not aimed at making what is pure impure. He mentions this in several places in the Tawilat al-Quran. In particular, in the interpretation of this verse of Surat an-Nazi’at, “(All this has been done) for your benefit and the benefit of your animals.” [2] So, in the above-mentioned statements, it is permissible to eat from pure things (it is optional to do or not to do).

This is because Allah has made the food of His slave’s superior to that of the animals by making them of pure things. Therefore, whoever is disgusted with these things, then he is disgusted with what has been created for the use of the slave. Imam Maturidi did not dwell on this issue in vain. This is because it was common among the ascetics to turn away from the pure things of Allah and to make their lives artificially difficult. The scholar called them “mutaqashshif” (“one who abstains yourself from all things”) and in several places in his commentary, in particular, in Surat al-Ma’ida, do not make unlawful for yourself what Allah has made lawful for you.” [3] In his commentary on the verse, he denied them, saying: “This verse is a denial to the ‘mutaqashshifs’. Allah has not forbidden us to consume what He has made lawful for us. And they defile it for themselves.

We find similar teachings in the works of other scholars. It is narrated that while one of the sages was eating a dessert made of olives, one of the “mutaqashshifs” came to him. And the sage offers him to eat a dessert, he pulls himself away from the table, saying, “I can’t give thanks.” Zuhd is not like that, but it is by following the limits of Allah and not exceeding them.” Another sign of Imam Maturity’s zuhd is that he did not take science as a source of livelihood. He did not consider it right to charge for teaching science and memorizing the Qur’an. “So if you turn away, I have not asked you for a reward (for my services).

Just as Noah reminded the people of the verses of Allah that he wanted to receive the reward only from Allah, so Imam Moturidi, as one of the scholars who inherited the Prophets, said that Allah should reward him only for the knowledge of religion.

 

MOTURIDIY IS A RABBANIAN SCIENTIST

In linguistics, the word Rabbani means “belonging to Allah.” There is a group of scholars who do not forget for a second that everything they do is for Allah and in the presence of their Allah, whose love and hatred are only for Him, and who see the world as a means of conveying to the Creator. The Qur’an says about this category: “Be one of the Rabbani’s because you have been taught in the Book and you have studied.” (Surah Al ‘Imran, 79) Imam Moturidi, the leader of the scholars of his time and his successors, is a rabbanic scholar who seeks only the pleasure of Allah, no matter what he says or does.

The scholar always spoke the truth and was not afraid of the blame of those who blamed him in the way of Allah. He would not go to the sultans or accept gifts from them. He knew that one could enter the princes only to command good and to turn away from evil. In particular, in the interpretation of verse 77 of Surat al-Qasas: “It is the duty of the scholars who go to the kings and talk to them, just as Moses exhorted Qarun to command the kings to do good to the people and to turn them away from evil,” he mentioned.

Indeed, Imam Moturidi was a man who understood the realities of the world, a man of profound knowledge, a man of good character, and a hermit. He was also an example to everyone in terms of mercy, sharing what he had with others. His contemporaries unanimously acknowledged his greatness, his high rank.

His palace of knowledge, built on true piety, has been spreading enlightenment for centuries. The Taliban of Moturidi dorulfunu have served for the sake of the stability of the creed over time, and this tradition continues to this day.

Prepared on the basis of Dr. Ahmad Damanhur’s work “Saddus sugur bisiroti alamil huda Abi Mansur al-Maturidi”.