Thoughts
Reason and Revelation: Reason and revelation have an important place in Maturidi’s system of thought. According to him, reason is an important tool in understanding the existence and unity of God and in comprehending religious rulings. Revelation is a divine guide that transcends the limits of reason and guides people to the right path. Maturidi argues that reason and revelation complement each other and that these two sources should be used together.
Faith and Deeds: Maturidi takes a different approach from Ash’arism in matters of faith and deeds. According to him, faith is the affirmation of the heart and the assertion of the tongue. And deeds are not a part of faith, but a consequence of it. Therefore, for a believer to sin does not take away his faith, but it does make him a sinful Muslim.
Human Free Will and Destiny: Maturidi emphasizes the free will of man. According to him, human beings are responsible for their own actions and God has given them freedom of will. However, Allah’s knowledge and power are all-encompassing and He is the absolute determiner of destiny. In this context, human actions are within God’s knowledge and providence, but man is responsible for his own choices.
Faith and Knowledge: Maturidi argues that faith must be based on knowledge. The believer must be knowledgeable about the matters in which he believes and support this knowledge with reason. This approach shows the importance Maturidi attached to rational thought.
Artworks
Kitab al-Tawhid: One of Maturidi’s most important works, “Kitab al-Tawhid” deals with the basic issues of theology. This work systematically presents Maturidi’s views on issues such as the existence and unity of God, His attributes, prophethood and the hereafter. In this work, Maturidi emphasizes the unity of reason and revelation and defends the principles of Islamic belief on a rational basis.
Te’vilat al-Qur’an: “Te’vilat al-Qur’an” is Maturidi’s most important work in the field of tafsir. This work interprets the verses of the Holy Qur’an with the unity of reason and knowledge. In his exegesis, Maturidi takes into account the literal (apparent) meanings of the verses, while at the same time exploring the deeper meanings behind these meanings. This approach enables him to approach the Qur’an from a rational and holistic perspective.
Tawhid: Maturidi’s understanding of tawhid includes his detailed views on the unity of God and His attributes. According to him, it is necessary to distinguish between God’s essence and His attributes. God’s attributes are eternal and everlasting, and therefore cannot be separated from God’s essence.
Makalat: Maturidi’s “Maqalat” is a work in which he discusses the views of different Islamic sects and schools of thought. In this work, Maturidi compares the principles of belief and theological views of various sects and explains his own views in this context.
Maturidi’s thoughts and works formed a school that emphasized the rational approach and rational thought in the Islamic world, and this school was accepted as an important branch of Ahl al-Sunnah. Maturidi’s system of thought, based on the unity of reason and revelation, made important contributions to Islamic theology and was adopted by subsequent generations.
