Roots of Synthetic Theology in Islam

This book originally the author’s doctoral dissertation under the mentorship of the late Professor Fazlur Rahman, is an analysis of one of the greatest (and lagerly forgotten) early Muslim Theologians, Abu Mansur Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Hanafi al-Mutakallim al-Maturidi al-Samarqandi (d. 333/944). It establishes evidence of al-Maturidi’s profound influence upon Islamic theology during his time, and subsequently discusses his method, theory of knowledge and his theological ideas concerning the world, God and man, and the relation of the latter to the former. Emphasing especially al-Maturidi’s magnum opus the Kitab al-Tawhid, the author explains his view of the historical development of Islamic theology in light of three elements of ta’ah (faithful obedience), bayan (elucidation) and the naql-‘aql (Tradition/Reason) dialetic. He concludes that al-Maturidi’s influence upon the overall development of Islamic theology is not only profound but original, not only in his development of the Islamic theological theory of knowledge and in his scientific way of research, but also in his being able to resolve the naql-aql conflict.