Prayer Times“Abu Hanifa is an imam not only in the field of fiqh, but also in the field of aqeedah. So why do Hanafis follow the views of Maturidi and not Abu Hanifa?” Let’s briefly look at this question.
In the time of Imam Abu Hanifa, aqeedah had not yet developed as a separate branch of knowledge. At that time, fiqh included not only aqeedah but also questions of morality. Imams Ash’ari and Maturidi later systematically developed the traditional Sunni science of aqeedah. In essence, fiqh (sharia) and aqeedah are two different disciplines. Fiqh deals with the rules of worshipping Allah, while aqeedah deals with the foundations of faith.
Although Imam Abu Hanifa originally wrote a book on aqeedah, it was very brief. His main focus was on fiqh. On the other hand, Imam Maturidi, building on the teachings of Imam al-A’zam (Abu Hanifa), systematized issues related to the foundations of faith (aqeedah) using the method of kalam, which focuses on reason as well as on ayahs and hadiths. In Samarkand, he achieved great success in debates with representatives of various sects by using the kalam method.
This is why we follow Maturidi in matters of aqeedah. The Maturidi school is called Hanafi because Maturidi based his views on those of Abu Hanifa. That is, his path is not separate from Hanafism, but is even considered its continuation. However, as noted above, Imam Maturidi was a scholar who worked tirelessly to teach hundreds of students and to promote the development of Hanafism and traditional Sunni views in Central Asia, in order to curb the spread of misconceptions among Muslims.
The works of Imam al-A’zam discuss the attributes of Allah, the truth of faith, the necessity of knowing Allah through reflection or ayahs and hadiths, good and evil, predestination, and other matters of faith. If we compare the views of Imam al-A’zam, the leader of the Iraqi scholars of Islam at that time, in these works, with the views of Imam Maturidi, it is not hard to see their identity and uniformity. For this reason, researchers do not distinguish between the two scholars.
Imam Abu Hanifa outlined the basics of aqeedah, while Imam Maturidi explained them in detail. Zahid al-Kawthari, one of the great scholars of the Hanafi madhhab, says in the introduction to his book “Isharat al-Maram”: <blockquote><p>“The people of Mawarannahr lived peacefully and avoided innovations and turmoil. They strictly adhered to the Sunnah and passed on this tradition from generation to generation. From this region emerged the scholar Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, who examined every issue, distinguished them, providing clear evidence and explanations.”
The works of Maturidi show us that he was an authoritative scholar in the field of kalam, methodology of jurisprudence, and tafsir (Qur’anic commentary). Historical sources state that Imam Maturidi studied the books of Imam al-A’zam with his teachers Abu Nasir Ahmad ibn Abbas al-Bayadi, Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Jurjani, and Nasir ibn Yahya al-Balkhi, and they studied under Abu Sulayman Musa al-Jurjani, while al-Jurjani’s teacher received knowledge from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani. He read Abu Hanifa’s works on aqeedah and based his views on his teachings. In this regard, Maturidi is considered a follower of Abu Hanifa, and his school is called Hanafi.
Alau Adilbayev
This content was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor.