Al-Maturidi

Abu Mansur Al Maturidi
Türbe of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, Samarkand
Born	853 A.D. Maturid, Samarqand, Samanid Empire
Died	944 A.D. (333 A.H.) Samarkand
Residence	Samarqand, Uzbekistan
Fields	Theology, Qur'anic Exegesis, Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic Law

Muhammad Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (853–944 AD) (Persian: محمد بن محمد بن محمود أبو منصور ماتریدی سمرقندی حنفی‎‎) was a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence and Qur'anic exegesis. Al Maturidi is one of the pioneers of Islamic Jurisprudence scholars and his two works are considered to be authoritative on the subject. He had a "high standing" among the scholars of his time and region.

He was born in Maturid near Samarkand, (possibly) in 853. He was educated in Islamic theology, Qur'anic exegesis, and Islamic jurisprudence. The area of Samarkand was at his time under the Samanid and its urban population were predominantly Tajik while the surrounding steppes was largely populated by Turkic-speaking people.

His Teachers were Abu Nasr Ahmed b. Abbas b. Husayin al-Iyazi, Abu Bakr Ahmed b. Ishak b. Salih el-Juzjani (writer from Al-Farq wat Tamyiz),Nusayr b. Yahya al-Balkhi and Qadilqudat Muhammad b. Mukatil ar-Razi. Abu Nasr al-Iyazi was his teacher and friend. Abu Bakr al-Juzjani was the pupil of Abu Sulayman Musa b. Sulayman el-Juzjani, who was the pupil of Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad Ash-Shaybani. Muhammad b. Mukatil did learn from Imam Muhammad as-Shaybani too.

When al-Maturidi was growing up there was an emerging reaction against some schools within Islam, notably Mu'tazilis, Qarmati, and Shi'a. The Sunni scholars were following Abu Hanifa. Al-Maturidi, with other two preeminent scholars, wrote especially on the creed of Islam and elaborated Abu Hanifa's doctrine, the other two being Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari in Iraq, and Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahawi in Egypt.