&
THEDISAGREEMENTS
BETWEENTHEASH‘ARĪSANDMĀTURĪDĪS
IMĀMSHAMSAL-DĪNAMADB.SULAYMĀNIBNKAMĀLPĀSHĀ
( 8 7 3 - 9 4 0 H I J R A ) 1
Releasedbywww.marifah.net
www.marifah.net1430H
www.marifah.net
You should know that Shaykh Abū al-asan al-Ash‘arī is the Imām of Ahl al-Sunna and at their
forefront, followed by Shaykh Abū al-Man:ūr al-Māturīdī. Know also – as some of our Shaykhs have
mentionedtous,mayAllahhavemercyuponthem–thatthecompanionsofal-Shāfi‘īandhisfollowers
followhim(Abūal-asan)inmattersofdoctrine,andfollowal-Shāfi‘īinmattersoflaw.Thecompanions
ofAbūanīfafollowShaykhAbūal-Man:ūrindoctrineandfollowAbūanīfainlaw.Thisiswhatour
Shaykhshaveimpartedtous.AndwebeseechAllah,theExalted,askingHimtograntthesetwonoble
Imāms a generous reward for what they have expended of sincere advice to the Muslims. We beseech
Allah,theExalted,askingHimtoincludeusamongthoseperformtheactionsofthosegrantedDivine
success:thosewhotraversethepathoftherightly-guidedandrealizedones;byHislargess,bounty,and
generosity–Amen!ThereisnocontentionbetweenthetwoShaykhsandtheirfollowersexceptintwelve
issues.2
Takwīn[creation]isaneternalattributethatsubsistswithAllah’sBeing,as
One
One:al-Māturīdīsaidthat
One
doallofHisattributes,andthatitisdistinctfromthatwhichisbroughtintoexistence[mukawwan],and
thatitislinkedwiththatwhichisbroughtintoexistenceintheworldandeverypartofit[theworld]from
thetimeofitsinception.JustasAllah’sWilliseternalandlinkedwiththatwhichiswilledatthetimeof
itsexistence,sotooisHiseternalomnipotence[linked]withthatwhichisdecreed.3
Al-Ash‘arīsaidthatitisacontingentattributethatdoesnotsubsistwithAllah’sbeing,andaccordingto
himitisfromtheattributesofactionandnotfromtheeternalattributes.Ashesawit,theattributesof
1
IbnKamālPāshā(died940Hijrī)wasoneofthegreatscholarsandpolymathsoftheOttomanEmpire.Hewasacontemporary
ofal-āfiKJalālal-Dīnal-SuyūLīandbothscholarsbecamefamousfortheirvastknowledge.Comparisonsweremadebetween
theknowledgeanddepthofPāshāandal-SuyūLī,andmostscholarsconcludedthatbothwerenearlyequal,withal-SuyūLīhaving
moremasteryintheadīthsciences,andwithPāshāhavingmoremasteryintherationalsciences.[t]
2
“Itisnothiddentothereaderthatthescholarsmentionedmorethanthisnumberofissuesoverwhichthereisdisagreement.It
seemshoweverthattheauthorchosetolimitthemtothisnumberduetotheirobviousnature.”(Sh.Sa‘īdFoudah: SharRRisāla
al-Ikhtilāfbaynal-Ashā‘irawaal-Māturīdiyya,12)
3
“Inotherwords,Takwīnisapre-eternalattributethatsubsistswithAllahandhasacontingentlyeffectivelinagewiththatwhich
isbroughtintoexistenceatthetimeitisbroughtintobeing.Forthisreason,thescholarssaythat Takwīnisdifferentfromthat
whichisbroughtintoexistence[al-mukawwan],becauseTakwīnisapre-eternalattributeandthatwhichisbroughtintoexistence
is contingent. For this reason, the claim of some of the Rashawī riff-raffs that the Māturīdīs agree with them that contingents
subsist within Allah’s Entity is incorrect…this is fallacious because according to the Māturīdīs, Takwīn is pre-eternal and not
contingent.Itisnottobecalledanattributeinanunrestrictedmanner;ratheritisanattributefromwhichactionsissueforth…”
(Ibid)
actionareallcontingent,suchasTakwīnandbringingintoexistenceandtheemergenceoftheworldwith
thestatementbe.4
Two
Two:al-MāturīdīsaidthatthespeechofAllah,theExalted,isnotheard,ratherwhatisheardisthat
Two
whichpointstoit.5Al-Ash‘arīsaidthatitisheard–asiswellknowninthestoryofMūsāa.IbnFūrak
said:“Twothingsareheardduringtherecitationofthereader:thevoiceofthereader,andthespeechof
Allah, the Exalted.” Al-QāVī [Abu Bakr] al-Bāqillānī said: “Allah’s speech is not heard in the
conventionalsense,rather;itispossibleforAllahtoallowanyofHiscreationthatHewillstohear[it]
contrarytocustomarymeansand[contrarytoitbeing]withthemediumoflettersandsound.AbūIsRāq
al-Isfarāyīnīandthosewhofollowhimsaid:“Allah’sspeechisnotheardatall.”Thiswasthechosenview
ofShaykhAbūal-Man:ūral-Māturīdī–asfoundinal-Bidāya.
Three
Three:
Three al-Māturīdī said thatthe Creator ofthe universe is described with wisdom [Rikma], whether
thatwisdomtakesthemeaningofknowledge[‘ilm]orthemeaningofperfection/mastery[iRkām].6AlAsh‘arī said that if wisdom takes the meaning of knowledgethen it is an eternal attributethat subsists
withAllah’sEntity,exaltedisHe,andifittakesthemeaningofperfection/masterythenitisacontingent
qualityakintoTakwīn,andtheEntityoftheCreatorisnotdescribedwithit.
Four
Four:al-MāturīdīsaidthatAllahwillsobedienceordisobedienceforallbeings,betheyessencesor
Four
accidents, however; obedience occurs by Allah’s will and decree and His pre-ordainment and
predestination,pleasure,love,andcommand,anddisobedienceoccursbyAllah’swillanddecreeandHis
predestinationandpre-ordainment:notwithHispleasure,love,orcommand.Al-Ash‘arīsaidthatAllah’s
loveandpleasureareinclusiveofallthingsjustasHiswill.7
Five
Five:Accordingtoal-Māturīdī,beinglegallyorderedwiththatinwhichthereisnocapacitytoendure
Five
isimpermissible,whereasbeingburdenedwiththatwhichcannotbeborne8ispermissible.Accordingto
al-Ash‘arībotharepermissible.
Six
taklīf]areknownbythe
Six:al-Māturīdīsaidthatsomeoftherulingsthatrelatetolegalresponsibility[
Six
intellect, because the intellect is a tool by which the goodness and evil of some things can be
4
Therefore, according to al-Ash‘arī, Takwīn is a description for the self-same effective linkage of power by taking note of its
effect, whereas according to al-Māturīdī, it is the pre-eternal attribute from which the creation and that which is brought into
existencecome…”(Ibid,13)
5
“Foral-Māturīdī,“thatwhichisheard[al-masmū‘]”onlyappliesthatwhichconnectswiththesenseofhearing…accordingto
him,thatwhichconnectswithitarethesoundsthatpointtothepre-eternalattribute.Asfortheactualpre-eternalattribute,both
al-Māturīdī and al-Ash‘arī held that it has no connection with the senses and that the senses have no connection with it. The
disagreement is regarding a pre-eternal attribute being heard or not. For al-Māturīdī, hearing is conditioned upon the
connectionofthesenses,andforthatreasonhedeniedthatInnerSpeech[KalāmNafsī]canbeheard…”(Ibid,18)
6
Imāmal-MāturīdīsaidthatAllah,theExalted,isdescribedwithwisdomandthatwisdomisadescriptionofAllah’sEntity.This
refers either to the knowledge of the precise/perfected actions or it refers back to the pre-eternal attribute of Takwīn that al-
Māturīdīaffirmed.ThismeansthatmasteryandprecisionarefromtheimplicationsofTakwīn…”(Ibid,19)
7
“AsforImāmal-Ash‘arī,theUstādh[Pāshā]reportedthathebelievedthatAllah’sloveisinclusiveofeveryaccident,beitan
actofobedienceoranactofdisobedience.ThisgeneralstatementsuggeststhatAllah,theExalted,lovesdisobedience.The
correctview,however,isthatthisisnotthedoctrineofal-Ash‘arī.Onthecontrary,hesaidthatAllahlovesdisobedience
insomuchasHepunishesonaccountofit,justasHelovesobedienceinsomuchasHerewardsonaccountofit.Thereisa
distinctionbetweenthisandwhatUstādhIbnKamālPāshāandothersmentionedandascribedtoal-Ash‘arī.”(Ibid,29)
8
Al-Māturīdīdistinguishedbetweenbeinglegallyorderedandbeingburdened.[t]
comprehended, and [it is a tool] by which the obligation of faith is comprehended, as well as [the
obligationof]gratitudetotheGiverofbounties.TheOnewhomakesthisknownandobligatoryisAllah,
the Exalted, however; it is through the medium of the intellect; just as the Messenger made the
obligation[s]knownandtheOnewhomade[things]obligatoryinrealityisAllah,theExalted,butitwas
throughthemediumoftheMessenger.He[al-Māturīdī]said:“Nooneisexcusedbyignoranceofhis
Creator, due to what he sees in the creation of the heavens and earth”, and: “Had Allah not sent a
Messenger[still]itwouldhavebeenobligatoryforthecreationtoknowHimthroughtheirintellects.”
Al-Ash‘arīsaidthatnothingismadeanobligationoraprohibitionexceptbytheSacredLaw–notthe
intellect,eveniftheintellectisabletocomprehendthegoodnessandevilofsomethings.AccordingtoalAsh‘arī,alloftherulingsthatrelatetolegalresponsibilityaretakenfromrevelation.
Seven
Seven:
Seven al-Māturīdī said that the wretched person could become felicitous and the felicitous person
could become wretched. Al-Ash‘arī said that there is no consideration given to either felicity or
wretchednessexceptduringtheend[i.e.death]andtherequital.9
Eight
Eight:al-Māturīdīsaidthatitisrationallyimpermissiblefordisbelieftobepardoned.Al-Ash‘arīsaid
Eight
thatitisrationallypermissiblebuttextuallyimpermissible.10
Nine
Nine:al-Māturīdīsaiditisrationallyandtextuallyimpermissibleforthebelieverstoabideeternallyin
Nine
theHell-fireandforthedisbelieverstoabideinParadise.Al-Ash‘arīsaidthatitisrationallypermissible,
buttextuallyimpermissible.
Ten
al-ismwaal-musammā]areone.
Ten:SomeoftheMāturīdīssaythatthenameandthethingnamed[
Ten
Al-Ash‘arībelievedthatthereisadistinctionbetweenthetwoandthe“actofnaming”[tasmiya].Someof
them divided a name intothree categories: itself, other than itself, and a third category that is neither
itselfnorotherthanitself.Thereisagreementthattheactofnaming[tasmiya]isotherthanthem[the
nameandthethingnamed],anditiswhatisestablishedwiththeonenamed.Thisistakenfrom Bidāya
al-Kalām.
Eleven
Eleven:
Eleven al-Māturīdī said that being male is a condition for Prophethood, and consequently, it is
impermissibleforawomentobeaProphetess.Al-Ash‘arīsaidthatbeingmaleisnotaconditionforit,
andthatbeingfemaledoesnotnegateit.ThisistakenfromBidāyaal-Kalām.
Twelve
Twelve:Al-Māturīdīsaidthattheactionoftheservantiscalledanacquisitionandnotcreation,and
Twelve
thattheactionoftheReal[Allah]iscalledcreationandnotacquisition–andbothareinclusiveofaction.
Al-Ash‘arīsaidthat“action”denotesarealbringingintoexistenceandtheacquisitionoftheservantis
called“action”onlyfiguratively.Ithasbeensaid:“ThatwhichispermissiblefortheAll-Powerfultobe
singularly[describedwith]iscalledcreation,andthatwhichisimpermissiblefortheAll-Powerfultobe
describedwithisacquisition.11
9
Accordingtoal-Māturīdī,felicityisdefinedasIslamandwretchednessisdefinedasdisbelief.Accordingtoal-Ash‘arīfelicityis
dyinguponIslamandwretchednessisdyingupondisbelief.[t]
10
Al-Ash‘arī’sviewisbaseduponarationaljudgementalone,whereasal-Māturīdī’sviewisbasedonobservationofAllah’swill.
[t]
11
Thegistofthisdisagreementisthatal-Ash‘arīheldthattheword“action”isliteralwhenappliedtoAllah[thatHeistheDoer]
and is figurative when applied to the servant. Al-Māturīdī on the other hand, held that the word “action” is also literal when
appliedtotheservants.[t]