Introduction to the Maturidis: Part 4 - The Period of Expansion and Spread, 700H to 1300H
Thursday, December 17 2009 - by Maturidis.Com
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The 600 years from 700H to 1300H was the period in which the Maturidi creed gained its prominence and this was particularly due to political backing through the Uthmaani State (Hanafi Ottomans), and by way of it the creed spread to many different Muslim lands, from the East to the West.

In this period the authorship of works increased significantly in the fields of kalaam and exegetical works (shurooh), and explanations of the explanations, and marginal commentaries (hawaashi) on those explanations. From the prominent figures in the earlier part of this period is Sa'd at-Taftazani (d. 794H), and he authored numerous works including "Sharh al-Aqaa'id an-Nasafiyyah" an explanation of Najm ud-Deen's "al-Aqaa'id an-Nasafiyyah".

Towards the end of this period, approaching 1300H, a number of schools appeared which continued the call to Maturidiyyah and they are:

The Deobandi School: The Deobandis gave concern to authoring in the field of hadeeth and exegetical works, and they are also Mutasawwifah (Soofees), and amongst some of them are found the innovations of the grave-worshippers as witnessed against them in the book "al-Muhannad alal-Mufannad" by Shaykh Khaleel Ahmad as-Sahaaranafooree, and this book is itself one of the important works of the Deobandis in aqidah, and it propounds the Maturid aqidah.

The Barelwi School: This sect is ascribed to their leader, Ahmad Ridhaa Khan al-Afghani al-Maturidi as-Soofee. There was clear Shirk (associationism, worshippping others alongside Allaah), and open invitation to the worshipping of the inhabitants of the graves in this school, and the Barelwis displayed a great deal of enmity to the Deobandis, declaring them to be disbelievers.

The Kawthari School: This is ascribed to Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari al-Hanafi al-Maturidi, who is of Turkish origin, and this school manifested a great deal of revilement upon the Imaams of Islaam and the Sunnah, cursing them, and declaring them Mujassimah, Mushabbihah (anthropomorphists), and treating the books of the Salaf, such as the books of Ibn Battah (d. 397H), al-Aajurree (d. 360H), ad-Darqutni, Ibn Khuzaimah (d. 311H) and others to be books of idol-worship, anthropomorphism. Also reviling some of the early Imaams of the Salaf such as Hammad bin Salamah (d. 167H). And this is alongside the intensity in the call to innovations entailing Shirk, and to tasawwuf that entails venerating and worship of graves and their inhabitants, all under the label of "Tawassul". Al-Kawthari was the flagbearer of this call and he revived a significant deal of enmity against the creed of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah, the People of Hadeeth, Athar, the Salaf us-Saalih.

The Maturidi creed today is spread through the vehicle of these schools, the most fervent of them being the Kawthariyyah, with the greatest of enmity towards the aqidah of the Salaf coming from the Kawthariyyah.


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