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Ebu Mansur
Maturidi
The three architects of Turk-Islamic thought are Maturidi, Farabi and Yesevi and
they all converge on mysticism in their approach to the “God-human
relationship”. Because the religious beliefs and practices of Turks before Islam
had so many mystic characteristics, it is necessary to seek the roots of Turkish
Sufism, otherwise also known as Turkish mysticism or “folk piety”, in the
ancient beliefs of the Turks. This power penetrated into the Turkish thought
life so much that it is possible to see its influence in every stage of
Turk-Islamic thought.
The system of Turk-Islamic thought is called “Maturidilik” due to its
theological and religious dimension and “Yesevism” due to its mystic dimension,
to express “the first period of Turkish Sufism”. Thus Turkish thought expressed
its own character by way of these names within Islamic civilization, and shaped
and gave a new meaning to Islam. Turkish thought, because of its religious and
philosophic approaches with a mystical character, prevented Turkish culture from
losing out within the Islamic religion and provided an opportunity to formulate
“Turkish Islam”.
“Maturidism” is a name for a system of belief developed by the great Turkish
religious scholar, Mansur Maturidi. Maturidi was born and died (d. 944) in
Maturit, a district in the northwest of the city of Samarkand, an important
center in Uzbekistan. Maturidi closely followed Ebu Hanife (d. 767) as he was
constructing Turkish religious understanding. Ebu Hanife, who did not come from
an Arab family but converted to Islam later in life, understood the difficulties
faced by new Muslims. He averted these difficulties by applying comparison (Kiyas)
and interpretation (Ictihat). This should be compared with the Medina movement
which explained religion by narrating the Arab culture mixed with Sunnah of
Prophet Muhammad, leading to Arab nationalism and equating Islam with Arab
culture. This movement was successful in converting Egypt to this brand of
Islam.
Throughout history, Turkish people, who had a long-standing culture and profound
cultural heritage, were not expected to leave their own culture and accept Arab
culture. Instead they absorbed Islam into Turkish culture and formed
Turk-Islamic thought. Maturidi desired to accomplish this aim by relying upon
the method of Ebu Hanife, and he wrote two books, “Tevhid” on theological
philosophy and the use of reason in religion and “Tevilat” on theological
explanation of Quran, and through reason the belief system.
An example of Maturidi’s approach is in reading the verses of the Quran. He,
like Ebu Hanife, pointed the importance to understand the meaning correctly and
promoted the use of native language. According to him, the fact that divine
revelations descended in different languages was a proof of this. Hence it was
not required to use Arabic language in prayer, providing new Muslims with the
opportunity to protect their own identity, language and culture. It is important
to note that this result was achieved through the use of reason. In his views,
religion is a matter of reason and the mind. The human intellect and mind may
comprehend religion by using the limits of its potential. The religious
relationship of people exists at different levels because the level of human
intellect is different. Philosophers and scholars may understand by thinking and
applying proof through intellectual struggle. Other people may only comprehend
through narration. Like children, they may understand through education,
direction and stimulation.
According to Maturidi, the role and importance of evidence in religion cannot be
avoided because superiority and rightness of religion can be comprehended not by
“imagination” but by evidence. With this view, Maturidi as a Turkish scholar
developed a realistic approach to religion deprived of superstition and a
“God-human” relationship which would not contradict reality. As long as the
perception of “the unity and oneness of God” is protected as principle, human
beings can interpret Quran within the realities of their own period. He proposes
the “individual-centered” perspective in religion and thus solves the problem of
“God-human being” relation without annihilating the individual freedom. It
leaves human beings to their own heart, allowing them to go beyond daily
perceptions of religion and reach the highest point of mystic vision and a real
and permanent freedom. At that point, the individual knows not by thinking and
comprehending, but as a witness. This is the last point an individual can reach.
Here Maturidi reaches the highest level of rational mysticism and strengthens
the dispositions of mysticism and Sufism, which are inseparable parts of
“Turkish Islamic Thought”.
Reference:”Philosophy among the Early Muslim Turkish States”, Prof. Dr. Hanifi
Ozcan, Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Divinity, Turkey, The Turks, vol.2,
p.309, Yeni Turkiye Publications, Ankara 2002. |
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