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Can you please refute the Maturidi & Ashari Aqeedah
Refutation of the Maturidi & Ashari Aqeedah
- Thread starter Servant of Allah
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The list of issues is very long, but here are the most prominent points in which the Maturidi and Ashari aqeedah opposes the aqeedah of Ahl al Sunnah wal Jamaah (Salaf):
We are speaking here about their manhaj and usul, not passing general takfir on every individual Maturidi or Ashari. Many of them are people of salah, da'wah and service to Islam, but their principles in aqeedah are based on kalam, not on the way of the Salaf. As Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله clarified, they have efforts and virtues, and also serious mistakes.
Reference: Dar Ta'arud al Aql wal Naql: 2/102
1. Source of knowledge: putting 'aql above naql
The Maturidis and Asharis divide the religion into:
[]“Rational issues” (الإلهيات العقليات) - which must be proven by reason, such as Tawhid and divine attributes. Texts come only as secondary support.
[]“Sam'iyyat / Shar'iyyat” - things known only from revelation, like details of the Hereafter, punishment of the grave, etc.
They then make rational proof the real foundation for the first category, and the texts only “supporting evidence”.
This is contrary to Ahl al Sunnah, for whom:
Allah تعالى refuted the people who made 'aql the judge over revelation:
The Salaf understood that 'aql is a follower, not a judge, over the texts.
2. First obligation and punishment before revelation
Maturidis and Asharis say:
[]The first obligation on every mukallaf is to know Allah by rational thought.
[]Whoever does not arrive at knowledge of Allah by 'aql is liable for punishment even before a messenger comes.
In this they agree with the Mu'tazilah and oppose the clear ayah:
The correct view of Ahl al Sunnah:
[]The first obligation is Tawhid and following the Messenger ﷺ, once the hujjah reaches a person.
[]Knowledge of a Creator is already part of the fitrah, not something attained only by complex rational proofs.
﴿فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا﴾Reference: Qur'an: 30/30
3. Tawhid: reducing it to Rububiyyah and abstract logic
According to Maturidis and Asharis, Tawhid is mainly:
[]Allah is One in His essence.
[]One in His attributes.- One in His actions (no partner in creating).
They focus heavily on proving that “only one creator” is rationally necessary, using methods developed by Jahmiyyah and Mu'tazilah.
Defect:
[]They largely confine Tawhid to Rububiyyah and abstract “oneness”.
[]They do not give proper emphasis to Tawhid al Uluhiyyah - singling Allah out in worship - which is the core of the da'wah of all prophets.
﴿اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ﴾
“Worship Allah; you have no god other than Him.”
Reference: Qur'an: 7/59
Ahl al Sunnah define Tawhid with all its types: Rububiyyah, Asma wa Sifat, Uluhiyyah.
4. Names and Attributes: ta'wil and denial of many sifat
Maturidis and Asharis affirm only a limited number of attributes which they claim are known by reason (life, knowledge, power, will, hearing, seeing, speech, creation, etc.). Then:
[]They deny the apparent meaning of many attributes mentioned in Qur'an and Sunnah, such as: Face, Hand, Nuzul, Istiwa, Anger, Pleasure, Love, etc.
[]They perform ta'wil (figurative interpretation), e.g.:
• Face = reward
• Hand = power
• Istiwa over the Throne = dominance
But Allah تعالى says:
The Salafic methodology is:
[]Affirm whatever Allah affirmed for Himself and what the Messenger ﷺ affirmed for Him.
[]Without tahrif (distortion), ta'til (denial), takyif (asking how), or tashbih (likening to creation).
They regarded the way of Jahmiyyah and the people of kalam - in ta'wil of attributes - as a bid'ah and deviation from the path of the Sahabah.
5. The Qur'an and “kalam nafsi”
Maturidis and Asharis say:
[]Allah’s true speech is an eternal, internal “self speech” (الكلام النفسي) that is not letters or sounds and is not actually heard.
[]What we recite - the Qur'an in letters and sounds, written in Mushafs, memorised on tongues - is created and is only an expression of that eternal meaning.
This leads them to say that all Mushafs in people’s hands are created, agreeing in reality with the statement “The Qur'an is created” which the Salaf strongly rejected.
Ahl al Sunnah say:
[]Allah speaks with a real speech, when He wills, how He wills, with letters and sound, in a way befitting Him.
[]The Qur'an is the uncreated speech of Allah, revealed to Jibreel then to Muhammad ﷺ.
Allah says:
He clearly called what is heard “speech of Allah”, not a created expression of an internal meaning.
6. Definition of Iman: agreeing with the Murji'ah
Maturidis and Asharis define Iman mainly as:
[]Tasdiq in the heart (belief), and according to some, verbal confession.
[]They say it does not increase or decrease.- They often say it is wrong to say “I am a believer in sha Allah”, and that Islam = Iman with no difference.
So in reality they follow the path of Murji'ah in separating actions from Iman.
Ahl al Sunnah define Iman as:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
Some of these branches are clearly actions (removing harm from the road, modesty, etc.), proving that actions are part of Iman and that it varies.
7. Ru'yah (seeing Allah) in the Hereafter
Maturidis and Asharis affirm that the believers will see Allah in the Hereafter, but then say there is no “facing” and no “direction”, using philosophical negations that were not spoken by the Salaf. This is a contradiction: affirmation in words, negation in reality.
Ahl al Sunnah say:
- The believers will see their Lord with their eyes in the Hereafter in a manner befitting His Majesty, without asking how and without using the words of Ahl al Kalam.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
We affirm this without tashbih and without the philosophy of “direction” etc.
8. Asharis: sharing most of the same foundations
The Ashari aqeedah shares with the Maturidi aqeedah most of these principles:
[]Adopting kalam and philosophy as a path to aqeedah.
[]Putting rational proof before the texts in “usul al din”.
[]Ta'wil of most attributes and restricting affirmation to a small set of “rational” attributes.
[]The doctrine of kalam nafsi.
[]Irja' in definition of Iman.
[]The same view about the first obligation being rational knowledge of Allah.
Differences between them are mostly details inside the same kalami framework, not a different manhaj. Both are outside the pure Salafi way of the Sahabah in usul al iman and Sifat.
9. Ruling on Maturidis and Asharis as individuals
Despite these serious errors:
[]The correct position of the scholars is that this bid'ah is not kufr in itself.
[]Their followers fall under the general ruling of sinful Muslims whose matter is with Allah.
Allah تعالى said:
And the believers are commanded to say:
So:
[]We refute their manhaj and usul clearly and firmly.
[]We do not oppress them, deny their efforts in serving Islam, or make unjust general takfir.- Who erred after sincere ijtihad, seeking the Sunnah, is under the promise:
﴿رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا﴾
“Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake.”
Reference: Qur'an: 2/286
Summary
[]Maturidis and Asharis are kalami schools influenced by Jahmiyyah, Mu'tazilah and Ibn Kullab.
[]They contradict Ahl al Sunnah in the source of aqeedah (making 'aql primary), in Tawhid, in Asma wa Sifat, in Iman, in speech of Allah, and in details of Ru'yah and other issues.- Their aqeedah is bid'ah, not the pure Salafi aqeedah of the Sahabah, but they remain within the general fold of Islam, their judgement being with Allah.
