New Light on the Emergence of Māturīdism: Abū Shakūr al-Sālimī (fifth/eleventh century) and his Kitāb al-Tamhīd fī bayān al-tawḥīd

Abstract

Abstract The present paper focuses on the Arabic theological work al-Tamhīd fī bayān al-tawḥīd (‘Introduction to the Explanation of Monotheism’), authored by the Transoxanian scholar, Abū Shakūr al-Sālimī (fifth/eleventh century). A jurist and theologian, he belonged to the kalām-school in the succession of Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī (d. 333/944), and which, based on Ḥanafī tradition, forms the second pillar of the Sunni confession alongside the doctrines of Abū l-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī (d. 324/935) and his followers. Despite increasing activities in the field of editions during the last few decades, details of Māturīdī speculative theology (kalām) still remain insufficiently studied. This deficiency applies, on the one hand, to the utilization of texts, partially or not yet available in text-critical and analytically focused editions. On the other hand, a profound and pressing need for systematic research remains, particularly with regards to the relationship between Māturīdism and Ashʿarism, given that the latter has been studied in much greater detail. Against this background, al-Sālimī is presented in his historical and intellectual milieu. It is shown that his treatise is in the Ḥanafī–Māturīdī tradition, but his doctrines sometimes differ from other Māturīdī teachings. Subsequently, some key topics of the Tamhīd are addressed. A special focus is on the beginning of the dispute between Māturīdī theologians and the Ashʿariyya, where issues of epistemology, prophecy, the doctrine of God’s names and attributes, and the conception of faith that serve as typical examples of Ḥanafī jurisprudence and theology are also treated. Finally, a case study illuminates important issues at the heart of Māturīdī theology, as well as the integration of juridical topics into kalām. Through this approach, this paper intends to introduce the text as a valuable source for the study of Sunni theology in a more comprehensive sense than has previously been considered.