Al-Maturidi and the Development of Sunni Theology in Samarqand

Al-M tur d (d. 944 CE), the prominent Hanafi scholar from Samarqand, succeeded in formulating a theological doctrine which is widely accepted in Sunni Islam to this day. The present volume which is a revised English version of the German original published in 1997 examines his teachings by describing their principal characteristics and situating them in the history of kal m. Part one investigates the development of Hanafi thought in Transoxania before M tur d 's time. Part two deals with the other religious groups (in particular the Mu'tazilites) which emerged in this area during his lifetime. Part three shows how he explained and defended the position of his predecessors; in doing so, he reformed their traditional views, thereby developing his own theology which then became the basis of a new tradition, viz. the M tur dite school.

Ulrich Rudolph, Dr. phil. (1987) University of Tubingen, is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Zurich. He has published widely on the history of Islamic theology and philosophy.Rodrigo Adem is a PhD student in the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago with a specialization in Islamic Thought.