Kalam Maturidi and the Concept of God: A Theological Analysis from Classical and Contemporary Islamic Perspectives

A balanced approach between reason and revelation, Maturidi theology, which is a Sunni school of thought developed by Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, is thoroughly covered in this study. The Maturidiyah developed as a reaction to the intense rationalism of the Mu'tazilah and the rigorous textualism of the Ash'ariyah. It stresses the ideas of tanzih (the transcendence of God), hikmah (divine wisdom), and a reasonable perspective of human free will (kasb). The study looks at Allah's characteristics, the state of the Word of Allah, the idea of Ru'yat Allah, and the link between belief and action. A comparative study with the Asy'ariyah and Mu'tazilah schools shows that they were more rationalist than, but still believed in the authority of revelation. The relevance of ideas in the current day is shown by their capacity to handle secularism, pluralism, and extremism while fostering moderation (wasatiyyah) and social cohesiveness. The results of this research support the possibility of theology as a philosophical and moral base for modern Islamic education, therefore forming a generation of Muslims who are critical but still loyal to tradition. This research advises more research should be conducted on the use of ideas to contemporary moral challenges, including technology and bioethics, to increase its contribution to world Islamic philosophy.