The Issue of Definition and Possibility of Knowledge in The Mu'tazila and Māturīdiyya Sects

Abstract

Knowledge is a relationship established between the knower and the known. Man has always resorted to knowing to sustain his life, transfer his experience to the next generations, and understand his position in the universe. For this reason, epistemology has been interesting throughout history since Ancient Greece. As a result of the conquests, Muslims' encounters with people of different religions and beliefs and the following translation efforts necessitated theologians to work more systematically on this issue. In this study, we aimed to examine the theories that emerged on the issue of the definition and possibility of knowledge in the schools of Mu'tazila and Māturīdiyya, two important schools with a rational mindset in the history of kalam. Thus, it will be possible to determine the schools' approaches to issues and the similar and different aspects in this process. In this process, in the study, by adhering to the classical method in social research, data on the issue were first collected through the schools' work, and then an analysis was attempted on this data. In this context, while it is seen that different definitions were developed within the Mu'tazila, in the Māturīdī thought, the majority of the sect accepted the definition made by Imam Māturīdī.