THE IMPACT OF THE GROWTH OF MU'TAZILISM AND QARMATISM MOVEMENTS ON IMĀM MĀTURĪDĪ'S SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY

Abstract

During the time ofAbū Manṣūr Māturīdī, there were two factions that significantly influenced the social and political life of Mā Warāʾ al-Nahr:

The Mu'tazilism sect, founded by Wāṣil ibn ʿAtāʾ, gained great political power in the 9th century AD with the support of some Abbasid caliphs. The Mu'tazilites promoted reason as an independent source in matters of faith to such an extent that they openly opposed muḥaddiths, jurists and scholars who relied on narrative sources of faith. As a result, the fight between the two sides escalated.

In the years when Scholar lived, there was also an active movement of factions belonging to the Shīʿa group in the lands ruled by Sāmānis. During the last years of the reign of Naṣr II ibn ʾAḥmad (301-331/914-943), many Shiʿite movements began to gain strength again. In fact, Shiʿite propaganda never stopped in Khurāsān, which was inextricably linked to Mā Warāʾ al-Nahr, and the descendants of ʿAlī (r.a.) always had a great influence on the population.