Mufti Fazl-i Subhan al-Qadiri visits the Imam Maturidi Complex in Samarkand
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ الْكَرِيمِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ
Imam Maturidi: A Defender of Orthodox Creed Against Deviant Sects
Imam Abu Mansur Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Mahmud al-Maturidi al-Ayyubi descended from the noble lineage of Hz. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him). [1] He is revered as the flag of guidance for the Muslim community that followed him. Renowned for his sharp intellect and formidable debating skills, he steadfastly defended the beliefs of Islam, refuted the doubts of atheists, and dispelled all deviations and any doubts concerning Islamic creed. [2]
The names of his books, as mentioned in various references, indicate that he strove for a long time against innovations and deviant ideas adopted by misguided sects such as the Mu‘tazila, the Qaramita, and the Rawafid in matters of creed. [3] In Transoxiana, Imam Maturidi was recognised as the leading authority in the school of Abu Hanifa, with only six teachers between him and the founder of the Hanafi School. [4]
Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi is well known for his works and contributions in Kalam (Islamic theology), Tafsir (Qur’anic exegesis), Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), and the history of sects. His book, Kitab al-Tawhid, has become a fundamental reference for the theological school of Ahl al-Sunnah. [5]
Imam Maturidi’s Mausoleum in Samarkand
Titles Conferred Upon Imam Maturidi
In honour of his steadfastness in defending the pure creed, many titles were conferred upon him by later scholars of Sunnah, including:
Al-Shaykh, al-Imam
Shaykh al-Islam
Imam al-Huda (The Imam of Guidance)
‘Alam al-Huda (The Flag of Guidance)
Raʾīs Mashāʾikh Samarqand (The Chief of the Shuyūkh of Samarkand)
Imam al-Mutakallimīn (The Imam of the Theologians)
Muṣaḥḥiḥ ʿAqāʾid al-Muslimīn (The Corrector of Muslims’ Beliefs)
Imam Ahl al-Sunnah (The Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah). [6]
The Resting Place of Imam Maturidi
One of the largest neighborhoods in Samarkand is home to a vast cemetery where Imam Maturidi is buried. This neighborhood, known as Chokardiza, serves as the final resting place for many great scholars, Sufis, and prominent jurists. Among them is Imam Abu al-Fath Salih ibn Muhammad al-Sufi, who passed away in the year 532 AH.
It has been mentioned that, in the city of Samarkand, there is a cemetery known as Maqbarat al-Muḥammadiyyīn. In this cemetery, 104 fortunate individuals from among the scholars of the Hanafi school have been buried, each of whom was named Muḥammad. These scholars authored books, issued legal rulings (fatāwā), and imparted knowledge to a great multitude of students. The people of Samarkand later compiled their names as a testament to their contributions. This is the very same cemetery where Imam Maturidi is resting.
When the eminent Imam Burhan al-Din al-Marghinani, the author of al-Hidāyah, passed away, his funeral procession was carried toward this very cemetery with the intention of burying him there. However, the people prevented this, as his name was not Muḥammad, and so he was laid to rest near the cemetery instead. [7]
Entrance to the Imam Maturidi’s Mausoleum in Samarkand
The Protection of Imam Maturidi’s Tomb During Soviet Rule
During the Soviet Union, the tomb of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi was preserved inside a house to prevent enemies from erasing its existence. The communists, who typically sought to erase any traces of such sites, were unable to do so because the Muslims safeguarded these graves by incorporating them into their homes as part of a room. Despite these circumstances, his grave remained well-known to the people of Samarkand. After gaining freedom, the residents relocated their houses to other areas, allowing the general Muslim public to access these sacred sites with ease.
Courtyard and Gardens at the Imam Maturidi Complex
In 1999, a delegation of Turkish scholars visited Samarkand and located the grave of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi. Subsequently, in 2002, his tomb was reconstructed, and today, a grand mausoleum stands at the site.
Leading Authority in Maturidi Kalam Today
Recently, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan arranged for Mufti Fazl-i Subhan al-Qadiri to recite the final Hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari, fully completing it once more in the underground room where Imam Isma‘il al-Bukhari is buried in Khartoum (more details to follow on this later). This took place despite the complex being closed for some time now due to extensive reconstruction and expansion efforts.
During the same trip, the Shaykh paid his respects at the Imam Maturidi complex in Samarkand. In our time, Mufti Fazl-i Subhan al-Qadiri stands as a senior representative of the scholarly heritage of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, having taught advanced Islamic theology and Maturidi Kalam for 60 years.
Mubashir Iqbal, founder of Khairabadi Institute along with Hassan Qadiri walking by the side of Mufti Fazl-i Subhan Qadiri during a private visit to the Imam Maturidi Complex
Mufti Fazl-i Subhan al-Qadiri has dedicated his entire 60-year teaching career to the instruction of specialist works in the rational sciences, many of which are rarely taught today. In fact, even printed editions of these books are seldom found in most parts of the Muslim world.
Only this year, the Shaykh taught Mulla Sadra’s commentary on Hidayat al-Hikmah in philosophy and Mullah Hasan’s commentary on Sullam al-‘Ulum in advanced logic, while simultaneously completing the Dawrah al-Hadith with advanced students in the KPK region of the Northern Frontiers.
Those serene moments in the mausoleum of Imam Maturidi will be cherished for a lifetime—standing between two giants, one the Flag of Guidance and the other a true heir of the legacy of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi in our era.
هذَا قَبْرُ مَنْ حَازَ الْعُلُوْمَ بِأَنْفَاسِهِ وَاسْتَنْفَدَ الْوُسْعَ فِي نَشْرِهِ وَأَقْبَاسِهِ فَحَمِدَتْ فِي الدِّينِ آثَارُهُ وَاجْتُنِي مِنْ عُمْرِه ثِمَارُهُ.
We pray for the Shaykh’s continued health and strength to teach the classical works under the classical Khairabadi pedagogy, and for that vision to remain the driving force behind the projects of Khairabadi Institute.
To learn more about Shaykh Fazl-i Subhan al-Qadiri—his scholarly lineage, teaching methodology, and lifelong dedication to the rational and transmitted sciences—read the following article: Imām al-Mudarrisīn, Muftī Fazl-i Subhān al-Qādirī here.
[1] Ittiḥād al-Sāda al-Muttaqīn
[2] al-Fatḥ al-Mubīn fī Ṭabaqāt al-Uṣūlīyīn
[3] Muqaddimāt al-Muḥaqqiq - Taʾwīlāt al-Qurʾān
[4] Tadhkira Imām Abū Manṣūr Māturīdī
[5] Ibid
[6] Muqaddimāt al-Muḥaqqiq - Taʾwīlāt al-Qurʾān
[7] al-Athmār al-Janiyyah fī Asmāʾ al-Ḥanafiyyah
