The theory of reason in Imam al-Maturidi

In the science of kalam, the reason has been discussed with its various aspects. The most important reason for this is that in addition to the fact that the reason plays a dominant role in religious responsibility, it is a crucial a criterion that testifies the information obtained through various means. There can be no possible scientific progress without the reason and a religion that conflicts with the reason will not make any sense in the eyes of its interlocutors. For this reason, the reason has a very important function. Imam al-Maturidi is an important mutakallim who pioneered the next generations with his ideas and works. Living in an age where religious sciences gained a methodological identity and each sect created its own system, al-Mâturîdî gained a unique place in the Islamic world with the solutions he offered. In our study, the theory of reason, which forms the backbone of his thought system, has been studied. In this context, firstly, the life and works of the great thinker al-Maturidi and his ideas that marked Islamic thought were discussed. In this section, his peculiar epistemologic approach tawhid idea, faith idea and political reasonset were considered. In the second part, the subject of reason is conceptually discussed, and discussions on the nature of the reason, its classification, the judgments it makes, and the place of the reason are included. The perspectives on the reason have been presented from the aspects of philosophers, Sufis, Salafis and theologians throughout the Islamic thought history, and the historical adventure of the reason has been revealed with theories of reason in modern age in actual world. In the last part of our study, the place and function of the reason in Imam al-Maturidi's epistemology were discussed with reference to his works called Kitab at-Tawhid and Tawilat al-Quran. Therefore, the nature of the human with intellectual abilities, the epistemic and religious values of the reason, the definition and essence of knowledge were discussed regarding Imam al-Maturidi's viewpoint. Henceforth, the sources of knowledge were determined from the view of al-Maturidi. Several issues such as the reason as a means of knowledge, the competence area of the reason, the need of the reason for religion and the limitations of the reason were assessed according to al-Maturidi. Lastly, the relationship between the reason and taqlid were revealed as well as the value that al-Maturidi gave to functional reason in understanding religion.