Ebû İshâk Zâhid es-Saffâr'ın Mâturîdî Kelâmına Katkıları [Abū Ishāq Zāhid al-Saffār's Contributions to the Maturidite Kalām]

Abū Ishāq Ibrahim b. Ismāil Zāhid al-Saffār al-Bukhārī (d. 534/1139) was one of the scholars of the Western Qarakhânids’period who followedthe Kalām thought of Māturīdī. The contents of his works named Talkhīs al-Adilla li-Qawa’id al-Tawhīd and Risālah fī al-Kalām, his method in Kalām, and referencesto his works indicate that al-Saffārwas an important Maturidite theologian. In this study, his contributions tothe Māturīdite kalāmare examined. Findings: 1) Knowledge is the first issue in al-Saffār’s Kalām systematic. He improved al-Māturīdī’s knowledge theory to a systematic level. 2) He developed views of earlier Hanafī-Māturīdītheologians about the value of ‘aqland naql (the Qurʾān and Hadīth). This mentality, relying on the difference between the knowledge areas of ‘aqland naql becomes the basis of Mâturîdîtetheology. 3)Another important contribution of al-Saffârto Māturīdīte theology is to explain comprehensively the names of Allah in an alphabetical order and to introduce interpretations based on the divine names into the theological discussions. 4) He used rational arguments, apocalyptic evidence and semantic in order to explain and support his views. Being a model on using the semantic ideally is his the most significant contribution to the Māturīdite theology. 5) His growing up in Bukhārā and living a long time in exile in Marw provided al-Saffār the opportunity to learn the teachings of the Hanafī-Māturīdī School and the Ash’arite theology from the main sources, respectively. Thus, he did not use an accusatory tone in his assessments towards the Ash’arites. His works are among the resources through which Māturīdītes can learn the Ash’arites’ views without prejudice. 6) By adding a long introduction to Talkhīṣ about, importance, religious legitimacy and naming the field of Kalām, al-Saffār asserted that the Kalām should be learned. As the first Maturīdīte theologian, his effort to give a separate section in his book for the justification of Kalām supported the study of the field and development of Māturīdīsm among Hanafītes. Further analytical studies regarding his works will reveal his contributions to the field of Māturīdītetheology more precisely.