Comparison of the Comments of Imam Maturidi and Zamakhshari on Warnings of Divine Punishment to Believers

Abstract

Imam Maturidi is one of the leading names of Ahl as-Sunnah. Zemahşeri is one of the last defenders of the Mu'tazila sect and is an important name in the school. It is a principle revealed in the Qur'an that those who deserve it will be punished by Almighty Allah in accordance with divine justice. This punishment was mostly directed towards groups that adopted belief structures such as infidels, polytheists and hypocrites. However, in some verses, it is seen that believers are warned by divine punishment for both worldly and hereafter life. Here, warnings are made based on the actions taken, not the belief structure. In the context of faith-deed relationship, deliberately killing someone, dividing into groups, failing to respect Allah's prophet, avoiding fighting in the way of Allah, slandering an honest woman, swearing falsely, and doing wrong in social life by exceeding the limits set by Allah. Topics such as these were interpreted by Imam Maturidi and Zamakhshari within the framework of the theological thought they accepted. Here, the views of both authors are discussed in terms of difference and similarity.