Small Theological Differences, Profound Philosophical Implications: Notes on Some of the Chief Differences between the Ash‘arīs and Māturīdīs

In this article, focusing primarily on Abū ‘Udhba’s (d. 1125/1713) al-Rawđa al-bahiyya and Shaykhzāde ‘Abdurraĥīm’s (d. 1148/1735) Nažm al-farā’id, I discuss some of the chief doctrinal differences between the two largest Sunni kalām schools, namely, the Ash‘arīs and Māturīdīs. On the basis of three exemplary topics: knowledge of God, God’s attributes of action (al-śifāt al-fi‘liyya), and the relationship between divine predestination and human free will, I analyze philosophical implications behind certain theological differences.