Reading Meccan Pagans with Maturidi's Eyes

Abstract

The polytheists of Mecca have different social structures, faith and beliefs. The Qur'an has given the news about them mostly by way of narratives. So different behaviors and thoughts of the polytheists have been melted in a single pot. The verses were read and understood as atomic and literal when this stylistic feature didn't draw enough attention. Consequently, it has made it difficult for us to conceive the basis of the thoughts and behaviors of these Mecca pagans. al-Maturidi (d.333/944) had considered the style of the Qur'an and read it with a holistic eye. He also pointed out that the Meccans were in different structures and that their thought systems were different from each other. Although Maturidi did not neglect the reports about them, by concentrating on the human nature he had done different readings apart from the tradition on the Meccans. He dealt with how the Meccans set up their rejection about the afterlife, the tawhid, and the prophets. This article tries to read the Mecca polytheists with Maturidi's eyes.