This book provides an analytical study of the M¿tur¿d¿ school of theology. Affiliated with the ¿anaf¿ school of jurisprudence, the M¿tur¿d¿ represented one of the most influential schools of scholastic theology (kal¿m) in Sunni Islam. Attempting to fill the historical gaps in the study of early and classical M¿tur¿d¿ thought and scholarship, this work explores not only the rise of the school, but also maps out seminal phases in its subsequent intellectual development. With a concern for context and relevance, it offers key insights into the literary legacy of the school, covering the work of its founder and later M¿tur¿d¿ theologians. The study includes a critical Arabic edition of the treatise entitled al-¿¿d¿ (The Guide), authored by one of the luminaries of the school, Imam al-Khabb¿z¿ (d.691ah/1292ad). The work served as an important repository of M¿tur¿d¿ theological thought preserving significant discussions elaborated within the school and their impact upon later theological discourses.