Disclaimer: No polemics please in the comments. This is purely for academic interest.

The following guide gives a decent overview of the main works of the Sunni schools in ‘aqidah. They are by no means comprehensive, but are fairly representative of each school. One who reads further into ‘aqidah finds that within each school there are a number of internal differences, often historical but even at times contemporary.

I have included madhab affiliation to highlight the relationship between certain theological schools and their legal colleagues. You will notice that Shafi’is have always been split between Atharis and Ash’aris, whereas Hanafis are mostly Maturidi, Malikis mostly Ash’ari, and Hanbalis mostly Athari.

I encourage you to read the works directly yourselves, because a lot of dishonesty and misrepresentation takes place, unfortunately. Too few are objective in this area.

Try to take notice of developments over time and investigate the causes.

Athari – Shafi’i, Hanbali, and Hanafi

Beginner – basic concepts

Lam’at al-I’tiqad by Ibn Qudamah al-Hanbali (d.620)

by Ibn Qudamah al-Hanbali (d.620) Muqadimat al-Risalah by Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani al-Maliki (d.386)

by Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani al-Maliki (d.386) Bayan I’tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah by Abu Ja’far al-Tahawi al-Hanafi (d.321)

Intermediate – advanced concepts

Sharh ‘Aqidah al-Tahawiyah by Ibn Abi al-‘Izz al-Hanafi (d.792)

by Ibn Abi al-‘Izz al-Hanafi (d.792) ‘Aqidat al-Salaf wa Ashab al-Hadith by al-Sabuni al-Shafi’i (d.449)

by al-Sabuni al-Shafi’i (d.449) al-Shari’ah by Abu Bakr al-Ajuri al-Shafi’i (d.320)

by Abu Bakr al-Ajuri al-Shafi’i (d.320) al-‘Uluw li al-‘Ali al-Ghaffar by Shams al-Dhahabi al-Shafi’i (d.748)

Advanced – summary of classical Atharism

Sharh Usul al-I’tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah by al-Lalika’i al-Shafi’i (d.418)

Ash’ari – Maliki and Shafi’i

Beginner – basic concepts in contemporary Ash’arism

Qawa’id al-Aqa’id by al-Ghazali al-Shafi’i (d.505)

by al-Ghazali al-Shafi’i (d.505) al-Kharidah al-Bahiyah by Ahmad al-Dardir al-Maliki (1204)

by Ahmad al-Dardir al-Maliki (1204) Jawharat al-Tawhid by al-Laqqani al-Maliki (d.1041)

by al-Laqqani al-Maliki (d.1041) Umm al-Barahin by Yusuf al-Sanusi al-Maliki (d.940)

Intermediate – advanced concepts in contemporary Ash’arism

al-I’tiqad by al-Bayhaqi al-Shafi’i (d.458)

by al-Bayhaqi al-Shafi’i (d.458) Tuhfat al-Murid ‘ala Jawharat al-Tawhid by al-Bajuri al-Shafi’i (d.1276)

by al-Bajuri al-Shafi’i (d.1276) Tawali’ al-Anwar by al-Baydawi al-Shafi’i (d.685)

Advanced – the fathers of classical Ash’arism (quite different from those today!)

al-Irshad by al-Juwayni al-Shafi’i (d.478)

by al-Juwayni al-Shafi’i (d.478) al-Ibana by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari al-Shafi’i (d.324)

by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari al-Shafi’i (d.324) al-Mujarrad by Ibn Furak al-Shafi’i (d.406)

by Ibn Furak al-Shafi’i (d.406) al-Tamhid and al-Insaf by Abu Bakr al-Baqillani al-Maliki (d.403)

Maturidi – exclusively Hanafi

Beginner – basic concepts

Bad’ al-Amali by Siraj al-Din al-Uwshi al-Hanafi (d.575)

by Siraj al-Din al-Uwshi al-Hanafi (d.575) ‘Umdat al-Aqidah by Abu al-Barakat al-Nasafi al-Hanafi (d.710)

by Abu al-Barakat al-Nasafi al-Hanafi (d.710) al-Bidayah fi Usul al-Din by Nur al-Din al-Sabuni al-Hanafi (d.580)

Intermediate – advanced concepts and blossoming

Sharh ‘Aqidat al-Nasafi (Abu Hafs) by al-Taftazani al-Hanafi (d.792)

(Abu Hafs) by al-Taftazani al-Hanafi (d.792) al-Musayara by Ibn al-Human al-Hanafi (d.681)

Advanced – classical Maturidism

Tabsirat al-Adillah by Abu Mu’in al-Nasafi al-Makhluli al-Hanafi (d.508)

by Abu Mu’in al-Nasafi al-Makhluli al-Hanafi (d.508) Kitab al-Tawhid by Abu Mansur al-Maturidi al-Hanafi (d.333)