Appointment of Four Judges in Fāṭimid Egypt in 525/1131, A New Interpretation

İrfan İnce

Makale detayları

Appointment of Four Judges in Fāṭimid Egypt in 525/1131, A New Interpretation

Yazarlar:

İrfan İnce

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

İslam Hukuku

Dergi:

İslam Tetkikleri Dergisi Vol.14 Issue 2, pp.501-528

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

9/2024

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001330664

pISSN:

2717-6967

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 The appointment of four judges in the Fatimid state in 5251131 was significant enough to prompt an anonymous source to document it, and it was later taken up by modern scholars, who speculated about its meaning in its historical context. This event offers valuable insights into the Fāṭimid socio-political history and the history of Islamic law. Notably, two of these judges were from two Shīʿa schools and the other two from two Sunnī schools. A local source, writing approximately half a century after the event, described it as an unprecedented occurrence in the Muslim community. While the exact implications of this statement remain ambiguous, modern scholars have found it both intriguing and instructive in their interpretations. The appointment record does not specify any restrictions on the jurisdiction of judges concerning cases they can adjudicate. However, their authority over inheritance matters was emphasized. Certain fundamental rulings where Shīʿa and Sunnī doctrines diverged were associated with the Fāṭimid conception of imāmate. For the same reason, the Fāṭimid Rulers adopted a stringent stance on these matters during the early stages of their rule in Egypt. Therefore, this information provides significant insights into the Fāṭimid judicial system, the application of Shīʿa law in a predominantly Sunnī Egyptian society, and the socio-political context of its enactment. Conversely, the limited availability of historical sources from this period enhances the value of this information and, while at the same time, complicates its interpretation. Allouche was the first researcher to explore this historical information extensively, attempting to determine the political motivations behind the appointments and the status and identities of the appointed judges within the constraints of limited sources. Subsequent literature frequently referenced Allouches work, but no alternative interpretations were proposed. In this paper, I first address a question overlooked by Allouche by identifying the primary source of this historical information. I try to demonstrate how this isolated piece of knowledge was integrated into the main text, which significantly contributed to difficuties in its interpretation. Subsequently, I examine Allouches method of using the sources, highlight significant gaps and errors in his source analysis, and suggest revisions for his evaluation of the main questions he tried to answer.

 The appointment of four judges in the Fatimid state in 5251131 was significant enough to prompt an anonymous source to document it, and it was later taken up by modern scholars, who speculated about its meaning in its historical context. This event offers valuable insights into the Fāṭimid socio-political history and the history of Islamic law. Notably, two of these judges were from two Shīʿa schools and the other two from two Sunnī schools. A local source, writing approximately half a century after the event, described it as an unprecedented occurrence in the Muslim community. While the exact implications of this statement remain ambiguous, modern scholars have found it both intriguing and instructive in their interpretations. The appointment record does not specify any restrictions on the jurisdiction of judges concerning cases they can adjudicate. However, their authority over inheritance matters was emphasized. Certain fundamental rulings where Shīʿa and Sunnī doctrines diverged were associated with the Fāṭimid conception of imāmate. For the same reason, the Fāṭimid Rulers adopted a stringent stance on these matters during the early stages of their rule in Egypt. Therefore, this information provides significant insights into the Fāṭimid judicial system, the application of Shīʿa law in a predominantly Sunnī Egyptian society, and the socio-political context of its enactment. Conversely, the limited availability of historical sources from this period enhances the value of this information and, while at the same time, complicates its interpretation. Allouche was the first researcher to explore this historical information extensively, attempting to determine the political motivations behind the appointments and the status and identities of the appointed judges within the constraints of limited sources. Subsequent literature frequently referenced Allouches work, but no alternative interpretations were proposed. In this paper, I first address a question overlooked by Allouche by identifying the primary source of this historical information. I try to demonstrate how this isolated piece of knowledge was integrated into the main text, which significantly contributed to difficuties in its interpretation. Subsequently, I examine Allouches method of using the sources, highlight significant gaps and errors in his source analysis, and suggest revisions for his evaluation of the main questions he tried to answer.

 The appointment of four judges in the Fatimid state in 5251131 was significant enough to prompt an anonymous source to document it, and it was later taken up by modern scholars, who speculated about its meaning in its historical context. This event offers valuable insights into the Fāṭimid socio-political history and the history of Islamic law. Notably, two of these judges were from two Shīʿa schools and the other two from two Sunnī schools. A local source, writing approximately half a century after the event, described it as an unprecedented occurrence in the Muslim community. While the exact implications of this statement remain ambiguous, modern scholars have found it both intriguing and instructive in their interpretations. The appointment record does not specify any restrictions on the jurisdiction of judges concerning cases they can adjudicate. However, their authority over inheritance matters was emphasized. Certain fundamental rulings where Shīʿa and Sunnī doctrines diverged were associated with the Fāṭimid conception of imāmate. For the same reason, the Fāṭimid Rulers adopted a stringent stance on these matters during the early stages of their rule in Egypt. Therefore, this information provides significant insights into the Fāṭimid judicial system, the application of Shīʿa law in a predominantly Sunnī Egyptian society, and the socio-political context of its enactment. Conversely, the limited availability of historical sources from this period enhances the value of this information and, while at the same time, complicates its interpretation. Allouche was the first researcher to explore this historical information extensively, attempting to determine the political motivations behind the appointments and the status and identities of the appointed judges within the constraints of limited sources. Subsequent literature frequently referenced Allouches work, but no alternative interpretations were proposed. In this paper, I first address a question overlooked by Allouche by identifying the primary source of this historical information. I try to demonstrate how this isolated piece of knowledge was integrated into the main text, which significantly contributed to difficuties in its interpretation. Subsequently, I examine Allouches method of using the sources, highlight significant gaps and errors in his source analysis, and suggest revisions for his evaluation of the main questions he tried to answer.

 Fâtımî Devleti hâkimiyeti altındaki Mısırda 5251131 yılında ikisi Şiî ikisi Sünnî olmak üzere dört kadı atandığı bilgisi, bunun Fâtımî Devletinin hem sosyopolitik hem de fıkıh tarihine ışık tutuyor olması sebebiyle modern araştırmacıların dikkatini çekmiştir. Bilgiyi olaydan muhtemelen yarım asır sonra not eden yerel kaynağımız bu düzenlemeyi İslam milletinde benzeri görülmemiş bir hadise olarak niteler. Bu değerlendirme modern araştırmalarda söz konusu tarihi bilginin yorumu konusunda da yönlendirici olmuştur. Haber kadıların önlerine getirilen davalara bakma konusunda herhangi bir sınırlamadan söz etmez ancak kadıların miras konusundaki yetkilerini ayrıca vurgular. Özellikle miras hukuku konusunda Şiî ve Sünnî öğretilerin ayrıştığı temel bazı hükümlerin Fâtımîlerin imamet anlayışıyla sıkı bir şekilde ilişkilendirildiği ve bu yüzden Fâtımîlerin özellikle Mısır hâkimiyetinin ilk dönemlerinde miras konusunda katı bir tutum sergiledikleri bilinmektedir. Bu yönüyle söz konusu bilgi Fâtımî yargı sistemi, büyük bir bölümü Sünnîlerden oluşan Mısır toplumunda Şiî hukukunun uygulanış şekli ve nihayet sosyopolitik bağlamla ilgili önemli ipuçları içerir. Olayın gerçekleştiği dönemle ilgili kaynakların sınırlı olması bir taraftan bu bilginin değerini artırırken diğer taraftan onun yorumunu da güçleştirir. Bu tarihi bilgiyi en geniş şekliyle Allouche 1985te yayımladığı bir makalede ele almış ve bu atamanın siyasi saikleri, atanan kadıların statüsü ve kimliklerini sınırlı sayıdaki kaynaklar çerçevesinde açıklığa kavuşturmaya çalışmıştır. Sonraki literatürde Alloucheun yazısına birçok yazar tarafından atıf yapılmış, ancak Alloucheun temel yorumlarıyla ilgili farklı bir değerlendirme teklif edilmemiştir. Bu incelemede öncelikle Alloucheun dikkate almadığı bir konu olan söz konusu bilginin temel kaynağı meselesini ele aldık. Ardından bu bilginin ana metne nasıl yerleştirildiğini göstermeye çalıştık ve bunun atanan kadıların kimlikleri, atamanın yargı sistemi içindeki niteliği ve sosyopolitik saiklerine dair akla getirdiği soruları yeniden değerlendirmeye çalıştık. Bu çerçevede Alloucheun kaynak okumasındaki önemli eksiklik ve hatalara işaret ettik, cevaplamaya çalıştığı sorularla ilgili bu araştırmada ulaşılan sonuçlar çerçevesinde farklı değerlendirmeler teklif etik.

Makale detayları

Appointment of Four Judges in Fāṭimid Egypt in 525/1131, A New Interpretation

Yazarlar:

İrfan İnce

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

İslam Hukuku

Dergi:

İslam Tetkikleri Dergisi Vol.14 Issue 2, pp.501-528

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

9/2024

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001330664

pISSN:

2717-6967

Islamic Law

History of Islamic Law

Fāṭimid Judicial System

Chief Qāḍī

Appointment of Four Qāḍīs

Legal Pluralism

Law and Politics in Fāṭimid Egyptİslam Hukuku

İslam Hukuku Tarihi

Fâtımî Yargı Düzeni

Kâdılkudât

Dört Kadı Ataması

Hukuki Çoğulculuk

Fâtımî Devleti’nde Hukuk ve Siyaset

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: İrfan İnce

Yayıncı: Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar: İslam Hukuku

Dergi: İslam Tetkikleri Dergisi Vol.14 Issue 2, pp.501-528

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 9/2024

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001330664

pISSN: 2717-6967

Sayı

Yazarlar:

İrfan İnce

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

İslam Hukuku

Dergi:

İslam Tetkikleri Dergisi Vol.14 Issue 2, pp.501-528

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

9/2024

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001330664

pISSN:

2717-6967