Ontology of Faith: Analysis, Critical Edition, and Translation of Sadr al-Dīn-zāda Shirwānī’s Risāla of Faith

Tarık Tanrıbilir

Makale detayları

Ontology of Faith: Analysis, Critical Edition, and Translation of Sadr al-Dīn-zāda Shirwānī’s Risāla of Faith

Yazarlar:

Tarık Tanrıbilir

Yayıncı:

Eskişehir Osmangazi University

Ana Başlıklar:

Kelam

Dergi:

Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.12 Issue 1, pp.410-442

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

3/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001341580

pISSN:

2147-8171

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 The first institutional division in the history of Islamic politics and thought emerged with the problem of faith. The association of political problems with religion eventually transformed political preferences into religious identities. The exclusion of dissenting groups from the faith community laid the groundwork for addressing issues of faith on a theoretical level. Consequently, the first theological problems in Islamic thought emerged, leading to the formation of various doctrinal and intellectual groups. Due to its significance, a rich literature on the problem of faith has been passed down to the scholarly tradition. Among the scholars who authored independent treatises on this subject is the Ottoman scholar Sadr al-Dīn-zāda al-Shirwānī. Living in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda demonstrated his expertise in both rational and transmitted sciences through his works. Although he primarily wrote commentaries and glosses in line with the intellectual trends of his time, he also produced independent works, such as the Risāla of Faith. Forced to migrate from his homeland to Istanbul due to pressures from Shiite Safavids, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda earned the admiration of prominent Ottoman scholars, and the patronage of Sultan Ahmed I, holding significant positions in the state apparatus. Sadr al-Dīn-zādas Risāla of Faith is a unique work that demonstrates his deep knowledge in both rational and transmitted sciences. Since no autograph manuscript or a copy submitted to the author has been discovered, we adopted a comparative analytical method to reconstruct the text most faithful to the original in grammatical and doctrinal terms. In addition to providing a critical edition of the Risāla of Faith, we also conducted a translation and content analysis. While adhering to the conceptual framework in the translation, we aimed to use contemporary Turkish for clarity. What makes this treatise particularly original is its ontological perspective on the problem of faith. In the treatise, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda succinctly presents the primary views and disputed issues regarding the definition of faith and the doctrine of exceptions in faith within Islamic theological schools. He then devotes the treatise to an in-depth analysis of these two issues. Sadr al-Dīn-zāda defines faith as certitude of assentyaqini tasdīq. Verbal confessioniqrār is considered a necessary sign of faith for the validity of legal transactions. He identifies three degrees of certitudeyaqīn: ilm al-yaqīn knowledge of certainty, ayn al-yaqīn sight of certainty, and haqq al-yaqīn truth of certainty. Thus, faith does not undergo quantitative change but can experience qualitative increase or decrease. He effectively applies the ontological categories of Islamic philosophy to the elements of faith. He equates heartfelt assent taṣdīq with true existence ḥaqīqī wujūd, verbal confession with verbal existence lafẓī wujūd, and knowledge with mental existence dhihnī wujūd. For faith to be valid, he argues, true existence heartfelt assent must occur. Sadr al-Dīn-zāda links the problem of exceptions in faith to the philosophical debate over the nature of the soul nafs. For example, according to the Hanafīs, who view souls as identical, exceptions in faith are not permissible. In contrast, acceptable, the Shafīis, who argue souls have different essences, allow for exceptions in faith. Sadr al-Dīn-zāda however, proposes that souls pass through four stages where they converge or diverge concerning belief. Souls are similar in their state of misguidance ḍalālah in the first stage of creation and in their state of guidance hidāyah in the covenant stage mīthāq. However, they diverge in the second stage, when divine light is metaphorically presented, and in the fourth stage, the worldy life, regarding attributes of guidance and misguidance. Ultimately, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda concludes that faith and disbelief are not intrinsic attributes essential to individuals but rather accidental qualities subject to change based on personal free will.

 The first institutional division in the history of Islamic politics and thought emerged with the problem of faith. The association of political problems with religion eventually transformed political preferences into religious identities. The exclusion of dissenting groups from the faith community laid the groundwork for addressing issues of faith on a theoretical level. Consequently, the first theological problems in Islamic thought emerged, leading to the formation of various doctrinal and intellectual groups. Due to its significance, a rich literature on the problem of faith has been passed down to the scholarly tradition. Among the scholars who authored independent treatises on this subject is the Ottoman scholar Sadr al-Dīn-zāda al-Shirwānī. Living in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda demonstrated his expertise in both rational and transmitted sciences through his works. Although he primarily wrote commentaries and glosses in line with the intellectual trends of his time, he also produced independent works, such as the Risāla of Faith. Forced to migrate from his homeland to Istanbul due to pressures from Shiite Safavids, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda earned the admiration of prominent Ottoman scholars, and the patronage of Sultan Ahmed I, holding significant positions in the state apparatus. Sadr al-Dīn-zādas Risāla of Faith is a unique work that demonstrates his deep knowledge in both rational and transmitted sciences. Since no autograph manuscript or a copy submitted to the author has been discovered, we adopted a comparative analytical method to reconstruct the text most faithful to the original in grammatical and doctrinal terms. In addition to providing a critical edition of the Risāla of Faith, we also conducted a translation and content analysis. While adhering to the conceptual framework in the translation, we aimed to use contemporary Turkish for clarity. What makes this treatise particularly original is its ontological perspective on the problem of faith. In the treatise, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda succinctly presents the primary views and disputed issues regarding the definition of faith and the doctrine of exceptions in faith within Islamic theological schools. He then devotes the treatise to an in-depth analysis of these two issues. Sadr al-Dīn-zāda defines faith as certitude of assentyaqini tasdīq. Verbal confessioniqrār is considered a necessary sign of faith for the validity of legal transactions. He identifies three degrees of certitudeyaqīn: ilm al-yaqīn knowledge of certainty, ayn al-yaqīn sight of certainty, and haqq al-yaqīn truth of certainty. Thus, faith does not undergo quantitative change but can experience qualitative increase or decrease. He effectively applies the ontological categories of Islamic philosophy to the elements of faith. He equates heartfelt assent taṣdīq with true existence ḥaqīqī wujūd, verbal confession with verbal existence lafẓī wujūd, and knowledge with mental existence dhihnī wujūd. For faith to be valid, he argues, true existence heartfelt assent must occur. Sadr al-Dīn-zāda links the problem of exceptions in faith to the philosophical debate over the nature of the soul nafs. For example, according to the Hanafīs, who view souls as identical, exceptions in faith are not permissible. In contrast, acceptable, the Shafīis, who argue souls have different essences, allow for exceptions in faith. Sadr al-Dīn-zāda however, proposes that souls pass through four stages where they converge or diverge concerning belief. Souls are similar in their state of misguidance ḍalālah in the first stage of creation and in their state of guidance hidāyah in the covenant stage mīthāq. However, they diverge in the second stage, when divine light is metaphorically presented, and in the fourth stage, the worldy life, regarding attributes of guidance and misguidance. Ultimately, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda concludes that faith and disbelief are not intrinsic attributes essential to individuals but rather accidental qualities subject to change based on personal free will.

 The first institutional division in the history of Islamic politics and thought emerged with the problem of faith. The association of political problems with religion eventually transformed political preferences into religious identities. The exclusion of dissenting groups from the faith community laid the groundwork for addressing issues of faith on a theoretical level. Consequently, the first theological problems in Islamic thought emerged, leading to the formation of various doctrinal and intellectual groups. Due to its significance, a rich literature on the problem of faith has been passed down to the scholarly tradition. Among the scholars who authored independent treatises on this subject is the Ottoman scholar Sadr al-Dīn-zāda al-Shirwānī. Living in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda demonstrated his expertise in both rational and transmitted sciences through his works. Although he primarily wrote commentaries and glosses in line with the intellectual trends of his time, he also produced independent works, such as the Risāla of Faith. Forced to migrate from his homeland to Istanbul due to pressures from Shiite Safavids, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda earned the admiration of prominent Ottoman scholars, and the patronage of Sultan Ahmed I, holding significant positions in the state apparatus. Sadr al-Dīn-zādas Risāla of Faith is a unique work that demonstrates his deep knowledge in both rational and transmitted sciences. Since no autograph manuscript or a copy submitted to the author has been discovered, we adopted a comparative analytical method to reconstruct the text most faithful to the original in grammatical and doctrinal terms. In addition to providing a critical edition of the Risāla of Faith, we also conducted a translation and content analysis. While adhering to the conceptual framework in the translation, we aimed to use contemporary Turkish for clarity. What makes this treatise particularly original is its ontological perspective on the problem of faith. In the treatise, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda succinctly presents the primary views and disputed issues regarding the definition of faith and the doctrine of exceptions in faith within Islamic theological schools. He then devotes the treatise to an in-depth analysis of these two issues. Sadr al-Dīn-zāda defines faith as certitude of assentyaqini tasdīq. Verbal confessioniqrār is considered a necessary sign of faith for the validity of legal transactions. He identifies three degrees of certitudeyaqīn: ilm al-yaqīn knowledge of certainty, ayn al-yaqīn sight of certainty, and haqq al-yaqīn truth of certainty. Thus, faith does not undergo quantitative change but can experience qualitative increase or decrease. He effectively applies the ontological categories of Islamic philosophy to the elements of faith. He equates heartfelt assent taṣdīq with true existence ḥaqīqī wujūd, verbal confession with verbal existence lafẓī wujūd, and knowledge with mental existence dhihnī wujūd. For faith to be valid, he argues, true existence heartfelt assent must occur. Sadr al-Dīn-zāda links the problem of exceptions in faith to the philosophical debate over the nature of the soul nafs. For example, according to the Hanafīs, who view souls as identical, exceptions in faith are not permissible. In contrast, acceptable, the Shafīis, who argue souls have different essences, allow for exceptions in faith. Sadr al-Dīn-zāda however, proposes that souls pass through four stages where they converge or diverge concerning belief. Souls are similar in their state of misguidance ḍalālah in the first stage of creation and in their state of guidance hidāyah in the covenant stage mīthāq. However, they diverge in the second stage, when divine light is metaphorically presented, and in the fourth stage, the worldy life, regarding attributes of guidance and misguidance. Ultimately, Sadr al-Dīn-zāda concludes that faith and disbelief are not intrinsic attributes essential to individuals but rather accidental qualities subject to change based on personal free will.

 İslam siyaset ve düşünce tarihindeki ilk kurumsal ayrışma, iman problemiyle baş göstermiştir. Siyasete ilişkin problemlerin dine refere edilmesi zamanla politik tercihlerin dini kimliğe evrilmesine neden olmuştur. Muhalif grupların inanç toplumundan dışlanması, inanç problemlerinin teorik düzlemde ele alınmasına zemin hazırlamıştır. Böylece İslam düşüncesinde ilk teolojik problemler ortaya çıkmış, farklı inanç ve düşünce grupları vücut bulmuştur. Söz konusu önemine binaen ilim dünyasına iman problemine ilişkin zengin bir literatür tevarüs etmiştir. İman problemine ilişkin müstakil bir risâle kaleme alan müelliflerden biri de Osmanlı âlimi Sadreddinzâde Şirvânî olmuştur. 16. Yüzyılın sonları ve 17. Yüzyılın başlarında yaşamış olan Sadreddinzâde, ürettiği eserler ile kendini aklî ve naklî ilimlerde kanıtlamıştır. O, çağıyla uyumlu olarak daha çok şerh ve hâşiye türünde eserler telif etmiş olsa da İmân Risâlesi gibi müstakil eserler de yazmıştır. Şiî-Safevî baskıları nedeniyle memleketinden İstanbula göç etmek durumunda kalan Sadreddinzâde, burada Padişah I. Ahmed başta olmak üzere payitahtın önde gelen ulemasının takdirlerini kazanmış ve devlet kademesinde önemli görevler üstlenmiştir. Sadreddinzâdeye ait İman Risâlesi, onun aklî ve naklî ilimlerdeki behresini kanıtlayan özgün bir eserdir. Müellif hattı ya da ona arz edilen bir nüshaya rastlamadığımız için gramatik ve problematik anlamda müellif nüshasına en yakın metni inşa etmek adına nüshaları karşılaştırmalı analiz yöntemini benimsedik. İman Risâlesinin tahkikli neşrinin yanı sıra tercüme ve muhteva analizini de yaptık. Tercümede kavramsal çerçeveye riayet etmekle birlikte güncel Türkçeyi de dikkate almaya çalıştık. Bu risâleyi özgün kılan en önemli husus, iman problemine ontolojik bir perspektif kazandırmasıdır. Sadreddinzâde, risâlesinde, öncelikle imanın tanımı ve imanda istisna konularına ilişkin İslam mezheplerine ait belirgin görüşleri ve ihtilaflı hususları özlü bir şekilde aktarmaktadır. Daha sonra o, risâlesini mezkûr iki problemin derinlikli analizine tahsis etmektedir. Müellif, imanı, yakînî tasdik olarak tanımlamaktadır. İkrar ise, hukuki işlemlerin yürürlüğü için gerekli görülen bir iman alameti olarak konumlandırılmıştır. Kesin inanç anlamına gelen yakîn için üç mertebe söz konusu edilir: İlmel-yakîn, aynel-yakîn ve hakkal-yakîn. Dolayısıyla iman için sayısal bir değişim mümkün olmayıp yalnızca niteliksel bir artma ve eksilmeden bahsedilebilir. O, İslam felsefindeki varlık kategorilerini iman unsurlarına başarıyla uygulamaktadır. Şöyle ki; kalben tasdik hakikî varlığa, dil ile ikrar lafzî varlığa, marifet ise zihnî varlığa karşılık gelmekte olup imanın geçerli olabilmesi için hakiki varlık olan kalben tasdikin gerçekleşmesi gerekmektedir. Sadreddinzâde, imanda istisna problemini filozofların, nefislerin mizacı konusundaki ihtilaflarına bağlamaktadır. Nitekim nefisleri bir ve aynı kabul eden Hanefîlere göre imanda istisna caiz görülmez iken; nefislerin farklı mahiyetlere sahip olduğunu savunan Şafiîler, imanda istisnaya cevaz vermektedirler. Oysaki ona göre, nefisler, her birinde inanç yönünden benzeştikleri ya da ayrıştıkları dört evreden geçmektedirler. Şöyle ki; ilk yaratma evresinde dalalet sıfatında, misak evresinde ise hidayet sıfatında benzeşen nefisler, mecazen ilahi nurun sunulduğu ikinci evrede ve dünya hayatındaki dördüncü evrede hidayet ve dalalet sıfatlarında ayrışmaktadırlar. Netice itibarıyla ona göre, iman ve küfür, kişiye gerekli olan özsel nitelikler değil, kişilerin özgür iradelerine bağlı olarak değişime uğrayan ilineksel niteliklerdir.

Makale detayları

Ontology of Faith: Analysis, Critical Edition, and Translation of Sadr al-Dīn-zāda Shirwānī’s Risāla of Faith

Yazarlar:

Tarık Tanrıbilir

Yayıncı:

Eskişehir Osmangazi University

Ana Başlıklar:

Kelam

Dergi:

Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.12 Issue 1, pp.410-442

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

3/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001341580

pISSN:

2147-8171

Kalām

Faith

Affirmation

Exception

Existence

Nafs

Sadr al-Dīn-zādaKelam

İman

Tasdik

İstisna

Varlık

Nefs

Sadreddinzâde

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Tarık Tanrıbilir

Yayıncı: Eskişehir Osmangazi University

Ana Başlıklar: Kelam

Dergi: Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.12 Issue 1, pp.410-442

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 3/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001341580

pISSN: 2147-8171

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Tarık Tanrıbilir

Yayıncı:

Eskişehir Osmangazi University

Ana Başlıklar:

Kelam

Dergi:

Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.12 Issue 1, pp.410-442

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

3/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001341580

pISSN:

2147-8171