Impact of Sectarian Loyalty on Tafsīr: A Study in the Context of Commentaries of Imāmite and Sunnite Scholars on Verses Related to the Belief in Raj'a

Ümit Toru

Makale detayları

Impact of Sectarian Loyalty on Tafsīr: A Study in the Context of Commentaries of Imāmite and Sunnite Scholars on Verses Related to the Belief in Raj'a

Yazarlar:

Ümit Toru

Yayıncı:

Hitit University

Ana Başlıklar:

İslam Mezhepleri | Tefsir

Dergi:

Hitit İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 1, pp.492-519

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2024

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001322100

pISSN:

2757-6949

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 The epistemological and theological framework constructed by the sect in the historical process offers its members a certain perception of religion and the world. This perception affects all of their intellectual and social activities. Tafsīr is one of the scholarly activities in which sectarian affiliation is effective. However, the activity of tafsīr often emerges as a product of the social framework and the mufassirs position within it. The phenomenon of sect is one of the most dominant factors at this point. Because it serves as an important framework that shapes Muslims interpretation of verses and their perception of the Quran. The members of the sects resort to justifying their views on many issues with the Quran, even if they often do not carry a religious content and are essentially the product of sociopolitical rivalry. In this context the verses can be reconstructed by the members of the sect in a way that justifies the goals of the sect and can be subjected to different interpretations from other on the axis of the sects understanding of religion. Tafsīr, theology kalam and fiqh books are filled with dozens of interpretations of verses and hadiths in this context. The same verse and hadith can be presented to members of different sects with very different interpretations. The structure of the Quranic language, which is suitable for justifying some beliefs in line with sectarian affiliation, has made the work of sectarians easier. However, in our opinion, the main problem in this matter is the determining effect of sectarian affiliation rather than the structure of the verses that can be understood differently. This article has tried to concretise the abstract issues mentioned above through the different interpretations of some verses associated with raja directly or indirectly. In this context, Imamite and Sunnite scholars were chosen as examples, and it was analysed how the same verse could be subjected to different interpretations by them due to the influence of sectarian affiliation. Ayyāshī, Abū al-Hasan al-Qummī, Abū Jaʿfar al-Tūsī, Abū Ali al-Tabersī, Shaykh Sadūq and Shaykh al-Mufīd are the Imamite scholars whose interpretations about raja are focused on. From Ahl al-Sunnah, the interpretations of Abū Mansūr al-Maturīdī and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī have been analyzed. The fact that the number of Sunnī scholars who criticize the Imāmiyya with verses on the issue of raja is very small has led us to focus more on the interpretations of these two scholars. However, we have also tried to identify the interpretations of the few other scholars who have expressed an opinion on this issue and to present a more holistic picture. It has been observed that both the Imāmī and Sunnī scholars have resorted to various means to provide Qurānic evidence for their beliefs in the recʿa, such as associating some verses with other verses that support their views, establishing an absolute uniformity between the past and the present through hadiths of questionable authenticity, conducting linguistic, contextual, and historical analyses within the framework of presuppositions, and expanding or narrowing the meanings of verses through subjective inferences. The most common evidence used by both Sunnī and Imāmī scholars to legitimize their sectarian views on the raja with the Qurān is exegesis of the Qurān with the Qurān. However, the scholars of both sects made serious methodological mistakes such as not paying attention to the internal unity of the verses, taking only a part of the verse, not looking at the siyāq and sibāq of the verses, ignoring other related verses, and sometimes linking verses to each other even though they are not related to the same subject. Similar problems were observed in the method of interpreting the verse with hadith. They used hadiths of doubtful authenticity as evidence and detached the hadith from its verbal and historical context. Both the Imāmī and Sunnī scholars have seen no harm in going beyond the literal meaning of the verse from time to time in order to justify themselves on the issue of raja. In other words, when the meaning of the verse contradicted the views advocated by a sect, the scholars of both sects put the views of their sects at the center and tried to adapt the verse to their own systems.

 Mezhepler tarafından tarihsel süreçte inşa edilen epistemik ve teolojik çerçeve, mensuplarına belli bir din ve dünya algısı sunar. Bu da onların gerek ilmî gerekse toplumsal tüm faaliyetlerini etkiler. Mezhebî aidiyetin etkin olduğu ilmî uğraşların başında ise tefsir gelmektedir. Ne var ki tefsir faaliyeti, çoğu defa toplumsal çerçevenin ve müfessirin bu çerçeve içerisinde durduğu yerin bir ürünü olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır. Mezhep olgusu bu noktada en başat etkenlerden birisidir. Zira Müslümanların ayet yorumlarını ve Kuran algılarını şekillendiren önemli bir çerçeve vazifesi görmektedir. Çoğu defa dinî bir muhteva taşımasa ve aslı itibariyle sosyopolitik rekabetin ürünü olsa bile birçok konuda mezhep mensupları, görüşlerini Kuran ile gerekçelendirme yoluna başvurmaktadır. Bu kapsamda nasslar, mezhep mensupları tarafından mezhebin amaçlarını gerekçelendirecek şekilde yeniden inşa edilebilmekte, mezhebin din anlayışı ekseninde ötekinden farklı yorumlara tabi tutulabilmektedir. Tefsir, kelam ve fıkıh kitapları, bu minvaldeki onlarca ayet ve hadis yorumuyla doludur. Aynı ayet ve hadis, farklı mezhep mensupları tarafından çok farklı yorumlarla mensuplarına sunulabilmiştir. Kuran dilinin bazı inançları mezhep aidiyeti doğrultusunda gerekçelendirmeye müsait yapısı ise mezhep mensuplarının işini kolaylaştırmıştır. Bu makale, doğrudan ya da dolaylı bir şekilde recat ile ilişkilendirilen bazı ayetlerin farklı yorumlanma biçimleri üzerinden bahsi geçen soyut hususları somutlaştırmaya çalışmıştır. Bu kapsamda İmâmî ve Sünnî âlimlerin yorumları örnek olarak seçilmiş, aynı ayetin mezhep mensubiyetinin etkisiyle nasıl farklı yorumlara tabi tutulabildiği analiz edilmiştir. Ayyâşî, Ebül-Hasan el-Kummî, Ebû Cafer et-Tûsî, Ebû Ali et-Tabersî, Şeyh Sadûk ve Şeyh Müfîd, recat konusundaki yorumları üzerine odaklanılan İmâmî âlimlerdir. Ehl-i Sünnetten de Ebû Mansûr el-Mâtürîdî ve Fahreddin er-Râzînin yorumları analiz edilmiştir. Recat konusunda İmâmiyyeyi ayetler üzerinden eleştiren Sünnî âlimin sayısının çok az olması, bizi bu iki âlimin yorumlarına ağırlık vermeye sevk etmiştir. Bununla birlikte biz bu konuda görüş beyan eden az sayıdaki diğer âlimlerin de yorumlarını tespit etmeye ve bu konuda daha bütüncül bir tablo ortaya koymaya gayret ettik. Bir makale boyutunun sınırlarını zorlamamak adına da konuyu sadece bu konuda fikir beyan eden ilk alimlerle sınırlı tuttuk. İmâmî ve Sünnî ulemanın recat inanışlarına Kurandan delil getirmek için ayetleri mezheplerinin görüşünü destekleyen daha başka ayetlerle ilişkilendirmek, sıhhati tartışmalı hadisler üzerinden geçmiş ile bugün arasında mutlak özdeşlik kurmak, ön kabuller çerçevesinde dilsel, bağlamsal ve tarihsel analizler yapmak, sübjektif çıkarımlarla ayetlerin manasını genişletmek ya da daraltmak gibi çeşitli yollara müracaat ettiği görülmüştür. Hem Sünnî hem de İmâmî ulemanın recat konusundaki mezhebî görüşlerini Kuran ile meşrulaştırmak için en sık kullandıkları delil, Kuranın Kuran ile tefsiri metodu olmuştur. Ne var ki iki mezhebin de âlimleri ayetlerin kendi iç bütünlüğüne dikkat etmemek, ayetin sadece bir kısmını almak, ayetlerin siyak ve sibakına bakmamak, ilişkili daha başka ayetleri görmezden gelmek, bazen aynı konuyla alakalı olmadığı halde ayetleri birbiriyle ilişkilendirmek gibi çok ciddi metodolojik hatalar yapmışlardır. Ayetin hadis ile tefsir edilmesi metodunda da benzer sorunlar gözlemlenmiştir. Sıhhati tartışmalı hadisleri delil olarak kullanmışlar, hadisi sözel ve tarihsel bağlamından kopartmışlardır. Gerek İmâmî gerekse Sünnî ulema, recat konusunda kendilerini haklı çıkartmak adına zaman zaman ayetin lafzî delâletinin dışına çıkmakta da bir sakınca görmemişlerdir. Yani ayetin delalet ettiği manayla mezhebin savunduğu görüşler çeliştiğinde her iki mezhebin de âlimleri kendi mezheplerinin görüşlerini merkeze koymuşlar, ayeti kendi sistemlerine adapte etmeye çalışmışlardır.

 The epistemological and theological framework constructed by the sect in the historical process offers its members a certain perception of religion and the world. This perception affects all of their intellectual and social activities. Tafsīr is one of the scholarly activities in which sectarian affiliation is effective. However, the activity of tafsīr often emerges as a product of the social framework and the mufassirs position within it. The phenomenon of sect is one of the most dominant factors at this point. Because it serves as an important framework that shapes Muslims interpretation of verses and their perception of the Quran. The members of the sects resort to justifying their views on many issues with the Quran, even if they often do not carry a religious content and are essentially the product of sociopolitical rivalry. In this context the verses can be reconstructed by the members of the sect in a way that justifies the goals of the sect and can be subjected to different interpretations from other on the axis of the sects understanding of religion. Tafsīr, theology kalam and fiqh books are filled with dozens of interpretations of verses and hadiths in this context. The same verse and hadith can be presented to members of different sects with very different interpretations. The structure of the Quranic language, which is suitable for justifying some beliefs in line with sectarian affiliation, has made the work of sectarians easier. However, in our opinion, the main problem in this matter is the determining effect of sectarian affiliation rather than the structure of the verses that can be understood differently. This article has tried to concretise the abstract issues mentioned above through the different interpretations of some verses associated with raja directly or indirectly. In this context, Imamite and Sunnite scholars were chosen as examples, and it was analysed how the same verse could be subjected to different interpretations by them due to the influence of sectarian affiliation. Ayyāshī, Abū al-Hasan al-Qummī, Abū Jaʿfar al-Tūsī, Abū Ali al-Tabersī, Shaykh Sadūq and Shaykh al-Mufīd are the Imamite scholars whose interpretations about raja are focused on. From Ahl al-Sunnah, the interpretations of Abū Mansūr al-Maturīdī and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī have been analyzed. The fact that the number of Sunnī scholars who criticize the Imāmiyya with verses on the issue of raja is very small has led us to focus more on the interpretations of these two scholars. However, we have also tried to identify the interpretations of the few other scholars who have expressed an opinion on this issue and to present a more holistic picture. It has been observed that both the Imāmī and Sunnī scholars have resorted to various means to provide Qurānic evidence for their beliefs in the recʿa, such as associating some verses with other verses that support their views, establishing an absolute uniformity between the past and the present through hadiths of questionable authenticity, conducting linguistic, contextual, and historical analyses within the framework of presuppositions, and expanding or narrowing the meanings of verses through subjective inferences. The most common evidence used by both Sunnī and Imāmī scholars to legitimize their sectarian views on the raja with the Qurān is exegesis of the Qurān with the Qurān. However, the scholars of both sects made serious methodological mistakes such as not paying attention to the internal unity of the verses, taking only a part of the verse, not looking at the siyāq and sibāq of the verses, ignoring other related verses, and sometimes linking verses to each other even though they are not related to the same subject. Similar problems were observed in the method of interpreting the verse with hadith. They used hadiths of doubtful authenticity as evidence and detached the hadith from its verbal and historical context. Both the Imāmī and Sunnī scholars have seen no harm in going beyond the literal meaning of the verse from time to time in order to justify themselves on the issue of raja. In other words, when the meaning of the verse contradicted the views advocated by a sect, the scholars of both sects put the views of their sects at the center and tried to adapt the verse to their own systems.

 The epistemological and theological framework constructed by the sect in the historical process offers its members a certain perception of religion and the world. This perception affects all of their intellectual and social activities. Tafsīr is one of the scholarly activities in which sectarian affiliation is effective. However, the activity of tafsīr often emerges as a product of the social framework and the mufassirs position within it. The phenomenon of sect is one of the most dominant factors at this point. Because it serves as an important framework that shapes Muslims interpretation of verses and their perception of the Quran. The members of the sects resort to justifying their views on many issues with the Quran, even if they often do not carry a religious content and are essentially the product of sociopolitical rivalry. In this context the verses can be reconstructed by the members of the sect in a way that justifies the goals of the sect and can be subjected to different interpretations from other on the axis of the sects understanding of religion. Tafsīr, theology kalam and fiqh books are filled with dozens of interpretations of verses and hadiths in this context. The same verse and hadith can be presented to members of different sects with very different interpretations. The structure of the Quranic language, which is suitable for justifying some beliefs in line with sectarian affiliation, has made the work of sectarians easier. However, in our opinion, the main problem in this matter is the determining effect of sectarian affiliation rather than the structure of the verses that can be understood differently. This article has tried to concretise the abstract issues mentioned above through the different interpretations of some verses associated with raja directly or indirectly. In this context, Imamite and Sunnite scholars were chosen as examples, and it was analysed how the same verse could be subjected to different interpretations by them due to the influence of sectarian affiliation. Ayyāshī, Abū al-Hasan al-Qummī, Abū Jaʿfar al-Tūsī, Abū Ali al-Tabersī, Shaykh Sadūq and Shaykh al-Mufīd are the Imamite scholars whose interpretations about raja are focused on. From Ahl al-Sunnah, the interpretations of Abū Mansūr al-Maturīdī and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī have been analyzed. The fact that the number of Sunnī scholars who criticize the Imāmiyya with verses on the issue of raja is very small has led us to focus more on the interpretations of these two scholars. However, we have also tried to identify the interpretations of the few other scholars who have expressed an opinion on this issue and to present a more holistic picture. It has been observed that both the Imāmī and Sunnī scholars have resorted to various means to provide Qurānic evidence for their beliefs in the recʿa, such as associating some verses with other verses that support their views, establishing an absolute uniformity between the past and the present through hadiths of questionable authenticity, conducting linguistic, contextual, and historical analyses within the framework of presuppositions, and expanding or narrowing the meanings of verses through subjective inferences. The most common evidence used by both Sunnī and Imāmī scholars to legitimize their sectarian views on the raja with the Qurān is exegesis of the Qurān with the Qurān. However, the scholars of both sects made serious methodological mistakes such as not paying attention to the internal unity of the verses, taking only a part of the verse, not looking at the siyāq and sibāq of the verses, ignoring other related verses, and sometimes linking verses to each other even though they are not related to the same subject. Similar problems were observed in the method of interpreting the verse with hadith. They used hadiths of doubtful authenticity as evidence and detached the hadith from its verbal and historical context. Both the Imāmī and Sunnī scholars have seen no harm in going beyond the literal meaning of the verse from time to time in order to justify themselves on the issue of raja. In other words, when the meaning of the verse contradicted the views advocated by a sect, the scholars of both sects put the views of their sects at the center and tried to adapt the verse to their own systems.

Makale detayları

Impact of Sectarian Loyalty on Tafsīr: A Study in the Context of Commentaries of Imāmite and Sunnite Scholars on Verses Related to the Belief in Raj'a

Yazarlar:

Ümit Toru

Yayıncı:

Hitit University

Ana Başlıklar:

İslam Mezhepleri | Tefsir

Dergi:

Hitit İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 1, pp.492-519

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2024

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001322100

pISSN:

2757-6949

History of Islamic Sects

Tafsīr

Shi’ism

Imāmiyya

Ahl al-Sunna

Māturīdī

Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī

Raj‘a.İslam Mezhepleri Tarihi

Tefsir

Şia

İmâmiyye

Ehl-i Sünnet

Mâtürîdî

Fahreddin er-Râzî

Rec‘at

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Ümit Toru

Yayıncı: Hitit University

Ana Başlıklar: İslam Mezhepleri | Tefsir

Dergi: Hitit İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 1, pp.492-519

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 6/2024

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001322100

pISSN: 2757-6949

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Ümit Toru

Yayıncı:

Hitit University

Ana Başlıklar:

İslam Mezhepleri | Tefsir

Dergi:

Hitit İlahiyat Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 1, pp.492-519

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2024

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001322100

pISSN:

2757-6949