Eyyûbîler Dönemi Siyasi ve Dinî Dinamikler Bağlamında Şeyh Şihâbeddin Sühreverdî’nin İdamı
The Execution of Sheikh Shihāb al-Dīn al-Suhrawardī in the Context of Political and Religious Dynamics of the Ayyūbids Period

Summary/Abstract: The rule of Saladin in the Ayyūbids State represents a rich and complex historical period in terms of political and religious aspects. One of the most significant events of this period is the execution of the Muslim philosopher Sheikh Shihāb al-Dīn al-Suhrawardī and the extensive political and religious implications that followed this dramatic event. Despite being known as a benevolent ruler who generally supported scholars, Saladin displayed a harsh attitude towards philosophical studies and education. This led to an increase in the number of madrasas focusing on Islamic sciences, as opposed to philosophical sciences, in the cities under Ayyūbid rule and turning these areas into centers of knowledge. The execution of al-Suhrawardī vividly illustrates the complexity of Saladin’s relations with scholars and the political sensitivities of the time. Al-Suhrawardī’s innovative philosophical ideas and political relationships particularly concerned the influential Shāfiʿī-Ashʿarī scholars in Aleppo, leading to his perception as a threat by religious and political structures and initiating the process of his execution. This situation sheds light on the internal political dynamics during Saladin’s rule and the religious dynamics of the time. Saladin’s reign was heavily intertwined with the Crusades and sectarian conflicts in the Islamic world. While contending with the Crusaders and striving for unity in the Islamic world, Saladin supported the widespread Islamic schools of thought such as Shāfiʿī, Ḥanafī, and Mālikī, but adopted a stricter stance against the Ismāʿīlī and Ḥanbalī sects and scholars due to the influence of Ayyūbids-era scholars. This policy significantly impacted Saladin’s relations with Islamic states. The execution of al-Suhrawardī holds historical significance as it highlights the contradictions in Saladin’s relations with scholars and the political sensitivities of the time. This event reveals the complexity of the relationship between Al-Suhrawardī, the son of Saladin and the ruler of Aleppo, al-Malik al-Ẓāhir, and the political sensitivity of the period. Al-Malik al-Ẓāhir demonstrated his loyalty to his mentor al-Suhrawardī by punishing those who encouraged him to issue the order for his death, thus exposing Saladin’s conflicting nature with the scholars and the political sensitivities of the time. This situation is an example representing the complexity of the political and religious structure of the Ayyūbids State and the challenging balances of the period.

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