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The essay deals with maktab as the most common form of preschool in traditional Islamic countries and as the most recognised form of learning place for young children, most commonly between the ages of 5-10 years. The author explains the meaning of the word maktab, the role of the Islamic faith, and the significance of the book, the Qur’an. He also writes about the importance of writing and pronouncing the words from the Qur’an, an essential part of the maktab curriculum. Further, he discusses the significance of the flexibility of this type of class reflected in different geographic and cultural backgrounds. A special part of this essay is dedicated to the topic, of maktab in Bosnia and Herzegovina as reflected in local literature and other writings in general. Lexicons of renowned authors and ulama are also very significant sources wherein we can find several students, who have in their early age attended the maktab classes, confirm the important role maktab played in Bosnia and Herzegovina through centuries.
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The contemporary world demands continuous revision, adaptation and changes in the educational system. Along with this it also requires amendments in methodology, curriculum and textbooks with the purpose of achieving quality preparation of students for the requirements of the time. Unfortunately, the Muslim world and Islamic educational institutions at the beginning of the 20th century were late with these reforms. In this article, we present a comprehensive reform of Islamic education initiated by a scholar and a reformist, rector of Az–Zitouna University, Muhammad al-Tahir ibn Ashur. Through a historical review of Islamic education, he tried to find the causes of the stagnation in the field of education and also to offer solutions regarding its reform. His ideas and suggestions are still very applicable since we still have a scope for improvement of the Islamic education system which should be flexible in its response to the requirements of the time rather than persisting as a relic of the past.
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Review of: Stubovi islama (Rifeta Šahinović, Stubovi islama, Muftijstvo bihaćko i Medresa “Reis Džemaludin-ef. Čaušević” Cazin, 2023)
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Multiculturalism is a philosophy that looks upon an individual with specific reference to his cultural, religious, ethnic, and other such identities. It challenges the inequalities, discriminations, and atrocities faced by an individual due to his different identities on account of religion, culture, ethnicity, gender, etc, which is non-dominant (numerically or in terms of powerlessness). Multiculturalism seeks to ensure equal rights as well as equal powersharing of all stakeholders.However, multiculturalism is often criticized for ignoring the rights of groups/minorities within the minorities, i.e., the others' of “other”. Multiculturalism recognizes and values the diversities within the society but fails to acknowledge the stratifications within the group. It often leads to the denial of egalitarian treatment to minorities within a minority. It acknowledges the “other” but ignores the “others within the other“. The claims of minorities against the majority for protection against discrimination become a dilemma when a minority claims the same within the minority. This study first describes and understands the nature and concept of multiculturalism, followed by a critical appraisal of the context of marginalized groups within minorities. The second part of this study will explore the claims of Shias as a religious minority within muslim minority in India.
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The peaceful coexistence of different religions is crucial today, especially with the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Levant and the arrival of new refugees and immigrants with diverse faith traditions. In Romania, while immigrants may face challenges integrating into the predominantly Romanian Orthodox religious majority, the Dobrogean Model of Religious Pluralism is a pattern of inter-religious coexistence with the potential to clarify the critical factors needed to facilitate peaceful pluralism among religious groups. Utilizing Rogers Brubaker’s triadic-nexus configuration of national minorities, nationalizing states, and external national homelands alongside various qualitative methods, this paper will investigate the historical and institutional elements for promoting peaceful coexistence, particularly with an eye toward the Islamic minority in the Dobruja region. The study will also examine the crucial role of state and affiliated institutions in promoting tolerance and coexistence by protecting freedom of religion. Romania's location at the crossroads of the East and West and the Dobruja region's reputation as a model of religious pluralism makes it an excellent case study for identifying critical factors for the peaceful coexistence of religions in contemporary societies.
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Over the years, the writing of sīrat, which dates back to the earliest times of Islamic history, has made an enormous and varied body of literature available. This literature developed through commentary-hashiyas, critique, and transmission, and even continued with the addition of thematic sub-genres. The works written in prose form, have influenced sīrat writing throughout history. During the Ottoman era, poetry gained prominence, with poetic sīrat texts being widely utilized. The sources and the method of text generation, which had a certain continuity until the modernization era, underwent a significant in this period. This rupture affected the sīrat texts of the Republic of Turkey period. A new age has been brought about by the criticism of the sīrat literature that is currently in existence using new preferences for the utilization of sources. Texts produced in a literary manner are found in this new era when many aspects of traditional sīrat writing have been abandoned. We are studying these texts authored by Alvarlı Hāja Muhammad Lutfī, who underwent classical education procedures and represented a tradition with a Sufi component. This study discusses two sections of Hāja Muhammad Lutfī’s Hulāsat al-ḥaqāyīq, which is regarded as one of the literary texts of sīrat writing: Mīrāj al-Nabī and Mawlid al-Nabī. The study begins with a brief history of the use of poetry as a writing form and source in sīrat writing, then, it emphasizes the forms of text construction, and finally, it discusses the main themes, sources, preferences, and mi’rājiya and mawlid sections of Hāja Muhammad Lutfī’s work in sīrat writing. In this way, it aimed to discuss the history of using poetry in sīrat literature, to open the poetic texts in the sīrat genre to the discussion, and for this purpose, the texts subject to the research were evaluated in terms of content, use of sources and style. As a result of the research, it has been seen that poetry, which has existed since the emergence of sīrat literature, has turned into a unique form of text construction in time and fed this literature, and that the mawlid and mi’rājiyya of Hāja Muhammad Lutfī are texts that continue the classical literature in the Republican period in terms of their sources and style.
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Deism, which is known for denying the belief in prophethood and the hereafter while accepting the existence of a deity who is understood through reason but does not interfere with the universe while, has gained increasing popularity especially in positive scientific circles in Europe with the Enlightenment period. The development of deism in Europe has been significantly influenced by the ideas of philosophers and scientists such as Descartes, Newton, Voltaire, David Hume, and Kant. Although there is no word in Islamic terminology that corresponds with the meaning of deism, terms such as Dahriyya, Barāhima, ilhad and heresy have been used to refer to different types of denial, including deism and atheism. However, it can be said that “Dahriyyah” is closer to atheism in meaning, while “Barāhima” is used in a more specific sense to deny prophethood. The words “ilhad” and heresy are used to express any kind of denial that rejects the principles of Islam. Parallel to deism being a subject of interest in our country and around the world, there has been a significant increase in studies conducted both in favour and against it. In this article, the rational proofs mentioned by Māturīdī regarding the existence of the hereafter, which deism rejects, have been discussed. In particular, the evidence found in the exegesis of relevant verses of the Qur’ān in Kitab al-Ta’wilat have been subject to examination. Māturīdī has emphasized the importance of providing rational proof for those who do not believe in the Qur’ān, stating that they will not accept any evidence derived from it. Māturīdī, who researched the reasons why people deny the afterlife, explained that people’s attempt to understand everything by comparing them to their own abilities is an important reason for the denial of the afterlife. According to him, people deny the afterlife because they believe that the power to resurrect the dead is beyond their own abilities and assume that their power is not enough for such an act. If they had contemplated the creation of the heavens and the earth, they would have realised that Allāh’s power is different from the power of His creatures. Furthermore, Imam Māturīdī pointed out that it would be absurd and pointless for Allāh, the Creator of the universe, to have created it solely for the purpose of its destruction. He emphasised that there must be a purpose for its creation, and that this purpose indicates the existence of the afterlife, where the actions of the created beings will be accounted for. In addition, Māturīdī, who said “If the world was eternal, it would not be possible to repay the deeds done,” emphasised the necessity of distinguishing between virtuous and evil individuals and giving everyone the reward or punishment they deserve. He acknowledged that human beings live in this world as a test, and the true consequences of their actions will be revealed in the hereafter.
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One of the prevalent inference methods the mutakallimūn uses is qiyās al-ghaib ‘ala al-shahid (analogy from the visible world to the invisible world). Mu‘tazila, who accepts this method as an absolute criterion in the divine attributes, rejects the possibility of difference between shahid and ghaib about the reality of attributes. By rejecting the concept of kalām nafsī adopted by Ahl alSunnah, they mention the divine speech in the category of actual attributes and claim that kalāmullāh (God’s speech), like human speech, is an accident consisting of words and sounds. Mu‘tazila, who defines mutakallim as the agent of kalām, claims that God is also the agent of the word. In this regard, Mu‘tazila, who defends the origin of the kalāmullāh and the createdness of the Qur’ān, focuses on the explanation of the nature of the kalām at the beginning of these theological subjects. As an extension of the issue of whether the ḥikāyah and maḥkī are the same or not, which is the subject of discussion in the context of the possibility of creating something similar to the Qur’ān, Mu‘tazila, who disagree on whether kalām (word) is a kind of sound (ṣawt) or not, examine the problem of the nature of the word by expanding it to include sounds. Although they agree that sounds are accidents created by humans through tawlīd, they propound different theories about the physical formation of sound and kalām. These theories are differentiated according to discussions about the essential factors for the formation of sounds. Some scholars claim that i‘timād generates sounds, and the substrate (maḥall) is enough to form the sounds. In contrast, others claim the necessity of a specific structure (binya), movement (ḥaraka), and air added to the substrate. In this regard, this study will deal with the effect of these factors mentioned above to the formation of the sounds and the physical examples which every group mentioned to prove its opinions rightfulness. The most detailed explanations about this topic are seen in the works of Baṣrian Mu‘tazila. Therefore, this study will examine the opinions about the production of sounds, which argued around metaphysical issues in the context of the createdness of the Qur’ān and the attribute of kalām, which are submitted by Abū ‘Alī al-Jubbā'ī (d. 303/916), Abū Hāshim al-Jubbā'ī (d. 321/933), and their followers Qāḍī ‘Abd al-Jabbār (d. 415/1025), Abū Rashīd al-Nīsābūrī (d. first half of the 5./11. century), and Ibn Mattawayh (d. first half of the 5./11. century), the representatives of Baṣrian Mu‘tazila, who adopt atomic universe understanding. The study aimed to form an opinion about the theologians’ way of discussing a particular physical phenomenon to constitute a basis for solving metaphysical problems. To clarify the problem, first, it will deal with the essence of sounds in the Baṣrian Mu‘tazilites tradition, and then it will tackle the discussions about the formation of the sounds.
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The rapid change in the world after the Enlightenment not only brought about revolutionary scientific and technological innovations, but also opened the door to important transformations in the context of thought. Especially with the wind created by the French Revolution, some concepts such as equality, fraternity, and justice, which were already in circulation before, came to the fore even more. One of the concepts that was magnified in this process was freedom. The concept manifested itself in philosophy as an understanding of free will against the idea of determinism, and in politics as independence against oppressive governments. Since the day it was addressed as an independent topic, it has attracted attention with its different types and aspects, including freedom of the press, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, freedom of religion and conscience. We see that the intellectual adventure of the Western world in the last two centuries has been shaped around these concepts. The libertarian attitude, which at first manifested itself as a rebellion against religious and secular authorities, was later driven to extremes that saw itself as independent from all moral and social norms. These debates were inevitably reflected in the field of theology, and topics such as the position of the will of man against God’s will, fate and the problem of evil were reconsidered according to contemporary claims and objections. The atheistic tendencies that emerged in the Western world claimed that all religions deprive man of the possibility of being an active subject on earth and that a person who believes that all his/her actions are known and determined cannot be truly free. This point is actually one of several important issues that contemporary atheism raises against theism. These debates have also reached the Islamic world and the issue continued to be addressed with similar arguments. At its core, each of these claims rests on the assumption that Islam's conception of the human being leaves no room for individual freedom. Although the problem has different aspects such as fate and theodicy, one of the most striking aspects of the problem is the question of whether man has the right to reject Islam as well as the right to enter Islam by one’s own free will. It is important to answer this question. Because some practices from the early period of Islamic history and the assumptions that apostates should be killed according to certain conditions, which are accepted as an established jurisprudence in Islamic law, have provided important opportunities for anti-Islamic ideas and ideologies. This article shows how the issue has been dealt with in the classical literature, while at the same time suggesting solutions on how to approach the phenomenon of conversion today. In addition, the study will show that the issue is dealt with in the context of public security in the fiqh literature, and therefore, the current cases of conversion or apostasy do not fully correspond to the discussions in the classical period.
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In history, many conflicts have occurred in understanding and interpretation of the verses of the Qur'an. When details come up and when the opinions about the content of the subject are put forward, more conflicts occur in the interpretation of a verse even when it seems to be clear a first glance. Facts such as to whom the verse addresses, who is meant by the verse, in which time the verse has been descended and the situations revealed by the verse, whether it has the same validity for everyone causes the deepening of the difference. While these conflicts sometimes bring diversity in interpretation, sometimes there may be opinions that cannot be reconciled with each other, which are quite disconnected from each other and reject each other radically. In the interpretation of the verse “There is None of You Who Will Not Pass Over It”, many different views have been put forward about who is meant in the verse, what the nature of the entry into hell is and who is within the scope of this verse. In the integrity of the Qur'an, the commentators have resorted to some evidence to solve the issue of how to locate the interpretation of this verse. Some said that this verse was only directed towards the disbelievers. Some have said that this verse is covering everyone, but the entry of believers to hell is a temporary entry and does not have the purpose of punishment. This study aims to reveal the conflicts that have arisen about the interpretation of the verse “There is None of You Who Will Not Pass Over It” (Wa In Minkum İllā Wāriduhā) and to evaluate these conflicts in the context of the semantic analysis of the verb w-r-d. Therefore, first of all, the etymological structure of the verb w-r-d was examined and the dictionary meaning of the word was revealed. Then, in order to determine the meaning of this word before the revelation, the meanings of this verb root in the poems of Jahiliyyah were tried to be determined. Then, the places where this verb stem is used in the Qurʾān are examined and the meanings in the contexts are pointed out. As the next step, the disagreements that have come up to date regarding the interpretation of the verse “There is None of You Who Will Not Pass Over” have been put forward. These conflicts have been addressed by frequently applying to the classical and modern tafsīr studies written until today, starting from the tafsir narrations from the first interlocutors of the Qurʾān. Further, these conflicts have been tried to be presented by classifying them within themselves. Subsequently, it has been tried to contribute to the interpretation of the verse by considering the data obtained from the semantic analysis of the verb w-r-d. Finally, the issue of why this verb root was preferred in this verse, which mentions that all people will go to hell without exception, has been discussed.
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Religion, environment, tradition, needs, and character determine the framework of people's eating habits. In this context, a special area is reserved for nutrition in the Qur'an. One of the prominent words in the relevant field is “rizq,” referring to things that Allah gives to all creatures for their own benefit. Broadly, children, spouse, action, knowledge, and wisdom can also be evaluated in this context. This study aims to reach detailed data on the subject by examining the verses where the word rizq is mentioned in Surah al-Baqara in terms of language and rhetoric. In every language, but especially in the Arabic language, the words that make up the sentences, the forms of the words, the syntax of the sentence, the forms of expression, and the style are important while determining the meaning. First, the comparison method was applied in the determination of the eloquence subtleties that were taken as a basis in the study. By this method, we compared verses, sentences, and words with other related verses and possible/fictional sentences in different linguistic dimensions; determined the differences between them, and tested the results by applying them to the relevant text. Considering every linguistic structure in the Qur'anic style and investigating its meaning is essential for understanding the Qur'an. In such a reading, the presence as well as the absence of language elements should be taken into consideration and used effectively in determining the meaning. The words used in the Qur'an are fundamental because their presence or absence, the structure of words that they are used together, and the whole text constitute an important and different aspect of the conveyed message. In this paper, ten verses where the word rizq is mentioned in Surah al-Baqara are examined within the framework of the study method. Their application provides examples to a certain extent for the understanding of the specified method. Various data has been obtained about the concept of rizq as reflected in general social life. As rizq, the foods must be healthy and tasty as well as halal in terms of their ingredients and acquisition. The desire for foods of human body may vary according to various factors. However, prohibitions on food are based on reasonable, scientific, or religious reasons. The moral and philosophical dimensions of the subject are always present in the background of these justifications. One of the duties assigned to human beings is to obtain rizq within the framework of the possibilities and capabilities given to them in the world and to distribute it, if any, to those they are responsible for, creatures, and other needy people. It is a requirement of faith to utilize the rizq by considering its raison for existence and to ensure that the way of acquisition is legal and ethical. Legitimate acquisition, sharing, and distribution of what is acquired is primarily related to the sense of conscience. Therefore, it is not in the nature of faith to interfere with what is given to animals, plants, and other people as rizq. From this point of view, infaq plays an important role in understanding the concept of rizq. The Qur'an strongly expresses the desire of man to be fair and generous in the sharing of rizq.
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The instrumental use of religious beliefs and values in conflicts around the world is the source of many discussions in which the issues of religion and violence are placed at the center. Although the discussions are shaped around the assumption that religious beliefs and values are the source of violent behavior, the relationship between religion and violence has a very complex structure. Because the sacred texts, which are at the center of religious traditions, have demands for peace and reconciliation, as well as examples and symbols of war and violence. In other words, religious traditions have served as an inspiring source for both the realization of basic moral values and the adoption of peaceful attitudes in the historical process. On the other hand, the worst examples of human history are also linked to religious beliefs and values. Historical records indicate that thousands of people have lost their lives in wars fought in the name of religion and many more have been subjected to direct or indirect violence. Therefore, it would not be realistic to say that religious beliefs and values serve war or peace based on any passage in sacred texts or any positive or negative example from the past. However, the September 11 attacks in the United States have led to different views on religious violence. Ironically, America's use of religious beliefs and values as a tool for legitimizing violence, after having decided to fight religious terrorism in 2001, has paved the way for 9/11 to be used as an archetype for similar attacks. The use of four planes hijacked by nineteen alleged Muslims for the attack on the World Trade Center not only led to discussions on religious violence over Islam and Muslims, but also paved the way for military and political decisions that would reshape the Islamic geography. Claiming that he took action against religious terrorist organizations as a result of this attack, George W. Bush interpreted the struggle as a crusade against evil forces and initiated military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq that resulted in the death of tens of thousands of people. Similarly, Binyamin Netanyahu, who based the attacks that took place on October 7, 2023, on the prophecy of Isaiah, described the events of October 7 as Israel's September 11, causing the deaths of thousands of civilians, regardless of men or women, young or old. Although the conflicts are based on theopolitical, economic or cultural reasons, the use of the language of religion in the legitimization of violence, in my opinion, requires an investigation of the debates on religion and violence. For this reason, this study aims to make a general evaluation in the context of religious violence debates. While examining the subject, firstly, different perspectives on religious violence debates since the September 11 attacks were emphasized, then it was pointed out that the expressions of violence in the sacred texts of the monotheist tradition have been interpreted in different ways in the historical process, and it was tried to show that acts of violence characterized as religious are based on numerous and complex reasons. The subject is discussed through Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions and limited to examples where religious beliefs and values belonging to the monotheistic tradition are shown as references to violence. In the phenomenological perspective, it is seen that religiously expressed acts of violence are related to the reinterpretation of sacred texts for certain purposes and the idealization of the new interpretation.
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Some concepts discussed in the field of religion have been the subjects of more than one discipline; and these concepts have been studied from different perspectives in each discipline. Literal meaning and metaphor, which have an important place in understanding the religious rules (religious nas), are such concepts. Although literal meaning and metaphor seem to be solely linguistic concepts, they have substantially become the subjects of many religious disciplines. Jurisprudence methodology is one of the basic religious disciplines that intensively use these concepts. Although there was no definition of metaphor in the early language sources, it has been generally accepted as "the use of words other than the meaning given in the language". Imam Shafii (d. 204/820), the author of the first work of Islamic jurisprudence methodology that has survived to the present day, and Jâhız (d. 255/869), Abu Ali al-Jubbâî (d. 303/916) and Abu Hâshim al-Jubbâî (d. . 321/933) also used metaphor without defining the concept while basing their views. Two definitions about metaphor were narrated from Abu Abdullah al-Basrî (d. 369/979-80), one of the kalam methodologists, and who first made a definition of metaphor. Although the definitions made by Abu Abdullah had a significant impact on the definitions of later jurisprudence methodologists, his close methodology scholar followers did not accept these definitions. While Jessâs (d. 370/981)and Bâqillânî (d. 403/1013), made a simple definition that does not include intellectual considerations, Abū l-Ḥusayn al-Baṣrī (d. 436/1044), one of the Mu'tazila methodologists, developed a complex definition that includes theological considerations regarding metaphor. In his definition, Abū lḤusayn first pointed out that the type of address is one of the basic determining factors in order to reveal that the word is used in a metaphorical sense. In his definition, Abū l-Ḥusayn, secondly, pointed out that the metaphoric meaning of the word, as well as its literal meaning, is made within the linguistic rules. In addition, although Abū l-Ḥusayn did not express it clearly in his definition, in his evaluations within the framework of the subject, he emphasized that the presumption is one of the main determining factors in order to reveal that the word is used in a metaphorical sense. According to him, only if there is a presumption that prevents the use of the word in its literal sense, is the word taken to have a figurative meaning. In this study, which is about the metaphor definitions of Mu'tazilamethodologists, first of all, the metaphor definitions put forward by linguists and jurisprudence methodology scholars other than Mu'tazila in the first five centuries were examined. Then, the metaphoric definitions of Mu'tazila methodologists were evaluated. Among the metaphorical definitions of Mu'tazila scholars, the definition of Abu'l-Husayn al-Basrî, which takes into account the intellectual considerations of the school, was closely examined. Since the definition of Qâdî Abd al-Jabbar, one of the Mu'tazila thinkers, reflecting his understanding of metaphor has not survived to the present day, his views were also examined while examining Ebu'l-Husayn's definition. Thus, it was revealed that Ebu'l-Husayn's definition of metaphor, which contains intense theological considerations in the field of jurisprudence, is basically based on Qadi Abd al-Jabbar. Finally, in our study, the effect of the definition of metaphor conveyed by Abu'l-Husayn on the methodologists of other schools was also revealed. It was stated that this definition was accepted by Fakhr al-dîn al-Râzî (d. 606/1210), one of the methodologists in question, and Râzî's views within the framework of this definition were discussed on the intellectual basis of Mu‘tazila.
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It is an ancient understanding that monthly bleeding periods, which enable women to fulfill their sacred duty of ensuring the continuity of the human race, are ironically considered a cause of impurity. Feminist movements argue that during the matriarchal period at the beginning of human history, the menstrual cycle was seen as an extension of women's sacred fertility.For them, with the transition to patriarchy, the menstrual cycle became a cause of humiliation and impurity. however, these views are not justifiable. Historically, it is possible to find examples of women being considered as a source of blessing and healing during their menstrual periods as well as being regarded impure and contaminated. However, it can be said that the understanding regarding the menstruating woman is impure is more widespread. Especially in contemporary Judaism, a woman who menstruates as a consequence of being punished for her original sin in Paradise is ritually impure and must be isolated because she spreads her impurity on everything she touches.When the bleeding is over, she can be cleansed through special rituals. In fact, Judaism’s halakhah on the causes of ritual impurity and protecting the society from transmission of the impurityare quite detailed and complex. For Jews, leprosy is a cause of impurity, and a leper must be isolated, especially from the clergy.Although contemporary Christianity has been able to avoid the almost unenforceable burden of Judaism's regulations on menstruating women by ignoring them altogether, it generally continues the ontological understanding of the woman as responsible for original sin. In the case of lepers, they were cured by Jesus (pbuh) and became a recipient of God's mercy. Islam, on the other hand, does not place anyresponsibility on women for committing the original sin, nor does it consider menstruation as a cause of impurity. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), while explaining the verse about the menstruating woman, emphasized that it is a wrong interpretation to consider women impure and isolate them.On the contrary, he demonstrated the truth that women during this period are pure both in his words and in his practices. The narrations revealing that the Sunnah-compliant behavior is to continue the relationship with the menstruating wife, except for full sexual intercourse, are numerous. First of all, there are narrations from the mothers of the believers, who had first-hand knowledge of the subject, and other Companions explaining that the Prophet continued to use the same bed and quilt, eat and drink together with his menstruating wife and that the menstruating woman's hands, clothes unless they were stained with blood, and saliva were pure. Nevertheless, the debates and misapplications around the issue continued during the tabien period. This example illustrates the difficulty of changing old beliefs. In addition, the menstruation of women is discussed in the Islamic literature mostly from a fiqh point of view. This is because women's presence during this period has implications for worship and transactions.However, there is a tendency to overlook the significance of the Prophet's teaching of rejecting beliefs about women's inherent guilt and deserving punishment, which are rooted in the creation narrative. A neglected aspect of the issue is the Sunnah's emphasis on showing affection, interest and support to the menstruating woman, who is described in the Qur'an as suffering. However, just as the leper was transformed by Jesus Christ from an unclean person to be avoided into a servant of God worthy of healing by a prophet, the menstruating woman was transformed into a spiritually pure person to live with by practicing the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad.
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In the article, it is pointed out that divine revelation does not ignore the ontological reality of man, but gives a message to people through his ontological reality. This situation has been tried to be proven by the dreams and difference between sharī’as in order to refute the ideas of orientalists such as Montgomery Watt, who tend to counter against this plain truth and adopt a negative standpoint towards the Qurʾān. In this manuscript , first, some examples were given to understand the subconscious, and then the cultural elements dominant in dream symbols were touched upon. Explanations and dream interpretations of Muslim scholars who examine the logical connection in the formation of symbols in dreams are also included. As understood from these interpretations, it has been manifested that the symbols common to humans are formed by the subconscious alphabet, which consists of the codes of a kind of culture, which Jung calls archetypes and Islamic scholars call the dress of mental patterns and meanings. Since religious values and expressions are the most dominant elements in Muslim culture, Muslim interpreters have generally tried to interpret dream symbols with words from the Qurʾān and hadith or expressions that evoke these symbols. In this context, the incident of Abraham (Ibrāhīm al-Khalīl) (PBUH) sacrificing his son Ishmael (Ismāʾīl), which has a greatly challenging in interpretation, is discussed and how it should be understood is emphasized. It has been stated that this is a dream symbolized by the influence of the dominant culture, and that it is aimed to correct the mistake in the environment in which children are sacrificed to the gods and to change the ritual in the same way that the order to slaughter baqar (cattle) to the te aims to eliminate the mistake of the culture they live in. Then, the relationship between sharīʿa and ontological reality was examined, and it was emphasized that religion is based on the common nature of all people and therefore religion is an unchanging phenomenon for all people, while sharīʿa is the collective subconscious where culture is dominant and therefore has a relationship with one aspect. In the Qurʾān, the basic principles of religion and the comprehensive sharīʿa laws on which the prophets agreed are expressed. In general terms, religion includes the commandments created by Allah for the beings that are pleasing to all creatures (based on the collective unchangeability of the nature of human beings), enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, halalizing clean things and forbidding harmful things. According to Muslim scholars, the main thing in all heavenly religions is to believe in Allah, His angels, His messengers, His books and the afterlife, and to commit acts that will make a person a Muslim if he does them. This faith naturally requires turning away from this world, turning towards the afterlife, acquiring good morals and avoiding bad morals. However, sharīʿa laws may differ from each other. Because sharīʿa varies based on the conditions and interests of the society in which the religion is revealed. In order to show that the collective subconscious is not ignored in the differentiation of sharīʿa, the thesis defended has been tried to be proven by giving examples from the Qurʾān. One of these is that some cultural elements and hatreds among Arab are taken as basis in the versesof the Qurʾān, and the other is the use of foreigner names as expressed by the Arab and in accordance with the unlettered understanding. In addition, on this subject, the prohibition of some halal foods for Jews and some differences in other sharīʿa’s areemphasized. Regarding the prohibition of halal foods, Jacob's (PBUH) warning not to eat the foods he likes if he recovers from a serious illness, and accordingly, he will not eat or drink camel meat and milk when he recovers. As a result of his children and his ummah also avoiding these foods, the example of them being made haram in the Torah was emphasized. It is emphasized that the reason for the differentiation of these sample sharīʿa’s is the result of the attitude towards something becoming collective. Regarding some differences in other sharīʿa, it is emphasized that although fasting was made obligatory for the previous ones, its quality is different. Likewise, it has been explained with examples that although prayer, zakāt and pilgrimage are present in all monotheistic religions, their quality varies. It has been stated that the lifestyles and therefore the collective subconscious of nations play a role in the differences in sharīʿa. As a matter of fact, the statement that those who follow the ProphetJesus made priesthood obligatory for themselves in order to obtain the consent of Allah, even though it was not commanded to them, and continued to do so, and that Allah respected this and paid their wages to those who were in the priesthood, reinforces this situation. As a result, it has been tried to reveal that religion and everything related to religion are based on the common nature of humanity, and that the elements that vary from sharīʿa to sharīʿa are, in a way, related to the collective nature of the societies.
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The European Council for Fatwa is a scholarly institution comprising a number of distinguished scholars, the majority of whom are based in the West. These scholars are familiar with both the Shari'ah evidences and associated problems. The Council was established in 1997 under the chairmanship of Yusuf al-Qaradawi (1926-2022). Since then, the Council addressed significant jurisprudential issues, particularly those pertaining to Muslims residing in the West and markedly distinct from the challenges observed in Muslim-majority countries. Its resolutions and fatwas have served as a reference point for both Muslims residing in these countries and other Muslims confronting analogous challenges. Moreover, the Council has emerged as a prominent scholarly authority on Islamic jurisprudence. Since its establishment, numerous studies have been conducted in various languages, including academic studies, on the structure of the Council and the fatwa method it follows in the context of general or specific issues such as transactions. At the meeting Istanbul in 2023, the Council devoted a significant portion of the proceedings to a comprehensive review of its activities and the criticisms directed against it. The meeting also saw the presentation of numerous papers that evaluated the Council from a variety of perspectives. To serve the same purpose, this study has been written to critically evaluate the method followed by the Council in issuing its fatwas in the context of the rules of fiqh and fatwa procedure. The evaluation is limited to the conditions of scientific competence and justice required of the mufti for a fatwa to be considered valid. In this context, an introduction was provided regarding the contribution of the fiqh councils to the science of fiqh. This was followed by a brief overview of the Council, highlighting its distinctive features and the ways in which it differs from other fiqh councils, particularly in terms of its approach to the field of "minority fiqh". The conditions necessary for the acceptance of a fatwa are analysed and explained by relying on well-known books of Islamic methodology. The compliance of the fatwas and decisions issued by the Council with these rules is discussed. In order to enable comparison with other fiqh Councils, the decisions and fatwas issued by them are also included. The study concluded that the Council did not comply with the rules of fatwa procedure set as a criterion, as it did not announced by whom the decisions and fatwas were issued. Furthermore, it was concluded that other fiqh councils were similarly overwhelmed with this problem. The study concludes with some recommendations for the solution of the problems identified. It is hoped that the study will contribute to the field by providing measures to guide the fatwa institutions in carrying out its activity within the framework of the fatwa process. In addition, it is hoped that it will raise awareness among researchers and muftis who act on, make use of in their studies or issue fatwas based on the decisions and fatwas of institutions, whatever they are called, in general, and of the European Council for Fatwa in particular.
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Kalām, whose basic characteristics are shaped by the issues of God, prophethood and meād, has centered on the moral perspective in the way it deals with these issues. In this respect, kalām is related to God in one aspect and to man in another. Therefore, theologians addressed the relationship between God and human beings from both ontic, epistemic and moral perspectives. The concept of God and human beings gain meaning by evaluating all dimensions together. Different approaches to the subject are shaped according to the paradigms of discourse groups or thinkers. It is known that Abū’l-Kāsim Mahmūd b. ‘Umar b. Muhammad al-Khwarazmī ez-Zamakhsharī (d. 538/1144), a Mu‘tazilite scholar and one of the competent names of Arabic language and literature, paid due attention to the relationship between God and man in his works. Zamakhsharī, who belongs to the Hanafī faith in his religious practice, has an understanding of religion that prioritises reason and emphasises the functional aspect of reason. For this reason, according to him, human beings, who are created in a certain nature (fitrah) with reason and will, are responsible for their actions. Zamakhsharī, who conceives man on the basis of taklīf, is dominated by the idea of a just God from the first stage of creation. Therefore, his conception of God and his evaluations on the subject of will in connection with this conception of God indicate the basis on which he approaches the relationship between God and human beings. In this context, our study focuses on how Zamakhsharī deals with this relationship and its moral dimension. The main motive for this study is the existence of strong evidence in Zamakhsharī’s works that he evaluates the relationship between God and human beings morally. Relatedly, the subject covers Zamakhsharī’s approach to divine acts/actions, human acts, reason, knowledge, imitation/taqlīd, husn-kubuh, guidance/hidayah-astray/dalalah, dâî, fâil, evil/qabîh and its agent/fâil, wisdom, benefit/maslahah, and taklîf in a way to include all these. Accordingly, the study will first deal with Zamakhsharī’s conception of God and then the relationship between God and human beings according to Zamakhsharī. The data on the moral dimension, which determines the purpose of the study, will be evaluated. The first stage of the relationship between God and human is the creation (halq), the agreement/covenant (mīsaq) and the providence (taqdīr), and the second stage is the taklīf. The Hereafter, as the place where the offer is rewarded, is the final stage and will be discussed in the section on taklīf and conclusion. The study is shaped by the aforementioned data and the analyses made on it. Kitāb al-Minhāj, which is used as a source, is a work of Zamakhsharī that determines the general framework on the subject. Kashshāf 'an hakāʾik al-ghawāmizi' al-tanzīl wa 'uyūni al-akāwīl fī wujūhi al-ta'wīl, on the other hand, is Zamakhsharī’s commentary that enables us to understand and evaluate his views and depth in many aspects. Therefore, this study aims to draw attention to Zamakhsharī’s moral approach to the relationship between God and human beings and thus to the morality of human responsibility. While our study will be limited to Zamakhsharī, comparative evaluations will be made where necessary.
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Since the early years of Islam, taxation has been considered a delicate issue. Zakah is ordered in the Qur'an as a religious duty for Muslims and its positive impact on the economy and society was also emphasized by Prophet Muhammad with his words and practices. During the reign of Caliph Abū Bakr, the Islamic army had a war with people who refused to pay zakah although they accepted to pray (salah). The determined attitude on this matter established a basis for the instutionalization of zakah in the following years. A similar policy on taxation was followed during the reign of Caliph Omar. However, in addition to the zakah, which is gathered from Muslims and the jizya from non-Muslims, Muslims established an economic order with the tribute tax (kharaj) after the conquests of Sawad region. In order to ensure the distribution of what is collected from the public to the public, the diwan system was established, and the economic relationship between the individual and the state was highly considered. The narrations confirm that the Caliph and the companions cared about establishing a just balance based on taxes between the individual and the state. And for this reason, they had even counted the lands captured by war as fay. However, in the following years, some problems arose related to mawālī, conversion and taxes, and this situation led people to dissatisfaction, especially the non-Arab people. The unfair practices which led people to join the ʿAbbāsid revolution and the reforms to correct the injustice by the Umayyads in the last period shows that the tax practice differed considerably from the early periods of Islam. By investigating tax from the last years of Umayyads to the ʿAbbāsids, this study aims to contribute to the theories on the economic reasons for the revolution besides the religious and social ones.
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