The program's purpose is primarily to increase research in the field of Islamic Studies in our country and to achieve significant outcomes of this research at the national and international levels. Thus we will have correctly identified the main problems and trained competent academics capable of producing suitable solutions. Therefore, we will prepare students for the doctoral program we have planned to open next year.
Assist. Prof. İhsan Kahveci
The purpose of this program is to provide comprehensive information for clarifying the values and considerations posed by Islam. In addition to all these, the main goal is to educate academics who are competent in their field enough to make comparisons with other sites and gained competence to do scientific research in all disciplines within the department and who are aware of the problems of the area and can find solutions to these problems. The progress in this direction is expected to be as follows:
TafsirYoung researchers who complete this program successfully will manage to penetrate the classic and modern scholarship of the field. Thus they will become nominees for academic positions in national and international prestigious universities. The program is designed to carry out high-quality education, teaching, and research. The scope of a Master of Islamic Studies covers the following areas:
This course provides a forum for students to discuss and generate ideas on various applied social research issues. Students conduct an in-depth study of a research topic of their choice, discuss issues with experts in the field of research, work in discussion groups, debate and solve problems on selected issues. In the research seminar, the students can integrate their knowledge, skills, and practical experience gained in the program.
This course aims to explain the principles of thesis preparation, interpretation and writing techniques, preparation of research reports, bibliography forming techniques, scientific article writing principles, data collection methods, and analysis techniques that are necessary for scientific research. In addition, it takes the ethical rules that must be followed in scientific publications, citation procedures, plagiarism, and other issues should be avoided. Further, students gain an understanding of the importance of research in the development of communication strategies.
The course deals with the general sources and methods of Islamic law such as the Qur'an, Sunnah, Ijma, Qiyas, Istihsan, Masalih al-mursala, Sad al-zarai', Orf, Istishab. In addition, the classification of legal provisions, the derivation methods of requirements from the revealed texts, the general goals of sharia, the problems of intertextuality, and the conditions of legal reasoning are also dealt with.
This course deals with the early development of Islamic Sciences. In the formative period of these sciences, they were intertwined. They shared a common history in the first century. Towards the middle of the second century, the separation began to run. The classic nature of Islamic sciences cannot be understood well without this historical background.
Designed to strengthen students' grasp of the primary sources of Islamic studies, this course draws upon classical scholarly texts that are representative of various disciplines and have been essential to the education of Muslim scholars for centuries. Students will be asked to analyze these texts in terms of language, stylistic form, and content. These analyses aim to create awareness of how this body of work came into being within the atmosphere of what may be called the ecology of Islamic intellectual tradition. In other words, what is the nature of Islamic practice? As the young researchers who take this course will be immersed in the language, style, and thought of primary sources, they will also learn to critically assess the authenticity and reliability of the information found in the secondary literature.
Designed to strengthen students' grasp of the primary sources of Islamic studies, this course draws upon classical scholarly texts that are representative of various disciplines and have been essential to the education of Muslim scholars for centuries. Students will be asked to analyze these texts in terms of language, stylistic form, and content. These analyses aim to create awareness of how this body of work came into being within the atmosphere of what may be called the ecology of Islamic intellectual tradition. In other words, what is the nature of Islamic practice? As the young researchers who take this course will be immersed in the language, style, and thought of primary sources, they will also learn to critically assess the authenticity and reliability of the information found in the secondary literature.
Tafsir
In this course, the major themes of the Qur'an such as divinity, the universe, human beings and their relationship with each other, revelation and holy books, prophecy and prophets, freedom of human agent and his responsibility, worship and systematic worship, social order, morals and life in the hereafter will be examined and discussed.
This course deals with the main issues concerning Quranic Sciences such as Asbab al-nuzûl (occasions of revelation), Nâsikh-Mansukh, Muhkem-Muteshabih; Hurûf al-Muqattaa, Fawatih al-suwar, Gharib al-Qur'an, Ijaz al-Qur'an, Aqsam al-Qur'an, Qasas al-Qur'an, Takrar al-Qur'an, Amsâl al-Qur'an, Haqiqa, and Majaz, Mushkil al-Qur'an, Mujmal and Mubayyan, al-Wujuh wal-nazâir, Mubhamât al-Qur'an, Khalq al-Qur'an.
It examines the modern approaches and contemporary debates over the interpretation of the Qur'an and the source of controversy regarding the modern exegesis of the Qur'an. In this regard, recently discussed topics such as historical elements of the Qur'an, abrogation, mystical interpretation, and the creation of women are chosen as example issues to reassess contemporary ideas.
This course aims to analyze different types of classic Tafsir literature. The texts are chosen from both the exegeses of riwaya, such as Tabari, Beghawi, Ibn Kasîr, and the interpretations of diraya, such as the works of Maturidi, Fakh al-din al-Razi, Ebu Suud.
Hadith
Hadith is probably the most challenging field of Islamic sciences. So it has a sophisticated history and literature. Since it constitutes the second source of religious knowledge, the sound reports should be determined from the weak ones. Many words go back to the Prophet, Companions, or Successors. Indeed, they all differ in epistemological value. In this regard, there developed many sub-sciences related to hadith. Hadith methodology, known as Usul al-hadith, searches and improves the ways of using these reports inconsistently. Literature of hadith methodology, which deals with the aspects above of the hadith texts, is scrutinized in this course to acquire awareness about the problem of contradictory reports.
This course identifies the various genres of Hadith literature. The significance of canonic works of hadith, their classification, and hierarchy will be emphasized.
The problems arising in verbatim transmission, collection, and compilation of the prophetic reports are examined to ensure their authenticity. The structure of any predictive essay consists of two parts: the first is sanad, i.e., chain of transmission, and the second is matn, i.e., the main text of the report. The science of Hadith criticism examines both parts of the information to determine its authenticity. Thus good words become evident. Even the pieces already enjoying the criteria of soundness are subjected to further examination if they pose any contradiction against either Qur'an, the corpus of prophetic reports, or human reason. Scholars in the field developed many methods in this respect. In such cases, they look for a conciliation based on reasonable intertextuality. Suppose there is no way to fix the contradiction. In that case, such inconsistent reports are not considered a valid interpretation, so they serve no longer as a point of reference for deriving provision afresh, awaiting apart from the whole body of authentic texts.
Nevertheless, the traditional methods of criticism developed by Hadith scholars recently face challenges. Some modern academicians in the West regard the prophetic reports as fabricated due to lacking recorded evidence vis-a-vis oral transmission in the first century of Islam. This course covers all these issues.
The whole life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is closely studied. Furthermore, since this period constitutes the nucleus of Islamic sciences, the phases such as the pre-Islamic era, the beginning of revelation, and the challenges during the birth, rise, and spread of Islam in the Maccan and Madinan periods are closely examined.
This course aims to introduce the most distinguished classical commentaries of hadith literature. It also aims to highlight how the beliefs, jurisprudence, and sociopolitical structure of the period of the commentator were reflected in said works. In addition, the language of the period, the interactive relationship of the commentator with the related sources, and the methods used will be introduced to the student.
Fiqh
The whole body of Islamic law is divided into three parts according to the taxonomy of the Hanafi school such as ibâdât, mûâmalât, and 'uqûbât. Muâmalât is also divided into two parts as mâliyya and ghayr mâliyya. Civil transactions regarding economic rights constitute the subject of the muâmalât mâliyya. This part of fiqh corresponds to the law of property and obligations. So the concept of property with its various aspects is first analyzed, and later, the circulation of property rights among persons through contracts and other sources of obligations is examined. Meanwhile, a comparison between Islamic law and European Continental Law will be drawn, despite their different structure.
General concepts and notions concerning personal statuses, such as birth, death, legal capacity, marriage, divorce, and a person's lineage, are studied compared to the law of the land.
Soon after its formation, Islamic law develops within the rubrics of legal schools. Since Muslim individuals and societies were ruled throughout history by certain legal schools, they deserve to be subjected to a close inquiry. Early Muslim scholars developed two styles of interpretation in the second century of Islam. The first circle focuses on the letter of revealed texts, while the other emphasizes the spirit of the text. Those scholars who occasionally opined on legal provisions based on human reason have been called Ashab al-ra'y or Ahl al-ra'y, led by Abu Hanifa. In contrast, the other party has been contacted by Ashab al-hadith or Ahl al-hadith, led by Malik, Sufyan al-Sawri, Sufyan b. Uyayna, Ahmad b. Hanbal. There emerged and soon developed a third way of merging and synthesizing the tenets of both sides on the hand of al-Shafii.
Four schools of Sunni Islam have managed to survive up to now. Each of them has a vibrant history and vast literature. Without studying this history and literature, it is impossible to conceive Islamic law. Maliki school of law was applied for more than six centuries in Andalus and Northern Africa, the Hanafi school of law was used in Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, Shafii school of law was dominantly applied during Seljuqs, Ayyubids, and Mamluks. Even in modern times, under secular rules, Muslim individuals still regulate their lives according to one of these schools. So political and social history of Muslim states and peoples cannot be thoroughly understood without a sound knowledge of legal schools. This course is arranged to meet this need.
Classic literature on Islamic law is defined, and some parts of different works of various legal schools are selected and analyzed to equip the students with the necessary skills to carry out academic research within the primary sources of Islamic law. Thus they could benefit from these sources while preparing their dissertations.
Kalam
This course will be discussed by examining the texts regarding New Ilmu'l-Kalam discourse on the one hand. At the same time, theological debates of modern times, some other issues, such as a change in the content and method, and the thoughts of leading authors of the period are studied. In addition, the history of kalam and research in systematic theology will be reviewed and evaluated.
This course focuses on the logical structure of knowledge to create a methodological basis for the science of kalam. In this regard, the treatise of Isagoji is selected. All concepts of classical logic are studied through this text.
All schools of kalam, such as Harijiyya, Qadariyya, Mu'tazila, Jabriyya, Murjia, Musabbiha, Shia, Salafiyya, Ashariyya, and Maturidiyya, are introduced. Their structure and principles will be determined and explained. The historical periods of each school will be studied and evaluated.
Selected texts from some works of aqida, such as Abu Hanifa's al-Fiqh al-Akbar, Tahawi's al-Aaida al-Tahawiyya, Semerqandi's al-Sawad al-A'zam, Nasafi's al-Aqide, Ushi's Amali and from some classical works of systematic kalam such as Ash'ari's al-Ibana, Maturidi's Kitab al-Tawhid, Juwayni's al-Irshad, Pazdawi's Usul al-Din, and Nasafi's Tabsira al-Adilla will be studied.
Sufism
The main subject of this course is Sufi terminology, which has been circulated since this discipline's formation. This terminology has been exposed to some semantic change; while some terms remained stable, others have been modified to a certain extent in the magnitude of emphasis. Therefore, this course will attempt a doctrinal reading of tasawwuf through basic terms and concepts.
This course aims to help the students grasp the historical framework of tasawwuf and its place within the Islamic sciences. It deals with the history of tasawwuf since its formation as a science, its historical turning points, the construction of Sufi orders, and their development.
It is aimed to assess the course of tasawwuf in Ottoman society by examining selected texts and distinguished figures. Such an approach will help the students to conceive the major Sufi orders, circles, and main classical works which constitute the general structure of Ottoman Sufi life. This course examines and opens to discuss the main turning points of Ottoman Sufism from the pre-formative period of the Ottoman state till its demise.
The course aims to help the students get acquainted with the literature of tasawwuf in general, its language, and the map of its concepts by examining the primary works, authorities, terminology, and figurative language. In this regard, classical texts of the field are selected, read, and discussed with a linguistic analysis of this literature.
bis@ihu.edu.tr