The Event of Mi‘rāj, Its Possibility and Nature

marife dini araştırmalar dergisi Turkish Journal of Religious Studies, 2022

The isrāʾ and mi’raj event, which expresses the Prophet Muhammad’s night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and the ascent of Muhammad (pbuh) to the heavens and his arrival in the presence of Allah, occurred one year after the hijra, according to the accepted view. The verses that mention the isrāʾ and mi’raj event and the verses that are thought to point to it have been interpreted in various ways in the narration and wise interpretations. The approach of the sufis, who developed a different method in interpreting the texts in the tafsir literature, to the subject in ishari tafsir draws a different perspective. It is thought that in this method of interpretation, the center of which is spiritual journey (sayr wa sulūk), the states and spiritual stages (the maqāms) obtained by the sufi by sulūk create different and new means of meaning in the person. In this article, the approach of the sufi commentators about the verses in which the events of isrāʾ and mi’raj are explained in the context of ishari tafsir will be discussed. In order to see the reflections of the subject in sufi thought in a holistic way, first of all, it will be tried to determine how the subject is approached in the sufi classics. Thus, it will be possible to see to what extent the perception of mi’raj in sufi classics is reflected in sufi tafsir. Since the article focuses on the ishari interpretation, the interpretation of narration and wisdom are excluded from the scope. Here, it will be tried to determine the views of the sufis based on the classics of sufism and the leading ishari tafsir. The Sufis, who consider mi’raj as a spiritual stage that must be followed in meeting with Allah beyond seeing it as a miracle of the Muhammad (pbuh), are the miracles of isra and mi’raj in sufi classics; They explained it with concepts specific to sufis such as “holy servitude” (‘ubudiyyah), “real certainty” (yaqīn), jam’, “annihilation” or “passing away” (fanāʾ), “sobriety” (ṣahw), “uncovering”, “revelation” (mukashafa/kashf), “witnessing” or “viewing” (mushāhadah) and manifestation (tajalli). In this context, they have established similarities between the mi’raj event and the navigation, and they have considered acquiring states and positions by following the Prophet as a kind of mi’raj. They also claimed that sufis could have ascensions apart from the Prophet’s ascension, however, they drew attention to the differences between the ascension of the prophet and the ascension of the saints. The sufis, who dealt with isrāʾ and mi’raj in connection with sufi motifs, also talked about their own mi’raj experiences. While they claim that there are similarities between the mi’raj of the prophets and the mi’raj of the saints, they also drew attention to their differences in terms of their nature and binding. Sufi commentators, who deal with the verse that talks about the incident of isrāʾ in the axis of mystical motifs, Sūrat al-Najm 1-18. They also analyzed the verses in the context of the event of isrāʾ and miʿrāj. What the verses of the Isra, which are not mentioned in detail, are explained with reference to the extraordinary things that the Prophet witnessed in the Sūrat al-Najm. Sufi commentators have deduced various mystical meanings from the implicit mention of isrāʾ as “servant/abdihi” (al-Isra, 17/1) in the first verse. They consider the 18th verse of the chapter of al-Najm, which mentions that the Prophet saw some of the great verses of Allah, as an event that took place during the ascension. From the word “nejm/star” in the first verse of the chapter of al-Najm and its setting, they deduced signs about Mohammad, heart, qurb, inspiration, ledunni knowledge and rabbinical resources. Based on these concepts, they deduced that the Prophet returned to this realm by attaining ingenuity and perseverance in the mi’raj. While the sufis transformed the expression “Qābe kavseyn av adnā” into a mystical concept, on the other hand, they used it to express the highest spiritual experience that a human being can experience. In fact, sufi commentators are aware that the nature of the mi’raj event, which only the Prophet experienced, cannot be truly understood by anyone other than him. However, in the context of the mi’raj event, they tried to understand this special experience he had with the interpretations they brought to the verses of the Najm surah compared to their own experiences.

Özet Risâlet ile görevlendirilen peygamberlerin hemen tamamına çeşitli mucizelerin verildiği bilgisi, Kur'ân-ı Kerîm'de ismi zikredilen peygamberlerin hayatlarından bazı kesitlerin anlatıldığı âyetlerde belirtilmektedir. Hâtemü'l-enbiyâ olan Rasûlullah'a (s.a.v.) da tebliğ faaliyetinin bazı safhalarında çeşitli mucizeler verilmiştir. Siyer literatürü söz konusu olunca Hz. Peygamber'in (s.a.v.) mucizeleri ve bu mucizelerin siyer müellifleri tarafından ele alınma şekli, hep tartışma konusu edilmiştir. Birbirinden farklı anlayış ve yaklaşımın sonucu mahiyetindeki tutumlar, özellikle Hz. Peygamber'in mucizeleri söz konusu olunca daha iyi görülebilmektedir. Bu makalede Türkiye'deki mevcut siyer literatürü içerisinde-müelliflerinin mucize konusuna yaklaşımını ortaya koyması açısından-temsil gücü yüksek olan bazı eserler bağlamında Hz. Peygamber'in (s.a.v.) tebliğ faaliyetinin önemli bir aşamasını teşkil eden mirâc hadisesine yönelik yaklaşım farklılıkları ele alınmaktadır. Tespit ve mukayese yöntemleriyle kaleme alınan bu çalışmada ne zaman ve nasıl vuku bulduğu hususunda pek çok ihtilafın söz konusu olduğu mirâc mucizesi bağlamında siyer müelliflerinin yaklaşım farklılıkları ve bunların muhtemel nedenleri tartışılacaktır. Ayrıca bu çalışma vesilesiyle Hz. Peygamber'in (s.a.v.) en önemli mucizelerinden mirâcın siyer kitaplarında müellifler tarafından nasıl ele alındığı hakkında bir kanaate ulaşma hedeflenmektedir. The Approach to the Miracle of al-Mi‘raj in Seerah Literature Abstract The fact that various mirâcles were given to almost all the prophets who were entrusted with risalah is stated in the verses which cite some parts of the lives of prophets mentioned by name in the Qur’an. The last prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was also given some mirâcles in different stages of his risalah. As for sīrah literature, the mirâcles of the prophet Muhammad and the handling of this issue by sīrah scholars have always been a controversial issue. As a result of diverse understandings and approaches, different attitudes came out especially when it comes to the mirâcles of the Prophet. This article deals with the different approaches to the incident of al-mi‘raj which constitutes an important stage of Prophet Muhammad’s risalah by drawing upon prominent works –in terms of presenting their author’s point of view about the issue of mirâcles- among the present sīrah literature in Turkey. Through descriptive and comparative method in this article, the differences between the approaches of several scholars to the incident of al-mi‘raj –about which a lot of disputes arose regarding its time and place- and the probable reasons for this diversity will be discussed. This study also aims to build an opinion about how the mirâcle of al-mi‘raj, one of the most important mirâcles of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), is being addressed in sīrah literature. Key Words: al-Isrā, al-mi‘raj, miracle, prophethood, Sīrah

2006

The study analyzes the History of Muhammad Giray (Târîh-i Mehmed Giray), which is a general history of Crimean Khanates and Ottomans, covers the years of A.H.1094-1115/A.D.1682-1703. The book starts with praise to be God, bless to the Prophet and Sultan Muhammad IV, than tries to explain the situation of the Ottoman Empire just before Vienna Siege II and narrates the political events. Muhammad Giray, in his book, gives the events in chronological order according to the Crimean Khans’ and Ottomans Sultans’ reaching to power. The events, related each other, given without the chronology. The book not only records the political events but also gives some astronomical and interesting incidents. Târîh-i Mehmed Giray is a very important history book on Crimean Khanate and Ottomans in the end of XVIIth and in the beginning of XVIIIth Centuries. As a witness of his age, the author records the political events in Crimean Khanate according to the Khans own reports.

Eskiyeni, 2024

In the first century after the Hijra, Qur'anic exegesis was generally centered around the explanation of unclear (gharib) words and grammatical analyses. However, starting from the 5th century, a process of formalization in interpretations began. The commentaries produced by the Sufis, who focused on the esoteric/symbolic meanings (bātinī/ishārī) of the verses, reached a significant volume and over the following centuries evolved into a distinct school of tafsīr, securing its place in the literature. In these commentaries, generally categorized as ishārī tafsīrs (exegesis), the mufassir (exegete) believes that the concrete objects, events, or phenomena mentioned in the verses point to certain profound spiritual meanings in the metaphysical realms. According to this approach, which views the human being as a small yet important reflection of the cosmos, natural events and phenomena such as mountains, seas, and winds symbolize human emotions and inner conflicts. This study focuses on how this Sufi approach is reflected in ishārī tafsīrs specifically regarding natural events, and examines what kind of contribution it offers to Qur'anic interpretation. It is clear that bringing together and analyzing all the interpretations of nature from every exegetical work, categorized as ishārī in a single article is not feasible. Therefore, this study focuses on the most natural phenomena and selects and analyzes some of the most notable interpretations from the most respected regarded classics of the ishārī tafsīr tradition. It should be emphasized that an mufassir involved in ishārī tafsīrs often bases their symbolic interpretation of a verse on personal and subjective considerations drawn from sources recognized as valid within the discipline of Sufism, such as kashf (spiritual unveiling), inspiration, intuition, or dreams. Mufassir shares his interpretations, which he believes are related to the apparent meaning of the verse, in the form of personal opinions. In this regard, the criteria for assessing how closely the mufassir’s interpretation adheres to the framework of the Qur'an and Sunnah have been established by scholars of tafsīr. In this study, the criteria established by tafsīr scholars are used as the basis for evaluating whether the ishārī interpretations generally conflict with the broader message of the verse. The introduction to the study provides, a general overview of the academic research conducted on ishārī exegesis in Turkey is presented. The considerable number of works found indicates that, although the interpretations found in ishārī tafsīrs, although not always scientific, they are still taken seriously by a significant group of people, which underlines their importance. The frequent mention of natural elements and phenomena such as oceans, mountains, and winds in the Qur’an has attached the attention of ishārī mufassirs, and led to interesting and very different interpretations. The intriguing nature of these interpretations underscores the importance of this study. It concludes that the interpretations of natural phenomena and events found in ishārī tafsīrs make a significant contribution to unveiling the semantic richness of the Qur'an. Furthermore, it is observed that the stages of development within the Sufi tradition throughout history have influenced the meaning that ishārī mufassirs have attributed to the verses.

Marife Dini Araştırmalar Dergisi

Bu çalışmada İsrâiliyat’ın çerçevesine dâhil edilebileceğini düşündüğümüz rivayetler hakkında Mâtürîdî’nin ne düşündüğü, söz konusu rivayetlere karşı tefsirinde nasıl bir yaklaşım sergilediği ele alınmaya çalışılmıştır. Son asırda Mâtürîdî hakkında birçok çalışma yapılmış olmasına rağmen yaptığımız araştırmalara göre onun İsrâiliyat hakkındaki yaklaşımını kuşatıcı şekilde ele alan, kategorize eden ve örneklendiren bir çalışma bulunmamaktadır. Bazı çalışmalarda Mâtürîdî’nin tefsirinde İsrâilî olduğu düşünülerek yer verilen rivayetler birkaç başlık altında tasnif edilmeye çalışılmışsa da bu tasnifin yeterli olduğunu söylemek kanaatimizce mümkün değildir. Bu çalışmalarda İsrâiliyat olarak aktarılan örnekler, görebildiğimiz kadarıyla Mâtürîdî’nin ya eleştirdiği ya sükût ettiği ya da doğru olup olmadığı bilinemez dediği rivayetlerden oluşmaktadır. Dolayısıyla İsrâiliyat çerçevesine dâhil edilebilecek bir rivayeti Mâtürîdî’nin ayetlerin anlaşılmasında yardımcı unsur olarak kullandığına da...

Turkish studies, 2007

Fatih USLUER * ÖZET XVI. yüzyıl şâir ve mutasavvıflarından Misâlî, hurûfîliğin Anadolu ve Balkanlar'daki önemli temsilcilerinden biridir. Bektâşî şâirler arasında ismi zikredilen Misâlî'nin eserlerine bakıldığında onun, hurûfî felsefesine tam anlamıyla bağlı ve bu felsefenin mübelliği olduğu rahatlıkla görülecektir. Bu çalışmamızda, Misâlî'nin Miftâhu'l-gayb adlı eserinin transkripsiyonlu metnini verdikten sonra açıklamasını yaptık.

The paper discusses the debate on the great miracles of the Prophet Mohammed, namely the Miracle of Al-Isra and Miraj, based on the sources in the literature. It intends, firstly, to address the importance of the miracles in terms of the life of the Prophet and discusses how the miraçles took place. Then, the reactions to the miracles derived from the information in the sources were given and lastly the contentious points of the miracles are argued. In this respect, the location of the Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, whether the Miraj occured physically or spiritually, whether the Prophet saw his God and the statutes introduced in the Miraj are gone through.

İksad Yayınevi, 2024

Ed.: Haldun Özkan, Süleyman Çiğdem, Ayşe Duran

Eskiyeni, 2023

The life of Prophet Muhammad has always drawn people's attention, including the companions and Muslims in later periods up until today. From the early periods onwards, Muslims have endeavored to learn and teach the Sīra of Prophet Muhammad, and attempted to write works on it. As a result of these efforts, the first works have emerged. Especially starting from the Abbasid period, the number of written works on the life of the Prophet Muhammad, known as Sīra, has increased, and during the Mamluk period, the number of authored works has significantly multiplied. In addition, with the increase in the number of written works and the expansion of their topics, the volumes of the authored works have also increased. The increase in the number of works and the scholarly debates on the chain of narrators and the subject matter have brought some difficulties for readers. For this and similar reasons, authors have sometimes rewritten their extensive works in a concise and brief manner, and sometimes they have written independent concise works. The number of concise Sīra works focusing on the life of Prophet Muhammad increased during the Mamluk period. One of the scholars who contributed to the Sīra field with his work, Khulāṣat siyar sayyid al-bashar, was Muḥibb al-Dīn al-Ṭabarī. al-Ṭabarī, who wrote works in different fields of knowledge, grew up in a scholarly family in Mecca, received education from important scholars, and also made a name for himself with his students. The author has approached the life of Prophet Muhammad in a concise and comprehensive manner through his work titled Khulāṣat siyar from various aspects. The author has approached the life of Prophet Muhammad in a concise and comprehensive manner through his work titled Khulāṣat siyar from various aspects. The lack of any study on this work of the author, especially in the field of Sîra, has been identified as a deficiency. In addition, it is important to identify and reintroduce the lives and works of individuals who have served people through various important roles and guided society with their works, and to determine their contributions to the field. Therefore, this study aims to introduce al-Ṭabarī, an important scholar of his time, and to reveal his personality, scholarly background, and contributions to the field. The author, who had various works on Prophet Muhammad and his family, wrote an original work within the framework of his own intellectual life in Khulāṣat siyar, without quoting from his other works and including different narrations. In this study, Khulāṣat siyar will be examined in terms of its methodology, content, and sources. Additionally, the author's view of Prophet Muhammad and his contribution to the field of Sīra will be evaluated.

International journal of filologia, 2023

Öz Fiiller, işlevlerine göre sınıflandırılırken farklı kategorilere ayrılmaktadır. Bu kategorilerden biri olan çatı ile ilgili, farklı görüş ve değerlendirmeler bulunmaktadır. Görüş ayrılığının temelini tanım, terim, tahlil ve tasnif başlıkları oluşturmaktadır. Ayrıca, verilen örneklerle yapılan açıklamalar da örtüşmemektedir. Böylelikle, anlaşılması ve anlatılması güç bir konu olan çatı, daha da karmaşık bir hâle gelmekte; mesele, içinden çıkılmaz bir hâl almaktadır. Cümlede yargı bildirerek yüklem olan fiile getirilen ve çatı eki olarak bilinen eklerin iki işlevi bulunmaktadır. Bu eklerin birinci ve aslî işlevi, cümlenin zorunlu ögelerini belirlemektir. Bu işlev, eklerin çatı kurma işlevidir. İkinci işlevi ise fiilin varlık ilgisini değiştirmektir. Yani, oluş fiilini kılış fiiline, kılış fiilini oluş fiiline dönüştürme işlevidir. Bu yönüyle bu ekler; söz dizimini değil, fiil tabanını etkilemektedir. Eklerin oluşturduğu bu yeni kategori "görüngü" olarak adlandırılabilir. Çatı ve görüngüde aynı ekler kullanıldığı için bu iki kategori karıştırılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Dîvânu Lugâti't-Türk'te görüngü kategorisi incelenmiştir. Ercilasun ve Akkoyunlu (2008) den alınan örnekler bağlam dikkate alınarak değerlendirilmiştir. Dîvânu Lugâti't-Türk, birçok konuda olduğu gibi çatı açısından da zenginlik göstermektedir. Dîvân'da çatının yanı sıra çatıyla karıştırılan ancak yeni bir kategori olan görüngü de bulunmaktadır. Bu durum Türkçede görüngü kategorisinin 11. yüzyılda da var olduğunu, sonraki dönemlerde de varlığını koruduğunu göstermektedir.