changing perceptions of zayniyya dervishes toward ibn 'arabi in

215 Pages·2017·2.41 MB·English

DEBATING
 HERESY:

CHANGING
 PERCEPTIONS
 OF
 ZAYNIYYA
 DERVISHES
 TOWARD

IBN
 ‘ARABI
 IN
 THE
 FIFTEENTH
 CENTURY

A
 THESIS
 SUBMITTED
 TO

THE
 GRADUATE
 SCHOOL
 OF
 HUMANITIES
 AND
 SOCIAL
 SCIENCES

OF

İSTANBUL
 ŞEHİR
 UNIVERSITY

BY

CANKAT
 KAPLAN

IN
 PARTIAL
 FULFILLMENT
 OF
 THE
 REQUIREMENTS

FOR

THE
 DEGREE
 OF
 MASTER
 OF
 ARTS

IN

HISTORY

JULY
 2017

ABSTRACT

DEBATING HERESY:
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF ZAYNIYYA DERVISHES TOWARD IBN ‘ARABI IN THE
FIFTEENTH CENTURY

Kaplan, Cankat.
MA in History
Thesis Advisor: Assist. Prof. Abdurrahman Atçıl
July 2017, 201 Pages

This thesis deals with the ideas of Zayniyya dervishes toward Ibn ‘Arabi and his
thought and traces the differences between the Central Asian and Anatolian
dervishes in this regard. The early Zayniyya sheikhs Zayn al-Din Khwafi and ‘Abd al-
Latif Qudsi, the respective founders of the Zayniyya tariqa in Central Asia and
Anatolia, held a dim view of Ibn ‘Arabi’s thought, and saw the use of the science of
letters as sufficient to implicate a person as heretic. In contrast to these early
Zayniyya leaders, most prominent Anatolian Zayni dervishes later adopted a positive
attitude toward Ibn ‘Arabi, and Sheikh Vefa, one of the more prominent Anatolian
Zaynis, himself practiced the science of letters.

I follow the changes in the stances toward Ibn ‘Arabi by investigating the opinions of
different Zayni dervishes, from Central Asia and Anatolia, on five controversial topics
related to Ibn ‘Arabi: the doctrine of oneness of being (wahda al-wujud), the doctrine
of levels of existence (maratib al-wujud), and the issues of Pharaoh’s faith, the seal
of sainthood (khatm al-walaya) and comparison of sainthood with prophethood, and
the state of infidels in hell.

Demonstrating the differences in the attitudes toward Ibn ‘Arabi and, relatedly, in
the definitions of heresy in Central Asia and Anatolia, this thesis argues that in the
fifteenth century, heresy was not a universal term, but a context-bound historical
one. Its meaning changed according to different political, social, and religious
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concerns of various times and places. In addition, the thesis indicates that in the
fifteenth century, tariqas did not produce facsimile disciples. Disciples did not feel
themselves obliged to strictly follow their sheikhs in the tariqa, and easily adapted to
their cultural and religious environments.

Keywords: Heresy, Ibn ‘Arabi, Zayniyya, Anatolia, Central Asia, Sufism

v
ÖZ

İLHÂDI TARTIŞMAK:
15. YÜZYILDA ZEYNİYYE TARİKATI DERVİŞLERİNİN İBN ARABİ HAKKINDAKİ
DÜŞÜNCELERİNİN DEĞİŞİMİ

Kaplan, Cankat.
Tarih Yüksek Lisans Programı
Tez danışmanı: Yrd. Doç. Dr. Abdurrahman Atçıl
Temmuz 2017, 201 Sayfa

Bu tez Zeyniye tarikatı dervişlerinin İbn Arabi ve onun düşüncesi hakkındaki görüşleri
ile ilgilenir ve Orta Asya ve Anadolu coğrafyalarındaki Zeynilerin bu konu hakkındaki
düşüncelerindeki farklılığı ortaya çıkartmaya çalışır. İlk Zeyniye şeyhlerinden olan ve
sırasıyla Orta Asya ve Anadolu’da yaşayan Zeynüddin Hafi ve Abdüllatif Kudsi İbn
Arabi düşüncesi hakkında olumsuz düşünmüş ve ilm-i huruf’u kullanmayı bir kişinin
mülhid olması için yeterli sebep saymıştır. Bu ilk Zeyniye şeyhlerinin aksine önde
gelen Anadolulu çoğu Zeyni dervişi İbn Arabi’ye karşı müspet bir tavır takınmış, ve
Anadolulu Zeynilerden Şeyh Vefa ilm-i hurufu kullanmıştır.

Bu tezde, İbn Arabi’ye karşı takınılan tavrı İbn Arabi ile ilgili beş ihtilaflı konu üzerinden
işliyorum. Bunlar vahdet-i vücud, meratibu’l-vücud, Firavun’un imanı, hatmü’l-velaye
ve velayet-nübüvvet mukayesesi ve kafirlerin cehennemdeki durumu meseleleri.
Zeyniye dervişlerinin ve şeyhlerinin İbn Arabi’ye karşı tavrını, tasavvuf tarihinde çokça
tartışılan bu meseleler hakkında onların ne dediğine göre belirliyorum.

Bu tez, İbn Arabi’ye karşı takınılan tavırlardaki farklılıkları ve dolayısıyla ilhad
kavramının anlamında ortaya çıkan Orta Asya ve Anadolu arasındaki farklılıkları
göstererek, 15. Yüzyılda ilhadın evrensel bir kavram olmadığını, aksine tarihsel bir
kavram olduğunu savunur. İlhad kavramının anlamı farklı zaman ve mekanlarda, farklı
siyasi, sosyal ve dini kaygılara göre değişiklik göstermektedir. Bununla beraber, bu
tezde, 15. Yüzyılda tarikatların birbirinin kopyası müritler yetiştirmediğine işaret
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edilir. Dervişler kendilerini şeyhlerini sıkı sıkıya takip etmek zorunda hissetmezler ve
kültürel ve dini çevreye kolaylıkla uyum sağlayabilirler.

Anahtar Kelimeler: İlhâd, Zeyniye, Anadolu, Orta Asya, Tasavvuf
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am deeply grateful to my thesis advisor, Abdurrahman Atçıl for his priceless
guidance, support, encouragement, and patience throughout the preparation
process of this thesis. I would like to extend my thanks to Ertuğrul Ökten who gave
invaluable advices for the hard issues I came across. They did not only teach me how
to become a good scholar but also a good person. I also owe thanks to Ökten for
kindly accepting to serve as my committee member and I am pleased to have his
inspiring comments for this thesis. I am thankful to Engin Deniz Akarlı and Abdulhamit
Kırmızı for showing me the way of how to become a good historian even if I could not
accomplish yet. I am also deeply grateful to Mehmet Genç. His kindness and
meticulousness taught me a lot. Above all, I want to thank Şehir University History
department for providing me with a chance to meet such wonderful personalities.

The financial support from the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language, and
History (T. C. Başbakanlık Atatürk Kültür, Dil ve Tarih Yüksek Kurumu) and Turkish
Historical Society (Türk Tarih Kurumu) made this study possible. The libraries of the
Center for Islamic Studies (İSAM) and Şehir University provided many primary and
secondary sources that I used in this study. I am also grateful to Ebubekir Kızık who is
the director of Caucasus Foundation (Kafkas Vakfı). I could not have written this thesis
without the facilities that the Şehir University, ISAM library and Caucasus Foundation
provided me. I would like to express many thanks to the staff of manuscript library of
Süleymaniye, especially to Murat Serdar Saykal who made possible for me to acquire
most of the primary sources.

During the process of writing this thesis, many dear friends and colleagues
encouraged and supported me with their priceless friendships, helps, and advices. I
am grateful to all of them and pleased to be able to express my thanks to Yusuf
Selman İnanç, Mehmet Erken, Samet Yaşar, Abdullah Enes Özel, İrfan Ağaçayaklar,
Bünyamin Punar, Onur Öner, Osman Furkan Aydın, İsmail Hakkı Kumbasar, Ahmet
Emre Polat, and many others. I am also deeply grateful to Ahmet Murat Özel and his
respected wife Zeynep Özel for not only their invaluable supports and advice but also
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help for translating Persian phrases. I also would like to express many thanks to
Ahmet Ağaçayaklar for his support.

Finally, I owe thanks to my family. My father Ziya Kaplan and mother Nazike Kaplan
showed continuous self-sacrifice, support, affection, and understanding. My beloved
sister Seda Kaplan was always by my side when I needed her. Her support during the
process of writing this thesis was priceless. I am also indebted to my horse and
dearest friend Gam-Kûsar for patiently and stoically listening to my deepest and most
ridiculous anxieties even if I do not put into words.
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To the one under whose feet lies my heaven…
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