Abdul Basit Zafar | Bonn Universität (original) (raw)

Videos by Abdul Basit Zafar

This public talk at Chailouge, Islamabad, was concerned with the problems with such a general sta... more This public talk at Chailouge, Islamabad, was concerned with the problems with such a general statement, as given below. When a moral or legislative argument is derived in daily debates, positing "Islam says this or that", one cannot go against "Islam". What do we mean by "Islam" in such statements; the revealed text, historical phenomena, a cultural filter, or anything else? How do academics read Islam as a religion or a way of life? In this session, we have covered the classic and modern disciplines within the plethora of Islamic sciences.

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Papers by Abdul Basit Zafar

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi (b. 1951) is recognized as a distinguished scholarly figure in the contempora... more Javed Ahmed Ghamidi (b. 1951) is recognized as a distinguished scholarly figure in the contemporary theological arena of Pakistan. He is part of the third generation of Farahi school of thought, which was established by the genius of Hamiduddin Farahi (1863 –1930) in pre-partition India. The Farahi School, like any other school of its age, investigated the problems of British India with an indication to change the conditions of Indian Muslims. The Farahi discourse was successful not only in a social sense, but also in its scholarly style and produced renowned scholars. Its scholarship is well known for its careful academic work, gentle approach to faith, and earnest devotion to religious education. This paper intends to go through the hallmarks of Ghamidi’s theoretical understanding of Islam and its outcomes in practice. However, We shall briefly introduce Ghamidi and his intellectual lineage, namely Hamiduddin Farahi (1863 –1930) and Amin Ahsan Islahi (1904–1997). Later on, we aim to follow a descriptive approach to ponder Ghamidi’s theology in his Urdu works, including his approach to the primary (Quran) and secondary texts (Hadith). In his extensive work ‘Mizan’, Ghamidi exhibits that the sole purpose of revelation (Islam) is to make an individual a better human being. Such a process begins with the belief in God and eventually transforms the person into a moral living being. This paper proposes introducing Ghamidi’s life, theology and works to a fresh Turkish mind considering he offers novel perspectives on prevailing social and religious issues.

The geographical/stratigraphic interpretation of the notion of Anthropocene considers it a new ad... more The geographical/stratigraphic interpretation of the notion of Anthropocene considers it a new addition to the geological timeframe. The Anthropocene defines Earth's most recent geologic period as human activities significantly influencing Earth's crust and non-stop production of inorganic waste. The response to environmental threats is part of one's learnt ethical code, i.e., culture, and religion. This paper aims at how Muslim theology could reminisce on current anthropocentric crises. It inquires questions such as the role of religion, Muslim countries could play to reduce ecological change and shed some light on anthroposensibilities from a scriptural point of view. The primary sources for this paper are the Holy Qurʾān, the sacred book for all Muslims, and the declaration of the International Islamic Climate Change Symposium held in Istanbul in 2015. The International Islamic Climate Change Symposium was a follow-up and guided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (UNEP, 2005), along with the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. In this paper, we aim to reevaluate the essential issues which will be helpful for informed discussions and future debates in Anthropocene Muslim studies and eco-theology.

İslâm Araştırmaları Dergisi, 2020

Hamdard Islamicus, Vol. XLII, No. 3. , 2019

This study aims to go through Muʿtazilite understandings of a man briefly and expounds on Qadi ʿA... more This study aims to go through Muʿtazilite understandings of a man briefly and expounds on Qadi ʿAbd al-Jabbār al-Hamadani’s (d. 1025) strong rejection of any non-physicalist view of man and his soul. Amongst the Mu'tazilite school prevailed three distinct views on man, hence of the soul; the non-physicalist tradition represented by Ibrāhīm b. Sayyār an-Naẓẓām (d. 836) who claimed that man is the dwelling soul in the human corpse. The dualist view as advocated by Muʿammar b. ʿAbbād (d. 830) who understood man as a combination of the material body and immaterial soul. The third view is the so-called materialist stance on the human being. Qadi ʿAbd al-Jabbār as one of the advocates of this view argues that man does not possess any immaterial or immortal soul. This paper proposes that such a peculiar view of man was the natural outcome of ʿAbd al-Jabbār’s cosmological setting and his sensitivity towards legal matters (talkif). ʿAbd al-Jabbār’s image of man does not need other; a soul, to make him will or capable of certain actions, for man is this corporeal body which could be seen in its actuality, and experienced in its totality. Therefore, he defines man (šaẖs) as a living being (ḥayy), having volition (murid), capable of acting voluntarily (qādir) and consequently entitles him with the responsibility for moral and religious obligations (al-mukallaf). It could be widely observed that Qadi, though admits the presence of soul in the body for its being alive, does not consider it to be living in itself or eternal. The soul, however, is the contingent breath, by which lightweight bodies (air) are inhaled and exhaled. It is an integral part of a living human being such as his flesh, blood or body structures.
Bu çalışmada, Kâdî Abdülcebbar’ın (ö. 415/1025) insan tasavvuru ilgili bazı argumanları ele alınacaktır. Nitekim Kelâm ilminin erken döneminden itibaren klasik konuların (İlâhî zât ve sifat, kidemü’l Kurân, Kader vb.) yanı sıra insanın mahiyeti, yani onun ne olduğuna dair farklı kanaatlar gündeme gelmiştir. Bu argümanları üç farklı şekilde ele almak mümkündür. Bunlardan ilki insanın mahiyeti bedenden öte görülmeyen ebedi bir ruh olduğunu illere sürürken, ikincisi insanın ruh ve bedenin bitişik dualite olduğunu iddia etmektedir. Bu iki görüşten farklı düşünen Basra ekolun kurucusu Allaf (ö. 850), Behaşmiyye ekolü ve Mu’tezili kelamın ünlü isimi Kâdî Abdulcebbar insanı maddi olan bir fiziki yapıdan oluşan bir bütün (cümle) olduğunu iddia etmektedir. Bu çalışmamızda Kâdî’nın yaygın olan ebedi ruh algısının reddedilmesine neden olan argümanların, onun kozmolojik zeminde temel bulunduğunu göstermeye hedeflemektedir. Kâdî’nın teolojik anlayışında ‘Ruh’ atomculuğa dayanmaktadır ki o halde ruh ya cevher yada araz olmalı. Bu durumda ruhun nedenselliği problemi ortaya çıkar. Kâdî, insanın herhangi bir maddî veya ölümsüz ruha sahip olmadığını savunur. Bu çalışma, insanın bu tür özgün bir görüşünün Kâdî’nın kozmolojik teorisinin ve dini meselelere yönelik düşüncesinin doğal sonucu olduğunu iddia etmektedir.

Yirminci yüzyılın tecdit hareketlerinde Hint alt kıtasındaki müfekkir, filozof ve milli şair Muha... more Yirminci yüzyılın tecdit hareketlerinde Hint alt kıtasındaki müfekkir, filozof ve milli şair Muhammed İkbal’in büyük bir payı bulunmaktadır. İkbal devrinin din adamlarına yazdığı mektuplarda ve şiirlerinde modern bilimler ışığında Müslüman dünyası için dini tefekkürün yeniden teşekkülü konusuna vurgu yapmıştır. Bin seneden beri süren fikri uyku içinde olan ümmete kendi edebiyat ve politik hareketleri ile harekete geçirmeye çalışmıştır. İkbal bir müçtehid ve teolog olarak Kur’an-ı Kerim’in, gönderilmiş olduğu çağ ile bağlantısı eğilimindedir. Çağımıza uygun olarak İslam’ı genç nesillere aktarmadığımız takdirde bir sonraki nesil için anlatılacak bir İslam’ın kalmayacağını vurgular. Bu makalede İkbal’in yazılarını referans alarak İkbal’in yenilik anlayışını anlatmayı amaçlıyoruz. İçtihad dinin manevi temelidir diyor, durdurulmuş suyun bozulması gibi içtihattan yoksun bırakılan bir dinin de bozulması kaçınılmazdır ve bu bozulma sonucu ortaya çıkabilecek sakat fikirler o dine inanan insanların ruhunu perişan edebilir. Zira âlemde değişmeyen tek bir ebedi kural vardır o da değişimin kendisidir. İkbal’e göre ‘mukallit’ olan kişi ictihad yapamaz; ancak özgür olan ‘ferdileşmiş birey’ içtihat yapabilir. Böylece İkbal dinin yeni anlayış ve dünyaya kendi kabiliyetle yeni ufuklar açanları gerçek ‘mümin’ olarak tanımlar. Yenilemeyi kabul eden ulus varlığını sürdürür fakat yenilemeyi terkedip reddederse tarihin karanlığında kaybolmaya mahkûmdur.

Muhammed İkbal’in yaşadığı dönem (1877-1938) Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun son zamanlarına denk gelme... more Muhammed İkbal’in yaşadığı dönem (1877-1938) Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun son zamanlarına denk gelmektedir. Bu dönemde İslam dünyasının durumu gün geçtikçe kötüye gitmekteydi. İkbal’e göre, Müslümanların durumunun kötüye gidişinin temellerinde Hint alt kıtasında yaygın olan Suficilik (Tevhidin saf nehrine şirkin bulaşması), liyakatsiz kişilerin hükümdar olması ve hayata meydan okumakla birlikte savaşlardan kaçmaya çalışan kadercilerdir. İkbal’e göre, Müslüman toplumlarda özgünlük ve ferdilik kavramları Hz. Muhammed’den sonra üç asra kadar devam etmiştir. İkbal; Hz. Muhammed’in günlük meselelerde Kur’an’dan sonraki ilk müçtehit olduğunu ve Hz. Muhammed’in kendi dönemindeki ulemaları içtihat etmeye davet ettiğini belirtir. Bu konuda İkbal, Müslümanların dini düşüncelerde yenilenmeyi terk ederek sadece doğru ve yanlışı ayırmak için kulaktan dolma bilgileri kullandıklarını belirtir.

Book Reviews by Abdul Basit Zafar

Reflections and review of the book, while I also took a course with Prof. Von Stosch, in Universi... more Reflections and review of the book, while I also took a course with Prof. Von Stosch, in University of Bonn.

Tetkik| ISSN: 2822-3322, 2022

by Ibrahim Aslan

SHELLY KAGAN, YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS, NEW HAVEN AND LONDON, 2012, (376 SAYFA)[#583099]-

Conference Presentations by Abdul Basit Zafar

Qādī ʿAbd al-Jabbār (d. 1025) characterizes human beings as sentient creatures with a unique phys... more Qādī ʿAbd al-Jabbār (d. 1025) characterizes human beings as sentient creatures with a unique physical form that sets them apart from other living entities. This unity, or aggregated individual(s), namely humans, possesses the ability to act and bears the religious responsibility for both commands and prohibitions, as well as praise and blame. In his theological settings, Qādī asserts that the human body instantly distinguishes itself from its surroundings, just like any other object with a unique structure. In the same manner, Qādī states that the human self-experiences itself as a unity (jumla). Through the lens of kalām atomism, Qādī expresses the view that the human person is essentially composed of the totality of its physical being (bunya al-makhsusa). Physical properties such as size, weight, shape, color, and motion through space and time are critical for human conception. In Qādī’s understanding, consciousness's attributes, including perceptual experience, emotions, beliefs, desires, etc., are the result of a gradual process that emerges from the body and environment. Likewise, the attributes assigned to the human soul by the dualists, such as hunger, perception, and reasoning, are actual acts and functions of a living human body. The attribute of life makes the body alive, perceptive, and deliberately moving. Consequently, when the body moves, it moves as a whole, and when it wills, it wills as a composite being. In this paper, I aim to explore the attribute of life in Qādī ʿAbd al-Jabbār’s system and its relation to the human soul.

The practice of pilgrimage has been deeply ingrained in human cultures across the globe. It has b... more The practice of pilgrimage has been deeply ingrained in human cultures across the globe. It has been prevalent in the Semitic traditions in the forms of rituals, remembrance, and sanctification. Pilgrimage in Muslim tradition could be understood in three fundamental concepts. For one, pilgrimage is the obligatory visit to the sacred sanctuary in Mecca and the circumambulation of the Kaaba during the hajj. The second concept pertains to the act of visiting shrines or remnants associated with saints and imams, while the third discourse involves embarking on an introspective journey as portrayed in hagiographic literature, i.e., Ibn ʿArabī, ʿAṭṭār of Nishapur. The phenomenon of embarking on an introspective exploration is frequently observed within the realms of Sufi and Shia discourses.

In the Pakistani paradigm, the academic pursuit of Palestinian studies can be subdivided into thr... more In the Pakistani paradigm, the academic pursuit of Palestinian studies can be subdivided into three relatively distinct approaches; the first and foremost is the political stance of the state of Pakistan, which upholds the constitutional framework and goals of Muslim unity (Ummah) as its self-imposed burden. Second, the position of popular religious discourse, which employs religiously vague terminologies and populist narrative to support the state's political position and maintain religious sentiments. The third approach, which is purely academic, yielded informative articles and research on the socio-historical foundations of the Palestinian discourse (Suleyman 1970; Rafeeq 1997; Ilahi 2017). In this paper, we will examine the scholastic stratum and its deficiencies. In the academic sphere, the dearth of serious research techniques or the inability to generate new ideas for a larger audience has always posed a challenge. This reliance on national narratives, specifically sermons or written works by populist religious scholars such as Abul A'la al-Maududi (1903-1979), contributed little to the discourse. Since the country's independence until the present day, higher education has awarded Master's degrees on the basis of well-known narratives without contemplating any well-researched dissertations on the matter.

İbrahim b. Seyyâr en-Nazzâm'ın (ö. 231/845) Dikotomik İnsan Tasavvuru: Sebep ve Sonuçları * Öz: İ... more İbrahim b. Seyyâr en-Nazzâm'ın (ö. 231/845) Dikotomik İnsan Tasavvuru: Sebep ve Sonuçları * Öz: İnsanın mahiyeti konusunda Kelâm'ın erken dönemlerinden beri farklı görüşler ortaya çıkmıştır. Muʿtezile içinde de insanın ne'liği konusunda ihtilaflar söz konusudur. Mu'tezilî âlimler arasında insanı tamamen fizîkî varlık olarak ele alanların yanında insanı gerçekte görülmeyen ruh olarak adlandıranlar da vardır. Bu iki kutup arasında kalan İbrahim b. Seyyâr en-Nazzâm'ın sisteminde insan, ruh ve beden ikilisinin karışım halidir. Nazzâm insanın, gerçekte beden değil ruh olduğunu kabul eder. Ona göre beden bir kalıptır ve aslında ruh tarafından yönetilir. Dolayısıyla bir fiil bedenden meydana gelse bile onun kaynağı ruhtur. Ruhun hapishanesi olan bu cismin ne'den meydana geldiği tartışma konusudur. Nazzâm'ın yaşadığı döneme baktığımızda, bölgedeki farklı görüşler arasında ismi geçen Maniheistlerin, onun bu görüşünde etkisi olabileceği iddia edilmektedir. Nazzâm'ın düşünce sistemindeki insan dikotomisi'nin kaynağının ne olduğunun ortaya konması açısından onun ruh-beden ayrımının arkasında yatan sebeplerin ve bunların sonuçlarının incelenmesi gerekmektedir. Zira bir insan tasavvurunda dış dünyanın etkisi olmadan var olmak muhaldir. Bu sebeple bu çalışmada onun söz konusu antropolojik anlayışından kaynaklanan metodolojik sonuçların açtığı problemler ele alınacaktır. İnsan hakkında konuşulduğunda sadece antropolojik tahlil yeterli olmayacağından elde edilen verilerden yola çıkılarak konunun ahlâkî boyutu da değerlendirmeye alınacaktır. Çalışmada klasik doksografik literatürle birlikte modern batılı çalışmalardan yararlanılacaktır. Ayrıca Türkiye'de konu ile ilgili yapılan araştırmalar da göz önünde bulundurulacaktır.

Colonial India, in its modern history (18th-20th century), witnessed various movements of religio... more Colonial India, in its modern history (18th-20th century), witnessed various movements of religious revival, social reforms and piety movements among Indian Muslims. The only movement that had perhaps the long-lasting impact on Indian history and perhaps played a vital role in its independence is Alighar movement, founded by Syed Ahmad khan (1817-1898). Syed Ahmad khan along with a resourceful team of prolific writers, political activists and devout Muslims initiated a new form of religious literature, that aimed to rationalize the scripture on the one hand and gave a relatively modern understanding of Islam on the other. The aim of the current study is bound to introduce this apologetic literature of Aligarh movement primarily. The paper will specifically analyze the most well-known work of Syed Amir Ali (1849-1928), The Spirit of Islam and its position in the schema of other apologetic works. The work was written with the clear aim of expressing Islam as the most modern religion in the sense of expression, rights and liberty. Such works as of Amir Ali, are claimed to have inspired Indian Muslims for gaining self-confidence under the British and Hindu polemical literature and also became an important platform of political Identity. Though it is also a fact that most of these works were written in exotic English, which was not a familiar language for Indians at time. So, the apologetics were targeting the learnt Hindus and partly English missionaries. The Christian missionaries and Hindu revival movements such as Arya Samajh were well responded by such apologetic works.

Drafts by Abdul Basit Zafar

The Gospel of Philip is a non-canonical Gnostic Gospel dated to around the 3rd century but lost i... more The Gospel of Philip is a non-canonical Gnostic Gospel dated to around the 3rd century but lost in medieval times until rediscovered by accident, buried with other texts near Nag Hammadi in Egypt, in 1945. A single manuscript of the Gospel of Philip, in Coptic (CG II), was found in the Nag Hammadi library, a cache of documents that was secreted in a jar and buried in the Egyptian desert at the end of the 4th century.

Panels and Roundtable Discussions by Abdul Basit Zafar

PHISO 2021 Free Virtual International Conference Program, 2021

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İslâm Araştırmaları Dergisi, 2020

Hamdard Islamicus, Vol. XLII, No. 3. , 2019

Tetkik| ISSN: 2822-3322, 2022

by Ibrahim Aslan

SHELLY KAGAN, YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS, NEW HAVEN AND LONDON, 2012, (376 SAYFA)[#583099]-

The Urdu Translation with additional references of Prof. Mustafa Ozturk's Talk on Historicism and... more The Urdu Translation with additional references of Prof. Mustafa Ozturk's Talk on Historicism and Its Roots in Turkish Academia, Methodology, Criticism and its Future.
See hyperlink: Ankara Palas Buluşmaları | Kaliteli Kayıt | 30 Ekim 2018 - Mustafa Öztürk

FCR, 2023

Çalışmamızda tematik sorular arasında teolojik antropolojiye ilişkin meseleler merkezi bir yer iş... more Çalışmamızda tematik sorular arasında teolojik antropolojiye ilişkin meseleler merkezi bir yer işgal eder. Bu sorulardan bazıları şu şekilde sıralanabilir: İnsanın mahiyeti nedir? İnsanın bir özü var mıdır; bu öz, insanın ruhu mudur? İnsan salt maddi bir yapı mıdır? İnsanda ruh-beden dikotomisi var mıdır? Çalışmamızda insanın yapısıyla ilgili bu tür sorulardan başlayıp, daha sonra Kâdı’nın düşünce yahut akletme konusunda ne tür unsurlar gündeme getirdiğini tartışmayı amaçladık. İnsanın var olma potansiyelinin ne olduğu ve insanı var eden yaratıcının onunla ne tür bir ilişki içinde olduğu gibi sorular, çeşitli disiplinler tarafından farklı gerekçelerle gündeme getirilmiş olsa da Mutezilî düşünce ve özellikle Kâdı bağlamında müstakil bir çalışma olarak sunulmamıştır. Çalışmamız bu alandaki eksikliği giderme gayreti olarak görülebilir.

Mu'tazila's Conception of Human beings; The Case study of Qāḍī ʿAbd al-Jabbār, 2023

In this brief essay, the author aims to explore how one could study Greek Orthodox Patriarchate (... more In this brief essay, the author aims to explore how one could study Greek Orthodox Patriarchate (GOP) ecumenism in Turkish themes. This essay explores the topic as an interdisciplinary research venue for ecumenical discourse and considers it an introduction essay. The author will briefly discuss this topic's leading issues and concerning fields. It will primarily focus on the religious role and precise boundaries of the GOP, shed some light on the history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the status of Archbishop Bartholomew I, and explore the different possible resolutions and outcomes. The author aims to explore it entirely and is leaving its details for the future.