An Analysis on The Discussions of Opposition to The Renovation of The Kalam


SANCAR F., Suluoglu M. H.

DINBILIMLERI AKADEMIK ARASTIRMA DERGISI-JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN RELIGIOUS SCIENCES, vol.19, no.2, pp.589-614, 2019 (ESCI) identifier

Abstract

As a result of the regression experienced in the last period of the Ottoman Empire, reform and approaches in every field came to the fore. These renovation efforts began not only in political and economic terms, but also in the field of science, philosophy and thought. Because science and philosophy that changed in the West, the accusations and the claims toward Islam of the Orientalists and movements of thought that denies the existence of God necessitated renovation, especially in kalam. Since science of kalam were at the center of religious thought, Musa Kazim Efendi, who is one of the last shaykh al-Islam, demanded that books of kalam should be renewed according to the needs of the era. Essentially, the overwhelming majority of scholars and intellectuals reached a consensus almost that the current situation couldn't be sustained and the kalam needed to be renovation. However, Huseyin Kazim Kadri and Besim Atalay strongly opposed the renovation of kalam in their works. Nevertheless, their opposition is a total objection to kalam rather than the renovation of kalam. In addition to this, Mustafa Sabri Efendi the shaykh al-Islam, who is claimed to be against the renovation of kalam, is not an anti-renovation but a proponent. In addition, Mustafa Asim claimed the necessity of renovation of kalam. However, the renovation demands of the last two authors can be regarded as a conservative renovation. In this article, the approaches of the scholars about the renovation of the kalam and some claims about them are discussed.