The Ulema, Waqf, and Ottoman State (1789-1839)
ELITE CONFIGURATIONS AND CLUSTERS OF POWER: THE ULEMA, WAQF, AND OTTOMAN STATE (1789-1839) by Selim Argun Institute of Islamic Studies McGill University, Montréal January, 2013 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, McGill University, Montréal in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy © Selim Argun 2013 wāw), the twenty-seventh letter of the Arabic alphabet is considered to have) ﻭ mystical qualities. A saintly saying warns the faithful against words that begin with this letter by drawing attention to the sense of heavy responsibility and perils of accountability attached to their meanings. For example, waqf (religious endowment), waṣāyah (will/trusteeship), wirāthah (inheritance), wakālah (legal representation), wadīah (entrustment), wizārah (ministry), are words one must approach with utmost care when using them in his/her daily life. It is even recommended that one should refrain from seeking a career in these professions. There is, however, even more to say about the mystery of the wāw. 1 According to the discipline of ebced,0F the numerical value of this letter is 6 and the pair of two wāws (66) are equal to the words Allah and Lale (tulip) in its arithmetical sense. This is why the two figures are often mixed in Ottoman architectural designs and decorative ornamentations. Moreover, the purpose of the two facing wāws engraved above the shortened door of imperial loges of 1 The first of several mnemonic formulas designed to help one learn the numerical values assigned to the letters of the Arabic alphabet. ii Ottoman mosques where the powerful Sultans performed their prayers in seclusion, called hünkâr mahfili, was to remind them greatness of the Almighty while they were forced to enter in a bowed position.
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