Debating Heresy: Changing Perceptions of Zayniyya Dervishes Toward Ibn 'Arabi In
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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 iv 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 vi 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 viii 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. ix To the one under whose feet lies my heaven… x TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ....................................................................................................................... iv Öz ................................................................................................................................ vi Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... viii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ xi List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................. xiii Notes on Usage .......................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTERS 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 1. 1. Statement of the Problem and the Argument ................................................. 1 1. 2. Literature Review ............................................................................................. 9 1. 3. Primary Sources .............................................................................................. 17 1. 3. 1. Books of Zayni Dervishes ........................................................................ 17 1. 3. 2. Biographical Sources .............................................................................. 21 2. ZAYN AL-DIN KHWAFI AND HIS IDEAS ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE OF HIS TIME ........................................................................................................................... 23 2. 1. The Question of the Sunnification Project of Shahrukh ................................ 23 2. 2. Zayn al-Din Khwafi (d. 1435) .......................................................................... 33 2. 3. Khwafi and Ibn ʿArabi ..................................................................................... 38 2. 4. Concluding Remarks ....................................................................................... 50 3. ‘ABD AL-LATIF QUDSI: THE TRANSITIONAL FIGURE ............................................... 54 3. 1. ‘Abd al-Latif Qudsi (d. 1452)