Kelam Araştırmaları 1:1 (2003), s.21-36. APPROACHES to OCCULTISM in THE QUR'AN AND THE SUNNAH İlyas ÇELEBİ, Ph.D, Marmara Universitiy Divinity Faculty
[email protected] I. Definition Occultism is a general term, used for the movements which claim that one can get some information or can display extraordinary actions through using the inner skills or establishing relationships with the supernatural beings or events. The one who is occultic involved in movements can also claim that they can reach the knowledge of the truth and upper sentimental world, not by experimental methods and rational ways but by using some unusual methods. Occultism was originated in the primitive societies which means to believe, above all, in the mythological beings, whilst they try to explain or understand the Nature and what happens in it; as a result of this, they show the false and secret reasons instead of the actual reasons. This method can also exhibit a convenient position with their ontology based on the mythology .Some occultist methods appeared and were handed down via generations by transforming these methods into more systematic and more mysterious forms, such as in the Sumerian, the Assyrian, the Babylonian and the Indian civilisations. It is noted that in the beginning of Islam, to whom Islam addressed first Arabs, had some important information of every kinds of occultism. Some scholars such Ibn al-Nadim, Ibn Haldun, Tashkoprizadah or Katip Cheleby, have listed certain occultist methods in their classifications of the Sciences. Among