Scholar of Fiqh and Kalam, Islamic Philosopher (B. 1156, Amid [Diyarbakır]
– D. November 8th, 1233, Damascus). He was the leading agent of
kalam (Islamic philosophy), fiqh (Islamic law) and Islamic thoguht in the
Islamic World in the XII and XIII centuries. His nickname was Ebul-Hasan Seyfüddin
el-Âmidî b. Ebî Ali Muhammed b. Et-Tağlebî. Some sources regard him as an
Arabic scholar. It is certain that he was born in Diyarbakır and completed his
primary education there and was trained by the teachers of that area but then
he went to science centers of the era to complete his higher education. He
learned the science of Qira'at, the different reading style of the Koran, and
Hanbelî fiqh from the well known scholars in Diyarbakır and then went to
Baghdad. There he left the Hanbeli sect and joined Şafiî sect. He took fiqh lessons from Ebül-Feth
İbn-il-Münâ and hadith (Words of the Prophet Muhammad) lessons from Ebül-Feth
Şatil. He became a pupil of Ebül-Kasım b. Fazlân a fiqh scholar of Şafiî.
Âmidî took philosophy
and medicine lessons from Christian and Jewish scholars living in Kerh, Baghdad
to enhance his knowledge. Âmidî, who interiorized fiqh and philosophy, became
an unrivaled scholar and other fiqh scholars began to dislike him. Âmidî who were
aware of those feelings towards him went to Damascus from Baghdad in 1198. He
enhanced his knowledge in fiqh and philosophy there and became the most
prominent scholar of his time. After a while, he went to Egypt. He became the
vice principal of a madrasah near the tomb of İmam Şafiî in Karâfe-i Sugra. Besides,
he began to teach Cami-i Zafirî in Cairo. He gave usul-i-din (religious rules),
kalam and fiqh lessons and began to draw attention with his works there.
However, according to İbn Halligân and Taşköprülü Zade, some scholars, who were
jealous of him, published and signed a notice accusing him of being a philosopher
and of disbelief and telling spilling his blood would be legitimate but there
were also others who opposed that idea.
Âmidî escaped to Hama
from Cairo because he was afraid of being murdered. There he entered the
service of Melik-ül-Man-sur, the ruler of Hama from the Ayyubids. He was appointed
as “El-Câmekiyyet-üs-Seniyye” by Melik Mansur and supported by him. Âmidî, who served
Melik Mansur for two years, became an important person in Hama. Upon the death
of Melik Mansur in 1220, Âmidî went to Damascus. He was welcomed very well by
the Governor of Damascus Şerefüddin İsâ and was supported by him. Besides, he
was appointed as a teacher at Aziziye Madrasa. Those who had attended Âmidî’s
lessons for thirteen years were fascinated by him and his knowledge, especially
by his elocution.
When the Ayyubids
captured Diyarbakir, the letters he corresponded with his former lord, who
called him back and offered him the position of kadı (Muslim judge), was revealed
and the Sultan of Ayyubids got angry with him and dismissed him from his
position as teacher. Âmidî retired into seclusion after that incident and he
was laid to rest in Cebel-i Kâsiyun, Damascus when he passed away. All works
mentioning Amidî also agree on his importance.
Âmidî was the follower
of Gazalî (505) and other scholar of kalams after him. He opposed scholars of
kalam before him and supported logic in kalam thus forming a new way in the
science of kalam. Gazalî, who said “You
cannot trust the science of anyone who does not know logic”, added also
logic to fiqh and declared logic as the precursor of science. Gazalî put a
major importance on philosophy and made it possible to be followed by Ehl-i
Sünnet (T.N. Sunnah Experts). Fahreddin-i Râzî, who was born a century after
him, completed his mission and regarded kalam and philosophy as a single
science. Fahreddin-i Râzî placed a great importance on logical approach and criticized
old scholars of kalam.
Âmidî
went a step further and broaden the place of philosophy in kalam. He supported
the motto of philosophers; “Finding
virtue is only possible by embracing the positive science and the knowledge
reached by the reason.” Râzî and Âmidî were one of the scholars of kalam,
who composed their works within the scope of that belief. Later Beyzavi joined
them to combine kalam and philosophy, too.
Scholars of kalam who supported logical approach
formed the philosophy of kalam by combining kalam and philosophy. The school of
Philosophical kalam was established by Fahri Râzî and Âmidî was appointed the
as the director of that school. The next generation Maturîds accepted the
philosophical kalam trend, too.
The major
significance of Seyfüddin Âmidî is not that he made a breakthrough only in the
world of science of his era but also that he presented opinions enlightening
today’s scientific researches.
As known, the
Islamic World has been in period of regression for the last two centuries
and has been under a lot of pressure and
threats of the Western World, which advanced further and further where Islamic
World failed. There have been many important scientific and philosophical researches
and works on the reasons for that sociologic evolution and its future condition
around the world, in the Western and Islamic World. For sure, there have been
various interpretations of those researches and books, but one of the determinations
agreed on is that the production of philosophical and scientific works has been
insufficient and it has played an important role in the regression of science
and philosophy in the Islamic World, which is also a consequence of the
insufficient evolution of religious thought. Modern Islamic highbrows highlight
that the thing Islamic World lacking of is not transmitted information but what
we lack of is the rational information and religious thought which will produce
those information.
Seyfüddin Âmidî combined kalam and philosophy, which
let logic play a sufficient role in religious thought, 700-800 years before. Another
point we should attend to is that he supported the freedom for anyone to choose
any of the school in Islam and the freedom to make judicial opinions for
Sahabahs and other Muslims. He also supported that even a word of Sahabahs
wouldn’t be regarded as a script ecclesiastically.
WORKS:
Ahkâmü’l Ahkâm (about fiqh), Ebkârü’l-Efkâr (Four volumes, about religious rules), Rümuzü’l-Künuz (Summary of Ebkârü’l-Efkâr), Menâihü’l-Karaih Kitabü’l Bâhir fi Ulum-il-Evail-î vel-Evahir, Gayetü’l-Emel fil-Cedel, Dekeyikü’l-Hakayık (about wisdom), Müntehe’s-Usûl (about manners), Kitabü’l-Mübin fi Maani Elfaz-il-Hükemâ-i vel Kelamin, Et-Tercihat (about disbelief), El-Muâhazât (about disbelief), Et-Talîkat-üs-Sagîre vel-Kebîre (about disbelief), Ele Me’haz alel-imam-ir-Râzî fi şerh-il-İşarat, Hulâset ül-İbrîz Tezkiretü’l-Melik ül-Aziz (Akaid), Delîlü Müttehidü’l-i İ’tilaf ve Cârü fi Cemî-î Mesâil ül-Hilâf, Şerh-i Kitâbü’l-Cedel lil-Şerif ül-Merâgî, Tarîkat fi’l-Hilâf, Gaayetü’l-Merâm (Kalam), El-Garâib ve Keşfü’l-Acaîb Fi’l-İktirânâtü’l-Şartiyye, Ferâidü’l-Fevâid (about wisdom), Kitâ-bü’l-Tercihat (about disbelief), Keşfü’l-Temvîhât fî Şerhü’l-Tenbîhât, Lübâbü’l-Elbâb (about logic), Mümtehâ üs-Sâlik fî Rütübü’l-Mesâlik, El-Mevâhizü’l-Celiyye fî-Mevâhizâtü’l-Cedeliyye, En-Nûrü’l-Bâhir fî-l-Hükmü’z-Zevâhir (5 volumes).
REFERENCE:
Şemsedin Sami / Kamusu’l-Alâm (tarih-coğrafya, meşhur adamlar ansiklopedisi, c.
1, 1889), Ali Emirî / Diyarbekirli Bazı Zevatın Terceme-i Halleri (yazma eser),
İsmail Hakkı İzmirli / İslâm Felsefesi Tarihi 1 (1924), Şevket Beysanoğlu /
Diyarbakırlı Fikir ve Sanat Adamları (c. 1, 1966, s. 13-22), İhsan Işık /
Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006) - “Seyfüddin
Âmidî Kimdir, Önemi Nereden İleri Gelmektedir? (Tüm Yönleriyle Diyarbakır
Sempozyumu, 2010) - "Ünlü Fikir ve Kültür Adamları" (Türkiye Ünlüleri
Ansiklopedisi, c.3, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s
Famous People (2013) - Diyarbakır Ansiklopedisi (2013) - İhsan Işık / Geçmişten Günümüze Diyarbakırlı İlim Adamları
Yazarlar ve Sanatçılar (2014).
