Publication: Ayetullah Burucerdî’nin kum havzası’ndaki faaliyetleri ve takribü’l-mezahib çalışmaları
Abstract
Bu tez, 20. yüzyıl Şii dünyasın en önemli dini otoritelerinden biri olarak kabul edilen Ayetullah Hüseyin Tabatabaî Burucerdî’nin Kum İlim Havzası yöneticiliği, bu dönemde İran’da yaşanan dini ve siyasi girişimleri ve Burucerdî’nin Sünni ve Şii mezheplerini yakınlaştırma çalışmalarını ele almaktadır. Çalışmada Ayetullah Burucerdî’nin hayatı hakkında bilgi verildikten sonra onun Kum Havzası’ndaki yöneticilik yılları (1944-1961) incelenmiştir. “Merci-i Taklid” olarak kabul gören Ayetullah Burucerdî’nin havzaya giriş sınavları getirme, ulemanın yabancıl dil öğrenmesini sağlama, Batı’ya ve diğer Şii ülkelere temsilci gönderme ve Hadis ve Fıkıh ilimlerinde yeni araştırma usulleri uygulama benzeri çalışmalarının çağdaşı olan Şii alimler tarafından ne derece kabule şayan bulunup bulunmadığı da yine bu bölümde ele alınmıştır. Söz konusu yenilik ve gelişmelerin İran’ın 20. yüzyılında ulema açısından olumlu yansımalarına temas edilen bu bölümde, ilim sahasıyla birlikte Burucerdî’nin Kum Havzası’ndaki iktisadi saha üzerindeki etkisine de dikkat çekilmiştir. Nitekim Burucerdî, havzanın karışık düzenini daha sistemli hale dönüştürmek adına kayıt defterleri kullanmış ve bu sayede tüm gelir-gider işlemlerinin kontrol altına alınmasını sağlamıştır. Çalışmada ikinci olarak, Burucerdî’nin İran’da Muhammed Rıza Şah ile münasebetleri ve diğer Şii ve Sünni ülkeler ile olan ilişkilerine odaklanılmıştır. Burucerdî’nin devletle olan iş birliği ve uzlaşısı bazı çevrelerce “apolitiklik” olarak görülse de aslında onun uyguladığı temkinli ve stratejik siyaset, devletle din adamları arasındaki çatışmayı geçici olarak sona erdirdiği gibi belirli bir süre için ulemanın resmi makamlar nezdindeki gücünü pekiştirmiştir. Bu bölümde söz konusu ihtiyatlı tavrın apolitiklik olmadığı, bilakis Burucerdî’nin siyasette aktif bir figür olduğu görüşü savunulmuştur. Çalışmanın bir diğer iddiası da Burucerdî’nin İslam dünyasında kazandığı saygınlığın onun Sünniler ile Şiiler arasındaki ihtilafı çözme yönünde ortaya koyduğu gayretten kaynaklandığıdır. Çalışmanın son bölümünde Burucerdî’nin söz konusu gayretlerinden en önemlisi olan Ezher şeyhleri Abdulmecid Selim ve Mahmut Şeltut ile temsilciler vasıtasıyla kurduğu iletişim ele alınmış ve Şiiliğin, Sünni dünya tarafından beşinci hak mezhep olarak tanınması amacıyla sarf ettiği çaba incelenmiştir.
The thesis explores the religious and political initiatives that unfolded in Iran under Ayatollah Sayyid Hossein Tabatabaei Borujerdi’s administration of the Qom Seminary. The ayatollah is recognized as one of the most prominent religious authorities of the 20th-century Shia world. Central to the study is a detailed examination of Ayatollah Burujerdi’s leadership in the Qom Seminary from 1944 to 1961 by focusing on his significant contributions to the realm of Islamic scholarship during this period. The thesis delves into some of his innovations in Qom such as the introduction of entrance exams, promotion of foreign language acquisition among scholars, dispatching representatives to Western and Shia-majority countries, and the implementation of innovative research methodologies in hadith and fiqh. It also discusses the reception and perception of these reforms by his fellow contemporary Shiite clerics. Burujerdi’s influence on the economic and scholarly landscape of the Qom Seminary, exemplified by his introduction of ledger books to streamline financial operations is also analyzed in this study. Furthermore, the study also scrutinizes Burujerdi’s relations with Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi as well as his contacts with other Shia and Sunni nations, underscoring the significance of these interactions. While some observers have characterized Burujerdi’s position towards Iran’s political authority as “apolitical,” the thesis argues that his cautious and strategic approach effectively mitigated tensions between the state and the clergy, thereby consolidating the clergy’s influence albeit for a while. It contends that Burujerdi’s stance was inherently political which showcased his active involvement in shaping the political landscape. In addition to these, this thesis further argues that Burujerdi’s favorable reputation in the Islamic world largely stems from his endeavors to reconcile the longstanding Sunni-Shia conflict. The study concludes by examining Burujerdi’s pivotal efforts to engage with Al-Azhar sheikhs, namely Abd al-Majid Salim and Mahmud Shaltut, by the explicit aim of facilitating the dialoguebetween the two sects and contributing to the acknowledgment of Shiism as the fifth legitimate school of thought in the Sunni world.
The thesis explores the religious and political initiatives that unfolded in Iran under Ayatollah Sayyid Hossein Tabatabaei Borujerdi’s administration of the Qom Seminary. The ayatollah is recognized as one of the most prominent religious authorities of the 20th-century Shia world. Central to the study is a detailed examination of Ayatollah Burujerdi’s leadership in the Qom Seminary from 1944 to 1961 by focusing on his significant contributions to the realm of Islamic scholarship during this period. The thesis delves into some of his innovations in Qom such as the introduction of entrance exams, promotion of foreign language acquisition among scholars, dispatching representatives to Western and Shia-majority countries, and the implementation of innovative research methodologies in hadith and fiqh. It also discusses the reception and perception of these reforms by his fellow contemporary Shiite clerics. Burujerdi’s influence on the economic and scholarly landscape of the Qom Seminary, exemplified by his introduction of ledger books to streamline financial operations is also analyzed in this study. Furthermore, the study also scrutinizes Burujerdi’s relations with Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi as well as his contacts with other Shia and Sunni nations, underscoring the significance of these interactions. While some observers have characterized Burujerdi’s position towards Iran’s political authority as “apolitical,” the thesis argues that his cautious and strategic approach effectively mitigated tensions between the state and the clergy, thereby consolidating the clergy’s influence albeit for a while. It contends that Burujerdi’s stance was inherently political which showcased his active involvement in shaping the political landscape. In addition to these, this thesis further argues that Burujerdi’s favorable reputation in the Islamic world largely stems from his endeavors to reconcile the longstanding Sunni-Shia conflict. The study concludes by examining Burujerdi’s pivotal efforts to engage with Al-Azhar sheikhs, namely Abd al-Majid Salim and Mahmud Shaltut, by the explicit aim of facilitating the dialoguebetween the two sects and contributing to the acknowledgment of Shiism as the fifth legitimate school of thought in the Sunni world.