RELIGIOUS INSIGHT APPEARING IN DEFINITIONS OF RELIGION -CLASIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF DEFINITIONS IN THE ISLAMIC THOUGHT

DİN TANIMLARINDA TEZAHÜR EDEN DİN ANLAYIŞLARI -İSLAM DÜŞÜNCESİNDEKİ TANIMLARIN TASNİF VE TAHLİLİ-

Abstract

In this article, some certain definitions of the religion in Islamic thought have been studied. The opinion that the definition is a clear indication reflecting not only the religious epistemological understanding of the person who describe it but also his personal conception of religion, worldview and the mentality, has been tried to be shown in these definitions of Muslim intellectuals. The definitions has been investigated in the line of developments and classified within itself by taking the historical process into consideration. In this study, has been tried to explain what kind of an understanding of religion Muslims have, how they approach the religion and to solve what kind of mentality does these definitions reflect by setting out from more than two hundred definitions that obtained to concrete that theoretical explanations. Since the historical process is taken into account in the study evaluated the definitions of religion that identify chronologically. Therefore it is aimed to question the change and development in Muslim’s definitions of religion. After we have done the analysis and evaluation within the framework we define, we concluded with our own definition of religion in order to bring up new debatings and evaluations The definitions of concept are the most concrete, simple and concise evidences reflecting the insight and approach of the descriptor in that subject. It is also observed in definitions of concept of religion. When we try to make a theoretical framework that will help to make our sayings about the definition reflecting religious insight and the mentality that produces it consistent and reflect the event in a healthy way there appeared this view: I. Definition is a product of a concious mind. Therefore it reflects the personal abilities of the individual. II. There is a purpose in the definition. There is also a background that shapes it. III. Every definition determines the framework and limits of the thing that it describes. In this aspect the definition of religion tends to determine the nexus of the human with the religion and ultimately the God as well as it determines the status of the religion in the lives of individual and society. IV. The mentality making the definition will appear spontaneously if the status of the defining subject can be determined.Religious insight does not remain as imaginary and ideal it always. Life is put into words shortly and concisely by definition. In that case, starting from the definition a person makes, the religious thinking of that person, the “religion” and “religious life” that he wants to achieve can be figured out. We can convert this to an idiom like “Show me your definition, I will tell you what kind of a religious insight you have”. Almost all nations, societies, groups and even all people have a insight of religion and every insight of religion is a definition of religion. On the other hand, the understanding of religion can merge with the world view or be the factor determining the world view. In this study, we try to explain what kind of an understanding of religion Muslims have, how they approach the religion and to solve what kind of mentality does these definitions reflect by setting out from more than two hundred definitions that we obtain to concrete that theoretical explanations. Since the historical process is taken into account in the study we evaluated the definitions of religion that we identify chronologically. Therefore we aim to question the change and development in Muslim’s definitions of religion. Throughout the study we try to show the definition is a clear indication reflecting not only the religious epistemological understanding but also understanding of religion, world view and mentality. There is an improvement in the definition of religion of Muslim writers and thinkers from simple to compound through historical process. Even if the definition of authors like Cürcânî is generally accepted among Muslims there are new definitions recently. We determined the cause of this situation as the expectation about function of the religion. We discussed the reason why there is a different expectation and what is the expectation. Even the comprehensive approaches as the product of this effort are seen as complicated there are some positive aspects. In this context, in understanding and defining the religion, expansion of outside of Islamic world and inclusion of religions other than Islam into definition and utilizing the data produced by contemporary sciences can be counted. What the definitions of Muslims tell, imply and inspire us? Before everything else it shows that Muslims was not in the past and are not just a single colour today in understanding the religion, they can nourish and maintain different understandings and perceptions, as the modern saying, pluralism in religion in their body. Especially at last centuries there is no just a single type of mentality, being single type is itself is contradictory to creation of human being. Second, in intellectual meaning this goes into a more comprehensive and free understanding, in time. Third, the tendency to look in the humanistic perspective is increased and Islam is seen as a religion not just limited to human-God relation but reaching and effecting all aspects of life. Fourt, there is not a fundamentalist definition or theory. It does not mean that the first period Muslim scholar and thinkers do not know, see or identify other religions as they describe the phenomenon of the religion for and within the Islam. There is some being closed to outside, some not giving credit and some self-confidence in the era while Islamic thought and life style being constructed. As the time approaches today, in one hand the extent of definitions is being expanded saying “the religion is a life system, a life-style” on the other hand it is tried to be narrowed as much as possible in the thesis “the religion is a private relation between only the human and God”.

Özet

Bu çalışmada, İslam düşüncesinden derlenen din tanımlarından belli başlılarına yer verilmiştir. Tanımın, onu yapanın sadece dini epistemolojik kavrayışını değil aynı zamanda din anlayışını, dünya görüşünü ve zihniyetini yansıtan açık gösterge olduğu yargısı, Müslüman düşünürlerin tanımlarında somut olarak gösterilmeye çalışılmıştır. Tanımlar, tarihi süreç dikkate alınarak hem gelişmeler izlenmekte hem de kendi içinde bir tasnife gidilmektedir. Makalede teoriği somutlaştırmak için iki yüzü aşkın din tanımından yola çıkarak Müslümanların nasıl bir din anlayışına sahip olduklarını, dine nasıl yaklaştıklarını açıklamaya ve bu tanımların nasıl bir zihniyeti yansıttığını çözmeye çalışacağız. Tarihi süreç dikkate alındığından, tespit edilen din tanımları, değerlendirilecektir. Tasnif de bu açıdan yapılacaktır. Dolayısıyla söz konusu süreçte müslümanların din tanımlarındaki gelişme ve değişmenin niteliği de sorgulanma hedeflenmektedir. İlk devir Müslüman alim ve düşünürlerin din olgusunu İslam için ve İslam'ın içinden tanımlamaları, diğer dinleri bilmedikleri, görmedikleri ve tanımadıkları anlamına gelmez. İslam düşünce ve yaşam biçiminin inşa edildiği devirlerde biraz dışa kapalılık biraz dışardakine itibar etmeme biraz da kendine güven sezilmektedir. Geçmişten günümüze doğru gelindikçe tanımlarda bir yandan 'dinin yaşam sistemi, hayat biçimi olduğu' söylenerek kapsam genişletilirken diğer yandan onun 'sadece insanTanrı arasında özel ilişki olduğu' savı ile alabildiğine indirgenmeye çalışıldığı anlaşılmıştır. Dini, insan korkularının ürünü ya da yanılsamadan ibaret sayan küçümseyici yaklaşımlar, ikinci türün en aşırı şekli kabul edildiğinden söz edilmemiştir.Sıralanan tanımlar ve onlara dair değerlendirmelerden sonra yeni tartışma ve değerlendirmelere kapı aralamak maksadıyla yazıyı kendi tanımımız ile sonlandırdık.