13
May 2022
The International Intensive Summer School of Sufi Studies20-28 July 2022Application deadline: 13 July 2022About the programThe 4th International Intensive Summer School of Sufi Studies will be hosted in Istanbul and online (in hybrid form) by the Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies between 20-28 July 2022 with the support of the Kerim Foundation. We are excited and looking forward to seeing both faculty and students in person again after two years apart.The MA-level TSV574 Approaches to Sufi Texts (3 credits-6 AKTS) and PhD-level TSV651 Approaches to Sufi Texts (3 credits-8 AKTS) will be offered within the context of the hybrid-format Summer School. Attendees can choose to take the class available as an elective or as part of a Certificate Program. Summer School Certificates will be issued to those who complete the program.The program language is English and Turkish. Classes in English will be translated into Turkish and Turkish classes into English via simultaneous translation.An open-to-the-public Summer School Panel will also be held in the context of the program.Click here Schedule of the Summer SchoolCoordinator:F. Cangüzel Güner ZülfikarAssistant Professor of Ottoman HistoryInstitute for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar Universityhttps://tasavvuf.uskudar.edu.tr/en/academic-staffApproaches to Sufi TextsCarl W. ErnstMethodology in Sufi Studies and Quotation and Allusion in Sufi Texts: The Example of Omar ibn SaidWilliam R. Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Professor of ReligionThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hillhttps://religion.unc.edu/_people/full-time-faculty/ernst/https://uskudar.edu.tr/akademik-personel/carl-w-ernstJames W. MorrisExploring Spiritual “Realization”: Ibn ‘Arabi on the Interplay of Experience and UnderstandingProfessor of Religious StudiesBoston Collegehttps://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/theology/people/faculty-directory/morris-james-w.htmlMohammed Rustom‘Ayn al-Qudat’s Essence of Reality: A Defence of Philosophical SufismProfessor of Religious StudiesCarleton Universityhttps://carleton.ca/religion/people/mohammed-rustom/Bruce B. LawrenceBarzakh LogicNancy and Jeffrey Marcus Humanities Distinguished Professor Emeritus of ReligionDuke Universityhttps://scholars.duke.edu/person/bblmiriam cookeBarzakh LogicBraxton Craven Distinguished Professor Emerita of Arab CulturesDuke Universityhttps://scholars.duke.edu/person/mcwMahmud Erol KılıçIbn Arabi’s Ottoman FollowersProfessor of Sufi StudiesDirector General of IRCICAhttps://www.ircica.org/tr/ircica/prof-dr-mahmud-erol-kilic Emine YeniterziOttoman Sufi PoetryProfessor of Classical Turkish LiteratureInstitute for Sufi Studies,Üsküdar Universityhttps://tasavvuf.uskudar.edu.tr/en/academic-staffReşat ÖngörenResources for the Ottoman Sufi StudiesProfessor of Sufi StudiesInstitute for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar Universityhttps://tasavvuf.uskudar.edu.tr/en/academic-staffYasushi TonagaSufi Studies in JapanProfessor of Islamic Studies and the Director of the Kenan Rifai Center for Sufi StudiesKyoto University, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studieshttp://kias.sakura.ne.jp/krcss_ku/en/Cemalnur SargutPrinciples of Conduct: AdabAdvisor to the Üsküdar University Founding PresidentInstitute for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar Universityhttps://tasavvuf.uskudar.edu.tr/en/academic-staffDilek GüldütunaConcept of Motherhood in Sufism and Sâmiha Ayverdi, with Şehvar Tükek,Assistant Professor of Sufi StudiesInstitute for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar Universityhttps://tasavvuf.uskudar.edu.tr/en/academic-staffOmneya AyadBeauty and Majesty in the thought of Ibn ArabiAssistant Professor of Sufi StudiesInstitute for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar Universityhttps://tasavvuf.uskudar.edu.tr/en/academic-staffArzu Eylül Yalçınkaya The Influence of Sultan Valad in Mavlavi CeremoniesAssistant Professor of Sufi StudiesInstitute for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar Universityhttps://tasavvuf.uskudar.edu.tr/en/academic-staffThere will be an open to the public panel and a concert, as well as a visit to Süleymaniye Manuscripts Library.Who can apply? Students registered in graduate studies programs in Turkey and/or abroad,Researchers or instructors conducting post-doctoral studies in Turkey and/or abroad,Applications in accordance with the requirements above will be evaluated and responded to within three (3) days from application submission. Participants in the Continuing Education Programs of Üsküdar University’s Institute for Sufi Studies as well as undergraduate students demonstrating academic merit are eligible to apply; admission is contingent on the availability of space in the program.Required DocumentsFor Graduate Students,1. Application form,2. Current CV*,3. Statement of purpose explaining why you wish to participate in the Summer School (max. 250 words)*,4. One reference letter (preferably from a previous instructor of a related field)**,5. Copy of Turkish National ID and/or first page of passport for applicants from abroad****These documents are not required from current Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies graduate students.**This requirement is only for students registered to a graduate program. It is not required for current Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies graduate students.*** These documents are not required from current Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies graduate students.Summer School ApplicationThe documents mentioned above should be submitted to sufisummerschool@uskudar.edu.tr. We will begin accepting applications as of May 9.Those who are not students in graduate programs are required to submit the application form alongside their CVs and copy of their IDs electronically.Click here for the Application formTuition Fee and Registration CompletionApplicants should submit their application form along with the required documents to the Institute for Sufi Studies. Those who have been admitted to the program will receive a participant ID number. With these numbers, participants must deposit the tuition fee no later than July 14th and send the receipt to the Institute. Applicants from abroad who have been accepted to the program must deposit the tuition fee no later than 14 July 2022 in order to complete their registration.Those accepted to the program from TurkeyThe program fee for Üsküdar University students and alumni is 3190 TL (including tax).The program fee for others is 4500 TL (including tax).Those accepted to the program from abroadProgram fee: 660 USD or 630 EURDiscounted price for students who attended a previous International Summer School of Sufi Studies is 590 USD or 560 EUR.ACCOUNT INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS TO DEPOSIT PAYMENTSACCOUNT NAME: T.C. ÜSKÜDAR ÜNİVERSİTESİUSD (ACCOUNT NO) IBAN: TR29 0006 7010 0000 0094 9303 72SWIFT CODE: YAPITRISXXXEURO (ACCOUNT NO) IBAN: TR85 0006 7010 0000 0094 9619 56SWIFT CODE: YAPITRISXXXEXPLANATION: NAME LAST NAME INSTITUTE FOR SUFI STUDIES SUMMER SCHOOL
27
Nov 2021
"Understanding Ibn Arabi" Autumn Seminars will be ended with the Closing Panel, November 27, Saturday at 20:00, moderated by Kerim Guc. The Closing Panel will be chaired by Mahmud Erol Kılıç (IRCICA General Director). Laila Khalifa (Amman, Jordan), Mukhtar Ali (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA) and Cemalnur Sargut (Üsküdar University Advisor to the Rector) will attend to the panel as the speakers.The program will be broadcast in Turkish, English and Arabic in the form of simultaneous translation on youtube channels at the following.For English broadcast: http://youtube.com/uskudaruniversitesiFor Arabic broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOlDvIF8sk7u6yjGk_UQi3QFor Turkish broadcast: https://youtu.be/Ku6V0k1I1Pc27th November, 2021, 20.00 (İstanbul), 17.00 GMT (London)A panel discussion between the speakers of themes arising during the seminarschaired by Mahmud Erol Kılıç____________________________________________Understanding Ibn ‘ArabiAutumn online seminarsNovember 2021Presented by the Institute for Ibn ‘Arabi Studies (based at the Kerim Foundation)and the Institute for Sufi Studies at Üsküdar University, in collaboration with theMuhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society.The series will consist of four seminars on consecutive Saturdays.The first three seminars will introduce different perspectives on the theme “Understanding Ibn ‘Arabi”.The final session will be a panel discussion, bringing the speakers together to discuss and develop the theme.All sessions will include an opportunity for questions so that attendees can fully participate.Moderator: Hasan Kerim Güç6th November, 2021, 20.00 (İstanbul), 17.00 GMT (London)Mahmud Erol Kılıç: ‘Ahmad Avni Bey’s Understanding of Ibn ‘Arabi’13th November, 2021, 20.00 (İstanbul), 17.00 GMT (London)Laila Khalifa: ‘Ibn ‘Arabi in Spiritual Fiqh and Gnostic Knowledge’20th November, 2021, 20.00 (İstanbul), 17.00 GMT (London)Mukhtar Ali: ‘Dawud al-Qaysari’s Muqaddima: The Essential Introduction to Ibn ‘Arabi’27th November, 2021, 20.00 (İstanbul), 17.00 GMT (London)A panel discussion between the speakers of themes arising during the seminarschaired by Mahmud Erol Kılıç____________________________________________Speakers and PresentationsMahmud Erol Kılıç is a Professor of Sufi Studies. His numerous books, articles and translations have focused on Ibn ‘Arabi and the Ibn ‘Arabi school of thought as well as Sufism in Anatolia. He has been the ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of Indonesia, and was the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) based in Tehran. Prof. Kılıç currently serves as the Director General of the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society.Mahmud Erol Kılıç writes: ‘Ahmed Avni Konuk (d. 1938) was a Sufi, musician, and composer with the masterful approach of applying his Sufi experience within the Mawlawi Sufi path to his work in the state postal service. Following a voluminous commentary on the Masnavi (considered one of the most comprehensive commentaries made in Turkish), he also wrote a commentary on Ibn ‘Arabi’s Fusus al-Hikam. This commentary serves as a key to Ibn ‘Arabi’s main ideas and concepts; the introduction in particular is almost a summary of the entire Akbari system of thought. What is even more interesting about Ahmed Avni Bey, however, is that his vision did not separate Mevlana and Ibn ‘Arabi, but rather explained one through reference to the other – an approach that brought together the two figures of Mevlana and Ibn ‘Arabi like pieces of a puzzle, to present a unified understanding of two traditions’.Laila Khalifa (Ph.D) began her studies in social sciences and history at the University of Jordan in Amman. Later she pursued postgraduate research in Social Psychology at the University of Nottingham, UK in 1985. She was awarded her MA in Classical and Modern Islamic Thought at the Sorbonne in 1988. She has subsequently dedicated her research to the study of Ibn ‘Arabi’s doctrine and received her Ph.D. in 2000, in History and Civilisation at the L’École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales.Here, under the supervision of Prof. Michel Chodkiewicz, she completed her dissertation: “Conquêtes, Illuminations, Tassawuf et Prophétie: La Futuwwa chez le Sheikh al- Akbar Muhammad Muhyi a-Din Ibn ’Arabi (1165-1240)”. (Conquest, Illumination, Sufism and Prophecy: The Futuwwa in Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240.) She continues her research into Ibn ‘Arabi’s metaphysical doctrine and participates in international symposiums. Laila Khalifa has published books and articles.Laila Khalifa writes: ‘The writings of Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi are among the most important to have been written in the gnostic knowledge. Ibn ‘Arabi’s writings connect human civilization extending from Adam – peace be upon him – to Prophet Muhammad – may God bless him and grant him peace; in other words from the beginning of creation standing in the day of the covenant before God, to the day of return and finally standing before God, Glorious and Most High, and asking for intercession. Ibn ‘Arabi divulges the divine, spiritual, and legal secrets in the rulings in fiqh and shari’a that came with canonical language, supported by openings (fath), discoveries (kashf), and divine self-manifestation (al-tajalli al-ilahi). Specialists in this field agree on the importance of these books, as well as on the difficulty of reading them. In this seminar, I will elucidate some of the problematic issues as well as the essential points that need to be understood when it comes to the study of Ibn ‘Arabi’s school of thought, in the realm of gnostic knowledge and spiritual fiqh.’Mukhtar H. Ali (Ph.D) (2007) University of California, Berkeley, is a Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He specializes in Sufism, Islamic philosophy and ethics, but his areas of interest also include Arabic and Persian literature, Qurʾanic studies and comparative religion. He is the author of Philosophical Sufism: An Introduction to the School of Ibn al-ʿArabi (Routledge, 2021) and The Horizons of Being: The Metaphysics of Ibn al-ʿArabi in the Muqaddimat al-Qayṣari (Brill, 2020).He has translated some contemporary metaphysical texts, The New Creation (Sage Press, 2018) and The Law of Correspondence (Sage Press, 2021).Mukhtar H. Ali writes: ‘This talk explores the writings of Dawud al-Qaysari (d. 751/1350), the preeminent commentator of Ibn ‘Arabi’s works. Qaysari’s introduction to his commentary on the Fusus al-Hikam – popularly known as the Muqaddimat al-Qaysari – is a masterpiece of Sufism that distills in clear and precise language Ibn ʿArabi’s entire metaphysical worldview. As such, it is a foundational, introductory text in the school of Ibn ʿArabi, elucidating the key doctrines of Philosophical Sufism: Being, the divine attributes, the universal worlds, the imaginal world, unveiling, creation and the microcosm, the perfect human, the origin and return of the spirit, prophethood and sainthood.’Program Moderator:Hasan Kerim Güç is a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar University, Istanbul. His studies include Sufism and the thought, history and Islamic literature of the Ottoman period. He worked in Virginia, USA, in software engineering between 1999-2010. He is currently the Managing Director of Nefes Publishing (Nefes specialises in books on Islamic texts and Sufi studies. It also includes the Tuti imprint, which specialises in popular science).He is a founding and board member of the Kerim Foundation and is the author of Ken’an Rifai’nin Dervişlik Anlayışı (Kenan Rifai’s Understanding of Dervish) (Nefes, 2020) and The Birds of Attar (Nefes, 2021). He has also published translations of philosophical classics.____________________________________________
