"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.____________________________________________
The International Intensive Summer School of Sufi Studies July 9-19, 2020The Institute for Sufi Studies of Üsküdar University, Istanbul, TurkeyAbout the Program The Institute for Sufi Studies of Üsküdar University has structured an international intensive summer school around the theme of Sufi Studies between July 9 and 19, 2020 with the support of Kerim Foundation. This intensive summer school will be in Istanbul, a beautiful and enchanting landscape, and the only city that bridges two continents – Asia and Europe united by the Bosphorus Strait. The opportunity to meet with the faculty of the summer school is open to students enrolled in MA and PhD programs.The summer school aims to provide an immersive learning experience through activities such as field trips to historical sites, library, and the Ottoman archives.Among the participants, those who meet the requirements will be provided with certificates and transcripts (based on attendance, full participation, and a passing grade for the course).The faculty of the Summer School and the particular subjects they will be teaching are as follows:James Morris, Dimensions of Spiritual Practice in Everyday Life: Ibn ‘Arabi on Intuition, Realization, and Spiritual Discernment [Discussion-based seminar working with selected English translations from the Futūhāt, as well as “What the Seeker Needs.” Will require extensive English readings, and individual student preparation of short (max. 1-page) response papers prior to each class session.]James Morris, Selected Arabic text readings: Dimensions of Love in Ibn ‘Arabi’s Futūhāt: [NB: Arabic reading skill required; no student auditors.]Mohamed Rustom, Mystical Theology of Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani,Yasushi Tonaga, Sufi Studies,Emine Yeniterzi, Ottoman Sufi Texts,Reşat Öngören, Resources for the Ottoman Sufi Studies,Omneya Ayad and Arzu Eylül YalçınkayaCangüzel Güner Zülfikar, Historical Background of Sufi Institutions,There will also be a panel by the faculty of Summer School and Cemalnur Sargut which will be open to public.Who can apply? Credit transfer will be available for MA and Ph.D. students. Post-doctoral fellows and university faculty are also eligible to apply. A set number of undergraduate students will also be accepted based on academic merit. Those eligible students who are already MA or PhD candidates at any university or at the Continuing Education Programs of the Institute for Sufi Studies can register for the summer school and get credit for it. Students who are not currently registered at MA or PhD programs can register for the summer school without any credit but upon completion of requirements will be given a certificate.Accommodation inclusive fellowships are available; please see the details below in How to Apply.How to apply? Please fill in the application form and send it along with all the documents below tosufisummerschool@uskudar.edu.tr as soon as possible.1. Application Form (Click HERE)2. Statement of Purpose3. Current CV4. One recommendation letter (Especially commenting on your academic achievements, preferably from a previous instructor of a related field; to be submitted directly via e-mail to sufisummerschool@uskudar.edu.tr)5. Copy of the first page of passport for applicants from abroad; copy of the ID card for Turkish citizens.The Sufi Studies Summer School Coordinator will respond to all applications three days after submission.We expect all candidates who receive acceptance letters to proceed with registration.For those who apply from abroad:To complete the pre-registration procedure please purchase your round-trip ticket and send your ticket to sufisummerschool@uskudar.edu.tr. In order to complete your registration, we expect you to pay the tuition fee at the University's Financial Affairs Office after your arrival and acquire your University Summer School ID cards.Tuition Fee Before May 23, 2020 early registration tuition $2000Late registration till June 30, 2020 $2500For the former students of the 2018 Intensive Summer School of Sufi Studies a discount of 12.5% will be available and their tuition will be $1750 until June 30, 2020.First 20 female and 20 male students who have been accepted will be awarded the Sufi Studies Summer School fellowship, which includes lodging with breakfast for 13 days in Istanbul.Classes Classes will be conducted Thursday July 9, 2020 through Sunday, July 17, 2020; except July 15, 2020. See the draft course schedule.Activities Guided trip to the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library and the Ottoman Archives will introduce students to fundamental primary source collections for the study of civilization, philosophy, history, literature, culture, religion, and other sciences. Süleymaniye Library houses one of the richest Islamic manuscript collections in the world. There will be a cultural Istanbul tour, as well.Venue Classes, unless noted otherwise, will take place at the Altunizade campus of Üsküdar University, Building D. The campus is conveniently located next to ISAM Library.Address: Altunizade Mh. Haluk Türksoy Sk. No:14 PK:34662 Üsküdar / İstanbul / TürkiyeImportant Notes Airfare and visa arrangements and expenses are each participant’s own responsibility.Please make sure you have travel insurance and health insurance.Üsküdar University ID cards for Summer School will be given to those accepted students after registration completion. The ID cards are needed to have full access to the Üsküdar University Library.All course material will be provided electronically for registered students.Please make sure you budget for lunch and dinner meals. Lunch is provided at the university’s cafeteria and costs 12TL.Istanbul has convenient public transportation and participants are recommended to acquire Istanbul cards for themselves.RecognitionThis International Intensive Summer School could not have been realized without the continued backing and efforts of the Kerim Foundation http://kerimvakfi.org FOR COURSE SCHEDULE, CLICK HERE
CONFERENCE“Recovering the Ethical: Practices, Politics, Tradition”Monday, December 23, 2019at 19.00 Üsküdar University Main Campus A Block Icadiye Hall
