TSV601 Understanding Knowledge and Being in Sufism
The scope of the course is to comprehend the Sufi approach to knowledge and being, nature of knowledge and being and determination of its principles, explanation of the related notions, to learn the source of knowledge for Sufis and the way to acquire it, to determine the fields of validity, comparison with other forms and ways of knowledge, and to examinate the Sufi way of knowledge in terms of its certainty, accuracy and bindingness. The content of the course is the explanation of the concepts related to knowledge and being in Sufism, the nature, source and acquisition Sufi knowledge and the framework of Sufi method accordingly, the contribution of Sufi knowledge to the understanding the verses of Quran and hadiths, the subject of falsehood in knowledge and its causes and problems, the nature, characteristics, sources and representatives of the understanding of being and its levels.
TSV602 Methods of Sufi Text Analysis
The subject of this course is to teach some scientific approaches for the arrangement of translations of texts written in verse or prose and manuscripts or printed texts written in Ottoman Turkish in the field of Sufi Turkish literature. In order to form a critical text, tools like transcription alphabet, accurate adaptation from Ottoman Turkish to Latin, textual criticism and comparison, text repair, generating a dictionary will also be taught. Besides, skills such as library research and creating a geneaology will be also acquired.
TSV603 Sufi Classics
The course is aimed to analyze the basic concepts of Sufism by reading selected texts from Sufi classics, to discuss the concept of being and knowledge, to analyze the relations between God and the universe and God and man, to determine the stages and methods of Sufi way of education, to evaluate basic principles through certain Sufi concepts.
TSV604 Fundamental Issues of Sufism
The content of the course is to identify and analyze the issues related to the essence of the Sufi understanding and system, to learn the different views on the fundamental concepts together with their agents, to compare and evaluate relevant texts, and to determine the nature, field, dimensions and the place of Sufism within the religion.
TSV605 Special Fields of Research in Sufi Studies
The course is planned to enable scholars, who will be accepted as visiting lecturers at the Institute for Sufi Studies, to open courses on their own field of interest, which are expected to contribute to the program other than the topics in the current curriculum during their stay. Thus, the course is expected to consist of various topics under the broad title of “Islamic Studies”.
TSV607 Theory and Method in Sufi Studies
The course introduces the theoretical approaches faced in Sufi studies and the methods used in the researchs, and the applications encountered in interdisciplinary studies will be also addressed.
TSV608 Sufi Literature Classics
The content of the course is to read classical poetry or prose that has been a great influence in the history of Sufi literature and to analyze them in terms of source, subject, style and content and to obtain bibliographical information.
TSV609 The Sources of Turkish Sufi Literature
The course aims to present the original sources of the Turkish Sufi literature such as the Quran, hadiths, hagiographies, short stories, biographical works of Sufis, as well as the works that have widespread and continous influences in the field of Sufism and the literature on these works.
TSV610 Stories in Sufi Literature
In the Quran, stories and parables of the prophets are used to explain the reasons behind the divine judgments. Also some hadiths refer to some stories. Sufi poets and scholars followed that same path. The stories act as a tool for education and they are easily remembered. They also explain difficult-to-understand subjects by exemplifying them. They have a higher power of persuasion due to its indirect narration. In this course it is aimed to discuss the tradition of story telling, story techniques, narration style, determination and classification of the sources of stories and the layers of the messages within.
TSV611 Textual Studies in Turkish Sufi Literature
The aim of the course is to read 14th to 20th century Sufi manuscripts or printed copies of poems or proses written in Ottoman Turkish, to get familiar with Arabic, Persian and old Anatolian Turkish words and to analyze Sufi literature texts.
TSV612 Proses in Turkish Sufi Literature
This course aims to analyze proses, types of proses, classification and evaluation of religious, mystical and moral proses written in Anatolia from the 13th to 20th century, translations and commentaries, translation of printed or manuscript proses from Ottoman Turkish to Latin, detecting and anaylizing prose examples from Sufi literature.
TSV613 Mathnawi in Turkish Sufi Literature
The course aims to teach specifications of the mathnawi form, its history in Arabic, Persian and Turkish literatures, its writings and translations, its types, classification of religious, moral and mystical types of mathnawis, the influence of Persian literature on Turkish mathnawi literature, the influences of Mawlana’s Mathnawi, reading and analyzing sample texts of mathnawis written between 13th to 20th century in Turkish Sufi literature.
TSV614 Methods and Problems of Teaching Sufism
Apart from the dominant orientalist and fundamentalist discourses that have come to the forefront in Islamic studies, it is now a generally accepted and valid view around the world that Sufism has its own methods. In this course, these methods, especially the problems faced during the teaching of Sufism will be prioritized to analyze. The ongoing problems between the extreme views in academic studies, which have sometimes emerged by the manipulation of international politics, and their impact on Sufi studies will be examined. This course has an interdisciplinary approach to the ideas discussed in the academic world regarding the critisims of teaching Sufism.
TSV615 Sufi Commentary Tradition
According to the way it is acquired, knowledge is categorized into two groups: gained and granted. Thus, the commentaries on the Quran and hadith written by Sufi scholars through direct experience have a special place and importance in tafsir (commentary) tradition. The study of this commentaries is considered highly important in terms of revealing the approach of Sufis to the Quran and Sunnah, the main sources of Islam, and understanding the foundations and development periods of the main issues and concepts of Sufism.
TSV616 Methodology in Sufi Studies
When it comes to Sufi studies, one confronts with different approaches, theories and methods of Orientalism and Religious Studies as well as theological studies. The aim of the course is to examine the history, types, leading examples and current practices of these researches in order to provide new horizons and perspectives.
TSV617 Sufism and Music
Besides the reason and cognition, another faculty given to the human beings is the sense and appreciation of beauty and aesthetics. Based on the hadiths of “Adorn the Quran with your voices” and “The best among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it”, it is believed that reciting the Quran with a beautiful voice stimulated people’s religious feelings, and due to its effect of strengthening spiruality and enriching the heart, music is considered as a divine and celestial art. Within the framework of Turkish Islamic culture, music has been an indispensable part of both worship rituals and Sufi way of life from the very beginning. The aim of this course si to get familiar with the rich Ottoman-Turkish religous music heritage formed over centuries, to recognize the composers, their works, genres and to analyze their effects on people.
TSV618 The Terminology of Sufism
The subject of this course is the specific terms of Sufism. The emergence of the idioms used by Sufis over time and the reasons of their emergence are also within the scope of the course. For example, while Sayyid Sharif Jurjani’s al-Ta’rifat includes terminologies of tafsir, hadith, jurisprudence, theology, tasawwuf, Arabic and its literature, rhetoric, philosophy, logic, math, astronomy and medicine, Abu al-Baqa al-Kafawi’s al-Kulliyat deals with the terms used in Islamic studies, especially the Quran and hadith.
TSV619 Sufi Institutions in the Ottoman Period
The course is aimed to examine the cultural and architectural characteristics of the institutions founded by Sufis, who lived within the borders of Ottoman territory. The social and religious effects are also going to be discussed. The function of the lodges of Sufis, which provided manpower to the construction of the bridges, castles and roads will also be studied.
TSV620 Mathnawi Commentaries of the Ottoman Period
As one of the peak works of Sufi history, Mawlana’s Mathnawi is among the most widely read and known books in the world. As a consequence, reading the Mathnawi became a tradition and through the stories in Mathnawi, the main issues of Islam and Sufism are analyzed and interpreted by the Ottoman-Turkish Sufi scholars by commentaries. The aim of this course is to study these commentaries that directly reflect the history and thought of the Ottoman-Turkish Sufism.
TSV621 The Tradition of Tafsir in Ottoman Period
In addition to the works on the advises to the disciples, Sufis also wrote books that transcend time and place, such as works of Ibn ‘Arabi and Mawlana, which influenced crowds for centuries. From time to time, their theoretical approaches in these works have been subjected to criticism. In the history of Sufism, Sufi scholars continued to write commentaries on defending these works in order to answer the criticisms. Therefore, in this course the commentaries written by Sufi as an answer to the criticisms will be discussed.
TSV622 The Sources of Ottoman Sufi Thought
The content of the course includes the origins of the Sufi thought embraced in the Ottoman period, the sources, scholars and schools on which this thought is based, the main features of the Sufi understanding, the points where it differs from and unites with the previous and later periods, various movements and their representatives and their interrelations.
TSV623 Ottoman/Turkish History of Sufism
This course is designed to recognize the works and outcomes of the history of Sufism in the Ottoman period and territory, to analyze its characteristics, main themes and areas of interest, and the place of Ottoman-Turkish Sufism within the history of Sufism.
TSV624 Sufism in the Literature of the Quran and Hadith
The primary sources of Sufism are the Quran and the Prophet’s hadith. In the Seljuk and Ottoman territory, parts of the primary sources of Sufism can be found in many institutions. In the works of Sufi scholars, primary sources form the basis of the discussions. Students who know Arabic will be prioritized in this course.
TSV625 Sufism in Islamic Civilization
The role of Sufi thought in the foundation of the Muslim states from the time of the Prophet to the present day and the cultural heritage they form within time is the scope of this course. The course gives place especially to the civilization studies and sources in English.
TSV626 Fususu’l-Hikam and Sufi Thought
Ibn ‘Arabi, who systematized and enriched many ideas and concepts that emerged in the history of Sufism in his works, made a great impact on the Islamic world. A very few of Muslim scholars in the West are known as well as him. Fususu’l-Hikam is considered to be the summary of his ouevre in terms of depth and intensity. The aim of this course is to examine the thought of Ibn ‘Arabi and the main concepts and issues of Sufism through aforesaid work.
TSV627 Analysis of Persian Classical Sufi Texts
In this course, Sufi texts written by names like Najm al-Din Qubra and Ruzbihan Baqli, who left their mark on the classical period, will be examined in Persian language. Persian Sufi terminology will be also emphasized in the analysis of the texts through the help of dictionaries like Farhang-e-Ziya.
TSV628 Persian Sufi Sources
The course aims to read selected texts of Persian Sufism and to introduce these texts and their characteristics, to analyze their way to approach to the main issues of Sufism and the analysis of the concepts.
TSV629 Persian Sufi Text Readings
The subject of the course is to teach Persian and to read texts easy to follow.
TSV630 Sufi Studies in the West
The course aims to introduce various works, emerged in the field of Orientalism and Religious Studies starting from the 19th century, to have an understanding on different approachs and theories, to get to know different interdisciplinary methods.
TSV631 Books About Morality
Islam is a religion of morals and good deeds. Therefore, the concepts of religion and morality are inseperable. Moreover, because of the efforts of the Sufi authors to teach strict religious and moral principles within the circle of love, the boundaries of religion, morals and Sufism have mingled. Despite this fact, many works, in which moral advice and ethics are emphasized, are found in Sufi literature. This course aims to read and analyze original texts, both in poetry and prose, and the ways of how to make a literature research.
TSV632 Sufi Texts in Ottoman Turkish
The aim of the course is to comprehend the vocabulary and grammatical features of Ottoman Turkish and to read and understand Sufi texts written in Ottoman Turkish. Within the scope of the course, Arabic and Persian elements in Ottoman Turkish will be examined and texts of Sufi literature will be read.
