Ibn Kemal | |
|---|---|
 16th-centuryminiature of Ibn Kemal | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Şemseddin Ahmed 1468 |
| Died | 14 April 1534(1534-04-14) (aged 65–66) |
| Era | 15th-century |
| Main interest(s) | Aqidah,Tafsir,Tasawwuf,Hadith,Fiqh,Usul, Ma'aani,Mantiq,Falsafa, Ottoman history |
| Notable work(s) | Tevarih-i Al-i Osman ("The Chronicles of the House of Osman") |
| Occupation | Islamic scholar,Historian |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Creed | Maturidi[2] |
Şemseddin Ahmed (1469–1534), better known by his pen nameIbn Kemal (also Ibn Kemal Pasha) orKemalpaşazâde ("son of Kemal Pasha"), was anOttoman historian,[3]Shaykh al-Islām, jurist[3] and poet.[4]
He was born into a distinguished military family inEdirne[3] and as a young man he served in the army and later studied at variousmadrasas and became theKadı of Edirne in 1515.[5] He hadIranian roots on his mother's side.[6] He became a highly respected scholar and was commissioned by the Ottoman rulerBayezid II to write an Ottoman history (Tevārīh-i Āl-i Osmān, "The Chronicles of the House of Osman"). During the reign ofSelim the Resolute, in 1516, he was appointed as military judge of Anatolia and accompanied the Ottoman army to Egypt. During the reign ofSuleiman the Magnificent he was appointed as theShaykh al-Islām, i.e. supreme head of theulama, a post which he held until his death.
Kemalpaşazâde was a crucially important figure in the codification of theHanafi school of thought in its Ottoman iteration.[7]
He "authored around 200 works inTurkish,Persian, andArabic. His works include commentaries on theQur'an,treatises on hadith,Islamic law,philosophy and theology (kalam), logic,Sufism, ethics, history, several books on Arabic and Persian grammar, literature, and a small diwan of poetry."[8]
His most famous history work is theTevārīh-i Āl-i Osmān "The Chronicles of theHouse of Osman", a history of the Ottoman Empire which provides the most original and important source material now extant on the reigns during which he himself lived.[5]
Although best known as a historian, Kemalpaşazâde was also a great scholar and a talented poet. He wrote numerous scholarly commentaries on theQuran, treatises on jurisprudence and Muslim theology and philosophy, and during his stay in Egypt he translated the works of the Egyptian historianibn Taghribirdi fromArabic. He also wrote in Arabic, a philological work entitledDaqāʿiq al-Haqāʿiq "The Subtleties of Verities". His best poetical works include theNigaristan "The Picture Gallery", written in Persian and modeled upon theBūstān and theGolestān ofSaadi Shirazi; a poem, "Yusuf ü Züleyha", in rhymed couplets, retelling the story ofJoseph and Potiphar's wife; andDivān "Collected Poems", consisting mainly of lyrics.[9]
In philosophy and theology, he was aMaturidi theologian-philosopher who followed some opinions ofibn Arabi and anticipated some theories ofMulla Sadra.[10] Kemalpaşazâde also wrote a famous history of the Hanafi school offiqh entitledRisāla fī Ṭabaqāt al-Mujtahidīn "The Treatise regarding Biographies of Jurists".[11]
As the Ottoman mufti for SultanSelim I, he wrote fatwas against theSafavid dynasty during the rise of shahIsmail I. He wrote in his "Risale fî İkfâri Şah İsma‘îl" the reasons for histakfir of Shah Ismail I and his followers, his reasons including:[12]
He concluded that "In short, it has been narrated to us through tawatur that they are infidels. In this case, we never doubt their unbelief and apostasy." He declared their lands "darul harb", the abode of war, that marriage to them is invalid, their slaughter is impure, and wearing their style of red headgear (they were known for wearing a red cap) is forbidden without necessity.[13]
A preeminent scholar and madrasa professor, Kemalpaşazade was born into a distinguished family with Iranian roots on his mother's side.
.svg) Ottoman historians | ||
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