The seminar series, titled "I Have Questions: Students Ask, Academics Answer," a social responsibility and R&D project initiated in collaboration with the Faculty of Islamic Sciences at Istanbul Medeniyet University and the Üsküdar Mufti Office, was successfully completed in twelve sessions. Starting in June 2023 and continuing for a year, the seminars took place at the Üsküdar Mufti Office Kısıklı Diyanet Youth Center with the participation of registered students. In these sessions, held with active student involvement, participants had the opportunity to ask questions they were curious about and share their thoughts.
The first presentation was given by the project coordinator and supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman Nuri DEMİR, on November 25, 2023, under the title "They Ask You About Atheism and Deism." In this seminar, Dr. Demir addressed fundamental concepts related to atheism and deism. During the conceptual explanations aimed at clarifying the topic, additional evaluations were made based on questions and requests from the students. Following this first presentation, Dr. Demir conducted three more seminars on the same content, all four seminars are completed within a month.
The second presentation of the series, titled "They Ask You About Creed," was delivered by Furkan Demir, research assistant in the Department of Kalam and Schools of Islamic Creed on December 30, 2023. In the first part of the presentation, Demir emphasized the importance of having a sound understanding of God and Prophet as a foundation for addressing questions related to Islamic beliefs. He then focused on issues such as why not all people are Muslims if Islam is the true religion, whether being born a Muslim constitutes injustice, and whether belief in destiny renders the concept of a test meaningless. In the session, which included participants' questions and comments, Demir highlighted the importance of a proper educational process in the field of creed.
The project's third presentation was held on January 13, 2024, by Betül Genan, a research assistant in the Department of Science of Qur'anic Recitation. In her presentation, Genan addressed fundamental questions surrounding the problematic aspects of the science of Qur’anic recitation. She answered questions such as why the recitation of the Qur’an is performed with tajwid (rules of pronunciation), the differences between two significant processes in the history of the Quran—its compilation and its re-copying into written copies, whether the earliest manuscripts of the Quran have survived to the present day, and the location of the oldest existing manuscript of the Qur’an. Genan emphasized that the widely accepted notion, especially in popular culture, that the manuscripts we have today are the original ones is incorrect, noting that despite all research efforts, none of the earliest manuscripts have been found so far. At the end of her presentation, Genan pointed out that limiting the field of Qur’anic recitation studies in Turkite solely to rules and methods of Qur’anic recitation hinders the development of research in the country. She stressed that abroad, recitation and manuscript studies are treated as a serious academic discipline and are the subject of major projects. Genan underscored the importance of adopting a similar approach in Turkiye. The session concluded after students' questions and contributions.
The fourth presentation in the series, titled "They Ask You About Hadith," was delivered by Fatma Büşra Çoban, a research assistant in the Department of Hadith, on February 24, 2024. The session began with a brief introduction to the fundamental principles and methods for understanding Hadith and Sunnah. Çoban emphasized the importance of knowing the purpose of the Prophet Muhammad’s mission, the necessity of evaluating Hadith within the context of their subject matter, and understanding the Prophet's style, manner of expression, and literary techniques to accurately interpret Hadith. She addressed major debates surrounding Hadith, such as whether they are needed alongside the Qur’an and whether Hadith can be considered a reliable source. In the second part of the presentation, Çoban tackled contemporary concerns about whether certain Hadith conflict with reason, science, and historical facts, as well as the meaning behind the Prophet's narrations concerning women, drawing on data from both classical and modern sources. At the end of the presentation, she clarified how Hadith related to blessed days and nights, like the ones about the Raghaib Night, should be understood and discussed the recommended acts of worship mentioned in these narrations. The session concluded after participants' questions and contributions.
The fifth presentation, titled "They Ask You About Arabic," was held on March 9, 2024, by Ali Taha Ordu, a research assistant in the Department of Arabic Language and Rhetoric. In the first part of the session, Ordu discussed the role of Arabic as an instrumental discipline within Islamic sciences and highlighted the role of Islam in the scientific development of the language. In the second section, he emphasized the importance of Arabic in preserving the Qur’an from errors during recitation and discussed scholars' early efforts regarding the Arabic language. In the final part of his talk, Ordu explained the reasons behind the differentiation between Classical Arabic and Colloquial Arabic (Ammiyya), which often causes confusion among students, before concluding his presentation.
The sixth presentation in the series, titled "They Ask You About Contemplation," was delivered by Sümeyra Hatice Sandıkçı, a research assistant in the Department of Islamic Philosophy and History of Religions, on April 27, 2024. Sandıkçı focused on distinguishing contemplation (tafakkur) as a duty of servitude within the Qur’anic perspective from other intellectual activities. In this context, she discussed topics such as the purpose of contemplation, what can and cannot be subjects of contemplation, and the existence and continuity of the Islamic tradition of contemplation. In the final part of the presentation, the challenges of contemplation, seen as a guarantee for a Muslim existence in the world, and the obstacles it faces, particularly in the modern era, were examined with contributions and questions from the participants.
The seventh presentation, titled "They Ask You About Sufism," was given by Zeyneb Nur Kızılkaya, a research assistant in the Department of Sufi Studies, on May 11, 2024. Kızılkaya first addressed the origins of Sufism by exploring the term "Sufi" and provided a general overview of the broad scope of Sufism, which encompasses elements such as unity (tawhid), good character, purification of the heart, spiritual struggle (mujahada), sincerity (sidq), and love (muhabbet). She then discussed the formation of Sufism as a discipline, its roots in the Qur’an and Sunnah, its presence during the Prophet Muhammad's time, and the relationship between Sharia and Haqiqah (spiritual reality), all through the lens of classical Sufi texts. In the second part of her talk, Kızılkaya introduced the Sufi orders (tariqas), which became central to Sufi education from the 12th century onwards, along with their elements. She explored the sources of knowledge in Sufism, stating that unlike other disciplines, Sufism claims to derive its knowledge directly from God. She explained that Sufis only attribute significance to sources like inspiration (ilham) and unveiling (kashf) when they are in accordance with the Qur’an and Sunnah. Finally, Kızılkaya addressed the question of balancing religious and worldly life in Sufism, showing how this balance was historically maintained through the actions of Sufis and Sufi institutions, which played a curative role in society. She noted that this contrasted with the modern-day marginalization of the Sufi image.
The final session of the project, titled "They Ask You About Qur'anic Exegesis (Tafsir)” was held on May 18, 2024, featuring a presentation by Rabia Hacer Bahçeci, a research assistant in the Department of Qur'anic Exegesis. In her presentation, Bahçeci first discussed the significance of the Qur’an being a divine speech and then addressed the question of whether local expressions within the Qur’an contradict its universality. She emphasized that the use of the language of its audience is a prerequisite for understanding the Qur’an. Bahçeci continued by raising questions about whether there was a need for Tafsir during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, and when the problem of interpreting and understanding the Qur’an began. She clarified that there were no issues in understanding the Qur’an during the Prophet's and companions' time. The presentation also covered the development of Tafsir as a scholarly discipline and its place in the hierarchy of classical Islamic sciences. In the final part of her talk, Bahçeci addressed the contemporary issue of having multiple interpretations of the Qur’an, evaluating the current position of Tafsir. She concluded by stating that the existence of various interpretations is not a problem; rather, it reflects the vitality of the Qur’an.
The project seminars, which spanned a full year, were successfully completed. The conference series not only introduced the disciplines related to Islamic Sciences but also provided participants with answers to their questions. Additionally, the seminars encouraged students to think about, inquire, and contribute intellectually to these fields. Congratulations to the academic staff who contributed to the project and the students who participated. Special thanks to the founding dean, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Maşalı, and the Üsküdar Mufti, İbrahim Yavuz, who supported the project as advisors, as well as to Ayşe Kantarcı, the Youth Coordinator of the Üsküdar Mufti Office, who hosted the seminars.