FOREWORD BY THE DEAN
This journal not only reveals our students’ intellectual curiosity, enthusiasm for research, and expressive strength, but also paves ways for future academics, researchers, and thinkers.…
All essays
Articles
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FROM THE EDITORS
Every idea requires a point of origin. Every pursuit begins from a “source.” With this in mind, we are pleased to present the first issue of Origin, prepared through the collective efforts of students and faculty members within our university.…
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Weaving with Purpose: Dahlia Motif
In this same spirit, we have woven our journal with the Dahlia. As in our first issue, we aim to continue our productivity in the forthcoming ones, drawing inspiration from our culture and heritage while writing and offering it back to you as a source of motiv…
- pp. 30 — 33
THE LANGUAGE THAT CAUSED THEM TO FORGET LATIN: The Deep Traces of Arabic in Spanish
Arabic is undisputedly the common language of the Islamic world and holds an invaluable place in Muslim history. It may seem surprising today, but centuries ago, the paths of a nation and this language crossed in a way that created a magnificent cultural synth…
- pp. 86 — 87
FROM MIGRATION TO SETTLEMENT: OBSERVATIONS REGARDING TURKS IN THE NETHERLANDS
Based on a ten-day field study conducted in the Netherlands, this article explores the evolving dynamics of Turkish immigrants through interviews with mosque community leaders, foundation representatives, and Turkish-Dutch citizens from different generations. …
- pp. 78 — 85
FROM THE TYRANNY OF CRONOS TO THE KINGDOM OF ZEUS
Following our introductory exploration of mythology in the previous issue, we now delve into the dramatic power struggles of the divine realm, beginning with the foundational myth of the Titans. …
- pp. 58 — 62
LIFE OF THE MOST PEACEFUL PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES
Al-Andalus stands as a jewel of the Islamic world, representing a “ union of the four books. ” For almost eight hundred years, Jews, Muslims and Christians lived together in relative peace. …
- pp. 66 — 73
THE CRADLE OF ISLAMIC SCIENCE: A RE-EVALUATION OF BAYT AL-ḤIKMAH
The history of intellectual development is often shaped by institutions that gather, preserve, and reinterpret knowledge across cultures. In the context of the Islamic Golden Age, Bayt al-Ḥikmah —commonly translated as the “House of Wisdom”—has come to symboli…
- pp. 74 — 76
THE GENESIS AND DEVELOPMENTAL TRAJECTORY OF EVOLUTIONARY IDEAS IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD
Contrary to popular belief, the theory of evolution did not originate with Charles Darwin. Its conceptual roots extend back to Anaximander, the Ancient Greek philosopher who proposed that all animals emerged through gradual transformations, with humans represe…
- pp. 54 — 57
THE HERITAGE OF MUSIC IN AL-ANDALUS: FROM THE EAST TO THE WEST
Music has always been an essential part of human life, as human nature inherently seeks and explores beauty. Throughout history, humans have sought to discover beautiful sounds and melodies to express their emotions, dreams, and hopes. In this article, we will…
- pp. 98 — 121
THE TORN KAFTAN: Understanding al-Andalus from Tuleytula (Toledo) to the Present — An Interview with Prof. Dr. Mehmet ÖZDEMİR
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özdemir, known for his invaluable studies on the history, civilization, and culture of al-Andalus, is a pioneering figure in his field. In this interview, we had an insightful conversation starting from his journey into theology to the intelle…
- pp. 64 — 65
TRUTHS ENGRAVED IN STONE
“The heroes of Islamic art are buildings. ” This sentence is significant because it expresses the central contribution of architecture to the Islamic tradition. Throughout history, many civilizations have sought to leave behind monumental works, and those that…
- pp. 88 — 89
WHERE DO WE GO NOW وهلأ لوين؟
Where Do We Go Now is a Lebanese film, a collaborative production involving France, Lebanon, Egypt, and Italy. Nadine Labaki, who stars in the film, also serve as the director and one of the screenwriters. The film has received notable awards, including the Pe…
- pp. 90 — 97
WOMEN AND WORKING LIFE IN AL-ANDALUS: An Analysis of Fatma Merve Çınar’s Work "Endülüs ’te Kadın"
Fatma Merve Çınar, "Endülüs’te Kadın" , meticulously reconstructs the lives of woman by gathering clues scattered among the historical records of al-Andalus. Despite the limited sources available, she succeeds in presenting the lives of women as a holistic pic…
- pp. 45 — 46
A Metaphor for Waḥdat al-Wujūd
Suppose you and I are in a completely dark room, and I am holding a cigarette. When I light the tip, a small glowing point appears. Since the room is pitch-black, you cannot see my hand. If I ask, “What shape do you see now?”…
- pp. 42 — 45
AN ANDALUSIAN ṢŪFĪ: MUḤYĪ AL-DĪN IBN AL ‘ARABĪ
His full name is Muḥyī al-Dīn/Muḥyiddīn Muḥammad ibn ʻAlī ibn Muḥammad al-‘Arabī al-Tā’ī al-Ḥātimī. The epithet “al-Shaykh al-Akbar” was conferred upon him subsequently by the Ṣūfī community.اﻟﺸﻴﺦ اﻷﻛﺒﺮ ﻣﺤﻴﻲ اﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺑﻦ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﻦ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ اﻟﻄﺎﺋﻲ اﻟﺤﺎﺗﻤﻲ It …
- pp. 48 — 53
AN OVERVIEW OF TAFSĪR IN AL-ANDALUS
It is a historical fact that Muslims rapidly carried Islam and the Qur'ān to different geographies and cultures through conquests following the period of the Prophet Muḥammad. In this context, al-Andalus represents one of the westernmost and most distinctive r…
- pp. 6 — 9
AL-ANDALUS: WHERE KNOWLEDGE BECAME CIVILIZATION
When we think about al-Andalus, we often imagine magnificent mosques, elegant arches, flowing fountains, and cities illuminated by art and science. Yet al-Andalus was far more than a geographical region or a historical period. It was a civilization built upon …
- pp. 12 — 15
BETWEEN EAST AND WEST: MEDICAL SCIENCE IN THE CRUSADER STATES
Following the European siege and capture of the Holy City on July 15, 1099, the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and the rest of the "Crusader states"—the County of Edessa, the County of Tripoli, and the Principality of Antioch—were definitively established. The Lat…
- pp. 24 — 29
BEYOND CONVIVENCIA: RELIGIOUS IDENTITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DYNAMICS IN AL-ANDALUS
Al-Andalus encompasses several significant features. However, owing to its historical background, its development as a multireligious society and its diverse cultural characteristics that fostered religious diversity, it can be considered a cornerstone for exa…
- pp. 34 — 37
ḤAYY IBN YAQẒĀN
This book posits that a human being can reach the knowledge of Truth (al-Ḥaqq) without waḥy (revelation). The main aim of the author is to express that knowledge reached by reasoning, questioning, and contemplation does not contradict the divine truth revealed…
- pp. 38 — 41
ONE TRUTH, TWO PATHS: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REASON (AQL) AND REVELATION (WAHY) IN IBN RUSHD
Al-Andalus was a state that had a significant impact on both Islamic and world history. It can be considered as one of the veins of Islam beating within the West. With both its strengths and weaknesses, it contributed to the development and expansion of Islami…
- pp. 16 — 17
THE IMĀM OF THE ANDALUSĪ SŪFĪS IN THE SIXTH/TWELFTH CENTURY: IBN BARRAJĀN
Abū al-Ḥakam Ibn Barrajān (d. 536/1141) is one of the most important and prolific sūfī exegetes (mufassir) of Andalusī mystical thought in the sixth/twelfth century. The author, who is referred to in the sources by the honorific title “Ghazālī of al-Andalus” (…
- pp. 18 — 23
THE STORY OF THE HAJJ ON HORSEBACK FROM AL-ANDALUS TO THE PRESENT: FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALANDALUS
Some journeys are not merely about traversing physical distances. At times, they are journeys that build new bridges, revive memories buried in the long-dried pages of history, and bring to life narratives that were never personally witnessed yet faithfully tr…
- pp. 4 — 5
FROM THE EDITORS
This issue of our journal is devoted to the rich intellectual, cultural, and spiritual legacy of al-Andalus. Far beyond being merely a geographical space or a historical period, al-Andalus represents a unique civilizational experience shaped by scholarship, ph…
- pp. 10 —11
THE LAST LETTER OF AL-ANDALUS: ALJAMIADO LITERATURE
When al-Andalus is mentioned, what usually comes to mind is the splendor of the Alhambra Palace, the scholarly circles of Córdoba, the philosophy of Ibn Rushd, or the mystical world of Ibn al-ʿArabī. Yet the story of a civilization is not limited to its period…
- pp. 10 — 11
Bukhara: A Legacy at the Heart of Islamic Civilization
Located in the heart of Central Asia, Bukhara represents not only a geographical center but also the spiritual and intellectual core of Islamic civilization. From its founding through the Samanid period to its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the c…
- pp. 38 — 41
Dear Diary
A diary written on the thirty-sixth day in Oman — a meditation on farewells, on the strange question of where home is, on a teacher in Sohar who became one of the most beautiful parts of the writer's story, and on time as something we cannot rewind or fast-for…
- pp. 32 — 33
An Erasmus Journey
A fourth-year student at the Faculty of Theology, Ankara University, writes about his Erasmus semester in Germany — from the visa process and finding accommodation, to working through coursework on methodology, Ibn Taymiyya, and Qur'anic ethics. A practical an…
- pp. 28 — 29
Book Review — Fatma Aliye, Udi
Udi by Fatma Aliye (Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları, 2024, 112 pp., ISBN 9786254292668) tells the story of Bedia, a young woman raised in love of music — and through her, reflects on the lives of women during the constitutional period, the importance of ed…
- pp. 4 — 5
The People to Whom the Gates of Heaven Open Wide — A Short Phenomenology of Faith
The Qur'an declares that the gates of heaven will open wide for people who show the will to build the common good together, and that the earth will become a fertile home for these people. A short phenomenological reading of faith — what abundance, prosperity, …
- pp. 22 — 25
About Greek Mythology — Introduction
An introduction to Greek mythology — what 'myth' and 'mythology' mean, why mythology is worth studying for its presence in our everyday language and imagination, and a first telling of the creation story from Hesiod's Theogony. The first installment in what th…
- pp. 14 — 17
Imam Bukhārī — The Preserver of Hadith: His Life, Education, and Death
Imam Bukhārī (194 H / 810 CE — 256 H / 870 CE) is one of the most eminent hadith scholars in Islamic history, the author of the Sahih al-Bukhārī. This essay follows his life from a Bukharan childhood through years of study and travel to his death near Samarkan…
- pp. 42 — 57
Learning to Think, Thinking to Live… Interview with Prof. Dr. Halis Albayrak
An extended interview with Prof. Dr. Halis Albayrak of the Department of Tafsir at Ankara University Faculty of Divinity. The conversation ranges across the problem of meaningful engagement with the Qur'an, Kalām and Fiqh as historical-human activities, the re…
- pp. 26 — 27
Views of Islamic Theological Schools on Good and Evil
In Islamic thought, the relationship between moral responsibility, human will, and the omnipotence of Allah has been a subject of deep debate, especially concerning the concepts of 'good' and 'evil.' Three major theological schools — the Mu'tazila, Mātūridī, a…
- pp. 34 — 37
A Journey of Language, Culture, and Friendship in Oman
An account of a faculty-organized Arabic-language program at Sohar University, Oman: the long flight from Trabzon to Muscat to Sohar, the teachers Mr. Hosni and Sheikha, friendships with classmates and a Ugandan student named Suleiman, and the visits to Muscat…
- pp. 30 — 31
A Letter to My Students on the Quest for Meaning
A letter from a teacher to her students — a reflection on how studying theology dissolved her assumed paradigm and immersed her in a vast ocean of meaning, on the discipline's ability to connect with so many other fields, and on the recognition that absolute t…
- pp. 18 — 19
Religion and Psychological Resilience
Psychological problems such as trauma, anxiety, and emotional distress can be triggered by various external factors. From the beginning of human history, people have developed coping strategies; religion, alongside personal rituals and relaxation techniques, h…
- pp. 20 — 21
Catch the Thread of Time: Flow and Perception
Time plays an essential role in shaping our lives and daily routines, and it can be perceived differently under various conditions and circumstances. By examining the perception of time and related philosophical views — from Plato and Kant to Bergson and the m…
- pp. 8 — 9
The Process of Turks Embracing Islam
It is generally believed that the Turks encountered Islam during the campaigns of the Umayyad Caliphate in Asia. However, they did not embrace Islam as their religion at that time. An accurate acquaintance with Islam happened during the Abbasid period, especia…
- pp. 6 — 7
Why Did We Choose "Origin"?
The origin of humanity has been thought of by scholars throughout history. The word 'origin' comes from the Latin origo, meaning 'beginning' or 'source'. We firmly believe that the source of humanity is women — our mothers, who raise and teach us and encode ou…