ZEYREKZADE EMRULLAH MUHAMMED’S TREATISE RELATED TO ISSUE OF BEING PAİD IN RETURN FOR RECITING THE QUR’AN: AN ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL EDITION
Abstract
Being paid for reciting the Qur’an is a subject that has been discussed among Muslims since the era of Companions. The main rationale for this discussion is whether or not a fee can be charged for performing an act of worship. In this research, Risâle fî cevâzi ahzi’l-ücrti li-kıraeti’l-Kur’an, which argues that it is licit to charge a fee for reciting the Qur’an, but has no information regarding its author in the biography books, was examined and prepared for publication. This treatise was written by Zeyrekzâde Emrullah Muhammed b.Seyrek al-Hüseynî (d. 1008/1600), who will be mentioned later along with the evidence. In this treatise, the author conveys the evidence and justifications mentioned in a treatise written about the subject without mentioning the title and author of the work, and answers them. Such studies aiming to examine a single subject in detail give important clues about the mindset of the period in which the work was written, and how the subject was understood. As far as we could determine, four chapters address the issue of charging fees for reciting the Qur’an. Among these treatises, İnḳāẕü’lhâlikîn and Şifâü’l-ʻalîl and bellü’l-ğalîl advocate the view that it is illicit to charge a fee for reciting the Qur’an while Refʿu’l-ġışâve ʿan aḫẕi’l-ücreti ʿale’t-tilâve and the work of Zeyrekzâde argues it is licit to do so. Risâle fî cevâzi, the work of Zeyrekzâde, is the first treatise to advocate the view that it is licit to charge a fee for reciting the Qur’an. Another feature of this treatise is that it includes in and responds to the evidence and justifications of the opposing opinion, and explains its own opinion along with its reasons. In the treatise named Refʿu’l-ġışâve ʿan aḫẕi’l-fee ʿale›t-tilâve, written by Mahmud Hamza, he quotes fatwas and opinions from the books of fiqh that can only be considered as evidence for his own opinion. He was known as Seyrekzâde because of his author father, whose full name is Emrullah Muhammed b. Seyrek Muhyiddin al-Husayni, as Hanefî about the sect he followed, and as İstanbulî, Rûmî as to where he lived. Seyrekzâde was used in the works introducing the author. However, since the author wrote as Zeyrekzâde in the section he wrote for the promotion of the treatise which is the subject of our study and stated that he wrote it himself, Zeyrekzâde will be used in this study. The son of Seyrek Muhyiddin Hüseyin Efendi, the first teacher of Sultan Selim II, Zeyrekzâde was born on the fifth day of Dhu alQa’dah in the year 945 of the Hijri calendar. The author passed away in Istanbul on the Bara’ah Night (1600) of the year 1008 of the Hijri calendar. Zeyrekzâde, who started his education life at a young age, wrote many works and was known as a virtuous and competent person among scholars. After taking lessons from the prominent scholars of his time, he worked as a lecturer in various madrasas for the rest of his life. Zeyrekzâde also served as a qadi. Rumor has it that the author, who stated that he had attended scientific discussions in the knowledge circles, hated the members of tariqa (sufist orders).. Therefore, to not receive the prayers of hatemongers, his last will to his children was that his funeral not be taken to the Fatih Mosque, and that no ulama quilted turban shall be put on his coffin. Zeyrekzâde did not name the treatise that is the subject of this study. However, based on the phrase “words on the permissibility of charging a fee for reciting the Qur’an” in the introduction section of the treatise, it is recorded as “Risale fi cevazi ahzi’l-ücrti li-kıraeti’lKur’an” and “Risale fi cevazi ahzi’l-ücre ala tilaveti’l-Kur’an” in the library records. The author does not explicitly express to whom or against which treatise it was written. However, he refers to a treatise that argues it is permissible to charge a fee for reciting the Qur’an. In our opinion, the treatise whose author’s opinions Zayrekzâde cites and answers is the treatise named Inḳāẕü’l-halikîn written by Birgivî Mehmed Efendi (d. 981/1573). Because Zeyrekzâde, almost in his entire treatise, cites the reasons included in the treatise of Birgivî and answers such reasons. The primary sources of this treatise are fiqh works as he deals with the dispute over the provision of a fiqh issue. In this treatise, Zeyrekzâde referred to some works by mentioning their names directly, and quoted from such works.
Keywords
ZEYREKZÂDE EMRULLAH MUHAMMED’İN KUR’ÂN OKUMA KARŞILIĞI ÜCRET ALMA MESELESİNE DAİR RİSALESİ: İNCELEME ve TAHKİK
Abstract
16. yüzyılda yaşamış olan Zeyrekzâde Emrullah, kadılık ve müderrislik gibi önemli görevleri üstlenen bir Osmanlı âlimidir. Zeyrekzâde, üstlenmiş olduğu kadılık ve müderrislik görevleri yanı sıra fıkıh, tefsir, Arapça ve tarih ilimleri ile ilgili eserler kaleme almıştır. Bu eserlerden biri de Kur’ân okuma karşılığı ücret almanın hükmü hususunu ele alan Risâle fî cevâzi ahzi’l-ücreti li-kıraeti’l-Kur’ân adlı risaledir. Bu eser Kur’ân okuma karşılığı ücret almanın caiz oluşu görüşünü delilleri ile birlikte detaylı bir şekilde ele alan bir risale olup henüz tahkik edilmemiştir. Müellif, Kur’ân okuma karşılığı ücret almanın caiz olmadığı görüşünü savunan bir risale yazıldığını ve bu risaledeki görüşlerin genel kabul gördüğünü ifade etmiştir. Zeyrekzâde, eser ve müellif ismi zikretmeden bu risaledeki görüşleri aktarır ve bu iddialara cevaplar verir. Bu çalışmanın en önemli hedeflerinden biri Zeyrekzâde’nin bu risalesini hangi esere karşı yazdığını tespit etmektir. Bu çalışmada giriş bölümünde konu ile ilgili risaleler kısaca tanıtıldıktan sonra tahkik edilen risalenin müellifi hakkında bilgiler verilmiştir. Yine bu çalışmada tahkik edilen risalenin özellikleri, kaynakları ve nüshaları hakkında da bilgi verilmiştir. Son olarak risalenin orijinal metninin neşri yapılmıştır.
Keywords
