Fatāwā Ali Efendi, one of the four fatwā (Islamic legal opinion) collections recognized as authoritative by the Fatwāhāne, was completed and copied in the life of Shaykh al-Islam Ali Efendi (d. 1103/1692). It was widely reproduced throughout the 12th/18th century and was printed in more than ten editions from the following century onwards. Hundreds of manuscripts and printed copies are preserved in libraries. The development and interrelationship of the copies produced during the compilation and arranging process of the Fatāwā Ali Efendi have led to some attribution errors in fatwā literature. In fact, some copies of the Fatāwā, which differ in arrangement from the commonly accepted version, have been mistakenly attributed to other muftis. This article focuses on the process of compilation and arrangement of the Fatāwā, providing evidence that it was in fact produced in two distinct arrangements at different times. It also analyzes and classifies its early copies according to their respective arrangement. Although nearly all available manuscripts of the Fatāwā have been examined, the majority of those studied date from within two decades of Ali Efendi’s death, as they are closer to the original process of compilation and arrangement. In comparing the manuscripts, the first and last chapters were considered, along with the chapter on mahr (dowry), which was randomly selected as a sample. Two key figures played a significant role in the compilation and arrangement of Fatāwā Ali Efendi: Kerebneshī Mustafa Efendi (d. 1093/1682), who served as the chief fatwā officer during the first third of Çatalcalı Ali Efendi’s tenure as shaykh al-Islam, and his student Gelibolulu Mahmud Efendi (d. 1120/1708), who began working as a clerk of fatwās under him. With the encouragement of his teacher, Mahmud Efendi started compiling Ali Efendi’s fatwās in a structured manner and continued this work after his teacher left office. Over time, as the fatwās originally grouped under broad headings- became disorganized and difficult to locate, Mahmud Efendi restructured the collection. This revised arrangement, described in some copies as the “second” or “new” version, was completed in 1104 (1692), five months after Ali Efendi’s death. Copies produced before this date follow the first (old) arrangement, which served as the foundation for subsequent fatwā manuscripts. Recognizing that Fatāwā Ali Efendi developed around these two primary arrangements is essential for accurately establishing the origins and classification of its copies.
An examination of the manuscript copies of Fatāwā Ali Efendi in various libraries reveals that they exist in two primary arrangements. The first-arrangement served as the foundation for compiling the fatwās, and the second was completed on Muharram 8, 1104 (September 19, 1692). In this study, copies following the arrangement completed on this date are referred to as the “second/new-arrangement” based on the terms “thānī” and “jadīd” found in some manuscripts. Meanwhile, copies adhering to the earlier arrangement are designated as the first/old order. The earliest known copies of the first-arrangement were completed and inscribed in the life of Ali Efendi. Although these copies share common structural features, such as the subheading system and the arrangement of fatwās, they exhibit minor variations in secondary aspects. Within this context, it appears that the first-arrangement developed around three main copies. By contrast, the second-arrangement copies are more standardized. The earliest dated manuscript in this arrangement is from 1106/1694. However, several undated manuscripts, which contain records of compilation and arrangement transferred from the original copy, deserve particular attention, as they may represent some of the earliest examples of this second-arrangement. Among these, The Tevfik Efendi copy dated 1115/1704 is especially noteworthy due to its extensive network of influence and its role as one of the primary sources for the printed edition. The second-arrangement copies were produced by revising the fatwās from the first-arrangement, incorporating additions and omissions, and restructuring the fatwās under subheadings -often doubling their number. As a result, the two arrangements differ significantly in appearance, at times to the extent that they seem like entirely separate collections. Given that each arrangement contains fatwās absent from the other, it is crucial for studies on Fatāwā Ali Efendi to consider both arrangements to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the text.
Fetvahâne nezdinde muteber kabul edilen fetva mecmuaları arasında önemli bir yere sahip olan Fetâvâ-yı Ali Efendi, Şeyhülislâm Çatalcalı Ali Efendi’nin hayatında cem ve tertip edilmiştir. Mecmuanın cem ve tertip sürecine ilişkin kapalı kalmış noktalar fetva literatüründe bazı aidiyet hatalarına yol açmıştır. Özellikle mecmuanın matbu nüshalarından farklı tertipte olan kimi nüshaları müstakil eser zannedilip başka müftülere atfedilmiştir. Fetâvâ-yı Ali Efendi’nin cem ve tertip sürecine odaklanan bu makale, erken tarihli nüshaları mehir babı örneğinde karşılaştırmakta ve nüshaların temelde iki ayrı tertip etrafında geliştiklerini gösteren kanıtlar sunmaktadır. Mecmuanın cem ve tertip sürecinde iki ismin ön plana çıktığı görülmektedir. Bunlar Ali Efendi’nin ilk şeyhülislâmlık yıllarında fetva emini olan Kerebneşî Mustafa Efendi ve öğrencisi Gelibolulu Mahmud Efendi’dir. Fetvahâne’de müsevvit olarak göreve başlayan Mahmud Efendi hocasının teşviki ve yönlendirmesiyle Ali Efendi’nin fetvalarını belli bir tertibe göre derlemeye başlamış ve görevini hocası eminlikten ayrıldıktan sonra da sürdürmüştür. Bu süreçte Fetâvâ-yı Ali Efendi’nin ilk nüshalarının ortaya çıktığı anlaşılmaktadır. Makalede ilk nüshaların ve sonraki kopyalarının tertibi “birinci/eski” olarak nitelenmiştir. Zaman içinde genel başlıklar altında birikmeye devam eden fetvalar arandığında bulunamaz hâle gelince Mahmud Efendi mecmuayı yeniden tertip etmiştir. Yeni tertibin hâkim olduğu bazı nüshalarda “tertîb-i sânî” ve “tertîb-i cedîd” kayıtları bulunmaktadır. İkinci/yeni tertip nüshalar birinci/eski tertip nüshalardaki fetvaların gözden geçirilmesi ve bazı ekleme-çıkarmalarla birlikte en az iki kat artırılan alt başlıklar altında yeniden dizilmesiyle meydana getirilmiştir. Neticede iki tertip arasında farklı mecmualar oldukları izlenimi verecek derecede görünüm farklılıkları ortaya çıkmıştır. Fetâvâ-yı Ali Efendi’nin derlenme sürecinin bu şekilde iki ayrı tertip etrafında ortaya çıkan ve gelişen nüshalarla ilişkilendirilmesi, nüshalarının doğru şekilde sınıflandırılması ve müellif-aidiyet ilişkilerinin daha sağlam temellere oturtulması bakımından önemlidir.
| Primary Language | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Islamic Law |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | June 30, 2025 |
| Submission Date | March 27, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | June 3, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 68 Issue: 68 |
International Journal of Theological and Islamic Studies
International Journal of Theological and Islamic Studies is an open access journal
Click for Open Access Policy