Sünnî Maḳâlât Eserlerinde Kerrâmiyye’nin Tasnifi Meselesi
The Classification Problem of Karrâmiyya in Sunnî Maqâlât Works
Yazar: Alimoğlu Sürmeli, Zeynep
Dergi: e-Makalat Mezhep Araştırmaları Dergisi, Vol. 12 No. 2, 2019
Anahtar kelimeler: Religious Studies ; Din Araştırmaları ; Karrâmiyya,Khorasan,Firaq Literature,Ibn al-Haytham,Murji’ah,Mucassimah-Mushabbihah ; Kerrâmiyye,Horasan,Fırak edebiyatı,İbn Heyṣem,Mürcie,Mücessime-Müşebbihe

Horasan bölgesinde faaliyetlerini yoğunlaştırmış olan Kerrâmiyye,hicrî üçüncü asırdan altıncı asra kadar yaklaşık üç asır boyunca dinî, siyasîve sosyal anlamda bölgeyi etkilemiştir. Başlangıçta kelamî görüşlerinden ziyadeönde gelen Kerrâmî âlimlerin zâhidâne yaşayışları ile pek çok taraftar edinenKerrâmiyye, Muhammed b. Heyṣem’in(IV/X. asrın sonları ile V/XI. asrın başları) Kerrâmiyye’nin görüşlerine getirmiş olduğu yorumlar ile farklı bir boyutkazanmıştır. İbn Heyṣem’denönce Kerrâmiyye’nin müstakil bir fırka muamelesi görmesine nedenolabilecek teolojik derinlikten mahrum olduğu gerçeği dikkate alındığında süreçle beraber yaşanandönüşümlerin fırak edebiyatına yansımalarının olup olmadığı çalışmamızaçısından önem arz etmektedir. Kerrâmiyye, Allah ve sıfatlarına getirmiş olduğuyorum ve iman anlayışı sebebiyle, Maḳālât eserlerinde çoğunlukla Müşebbihe-Mücessime kategorisindeveya Mürcie’nin bir alt kolu olarak ele alınmıştır. Bu sınıflandırma biçimiüzerinde Kerrâmiyye’nin kendi görüşlerinin yanı sıra maḳālât müelliflerininmezhebi aidiyetleri ve görüşlerinin nasıl bir etki yaratmış olduğu sorusu daönemsediğimiz bir husustur. Bu çalışmada, doğuş, yükseliş ve etkinliğinikaybediş evrelerini kapsayan dönemlerde, Kerrâmiyye’nin farklı dinî-toplumsalgruplar tarafından hangi kategoride ele alındığı ve bu kategorizasyonu besleyensebepler tarihi süreç takip edilerek irdelenmeye çalışılacaktır.

Karrâmiyya,which intensified its activities in the region of Khorasan, from hijrî thirdcentury to sixth century affected the region for almost three centuries in thereligious, political, and social sense. Karrâmiyya, which gained a lot ofsupporters via the ascetic lives of Karrâmiyyan scholars rather than itstheological views at the beginning, got a new dimension with Mohammad b.al-Haytham’s (the end of the IV/X. century and the beginning of the V/XI.century) interpretations about the views of Karrâmiyya. When the fact thatKerrâmiyya had lacked the theological depth that could cause it to be treatedas a separate sect before Ibn al-Haytham is considered, whether the changesoccurring in time have reflections on firaq literature or not is important forthis study. Because of its interpretation of Allah and His divine attributionsand its understanding of faith, Karrâmiyya is usually regarded in the categoryof Mucassimah-Mushabbihah or as a branch of Murji’ah in the works ofMaqâlât. The question of what kind of effect the sectarian belonging and viewsof maqâlât authors as well as Karrâmiyya’s own views have on this kindclassification is another point we mind. In this study, under which categoryKarrâmiyya has been handled by different religious-social groups during theperiods comprising the phases of its appearance, rise and losing its efficiencyand the reasons fostering this categorization will be tried to beexamined by following the historical process.          SummaryA sect active in the regions of Khorasan and Transoxania from h. 4thto 6th century, Karrâmiyya got supporters due to the ascetic livingof certain Karrâmî figures rather than its theological views. Karrâmiyya got adifferent dimension with Mohammad b. Hayṣam’s (towards the end of IV/Xcenturies and at the beginning of V/XI centuries) interpretations about theviews of Karrâmiyya. Except for Abu al-Mûtî‘ Makhul al-Nasafi’s el-Lu’lu’iyyâtfi’l-Mewâ‘ız, Ibn Karrâm and Karrâmiyyaare first mentioned through the mid IV/X century. This period coincides withthe time when Ibn Haysam forms the theological basis of the sect. Besides, itis not possible to find a common attitude about the categorization ofKarrâmiyya within maqâlât tradition. The views of Karrâmiyya onAnthropomorphism and Anthropopathism are brought into question by thesupporters of Hadith; and Karrâmiyya is referred as a Murciah sect because ofits approach to the problem of faith, which is the determinant of the oppositionbetween the two groups. When we consider the fact that the supporters of theHadith are referred as Hashawiyya within Islamic thought because of theirliteral approach to nass, and that they are sometimes put under the title of Mucassimah-Mushabbihah, the reason why the supporters of Hadith donot bring forward the views of Karrâmiyya on Anthropomorphism andAnthropopathism finds meaning. When the ongoing struggles between thesupporters of Hadith and Murji’ah are considered, Karrâmiyya seems to get itsshare from the struggle between the two sects due to its being from Murji’ahorigin. Karrâmiyya has been explicitly and latently accused of invalidating thedeeds and accepting the Christians and Jews as deserving the heaven by thesupporters of Hadith because of their understanding of faith. In addition tothese accusations, the Karramîs have been accused of making up hadith and havebeen described as an un-Islamic element. Their being defined as a hereticelement having appeared within Islam has led to some certain limitations withthe social relations with the Karramîs. The fact that the literature of thesupporters of Hadith includes examples that question even the legitimacy ofgreeting the Karramîs and performing salaat behind them is crucial to show thedimensions of the opposition between the two sects.      While the supporters of Hadith study the Karramîs within Murji’ah asthey take the Karramîs’ understanding of faith to the centre, the Mâturîdîsbase their criticism on the views of the Karramîs on Allah and His attributesand usually study Karrâmiyya within Mucessim-Musebbih. The criticism ofKarrâmiyya in Hanafi circles seems to shape around either within the frame ofkesb and faith, as it is with Hakîm es-Semerkandî, or within the frame of  anthropomorphism and faith, as it is withAbu’l- Mu‘în an-Nasafi. Even though Karrâmiyya has been criticized due to itsunderstanding of faith, these criticisms have been overshadowed by thecriticisms directed about the attributes of Allah. Thus, Karrâmiyya has been asect which is evaluated independently from Murji’ah and rather associated withMucassimah- Mushabbihah. The information given about Karrâmiyya inHanafi-Mâturîdî tradition during the period when Karrâmiyya was weak islimited. Yet, the information about it increased when it became strong.Besides, the amount of criticism about Karrâmiyya has increased with its losingthe political support behind it and its dominance in the region; and theinformation given in Hanafi-Mâturîdî tradition has decreased as it inclined tofade.As to the dimension of the opposition between the Ash‘arîs and Karramîs,it has been different from other traditions. The opposition between the twosects has reflected to the sources within the frame of the debates between IbnFûrak, Abdulḳâhir al-Baghdâdî, Abu’l-Muzaffar al-Isfarâyînî and Fakhral-Dîn al-Râzî and the leading Karramîpersonalities. When the criticism of Ibn Fûrek and Isfarâyînî, who were thecontemporaries of the leading Karramî personalities, about Karrâmiyya is considered, it is seen thatIbn Fûrak focuses on the issue of faith and does not mention the views referredto Karrâmiyya about Allah and His attributes. The fact that Ibn Hayṣam, aKarramî theologian, absolutely rejects the views that cause Karrâmiyya to bementioned among the Tashbih groups can be said to be determinant on thesubject. The criticism of Karrâmiyya in the Ash‘arî  tradition seems to gain a different dimensionwith Baghdâdâ. Baghdâdî practised his criticism of Karrâmiyya over Ibn Karrâm’sAẕâbu’l-Ḳabr and seriously affected theauthors after him on the issue.We can say that the criticism of Karrâmiyya about Allah and His attributes inAsh‘arî  tradition begins with Baghdâdî.The fact that Karrâmiyya had lost the political support in this period was afactor for the increasing dose of criticism. Beginning with h. 5thcentury, there has been a blackening operation about Karrâmiyya withinAsh‘arî  tradition. Karrâmiyya’s views onAllah’s actual attributes, which had not become an issue before Baghdâdî, beganto come to the fore in the criticisms directed to Karrâmiyya by the leadingAsh‘arî figures with Karrâmiyya’s losing its political and social power.In this study, we have tried to present the categorization of Karrâmiyyaby each opposing group with their own internal dynamics and by subjecting it toa multi-directional evaluation, considering the fact that the actuality ofKarrâmiyya and the perception of Karrâmiyya have not been seriouslydistinguished from each other in the studies carried out about the subject thusfar. In this context, we can say that Karrâmiyya has been able to maintain anapproach, which is different from that of takfiri discourse, together with theinterpretation it brings to the issue of faith despite the fact that itsunderstanding of faith has been mispresented and distorted by the opposinggroups. Furthermore, Karrâmiyya has taken its place within the Islamic thoughtby providing an analytic interpretation within the frame of the conditions ofthe time to the issue of imamate, which has not usually been mentioned by theopposing groups and which has caused separation among the Muslims due to itsidea of accepting the imamates of two different imams in the same period aslegitimate.