Hakâiku’t-tefsîr Bağlamında İlk Sûfîlerin Cihad ve Kıtal Ayetlerine Yaklaşımları
The First Sūfīs’ Approaches to Jihad and Qital Verses in the Context of Hakāik al-tafsīr

Summary/Abstract: This study deals with the first sūfīs’ approaches to jihad and qital verses through the work entitled Hakāik al-tafsīr of al-Sulamî (d. 412/1021), who is considered the first of the sūfī commentators whose systematic tafsîr has survived to present day. The aim of our study is to reveal what the first sūfīs’ understanding of jihad was through the approach of jihād - qitāl verses in the tafsir of al-Sulamī, one of the most important representatives of the Ishari tafsir tradition. The reasons why we deal with this study through Hakāik al-tafsīr are as follows: In the field of genuine Ishari tafsir, it is accepted as the first perfect tafsir that included the complete interpretation of the Qur'an and reached us. al-Sulamī formed his tafsīr in an encyclopaedic style by conveying the views of sūfīs who lived until his time. The tafsīr directly reflects the view of the first sūfīs towards jihād as it conveys the views of the previous sūfīs rather than al-Sulamī's own opinion. In the study, firstly, the difference between jihād and qitāl was revealed based on the Quran. Then, the first Sūfīs’ comments on the verses were examined in detail by classifying the verses of jihād and qitāl chronologically under separate titles. The views of the first sūfīs were tried to be confirmed from their own works, which have reached the present day. As a result, the approach of the first sūfīs to jihād and qital verses was to jihād against the nafs rather than jihād with the apparent enemy. Their perception of jihād centered on jihād with the soul is based on the saying “You turned from the small jihād to the big jihād” attributed to the Prophet rather than the verses. While the first sūfīs often interpreted the verses of jihād and qitāl in the context of jihad with the nafs, they evaluated the verse separately from its in-text and historical context., However, they also accepted jihād against the apparent enemy, which they called minor jihād.

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