The Kurd Efendi and the Translatıon of the Book of al-Viḳāye

Abstract

In our one thousand and four hundred years old fiqh tradition, various schools of fiqh, called sects, have emerged. The teachings and basic views of these schools were transferred to the next generations in concise works in the classical period, and later in short and concise works called mutûn. One of the most important texts dealing with the für fiqh of the Hanafi school is the work called Vikâye. Due to the importance of this work, many studies such as tens of commentaries, abridgements, quotes and translations have been made. In addition to its translation into different languages, this work was also translated into Turkish by a few different people, such as Devletoğlu and Şemsi Ahmet Paşa Kurd Efendi, during the Ottoman period. Of these, the entire text is the translation of Kurt Efendi. This translation was made in prose and compared to other translations, it is the most appropriate translation. Most of the copies of the translation are in Turkey, others in different countries such as Egypt, Bosnia and Germany. Some of these copies are complete and some are naqis. Some copies are intertwined with other works as magazines. Some of the copies are anonymous. Although they are attributed to different people like Taşköprüzade in one copy, they do not reflect the truth. As a result of comparison and examination, these references and anonymous copies are clearly revealed to belong to Kurd Efendi. Kurd Efendi has a sufi personality and is a Halveti sheikh. We understand his scientific competence from the works he wrote and translated. A remarkable point is that he combined a Sufi personality with a scholarly personality. Because he has clearly revealed the fact that knowledge is a must for a sound leech. This is one of the aspects that makes the work worth examining. While the work was being translated, the translator added his own considerations. He sometimes translates a term explanation, different views on the issue, differences in Turkish customs, ambiguities in the text, and making more explanations where necessary. In this respect, it turns out that it is an annotation rather than a translation, as it is written as a name in some copies. In this context, we have written this article in order to bring the manuscript to light and to be instrumental in its further publication.