Scientific Tafsīr Approach in Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen's Tafsīr in Terms of Technology Signs

Abstract

Summary Scientific tafsīr; It is the name given to the Tafsīr approach that advocates interpreting the verses of the Qurʾān by making use of scientific data and technological developments and uses it effectively in the interpretation of the Qurʾān. Although the traces of this understanding, which is based on the assumption that the Qurʾān points to the developments that emerged with the advancement of science and technique, can be traced back to the Abbasid period, its real prevalence was in the 19th century, in the modern period. Some Muslim scholars and thinkers, who grew up in a climate dominated by the idea that people will turn away from religions thanks to the guidance of reason and science, have tried to demonstrate that the Qurʾān does not contradict science through scientific Tafsīr. In this paper, it will be tried to put forward the approach to scientific Tafsīr in the Tafsīr of Omar Nasuhi Bilmen, a scholar of fiqh and Tafsīr who grew up in Turkey, named Turkish Translation of the Glorious Qurʾān and its Tafsīr. However, in this paper, I will not dwell on the examples in which Bilmen made use of scientific data in the explanation of the kevnî verses. Instead, in order to clarify his stance on this issue, I have considered it appropriate to consider some verses from the Qurʾān in which he finds signs of technological developments in his commentary. Based on the method advocated by al-Shatibi in the classical period, some scholars and thinkers in the modern period stated that any meaning unfamiliar to the first interlocutors could not be the purpose of the Qurʾān; They also argued that it would not be correct to interpret the fixed truths in the Qurʾān with these constantly changing scientific data, and they opposed scientific Tafsīr. Today, those who defend scientific Tafsīr are generally labeled as “modernist thinkers” who are influenced by the spirit of the period. However, this approach reflects a generalist attitude that has not been sufficiently considered. Because while many names who are known for their modernist views oppose scientific Tafsīr, many scholars such as Bilmen, who is considered to be in the line of traditional ulama, applied scientific Tafsīr methods. This paper is important in terms of showing that only "modernist" names do not adopt scientific Tafsīr. The aim of this paper is to determine both Bilmen’s approach to scientific Tafsīr and to correct the generalist view in this subject. In this paper, a qualitative analysis was made in Bilmen’s Tafsīr, and verses with high representative power were selected for our subject and his approach to the subject was tried to be determined based on his comments. In this context, it was determined that he found signs for electricity in the Qurʾān in al-Nūr 24/35, and for future transportation vehicles such as trains, automobiles, bicycles and airplanes in al-Naḥl 16/8. Again, he says in the Tafsīr of Hūd 11/40 that the possibility of Noah’s ship being a steamship is not far. Again, in his interpretation of the verse of al-Aՙrâf 7/44, he explained the ability of the people of Paradise and Hell to speak from afar, with the sound transmission technology. As a result, it has been seen that Bilmen accepts that the Qurʾān as a miracle informs some scientific and technological developments before science discovers it, and even tries to rationalize some mutashabih issues based on the developments in technology.