Birgivī (Birgilī) Meḥmed Efendī (929–81/1523–73) was one of the Ottoman scholars who was known with his works and opinions both during his period and after his death. In addition to his character and scholarly personality, his books on Arabic grammar, especially ʿAwāmil and Iẓhār, al-Ṭarīqa al-Muḥammadiyya on morality and Islamic mysticism, and his works on Islamic law gained him a good reputation. His most notable side was that he prioritized religious, moral and social issues of this time and could boldly state his opinions and criticism over these issues. It is accepted that Birgivī is Ḥanafī in terms of fiqh and is Māturīdī in terms of ʿaqidah. In this assertion, Birgivī’s denominational identity has been discussed within the context of discursive topics in the book named al-Ṭarīqa al-Muḥammadiyyaand the book named Dāmigha al-mubtadiīʾn, which was published in response to the former. Kalāmī opinions put forward and argued in al-Ṭarīqa al-Muḥammadiyya and Dāmigha al-Mubtadiīʾnare compatible with the fundamental standpoints of Māturīdīyya. In this regard, it can be said that he adopted the Māturīdī religious approach. The scholarly sources that he utilized reveal his relationship with Ḥanafī-Māturīdī scholars. It is known that he addressed to Māturīdī theologian, Abū Isḥāq al-Ṣaffār al-Bukhārī (d. 534/1139) and to his work, Talkhīṣ al-adilla li-qawāʿid al-tawḥīdby referring him as “Shaykh al-Imām al-Zāhid Hujjat al-Ḥaqq wa al-dīn Ibrāhīm b. Ismāīl al-Ṣaffār”. The chapter of al-Ṭarīqa al-Muḥammadiyya, in which he pointed out that the views of some sects, such as Qadarriya, Kaysāniyya, Rāfiẓīs, Khawārij, Yazīdīs, Najjāriyya are acts of blasphemy, tally with the relevant chapter in Talkhīṣ al-adilla. Accordingly, it has been found out that one of the sources of Birgivī on Māturīdī discourse was Talkhīṣ al-adilla. However, the fact that he considered ʿIlm al-Kalām (Islamic Theology) among the disciplines that were forbidden in his disciplinary classification as “al-Maʾmūr biha(what is ordered)”, “Manhiyy ʿanha(what is forbidden)”, and “Mandūb ileyhā (whichbring reward to the doer but lead not to punishment when omitted)” in al-Ṭarīqa al-Muḥammadiyya, and the fact that he claimed any redundant study on these disciplines were forbidden does not comply with the Māturīdī understanding. His opinion towards this discourse is an understanding voiced byBukhārāḤanafīs and differs from the religious understanding of SamarqandḤanafīs, Māturīdīs led by Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī (d. 333/944). Therefore, defining the religious understanding of Birgivī as Salafī or Māturīdī is far from comprehensively explaining the situation. This paper seeks to evidence the argument that Birgivī did not adopt Salafī Understanding but he adopted BukhārāḤanafīs, alias Faqīh Ḥanafīs(Jurist Hanafīs), which remains far from Islamic Theology, rather than Mutakallim Ḥanafīs(Theologian Hanafīs), which is represented by Māturīdīs.

Demir, Abdullah. "İmam Birgivî Selefî mi yoksa Mâtürîdî mi?". Balıkesirli Bir İslam Âlimi İmam Birgivî Ed. Mehmet Bayyiğit v.dğr. 2: 286-315. Balıkesir: Balıkesir Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2019.