Legal issues and solutions regarding Imams in the 16th century Ottoman fatwas

This thesis, titled "Legal Issues and Solutions Regarding Imams in the 16th Century Ottoman Fatwas", examines the duties, authority, and responsibilities of imams in relation to leadership, as well as their role and significance in state and societal life based on the compilations of fatwa collections. The qualifications required for an imam and the criteria for competence in the position of imamate have been explained by drawing upon the opinions of various schools of thought, highlighting how the rulings are interpreted based on circumstances and conditions. Fatwas are important sources that provide guidance about the duties, responsibilities and social positions of imams. In the research, around two hundred fatwas related to the topic were identified, especially from the chief jurists of the 16th century, namely Ibn Kemal (d. 940/1534) and Ebussuûd Efendi (d. 982/1574) An attempt has been made to elucidate the situations of imams concerning leadership and to highlight the religious, legal, political, and economic issues they faced. The errors, shortcomings, and deficiencies arising from the fact that imams are human beings, including themselves, their duties, and the individuals they interact with, have been reflected in the fatwas. These fatwas are classified within themselves and they are divided into categories such as worship, merit, family, punishment, trade, foundation, Sufism, etc. The issue of imam and imamate was tried to be understood by evaluating their attitudes towards their fields. Shaykh al-Islams generally responded to fatwas according to the Hanafi sect, but when faced with different situations, they preferred the opinion in accordance with other sects and interests.