K̲hōd̲j̲ā-Zāde's understanding of divinity (in the context of tahāfut al-falāsifa)

This study aims to examine the intellectual world, scholarly personality, and particularly the conception of God of K̲h̲ōd̲j̲ā-Zāde Musliḥ al-Dīn Afandī, one of the significant figures in the Ottoman intellectual tradition. Understanding the interaction between the disciplines of theology and philosophy within the Ottoman madrasa tradition is of great importance in evaluating the transformation of Islamic theology in Ottoman thought through K̲hōd̲j̲ā-Zāde's works. In this context, the methodology he presented in his works, as well as his interpretations of the relationship between philosophy and theology, provide significant contributions to our understanding of the intellectual structure of the period. Additionally, Hocazâde's works reveal how religious and philosophical sciences were intertwined within Ottoman thought. This thesis initially examines K̲hōd̲j̲ā-Zāde's place within the Ottoman intellectual tradition through his life, scholarly personality, and works, and then delves deeply into his conception of God, understanding of being, and divine attributes. The study concludes with a discussion of the critiques directed at K̲hōd̲j̲ā-Zāde's understanding of divinity. In a period when the boundaries between theology and philosophy were blurred, the views represented by K̲hōd̲j̲ā-Zāde's help us understand the balance between reason and revelation in Ottoman thought. His intellectual engagement with significant figures such as Al-Ghazālī and Ibn Rushd holds great importance in understanding the intellectual atmosphere of his time. This study carefully analyzes the core arguments of his works and evaluates his place and impact within the tradition of Islamic theology. Moreover, K̲hōd̲j̲ā-Zāde's written works remained important sources in the Ottoman madrasa curriculum for many years and were later su&Plemented by commentaries and glosses by subsequent scholars. In this context, it can be stated that his ideas not only influenced his own time but also continued to have an impact in later centuries. Since K̲hōd̲j̲ā-Zāde presents a conception shaped at the intersection of theology and philosophy, this study aims to offer a more comprehensive perspective by evaluating his views within their historical context. Keywords: Divinity, Necessary Being, K̲hōd̲j̲ā-Zāde, Incoherence, Essence-attribute-act.