The Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya's understanding of sufism in his work named al-Madâric al-Sâlikîn

This thesis study has examined the sufi understanding and sufistic views of Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya (d.751 – 1350) by analyzing al-Madâric al-sâlikin being written as a commentary to Herevî's al-Manâzil al-Sâirîn and containing sufistic levels. The sufistic perspective of Ibn Qayyim plays a significant role in terms of revealing the points where he agrees and disagrees with the Sufis and where he stands. The reason is that Ibn Qayyim is one of the names in classical or contemporary approaches that argue to have no place in Islamic Sufism. In this context, we tried to clarify whether Ibn Qayyim is against the Sufism and to what extent he agrees with the Sufis and to what extent he differs from them in a comparative way with other classical sufistic authors lived in the pre-Gazali era. In the first section of the study, eight subjects that are science, talent, wisdom, prudence, dream, perception, parapsychology and observation under the title of "Sufism as a Science of Religion and the Basic Concepts of Sufism" have been examined. The second section titled "Sufic States and Levels according to Ibn Qayyim" has been analyzed with his views on ascetism, pledge, abstinence and jihad. The third section, "Ibn Qayyim and Controversial Parts of Sufism" has been spared to examine the criticized parts of Sufism, such as oneness, fanâ-bakâ, cem-fark, sekr-sahv, samâ' and fütüvvet. As a result, although Ibn Qayyim has different views from the sufic authors lived in the pre-Gazzâlî era, it is not possible to derive an "anti-Sufism" of Ibn Qayyim. It is seen that Ibn Qayyim has developed a critical and constructive language and tried to "understand" Sufism rather than refusing it completely.