An example of 'Arâisü'l-Kur'ân' in the exegesis of Quranic narratives

Vânî Mehmed Efendi is a significant figure among Ottoman scholars who lived in the 17th century. His full name is Sheikh es-Seyyid Muhammed b. Bistam b. Halil al-Hüseynî. Due to his origin from Van, he is known as el-Vânî, and due to his birthplace, he is also referred to as el-Hûşâbî. Although the exact date of his birth is unknown, he mentions in his works that he was born in the village of Hoşab in Van and that he is a seyyid. He became an orphan at a very young age. Until he reached maturity, he remained under the care of his grandmother and was enrolled in a medrese (religious school) in Van under her guidance. During his medrese education, he lost his grandmother as well and decided to embark on a journey of knowledge, leaving Van for Tebriz, Karabağ, and Gence. Vâni Efendi spent about ten years in Karabağ, where he studied under Karabâğî Nurettin Efendi. He was a versatile Ottoman scholar, renowned for his works in various fields such as Tafsir (Quranic exegesis) and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). After completing his education in Karabağ, he moved to Erzurum, where his scholarly personality and character impressed Grand Vizier Fâzıl Ahmed Paşa, leading to a strong friendship. Following his acquaintance with Grand Vizier Fâzıl Ahmed Paşa, his simple life transformed, and his journey to fame began, reaching even the palace. He adorned these years of fame with his authored works, guiding both the state officials and the public with his sermons and advice throughout his life. While this fame benefited him in many ways, it also placed him at the center of the problems and conflicts of his era. Due to his involvement in convincing the sultan for the Second Vienna Campaign, he was exiled to Kestel, where he passed away. Vânî Efendi, who left behind numerous valuable works and charitable contributions, was buried in the courtyard of the mosque he built in Bursa Kestel. With this study, we aim to narrate Vânî Efendi's life, outline the era in which he lived, and subsequently understand the impact of the events, thoughts, and intellectual life of his time. Our primary goal is to introduce Vânî Efendi's work 'Arâisü'l-Kur'ân and Nefâisü'l-Furkan' and 'Ferâdîsü'l-Cinân,' and to comprehensively analyze these works. This work compiles and interprets the Quranic narratives in a chronological manner, potentially serving as an important reference book in the field. Stored on library shelves in numerous manuscript copies, this work waits to be explored. Our study provides a comprehensive insight into Vânî Efendi's life, scholarly persona, and especially 'Arâisü'l-Kur'ân.' We believe that our work will contribute to the thorough exploration of Vânî Efendi's multifaceted life and works. Keywords: Vânî Mehmed Efendi, Ottoman, Van, Arâisü'l-Kur'ân, Tafsir