A study on seikh al-İslam Saʻdi Çelebi's (D. 1539)yapışdırma Fatwa collections

This thesis examines two fatwa collections from Saʻdi Celebi (d. 1539). Saʻdi Celebi (Sadullah Saʻdi Effendi) served as sheikh al-Islam between the years 1534 and 1539 during the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent. These types of collections are yapışdırma (yapishtirma) comprised from original fatwas. Whereas other yapışdırma collections gather fatwas from multiple sheikh al-Islams, these two collections are only comprised from Saʻdi Celebi's fatwas. The fatwa collections have been examined from two aspects. Firstly, the elements of Saʻdi Celebi's original fatwas have been analysed in respect to diplomacy of fatwas. The results of this analysis indicated the first half of the 16th century to have had specialized fatwa officials and the fatwa bureaucracy to have been quite busy. Furthermore, the function of the fatwa collections during the 16th century was questioned in terms of how and why the fatwa collections had been compiled and who read them. When considering the fundamental elements of the fatwas as well as the notes made by those who've read the collections, the purpose of compiling these collections has been indicated to possibly have been for creating a source that kaza and ifta officials could benefit from in practice. Keywords: Sheikh al-Islam Saʻdi Celebi, Fatwa, Fatwa collections, Yapışdırma fatwa collections, Fatwa bureaucracy, Fatwa diplomacy, Ottoman law, Ottoman manuscripts, 16th century.