Giritli Sırrı Pasha's criticism of the People of the Book

Throughout history, various belief systems have emerged on Earth. Some of them are divine religions, while others belong to non-divine beliefs. Divine religions exist with the purpose of regulating human life through prophets sent by Allah, and the scriptures of these religions are considered divine sources. The communities mentioned as People of the Book in the Qur'an are presented as believers in monotheism. Judaism, one of these communities, is the first divine religion. The reason for this belief falling into the category of People of the Book is the giving of the Torah and Psalms to them. Christianity, the second monotheistic religion, is considered People of the Book because of the Gospel. Sırrı Pasha is a significant thinker with extensive knowledge, having engaged in comprehensive studies on religions. Having lived in the Ottoman Empire and deepened his understanding in various disciplines, Sırrı Pasha's works reflect the intellectual richness of his era. In this context, he particularly focused on Judaism and Christianity, referred to as People of the Book, providing in-depth information about the belief systems and practices of these communities. Sırrı Pasha's works contribute significantly to our understanding of Islam's stance towards other religions. His critiques, especially those directed towards the People of the Book—Jews and Christians, offer insights for comparing and comprehending different belief systems. In summary, Sırrı Pasha's works serve as valuable resources for understanding the intellectual landscape of his time and shed light on the interactions between Islam and other religions, especially Judaism and Christianity. The author criticizes the Jews for distorting their religion and introducing polytheism into their beliefs, while also addressing the concept of the Promised Land. Due to considering themselves a special nation, the Jews have altered their beliefs towards nationalization. Specifically, their belief in having a specific land, making a covenant with God exclusively, and viewing prophecy as the exclusive privilege of the Jews are elements that support this understanding of a special nation. The author, being closely intertwined with society, has contemplated the influence of religions on the public and has addressed his works in this context. His discussions on Christianity serve as a prime example of this. Due to his service in areas with a significant Christian population, Sırrı Pasha has authored a specific work for them, critiquing the fundamental beliefs of Christians. His most significant criticism towards Christians is directed at them introducing polytheism into the belief in the oneness of God. The basic principle of Christianity, initially adhering to monotheism but later adopting a trinitarian understanding, is the divinity and sonship of Jesus Christ. Despite initially having a belief system based on monotheistic principles, Christians started incorporating elements of polytheism into their beliefs with the acceptance of Jesus Christ's divinity over time. Views on the nature of Jesus Christ, along with the attributes attributed to the apostles, have been controversial topics throughout history. Although the Qur'an mentions that a book was given to Christians, they believe in twenty-seven books, including the four Gospels. However, the writing and determination of these works, containing numerous contradictions, are a subject filled with doubts. Particularly, the Gospels, which initially focused on monotheistic principles and emphasized the humanity and prophethood of Jesus, being considered apocryphal, is one of the greatest doubts in this regard. Despite claiming to adhere to monotheism, Christians have not accepted the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad. However, there is comprehensive information in the Gospels about Jesus foretelling the coming of Prophet Muhammad, and the Qur'an includes verses on this matter. Therefore, Christians not acknowledging the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad is not a correct stance. Keywords: People of the Book, Sırrı Pasha, Judaism, Christianity, Promised Land, Paul, Prophethood, The Noble Quran, Bible, Torah, Psalms.