The fiqh personality of Âtıf Efendi from İskilip (In the context of his articles)

Âtıf Efendi is a scholar who lived in the most depressed periods of the Ottoman Empire. In his works, he touched on the problems of the state and society. He made suggestions that would save the society from the situation it was in and move it forward, and defended the Islamist approach in his suggestions. Âtıf Efendi wrote articles raising awareness of the people about protecting their state and being united. He received a commendation for the work named "Nazar-ı Şerîatte Kuvve-i Berriyye and Bahriyye's Ehemmiyet ve Vücûbu", which he wrote for the benefit of the Navy Society. Âtıf Efendi, who took part in the improvement studies of madrasahs, explained the reasons for the dullness in the world of science and offered solutions. He stated that as long as the knowledge is not given the necessary value, the society will not be able to move forward and will be subject to regression. Âtıf Efendi struggled against approaches that saw Islam as an obstacle to civilization and wrote scientific articles on this subject in newspapers and magazines. Atıf Efendi's aim is to introduce Islam correctly and to ensure that it is understood correctly. According to him, clinging to Islam is the cause of rise and progress, and moving away from Islam is the cause of regression and collapse. The issues that Âtıf Efendi focused on are as follows: Islam is a religion that can meet the needs of every period. Ijtihad is one of the elements that make Islam universal and dynamic. Therefore, the door of ijtihad is open and will never be closed. The understanding of ijtihad should be brought into dynamism. The revival of ijtihad will prevent the wrong perception of Islam in the society and will ensure that Islam is understood correctly. Âtıf Efendi underlines the need to train mujtahids who are competent in ijtihad. According to him, the Qur'an is a resource that can provide sufficient data for scholars in all kinds of arrangements. Considering the needs of the time, ijdihat should be applied in the constitutional studies and legal regulations to be arranged. Key Concepts: Ijtihad, Imitation, Islam, Civilization, Corruption