Evidence of God's existence in İsmail Hakkı Bursevî's commentary of Rûh al-Bayân

The question of God's existence and unity is one of humanity's most fundamental metaphysical pursuits. The primary aim of the science of Kalam (Islamic theology) is to seek answers to this inquiry and to offer rational and acceptable explanations to people. The science of Sufism, on the other hand, seeks to enable a Muslim to draw closer to their Lord by recognizing Him and to direct their desires away from the ego and toward the will of God. Both disciplines share the common goal of strengthening the bond between the servant and the Creator. This thesis aims to examine the intersection of Kalam and Sufism concerning the question of God's existence. The main source of this study is the Tafsîr Rûḥ al-Bayân, authored by Ismail Ḥakkı al-Bursevî, a prominent 17th-century Sufi and a sheikh of the Ḥakkî branch of the Celvetiyya order. While serving as an imam in Bursa, he composed this tafsir during his sermons. Supported by traditional reports, the work is a symbolic, esoteric tafsīr that heavily employs Sufi terminology. Although Bursevî inclines toward an esoteric perspective, he also utilizes reason and logic in theological matters. He argues that reason is a valid method of acquiring knowledge but also asserts that inspiration (ilhâm)—a method beyond the conventional Kalam framework—is a legitimate source of knowledge, emphasizing both divinely granted (wahbî) and acquired (kasbî) forms of knowledge. When the question of God's existence is examined systematically, it becomes evident that Burūsawī approaches the issue through specific key concepts. The concepts of tawḥîd (divine unity), maʿrifa (gnosis), and baṣīra (spiritual insight) are central to his approach. He explains these concepts based on the relationship between the servant and God. He also highlights the importance of God's names and attributes as mentioned in the Qur'an in understanding divine existence, emphasizing that in order to know a being, one must also understand its characteristics. In Rûḥ al-Bayân, when the proofs of God's existence are analyzed through a Kalâm-based method, they can be categorized under the following titles: ḥudūth (origination), imkān (possibility), the unmoved mover, the perfect being, purpose and order, religious experience, human nature (fiṭra) a morality. Among these, Bursevî's unique interpretation of the religious experience stands out. He discusses this proof through the concepts of maʿrifatullāh (knowledge of God), sayr u sulûk (spiritual journey), and sâlik (spiritual seeker), considering it a form of evidence accessible only to individuals who have attained the final stage of Sufi progression—the station of the perfect human (insân al-kâmil). In conclusion, this thesis aims to shed light on Ismâil Ḥakki Bursevî's unique interpretations of the proofs of God's existence through his work Rūḥ al-Bayān and to provide a new perspective to this timeless metaphysical pursuit by examining it through a theological lens.