References to the Qur'an in the poems of Moldo Kylych

Literary activities played an important role in the adoption and spread of Islam in Kyrgyz Turkish society; in this process, poets in particular served as effective agents in bringing the people together with religious values. Poets contributed to the religious awareness of the people not only through aesthetic concerns but also as a means of guidance. In this context, Moldo Kylych (1866-1917), who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is considered one of the pioneers of Kyrgyz written literature, stands out as a unique figure who conveyed Islamic teachings to society by blending them with traditional Kyrgyz culture. The poet's works feature Qur'anic verses, hadith narrations, and content based on fiqh and Sufîsm; these elements reveal his depth of religious knowledge and poetic power. In this study, Moldo Kylych's religious themes and Qur'an-centered references in his works are analyzed based on his entire body of work, as well as his poems titled "Zar Zaman," "Kyssa-i Zilzâla," "Kol Kazaly," and "Kerme Too." These poems serve as an important source for making the fundamentals of Islamic belief understandable to the general public and conveying them through poetic language. In addition, the thesis systematically addresses the fundamental topics of Islamic belief through the works of Moldo Kylych, including Ulûhiyet (belief in Allah, understanding of tawhid, divine attributes, belief in angels and the scriptures); Nübüvvet (prophethood, prophets, and belief in destiny) and the Afterlife (destiny, death, the Day of Judgment, the scales of justice, heaven, and hell) are systematically addressed and evaluated in the context of Kyrgyz folk poetry. The study offers a unique contribution in terms of both the transmission of Islamic thought through folk literature and the reflection of Moldo Kylych's religious identity in poetry.