Al-munāsabah: As a method to determine the effective cause ('Illah) according to Molla Fanārī

Mollā Fanārī was a prominent Muslim scholar of the early Ottoman period, distinguished by his competence in the rational, religious, and mystical sciences. His work Fuṣūl al-badāyiʿ fī uṣūl al-sharāʾīʿ reflects his empirical and scholarly knowledge. Regarding qiyās, which involves moving from the known to the unknown, the method of munāsabah, which examined as one of the techniques for identifying legal causes, constitutes a central element of qiyās with its foundational claims, conceptual framework, and proposals. The method of munāsabah, which refers to the rational identification of the connection between an event and its corresponding ruling, represents an effort to systematize legal judgments within the framework of the relationship between uṣūl and qiyās. As a result of this effort, the method of munāsabah is examined from three perspectives in uṣūl literature: (1) in terms of achieving the intended result, (2) according to its purpose, and (3) considering what the Legislator (Shāri') should take into account. Based on this classification, this study consists of four chapters, including the introduction and conclusion. The first chapter includes information about the study, as well as an introduction to Mollā Fanārī's life and his work Fuṣūl al-badāyiʿ. The second chapter examines the essence and definition of munāsabah and explores the first two aspects mentioned above within the context of Fuṣūl. The third chapter investigates the aspects of munāsabah in the context of the relationship between uṣūl and logic, and the considerations for the Legislator (Shāri'). While the first two sections focus on the theoretical foundations of the method, the last section is dedicated to systematizing the theory of munāsabah within the context of logic and debate. Utilizing comparative text analysis and synthesis methods, this research aims to reveal how Mollā Fanārī conceptualized the method of munāsabah within his uṣūl thought, how closely he aligned with different uṣūl traditions, and his preferences, synthesis, and proposals. Hopefully, this thesis will contribute to scholarly studies, particularly in the fields of legal theory, logic, ultimate objectives (maqāṣid) of law, and theories of public welfare (maṣlaḥah), among others. Our efforts are dedicated to this endeavor, while success is, as always, solely by the will of Almighty Allah.