Mehmet Akif Ersoy'un Düşünce Dünyasında Din

Mehmet Akif Ersoy is a prominent Islamic thinker who offered original analyses on social and religious issues during the late Ottoman period and the Republic's early years. At the core of Akif's social analyses is correctly understanding and practicing religion. According to him, a corrupted understanding of religion, tainted by superstitions and innovations (bid'ah), represents a significant deviation from the essence of Islam, which is rooted in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Akif argues that such traditionalist approaches foster misconceptions about religion in society and distance it from its sources. Akif’s understanding of religion is fundamentally built on two axes: On the one hand, the necessity of comprehending religion authentically based on the Qur’an and Sunnah, and on the other, the obligation to develop rational juristic reasoning (ijtihad) in response to the changing conditions of the era. Within this framework, Akif aims to purify Islam from superstitions and innovations, prevent religious-political-moral corruption, and produce revelationcentered solutions to societal needs. His approach demonstrates a significant epistemological divergence from traditionalist religious understandings. While traditionalist circles absolutize historical interpretations of religion and remain resistant to renewal, Akif argues that rational interpretations that do not contradict the Qur’an and Sunnah will not harm the essence of Islam. This study examines Mehmet Akif Ersoy’scontribution to modern Islamic thought, particularly in the balance between reason and revelation, juristic reasoning, and the contemporary interpretation of religion. Akif’s ideas regarding understanding religion—free from blind imitation, grounded in authentic sources, and approached rationally—are analyzed.