The Nature, Metaphysical Foundations and Evidential Value of Meûnet as a Religious Experience

Fatma Şen

Article Details

The Nature, Metaphysical Foundations and Evidential Value of Meûnet as a Religious Experience

Authors:

Fatma Şen

Publisher:

Ondokuz Mayıs University

Main Topics:

Kelam

Journal:

Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 58, pp.249-273

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001352377

pISSN:

2587-1854

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Religious experience is a topic that has come to the fore and is being discussed in terms of its evidentiary value, especially since the classical evidence for the existence of God has fallen out of favor. Religious experience, which has been brought to the forefront by some thinkers and theologians in Western thought, has been subject to various criticisms, especially in terms of its evidentiary value, by some in the West. Since this experience is the product of the inner life of individuals, it is at the center of criticism in terms of the subjective aspect being dominant. Although the term religious experience does not exist in classical Islamic thought, various events corresponding to religious experience are mentioned. In theological works, religious experiences are considered under the title of extraordinary events. Accordingly, religious experiences experienced by believers cover various events from revelation to meûnet. The subject of this study, meûnet, draws attention as a state expressing the extraordinary experiences of ordinary believers. It is seen that this subject is not included in the proofs of the existence of God, especially in both classical theological sources and contemporary works. In this study, the meûnet experience, which is a subject that cannot go beyond a one or two-sentence definition in theological works, will be discussed in terms of its evidential value. Discussing the sources of information about Meûnet is deep enough to be the subject of an independent study. For this reason, Meûnet will not be examined in terms of sources of information that will be evaluated in terms of being a necessary proof in this study. While accepting the importance and value of the evidence presented in philosophy and theology from the past to the present regarding the existence, names, attributes and actions of Allah, it is thought that evaluating a religious experience that many people have had as a necessary proof would be more appropriate for the spirit of our contemporary times.

 Religious experience is a topic that has come to the fore and is being discussed in terms of its evidentiary value, especially since the classical evidence for the existence of God has fallen out of favor. Religious experience, which has been brought to the forefront by some thinkers and theologians in Western thought, has been subject to various criticisms, especially in terms of its evidentiary value, by some in the West. Since this experience is the product of the inner life of individuals, it is at the center of criticism in terms of the subjective aspect being dominant. Although the term religious experience does not exist in classical Islamic thought, various events corresponding to religious experience are mentioned. In theological works, religious experiences are considered under the title of extraordinary events. Accordingly, religious experiences experienced by believers cover various events from revelation to meûnet. The subject of this study, meûnet, draws attention as a state expressing the extraordinary experiences of ordinary believers. It is seen that this subject is not included in the proofs of the existence of God, especially in both classical theological sources and contemporary works. In this study, the meûnet experience, which is a subject that cannot go beyond a one or two-sentence definition in theological works, will be discussed in terms of its evidential value. Discussing the sources of information about Meûnet is deep enough to be the subject of an independent study. For this reason, Meûnet will not be examined in terms of sources of information that will be evaluated in terms of being a necessary proof in this study. While accepting the importance and value of the evidence presented in philosophy and theology from the past to the present regarding the existence, names, attributes and actions of Allah, it is thought that evaluating a religious experience that many people have had as a necessary proof would be more appropriate for the spirit of our contemporary times.

 Religious experience is a topic that has come to the fore and is being discussed in terms of its evidentiary value, especially since the classical evidence for the existence of God has fallen out of favor. Religious experience, which has been brought to the forefront by some thinkers and theologians in Western thought, has been subject to various criticisms, especially in terms of its evidentiary value, by some in the West. Since this experience is the product of the inner life of individuals, it is at the center of criticism in terms of the subjective aspect being dominant. Although the term religious experience does not exist in classical Islamic thought, various events corresponding to religious experience are mentioned. In theological works, religious experiences are considered under the title of extraordinary events. Accordingly, religious experiences experienced by believers cover various events from revelation to meûnet. The subject of this study, meûnet, draws attention as a state expressing the extraordinary experiences of ordinary believers. It is seen that this subject is not included in the proofs of the existence of God, especially in both classical theological sources and contemporary works. In this study, the meûnet experience, which is a subject that cannot go beyond a one or two-sentence definition in theological works, will be discussed in terms of its evidential value. Discussing the sources of information about Meûnet is deep enough to be the subject of an independent study. For this reason, Meûnet will not be examined in terms of sources of information that will be evaluated in terms of being a necessary proof in this study. While accepting the importance and value of the evidence presented in philosophy and theology from the past to the present regarding the existence, names, attributes and actions of Allah, it is thought that evaluating a religious experience that many people have had as a necessary proof would be more appropriate for the spirit of our contemporary times.

 Dinî tecrübe, Allahın varlığına ilişkin klasik delillerin gözden düşmesiyle delil değeri açısından gündeme gelen ve tartışılan bir mevzudur. Özellikle son zamanlarda Batı düşüncesinde bazı düşünür ve teologlar tarafından ön plana çıkarılan dinî tecrübe, yine Batıda özellikle delil değeri açısından muhtelif eleştirilere tabi tutulmaktadır. Bu tecrübe bireylerin içsel yaşantısının ürünü olması sebebiyle öznel yönünün ağır basması noktasında eleştirilerin merkezinde bulunmaktadır. Dinî tecrübe tabiri birebir klasik İslam düşüncesinde bulunmamakla birlikte dinî tecrübeye tekabül eden çeşitli olaylardan söz edilmektedir. Kelâm eserlerinde dinî tecrübe türünden hadiseler olağanüstü olaylar başlığı altında ele alınır. Buna göre müminlerin yaşadığı dinî deneyimler vahiyden meûnete kadar muhtelif olayları kapsar. Bu çalışmanın konusu olan meûnet sıradan müminlerin olağan dışı deneyimlerini ifade eden bir yaşantı olarak dikkat çekmektedir. Gerek klasik kelâm kaynaklarında gerekse güncel eserlerde bu konuya özellikle Allahın varlığının delilleri içerisinde yer verilmediği görülmektedir. Bu çalışmada kelâm eserlerinde bir iki cümlelik tanımdan öteye geçemeyen bir mevzu olarak meûnet tecrübesi delil değeri bakımından ele alınacaktır. Meûnetin bilgi kaynakları bakımından tartışılması müstakil bir çalışmanın konusu olacak derinliktedir. Bu sebeple çalışmada meûnet isbât-ı vâcip olması bakımından değerlendirilecek bilgi kaynakları açısından incelemeye alınmayacaktır. Geçmişten bugüne felsefede ve kelâmda Allahın varlığına, sıfatlarına, isim ve fiillerine dair kullanılan delillerin önemini ve değerini kabul etmekle birlikte, birçok insanın yaşadığı dinî tecrübe olan meûneti isbât-ı vâcip delili olarak değerlendirmenin içinde bulunduğumuz çağdaş zamanların ruhuna daha uygun olacağı düşünülmektedir.

Article Details

The Nature, Metaphysical Foundations and Evidential Value of Meûnet as a Religious Experience

Authors:

Fatma Şen

Publisher:

Ondokuz Mayıs University

Main Topics:

Kelam

Journal:

Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 58, pp.249-273

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001352377

pISSN:

2587-1854

Theology

Religious Experience

Religious Help

Divine HelpKelâm

Dinî Tecrübe

Meûnet

İlahi Yardım

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Fatma Şen

Publisher: Ondokuz Mayıs University

Main Topics: Kelam

Journal: Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 58, pp.249-273

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 6/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001352377

pISSN: 2587-1854

Issues

Authors:

Fatma Şen

Publisher:

Ondokuz Mayıs University

Main Topics:

Kelam

Journal:

Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 58, pp.249-273

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001352377

pISSN:

2587-1854