Every year I organise a scholars’ retreat abroad on behalf of the British Fatwa Council (BFC). This year it was organised in partnership with the Board of Religious Affairs of Türkiye (Diyanet) in Ankara. Our delegation was made up of 25 scholars. We aimed to allow them to engage with senior Turkish scholars and Muftis. As well as to visit and witness the great Ottoman heritage. Travelling together is great for personal development, networking and making friendships.
When we arrived in Ankara, we were welcomed by Mr YenTurk Ensari the Religious attaché at the Turkish embassy in London. He helped Dr Muhammad Munir the Mufti of BFC to organise the trip. A wonderful brother to work with.
“This is not a holiday”, I told the delegates, it’s a busy schedule of listening to lectures gaining traditional Turkish wisdom and meeting important religious figures of Diyanet.
The religious leadership is highly organised with a hierarchy
Diyanet is like the Ministry of Religious Affairs. A constitutional body that is a century old. It has a budget of £2.6 billion, operates 85,000 Masajid and has 150,000 workers including Imams, Khateebs, Mu’azzins and Masajid administrators. It runs 150 colleges for training Islamic scholars and workers. The current head of this amazing Dawah, education and Islamic cultural organisation is Mufti Dr Ali Erbas. A humble but authoritative personality, a scholar of high repute. We prayed Jummah prayer behind him in Ankara and afterwards met him. He speaks and writes on many issues including Muslim unity and Islamophobia, here are some of his thoughts.
The Grand Mufti of Türkiye and his teachings
He told a conference, “It is essential for the scholars to guide the ummah. Unfortunately, the biggest problems of the Muslims are racial, sectarian and religious conflicts, this is exploited by terrorist organisations and proxy wars. Failure to take a joint initiative on the fundamental issues is making the Muslims helpless. Muslims will not be able to solve their problems and lead humanity unless they come together”.
Prof Dr Ali Erbas commented on Islamophobia, “Concerning the West’s problematic perception of Islam, it is our responsibility to make the universal values of Islam and civilization known to humanity.” His comments about the barbaric attack on Gaza are noteworthy, “Almost two billion Muslims are unable to prevent oppression.” He quoted a Hadith, “Whosoever sees an evil, let him change it with his hand…”, “We cannot change it with our hands as you know, because we cannot join forces, unable to unite and prevent this evil. Yet, the baddies are united, but the good ones are not united.”
His explanation of Islamophobia is insightful, “We know that the hatred, slander and discrimination against Muslims is displayed by a mentality that sees itself as the centre of history, it’s not new and dates back centuries.”
British scholars visit Diyanet’s services and projects
Every day we had lectures from senior scholars of Diyanet, the opening lecture was by Prof Abdurrahman Hackalı, President of the Supreme Board of Religious Affairs, on the topic of ‘Fiqh, Ijtihad and Talfiq’. He spoke fluent Arabic and impressed us with his depth and breadth of knowledge. We were given a kaleidoscopic view of Diyanet by its Deputy President Dr Fatih Mehmet Aydin. He outlined the activities of Diyanet, which include education, publications, TV and Radio stations, and the training of imams and Khateebs.
Other esteemed lecturers spoke on diverse topics such as; translation of the Quran; the necessity of conveying its message; basic features of Hanafi jurisprudence; Moonsighting and lunar calendar calculations; problematic areas in prayer times; current Fatwa issues in a digital world; Salafism; current religious challenges of atheism, agnosticism and deism.
I just want to share an interesting nugget from a lecture on moonsighting. Diyanet has been using astronomical calculations since 1978, Prof Dr Umit Ertem an astronomer and Professor of Physics at Ankara University explained the formula they use. He said, “We have ten sighting stations in different parts of Türkiye and we sight the moon for Ramadhan, Shawal and Dhull Hijjah. And our astronomical forecast is 100% accurate”.
Our visits in Ankara included a five-hundred-year-old Masjid called Haji Bayram Wali, who was regarded as the spiritual guide of Ankara for centuries. The presidential complex houses the National Library, perhaps the most beautiful, decorative and charming place of study. The front yard of the President’s house has the national Millet Mosque built in a contemporary style.
Visit to Konya
Türkiye also has a high-speed train service that is punctual. The return train journey from Ankara to Konya was only £12. The trains are modern and very clean. We left Ankara on Friday and were greeted at Konya train station by one of the Imams of Diyanet. We were looking forward to visiting the resting place of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi.
Konya is a historic city going back 10,000 years, the guide told us there are several UNESCO heritage sites. Since the 10th century it’s been a Muslim city, the Seljuk ruled it before the Ottomans took over in the twelfth century. It’s full of historical Masajid, schools and other sites. The Museum next to Rumi’s shrine is a gem for anyone interested in poetry and history. For me, it was extraordinarily important because it displayed the self-development method of Maulana Rumi. Anyone who wanted to join his spiritual order the Mevlani had to go through a test, that was assessed by the lodge master. If he passed it, he would be given the privilege of staying otherwise he had to leave. The test looked at three things: humility, self-control and willingness to serve others.
Conclusion
The scholars’ retreat was a powerful reminder of the immense legacy of Islamic scholarship in Türkiye and the structured leadership of Diyanet. Engaging with Turkish scholars, learning from their experiences, and witnessing the well-organised religious infrastructure provided invaluable insights. The retreat was not just about academic enrichment but also about strengthening the bonds between scholars, fostering unity and exchanging ideas to address contemporary challenges. Our delegation returned home inspired, equipped with fresh perspectives and motivated to serve their community with renewed energy and wisdom, Alhamdulillah!
