Abstract
Why was Bediüzzaman Said Nursi also Called as Sa‘îd-i Kürdî in Ottoman Period?
Names with nisbah are common in sources relating the history and culture of Islam. A person is attributed to his country, region, state, place of birth, father and grandfather, close race and tribe, religion, sect, etc. His vocation and also the person who sets him from slavery can be seen in his nisbah. Racial nisbahs are adjectives of the names that they define from the point of language rules. All the companions and especially the Prophet
Muhammad had racial nisbahs. This tradition has göne on afterwards.
The Holy Quran states that God made us peoples and tribes that we may know and help each other. Denying one’s family is also banned and it is a big sin in Islam according to Islamic orders and reasons.
A name’s nisbah to race, tribe and other things are not objected by the religion.
A person can be attributed with nisbahs and titles such as Arabî, Türkî, Kürdî, Rumî, Türkmânî, Mısrî, Habeşî and Farisî. Prophet Muhammed sometimes mentioned his race and tribe. If he could have said that he was Hashimi, he could state his race and mentioned his name with his nisbah.
It is seen in Ottoman history and biographical books that racial or non-racial nisbahs are used.
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi never approved of racism since his youth. His name was called with his nisbah “Kurdi” in his life in Ottoman period. This nisbah was also seen in Ottoman period works, newspaper articles and official documents.
Bediuzzaman was also called as “Kürd Hoca, Bediüzzaman Sa‘id-i Kürdî, Bediüzzaman Sa‘id-i Kürdî Efendi, Bediüzzaman Molla Sa‘îd-i Kürdi, Kürdî Said, Bediüzzaman-ı Kürdî, Kürd Sa‘îd Efendi, Bediüzzamân-ı Kürdî, Sa‘îd Nursi, Bediüzzaman, Bediüzzaman Sa‘îd, Sa‘îd Efendi, Molla Sa‘îd and Molla Sa‘îd Bediüzzaman”. In order for the subject to be understood well, Ottoman period racial nisbahs are shortly mentioned and then Bediuzzman’s racial nisbahs are studied in the article.
Keywords
Ottoman, Racism, Nursi, Arabî, Türkî, Kürdî.
