MEHMED VEHBİ EFENDİ’NİN KADER ANLAYIŞI

Mehmed Vehbi Efendi, one of the last scholars of the Ottoman Empire, made a name for himself with his tafsir, but he also produced works in the field of aqaid.One of the issues on which he expressed his views in his works has been the issue of divine decree and predestination.Accordingly, he expressed his opinion on subjects such as the human will, his capacity, acquisition, the formation of his act, obligation beyond man's capacity, appointed time (ajal), and the defence of the belief in divine decree and predestination.He targeted the Jabriyya for giving emphasis to the thesis that man is not obliged in his will, directed criticisms to Mu'tazila for accepting that human acts are created by Allah.He also did not approve the approach of the Ashariyya, in which he attributed his understanding of will and capacity, which did not reach an effective power in the act of servant.However he did not criticise this view as much as he did the thought of the other two sects.Although he belongs to the Maturidiyya, he did not express his views in support of this school's approach, but in the form of ideas he believed to be correct.In this sense, as in the definitions of the concepts of fate and destiny, he sometimes benefitted from the Ashari understanding and did pursue the view that he believes to be the truth.