A Consideration on the Academic Studies of Sıddık Korkmaz

Abstract

Sıddık Korkmaz has a remarkable place in the History of Islamic Sects with his research and scholarly studies. Korkmaz has the qualifications of being a versatile scientist with his studies on Shiism, Alevism and Maturdi sects in the field of History of Islamic Sects, which is his area of expertise. His studies on Islamic Sects, especially Shiism and Maturidism, brought him to the fore in the field of History of Islamic Sects and opened the door to new approaches. Korkmaz argued that each of the Islamic sciences, which have a common source such as the Quran, the Sunnah and the fourteen centuries-old accumulation of Muslims, should work in interdisciplinary cooperation to reach authentic knowledge. It is one of his main focus points that the ancient traditions of Islamic thought, which have institutionalized the progress of the Islamic world, should be reinterpreted. He believes that the historical process, especially in the field of Shiism, should be clearly revealed and examined scientifically. In this sense, Abdullah b. Saba and his studies on Shiism are important.With this work, he made some observations that should be taken into consideration in order to carry out the discussions on the origin of Shiism on a healthier ground. According to him, it is not possible to understand the present and the future without understanding the events in the past. According to him, the discipline of History of Islamic Sects deserves to have the highest share in terms of being able to examine the historical background of the subject, both from a methodical point of view, and to enlighten the history of Islamic thought in general and Shiism in particular. This article will analyze Sıddık Korkmaz's academic studies and his contributions to the academic field in an analytical way.