Draft:Safi Arpaguş
| Safi Arpaguş | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Safi Arpaguş |
| Other Names | Professor Arpaguş
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| Personal Details | |
| Birth Place | |
| Brith Date | 1967 (CE) |
| Death Place | {{{death_place}}} |
| Death Date | {{{death_date}}} |
| Religion | Islam |
Safi Arpaguş is a faculty member, Head of the Sufism Department, and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University. On 15 October 2021 (CE), he was appointed as the Mufti of Istanbul by the President of Turkey, and on 18 September 2025 (CE), he was appointed as the President of the Presidency of Religious Affairs by the President of Turkey, replacing Ali Erbaş. Works such as: Mawlana and Islam, Spiritual Education in the Mawlawiyya Order, Husayn Azmi Dede; Epistles, Aziz Mahmud Hudayi; Conversations, Editing of the Masnavi, and Minhaj al-Fuqara by Ismail Rusukhi Anqarawi are among his research works.
Biography
Safi Arpaguş (English: Safi Arpaguş), was born in 1967 (CE), in the Gümüşhacıkoy district of Amasya, Turkey.
Education
In 1985 (CE), he completed his high school education at Gümüşhacıkoy Imam Hatip School, and then in 1985 (CE), he graduated with a BA in Theology from the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University. He defended his master's thesis titled "Works of Aziz Mahmud Hudayi entitled Nasaih and Mawaiz" in 1994 (CE), and his doctoral dissertation titled "Mawlana's Method of Religious Expression" in 2001 (CE).
Academic Activities
- Research Assistant in the Sufism Department of the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University in 1992 (CE);
- Researcher in the field of Sufism in the England from 2002 (CE) to 2003 (CE), and Syria in 2010 (CE);
- Associate Professor in the Sufism Department of the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University in 2008 (CE);
- Professor in the Sufism Department of the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University in 2014 (CE).
Executive Records
- Vice Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University from 2011 (CE) to 2021 (CE);
- Mufti of Istanbul by decree of the President of Turkey from 15 October 2021 (CE);
- President of the Presidency of Religious Affairs by decree of the President of Turkey from 18 September 2025 (CE)[1].
Research Activities
Professor Dr. Safi Arpaguş's research work focuses on the history, concepts, and institutions of Islamic Sufism. He has also conducted significant research in the fields of Mawlana, Masnavi, and the Mawlawiyya Order.
- Mawlana and Islam;
- Spiritual Education in the Mawlawiyya Order;
- Husayn Azmi Dede; Epistles;
- Aziz Mahmud Hudayi; Lectures;
- Editing of the Masnavi;
- Minhaj al-Fuqara by Ismail Rusukhi Anqarawi[2].
Some of his articles include:
- Mawlana and Islam: Perception and Expression;
- Mantoku Tatir in Sufism, Mawlana in Hertz. Solomon's Viewpoint and Kushdili;
- English Language Studies on the Works of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi;
- Sama Hocheto (Religious Debates on Music, Sama, and Whirling in the 17th Century Ottoman Society and Ismail Ankarawi's Defense of Sama);
- Paper Books on Etiquette and Pillars in Sufism;
- The Influence of the Istanbul Mawlawiyya Order on Cultural Life;
- Mawlana's Method of Religious Expression;
- Ahmed Avni Konuk and the Importance of His Commentary on the Honorable Masnavi for Sufi Studies;
- Book of Proceedings of the Symposium on Personality Formation and Spiritual Education in Elmali;
- The Relationship between Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi and Muhyi al-Din Ibn Arabi in Sufi Thought and Interpretive Tradition;
- Ibn Arabi's Theory of Specific Wilayah: The Foundation of Exclusivity between Acquisition and Bestowal.
Viewpoint
Duties of the President of Diyanet
At his inauguration ceremony as President of the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey, Arpaguş said: The duty of the Presidency of Religious Affairs is not merely an administrative task, but a responsibility rooted in knowledge, Wisdom, and gnosis. This institution, which guides the religious life of our nation with the light of the Quran, Sunnah, and the guidance of the Prophet, has been an exceptional axis and has strengthened the unity, solidarity, and brotherhood of our community today just as in the past.
Necessity of Adherence to Ethics
Arpaguş explained that humanity, living in the age of information and technology, often fails in using this knowledge to ensure the victory of good on earth, misusing it and taking steps devoid of ethics. He added: Deprived of Ethics, humanity loses its value. Many young people, deprived of the spirit of education and the meaning and purpose of knowledge, can be misled towards fanaticism, violence, and Terrorism. In this regard, the responsibility that lies upon all of us is, in the first degree, the search for accurate information and reliable sources, acquiring knowledge from worthy hands, and acting on subsequent learnings. The ideal of a Turk and Turkey free of terror, thanks to the efforts and endeavors of this institution, whose slogan is "Until goodness prevails on earth", and its dedicated servants, will be realized.
Prayer for Atatürk
At the ceremony commemorating the eighty-fifth anniversary of the death of Atatürk on 10 November 2023 (CE), held at the Dolmabahçe Mosque, Valide Sultan Bezmi Alem Mosque, he prayed for Atatürk and his comrades along with the worshippers of this mosque[3].
See also
Notes
References
- Professor Dr. Safi Arpaguş Appointed as President of Religious Affairs, Turkey Diyanet Website, Publication date: 18 September 2025 (CE), Access date: 20 September 2025 (CE).
- Department of Mysticism, Marmara University Website (in English), Publication date: n.d., Access date: 20 September 2025 (CE).
- Who is the new President of Religious Affairs, Professor Dr. Safi Arpaguş?, Turkey Channel 24 Website, Publication date: 18 September 2025 (CE), Access date: 20 September 2025 (CE).