Molla Şemseddin Fenari

Molla Shemseddin Fenari (Turkish: Molla Şemsüddin-i Fenârî, 1350–March or April 1431^[1]) was an Ottoman logician, Islamic theologian, and Islamic legal academic.

Biography

Fenari was born in Maveraünnehir, then in the Ottoman Empire, and now in Turkey. He completed his education at Egypt's Ekmeluddin Madrasah. Upon graduating, he returned to Maveraünnehir and was appointed professor (müderris) at the Manastır Madrasah.

Bayezid I subsequently appointed Fenari judge (qadi) of Bursa in 1390. The death of Bayezid I precipitated a civil war, which caused Fenari to leave the country, after which he lectured in Egypt and in Hejaz (part of present-day Saudi Arabia). In 1421, Murad II ascended the throne as the sixth Ottoman Sultan and recalled Fenari to the court. Murad appointed him Sheikh ul-Islam in 1424, a position that he filled in addition to his other positions as professor and judge. He retained all three positions until the end of his life in Bursa in 1431.

During his academic career, he specialized in logic and (Islamic) jurisprudence. His papers on logic were reputed throughout the Islamic world. He also wrote an encyclopedia. His major writings are:

• Enmuzec ül-ulum: A concise encyclopedia.
• Husul ül -bedaci fi usul iş-şeraci: Discussion on the innovations in law.

Sources