Akâid-i İslâmiyye'den Amelî Ulûm-ı Dîniyye 1913 Islamic Education in Ottoman Turkish Empire

Hafız Nuri – Akâid-i İslâmiyye'den Amelî Ulûm-ı Dîniyye (İslam İnanç Esaslarından Uygulamalı Din İlimleri) – Istanbul Edition (1331 AH / 1913)

Description:

This is the 1331 AH (approximately 1913 CE) Istanbul edition of Akâid-i İslâmiyye'den Amelî Ulûm-ı Dîniyye written by Hafız Nuri, one of the teachers of the prestigious Mekteb-i Sultani in Istanbul. The work is an important late Ottoman educational textbook designed to teach the fundamental principles of Islam and practical religious knowledge to school-age students within a modernized educational framework.

Written in Ottoman Turkish, the book focuses on the essential foundations of Islamic belief (Articles of Faith) together with practical aspects of religious life, including worship, prayer, fasting, purification, and everyday religious obligations rooted in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). Rather than functioning solely as a traditional theological treatise, the work was structured as a practical and accessible instructional guide intended for classroom education.

The publication reflects the broader educational reforms and modernization efforts of the late Ottoman Empire. During this period, institutions such as Mekteb-i Sultani (later Galatasaray Lisesi) and military rüşdiye schools increasingly adopted Western-style educational models that combined modern sciences with structured religious instruction. Within this evolving system, religion classes were reorganized into more systematic and pedagogically accessible formats suitable for modern schools and younger students.

Hafız Nuri’s educational works formed part of this new generation of state-approved instructional material intended to provide modern Ottoman students with a solid religious foundation while adapting to changing educational standards. The text therefore represents a significant intersection between traditional Islamic learning and the modernization policies of the late Ottoman educational system.

Beyond its educational role, the book also serves as a valuable historical document illustrating how Islamic instruction was reformulated during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. It offers insight into the intellectual priorities of the period, where religious identity, moral education, and modern institutional schooling were brought together within a unified curriculum.

For collectors and researchers, this work holds importance both as an Ottoman educational artifact and as a reflection of the transformation of religious pedagogy during the constitutional era of the empire.

Key Features:

• Title: Akâid-i İslâmiyye'den Amelî Ulûm-ı Dîniyye

• Translation of Title: Practical Religious Sciences from the Principles of Islamic Faith

• Author: Hafız Nuri

• Author Position: Teacher at Mekteb-i Sultani (Galatasaray)

• Publication Date: 1331 AH (approximately 1913 CE)

• Publication Place: Istanbul

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Script: Ottoman Arabic Script

• Subject: Islamic belief and practical religious education

• Educational Topics: Faith principles; Prayer; Fasting; Purification; Daily religious practice; Basic fiqh

• Educational Purpose: Practical religious instruction for school-age students

• Historical Context: Late Ottoman educational reforms and modernization period

• Institutional Context: Prepared for modern Ottoman schools such as Mekteb-i Sultani and military rüşdiyes

• Educational Significance: State-approved modern religious curriculum material

• Cultural Importance: Reflects the integration of Islamic education into Western-style Ottoman schooling

• Collector Appeal: Important late Ottoman educational and religious textbook from the constitutional era