Abstract
Social Criticism in Erzurumlu Mustafa Darîr’s Sîretü’n-Nebî
Sîretü’n-nebî or Tercümetü’d-Darîr ve Takdîmetü’z-Zahîr is the work of Erzurumlu Mustafa Darîr in which he narrates the life of the Prophet Muhammad. It was submitted to the Mamluk sultan Berkuk in 1388, making it the first siyar in Turkish literature. With the help of Arabic siyars, Darir narrates the Prophet Muhammad's life chronologically in verse and prose. According to Darîr, he wrote the book to narrate the life of the Prophet to people who could not speak Arabic. Occasionally, in this book which was written for the general public, he gives advice to people on various issues. At other times, he criticizes both the public in general and various groups. In this paper, social criticisms in Sîretü'n-nebî are examined. Criticisms in the book can be categorized into two groups, those directed at society in general and those directed at various groups within society. While “ignorant” and bad-tempered people are the targets of general societal criticism, “ignorant” sheikhs, ascetics, and teachers are the specific targeted groups for criticism. Most of these criticisms are made in the relevant sections of the book. In fact, the main subject of the book is directly related to the people, described as ignorant who do not understand the Prophet, or knowledgeable people who are against him due to their arrogance and jealousy. In spite of this, the criticisms of ignorant sheikhs, teachers and those who criticize Darîr's work offer insight into Darîr's personal experience and opinions.
Keywords
Classical Turkish literature, 14th century Turkish literature, siyar.