Abstract:

This article investigates how several scholars and intellectuals during the last period of the Ottoman Empire understood and interpreted Qur’anic verses concerning such issues as polygamy, monetary interest, and slavery. This period, known as the Second Constitutional Era (1908-1918) was one of heated debate in which the multifaceted modernization policies of the time spread its way into religious thought. One of the scholars whose views will be mentioned in this paper is Mansurizade Said (b.1864/d.1923), who taught at Dâr al-Funûn (an institution of higher learning in Ottoman Empire) and also was known by the title of “mudarris” (professor), and Mahmud Esad Effendi (b. 1856/d. 1918) who was mostly known by his jurist identity. In this paper, we will give some information about the biographies and scientific activities of the above mentioned scholars, followed by their opinions on the Qur’anic rules.