PERSONALITY OF ZAHID AL-KAWTHARI AND HIS SCIENTIFIC A CTIVITY

Abstract

This study examines the life and intellectual legacy 
of Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari, a prominent Islamic scholar 
of the late Ottoman period. It highlights his early education, 
scholarly influences – particularly the role of his father and the 
Naqshbandi tradition – and his academic journey from Düzce to 
Istanbul and Egypt, where he remained active despite exile and 
hardships.
Based on modern historical research methods, the study 
analyzes his contributions to theology (ʿaqida), jurisprudence 
(fiqh), and hadith. It emphasizes his role in defending the Hanafi-
Maturidi tradition, engaging in scholarly debates, and responding 
to religious innovations (bidʿa).
The study concludes that al-Kawthari was not only a major 
historical scholar but also a mujaddid (reviver) whose legacy 
remains highly relevant for contemporary Islamic thought and 
scholarship.