Issues such as environmental cleanup, climate change, labor peace, unemployment, poverty, traffic regulations, educational challenges, the justice system, and human rights—which we encounter every day—must be addressed and resolved so that they no longer remain subjects of debate. Measures and initiatives that will pave the way for society, boost morale, and foster unity and solidarity must now be put forward. Consequently, there is a greater need than ever for young people with a theological background who will address these issues and enlighten the public in religious matters. These young people must lead the way in upholding national and spiritual values, just as they did during the years of the national struggle, and in accordance with Mehmed Akif’s principle: “We must draw inspiration directly from the Quran and convey Islam in a way that resonates with the understanding of our time.” In this context, the purpose of the Islam and Interpretation Symposium is to motivate the next generation of theologians and heighten their enthusiasm for scholarly work. For this reason, we assert that it is by no means impossible for future students of theology to produce scholars in the mold of Fuat Sezgin, Ahmet Hamdi Akseki, Mehmet Aydın, and Aziz Sancar. Thus, through these Islam and Interpretation symposia, the enthusiasm of our youth for research will be further enhanced.

Our Faculty of Theology places great importance on documenting the presentations discussed at the Islam and Interpretation Symposia. To this end, the proceedings from the 2017 and 2018 symposia have been published in three-volume sets. Accordingly, it has been deemed appropriate to publish the proceedings from the 2019 symposium in three volumes as well, organized by topic. As a result, a rich body of work comprising a total of nine volumes on various topics under the main heading of “Islam and Interpretation” will be made available to the academic community.