"Kadın ve Aile" (Woman and Family), which began publication in April 1985 and continued until June 1998, is one of the first and most successful magazines in its field in our country. The late M. Esad Coşan Hocaefendi, who brought this pioneering magazine to our cultural and intellectual world with the aim of empowering women, summarised his perspective on the family and articulated the magazine's purpose in the following words addressed to its target audience:
‘We know that the nest is built by the female bird and that the warm and loving bonds between family members are what sustain it. You are the pillars of the nest, the foundations of our society. (...) You can regulate the country's economy if you wish; you can prevent luxury and waste; you can control production and quality.’
Those who received, read, and benefited from the magazine eagerly awaited the middle of each month, unable to resist rereading the editorials, which they regarded as letters, as soon as they came into their hands. In these letters, written as if in conversation with the reader, Hocaefendi sometimes critically examines current events in depth, revealing how they are interpreted from the sensitive perspective of a Muslim; at other times, he conveys the unchanging and enduring human and Islamic understanding in a new language and style.
The writings are not addressed solely to women, but to all sensitive individuals from all walks of life. Upon reading each piece, one will see that the voice of a servant of Allah who suffered for the sake of humanity and Islam still resonates today.
The editorials published in the journal have been included in this book in chronological order. It will be seen that some current issues that were important at the time but have since lost their significance have been addressed in the articles. We believe that such articles will provide important contributions to understanding Hocaefendi's perspective and world of thought as a whole and to evaluating the conditions of that time.
The sources of the verses, hadiths, noble sayings, and poems that appear in the lead articles and are not cited have been identified as much as possible and indicated in footnotes. Spelling differences in certain words and concepts in articles written over a long period of time have been eliminated to ensure consistency. A bibliography has been added at the end, along with a detailed index to facilitate research. In addition, the references have been provided in footnotes at the beginning of each article.
The topics addressed in the editorials published in the Women and Family magazine are conveyed with religious sensitivity and present a story of a ‘stance’ rarely seen in our recent history. The masterful use of the Turkish language also makes this book a pleasure to read in one sitting.
