Ulemâdan Zileli “Karanfil Hâce” demekle meşhûr el-Hâc [723] Mehmed Efendi’nin mahdûmudur. Pederinden ve Sarı Ahmedzâde Hâfız el-Hâc Mehmed Efendi’den vücûh-ı Kur’âniyyeyi ve tevcîdi ahzedib ulemâdan tahsîl-i ilm ü marifet ederek mücâz ve ders-i âm oldu.
1228’de Sultân Bâyezîd Câmii hatîbi ve imâm-ı evveli Hatîbzâde Hâfız es-Seyyid Abdullah Efendi’nin vefâtında savt ü edâsı güzel, ulûm-ı Arabiyeye vukûfu der-kâr olduğundan Sultân Bâyezîd Câmii hatîb ve imâm-ı evveli oldu. On iki yıl kadar câmii şerîfi şenlendirdi. 1239 senesi evâ’ilinde vefât etdi. Âlim, kârî, sadâsı muhrik bir zât idi.
Mahdûmu Fâzıl Mehmed Efendi pederinin yerini tutdu. 1281’de vefâtı ile yegâne mahdûmu Akif Mustafa Efendi hatîb ve imâm-ı evvel oldu. Bunun yegâne oğlu Hulûsî Ahmed Efendi de aşktan müte’essiren 1314’de vefât eyledi. Bundan pek ziyâde müte’essir olan Akif Efendi ma’lûl olup 1345’de hırsızların dest-i bî-emânında mahnûkan vefât etdi.
In Modern English
He was the son of Hacı Mehmed Efendi of Zile, a scholar known as "Karanfil Hoca" ("Carnation Master"). From his father and from Sarı Ahmedzade Hafız Hacı Mehmed Efendi he learned the different modes of reciting the Qur'an and the rules of tajwid; he acquired learning and knowledge from the scholars, received a license and gave public lectures.
In 1228 [1813], on the death of Hatibzade Hafız Seyyid Abdullah Efendi, preacher and first imam of the Sultan Bayezid Mosque, he became preacher and first imam of that mosque, since his voice and recitation were fine and his command of the Arabic sciences was evident. For some twelve years he brought life to the noble mosque. He died in the early part of 1239 [1823-24]. He was a scholar, a reciter, and a man whose voice set hearts on fire.
His son Fazıl Mehmed Efendi took his father's place. On his death in 1281 [1864-65], his only son Akif Mustafa Efendi became preacher and first imam. The latter's only son, Hulusi Ahmed Efendi, was overcome by the pain of love and died in 1314 [1896-97]. Akif Efendi, deeply affected by this, fell ill and in 1345 [1926-27] died strangled in the merciless hands of thieves.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- mahdûm: son
- vücûh-ı Kur'âniyye: the different modes of Qur'anic recitation (qira'at)
- tevcîd: tajwid, the rules of correct Qur'anic recitation
- mücâz: licensed, authorized to teach
- ders-i âm: a professor who gives public lectures
- imâm-ı evvel: first imam
- savt ü edâ: voice and manner of recitation
- ulûm-ı Arabiyye: Arabic and the sciences of the Arabic language
- vukûf-ı der-kâr: knowledge that is evident, known to all
- kârî: reciter of the Qur'an
- muhrik: burning, setting hearts on fire
- mahnûkan: strangled
Four Generations in One Mosque
The entry shows that the posts of preacher and imam at the Sultan Bayezid Mosque stayed in one family for about a century: from Karanfilzade to his son, then to his grandson, until the last generation of the family ended in a death at the hands of thieves. Hüsameddin describes the last two generations in detail; since they belong to the recent period he lived in, this information must rest on direct observation or on word from his surroundings, but the text cites no source, so this reading is an inference.
The Sultan Bayezid Mosque is the largest complex in Amasya, on the bank of the Yeşilırmak. According to its inscription the mosque was completed in Receb 891 [July 1486]; Hüsameddin, however, claims construction began in Receb 886 [1481]. The complex consists of the mosque, a madrasa, a soup kitchen (imaret) and a children's school; it was damaged in the 1939 earthquake and repaired in the 1960s. The professorship of the madrasa was assigned to the muftis of Amasya. According to the source, the madrasa has long served as the Provincial Public Library.
No source other than Hüsameddin could be found on Karanfilzade Mehmed Efendi, his son and his grandsons. No information on these persons was found in other sources.
Bibliography
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, p. 224–224. amasya.bel.tr