Amasya müftüsü Çorumlu Hâfız es-Seyyid el-Hâc Mehmed Efendi bin [656] Ya’kûb Bey’in mahdûmudur. Pederinden ve fâzıl-ı meşhûr İğnecizâde el-Hâc Abdullah Sânî, Kayyumzâde el-Hâc İsmâil Efendilerden ikmâl-i tahsîl etdikten sonra muhaddis-i meşhûr Hıfzızâde el-Hâc Osmân Fa’ik Efendiden de tefsîr ve hadîs ilimlerini alıp ders-i âm oldu.
Pederinin irtihâlinde Mehmed Paşa müderrisi olup Gümüşlüzâde Mahallesi’nde ikâmet ve câmi-i şerîfinde tedrîs-i ulûma himmet ederek “Emîr müderris” demekle iştihâr etdi. Bununla beraber âzim-i Hicâz oldukta Hicâz ve Şam fuzalâsından da istimâ’-i hadîs ve tefsîr ederek avdet etdi.
1148’de Şeyhülislâm ve Merzifonlu Dürrî Mehmed Efendi tarafından kendisine bir nişâne-i takdîr olarak İstanbul rü’ûsü verildi. Gençliğinde savt ü edâsı güzel olduğundan 1118’de Gümüşlüzâde Câmii şerîfine imâm olmuşdu. Lahn-ı Arab üzere Kur’ân okuduğundan câmii şerîf cemâati almaz oldu.
Câmii şerîf-i mezkûrun ittisâlinde Hâce Ahmed Paşa zevcesi, Fatma Molla Hâtun yaptırdığı medrese harâb olduğundan Hindî Paşazâde Ali Bey’in zevcesi diğer saraylı Fatıma Hâtun [657] sâhib-i tercemenin teşvîkiyle müceddeden ve tevsî’an ihyâ ederek medrese vezâ’ifini tayîn etdi.
İki defa icâzet verdikten sonra tefsîr-i kadı dersine muvâzabet ve Buharî-i sahîhini tedrîse himmet edib bunlardan da iki defa icâzet du’âsı meydân mûsâllâsında bir cemiyet-i azîme ile icrâ edildi. Bundan sonra Mehmed Paşa müderrisliğini mahdûmuna kasr-ı yed ü ferâgat edib vazife-i imâmete kanaât etdi.
Hâciyân ve a’yân meclisleri azâlığına ve Amasya müftülüğüne mükerreren intihâb edildiği halde hiç birini de kabûl etmedi. Bununla beraber her taraftan surreler yağar, gâyet münzevîyâne yaşardı. A’yândan kimsenin meclisine gitmez kimseden sadakât ve nüzûr kabûl etmezdi.
A’yân ve ulemâ kendisine arz-ı iştiyâk ederek Cuma günleri Sofizâde Mahallesi’nde kâin hânesinde ziyâret ederlerdi. 1176’da ikinci defa Tefsîr-i Kadı hatmine muvaffak olduğunu işiten Şeyhü’l-islâm Dürrizâde Mustafa Efendi Kudüs-i şerîf mevleviyyetini verdi. 1178 senesi rebîülahirinin yirmi yedinci gecesi seherinde dâr-ı kudse irtihâl etdi. [658]
Gâyet fâzıl, ulûm-ı şer’iyye ve akliyyede mütebahhir, tefsîr ve hadîsde mâhir, vâ’iz, müttakî, vecîh, sâdât-ı Hüseynîyeden bir emîr-i muhterem idi. Hazret-i Pîr İlyas Halvetî civârında medfûndur. Sinni doksana varmıştı. Mahdûmlarından Mehmed Paşa müderrisi es-Seyyid Abdurrahim Efendi 1197’de ve hafîdi es-Seyyid Mustafa Efendi 1244’de ve bunun mahdûmu es-Seyyid Ahmed Efendi 1246’da vefât etdi. Bunlar da Mehmed Paşa müderrisi idiler. Diğer mahdûmu es-Seyyid Mehmed Sa’id Efendi’dir.
In Modern English
He is the son of Çorumlu Hâfız Seyyid Hacı Mehmed Efendi, mufti of Amasya, and the grandson of Yakub Bey. After completing his studies under his father and under well-known scholars, İğnecizâde Hacı Abdullah Sânî and Kayyumzâde Hacı İsmail Efendi, he also took the sciences of Qur'anic exegesis and hadith from the renowned hadith scholar Hıfzızâde Hacı Osman Fa'ik Efendi and began giving public lectures.
On his father's death he became professor of the Mehmed Pasha Madrasa and lived in the Gümüşlüzâde quarter, where he strove to teach in the neighborhood mosque and became known as "Emîr Müderris". Nevertheless, when he reached the Hejaz to go on the pilgrimage, he also listened to hadith and exegesis from the scholars of the Hejaz and Damascus before returning.
In 1148 [1735-36] the Şeyhülislam Merzifonlu Dürrî Mehmed Efendi, as a mark of appreciation, granted him an Istanbul rûus. In his youth, because his voice and recitation were beautiful, he had become imam of the Gümüşlüzâde Mosque in 1118 [1706-07]. Because he recited the Qur'an with an Arab accent, the mosque congregation would no longer accept him.
Next to that mosque, the madrasa built by Fatma Molla Hatun, wife of Hâce Ahmed Pasha, had fallen into ruin. Fatıma Hatun, a lady of the palace and wife of Hindî Paşazâde Ali Bey, at this man's urging, restored the madrasa anew and in enlarged form, and also set the madrasa's duties.
After granting licenses twice, he continued the lessons on the Kadı Commentary and strove to teach Sahih al-Bukhari; for these too the prayer of license was twice performed at the Meydan Musalla before a large congregation. After this he left the Mehmed Pasha professorship to his son and was content with the imamate.
Although he was repeatedly elected to membership of the pilgrims' and notables' councils and to the muftiship of Amasya, he accepted none of them. Even so, purses of gifts reached him from every side; he lived a very withdrawn life. He did not go to the gathering of any of the notables and accepted donations or votive offerings from no one.
The notables and scholars visited him on Fridays at his house in the Sofizâde quarter to offer their longing and respect. In 1176 [1762-63], hearing that he had succeeded in completing the Tefsîr-i Kadı for a second time, the Şeyhülislam Dürrîzâde Mustafa Efendi gave him the mevleviyet of Jerusalem. On the twenty-seventh night of Rebîülâhir 1178, at dawn, he departed for Jerusalem.
He was a man of great learning, deep in the religious and rational sciences, a master of exegesis and hadith, a preacher, pious, esteemed, and a venerable emir descended from Husayn. He is buried near Hazret-i Pir İlyas Halvetî. He had reached the age of ninety. Of his sons, Seyyid Abdurrahim Efendi, professor of the Mehmed Pasha Madrasa, died in 1197 [1782-83]; his grandson Seyyid Mustafa Efendi died in 1244 [1828-29], and that man's son Seyyid Ahmed Efendi in 1246 [1830-31]. These too were professors of the Mehmed Pasha Madrasa. His other son is Seyyid Mehmed Sa'id Efendi.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- emîrü'l-hac: leader of the pilgrim caravan; here "emîr" appears also to be used in the sense of seyyid, that is, a descendant of the Prophet
- muhaddis: hadith scholar
- ders-i âm: a professor of high rank who gives public lectures
- âzim-i Hicâz: one setting out for the Hejaz
- istimâ'-i hadîs: listening to hadith
- rü'ûs: the official patent given for a rank in the learned hierarchy
- lahn-ı Arab: the Arabic manner of recitation, an Arab accent
- müceddeden ve tevsî'an: anew and in enlarged form
- vezâ'if: duties, waqf stipends
- icâzet: a document of authorization to teach a science
- surre: a purse containing gifts
- münzevî: withdrawn into his corner, living away from people
- nüzûr: votive offerings
- mevleviyyet: a high judgeship rank given in cities such as Jerusalem
- mütebahhir: deeply learned
- sâdât-ı Hüseynîye: the seyyids descended from Husayn
Tefsîr-i Kadı
The "Tefsîr-i Kadı" that appears several times in the text seems to mean Baydawi's commentary Envârü't-Tenzîl ve Esrârü't-Te'vîl. This work was taught in madrasas and, although hard to understand because of its concise style, enjoyed great prestige. The expression "hatmetmek" in the entry can be understood as the work's being taught through from beginning to end as a course; this rendering is an interpretation based on the wording in the text. That each prayer of license was held at a public musalla shows the importance the community attached to this course.
The Şeyhülislams and the Jerusalem Mevleviyet
Hüsameddin names Merzifonlu Dürrî Mehmed Efendi, who gave the Istanbul rûus, and Dürrîzâde Mustafa Efendi, who gave the mevleviyet. Dürrîzâde Mustafa Efendi is the son of Dürrî Mehmed Efendi. Born in 1702-03, he became şeyhülislam for the first time on 26 July 1756, was dismissed seven months later, and became şeyhülislam for the second time on 29 April 1762. The date 1176 [1762-63] that Hüsameddin gives falls in this second şeyhülislamate; in this respect the text agrees with the period. Mustafa Efendi's coming to office for a third time, after his dismissal in 1767, was in 1774.
Notable Points in the Text Read
The entry stresses the scholar's unostentatious way of life: although elected to the council of notables, the pilgrims' council and the muftiship, he accepted none, did not go to the notables' houses, and took no donations. That the notables and scholars came to his house on Fridays to visit him gives the measure of the respect shown him. The rebuilding of the madrasa, according to the text, was carried out by Fatıma Hatun, a lady of the palace.
From the death dates given at the very end of the entry it can be understood that the professorship of Mehmed Pasha passed from father to son in this family and lasted until 1830-31. Ahmed Efendi's burial near Hazret-i Pir İlyas Halvetî is also noteworthy. No details could be found in other sources about the Mehmed Pasha Madrasa, the madrasa of Fatma Molla Hatun, or Hâce Ahmed Pasha.
Bibliography