Amasyalıdır. Niksârlı Menteşâzâde Muslihiddîn Mustafa Efendi’nin mahdûmudur. Bursa’da Molla Fenârî Şemseddîn Mehmed Çelebi’den ikmâl-i tahsîl ederek ders-i âm ve müşarün ileyhe dâmâd oldu.
Ba’dehû Bursa’da Murâdiyye ve Edirne’de Üç Şerefeli müderrisi, sonra 857’de Candârlızâde İbrâhim Efendi’nin azlinde Edirne kadısı, 863’de bir müddet İstanbul kadısı oldu. Ba’de’l-azl 871 sâline doğru vefât etdi. Fuzalâdan olup Edirne ve İstanbul kadılıklarında imzâları görüldü. Mahdûmu Kaz’asker Alâeddîn Ali Efendi “Fenârîzâdelikle” iştihâr etdi.
In Modern English
He was from Amasya. He was the son of Menteşezâde Muslihiddin Mustafa Efendi of Niksar. Having completed his studies at Bursa with Molla Fenârî Şemseddin Mehmed Çelebi, he began to teach and became his teacher's son-in-law.
Then he became professor of the Muradiye madrasa in Bursa and the Üç Şerefeli madrasa in Edirne. Later, in 857 [1453], upon the dismissal of Çandarlızâde İbrahim Efendi, he became kadı of Edirne, and in 863 [1458-59] for a time kadı of Istanbul. After being dismissed from office he died toward 871 [1466-67]. He was among the virtuous scholars; his signature has been seen on documents of the Edirne and Istanbul judgeships. His son, the kazasker Alâeddin Ali Efendi, became known under the name "Fenârîzâde."
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- mahdûm: son
- ikmâl-i tahsîl: completing one's education
- ders-i âm: a professor who gives lessons open to all
- müşârün-ileyh: the person mentioned
- dâmâd: son-in-law
- ba'de'l-azl: after being dismissed from office
- iştihâr: becoming known, gaining fame
His Teacher and Father-in-Law Molla Fenârî
Molla Fenârî, named as the teacher and father-in-law of Ebüssuûd İbrahim Efendi, is Şemseddin Mehmed b. Hamza Fenârî, regarded as the first şeyhülislam of the Ottoman state. He lived in Bursa, was respected by the state notables and the people, led a simple life although he was well off, and earned his living through silk trade. He had a madrasa built in Jerusalem and three mescids and a madrasa in Bursa, and by his waqf deed of 833 (1430) he assigned his properties to them. He died in Bursa in 834 (15 March 1431). Among his sons, Mehmed Şah Fenârî wrote works as a scholar, while Yûsuf Bâlî held posts as professor and judge. Ebüssuûd's reading with Molla Fenârî and becoming his son-in-law must fall in the years before the teacher's death in 1431.
The Muradiye and Üç Şerefeli Madrasas
Both madrasas Hüsameddin mentions are buildings erected by Murad II. According to what Halil İnalcık relates, Murad II had a zaviye and a madrasa built around his mosque in Bursa, completed in Muharram 830 (November 1426), and their waqf deed dated 22 Shawwal 833 (14 July 1430) has survived; this corner of Bursa bears the name Muradiye today. The foundation of the Üç Şerefeli Mosque in Edirne was laid in 1438, and the building could be finished only in 1447. The Üç Şerefeli Madrasa, built in the mosque's courtyard, kept its position as the empire's high madrasa even after the Sahn-ı Semân was founded in the time of the Conqueror. These dates agree with Hüsameddin's order: Ebüssuûd taught first at the Muradiye in Bursa, then at the Üç Şerefeli, opened after 1447, and in 857 (1453) moved to the judgeship of Edirne.
Whose Son Was Fenârîzâde Ali Çelebi
The last sentence of the entry must be read carefully. Hüsameddin says that the kazasker Alâeddin Ali Efendi, son of Ebüssuûd İbrahim Efendi, was known as "Fenârîzâde." The well-known kazasker of the Conqueror's and Bayezid II's times, Fenârîzâde Alâeddin Ali Çelebi, appears in present-day sources as Alâeddin Ali b. Yûsuf Bâlî b. Şemseddin el-Fenârî; that is, he is the son of Yûsuf Bâlî, son of Molla Fenârî, and a grandson of Molla Fenârî. Born in Bursa, he went at a young age to Herat, Samarkand and Bukhara, returned to Bursa in the Conqueror's time, and served as professor at the Bursa Manastır and Gazi Murad Han madrasas. He was kadı of Bursa between 872 and 877 (1467-1472), then became kazasker and remained in this post until 881 (1476-77). In 894 (1488-89) he was appointed kazasker of Rumelia, remained in this post until 900 (1494-95), and then became kazasker of Anatolia. He died in 903 (1497) and was buried in the Molla Fenârî Mosque in Bursa. A student of Ali Kuşçu, this scholar is known for a commentary on the Kâfiye, a gloss on the Miftâh, and a commentary on a book of arithmetic; he also wrote poetry under the pen name Gammî.
In this case there are two possibilities. Hüsameddin may be speaking of another Ali Efendi, who could have been a grandson of Molla Fenârî through his daughter and was therefore also called Fenârîzâde. Or Ebüssuûd's son, whose mother came from the Fenârî family, and the famous kazasker who was the son of Yûsuf Bâlî were confused with each other because they bore the same name and the same nisba. Since the genealogy in present-day sources is clear, Fenârîzâde Ali Çelebi, known for his kazaskership, must be accepted as the son of Yûsuf Bâlî.
No information was found in other sources about Menteşezâde Muslihiddin Mustafa Efendi of Niksar, about Ebüssuûd İbrahim Efendi's judgeships of Edirne and Istanbul, or about his signatures on judicial documents.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, p. 82–82. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies
Books