[180] Merzifonludur. Ulemâdan el-Hâc Ahmed Efendi bin sâbıku’t-terceme İbrâhim Efendi bin Ma’kûl Mehmed Efendi mahdûmudur. Amasya’da Hacı Âkif ve Lâz İbrâhim Efendilerden tahsîl-i ulûm edib Merzifon’da ders-i âm oldu.
Orada ilmen temeyyüz ederek Sultâniyye-i Merzifon müderrisi ve mükerreren müftü olduğu hâlde 1200’de vefât etdi. el-Mecmû‘da mezkûr olduğu üzere âlim, fakîh, kâni’, mûsâlli idi. Gâyet sâde-dil olduğundan her söze inanır, her yalanı doğru sanırdı.
İstanbul’dan yeni gelen bezle-gûlardan biri kendisine Süleymaniye Câmi-i şerîfini ta’rîf ederken beyaz merdivenlerini peynirden, minber ve mihrâbının dondurma baldan yapıldığını söyledikde inanıp “İstanbul’da karın doyurması kolaydır!” demiş.
In Modern English
He was from Merzifon. He was the son of the scholar Hacı Ahmed Efendi, the former interpreter, İbrahim Efendi, son of Ma'kul Mehmed Efendi. He studied in Amasya under Hacı Âkif and Laz İbrahim Efendi and gave public lectures in Merzifon.
There he distinguished himself in learning and became professor of the Sultaniye Madrasa of Merzifon and, several times, mufti; he died in 1200 [1785-86]. As noted in the work called el-Mecmû', he was a scholar, a jurist, a contented man, and a man of prayer. He was so pure of heart that he believed every word and took every lie for the truth.
When one of the jokers newly arrived from Istanbul described the Süleymaniye Mosque to him, saying that its white stairs were made of cheese and its pulpit and prayer niche of frozen honey, he believed it and said, "So it is easy to fill one's belly in Istanbul!"
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- sâbıku't-terceme: former interpreter, one who formerly served as an interpreter
- tahsîl-i ulûm: studying the sciences
- ders-i âm: authority to give public lectures
- temeyyüz: standing out
- kâni': contented, satisfied with little
- mûsâlli: one who performs the prayer, devoted to worship
- sâde-dil: pure of heart, well-meaning, easily deceived
- bezle-gû: a joker, one who makes witty remarks
- ta'rîf: describing, introducing
The Sultaniye Madrasa of Merzifon
The Sultaniye Madrasa in Merzifon is today also known as the Çelebi Mehmed Madrasa. According to its inscription, construction began in 1414 by order of Mehmed I and was completed in 1417 by Umur Bey, son of Ali; its architect was Ebubekir bin Muhammed bin Hamza. In another compilation the year of construction is given as 1415. The madrasa was repaired in 1418-1419 by Ali Bey, son of Emin Onur. Its first professor was Feridüddin Mehmed Çelebi. The clock tower above the entrance gate was built in 1866 by Ziya Pasha, the mutasarrıf of Amasya. The building stands today. No other source was found on Ma'kulzâde's professorship.
The Süleymaniye Anecdote
The Süleymaniye story that Hüsameddin relates is an anecdote told to show the scholar's guileless nature. The author records the temperaments of people alongside their learning and devotion. The anecdote could not be found in another source.
The identities of Ma'kul Mehmed Efendi and İbrahim Efendi could not be verified in other sources. It also could not be determined which work is meant by "el-Mecmû'."
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, p. 63–63. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies
Books