Mahmud Efendi lives in Istanbul and has spent all of his life in
the service of Islam, humanity and peace. He has worked so ambitiously and
enthusiastically that it is almost impossible for others to keep pace with him.
Mahmud Efendi was born in 1929 in a village called Miço (Tavşanlı) where in Of
the township of the province of Trabzon-Turkey. His father, Ali Efendi, the son
of Mustafa Efendi, and his mother, Fatima Hanimefendi the daughter of Tûfan
Efendi, were highly respected people who were known for their asceticism and
piety.
At the age of six, Mahmud Efendi memorised the Qur’an, at the feet of his
parents. And, although he was still only a young boy, he performed his prayers
in the mosque, giving great importance to extra worship and non-obligatory but
recommended prayers (nafelah).
Mahmud Efendi's maturity in his childhood was astonishing all people around
him. People in his village named their children “Mahmud” in the hope that they,
too, would be like him.
When he was so young, Mahmud Efendi travelled to Kayseri for the sake of
Islamic studies and took some lessons, like Sarf and Nahv (Arabic language
grammer) and Persian, from Tesbihcizade Ahmet Hodja Efendi, who is an esteemed
scholar in that region.
After remaining in Kayseri for a year, he returned to his home village Of, and
studied Qira'at (the Recitation of the Qur’an) from Mehmed Rüşdü Aşıkkutlu
Hodja Efendi, the most renowned Qira'at scholar of that period.
Mahmud Efendi learned the sciences of Balaghah (Rhetoric), ‘Elm al-Kalam
(Islamic theology), Tafseer (Interpretation of Qur’an), ‘Elmu’l-Hadith ( The
Prophet Mohammad’s words, acts and consents), fiqh
(Islamic law), usool al-fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence) and other
Islamic sciences by ÇalekliHaci Dursun Feyzi Efendi, the Senior Professor of
Soulaymaneyah Madrasah, who was a distinguished and specialized scholar at the
aqlee (intellectual and rational) and naqlee (transmitted) sciences.
Mahmud Efendi received his diploma with appreciation when he was just 16 years
old. In the same year Mahmud Efendi completed his studies, he married Zehra
Hanim. The couple were blessed with three children, named Ahmed, Abdullah, and
Fatima.
Mahmud Efendi began to volunteer as an Imam after obtaining his degree and
continued teaching and preaching.
In June 1952, Mahmud Efendi went to Bandırma for his military service; it was
during this time that he met his murshid (the spiritual guide) Sheikh Ali
Haydar Ahiskhavi al-Naqshebandi al-Khâledi.
Sheikh Ali Haydar Efendi was the worthy scholar and the Hodja of presence for
the last four Ottoman Sultans and The mufti of four orders in the islamic
religious law. He was knowledgeable about the four main sects and he was
capable of delivering a fatwa for each of them.
Ali Haydar Efendi’s sheikh, Ali Riza Bezzâz Efendi, who had been buried in
Bandırma, had informed Ali Haydar Efendi, who was at the his a dervish lodge in
Istanbul at the time, through spiritual means about Mahmud Efendi, commanding
him: ‘Come to Bandırma immediately and take possession of your trust.’ Thus,
Ali Haydar Efendi went to Bandırma immediately, and arrived at Tekke Mosque.
Ali Haydar Efendi told his followers, who had surrounded him: ‘There is a
soldier here in Bandırma, find him, and bring him to me.’
Heeding this call, they began to search for the soldier in Bandırma. But, this
was a very difficult task, as this soldier had no name, surname, or address.
Mahmud Efendi explains what happened next: “I have always had, from a very
young age, great affection to visiting scholars and sheikhs. Whenever I hear of
a scholar or one of awleya (the friends of Allah) I visit them.
While I was at training camp, during my military service, I wondered if there
was a knowledgeable scholar or sheikh there who I might visit. There was a very
devout man in Bandırma, named Halil Efendi, and on one occasion I asked him
‘Are there any famous sheikhs in Bandırma?’ Pointing to the tomb of Ali Riza
Bezzaz Efendi in Tekke Mosque, he replied: ‘Well, there is the successor of
this spiritual guide, but he is in Istanbul.’
So, I paid a visit to this tomb, and, because I wanted to visit and receive the
blessings of his successor, I began to think to myself: ‘How can I find the
opportunity to visit Istanbul?’ And, from that moment on, my heart was
overwhelmed with affection for this spiritual guide.
One day, I performed Friday prayers at Haydar Çavuş Mosque, near the sea. After
prayers, I noticed a impressive and radiant figure, wearing a white turban and
jubbah in the corner of the mosque. He looked as grand as a sultan. I asked the
imam who this man was, and he replied: ‘That is Sheikh Ali Haydar Efendi, the
man you have longed to see.’”
Sheikh Ali Haydar Efendi, had shown a great deal of interest in Mahmud Efendi
and he had great affection and respect for this younger man. Those around
Sheikh Ali Haydar Efendi, occasionally they would ask: “Why do you give such
value to a soldier you do not even know?” Sheikh Ali Haydar Efendi replied: “By
the protection of Allah no sin has yet been recorded in his book of
deeds.”
He completed his military service in 1954, then was appointed as an official
imam at the İsmailağa Mosque in Fatih, Istanbul.
On 1 August 1960, Sheikh Ali Haydar Efendi, after long life of serving Islam,
obtaining knowledge and spiritual guiding followers, departed from this world
to the world of eternity. He had trained Mahmud Efendi as his successor and had
passed on his spiritual entrustment to him. A new era with glorious
responsibilities began in Mahmud Efendi’s life, after the death of his sheikh,
Ali Haydar Efendi. He was busy working with the community as imam, as well as
being involved in the islamic education of the students and duties of spiritual
guiding. Many students of wisdom, particularly imams, clerics and muftis, took
lessons from Mahmud Efendi.
Sheikh Mahmud Efendi sailed from Istanbul to perform the Hajj (pilgrimage to
Makkah) for the first time in 1962; in 1966 he set out for a second time,
travelling from Ankara by plane. From that time on, he performed the Hajj
whenever he could.
During the continuous conflicts between the right and left-wing groups,
prior to the coup of 12 September, 1980, Sheikh Mahmud Efendi told the people,
who came to him saying: “Let’s perform jehad(the holy struggle)”, that: “It is
our duty to revive people by enjoining the good and preventing the misdeeds, it
is not our duty to kill people”. He tried to calm the people and was successful
to a great extent.
In 1988, Mahmud Efendi visited Damascus - Syria for the first time.
In 1992, he travelled to England and Germany with the purpose of tableegh
(conveying and delivering the message of Islam), and again in the same year he
went to Bukhara and visited the tombs of mashaayekh (Sufi Shaikhs) and ulama
(Islamic scholars).
On 25 May 1993, Mahmud Efendi’s wife, Zehra Hanim, who had been sick for many
years, passed away.
On 26 August 1993, Mahmud Efendi married Müşerref Hanim, the daughter of Sheikh
Mansur Baydemir Efendi, a notable and highly-esteemed person from
Qahramanmarash (Kahramanmaraş).
When he reached the age of 65, he retired from his government job as imam in
1996.
In the same year, Mahmud Efendi went on a journey of umrah (minor pilgrimage),
which lasted 40 days.
Then for a second time he travelled to Bukhara, Samarqand, and Tashkent to
visit Shah al-Naksheband and other shaikhs in Uzbekistan.
In February 2005, Sheikh Mahmud Efendi travelled to India to visit the tombs of
Imam Rabbani Mujaddedi Alf-i Saani Sheikh Ahmad al-Farooq al-Sarhandi and
various other honorable sheikhs of Islam, like Khaja Baqi Billah, Sayyed Nour
Muhammad Badauni, Mirza Mazhar Jan-i Janan and Shah Abdullah Dahlawi.
Mahmud Efendi visited Damascus for a second time in June 2009, and, in a blessed
meeting organized in his honor by the venerable scholar Housamaddeen Farfour,
he came together with eminent figures and scholars of Damascus, such as Abdul
Razzaq al-Halabi, Muhammad Adib al-Kallas, and Ramadan al-Buti.
In addition to travelling to every region in Turkey, on many occasions Sheikh
Mahmud Efendi also travelled to the Middle East, Central Asia, India and Europe
in an attempt to call people to the beautiful religion of Islam and the truth.
Whenever possible, he would visit Mecca and Medina every year to perform Hajj,
and once a year to perform Umrah.
On his most recent visit, in April 2011, he performed a spectacular umrah,
together with over 50,000 of his lovers and followers – something like this had
not been witnessed for centuries.
Sheikh Mahmud Efendi’s outstanding knowledge of the Sunnah, his profound
knowledge of the sciences of the Shariah and his Islamic demeanor as a whole
have made great impressions on both the scholars and learned members of the Islamic
world whom he has met during his journeys and on those who have come to visit
him. So, Sheikh Mahmud Efendi has justifiably taken up a leading position in
the Islamic world and has been honored with the admiration and affection of
people from all walks of life.
He presided over so many Islamic scientific
sessions and symposiums, encouraged people to obtain knowledge and to act
according to the sunnah of The Prophet Mohammad
The Prophet Muhammed said: “Indeed, Allah will raise a
man who will revive the religion for this ummah at the beginning of every
century.” (Abu Dawud al-Malahim:1 no:4293, 4/178)
The explanation of this hadith is : “The meaning of tajdeed (reviving) is
acting upon the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and reviving this at a time when the
commands of the Qur’an and the Sunnah are being destroyed.”
Thus, based on this hadith, scholars have attempted to determine a Mujaddid at
the beginning of every century.On 16 Zilkhade, 1431 (October 24, 2010) approximately
400 renowned and respected members of the ulama (scholars) came from 43
countries to meet in Istanbul; they declared that Sheikh Mahmud Efendi was the
Mujaddid (Reviver) of the 15th Hijri / 21st Gregorian Century and
presented to him “Outstanding Service to Humanity Award”
Mujaddid Sheikh Mahmud Efendi encourages people to obtain knowledge and perform
worship not only with his words, but also with his actions; he has never
abandoned or neglected any form of worship, and is a source of encouragement
and motivation for those who witness his steadfastness. He has carried out many
works to educate his people in faith, taqwa, good morals, and respect for
people and knowledge.
Muhammad Mazhar al-Farooqe, the seventh grandson of Imam Rabbani Mujaddedi
Alf-i Saani Sheikh Ahmad al-Farooq al-Sarhandi and the last shaikh of Mazhari
Ribat in Medina Munawwar, visited Sheikh Mahmud Efendi in Istanbul and said: “I
have travelled through the worlds; however, in this century I have never encountered
an individual who lives full Islam, both external and internal (Shariah and
spirutality of Tariqat) as Mahmud Efendi does.”
Yusuf al-Qaradawi, President of
the International Union For Muslim Scholars, stated about Sheikh Mahmud Efendi
that: “He has carried out many works to educate his people in the faith, taqwa,
good morals, and respect for people and knowledge. Sheikh Mahmud Efendi
an-Naqshibandi is a Sufi and Hanafi scholar. However, he is not one of the
people who spread superstition, vanity, innovation or aberrations. On the
contrary, he firmly adheres to Allah’s Book and the Prophet (Peace and
blessings be upon him).
Sayyeed Mohammad Alawi al-Mâliki, one of the greatest scholars of the Islamic
world and one of the greatest defender of the ahle sunnah, visited Sheikh
Mahmud Efendi in his lodge in Istanbul several times and he said about Mahmud
Efendi: “I have seen many communities all over the world. Some of them give
importance to wisdom and lost sufism, some of them give importance to sufism
and lost wisdom, but Mahmud Efendi and his community is one of the exceptional
communities that practices and perpetuates wisdom through practice, the shariah
with the tareqah.”
An internationally-known Islamic Scholar Mohammed Ali Sâbûnî, become a Sheikh
Mahmud Efendi’s follower, saying: “No doubt, Sheikh Mahmud Efendi is the Sheikh
of not only Turkey, but of the entire world.”
Sheikh Mahmud Efendi always encouraged people to seek education, implement wisdom
and aim for goodness. Many statesmen visited him and payed special attention.
Mahmud Efendi advised many governors and bureaucrats, as well as many other
people, both officials and non-officials.
Mahmud Efendi’s sermons, which
have been given regularly over the years, have been collected and archived by
the followers; as a result six volumes have been published. Mahmud Efendi has
given sermons for over fifty years, on every day of the week; when we consider
only the number of sermons for women that have been recorded regularly over the
last ten to fifteen years, it is obvious that the entire collection of sermons
will reach hundred volumes.
The most original and beneficial work of Sheikh Mahmud Efendi is the work of
Translating Qur’an to Turkish language, named Qur’an Majeeid. This work,
prepared by an academic committee that is headed up by Sheikh Mahmud Efendi,
remains faithful to the Qur’an, down to the smallest detail.
Another the most voluminous work by Sheikh Mahmud Efendi is the Interpretation
of the Qur’an in Turkish named Rouh al-Furqaan. This Interpretation was
compiled by an academic committee led by Mahmud Efendi; this process still
continues today.
Sheikh Mahmud Efendi has established various religious, social and charity
organizations and foundations, particularly such as The Mujaddid Mahmud Efendi
Foundation, The Marifet Association, The Federation of Marifet Associations and
Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaah Confederation to offer a much better service to Islam
and all humanity. His organizations and foundations give service in education,
culture, scientific researches, health, charity, national and international
social organizations.
His nearest service team publish monthly a scholarly and cultural magazine named
MARİFET.
Mahmud Efendi is keen on developing relationships and cooperations especially
between Muslim people and countries and wants a peaceful world.
Today Sheikh Mahmud Efendi The Mujaddid has millions of followers and lovers all
over the world and he is the most eminent figure at the advancement of Islam.