| HADRAT ISMAIL NEJATI EFFENDI OF SAFRANBOLU
(Translated from Hülya Yilmaz, Dünden
Bugüne Gümüshànevî Mektebi, Istanbul: Seha Yayinevi, 1997.)(1841-1919) Hadrat Ismail Najati az-Zagh-faran-boli The 34th link in the Golden Chain of Spiritual Guidance, the third shaikh of the Gumush-khanewi Dargah, Ismail Nejati Effendi QS was born in Ogulveren Village of the Safranbolu County of Kastamonu, Turkey. His father was Hajji Mehmed Effendi of the Omaroghlu family. With his dense white beard and awe, Ismail Nejati Effendi looked like his shaikh Ahmed Ziyauddîn Gumush-khanewi. Ismail Nejati Effendi took his first course from Mufti Mehmed Hilmi Effendi in Safranbolu. Then he went to Istanbul and took instructions from various instructors for his diploma. He completed his graduate studies under the supervision of Aksekili Ibrahim Effendi at Bayazid Madrasa and became a professor at the age of thirty-five in 1876. He had his first graduates in 1892 at Bayazid Madrasa. From 1897 to 1909, he attended classes in the presence of Ottoman Sultans. He also instructed such classes in the years 1909-10. Having completed his training at the madrasa, Ismail Nejati Effendi took the hand of Hadrat Ahmed Ziyauddîn Gumush-khanewi. He completed his spiritual training under the guidance of Shaikh Gumush-khanewi and became his second deputy to serve at the Dargah as the postnishin from 1911 till his death in 1919. Meanwhile he taught Hadith at Dârul-Khilâfetil-Aliyye graduate school. Ismail Nejati Effendi raised many scholars and students over the years. He also had Ramuz-ul Ahadith discourses. His son, Hafiz Mehmed Fehmi (Ülgener) Effendi, was a professor at Suleymaniye Madrasa, a private instructor of Ottoman prince Shahzada Shawkat Effendi, and the first Istanbul Mufti of the Republic era. Ismail Nejati Effendi's grandson, Prof. Dr. Sabri Fuat Ülgener was a dean at the College of Economics at Istanbul University. During a khalwet, Ibrahim Haqqi Effendi, one of the deputies of Ismail Nejati Effendi, had a heart attack. Ismail Nejati Effendi was informed. He suggested calling Dr. Emin Pasha. Dr. Emin Pasha was a disciple of Hadrat Gumush-khanewi and a royal physician. He examined the patient and left the Dargah with a pale face. The next day he came to the Dargah and gave the disciples the good news. He knew that nobody had recovered from that kind of a heart attack. He did not lose hope and turned to Prophet Muhammad: "Ibrahim Haqqi Effendi is one of the scholars that we expect important services." He received the information that the patient would recover from the illness. As a matter of fact, Ibrahim Haqqi Effendi recovered from the illness and served many years in the Black Sea region in localities of Of, Trabzon and Samsun guiding Muslims in the tariqa. The last Ottoman Ruler Sultan Vahideddin was a disciple of Ismail Nejati Effendi. He attended discourses. Ismail Nejati Effendi died on February 6, 1919. His grave is located in the Suleymaniye Mosque cemetery. This is the epitaph on his grave: Only Allah is Eternal BIBLIOGRAPHY Ahmed Ziyaüddin Gümüşhânevî, Râmûzül-Ehàdîs, Terc. Abdülaziz Bekkine, c.1, s.10. Gündüz, Irfan, Ahmed Ziyâüddin Gümüşhànevî, s.146-148, Seha Neşriyat, Istanbul 1984 Solakoğlu, M. Cemil, Tezkiretül-Evliyâ (Haz. M Z K) addendum, s. 323, Istanbul 1977.
|