OMAR ZIYAUDDIN DAGHISTANI QS (1849-1920) (Translated [by Hasan Erkaya] from Hülya Yilmaz, Dünden Bugüne Gümüshànevî Mektebi, Istanbul: Seha Yayinevi, 1997) Omar Ziyauddin Daghistani Effendi was born in Miatli Village in Cherkay, Daghistan in 1266 H/1849 CE. His father Abdullah Effendi was a scholar of his time and a professor at a madrasa. He was descended from Avar Turks. (Information about Dagestan Republic of Russia can be found at http://caspian.hypermart.net/daginfo.html.) Omar Ziyauddin Effendi was tall with a luminous face and white beard. Calm and extremely generous, he was an expert in Arabic, Persian, Russian and Turkish dialects. He started his education hearing lectures from his father. In his youth, he participated in the struggles between Russians and Muslims (led by Shaikh Shâmil) that had been going on since 1825. Under the command of Ghazi Mehmed Pasha, son of Shaikh Shamil, Omar Ziyauddin Daghistani Effendi fought against the Russians at the Causcasia front for many years. When the battle ended, he migrated to Istanbul along with the other Muslims. At the age of twenty, he settled in Istanbul and became a disciple of Hadrat Ahmed Ziyauddin Gumush-khanewi. The same year he submitted one of his works, entitled Tajwid-i Umûmî (General rules for the proper recitation of the Qur'an), to the Shaikh-ul Islam's office and was recognized as a "provincial scholar." Omar Ziyauddin Effendi was named "Ziyauddin" by Shaikh Gumush-khanewi. He memorized the Qur'an in six months after which his shaikh called him "Hafiz Omar." Along with the Qur'an, he had memorized 200,000 ahadith, including the chain of relaters. While he was attending the discourses of Hadrat Gumush-khanewi, he thought of attending another tariqa. With those thoughts, he went to Galata Mawlawikhanesi. While observing the rituals, he lost control and fell into a state of trance. Someone grabbed him from the back of his shirt, lifted him to the ceiling of the room and dropped him down. He screamed "Allah" and got back into a normal state. He was perspiring. He went to Gumush-khanewi Dargah and kissed the hand of his shaikh. Hadrat Gumush-khanewi smiled at him and said, "Surely one would scream if he falls from a high position." Omar Ziyauddin Effendi realized that it was Hadrat Gumush-khanewi who lifted him up and dropped him down. Following that incident, Omar Ziyauddin Effendi's zeal increased and he made rapid progress in the spiritual realm. Soon afterwards, he received the authorization to guide disciples in the tariqa. After completing his education and receiving the authorization in 1878, he was appointed as the Mufti of Second Army Regiment in Edirne. He remained at that position until 1892. Afterwards, he served as the judge of Malkara from 1893 to 1901. He also served in the judicial system in Jerusalem for one year; the following year he was appointed back to Malkara. He stayed in Malkara until 1906. He believed that a judge who is deciding on behalf of Sharia should not receive a salary from the government. That is why he distributed his salary to his students while he was a judge. Omar Ziyauddin Effendi had four marriages. His children from the first three marriages did not survive. He had eight children from his last wife Hafiza Khanim five of whom survived into adulthood. While he was in Malkara, he led the Tarawih prayers and recited the entire Qur'an in the prayers. He would recite the entire Qur'an in one prayer that would last about six hours. When he finished the prayer, it would be the suhur time already. Even during the final days of his life, he would recite the Qur'an from memory with no difficulties whatsoever. Omar Ziyauddin Effendi moved to Istanbul in 1906. In 1908 he published a book titled Hadith-i Arba'în fî huquqi's-Salâtîn--Forty Ahadith in the Field of Governing. The book was written in defense of the Caliphate and the Ottoman rulers. In 1909, he was accused of involvement in the "March 31 Event" and having connections with Ittihad-î Muhammedî Society and Dervish Wahdeti. The military court sentenced him to confinement to a fortress for the rest of his life. Some time later, his punishment was modified and he was exiled to Madina. He lived in Madina for seven months. While Omar Ziyauddin Effendi was in Madina, the governor of Egypt, Hidiv Abbas Hilmi Pasha, dreamed about Prophet Muhammad. In the repeated dreams, Prophet Muhammed instructed him to provide protection for Hafiz Omar who was in Madina. Abbas Hilmi Pasha brought Omar Ziyauddin Effendi to Egypt and treated him with honor. Omar Ziyauddin Effendi lived in the palace of Abbas Hilmi Pasha and served as an imam and instructor at the palace. He lived there for about ten years. Meanwhile the First World War was going on. The British rulers imprisoned Omar Ziyauddin Effendi. After the General Amnesty of April 14, 1912, he was released from jail. He applied to the Shaikh-ul Islam's office for a position. He was turned down because of his book published earlier. After a long period of struggles, in 1919, he was appointed as an instructor at Dârul-Khilâfet'il-Aliyye Madrasa, Khilafiyyat (Contoversial Rulings) Department. In the following year, he was appointed to teach in the Hadith Department of the same madrasa. Omar Ziyauddin Effendi became the postnishin of the Gumush-khanewi Dargah upon the death of Shaikh Ismail Nejati Effendi KS. As the third deputy of Hadrat Gumush-khanewi, he maintained the Ramuz-ul Ahadith discourses. Omar Ziyauddin Effendi refused the position of Shaikh-ul Islam that was offered to him by the last Ottoman Sultan Vahiduddin in person. Omar Ziyauddin Effendi said, "In an occupied Muslim country, the position of jurisdiction (fatwa) could not be occupied." Shaikh Omar Ziyauddin Effendi passed away on Thursday, November 30, 1920. He was seventy-three years old. He died in the Gumush-khanewi Dargah. His grave is in the graveyard of Sulaymaniya Mosque. May Almighty Allah bless his soul. 
Grave of Omar Ziyauddin Dagistani Effendi QS Omar Ziyauddîn Effendi KS has many works in Turkish, Arabic and Daghistan languages. Here are some of his works: Mewlid-i Sharif: This is a poem written in Lezgi (Circassian) language. It describes the birth and character of Prophet Muhammad. It consists of one thousand couplets. It is popular in the Daghistan region. Qisas-i Anbiya: This is also a long poem, in the dialect of the tribe of Shaikh Shamil, telling the stories of the prophets. It was printed in Daghistan. Mewlid, Mi'raj wa Mu'jizat: This book describes the birth, the ascension and the miracles of the Prophet. It was printed in Edirne. Fatawa-i Omariyya bi-Tariqatil-Aliyye: This book answers questions regarding certain practices in the tariqa. It was translated into Turkish and printed by Seha in Istanbul. Here is a list of his works: 1. Sunan-i Aqwali'n-Nabawiyya mina'l-Ahadith'il-Bukhariyya 2. Zubdatul Bukhari 3. Es'ila and Awjiba fî Ilmi'l Hadith 4. At-Tashilatu'l-Atira fi'l-Qiraati'l-Ashara 5. Metn-i Aqaid Tarjama 6. Adâbu'l-Qur'an 7. Mawhiba-i Bârî Tarjama-i Bukhari 8. Mu'jizat-i Nabawiyya 9. Zubdatul Bukhâri Terjumesi 10. Zawaidu'z-Zebidî 11. Mir'ât-i Qanun-i Esâsî The works of Omar Ziyauddîn Effendi were on Hadith, the life of the Prophet, and the recitation of the Qur'an. He was one of those exceptional persons who kept the knowledge and tariqa, the fiqh and Tasawwuf, together. Due to his widespread popularity with his works on Tasawwuf, his works were printed and distributed in Istanbul, Daghistan, Egypt, Trabzon and Edirne. The following passage is from his book Fatawa-i Omariyya bi-Tariqatil-Aliyye, which has answers for some questions about Tasawwuf and tariqas. Question: What is tariqa? Is there any difference between tariqa and Sharia? Is it possible to have tariqa without Sharia? Answer: According to the creed of Ahl-i Sunnah wal Jamâah, there are four sources of Islamic jurisprudence: The Qur'an, the Sunnah, the consensus of the Ummah, and the comparison by scholars. Tariqa means upholding these sources, fulfilling the obligations and Sunnah of the Prophet without missing any of them, abandoning unpleasant manners and character, improving the code of conduct, and spending time in remembrance of Allah, the thought of Allah and voluntary worship for Allah. There is no difference or contradiction between the tariqa and the Sharia. Tariqa without Sharia is tantamount to disbelief. Question: What is Rabita-i sharif? What is its significance? Answer: Rabita is affection or love towards Allah, His beloved Prophet, and awliyaullah. The relationship between rabita and love is like the relationship between dhikr-i lazim and irade-i melzumî (presence of one requires the presence of the other one). A person relates himself to his beloved in love by imagining the person, the beauty, character, attributes, actions and the looks of the person. Rabita is something like that. It is a connection by heart that originates from love in the heart. This is present in every believer in varying intensity because every believer has some love for the Prophet and the four caliphs that came after him. Literally, rabita means to increase, to reinforce, to strengthen, to tie, to bind, and to connect. When a person has a bond in his heart, a spiritual connection with his beloved, his shaikh, the Prophet, and Almighty Allah, and when he establishes a true bond, then love and affection emerge between the person and the one to whom he is connected. The visualization or the thought of the beloved gives pleasure to the dervish as he advances. Thus one who is on the spiritual path can seek help from the one to whom he is connected in rabita. He will seek solutions for his problems and benefit from their illuminated and blessed lives. He asks for himmet, help and guidance, from them in the path to Allah. While he is away from them, he would keep his rabita and act as though he is in their presence. Thus he distances himself from evil and makes progress in the spiritual path. This is the true meaning of rabita. There is a rabita of love in the hearts of believing men and women towards Allah, His Prophet, and His beloved servants (awliyaullah). Depending on their affection, love and abilities, the presence of this bond is natural and required. We can observe this in the lives of the companions of the Prophet. Every believer must connect his heart to the heart of the Prophet with a link of light. He should try to receive inspiration and enlightenment from the Prophet through that link. When we sit during the prayer and recite at-tahiyyat prayer, we could imagine the Prophet. This would be rabita, too. On this Imam Ghazzali wrote in his Ihyâu Ulum'id-Dîn: "When you recite at-tahiyyat prayer, imagine the Prophet and say 'As-salâmu alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullàhi wa barakâtuhû.' Also imagine that your greeting has reached the Prophet and he responded: 'Wa alaykumus-salâm wa rahmatullàhi wa barakâtuhû.'" The rabita that originates from love and affection occurred naturally in the hearts of the sahaba (the companions of the Prophet), the tâbi'în (those who saw the companions), and the taba-i tâbi'în (those who saw the tâbi'în). There was no need to remind them about rabita. Due to the long time that has passed since the time of the Prophet, and due to the tarnish in people's hearts, the love for the Prophet decreased. That is why the spiritual guides have been obliged to remind their disciples about rabita and explain them how to establish rabita. The caliphs, the spiritual guides, requested their disciples to clean their hearts, abandon unnecessary occupations and thoughts, and engage in spiritual matters and values. They also asked them to work on rabita to increase love and affection among them. Such bonds would ensure the continuity of love and affection. These bonds are also called rabita because the love and affection bind the heart of the lover to the beloved and form a spiritual connection between them. Question: Is bay'ah (pledging allegiance) lawful and Sunnah for women as it is for men? Answer: It is not only lawful but also preferred for women to pledge allegiance [to a spiritual leader] because women and men have the same responsibility in carrying out the orders of Allah and avoiding the prohibitions. On the day of the liberation of Makkah, the following verse was revealed: "O Prophet, when believing women come to thee, swearing allegiance to thee upon the terms that they will not associate with Allah anything, and will not steal, neither commit adultery, nor slay their children, nor bring a calumny they forge between their hands and their feet, nor disobey thee in any decent matter; then accept their pledge and ask Allah's forgiveness for them. Allah is All-forgiving, All-compassionate." (Qur'an 60:12) For the continuation of the social life, woman and man compensate one another. Although there are some responsibilities such as administration and jihad that are specifically for men, women and men are equally responsible for the orders and prohibitions of Shariah. Almighty Allah has promised that He will reward both men and women with Paradise if they uphold His orders and stay away from His prohibitions. He has also warned both men and women that they would go to hellfire if they neglected their responsibilities. Bibliography Ahmed Ziyaüddin Gümüşhanevî, Râmûzül-Ehâdîs, Trans. Abdülaziz Bekkine, c.1, s.11 Baglan Süleyman Zeki, "Ömer Ziyaüddin Dağıstânî Üzerine Yusuf Ziya Binatlı ile Röportaj," Büyük Islam ve Tasavvuf Önderleri Ans., s.327-336, Istanbul 1993. Gündüz, Irfan, "Dagistanli Ömer Ziyaüddin Efendi", Allah Dostlari, c.9, s.311-314, Istanbul 1996. Gündüz, Irfan, Ahmed Ziyaüddin Gümüşhanevî, s.148-153, Istanbul 1984. Hüseyin Vassaf, Sefînetü'l-Evliyâ, c.2, s.189-190. Ömer Ziyaüddin Dagistânî, Fetevâ-yı Ömeriye, (Tasavvuf ve Tarikatlarla Ilgili Fetvalar), Trans. Irfan Gündüz-Yakup Çiçek, s.9-10, 41-43, 84-85, 147-148, Istanbul Solakoglu, Cemil, Tezkiretü'l-Evliyâ Tercümesi Eki, s.334-336, Istanbul 1983. |