Fatma Sultan Mosque / Gumushanawi Lodge

Mustafa Feyzi Efendi From Tekirdag (r.a)

In 1887 he was given the position of “ibtida-i haric” (Head of the Madrasa), and the duty professor of Istanbul. In 1907, with the rank of “Musila-i Sahn (Head of Sahn madrasas),” he was appointed as a professor of the Sehzadebasi Ismail Pasha Madrasa. Later he was appointed as lecturer in the Huzur classes (Lessons given in the presence of the sultan) in 1910 after being awarded with the 4th Osmani and 4th Mecidi orders. He continued this duty until 1919 when the last Huzur class was held.

Mustafa Feyzi Efendi (r.a) was born in 1267/1851 in the Kiliclar Village of Tekirdag. His father, Emrullah Agha, was engaged in farming.

 Mustafa Feyzi Efendi, who began his education in his hometown, came to Istanbul in 1869 when he was 18 years old. He participated in the class circles of his brother, who is one of the Bayezid Mosque lecturers. When he was 32 years old in 1882, he completed his education and received the diploma for Ulum-i Aliyya, the general fields of Islamic sciences. In the examination of competency conducted in the same year, he proved his capability in teaching and with this certificate was authorized to teach. A year later, he began to teach in the Bayezid Mosque under the title deputy lecturer. Fifteen years later, in 1898, he succeeded in issuing his students their first ijazah (teaching certificate).

In 1887 he was given the position of “ibtida-i haric” (Head of the Madrasa), and the duty professor of Istanbul. In 1907, with the rank of “Musila-i Sahn (Head of Sahn madrasas),” he was appointed as a professor of the Sehzadebasi Ismail Pasha Madrasa. Later he was appointed as lecturer in the Huzur classes (Lessons given in the presence of the sultan) in 1910 after being awarded with the 4th Osmani and 4th Mecidi orders. He continued this duty until 1919 when the last Huzur class was held.

Mustafa Feyzi Efendi was one of the leading caliphs of Ahmed Ziyauddin-i Gumushanevi Efendi. After Dagestani Omer Ziyaduddin Efendi passed away in 1921, he assumed the duty as the guide and head of the Gümüshaneli Dervish Lodge. He continued this duty until the dervish lodges were abolished in 1925.

Mehmed Zahid Kotku, one of the caliphs of Mustafa Feyzi Efendi who gave Hadith classes for a while in Yeni (New) Mosque, narrates that Mustafa Feyzi Efendi entered into seclusion 24 times in his lifetime.

Mustafa Feyzi Efendi served as the fourth caliph of the Gumushanevi guides for five years. He trained many students and taught around 10 scholars as authorized guides. Every year he taught the entire Ramus al-hadith work.

In his last seclusion, he awarded the caliphate to Hasib Efendi from Serez, Abdülaziz (Bekkine) Efendi from Kazan, and Mehmed Zahid Efendi from Bursa. The same chain was continued by these individuals and has reached the present day.

Ibrahim Hakki Efendi from Erzurum;

Sufism; is not shaming anyone.

Sufism; is being rose, not a thorn.

Sufism; is to disappear, not to exist

And whoever comprehends this has the proof.

Mustafa Feyzi Efendi, who frequently repeated these words, passed away when he was about 75 years old on 23 Muharram 1345/1 August 1926. His tomb is beside the graves of his lodge companions in Suleymaniye Mosque. His tombstone contains the following:

Tekfurdagi Mustafa Feyzi

He took inspiration from Gumushaneli,

In the lodge that he is the leader,

His top voice has arrived immediately.

He had been knowledgeable before his acceptance.

Whoever visits his tomb is his companion,

Recite Fatiha and bestow it upon his soul.

Mehmed Zahid Kotku, one of the caliphs of Mustafa Feyzi Efendi, reports that Mustafa Feyzi Efendi recited these verses by Niyazi-i Misri during the dhikr circle;

Oh who wants cure for his affliction!

Isn’t affliction enough for you?

Oh he who wants comfort in his life!

Life is that which is sacrificed for you.

You spoil your existence,

Hardship goes away from your heart

Ruin your strangeness!

May the loved one come as a guest to you!

The capital on this path is hasty,

It will surrender, believe me,

Lie your back to Allah with trust,

See, won’t He give goodness to you?

Surrender yourself to Tawheed,

Don’t share your secret with anyone.

Keep your face towards the path of the Sheikh,

Your Sheikh is enough as a proof for you.

The loner cannot cover any distance,

He cannot find purpose in haste.

Wait at the door of knowledge,

Knowledge will show its face to you.

Put the world and afterlife first.

Put the first and the last One first.

Go and put that useless love aside,

Subhan is enough as a will for you.

Keep your love separate from your live.

And sacrifice your life for this face,

Destroy your existence,

So the loved one will exist within you.

Faults will always exist,

Honey-butter is the cure for poison.

Mountains become fruity vineyards,

The entire universe is an orchard for you.

The right path is difficult

And its lodge is very noble.

If you are not with trust,

He will not make your path easy.

If you rely upon servitude,

If you cry in the twilight time.

If you babble like fountains,

The ocean will be found quickly by you.

Become a nightingale and sing,

Place your life into the flames of love

Then the flames will become rose gardens for you.

Keep your face requesting from Haqq

Render your heart with His demands.

Keep the palace of your heart pure,

Then maybe the Sultan will visit you.

Mehmet Zait Kotku explained a story regarding Mustafa Feyzi Efendi that is a lesson to us all, which happened 30 years after his death:

“I will tell you a story that I personally wistnessed, and I hope that when I tell the story we will learn about those scholars that the soil does not decay: Once upon a time when Istanbul’s roads were being widened and the surroundings of tombs were opened, our late Tekfurdaglı Efendi, and mudarris (lecturer) of Bayezid Mosque and leader of Gumushanevi lodge Hajji Mustafa Feyzi Efendiwere buried on the kiblah side of Suleymaniye Mosque with eight or ten other tombs. The late Menderes requested that these tombs be removed and buried in the empty space at the side of the mosque, and he asked us to attend the ceremony of transferring these tombs. So we attended.. They opened the tombs. The bones from inside the tombs were placed into bags and transferred to their new graves. Then they came to the grave of our Sheikh Hajji Mustafa Feyzi Efendi. The grave was almost one meter above the ground, and some of the stones were broken and the inside of the grave was visible. Eventually, when the grave was opened, the body of Sheikh Mustafa Feyzi Efendi was totally intact and looked like it had just been buried, even his beard was intact. This was witnessed not only by us, but also by the huge crowd that attended. We actually witnessed the truth that the soil does not allow true scholars to decay. Rahmatullahi Rahmatan Wasia.”