Fatma Sultan Mosque / Gumushanawi Lodge

Abdullah Hasib (Helper) Efendi was born in Serez in 1280/1863. His father was Ali Efendi, the son of Halis Efendi, also known as “muavin”, and who was the imam of the Atik Mosque in Serez; he was also a teacher and deputy principal of the Serez High School. Ali Efendi is buried in Jeddah.

After completing his secondary education at the Serez High School, Hasib Efendi came to Istanbul and continued his education in Mahmud Aga Madrasa in Çarşamba, Fatih. After a ten-year stay here, in 1310/1893 he received a certificate to teach from Hajji Shakir Efendi from Tokat. Ahmed Ziyauddin-i Gumushanevi was also present at the ceremony.

In the meantime, he devoted himself to Hasan Hamdi Efendi from Sandikli.

He received Tashih al-Huruf (Correction of the Articulation of Arabic letters) education from famous head Imam of Fatih Mosque, Arab Hodja from Filibe, and his works on this topic are still known and cited as sources by scholars.

He received the certificate for Qiraat sciences (recital),which he classified as a necessity in becoming a master of the Qur’an, from Hajji Nuri Efendi, who was the Reis il-Kurrâ (Head of Hafizes) of that time.

Although he was among the distinguished in his religious profession and had the highest qualifications, possibly due to concerns regarding fame and reputation he preferred to be an imam, which is the most modest group in his profession.

He returned to Serez and served at the Atik Mosque, where his father also worked as an Imam. There he gave lessons on Bukhari and taught many students and hafizes.

Hasib Efendi, who was also interested in the art of calligraphy, owned some famous pieces of calligraphy art.

In 1924, he returned to Istanbul and settled in the Eyup Sultan district. In the meantime, he met Abdulaziz (Bekkine) Efendi and Mehmed Zahid Efendi. Then, he began attending the lessons of his guide Mustafa Feyzi Efendi from Tekirdag, from whom he gained extensive knowledge.

When Abdulaziz Efendi took Hasib Efendi to the dergah(sufi lodge) and introduced him to Mustafa Feyzi Efendi, he complemented him saying;

“Now you have brought a timber with a beautiful grain.”

Hasib Efendi (Rh.a), used to walk every morning from his home in the district of Eyup Sultan, to the Fatma Sultan Mosque that was formerly called Bab-i Ali, which is located immediately beside the Governorate of Istanbul today to follow the lessons of Mustafa Feyzi Efendi. After a while he began to serve in the same mosque and settled in the lodgings of the mosque.

Following his duty in Fatma Sultan Mosque, he served as imam-hatip in Sehzadebasi Damat İbrahim Pasa Mosque. In the meantime, he purchased a house in Mahmutpasa district and moved there. In the last days of his life he served as the preacher of the Grand Bazaar Mosque.

He had seventeen children from four wives, but only one of them survived.

Hajji Hasib Efendi, who performed hajj (pilgrimage) four times in his lifetime, was a tall, white-bearded, radiant-faced, very gentle and blessed person. In the same way that he was an expert in positive sciences, he was also an eminent figure of his time in spiritual sciences. Aziz Efendi, who assumed his duty as head of Gumushanevi Dervish Lodge, cited words from “Qutb al-Akhtab” (Master of masters) for him in the Hatm al-Hajigan (prayer nights) he organized after Hasib Efendi’s death.

Every Monday night, Hasib Efendi held Hatm al-Haje at his house. But this never continued until morning. Hasib Efendi who was extremely careful in complying with the sunnah, disapproved of sitting for long periods after the Isha prayer.

After fasting for forty years - except the days it is forbidden to fast- he said:

” Now we are old, so we changed it to Savm-i Davud… “(fasting alternate days)

For many years Hasib Efendi, held sermons on Ramuz al-Ahadith in Bayezid Mosque every Wednesday after Dhuhr prayers. The speeches he gave with his local accent left a deep impression on the audience.

One day, one of his followers was attempting to manipulate a question concerning the issue of riba (interest). "Can it be done like this, is it possible like this?" Hasib Efendi replied ; "Of course you can do it like that, but it would be haram."

Hasib Efendi had a spiritual connection to hearts and dreams. His visible miracles were explained by those who had great admiration for him.

One of his followers, who was a student at that time related;

“I went to his house at a time when my exams were approaching. I sat next to him. I thought to myself “If only Hodja would ask me about my studies and I could ask him to pray for me.” At that moment, he was explaining something else and he stopped talking and asked me where I was studying and if I was ready for my exams. I said, “I am ready for the exam.” Then he said “In sha Allah you will pass your exam. Sometimes I make dua for people and they pass their exams. However, this is not from me, this is from Allah, only from Allah!” and he began to cry.

One evening, while Hasib Efendi was walking with a fabric merchant, a drunken person came over to them with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. He could barely walk and held out the bottle to Hasib Efendi and asked;

“Tell me hodja! Is Allah in this bottle?” Hasib Efendi replied;

“My dear son, He is wherever you search for Him.” After a while, the same drunk person joined the congregation of the Grand Bazaar Mosque where Hasib Efendi served.

Hasib Efendi would say;

“The true path is a holy light that descends to the heart, it is a mercy. That mercy will soften the heart like water softens a barren land. The heart opens itself to the right word and it immediately accepts that word. Just like the softened soil captures the seed and begins to flourish.”

Hasib Efendi (rh.a), had prostate surgery in the final stage of his life. He was ill in bed and his pain and suffering was unbearable. His last words were; “O My Lord! Take Your entrustment, I am now in a state that is causing inconvenience to those around me, then he submitted his soul.

He departed from this life at the age of 86, on the night of 15 May 1949, and he was buried in Edirnekapi, Sakızagaci Cemetery.

This is a chapter of one of his Na’ats (poem praising the Prophet) that he recited while in seclusion;

You revealed your beauty to me,

Then you made me hear your nice words,

Then you closed the veil and deprived me of your magnificence,

The purpose of Hasib is only to be honored with your beauty,

He came to your vision, Shafaat oh Rasulallah!

If he goes to heaven, I will be the friend of friends,

If he puts me in the fire, my sin is my uproar,

My tears will pour on the earth, and my screams will ascend to the heavens,

The main desire of Hasib is to see the beauty of Allah.

He came begging to you, Shafaat oh Rasulallah!

One day Aziz Efendi asked Hasib Efendi in a conversation;

O Hodja! If a sheikh passed away, would his influence on his disciples reduce or disappear? Hasib Efendi replied: No, it does not disappear! On the contrary, they say that the death of the sheikh becomes sharper like the unsheathed sword for the dervishes.