Poet, religious scholar, educator
(B. April 23, 1904, Petric/Thessaloniki- D. May 15, 1978, Istanbul). His father
was Metric Teacher Ibrahim
Adnan Efendi, and his mother Latife Hanim was
the daughter of calligrapher and teacher Haci
Ali Efendi. The surname Güzelyazıcı means
"fine writer" and it came from his calligrapher grandfather. He started his education in
Petric, with lessons received from Hodja Halil Efendi. His family migrated to Istanbul and then to
Amasya in 1912 due to Balkan Wars. He went to Pendelli primary School and
learned Qur'an from Ahmed Efendi, and mathematics from Yahya Efendi.
After a year, was located to Saray, town of Vize with his family as ‘’emigree/muhajir’’.
He completed his primary school education at Saray Ayaspasa
Primary School. At the
age of four lost his father and at the age of nine his mother; so his brother
Abdullah Hulusi Efendi became his guardian. Together with his brother and with
his cousin Asim Bey they settled to Istanbul
where he passed an examination and started with
madrasah training. In 1924, he was first enrolled at Medicine School,
but he had to quit due to monetary problems and began with Faculty of Theology.
When he was a student there, he completed the librarian courses at Suleymaniye
Library. During this time he received
private lessons from important teachers. In particularly, benefited a lot from
Foundations Minister Elmalili Kucuk Hamdi.
Some of his poems were published at
faculty journals in those years. After compling Darülfünun Faculty of Theology
in 1927 he appointed to Fatih Public Library, Pertev Pasa Section. Same year he got married, also
started to work as a Turkish teacher at Istiklal High School
and his duty at Faculty of Philosophy Education
group. He has received a great support from his teachers Abduş Efendi and
Nuzhet Efendi, both he had full respect to.
After completing military service (1932), he
began with his previous duties again and was appointed as a literature teacher
at Hayriye Highschool. In
1935 move to Vefa High School and was also appointed at Murat Molla Library. His
first daughter Hilal Cavidan was born 1934 and
second daughter Ayse Zuhal was born 1936. He lost his
daughter Hilal in 1936, and wife Hurmuz Hanim in 1937. The poem Yeter written after losing his daughter, the poetry book Mezar for his wife as a response
to Abdulhak Hamid's Makber’. After his sufferings, he was/ joined to
Haci Hasib Efendi. He entered "halvet” (seclusion) with his brother at Ibrahim
Vardar's house once, and also at another
master's house. He started to concentrate on Mysticism Serezli Haci Abdullah
Efendi was his master in Mysticism.
He was married again in 1940. Due to WW 2 called for military service
from 1941 until 1943. After disbanding, he was appointed to Suleymaniye Library
classification committee and started to teach Turkish at Zeyrek Secondary School.
In 1948 started to teach religion at the Girls' Teacher School and continued his duty until
1962. He pioneered for the establishment of Imam Hatip schools with Celal Okten
Hodja. When these schools started run he
taught interpretation, Hadith and Islamic Law. In 1950 he appointed as orator and hademe-i hayrat auditor at
Istanbul Mufti Directorate after that, transferred to expert orator
position. He started
to work as an Orator in Fatih Mosque in 1963 and continued as a honorary
Orator until 1968. Became
Istanbul Mufti in 1972 and continued with this job until his death. He also
gave speeches at Iskender Pasa Mosque before tarawih prayer. Guzelyazici has
represented Turkey at Islam
Conference in Riyadh
(1976) and presented a paper in Arabic on "Ictihad", which attracted
attention. He was buried at Sakizagacı Cemetery,
in Edirnekapı; close to his Sheikh Hasib Efendi. He had six children named Ali Siyami, Zühal, Latife, Emine
Incıla, Yahya Tayfur, Kadriye Mina.
WORKS:
POETRY: Eylül Yaprakları
(Preface: Tahir Olgun, Gönül Yolcuları adlı şiir kitabı ile birlikte, 1938).
OTHER WORKS: İnanışımın Değişmez
Metinleri (?), Din Dersleri (volume 1, 1957), Müminlere Hutbeler (2
volumes, 1970).
UNPUBLISHED WORKS: POETIC: Divan-ı
Şeref, Bahar Dalları, Perişan Çiçekler, Ayna Kırıkları, Mezar (Makber’e
nazire), Fani Gölgeler, Gönül Şafakları, Ayrılık Çiğdemleri.
PROSE: Cennatü’l İrfan fi Tefsirü’l
Kur’an (5 cilt), Hakikat Meclisleri (sermons, 3 volumes), Livâü’l
İslâm fi İlmi’l Kelâm (2 volumes), Ruh ve Söylentiler, Rüyalar -
Tabirler, Rumuzü’l Ehadis, Nurgünler ve Geceler, Ongünler ve Geceler, Muhterem
Aylar, Din Dersleri (2 volumes: İbadet ve Ahlak), Kırk Defa Kırk Hadis,
Yasin Tefsiri, Ayetü’l Kürsi Tefsiri, Usul-ü Hadis, Hac Kitabı.
REFERENCE: A. Şeref Güzelyazıcı /
Eylül Yaprakları (1938), Abdülaziz Bayındır / TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (v. 14,
1996).
