Poet
(b. ?,
The
original name of Mevlid, which is a work on the love of the
prophets, was Vesiletü'n-Necât (The
Salvation Path). Mevlid, which was completed in 1409, consists of around
eight hundred couplets in the meter “fâilâtün fâilâtün fâilâtün” in the mesnevi
(rhymed couplet) style and with a very pure Turkish. The six sections that form
the book are Münacat (Rogation to
God), Veladet (The Birth of our
Prophet), Risalet (The Coming of the
First Revelation), Mi'rac (The
Miracle of the Prophet’s Ascent to Heaven),
Rıhlet (His Death) and Dua (The Forgiving of Sin, the salvation wish of Muhammad).
Although hundreds of mevlids (long prayer and thanksgiving to God)
had been written up to the 15th century, none of them was shown as much
interest as Süleyman Çelebi’s work. Mevlid,
which Süleyman Çelebi wrote
with a lyrical language and a great intimacy, has become the Islamic literary
work that Muslim Turks have read the most for centuries. Still, it is read
especially on the birthday of the Prophet (12 Rebiülevvel), other religious
days, circumcisions, marriages and memorial ceremonies. On some religious days,
Mevlid is broadcast live from mosques
on Turkish radio and TV. The scientific publications of Mevlid: Süleyman Çelebi -
Vesiletü'n-Necât (Süleyman Çelebi-The Salvation Path, by Prof. Ahmet
Ateş, published by the Turkish Language Association, 1954); Mevlid (by Prof. Faruk Kadri Timurtaş,
from the 1000 Foundation Works series published by the Ministry of National
Education, 1970).
REFERENCE: Yahya Benekay / Yaşayan Mevlidi Şerif (1964), Necla
Pekolcay / Mevlid - İslamî Türk Edebiyatı (1967), Faruk Kadri Timurtaş /
Mevlid-Süleyman Çelebi (1970), Bursalı Mehmet Tahir / Osmanlı Müellifleri II
(1972), Tayyip Okiç / Çeşitli Dillerde Mevlidler ve Süleyman Çelebi Mevlid’inin
Tercemeleri (Atatürk Üniversitesi İslamî İlimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 1975),
Ahmet Kabaklı / Türk Edebiyatı (c. 2, 1978), Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda
İsimler Sözlüğü (18. bas. 1999), Şükran Kurdakul / Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü
(gen. 6. bas. 1999), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - Türkiye
Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) – Encyclopedia of Turkish Authors (2005) -
Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi
(2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) – Ünlü Edebiyatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi,
C. 4, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013).