Şeyhülislâm Musa Kâzım

Scholar and writer (b. 1858, Tortum / Erzurum - d. 1920, Edirne). He began receiving education at his hometown and later took private lessons from famous scholars in Balıkesir and İstanbul (1888). He worked as a professor at Fatih Mosque and among his students were famous writers such as Muallim Naci and Ahmed Mithat Efendi. After 1900, he gave lectures at the School of Law, Galatasaray High School, İstanbul University and the Teacher Training School. Meanwhile, he translated the book Vâridat (Inspirations) by Bedreddin Simaveni into Turkish. In 1907, he was appointed as the chief-secretary of inspection of publications at the office of the Grand Mufti and as a member of the council established for the same purpose. After the second declaration of the Constitutional Monarchy, he was appointed as a member of the Council of Grand Science and the Senate for the Ministry of Education. He became the Grand Mufti in 1910.

His articles were published in the reviews Sırat-ı Mustakim and İslâm. A member of the Council for Science at the Association of Union and Progress and agent of the Grand Vizier, Musa Kazım Efendi was appointed Grand Mufti three times and in 1918, during the last time he held the post, he was dismissed from his duty. After dismissal, he worked as a professor at several schools. There was a rumor that he claimed to be a freemason, and he published his declaration on this issue in 1911, to deny these claims and confirm that he was attached to the Nakşibendi order and in the service of Islam. During the years of the armistice he was tried at a court martial with other members of the Union and Progress Party and he was exiled to Edirne because of his illness (the other members were exiled to Malta). When he died, he was buried in the courtyard of the Muradiye Mosque in Edirne.

WORKS:

İslâm'da Usûl-ı Meşveret ve Hürriyet (Style of Consultation and Freedom in Islam, 1908), İslâm'da Cihad (Holy War in Islam, 1917), Sûre-i İhlas ve Alak Tefsiri (Interpretation of the of İhlas and Alak Period, 1918), Safvetü'l-Beyan fi Tefsiri'l-Kur'ân (Substantial Explanations in the Koran Commentary, 1919), Külliyat-ı Şeyhülislâm Musa Kâzım / Dinî, İçtimaî Makaleler (All Works of Musa Kazım the Grand Mufti / Religious and Social Articles, 1920), Usul-i Fıkıh (Canon Law, text book at İstanbul University), Vâridât Tercümesi (Translation of Inspirations, by Bedreddin Simaveni), Redd-i Ebâtıl (Denial of the West, from the complete works, pages 199-240), İbn Rüşd'ün Meslekî Felsefesi ve İmam Gazali ile Bazı Mesail Hakkında Münazarası (Occupational Philosophy of İbn Rüşd and His Discussions with İmam Gazali on Certain Issues, from the complete works, pages 136-196).

REFERENCE İsmail Kara / Türkiye’de İslâmcılık Düşüncesi Metinler – Kişiler (1. Cilt: 1986, s. 45-72), Ferhat Koca / Şeyhülislâm Musa Kâzım Efendi’nin Hayatı ve Fetvaları (2002), İhsan Işık / Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) - Ünlü Bilim Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 2, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013).