Interpreter (b. 1878, Elmalı / Antalya
- d. 27 May 1942, İstanbul). He was one of the elitist Islamic scholars had
been risen in the last periods of the Ottomans and the early periods of the
Turkish Republic. He attended his primary and secondary school educations and
completed the introduction of the Islamic knowledge in Elmalı and came to the
İstanbul in 1895. He took lectures and permissions from Kayserili Hamdi Efendi
in İstanbul Beyazıt Madrasah Muslim School. Because his lecturer was known as
the "Büyük Hamdi Efendi" (Great Hamdi Efendi), he was known as
"Küçük Hamdi Efendi" (Little Hamdi Efendi). He finished the School of
Judges with a first
student degree in 1905 and starting from this date to Second Constitutional Monarchy
Period, he gave various lectures in Bayezid Mosque, Süleymaniye Madrasah Muslim
School, School of Politics and School of Judges. He has charged a
duty in the Correspondence Office of Sheikh-ul-islam. He promoted to lecturer
in 1908. He selected as Antalya Deputy of the Ottoman Constitional Assembly
after the deceleration of Second Constitutional Monarchy Period. He wrote fatwa
about the necessity of withdrew the throne of Abdülhamit II. In that period, he
served as member and president of the Supreme Council of Consultation of
Sheikh-ul-islam (1918), the Minister of the Government Department in
Control of Estates in Mortmain of the Damad Ferid Paşa Government for two times
(1919) and as
Senator. He served in the science department of Committee of Union and
Progress. When
the Republic was established, he was sentenced of death in absentia, because of
serving in the cabinets of Damat Ferit Paşa and of being responsible about the
decisions of the government. But he was acquitted in Ankara Independence Courts.
After that, he returned to İstanbul and retired in the obscurity, he only dealt
with completing his works. He wrote an
expanded Hukuk Kamusu (Dictionary of Law)
with the encouragement of Prince Abbas Halim Paşa and his famous Kur'an Tefsiri (Interpretation of Koran)
which was suggested him to write. His
grave is in Sahrayı Cedid Graveyard. His articles were published in the reviews
Beyânul-Hak, Sırat-ı Müstakim ve Sebilürreşad.
WORKS:
İrşâdu'Ahlaf fi Ahkâmi'l-Evkaf (Text Book of School
of Politics, 1911), Tahlil-i Tarih-i
Felsefe-Metâlib ve Mezahib-Maba'de't-Tabia ve Felsefe-i İlahiyye (Study of
History of Philosophy and Divine Philosophy, translation From: Paul
Janet-Gabriel Seailles, 1926,
in Latin Letters, 1978), Hak Dini Kur'an Dili-Yeni Mealli Türkçe Tefsir (The Religion of
God, the Language of Koran and New Turkish Interpretation, 9 Volume, 1935-39).
REFERENCE: Ebül’ulâ Mardin / Huzûr Dersleri (1966), İsmail
Kara / Türkiye’de İslâmcılık Düşüncesi (c. 1, s. 407-436, 1986), İsmet Ersöz /
Elmalılı Mehmed Hamdi Yazır ve Hak Dini Kur’an Dili (doktora tezi, Selçuk
Üniversitesi SBE, 1986), Vehbi Vakkasoğlu / Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır
(Tercüman, 29 Nisan-2 Mayıs 1987), Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır Sempozyumu
(tebliğler, 1993), Yusuf Şevki Yavuz / TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (c. 11, 1995, s.
57-62), Vehbi Vakkasoğlu / Osmanlıdan Cumhuriyete İslâm Âlimleri (2002), İhsan Işık / 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
Bilim Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 2, 2013) - Encyclopedia of
Turkey’s Famous People (2013).