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THE BIOGRAPHY OF SAYYID1 'ABDUL-HAKIM-I ARWASI

 (A Talib of Sayyid Fahim-i Arwasi)
 
 

He was the greatest alim2 during the reign of the last Khalifat-ul-Muslimin Sultan Muhammad Wahid ad-din Khan. He was born in the town of Baskal'a near Van in 1281 (1865) and passed away in Ankara in 1362 (1943). During the time when communists, freemasons, Wahhabis, apostates, Rafidis, unbelievers and Christians were attacking Islam with all their publications, propaganda, imperial powers and wealth in order to deprive Muslim children of their faith, he protected the Ahl as-Sunnat3 with his lectures, sermons and books against annihilation and, with his appropriate expertise, he cleared away the poisonous lies that had been imposed upon the youth. He suffered terrible difficulties and oppression for this way (rahima- hullahu ta'ala). 'Abdulhakim Effendi's father, Khalifa Mustafa Effendi, was from Sakitan village of Yuksekova, a town of Hakkari (an Eastern Anatolian city).

 Sayyid 'Abdurrahman, the great grandfather of 'Abdulhakim Effendi, was the son of Sayyid 'Abdullah. Sayyid 'Abdullah is (buried) at the head-side of Sayyid Fahim in Arwas. When Sayyid 'Abdullah died, for continuation of the Arwasi family, Sayyid 'Abdurrahman's mother persuaded him to get married. He had five sons namely Tahir, 'Abdurrahim, Lutfi, 'AbdulHamid and Muhammad. Sayyid Tahir was the governor of Basra. Sayyid 'Abdurrahim died in 1200 [1786]. He, his son al-hajj Ibrahim and his grandson 'Abdulaziz are (buried) at Ahmad Hani tomb in Dogu Bayazid. Three children of 'Abdulaziz Effendi are Muhammad Amin and 'Omar Effendis and Sayyidat Khadija. The children and grandsons of each of them were a treasure enriched with religious and worldly information. Muhammad Amin Effendi had four sons. Their names were Abdulaziz, 'AbdulQadir, 'Abdulhakim and Mahmud Effendis. Ahmad Effendi, son of 'Abdulhakim Effendi, died in Istanbul on the last day of 1988 [1409] when he was a columnist of Turkiye daily newspaper.

 Sayyid 'Abdurrahman was the murshid-i akmal (perfect murshid) of his time. Thousands of lovers of Allahu ta'ala would attend his sohbat (preaching) and attain faid. He would send letters of advice to far countries. His letters in the Persian language to amir Sharafaddin 'Abbasi, one of Irisan amirs, are very valuable. In one of these letters he conveys his salams and makes duas (prayer) for Muhammad Karim Khan, Mustafa and Faizullah begs. Sharafaddin Beg added the following lines to another letter of his: (Mawlana sent this letter to this faqir [he means himself] in 1192 [1778]. He declares that patience is necessary against troubles and explains the value of patience. After a couple of months, my father 'Abdullah han beg died. Mawlana's karamat should be understood from this.) Sayyid 'Abdurrahman is buried in Hoshab.

 Sayyid Lutfi Effendi had eleven sons.

 Sayyid Lutfi Effendi's first son was 'AbdulGhani, whose son was Mir Haj, whose son was 'Abdurrahman, whose son was Muhammad Said Effendi. Second son of Lutfullah Effendi was 'Abdulghaffar Effendi, whose son was Sharif, whose son was Muhammad Shafiq Effendi. Third son of Lutfullah Effendi was Muhammad, who was step father of Hadrat Sayyid Fahim. His son was Tahir, whose son was Rasul, whose son was 'Abdullah Effendi.

 Fourth son of Lutfullah Effendi was Rasul Effendi. His fifth son Sayyid Sibghatullah Effendi was a disciple of Sayyid Taha-i Hakkari. His son was Jalal-ad-din, whose son was 'Ali, whose son was Salahaddin Effendi. His two sons Kamuran Inan and Zaynalabidin Inan became Bitlis Senators and parlimentarians.

 His sixth son was Jamaluddin, whose son was Abdulmajid, whose son was Sadullah, whose son was Muhyiddin, whose son was 'Abdurrahman, whose son was Lutfullah, whose son was Nurullah Effendi.

 AbdulHamid Effendi had two sons, one of them was molla Safi, whose grandson was AbdulHamid Effendi. His second son was hadrat Sayyid Fahim-i Arwasi, "quddisa sirruh".

 Sayyid Muhammad had seven sons and a daughter named Hamida Hanim. Hamida Hanim was the wife of Hurrem Beg of Timur descent. She had three sons named Salih, Mamduh and Said. Said Beg's two descendants were Tawfiq Beg and Amina Hanim. Amina Hanim is the first wife of Makki Effendi. His second wife was Afifa Hanim. First son of Sayyid Muhammad was Mahmud Effendi. He had three daughters named Zubaida, Maryam and Asma. Asma Hanim was the first wife of 'Abdulhakim Effendi and was very devout and pious. His second wife was Aisha Hanim who was the granddaughter of Sayyid Fahim-i Arwasi "quddisa sirruh". She was the mother of Ahmad Makki and Munir Effendis. His third wife was Aisha Hanim who was called Nine (grandma) Hanim and the forth wife was Badriya Hanim. His fifth wife Maida Hanim died in Istanbul in May 1396 [1976].

 Sayyid Muhammad's second son was Muhyiddin Effendi. He had two sons and two daughters. Of his daughters, Beyaz Hanim was Faruq Beg's mother and Zaliha Hanim was 'Abdurrahim Zapsu's mother. The sons were Hasan and Mustafa Effendis. Hasan Effendi had seven sons and seven daughters, of them four sons died as children. The fifth son Mazhar Effendi was the husband of Nasibe Hanim. The sixth son Muhyiddin Effendi died in Ankara. The seventh son Najmaddin Effendi was a member of the Court of Appeal. He was the husband of Naima Hanim and son-in-law of Ahmad Effendi. His daughters, Nine (grandma) Aisha Hanim was Abdulhakim Effendi's; Dilbar Hanim was Taha Effendi's wife; Fatima Hanim was Sayyid Ibrahim Effendi's and Sabiha Hanim was Abdullah Beg's wive.

 Mustafa Effendi had nine sons and two daughters. The first son was Sayyid Abdulhakim Effendi. The second was Ibrahim Effendi, the third Taha effendi, the fourth Abdulqadir Effendi, the fifth Shamsaddin Effendi, the sixth Ziyaddin Effendi, the seventh Yusuf Effendi, the eighth Mahmud Effendi, the ninth Kasim Effendi. Abdulhakim Effendi was the eldest and died the latest. Three grandsons of Abdulqadir Effendi, Zaynalabidin, Badraddin and Fahraddin are alive. Shamsaddin Effendi had one son and two daughters. One of them, Afifa Hanim, was the wife of Makki Effendi. The other daughter, Nazifa Hanim, died in March 1986. Her son, virtuous Jamal Effendi, was the imam and Hatib (preacher) in Kirazli mosque in Istanbul and had a deep and unequelled learning on Jalaladdin-i Rumi's Masnawi. He died in Istanbul in 1396 [1976]. Son of Yusuf Effendi, Sayyid Faruq Ishaq, was the head of Court of Accounts and a Senator of Van province. He died in Ankara in 1972. Two sons of Faruq Beg, Sayyid Nawzad and Sayyid Ruchan are alive and have sons. Sayyid Ruchan was appointed to the counsellorship of Labor ministry in 1391 [1971]. Mahmud Effendi's mother was Maryam Hanim. All of his other brothers and sisters are the children of Hano Hanim.

 Mahmud Effendi's daughter is Ruqayya Hanim. The first daughter of Mustafa Effendi, Mu'tabar Hanim, was the wife of Said Beg of Timur descent and was both paternal aunt and mother-in-law of Ahmad Makki Effendi. She died in 1341 and was buried in Edirnekapi cemetery. His second daughter was Rabi'a Hanim.

 The third son of Sayyid Muhammad was Nuraddin Effendi He had two sons named Ma'jid Effendi and Ali Effendi. Majid Effendi's son Izzat Beg was the husband of Nafiya Hanim and he died in Van in 1981. He had four children. Sayyid Muhammad's fourth son was Ahmad Effendi. He had three sons named Ubaid, Shawkat and Shihabuddin.

 Sayyid Muhammad's fifth son was Hamid Pasha. He had four sons, Ahmad, Abdullah, Fahmi and Ibrahim, and three daughters, Nafiya, Nasiba and Aisha. Of them Sayyid Ibrahim Arwas was the son-in-law of Abdulhakim Effendi and served as M.P. of Van for years. He died in Ankara in 1965. His son was Sayyid Siddiq and daughters were Gulsum and Hamiyyat. Sayyid Ahmad was the son-in-law of Muhammad Siddiq Effendi and was the father of Naima Hanim. Muhammad Siddiq Effendi was a grandson of hadrat Sayyid Taha, that is, the son of Sayyid 'Ubaidullah and a brother of martyr Abdulqadir Effendi. Nafiye Hanim was the wife of Izzat Beg, Nasiba Hanim of Mazhar Effendi, Aisha Hanim of Muhammad Mathum Effendi.

 Sayyid Muhammad's sixth son was Husain Effendi. He had four sons, Jalal, Alaaddin, Sayyid Ghazi and Bahaddin. Sayfaddin Beg, son of Jalal Effendi, was the husband of Ruqayya Hanim and the father of Aydin and Jalal Effendies and Laila Hanim. Aydin Beg was elected M.P. of Van from Anavatan Party in 1983. His sons Junaid, Malih Ruchan, Fatih and Murad Effendis are being raised as worthy successors.

 The seventh son of Sayyid Muhammad is Yusuf Effendi.

 Sayyid 'Abdulhakim Effendi had three sons and two daughters. Of them Anwar and Shafi'a was of Asma Hanim. Shafi'a Hanim was Salih Beg's wife and died in Musul during migration. Also, Anwar died in Eskishehir in 1336 [1918] while migrating. His second son virtuous Ahmad Makki Uchishik (Isik) Effendi, deeply learned in religious knowledge from arabic and persian books and from his father, died in Istanbul in 1387 [1967]. He was buried in Baglum cemetery. With his dependable fatwas, he was a blessed personage whose equal is hard to find all over the world. He educated many mature and valuable religious men. He used to provide medicine for illnesses of the seekers of science and the spiritual realm. Allahu ta'ala honored and blessed the city of Istanbul and the whole Islamic world with his sacred presence. Sayyid Ahmad Makki Effendi had four sons, Bahik, Baha, Madani and Hikmat and a daughter, Zahida. Each is archetype of conscience and virtue. His grandsons, Taha Uchishik (Isik), Fahim and Muhammad Effendis and his daughter Shafi'a Hanim are being raised as gems. The third son of Abdulhakim Effendi "quddisa sirruh", Sayyid Munir Effendi worked for years in the sales department in the Istanbul municipality and attracted the respect and love of his fellow associates with his honesty, studiousness and beautiful manners. He passed away in 1399 [1979]. He was buried in Baglum cemetery.

 In the Rajab month of 1332 [1914], Sayyid 'Abdulhakim Effendi migrated from Bashkala. He came to Istanbul in 1337. He first settled in the Yazili Madrasa at Ayyub Sultan and later in the Murtada Effendi Tekkesi on Gumussuyu Hill. While giving sermons at various mosques and teaching at the Vefa High school and the Sulaimaniyya Madrasa in the Sultan Salim Mosque, he began propagating Islam, silencing and subduing the enemies of Islam. In the firman (Sultan's order) dated-8th-of Dhu'l-Qada, 1337 [August 5, 1919], he was appointed a mudarris (senior professor) at the highest madrasa, the University-level Madrasa of Sulaimaniyya. The firman said:

 "Appointed for the following vacant posts at Dar al-Khilafat al-'aliyya Sulaimaniyya Madrasa are Dabrali Wildan Fa'iq Effendi for the mudarris-ship of al-Hadith ash-Sharif; 'Abdulhakim Effendi, one of the 'ulama' of Hakkari, for the mudarris-ship of tasawwuf; ..... and the former Hakkari representative Sayyid Taha Effendi for the mudarris-ship of al-fiqh ash-Shafi'i. For the fulfillment of this al-'iradat as-saniyya (imperial rescript), the Mashikkat al-Islamiyya (the Religious Affairs office) is charged. Muhammad Wahid ad-din."

 This firman is written on page 1484 of the Jarida-i 'Ilmiyya, 48 th issue.

 Murtada Effendi, who received fayd from Ahmad Yakdast in Makka al-Mukarrama, retired from the shipyard accounting department as head of diaries. He built a mosque in Gumushsuyu near Idris kiosk facing the sea in 1158. He died in 1160 and was buried in the wall facing the sea. His sons were also buried there. After the first imam of this mosque Abdullah-i Kashgari, his son Ubaidullah Effendi was imam for ten years. Isa Effendi, the next imam died in 1206. Salim Khan had a tomb built for him. Later the son-in-law of Abdullah Effendi, Chalabi Ubaidullah Effendi, died in 1208. At last, Sayyid 'Abdulhakim Effendi, who was the treasure of scholarly and hidden spiritual knowledge, was appointed as imam and Hatib (preacher). Till his death in 1362 [1943] he propagated Islam in this and other mosques and schools.

 Husain Hilmi effendi said, "Starting from 1347 [1929], after maintaining continuous companionship for seven years and after frequently visiting him for another seven years while I was in Ankara, did I manage to accumulate from that door [of 'Abdulhakim Effendi] all of what I possess for this world and the next. Although I was unable to study Islamic knowledge and was unaware of Islamic virtues and excellences, I attained the honor of understanding something of 'ilm (knowledge) and ikhlas (sincerity in faithfulness) with the patronage, kindness and compassion of that great wali. I saw many conscientious and curious people from all parts of the country and from abroad come and ask many things concerning knowledge and science and leave with full satisfaction concerning the answers. However, there were also those base people who came for worldly advantages or for perpetrating enmity. With his keen insight, he would immediately perceive their intentions, but, because he was gentle, compassionate and long-sighted, he would not discriminate between a friend and an enemy, treating everybody with modesty and mudara (dissimulation). Those who visited with their pure hearts and received faid4 from scholars of Islam for the sake of Allah have continued in their footsteps and lived up to the rules of Islam. Those who said that they had received faid from their doors but avoided worshipping and busied themselves with the harams5 and evils, however, are to be regarded as hypocrites and exploiters."

 The above mentioned Idris kiosk was built by Idras Hakim bin Husamaddin. A deeply learned alim of the Bayezid and Yavuz era, this person caused the submission of twenty five tribes living along the Iranian border to the Ottoman rule. Thus he contributed greatly to the Chaldiran victory. He was buried on a bank near the fountain which he had built near Bulbul rill. He died in [932]. His wife Zaynab Hatun had built a masjid near Idris Kiosk known with her name. There is Karyagdi tekke (Darwish lodge) which is located in the same area as the masjid. At the back of it, is Gumushsuyu fountain. Karyagdi tekke is also called (Colak Husain tekke). It was built by Mustafa III. Dolanci Darwish Muhammad had built a mawlawihana behind this tekke in 1230.

 Sayyid 'Abdulhakim Effendi was very profound in religious knowledge and in ma'arif6 of tasawwuf. University members, scientists and statesmen would come to ask difficult questions that they thought to be unanswerable but would go out in contentment because they would find the answers -before they would ask for them- within an hour of his sohbat (company, preaching). Those who won his tawajjuh (attention, patronage) and love would see innumerable karamat.7 He was extremely modest and unperentious. He was never heard to say, "I personally..." He said, "We would not be taken into account... We cannot understand what those superiors have written. We read them only to get blessed with them." Whereas, he, too, was an expert in the same knowledge. Husain Hilmi Effendi's father-in-law, Yusuf Ziya' Akisik, one of his intimates and the Director of the Karamursal Textile Factory, said, "I kissed the palm of 'Abdulhakim Effendi in a dream and went to his house at Ayyub Sultan to tell him about my dream the following day, I bowed to kiss his hand as we always did when we met him. He stretched forward his blessed hand, the palm facing upward, and said, 'Kiss it the way you did last night,' and, as an act of kindness, he explained many things."

 Husain Hilmi Effendi, one of those who loved 'Abdulhakim Effendi very much, narrated, "I and Rifqi Effendi, a Turkish teacher at Darussafaqa High school, went to 'Abdulhakim Effendi's house. After night prayer, he sat in silence, thinking pensively. He looked worried. After some time he said abruptly, 'Get up and leave here!' It was very unusual and we used to leave after asking permission. We wanted to kiss his hand as it was the custom when leaving, but he said, 'Hurry up! Go at once!' Rifqi Effendi ran out into the garden and then into the street. I stopped in the garden to tie my shoelaces. Someone approached me and said, 'Why you're still here! Go at once!' I looked up and saw it to be 'Abdulhakim Effendi.' said I was tying my shoelaces. He said I should do it in the street. I jumped out and tied them in the street. The following morning we heard that, a few minutes after we had left the front gate, the police entered the garden through the back gate and searched the house and took 'Abdulhakim Effendi to the police station."

 In 1349 [1931], 'Abdulhakim Effendi was taken from his house to a court-martial in Menemen. The daily papers, which were famous for their enmity against Islam, reported the news as "Shaikh 'Abdulhakim, the active commander of the Akhisar branch of the Reaction Gang, has been arrested!" As if a mountain guerilla chieftain was captured after a long fight. These papers had been filling the people all over the country with terrorism and had been spitting fire at Muslims. The concept of crime became uncertain: The houses of the Qur'an teachers were searched; Qur'anic booklets and religious books were collected and burnt. Muslims had to hide them in attics and wells. At drinking parties, the enemies of Islam yelled, "I'll pull the camel shepherd Arab Muhammad out of his grave and cut his legs off!" They were applauded enthusiastically by flatterers and sychophants. When they used up the thousand-lira notes in their pockets by sticking them on the breasts of dancing Russian girls, they began sticking bank bills. With Armenians as intermediators, they brought beautiful boys from Romania to watch them swim in covered pools. In this regard, excessive efforts were made and much confusion was caused. Because the adhan8 interrupted their pleasure, which was accompanied by music, they said that minarets should be demolished. Allahu ta'ala's commandments were trodden under foot. For example, they forced people out of Islam with such words as "My daughter! Open up your hair! Don't sit like an ogre!" The drunkards expected from one another the creation of a new religion and miracles. A document revealing how terrorism upset wisdom and hardened consciences was reported, with the purpose of educating the youth, in the daily paper Hakikat (2 Ramadan, 1390; Nov. 2, 1970, No. 195), under the heading "Our Distressful Days."

 On one of those days, when the enemies of Islam had gone too far in persecuting Muslim, the daily papers wrote the following report about those who had been hung on the preceding day: "The court's decision about 'Abdulhakim and his accomplices will be announced tomorrow." Husain Hilmi Effendi wrote the following about that day:

 "I made dhikr and prayed much that night. In fear and worry I fell asleep.. I dreamt that 'Abdulhakim Effendi and I were sitting face-to-face in the balustrade on the left side of the middle gate of the Ayyub Mosque. He was smiling. He took a white package out of the right inside pocket of his overcoat, opened it and gave me a candy. I ate it and woke up. I still feel the taste of that dream and candy. I joyfully waited for the morning to come. I bought a newspaper early and saw in large-point letters the headline: "Attorney General demanded execution, court acquitted." The court-martial's February 12, 1931-dated sentence of acquittal of 'Abdulhakim Effendi and the five people accompanying him was reported at length. I thanked Allahu ta'ala. The good news symbolized by candy in my dream came true."

 On one of the visits Husain Hilmi Effendi paid to 'Abdulhakim Effendi, he found him talking, with a man in the garden. He stood at a distance till the man left and 'Abdulhakim Effendi called him. Hilmi Effendi explains what happened afterwards:

 "I went to him and sat down respectfully. I always looked in front of me. I could not look at him in the face, and never moved my eyes. He said, 'Do you know this man? He is called Mazhar Tobur. He likes us, and we like him. But he does not listen to us. He teaches chemistry at a high school in Ankara. I advise him and tell him to do so and so. But he does not do what we say. He acts according to his own opinions. Therefore, he tires himself very much preparing the lessons beforehand and reading examination papers. His students, their parents and the school administration do not like him. If he would listen to us, he would be at ease and would be liked by everybody.' After explaining his advice, he looked at my face and said, 'Do not forget this advice of mine. When you become a teacher, remember us. Do what I say! It will be very useful for you.' But I, in recompense for this kindness and fatherly advice, made a great and disrespectful blunder, saying, 'Sir, I am a pharmacist officer and I work in hospitals. Teacher officers are different from us. They teach. We do not teach.' With this unnecessary and impolite answer, I seemed not to accept his advice. I still suffer from the harm of those words of mine. When I remember it, my eyes become tearful and my heart moans. Oh if only... I had behaved politely just for a moment, if only I had said: 'With pleasure, sir!' I wish I had not broken that blessed heart, which, no doubt, was loved much by Allahu ta'ala, a fact He manifested every moment, and which was the treasure of the faid and marifa that had emanated from Rasulullah's9 heart and traveled to the hearts of Awliya! I even now feel shame and see my baseness.

 "Fortunately, that great personage, who was filled with the attributes of mercy, patience forgiveness and benevolence from Allahu ta'ala, repeated pitifully, 'When you become a teacher, do not forget these words of mine. You will benefit from them!' Thanks to Allahu ta'ala, I said, 'With pleasure, sir!' Allahu ta'ala protected me against a second act of disrespect.

 "I was appointed to teach chemistry at the Bursa Military High school in 1366 [1947]. Later, I was appointed Director of Teaching Staff. In front of the school, I remembered word by word all the advice of 'Abdulhakim Effendi. Saying to myself, 'He foretold that I would become a teacher. He also showed how I should work in order to achieve this task,' my eyes got wet. I recited Qur'an for his blessed soul and entered the school building. I worked according to his advice until I retired in 1379 [1960]. And I am still following his advice. I have been liked by everybody. I have always won. I have lived in ease and comfort.

 "Abdulhakim Effendi did not speak for a few days before his death. The day before he passed away, his eyes were gazing vacantly and he was continuously smiling. He abruptly looked at me and said, 'I saw the 'Arsh al-ilahi (the Divine Space). How beautiful, how beautiful! I have not lost my mind, my conscience. I am explaining these consciously.'"
 



 
FOOTNOTES
  1. Sayyid: a descendant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallah alayhi wa Sallam).
  2. Alim: Muslim scholar.
  3. Ahl as-Sunnat: the true followers of (the Companions of) the Prophet. Jarida-i 'Ilmiyya Majmuasi, no. 48, p. 1484.
  4. faid: marifa .
  5. haram: act, thing, forbidden in Islam.
  6. marifa: knowledge about Allah, inspired to the hearts of awliya': pl. ma'arif.
  7. karamat: miracles Allah works through awliya'.
  8. Adhan: the call to prayer.
  9. Rasulullah: Hadrat Muhammad, the "Prophet of Allah.' (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
  10.  Salat: namaz, ritual prayer.
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