Emîr Sultan

Emîr Sultan, whose real name was Muhammad Shams al-Dîn, was born, as reported in the sources, in the year 1368 (AH 770) in Bukhârâ. His father was Emîr Külâl, who worked as a potter and is remembered as a saint of the Naqshbandî path. He lost his mother at an early age; in his upbringing, his father's love of the Prophet, his uprightness, and the importance he gave to learning the Holy Qur'an were decisive. He was raised in the gatherings of the great masters of Sufism, performed the pilgrimage, and for a time considered remaining in Medina. According to what is related in the sources, upon a sign he had seen he turned toward Anatolia (Diyâr-ı Rûm) and finally settled in Bursa. When he married Hundî Fâtıma Sultan, the daughter of Yıldırım Bâyezîd, he came to be known by the title 'Emîr Sultan'; in reference to his birthplace and his sayyid lineage he was also called Bukhârî and Emîr Bukhârî. He raised many students in Bursa; according to tradition, figures such as Hacı Bayrâm-ı Velî and Molla Fenârî attended his gatherings. He cautioned his students against worldly ambition and counseled struggle against the lower self and avoidance of ostentation. Many miracles (karâmât) are related concerning him in the sources; among these are counted the revival of withered gardens through his prayer, his written prayers that brought healing to the sick, and his spiritual aid during the construction of the Grand Mosque (Ulu Câmi). He died of the plague in Bursa in the year 1430 (AH 833); in accordance with his testament, his funeral prayer was led by Hacı Bayrâm-ı Velî. He was buried on an elevated place on the eastern side of Bursa, and this quarter came to be called by his name.