Molla Ayas

The dates of Molla Ayas's birth and death are not known with certainty; the sources indicate that it is understood he passed away in the second half of the fifteenth century. He began his pursuit of knowledge by taking lessons from Mehmed Çelebi, the son of the qadi of Ayasoluk, and at that time he studied together with Hocazâde Muslihuddîn Bursavî. He was appointed by Sultan Murad II to the duty of tutoring the prince Mehmed, who would later become Fâtih Sultan Mehmed (Mehmed the Conqueror). Afterward he advanced his learning as a student of Tâcüddîn İbrâhim Karamânî. He spent the greater part of his life in Bursa and passed away there. The sources state that it is surmised he was buried in the Zeynîler cemetery; for this reason there is no definite information about the exact place of his burial. It is related that throughout his scholarly life he trained many students, and even covered the living expenses of his students himself. It is noted that he wrote glosses (hâşiye) on various books and made corrections (tashih) on texts, and that he also gave counsel to the people, directing them toward religious knowledge. Although detailed biographical records about him are limited, he is remembered as a scholar who contributed to the scholarly and guidance (irshad) activities of his era.