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One of the scholars and shaykhs of the Taşkesenli, a Naqshbandi shaykh family well known in and around Erzurum; he served as mufti and preacher and was known as the “mufti of Horasan”. The family's Sufi chain reaches the Khalidiyya branch of the Naqshbandiyya. His grandfather Shaykh Ahmed Efendi (1848-1909), who gave the family its name, had been sent to Erzurum for spiritual guidance (1893) and came to be called Taşkesenli because he spent the summer months in the village of Taşkesen.
He was born in Erzurum on 11 December 1914. His father was Ziyâeddin Efendi, known for his commentaries and glosses on some of the books taught in the madrasas. When his father died eight days after his birth, he was brought up by his elder brother Şehâbeddin Efendi, with whom he read Arabic and Persian, jurisprudence, theology, hadith, exegesis and logic and received his licence (ijaza). While continuing his madrasa studies he also attended primary and middle school in Erzurum.
In 1952 he was appointed mufti of Tekman, a district of Erzurum. After serving as mufti in Horasan in the years 1954-1960 he was appointed central preacher of Erzurum. In the 1960 coup he was arrested and sent to Sivas, but was released six months later and resumed his post in Erzurum.
In the meantime he went to Nurşin in Bitlis, took initiation from Tâhâ Efendi, one of the grandsons of Shaykh Abdurrahman Tâhî, and received his deputyship (khilafa) from him.
While preaching in Erzurum he also saw to the training of his disciples; he turned the lower floor of his house into a madrasa and taught hundreds of students.
He died in Erzurum on 13 February 1985.
His Circle of Influence — Among the students he taught at his house were his nephew Zeki Hoca, the former mufti of Tortum Hâfız Yahya Hoca, Eşref Hoca, one of the honorary preachers and teachers of Erzurum, and Hâfız Şuayıb Hoca from the village of Kevank in Pasinler. The Taşkesenli Culture, Education and Solidarity Foundation has been established in Erzurum in the family's name.
His Works — He has a divan entitled Münâcât.
Differing Scholarly Views
Where the chain of information comes from — The source is an article devoted to the family to which he belonged, and its author is also a member of that family; the article itself states that information obtained from the family and documents in the family's possession were used in writing it. The atlas records this openly.
Not to be confused with his namesake — The same article also mentions the mufti of Tortum, Mehmed Sıddık Efendi, known as the “great mufti”, son-in-law of Shaykh Ahmed Efendi, with whom his elder brother Şehâbeddin Efendi studied. This record belongs not to him but to the grandson Mehmed Sıddık Efendi, known as the “mufti of Horasan”.
Burial place — The source does not state where Mehmed Sıddık Efendi was buried; it only says that he died in Erzurum. The grave location in this atlas record is not confirmed by the source and awaits verification.
Sources
- TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (DİA) · vol. 40, pp. 148-149, entry “Taşkesenli”
The sources for this record are listed below (Mandatory Sources).
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Permanent ID: EA-Z-000669 · this address reaches the same record even if its name changes; use it when citing.