Abdülkerîm Kâdirî

Abdülkerîm Kâdirî is an Ottoman scholar and saint who was born in Kirmasti and died in the Hijri year 951 (1544 CE). At a young age he memorized the entire Qur'an; he then learned the sciences of tajwid and recitation (qiraat). He acquired his knowledge under Mevlânâ Karabâlî, and by entering the service of the person known by the name İmâm-zâde he benefited from his discourses. On Fridays he was appointed to recite the Qur'an at the Emîr Sultan Mosque in Bursa. At the Küçük Ayasofya lodge in Istanbul he guided people in both worldly and otherworldly matters. Sultan Süleymân the Lawgiver (Kânûnî), on account of the abundance of his knowledge, granted him a salary and recognized him with the authority to issue fatwas like a şeyhülislâm. It is related that this person, who led a life devoted to spiritual austerity (riyâzet), had a manner of living in accordance with the noble hadith 'Die before you die.' According to the sources, he would have a pit dug in the shape of a grave, would perform his five daily prayers there for forty days, and would lie down and rise there night and day. Likewise, according to what Taşköprü-zâde related, a scholar who complained of his forgetfulness was prayed for by Abdülkerîm Kâdirî, and through the blessing of his prayer he was relieved of this condition. His grave is in the town of Kirmasti where he was born, beside his own mosque and lodge.