Süleymân Çelebi

Süleymân Çelebi is a figure known as the author of the famous Mevlid ode written in Turkish. He was born in Bursa. Although there is no definite record of his date of birth, it has been concluded that he was born in 1351 (AH 752), based on the information that he completed his Mevlid in 1409 (AH 812) at the age of sixty and that he died in 1422 (AH 825). He was the son of Ahmed Pasha, one of the viziers of Sultan Murad Han the First, and the grandson of Şeyh Mahmûd Efendi. He received his education in Bursa from the leading scholars of his time. During the reign of Sultan Yıldırım Bâyezîd, he served as imam of the Imperial Council (Dîvân-ı hümâyûn); he then became imam of the mosque built by the sultan, and was later appointed chief imam of the Ulu Câmi (Grand Mosque). According to the sources, during his time as imam, a Persian preacher made an erroneous interpretation claiming that there was no difference of superiority among the prophets, and this was corrected by one of the congregation on the basis of the Quranic verses; this event deeply affected Süleymân Çelebi, and following it he composed his famous Mevlid-i Şerîf. In his work he expounded the creed of the Ahl al-Sunna and explained the virtues of our Prophet. The Mevlid consists of the sections of munâcaat (supplication), velâdet (birth), risâlet (prophethood), mîraç (ascension), rıhlet (departure) and duâ (prayer). Beginning his words with the name of Allah the Exalted, the author relates the transmission of the light from Adam (peace be upon him) down to our Prophet, the moment of his birth, and the event of the mîraç. The work was arranged in the aruz meter, in the form of an ode; with its plain, mature language possessing compositional integrity, it has been admired even by the divan poets.