Tokatlı Hayreddin Efendi

Tokatlı Hayreddin Efendi is one of the saints of Bursa. His father was from Tokat and married in Edirne, and Hayreddin Efendi was born in Edirne. His date of birth is not stated in the source, and he died in Bursa in 1608 (AH 1017). After studying for a while, he went to Bursa, where he served as a muîd—that is, an assistant müderris (instructor)—at the Murâdiye Medrese. He became a student of Şeyh Osman Efendi, the successor (caliph) of Şâbân Efendi of Kastamonu, and was trained on the path of Sufism. Later he received an ijâza from Karamânî Efendi, the successor of Yiğitbaşı Efendi, one of the great saints of the Halvetiyye path, and became his successor. In Bursa he resided in the Murâdiye quarter near the Bahri Dede Lodge (Zâviye), occupying himself with obedience and worship; he continued to attend the gatherings of Kâsım Efendi in İnegöl and received an ijâza from this figure as well. After this, for a long time he guided people at the lodge next to the Ahmed Paşa Fenârî Mosque in Bursa, taught them Islam, and was a means for their adherence to the religion. He died while continuing this service. According to the sources, when his coffin was taken from his lodge and being carried to the Câmi-i kebîr (Grand Mosque), he himself was seen, staff in hand, following his own coffin behind the congregation.