Prof. Dr. Mahmud Es'ad Coşan (Rh.a)

Mahmud Es'ad Cosan was born on 14 April 1938 (13 Safar 1357) in the village of Ahmetçe, in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale. His father was Halil Necati Efendi and his mother was Şadiye Hanım. His father and mother share a common ancestor three generations back. Their forebears, who were descendants of Husayn (the grandson of the Prophet), came from Bukhara and settled in Çanakkale. His great-grandfather, Molla Abdullah Efendi, pursued Islamic studies in Istanbul and became closely associated with Ahmed Ziyaeddin Gümüşhanevi, one of the celebrated Sufi masters of his day. His grandfather, Molla Mehmed Efendi, received his scholarly certificate from the Fatih madrasas before participating in the First World War, in which he was martyred.

The father of Mahmud Es'ad Cosan, Hafiz Halil Necati Efendi, moved to Istanbul in 1942 for the education of his children. Mahmud Es'ad Cosan completed his primary education at the Eminönü Vezneciler Primary School in 1950. During this period, through his father, he became acquainted with two distinguished scholars and gnostics of the era, Hasib Efendi of Serez and Abdülaziz Bekkine, and attended their spiritual gatherings. He graduated from the middle section of Vefa High School in 1953 and from the science stream of its upper section in 1956. He completed the Department of Arab-Persian Philology at the Faculty of Letters, Istanbul University, in 1960. He obtained certificates in Arabic Language and Literature, Persian Language and Literature, Medieval History, and Turco-Islamic Art. During his final year at the faculty, he married Muhterem Hanım, the youngest daughter of Mehmed Zahid Kotku Efendi. Following his graduation, he successfully passed the required examination and was appointed as a research assistant to the Chair of Classical Religious Turkish Texts at the Faculty of Theology, Ankara University, thereby embarking on his academic career.

In 1965 he was awarded the title of Doctor of Theology with his study "Hatiboğlu Muhammed, a Poet of the Fifteenth Century, and His Works." In addition to his academic duties at the Faculty of Theology, between 1967 and 1968 he taught "Turkish and Humanistic Studies" at the Ankara Yükseliş Private Engineering and Architecture College. In 1972 he received the title of Associate Professor with his thesis "Hacı Bektaş Velî and Makâlât." From 1971 to 1972 he fulfilled his military service as a reserve officer. In 1973 he was appointed to the academic staff of the Chair of Turkish Islamic Literature at the same faculty, and the following year was appointed head of the same chair. He served as Chair of the relevant Academic Department until his retirement in 1987. Between 1977 and 1980 he taught "Turkish Language and Humanistic Studies" at the Sakarya State Academy of Architecture and Engineering.

He was awarded the title of Professor in 1982 with his presentation thesis "İbrahim-i Müteferrika the Printer and Risâle-i İslâmiyye." Throughout the period from his appointment at the university until his retirement, he served as a member of various commissions established under the Ministry of National Education and the State Planning Organisation. He also participated in international meetings and conferences in Germany, Austria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, where he carried out research and studies. At the Faculty of Theology he taught Turkish-Islamic Literature, Ottoman Turkish, Turkish Composition, Persian and Arabic. He supervised seven doctoral theses and numerous undergraduate theses.

Mahmud Es'ad Cosan, whilst pursuing a successful and productive academic career, voluntarily retired in 1987 in order to devote more time to his activities of guidance and social and cultural work. Thereafter he began to fulfil more actively the duty of preaching and spiritual guidance that he had received from his teacher and father-in-law, Mehmed Zahid Efendi. He expanded the tradition of hadith lectures that his predecessors had initiated by conducting them across many provinces of Turkey. He encouraged his associates to engage in works of service in the fields of formal and non-formal education, culture, solidarity, the arts and publishing. He pioneered the launch of numerous endeavours in these fields. He wrote a great many books and articles. As interest in his spiritual gatherings grew, he extended the boundaries of his service and, to this end, travelled to many countries around the world. He visited Europe, the United States, Central Asia and Australia on numerous occasions, participating in educational programmes.

He passed away (10 Dhu'l-Qaʿda 1421 / 4 February 2001) on a journey undertaken twenty thousand kilometres from the land of his birth and upbringing — Australia — where he had gone for the opening of a mosque, as a result of an obscure traffic collision. His mortal remains were brought back to Turkey. On 9 February 2001, hundreds of thousands of students and admirers attended his funeral prayer, which was performed at the Fatih Mosque following the Friday prayer. He was laid to rest in the Eyüp Sultan Cemetery, entrusted to the mercy of God. His grave is situated in a spiritually charged hazîre in Eyüpsultan, one of the centres of scholarship and gnosis. It is frequently visited by his admirers, students and souls devoted to prayer — including during Eid days. These visits, made in peace and tranquillity, are maintained as a token of fidelity to his scholarly and moral legacy.