- His real name is Mehmed
Şemseddin. Akşemseddin, who is one of the Sufis and religious scholars of Fatih period
was born in 1389 in Damascus. He settled down in Göynük passing to Anatolia with his
father Sheik Hamza in his early ages. He took medrasah education here and became an
instructor. He was especially well-informed on medicine field. He could treat various
diseases, succeeding in particular in treatment of psychological diseases. Thus, he was
called Tabîb'ül-ervah, that is, the doctor of spirits.
Afterwards, he went into Sufism path and joined Hacı Bayram-ı Velî.
After the death of Hacı Bayram-ı Velî, he became his caliph.
- Then, Akşemseddin went
to Edirne. Ottoman Sultan Murat the second in the Edirne palace Tabîb'ül-ervah isited
this young, full of love and mature Sufi who is also superior in all kinds of knowledge
and requested him to undertake education and training of his son prince Mehmed.
Akşemseddin did not refuse this proposal. He conveyed knowledge to him for years. He did
not leave Prince Fatih after his being the Sultan. He continued his duty as his closest
hodja and counselor.
- When Fatih Sultan
Mehmet, surrounded Istanbul, old scholar Akşemseddin, whom he appreciated both with
regard to his knowledge and personality. Akşemseddin, trying to encourage the soldiers by
interpreting the Ayahs and hadiths, wanted to find the tomb of Eyyûb el-Ensarî, a major
personage of Islam understanding, which was known to be at the lower part Istanbul
ramparts.
- Halid bin Zeyd Ebâ
Eyyûb el-Ensarî was the person who put Prophet Muhammad up in his house in his hicrah
from Mecca to Medina, and a person who attended all of the wars of Prophet Muhammad and
carried his flag. The first caliph of Omayyades, Muaviye, when he sent an army commanded
by his son Yezîd to conquer Istanbul, he included Halîd bin Zeyd, who was a very old man
as a “auspicious person”. This famous person of Islam world passed away during the
siege of Istanbul and was buried in a point at the lower part of the ramparts as in his
testament.
- The information from
Islam history was limited with that. Akşemseddin knew that the tomb of Eyyub was
somewhere by the Istanbul ramparts with this information.
Evliya Çelebi, the great writer of XVIIth century cites the following part
as follows:
- “Fatih Sultan Mehmet
İstanbul'u fethederken, yetmiş yedi kibar ehlullah Ebâ Eyyub'un kabrini tecessüse
koyuldular. İçlerinden Akşemseddin: “While Fatih Sultan Mehmet was conquering
Istanbul, seventy seven kind men of god went curious about the tomb of Ebâ Eyyub.
Akşemseddin, one of them entered a forest saying that:
- “My Bey, Ebâ
Eyyûbü'l-Ensârî, the standard-bearer of the Prophet is buried in this place”. He put
a prayer rug and began to perform a prayer. After completion of his prayer after two
rek’ahs, he prostrated himself again and remained that way as if he fell asleep a
comfortable sleep. Many people said that Effendi fell asleep because of his bashfulness
that he could not find the tomb of Eyyûb. Akşemseddin, raising his head from the prayer
rug one hour later, said to Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan, his eyes being bloodshot:
– My Sultan, wisdom of God... They put our prayer rug exactly on his
tomb!
- Upon that, the place
where the prayer rug laid was dug and a green porphyry stone with four edges was found at
3 zira (an old measure) depth on which Hâzâ Kabri Ebâ Eyyûb-ül Ensarî was written.
When the stone was removed, the fresh corpse of Eyyûb appeared within his shroud painted
with Safranine. He had a bronze seal in his right hand. The stone was closed again and it
was covered.
You see how the tomb of Eyup Sultan, which has been
the main visiting place of Istanbul for centuries, was found.
- After fiftieth day of
Istanbul Siege, the news that a big Crusaders Army and navy was about to reach Istanbul
began to influence the morale of the soldiers negatively. Old Akşemseddin, spoke to the
army and succeeded in making them regain their spiritual power:
- “O Soldiers...
You should know that this conquest has been predestinated by God, for Sultan Mehmet Khan.
Anyone who doubts that would have been deviated from belief...”
Everybody believed the words of Akşemseddin, whose spiritual value has
grown much for the soldiers because of his finding the tomb of Eyyub Sultan, and could
reach the biggest victory of the history three days later.
- Fatih, some time
after the conquest of Istanbul, wanted his scholar to accept him as a dervish and give him
knowledge. Akşemseddin, strongly refused this proposal saying that: You are obliged to
fulfill as required the state affairs and commissioned with continuing sultanate. If you
enter my chamber, the world order would go corrupt. You have to be possessor, not
student...”.
-
- He believed that his
duty was over now. He got permission from the Sultan to deal with his studies going to
Göynük. Fatih, despite he did not want to let him go, saw that there was no other way,
and saw him off to Göynük. Akşemseddin, together with his students and books living a
life of his own, writes some letters to Fatih, which illuminates him for new horizons.
He elapsed the last six years of his life worshipping and treating poor
patients in Göynük. He passed away in Göynük in 1459.
- Akşemseddin, now has
manuscript books of two huge volume named Hayatın Maddesi ve Tıp (Substance of Life and
Medicine) in Istanbul Feyzullah Efendi Library. In addition, his books named Hall-i
Müşkilât, (Settlement of Troubles) ve Makâmât-ı Evliyâ (Positions of Saints) are of
particular concern by the scientists.
As a matter of fact, probably his biggest work is having grown up a major
statesman like Fatih Sultan Mehmed.
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