Sunizade Seyit Mehmet Emin Efendi

Sunizade Seyit Mehmet Emin Efendi was a seventeenth-century Ottoman scholar and calligrapher and briefly Shaykh al-Islam.

Early life and education

Mehmet Emin was born in 1614. He was the son of Sun‘ullah Efendi, the qadi of Aleppo, who was also known as Kara Sun‘î, thus Mehmet Emin's patronymic Sunizade, “son of Suni.” Mehmet Emin was said to be a descendant of Emir Sultan on his mother's side; thus his title of seyit. Mehmed Emin completed his education in Istanbul, especially under Azmîzâde Efendi. He became a novice or assistant (mülazım) to Osman Hânî Ömer Efendi.^[1]^[2]

Career

In 1627, Mehmet Emin began as müderris at the Nişancı Mehmed Paşa (Nişancı Paşay-ı Atîk) Madrasa. In 1630, he was appointed to the Yahya Efendi Madrasa, in 1632 to the Murad Paşa (Murad Paşay-ı Cedîd) Madrasa, in 1634 to the Sahn-ı Semân Madrasa, in 1637 to the Şâh Sultan Madrasa, in 1639 to the Aya Sofya Madrasa, and in 1640 to the Süleymaniye Madrasa.^[3]^[4]

He was appointed qadi of Salonica in 1641, but was dismissed in 1643. He was appointed qadi of Aleppo in 1646 and of Cairo in 1647, but was dismissed from Cairo in less than a year. He was appointed qadi of Istanbul in 1649, but was dismissed in 1650. He was appointed kazasker of Anatolia in 1654, but retired in 1655. Nevertheless, he was appointed kazasker of Rumelia in 1657. He was dismissed in 1658 and retired into seclusion (inziva). However, he was made kazasker of Rumelia for a second time in 1660.^[5]^[6]

During his term as kazasker, in February 1662, he was appointed Shaykh al-Islam. According to sources of the period, Mehmed Emin was a “frivolous person” (hafif meşreb) who could not maintain the dignity of his office, and thus was dismissed on the grounds of senility in November 1662. Additional reasons given included “lack of foreign affairs” (umûr-ı hâriciyyesinin bulunmayışı) and the taking of bribes. Some sources mention also his issuance of a fatwa for the execution of qutb of the Melâmiyye Sufi order Sütçü Beşir Ağa and his murids.^[7]^[8]

Mehmed Emin was said to be skilled in taliq calligraphy, which he learned from Derviş Abdî-i Mevlevi.^[9]^[10]

Death and burial

Mehmed Emin died in his yalı in Beşiktaş in July 1665. He was buried near the Aziz Mahmud Hüdâyî Dergâh in Üsküdar. His grave was marked with a large turban (kavuk). Because of repairs and enlargements after the 1894 earthquake, Mehmed Emin's grave may now be underneath the dergah mosque.^[11]^[12]

References

^ Özcan, Tahsin (2009). "Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi". TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. TDV İslâm Araştırmaları Merkezi. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
^ Akdemir, M. Sadık (2016). "Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar". Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi (36): 15–16. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
^ Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi
^ Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, p. 16
^ Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi
^ Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, pp. 16–18
^ Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi
^ Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, p. 18
^ Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi
^ Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, pp. 18–19
^ Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi
^ Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, p. 18

[1] Özcan, Tahsin (2009). "Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi". TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. TDV İslâm Araştırmaları Merkezi. Retrieved 13 October 2024.

[2] Akdemir, M. Sadık (2016). "Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar". Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi (36): 15–16. Retrieved 14 October 2024.

[3] Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi

[4] Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, p. 16

[5] Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi

[6] Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, pp. 16–18

[7] Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi

[8] Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, p. 18

[9] Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi

[10] Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, pp. 18–19

[11] Özcan, Seyyid Mehmed Emin Efendi

[12] Akdemir, Ispartalı Şeyhülislamlar, p. 18

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v t e Sheikh-ul-Islams of the Ottoman Empire
15th Century	Molla Fenari Fahreddin-i Acemi Molla Hüsrev Molla Gürâni Molla Abdülkerim Efendi Alâeddin Arabî Efendi Efdalzade Hamîdüddin Efendi
16th Century	Zenbilli Ali Efendi Kemalpaşazade Ahmet Şemsettin Efendi (İbn-i Kemal) Sadullah Sadi Efendi Çivizade Muhiddin Mehmed Efendi Abdülkadir Hamidî Çelebi Fenarîzade Muhyiddin Çelebi Ebussuud Efendi Çivizade Damadı Hamid Efendi Kadızade Ahmed Şemseddin Efendi Malûlzade Mehmed Efendi Çivizade Hacı Mehmed Efendi Abdülkadir Şeyhî Efendi Bostanzade Mehmed Efendi Bayramzade Zekeriya Efendi Hoca Sâdeddin Efendi Cafer Mustafa Sunullah Efendi
17th Century	Hocazade Mehmed Efendi Ebülmeyamin Mustafa Efendi Hocazade Esad Efendi Zekeriyazade Yahya Efendi Ahizade Hüseyin Efendi Ebusaid Mehmed Efendi Muid Ahmet Efendi Hacı Abdürrahim Efendi Bahai Mehmet Efendi Karaçelebizade Abdülaziz Efendi Hüsamzade Abdurrahman Efendi Memikzade Mustafa Efendi Hocazade Mesud Efendi Hanefi Mehmet Efendi Balizade Mustafa Efendi Bolevi Mustafa Efendi Esiri Mehmet Efendi Sunizade Seyit Mehmet Emin Efendi Minkarizade Yahya Efendi Çatalcalı Ali Efendi Ankaravi Mehmet Emin Efendi Debbağzade Mehmet Efendi Feyzullah Efendi Ebusaitzade Feyzullah Feyzi Efendi Sadık Mehmet Efendi İmam Mehmet Efendi
18th Century	Paşmakçızade Ali Efendi Yekçeşm Hüseyin Efendi Sadık Mehmet Efendi Ebezade Abdullah Efendi Mehmed Ataullah Efendi İmam Mahmud Efendi Mirza Mustafa Efendi Menteşzade Abdürrahman Efendi Ebu İshak İsmail Efendi Yenişehirli Abdullah Efendi Mirzazade Şeyh Mehmed Efendi Paşmakçızade Abdullah Efendi Damatzade Ebulhayr Ahmet Efendi Ebuishakzade İshak Efendi Dürri Mehmed Efendi Feyzullahzade Mustafa Efendi Pirizade Mehmed Sahib Efendi Hayatizade Mehmet Emin Efendi Seyit Mehmet Zeynelabidin Efendi Ebuishakzade Mehmed Esad Efendi Mehmed Said Efendi Seyyid Murtaza Efendi Abdullah Vassaf Efendi Damatzade Feyzullah Efendi Dürrizade Mustafa Efendi Mehmed Salih Efendi Çelebizade İsmail Asım Efendi Veliyyüddin Efendi Ebubekirzade Ahmed Efendi Pirizade Osman Sahib Efendi Mirzazade Seyit Mehmet Sait Efendi Şerifzade Seyit Mehmet Şerif Efendi Dürrizade Mustafa Efendi İvazpaşazade İbrahim Bey Efendi Salihzade Mehmet Emin Efendi Vassafzade Mehmet Esat Efendi Mehmet Şerif Efendi Seyit İbrahim Efendi Dürrizade Seyit Mehmet Ataullah Efendi İvazpaşazade İbrahim Bey Efendi Arapzade Ahmet Ataullah Efendi Dürrizade Seyit Mehmet Arif Efendi Müftizade Ahmet Efendi Mekkî Mehmet Efendi Seyit Mehmet Kamil Efendi Hamitzade Mustafa Efendi Seyit Yahya Tevfik Efendi Mustafa Aşir Efendi
19th Century	Sâmânizade Ömer Hulusi Efendi Salihzade Ahmed Esad Efendi Şerifzade Ataullah Mehmed Efendi Arapzade Mehmed Arif Efendi Dürrizade Abdullah Efendi Mehmed Zeynelabidin Efendi Mekkizade Mustafa Asım Efendi Çerkes Halil Efendi Yasincizade Abdülvehhab Efendi Ahmed Reşid Efendi Kadızade Mehmed Tahir Efendi Ahmed Arif Hikmet Bey Efendi Meşrepzade Mehmed Arif Efendi Mehmed Sadeddin Efendi Atıfzade Hüsameddin Efendi Mehmed Refik Efendi Hasan Fehmi Efendi Ahmed Muhtar Molla Bey Efendi Turşucuzade Ahmed Muhtar Efendi Hasan Hayrullah Efendi Hasan Fehmi Efendi Hasan Hayrullah Efendi Kara Halil Efendi Uryanizade Ahmed Esad Efendi Bodrumlu Ömer Lütfi Efendi Mehmet Cemaleddin Efendi
20th Century	Mehmed Ziyâeddin Efendi Mehmed Sahib Efendi Çelebizade Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendi Musa Kazım Efendi Abdurrahman Nesib Efendi Mehmed Esad Efendi Ürgüplü Mustafa Hayri Efendi Ömer Hulusi Efendi Haydarizade İbrahim Efendi Mustafa Sabri Efendi Dürrizade Abdullah Beyefendi Medeni Mehmed Nuri Efendi