Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan

Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, (born in 1888 Bulgaria, died on September 16, 1959 in Istanbul) was one of the most siginficant islamic erudites of the 20. century.

Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan was born in 1888 in the village Ferhatlar of the former Osmanish government district Silistre - today the village is called Delchevo and it is in the district Razrgrad in Bulgaria. His father, Sir Osman, was a well known islamic teacher and one who has memorized the Koran. Sir Osman finished his education in Istanbul and went to Silistre to serve as a professor in the famous Satirli Medrese (theological school attached to a mosque). The forefathers of Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan reach until Sir Idris. Sir Idris was appointed by Mehmet II. as the "Tuna Khan". Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan went to Silistre Middle School and to the Satirli Medrese for education. Afterwards he came to Istanbul to finish his education, enrolled in the Sahn Medrese, took lessons from Sir Ahmet Hamdi (comes from Bafra, took lessons from Mehmet II.) and finally graduated in 1916 with first place. He then enrolled in the Süleymaniye Mosques Medreses in Medresetü'l-Mütehassisin and took lessons of tefsir (commentary of the quran) and hadith. With a brilliant intelligence he graduated from Medresetü'l-Mütehassisin in 1919 again with first place. In the same years he graduated from Medresetü'l-Kuzat (the earlier law faculty) with high scores. In this way he studied both islamic sciences and law sciences and gained ranks as an islamic teacher and a lawyer. After his graduation he started his duty to work as an islamic teacher in Istanbul. After a while the Medreses in Istanbul have been closed and he was assigned to work as an islamic preacher. For a long while he gave islamic sermons to the people in Istanbuls big mosques like Sultanahmet, Süleymaniye, Sehzadebasi, Yenicami and Piyalepasa. From one side he continued to work as an islamic preacher and from the other side he taught muslim children first in his own home then in quran schools the quran.(The quran schools got permission to be reopened in 1946-1947 through a government decision.) He also started to teach them the principles of Islam. Many students graduated from the quran schools and got permission by the Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Presidency of Religious Affairs) to work as a müftü (official learned in Islamic law who is in charge of Islamic affairs for a province or district),imam (prayer leader), müezzin (someone who calls five times a day for the prayers), islamic preacher and quran school teacher.

Süleyman Hilmi Tunahans practice in Islam is related to the Hanefi Mezhep(school of Islamic law), his firm beliefe in God is related to the Maturidi Mezhep and he was very connected to ehli sünnet velcemaat. He had one advice to the students who were enlightened by him: They should hold tight to the ehli sünnet velcemaat creed. Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan died in the province Kisikli of Istanbul on September 16, 1959. His tomb is in the Karacaahmet cementery. May Allah have mercy upon him.

References

1. http://www.tunahan.org/look.php?bolm=basin&id=3 (Original biography, Turkish, trueness verified by Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan's daugther F. Ferhan Denizolgun, the husband of Ferhan Denizolgun, S.H. Kamil Denizolgun, and the husband of his second daughter, Kemal Kacar.)