Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan

Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan (1888, Silistre, Bulgaria – 16 September 1959; Kısıklı, Üsküdar, Istanbul) was the founder of the Süleymancılar Sufi order, a Turkish Islamic scholar, and mystic.

Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan was a distinguished figure in Islam, known for his guidance and courage. He dedicated his entire life, which spanned seventy-one years from 1888 to 1959, to the service of Islam. His grandfather was Hafız Kaymak, and his family traced its lineage back to his great-grandfather İdris Bey, who was allegedly a descendant of Muhammad. Upon finding İdris Bey, he married him to his sister and appointed him as a khan, or prince, over the Tuna (Danube) region. Thus, İdris Bey's title became Tunahan, and he was tasked with collecting taxes. İdris held this position, passing it down to his grandchildren until Osman Bey, the father of Süleyman Efendi, came. All of them were scholars. Osman Efendi married and had four sons: Fehmi, İbrahim, Halil, and Süleyman.

Süleyman was born in the village of Ferhatler in Silistra, Bulgaria, in 1888. He attended Satırlı School with his brothers, where his father was a teacher. Distinguished by his brilliance from a young age, Süleyman completed his primary and secondary education at Silistra School before being sent to Istanbul by his father to continue his studies. His father gave him three pieces of advice:

1. To be economical and not waste money
2. To strive to master the science of principles

He joined the Fatih School and lived in a basement with no light or windows. He studied under Sheikh Ahmed Efendi of Bafra, who greatly admired him. Süleyman Hilmi's extreme intelligence and love of study were so evident that the Sheikh wanted to marry him to his daughter, but she died in an accident. Subsequently, Süleyman married a righteous woman named Hatice. After graduating, he joined the Dârü'l-hilâfeti'l-aliyye Madrasa in 1913. He excelled among the top students, passed the judicial exam, and ranked first. He was appointed as a judge in Kastamonu, but his father sent him a letter saying, "O Süleyman, know that I did not send you to Istanbul to be in Hell." Here, his father reminded him of the hadith of Muhammad, "Two judges in Hell and one judge in Paradise" - narrated by Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah. His father was pleased to learn that Süleyman did not want to continue in the position of judge. Süleyman was so dedicated to knowledge that he would resist sleep until his eyes bled and would drink coffee to stay awake. In winter, he would place ice between his shirt and his back to keep himself alert.

He graduated from the Süleymaniye School in Istanbul, with a focus on Interpretation and Hadith, in 1919. He also obtained a judge's certificate and became a public teacher. Additionally, he studied Roman law, maritime law, commercial law, and comparative international law alongside Islamic law at Süleymaniye College. He began teaching in 1921, but his teaching career was cut short by the closure of religious schools under the law issued during Atatürk's rule in 1924. His generosity was such that he fed the policemen who came to arrest him, and some of them became his students. He was also very kind to his students, often taking them to the doctor if they fell ill, and he enjoyed telling dignified jokes to his students and family.

The Ottoman coup occurred in 1909 while he was still a student. He opposed the coup. In just five years, significant events unfolded, including the formation of the Grand National Assembly, the abolition of the Sultanate, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the exile of Sultan Mehmed Vahideddin, the declaration of the Republic, and the implementation of the Schools Unification Law.

The closure of 520 religious schools necessitated finding alternative jobs such as imams or preachers or referring teachers to retirement. Süleyman continued his Islamic and educational services, preaching in numerous mosques in Istanbul, including Sultan Ahmed, Süleymaniye, the New Mosque, Şehrazadebaşı, and Kasım Pasha. He taught his students secretly to avoid government persecution following the unification law, enduring many hardships to provide education. He once remarked to his students, "I taught you and moved you from place to place like a cat moving her kittens." He rented the Kapakça farm, hiding his students in workers' clothes to cultivate land by day and study by night. When the police discovered their secret, they would flee to a new location. The students, in turn, opened Quranic schools wherever they went, spreading Islamic education throughout the country.

During the Republican era, Turkey saw several measures by Atatürk to eradicate Islamic influences and Ottoman ancien régime in an attempt to separate religion from the state. On March 3, 1924, a law was enacted to transfer all educational institutions affiliated with various ministries to the Ministry of National Education, known as the Schools Unification Law, which centralized scientific control. Süleyman Hilmi opposed this law, as it led to the closure of 465 religious schools and 29 imam and preacher schools, with severe penalties for religious education.

Süleyman Hilmi was first arrested in 1939 when the police took him from his home, detained him for three days, tortured him, and dismissed him from preaching. In prison, he endured various forms of torture, including being prevented from sleeping and having his cell sprayed with water, which caused him rheumatism. In 1936, the police learned he had rented Halid Pasha farm for teaching, so he fled to the top of Kuşkaya Mountain in the Istranca Mountains, but was caught and arrested.

In 1949, the government reopened religious schools due to pressure from Muslims. Süleyman Hilmi's dream came true, and official education resumed in these schools. The first Quran memorization school affiliated with Süleyman Hilmi opened in 1951 unofficially, with the official opening in 1952. Süleyman Hilmi was eager to open schools in Anatolia and would prostrate in thanks to God upon learning of new school openings. During this time, the Presidency of Religious Affairs held preaching and fatwa competitions, where Süleyman's students consistently excelled, prompting the President of Religious Affairs and senior officials to visit him. Süleyman's students attained prominent religious positions in the country, including Hosni Yilmaz, who became the Mufti of Balikesir at eighteen. The teaching method in Süleyman Hilmi's schools was notably effective, allowing students to master Quranic sciences in a short time. Süleyman's approach involved active student participation, where students read the lesson themselves, and the teacher completed the missing parts, fostering confidence and reinforcing the subject. His teaching was so consuming that he wrote only one book titled "A New Arrangement and Modern Method for Teaching Reading the Letters and Vowels of the Holy Quran."

Despite suffering from diabetes, Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan continued to serve his students, traveling daily using four different means of transportation to teach them while constantly evading the police. His life was marked by a relentless commitment to preserving the Islamic identity in Turkey, and he continued his work until he died on September 16, 1959, during the sunset prayer.

The Sheikh Süleyman's Silsila or chain of succession is as follows:^[1]