It would seem subjective, but Professor Mahmud Esad Coşan deserves to be called "Hodja Effendi," considering that he had a deep connection with both the scientific tradition and Sufism. The late Mahmud Effendi and the movement (the lodge and the community) he led should be analyzed well to understand the upheaval experienced within the religious circles, especially in the last 50 to 60 years. Recently, his life and works have been discussed in a symposium carried out for his legacy; even if this was a great opportunity, this kind of gathering mostly turns into a commemoration rather than a scientific meeting as the memories and emotions dominate such environments. This is not specific to Mahmud Effendi. It is hard to organize scientific meetings for any influential figure with more or less followers. It is almost impossible to produce scientific knowledge in such organizations. Therefore, pursuing academic studies through scientific gatherings, symposiums and workshops free from emotional tone is crucial.

In this aforementioned meeting, I was asked to give the opening speech. I took this occasion to reread the works of Mahmud Effendi and discussed them with some colleagues while working on my paper. I should state this loud and clear: Mahmud Effendi is the leading figure that should be focused on to understand the direction of Muslim society and the problems of Islam faced in the last century. The Sufi tradition in which he grew up and his effort to transform a tradition presents us exceptional examples, particularly on the struggles of Muslims for existence in the modern world, each and every one of which should be examined closely.

Explained in three

My speech was based on three main points: First, I wanted to present him as an academic and a scientist. I witnessed that throughout his life, he spoke highly of getting academic degrees and pursuing scientific activities and achievements, and he always talked highly of his professors – sometimes longingly. In this respect, scientific activities are presented first of all as a goal to go after and sometimes as an unfulfilled desire in his speeches and writings. His known works include his dissertation, produced in a meticulous academic tradition under the guidance of great professors, his following works and presentations, translations and articles. The lectures he gave and the students he taught are also among his contributions to the academic community. I think he was an activity full of effort. And to be honest, his perspective and discipline have stricken me more than the work he put forward.

Mahmud Effendi was also a sheikh; addressing him as "Effendi" represents Sufism and his role in the Darwish lodge. The struggles he faced as a sheikh for more than 20 years can be interpreted as the most concrete example of the conflict between religion and world affairs in the modern world. Is there another Darwish lodge that has experienced the problems of modernization and the challenges it posed so vividly and to such an extent? The Sufi school that Mahmud Effendi served comes from a Khalidi tradition, which acquired a new character through Ahmad Ziyauddin Gümüshanevi. It is one of the most significant aspects of the lodge that it experienced the painful and unsettling periods of the downfall of the great empire, became an important part of the struggle and witnessed all the unfolding problems. Unless the fears and distress caused by witnessing the collapse of the empire and the hesitations felt regarding the future are considered, the vision of the lodge – and especially the fierce nature of Mahmud Effendi – cannot be evaluated fairly. After Gümüshanevi, the lodge assumed prioritizing the problems of the Muslim society as its raison d’être and was reborn as a new lodge whose mission was to identify the struggle for existence in the world with the Sufi way of life and even if it had lost its influence in time, Mahmud Effendi inherited such a powerful legacy. In this respect, we can find the traces of Imam Rabbani, who implanted the idea of "the sheikh who defeated the tyrant" in his followers, along with Gümüshanevi, in the Sufism of Mahmud Effendi.

The horizon opened up by Gümüshanevi narrowed in time (though my colleague assistant professor Necdet Yilmaz disagrees with me on this), and the Darwish lodge fulfilled its goal once again with Mahmud Effendi. As a matter of fact, we did not know for sure how the lodge took a position in dealing with the problems of religious life neither in the transitional period nor during the republic until Mahmud Effendi came. I do not know if this could be interpreted as a phase of "silence" and withdrawal, but I got such an impression. It should be stated that a fresh course started by Mehmed Zahid Effendi attained its intention through Mahmud Effendi.

Mahmud Effendi’s understanding of Sufism is compatible with a certain Sufi tradition, yet it also shows some approaches that contradict the traditional concept of the Darwish lodge. Above all, his understanding of Sufism maintains a perspective that identifies Sufism with Islam itself. The fact that the first magazine he published was named "Islam" gives us a clue regarding his stance. Mahmud Effendi thought that it was a matter of advocacy or defending Islam in the middle of the modern world and tried to be a solid party in the face of the deep crisis that had been experienced for almost two centuries. He supported the idea that Sufism aimed to fight for the sake of Muslim society and the victory of Islam. This way, Sufism would go beyond being a method of self-purification under the guidance of a sheikh and become an all-comprehensive and all-present advocacy of Islam.

Identifying Sufism with Islam means that the lodge would eventually turn into a community having various sensitivities; as a matter of fact, this was the case. Therefore, Mahmud Effendi became a leader of the community, a sheikh, and the head of all the institutions and organizations that the community built in the modern world. This period of his struggle carries significant clues that can be followed to understand the venture of traditional Islam in the contemporary world. Without further ado, we can point out an issue regarding the problem faced by the Muslim community:

Mahmud Effendi wanted to establish "modern institutions" that would pursue their activities based on legitimate grounds and systems. In this respect, it should be acknowledged that he was a leader and a pioneer in Islamic activities in our country. To that end, he wanted to build modern institutions rather than traditional ones by founding associations (I am still amazed by his vision of establishing environmental organizations), charities, schools, hospitals, etc. (That is why I sometimes think that Mahmud Effendi was an Istanbulite at heart, but he was definitely from Ankara in mind.)

However, establishing and maintaining modern institutions was insufficient for such great perseverance. The hardest part was to bring up the next generation for the task, to transform the traditional institutions and last but not least, to wait for the first sprouts of the change. On the other hand, it was not easy to maintain and administer the modern institutions according to regulations and actually, there is still much progress to be made on this matter within the Muslim society, let alone in the past. Mahmud Effendi had such a hard time dealing with this in his life that the problems arising from this continue to be experienced in many parts of Muslim society.

May Allah have mercy on him and grant him high stations!

We commemorate him with respect.