A GLIMPSE OF LIFE AND WORK OF MUSTAFA SABRI-EFENDI, PENULTIMATE OTTOMAN SHEIKHU-L-ISLAM

Abstract

UDK 28-9:929 Sabri M.

The article presents life of the penultimate Sheikhu-l-Islam of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa Sabri-efendi. In order to understand his life and the role he had in Turkey during the turbulent period of its history, in introductory part we offer an introduction to the institution of Sheikhu-l-Islam that was supreme religious institution of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. Mustafa Sabri –efendi, a great Islamic scholar, 128th Sheiku- l-Islam in a great chain of scholars that was formed in less than five centuries. He wrote a number of books in Ottoman Turkish and in Arabic language. Some of those were published during his life. He is also an author of several dozens of articles published in various magazines. Besides being a very learned religious scholar he was also a renowned poet writing in his mother tongue Ottoman Turkish as well as in Arabic. The works of Mustafa Sabri-efendi are very significant in sense that he dealt with a variety of issues, in our opinion most significant is his contribution in reconstruction of religious life in the period of the downfall of the Ottoman Empire and its transition into a secular republic.