When he was very young, his father, Mehmed Kaptan, took him to Istanbul to live with his brother, İsmail Zühdi Efendi, who was an established calligrapher.

[3] After Ismail was appointed as an instructor of calligraphy at the Imperial Palace, the young Râkim received his formal training there studying under his brother.

[4] Ismail Zühidi and Mustafa Râkim went on to develop their own style of calligraphy based on the work of Hâfiz Osman.

[6] With the revolutionary changes brought about in calligraphy by Mustafa Râkim,[7] scholars treat Turkish calligraphic art history into two key eras: "Pre-Râkim" and "Post-Râkim".

[9] He drew a portrait of Sultan Selim III who was amazed by his work and recited a poem in his honor in return.