Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan

Hazret Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan (1888, Silistre, Bulgaria - 16 September 1959; Kısıklı, Üsküdar, Istanbul ); is the founder of the Süleymancılar community, a Turkish Ulama, Islamic scholar and mystic.

His grandfather was Hafiz Qaymaq, and his family traced its lineage back to his great-grandfather Idris Bey, who was a descendant of the Messenger of God.

Upon finding Idris Bey, he married him to his sister and appointed him as a khan, or prince, over the Tuna (Danube) region.

Distinguished by his brilliance from a young age, Suleiman 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: He joined the Fatih School and lived in a basement with no light or windows.

Suleiman Hilmi’s extreme intelligence and love of study were so evident that the Sheikh wanted to marry him to his daughter, but she tragically died in an accident.

Suleiman was so dedicated to knowledge that he would resist sleep until his eyes bled and would drink coffee to stay awake.

The closure of 520 religious schools necessitated finding alternative jobs such as imams or preachers or referring teachers to retirement.

He taught his students secretly to avoid government persecution following the unification law, enduring many hardships to provide education.

During the Republican era, Turkey saw several measures by Ataturk to eradicate Islamic influences and Ottoman heritage in an attempt to separate religion from the state.

Recep Bakar, the Prime Minister at that time, considered teaching Islamic religious sciences a deadly poison.

In prison, he endured various forms of torture, including being prevented from sleeping and having his cell sprayed with water, which caused him rheumatism.

Suleiman’s students attained prominent religious positions in the country, including Hosni Yilmaz, who became the Mufti of Balikesir at eighteen.

The teaching method in Suleiman Hilmi’s schools was notably effective, allowing students to master Quranic sciences in a short time.

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.

At that time, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ibrahim Kiraz Oglu, requested that he be buried near the tomb of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, his blood relative.