The life of Naqshbandi-Khalidi Sheikh Muhammed Ziyâeddîn Nurşînî and his sufi views in Mektûbât

ABSTRACT The life of Naqshbandi-Khalidi Sheikh Muhammed Ziyâeddîn Nurşînî and his sufi views in Mektûbât, Master Thesis, Çorum 2018. From the 19th century onwards the spiritual order that has determined the sufi tradition of Eastern Anatolia is Khalidi branch of Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi which is attributed to Khâlid al-Baghdâdî (d.1422/1827). Muhammad Ziyâeddîn Nurşînî, who lived between 1274 and 1342 (1858-1924), has been one of those Naqshbandi- Khalidi sheikhs in the region who has led the people to the true path. He is also the second person after Khâlid al-Baghdâdî to whom the title "Hazret" has been given. This study examines the life of Muhammad Ziyâeddîn Nurşînî and his sufi views that are shaped by Naqshbandi- Khalidi tradition. The first part of the thesis deals with the life of Muhammed Ziyâeddîn. Here his birth as well as his death, his family, his title, his intellectual and spiritual development, his spiritual guidance and his political-social responsibilities are mentioned. In the second part of the study, his sufi thoughts are discussed through Mektûbât, a collection of his letters written to different people. The main source contributing to the study is Mektûbât (collected letters) of Muhammad Ziyâeddîn Nurşînî,. Other sources are the works of other Sufis who have been mainly related to the Naqshbandi tradition, mostly their works called Mektûbât, classical sufi texts in the formative period, current publications, and academic studies. This study has reached the conclusion that Muhammad Ziyâeddîn Nurşînî is a sheikh who has been concerned with the social-political events of his time and that his sufi views have been shaped through Naqshbandi-Khalidi tradition. Key Words: Naqshbandi-Khalidi, Khâlid al-Baghdâdî, Sheikh Muhammed Ziyâeddîn Nurşînî, Hazret.