Or 16236

This volume contains the collected poetry of Neccarzade Mustafa Rıza (died 1159 AH/1746 CE), a poet and a şeyh of the Nakşibendi-Müceddidi Sufi order.

Born in 1090 AH/1679 CE, Neccarzade Rıza lived most of his life in Beşiktaş, where he studied at the Sinan Paşa Medrese. He initially became a disciple of the Celveti Şeyh Mustafa Fenayi and was awarded hilafet by him. In 1121 AH/1710 CE, he became a disciple of the Nakşibendi-Müceddidi Şeyh Arapzade Mehmed İlmi Efendi in Edirne. He was awarded the hilafet by Şeyh Arapzâde in Şevval 1123 AH/November 1711 CE. After returning to Istanbul the following year, he became imam of the Sinan Paşa Mosque, at the same time issuing spiritual guidance from the tekke next door. He passed away on 15 Muharrem 1159 AH/7 February 1746 CE, and was buried in the graveyard of this tekke, which later came to bear his name.

An accomplished poet, Neccarzade Rıza was perhaps best known for his naatlar in praise of the Prophet Muhammad. His love for the Prophet is a strong theme throughout his poetic output, as are other religious and Sufi themes, especially the etiquettes and principles of the Nakşibendi order. Neccarzade Rıza wrote in the hikemi style of poetry exemplified by Nabi. He included a great deal of Arabic and Persian words and compositions in his Divan, which also features a small number of poems entirely in Arabic and Persian. He also quotes often from the Quran and hadith, but makes infrequent use of Turkish idioms and proverbs.

Neccarzade Rıza’s Divan consists of four separate divanlar which have often been treated as independent works. The titles of these are Tuhfetü’l-irşad, Varidat-ı Gaybiyye, Zuhurat-ı Mekkiyye, and Hatimetü’l-varidat. The present volume contains the final three of these four divanlar, beginning with the opening kaside of the Varidat-ı Gaybiyye. The present copy is also missing the final section, ending midway through the gazeliyat for the letter of nun in the fourth divan (Hatimetü’l-varidat). In other copies, the Divanconcludes with gazeliyat of the letter ye.

Begins:

(Hüve’l-Mü‘in) ser kafile-i alem-i balasın Sen * Salarda ‘Arş-i Mu‘allasın Sen / Mecmua-i esma ve müsemmasın Sen * Piraye-i dih-suret ü manasın Sen

Ends:

Haclet-zedeyüz ta-be-seher nalişimizden * şermende olur ehl-i sema hvahişimizden / Her subh ü mesa harmen-i gerdun-i anasır * dil-suhtadır barika-’i tabişimizden

There are illuminated headings for each section of the Divan, on f 1v, 8v, 72r, 80v, 121v, 129v, and 168v. On the end flyleaf (recto), there is a table giving numerical values of letters according to the ebced system.

The text was copied by İsmail Zihni. There is no original colophon. f 202 is a later replacement in a quite different hand, and contains the last beyit of verse and the statement that the manuscript was checked and corrected (tashih) in 1230 AH/1814-15 CE.