Or 16779

This volume contains the Divan of Mustafa Selami Efendi (died 1228 AH/1813 CE), a şeyh of the Nakşibendi order whose mahlas was Selami.

Born in Izmir, Selami was the son of a Nakşibendi şeyh named İsmail Şerhi, who preached from a tekke in İzmir. Selami himself travelled to Bukhara, Afghanistan, and Egypt before settling in Istanbul. His fame spread as he began issuing spiritual instruction in the city, and he also came to the notice of the statesmen of the time. One of these was the kethüda of the Grand Vizier, Arabacızade İbrahim Nesim Efendi (died 1222 AH/1807 CE), who in 1213 AH/1798 CE built a tekke in Selami’s name in Eyüp’s Baba Haydar neighbourhood, also appointing him as its şeyh. Upon his death in 1228 AH/1813 CE, he was buried in the tevhidhane of this tekke.

Selami has at least three known works of poetry, which includes a Mevlid along with his Divan. According to tarihler at the conclusion of his Divan (f 97r), he completed its gathering and arrangement (cem‘ ü tertib) in 1195 AH/1780-1 CE and at the request of some loved ones and disciplines, rearranged (tertib-i cedid) the work in 1226 AH/1811 CE with the addition of some gazeliyat and tahmislar. It should also be noted, however, that the work includes tarihler which Selami composed after this date, in 1227 AH/1812 CE (see 41v-42v). Religious content permeates much of the Divan, including the Nakşibendi path and its foundations as well as Divine love. He has a sincere expression and fluent expression, especially in his naatlar and ilahiler, just as lyricism was at the forefront of his poems (Ekinci, ‘Selâmî’). Several poems are written in Persian.

In the present copy, which is consistent with the printed copy of the work (Istanbul, 1287 AH/1870 CE), the first section (ff 1v-42v) contains: a münacaat with Selami’s pleas to God (1v-2r); Naatlar, hilye and mi‘raciye in love, respect, and praise for the Prophet Muhammad (2r-11v); Medhiyeler (terkib-i bend) eulogising the rightly-guided caliphs and Twelve Imams (11v-23r); tahmislar on the poems of Molla Câmî, Sezâî Efendi, Derviş Hayretî Dede, Şemsî-i Sivâsî, Derviş Safder and Şakir Ahmed Paşa (23r-27r); murabbaât, including a nazire (27r-29v); a Persian mesnevi (29v-31v); and tarihler (31v-42v). The second section (43v-98r) consists of ilahiyat beginning with elif (43r-86v) and followed by kıt‘alar, rubailer, and beyitler (86v-97r). The contents conclude (97r-98v) with two homiletic texts in Persian prose, the second of which is headed 'Tatimme.'

Begins:

(Münacat be-dergâh Kadiu’l-Hacat) Nur-i Bismillahi’r-Rahmani’r-Rahim * oldı miftah-i dür-i feyz-i ‘amim / Elif ilaha hayr ile eyle müyesser intiha * ba’i Bismillah ile çünki olupdur ibtida

Ends:

Ez sa‘adat-i ebadi vü devlet-i ru’yat-i lika-yi sermedi. Dur ü mehcur mi-şeved ki duzah suveri nisbet bayen mehcuri mesabe-i yek sermuyist. Allahü a‘lem

The volume has illuminated unvan of good quality on f 1v and 43v. There are marginalia on 42r-v, 44r, and 47v. The main colophon on f 98v states that the work was copied by es-Seyyid Mehmed, grandson of Şeyh Osman Efendi, custodian of the Prophet Muhammad’s sacred mantle (Hadim-i Hırka-i Nebi aleyhi’s-selam) in 1230 AH/1814-15 CE.