His Excellency Mehmed Zahid Kotku Efendi, the mentor and spiritual master of the late Milli Görüş leader Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan Hodja, was known as the "Invisible University"...
His Excellency Mehmed Zahid Kotku Efendi, the sultan of hearts, one of Türkiye's leading scholars who provided great services for the material and spiritual development of the Islamic world, is remembered with mercy and prayers on the 43rd anniversary of his death.
His Excellency Mehmed Zahid Kotku, who passed away on 13 November 1980 while returning from a pilgrimage, devoted his life to serving Islam, trained thousands of students and produced many works.
His Excellency Mehmed Zahid Kotku, known as the "Invisible University", also provided important services for Milli Görüş.
His Excellency Mehmed Zahid Kotku, who was the mentor and spiritual master of our Milli Görüş leader, the late Necmettin Erbakan Hodja, initiated the training of students not only in spiritual sciences but also in technical sciences...
HE PERFORMED JIHAD IN THE OTTOMAN ARMY
Mehmed Zahid Kotku was born in Bursa in 1897, which coincided with the last years of the Ottoman Empire.
He studied primary school in Bursa Oruçbey Primary School. Hocaefendi, who received secondary education at Maksem High School and Bursa Sanayi-i Nefîse School, joined the military at the age of eighteen and performed his jihad duty due to the First World War that started at that time.
He experienced dangerous days and illnesses due to his long military service. With the withdrawal of the Ottoman army from Syria, he returned to Istanbul, albeit with difficulty.
He continued his military service as a printer in Istanbul. During his stay in Istanbul due to military service, he continued religious meetings, private lessons and sermons in mosques.
Although he later worked as an imam-hatip in Bursa for a period, he returned to Istanbul and educated thousands of students in his "invisible university" until his death.
HE EDUCATED THOUSANDS OF SCIENTISTS
Mehmed Zahid Kotku, one of the most valuable Islamic scholars who grew up in our homeland, struggled for the development and progress of Muslims throughout his life.
Mehmed Zahid Kotku, who made a significant effort to educate thousands of students, contributed to the education of many students not only in spiritual sciences but also in scientific sciences.
The late Erbakan Hodja, one of Mehmed Zahid Kotku's most popular students, made great efforts in becoming a good engineer and a qualified politician.
HE PASSED AWAY AFTER RETURNING FROM HAJJ
Kotku, who spent the last years of his life with illnesses, continued his conversations despite being in severe pain.
He returned from Hejaz, where he went to stay for a long time in the summer of 1979, in February 1980, seriously ill. He underwent surgery a month after his return and slowly recovered.
So much so that he kept his Ramadan fast without interruption in 1980, a year he spent with serious illnesses and surgeries.
He, who performed the tarawih prayer with me, did not neglect his conversations. In the same year, he went to the Holy Land to fulfill his pilgrimage.
However, his illness recurred and he completed his pilgrimage with difficulty.
After visiting the tomb of our Prophet (PBUH), he returned to Istanbul in November 1980, seriously ill, and died a week later, around noon on Thursday, November 13, 1980.