Ahmed Necib Efendi

Ahmed Necib Efendi was born in 1818 in the Karacasu district of Aydın and was one of the scholars who served in the late Ottoman ilmiye establishment and the Meşihat circle. He served as a madrasa professor, was a member of the Meclis-i Tedkîkât-ı Şer‘iyye, the Council for Religious-Legal Review, and rose to the office of undersecretary of the Meşihat.

The undersecretariat of the Meşihat was one of the offices carrying high responsibility in the administrative functioning of the Şeyhülislam’s office. The Meclis-i Tedkîkât-ı Şer‘iyye, meanwhile, functioned as one of the important councils at the intersection of the ilmiye and judicial organizations, where matters coming from the sharia courts were examined.

Ahmed Necib Efendi was also among the scholars who took part in the Huzur Dersleri. The Huzur Dersleri were Qur’anic commentary lessons held before the sultan during Ramadan; in these lessons the mukarrir delivered the lesson and the muhataps participated in scholarly discussion.

Ahmed Necib Efendi held the Rumelian kazasker pâye, indicating a high degree of rank and prestige in the ilmiye hierarchy, and was also one of the Naqshbandi-Khalidi deputies. Sources also state that for a time he served as sheikh of the Hâlidî Lodge.

Karacasuyî el-Hac Hafız Ahmed Necib Efendi died on 19 Ramadan 1318 (10 January 1901) and was buried in the Fatih Mosque Cemetery.