Ali Recai Efendi
Profile summary
Highlights
Kardiçalı Ali Recai Efendi was born in Karditsa in 1839. In his Sicill-i Ahvâl record, his father is listed as “Mustafa Efendi of the notables.” Karditsa was one of the cities of Thessaly with a Muslim population in the 19th century and is known today as Karditsa in Greece.
Ali Recai Efendi was among the muhataps of the Huzur Dersleri. The Huzur Dersleri were Qur’anic commentary discussions held before the sultan during Ramadan; the teacher who delivered the lesson was called the mukarrir, while the scholars who participated in the scholarly discussion were called muhataps.
His professional life was shaped around the Fetvahâne. The Fetvahâne was the official office within the Meşihat that carried out fatwa affairs. Ali Recai Efendi was among the müsevvids there, officials responsible for preparing fatwa texts. Müsevvidlik was a specialized field, more specific than ordinary clerkship, concerned with the writing and arrangement of fatwas and similar legal-religious texts.
Ali Recai Efendi died on 12 Dhu al-Qa‘da 1322 (18 January 1905) and was buried in the Fatih Mosque Cemetery.
Epitaph
He is the Creator, the Eternal. This is the grave of Kardiçalı Hacı Ali Recai Efendi, one of the participants in the lessons held before the sultan and one of the drafting clerks of the Fetvahane. For the sake of Allah, a Fatiha for the souls of the late deceased and all believers. 18 January 1905.
A Fatiha for his/her soul