Hafız İsmail Hakkı Efendi

Hâfız İsmail Hakkı Efendi was born in Fatih in 1826 and is known in sources by the nickname Esircizâde. The son of Ahmed Efendi, İsmail Hakkı Efendi completed his training in Qur’anic recitation with Hacı Ömer Efendi and received his ijazah in 1846.

Esircizâde İsmail Hakkı Efendi served as devirhan at Sultan Selim Mosque and as muezzin at Fatih Mosque. In 1866 he became şeyhülkurrâ at Fatih Mosque, and in 1870 was appointed teacher at the Fatih School.

Rising to the rank of reîsülkurrâ in 1878, İsmail Hakkı Efendi became one of the leading figures of the Istanbul recitation circle. Reîsülkurrâ was a high title denoting the head of hafizes and reciters who had completed the science of Qur’anic recitation.

In 1889, Esircizâde was appointed president of the Teftîş-i Mesâhif-i Şerîfe Council, becoming one of the recitation scholars at the head of the inspection process concerning the correct reading, writing and printing of Qur’an copies.

Hâfız İsmail Hakkı Efendi also influenced later generations of Qur’an reciters through the recitation ijazahs he granted. He died in 1322 (1905) and was buried in the Fatih Mosque Cemetery.