Tahiri Mutlu
By Ersan Akyuz
Tahiri Mutlu was one of Ustad Said Nursi’s closest students. He was one of the very fortunate to have learnt the method of Risale-i Nur from Said Nursi directly. He was born in 1900 in Atabey which is a county in the city of Isparta. He was introduced to the Risale-i Nur and Ustad in the 1930s.
In 1942, he took the Supreme Sign to be printed in Istanbul. Following that he travelled to Kastamonu to be with Said Nursi who was in excile.
Tahiri Mutlu and Zubeyir Gunduzalp went to Barla in 1953 with Ustad Said Nursi. When Said Nursi was about to be angry, his mood would change for the better because of the presence of Tahiri Mutlu. Nursi would say “I am in the presence of the one Allah loves, he is a Veli, a Saint”.
Once, Said Nursi had asked Tahiri Mutlu if he preferred to be a Veli (Saint) or to be a servant in the service of the Risale-i Nur. Tahiri Mutlu replied by saying that he would like to be a servant in the service of the Risale-i Nur. Ustad commented by saying “Tahiri is a true Saint”, and then offered a suppliction by praying that Tahiri does not see his spiritual rank in this world.
Tahiri Mutlu was proud to be a student of the Risale-i Nur. Said Nursi would call him a ‘Hero’. Tahiri Mutlu along with his two daughters would write the Risale-i Nur by hand. Nursi was very appreciative for their efforts.
Tahiri Mutlu passed away on the 3rd of August, 1977. He was buried in the the Eyub Sultan Cemetary.