Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır

Muhammad Hamdi Yazır
Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır
Born	1878 Elmalı, Antalya, Ottoman Empire
Died	(1942-05-27)27 May 1942 İstanbul, Turkey
Residence	İstanbul, Antalya
Nationality	Turkish
Citizenship	Turkish Ottoman Empire
Scientific career
Fields	Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic theology, Qur'anic exegesis, Kalam, Islamic philosophy, Philosophy, Logic, Lexicography

Muhammed Hamdi Yazır also known as Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır and Elmalılı (1878, Antalya - 27 May 1942, İstanbul) was a Turkish theologian, logician, Qur'an translator, Qur'anic exegesis scholar, Islamic legal academic, philosopher and encyclopedist.

He was born in 1878, in Elmalı district of Antalya province, then in the Ottoman Empire, and now in Turkey. He is nicknamed after his birthplace: Elmalılı. Elmalılı means "from Elmalı" or "born in Elmalı" in Turkish. His father, Hoca Numan Efendi, who is also a scholar of Islam, was from the Yazır village of Gölhisar district of Burdur province, then in the Ottoman Empire, and now in Turkey. He is from Yazir sub-brunch of Oghuz brunch of Turkish nation. Hoca Numan Efendi -father of Yazir- went to Elmalı district of Antalya for education when he was a child and settled there. Hoca Numan Efendi worked as a head clerk of lawsuit of the district. Yazır's mother Fatma Hanım was the daughter of Esad Efendi, who was a scholar of Islam living in Elmalı.

After completing primary and secondary education in Elmalı, for studying Islam sciences, in 1885, Yazır went to İstanbul which was the capital city of Ottoman Empire at that time. He completed his university education in Bayezid Madrasah. Then he competed posterrior education in Mekteb-i Nuvvab and became a Qadi (judge). He also received Islamic calligraphy courses from Sami Efendi and Bakkal Arif Efendi. He learned Arabic, Persian, and French during his education. His was as fluent in French as in Arabic. He translated some French books to Turkish.