Thursday, July 29, 2010
   
Text Size

1941-1993

Date Description
1941 Born April 27 in Erzurum's Pasinler (Hasankale) County at the village of Korucuk.
1945 At the age of five mastered the Koran and pursued prayer.
1946 Began elementary school.
1949 Abandoned elementary school as the family moved to the village of Alvar. (Later on passed an equivalency exam and thus completed it)
1951 Took Arabic lessons from his father Ramiz Gulen thus continuing his religious education.
1952 Became a student of Haci Sitki Effendi.
1954 Became a student of Sadi Effendi, the grandson of the Imam of Alvar Honorary Muhammed Lutfi.

Within a couple of months mastered Emsile, Bina, and Merahi (=grammar books) reciting them verbatim. Completed Izhari.

Was not required to do Kafiye and continued on to Molla Cami.
1956 Imam of Alvar Honorary Muhammed Lutfi died.

Studied at the religious school next to Kemhan Mosque for the next six months.

After leaving, he went to Tasmescid. Within his means arranged a room at the Ahmediye Mosque and stayed with a friend. Gulen stayed there until his trip to Edirne.

Started studying with Osman Bektas. Gave religious lectures at the Korucuk and Alvar villages.
1957 Due to Ramadan festivities took a trip to Amasya, Tokat, and Sivas giving religious lectures and setting up meetings.

Made the acquaintance of Risale-i Nur, a series of books by Said Nursi.
1958 Went to Edirne giving informal religious lectures.
1959 At August 6 became formally the Imam second in line at Ucserefeli Mosque. He stayed there for the next two and a half years.
1960 Received a wedding proposal that was not to be.

Read last rites to two prisoners at death row.
1961 At November 10 began his military service at Mamak in Ankara serving out his preliminary duties there before shipping out to Iskenderun.

Gave religious lectures there as well.
1963 In Erzurum gave conferences lecturing extensively on Mevlana.

Attended the opening of one of Struggle with Communism Committee.
1964 At July 4th began work as Koran teacher in Edirne.
1965 July 31st got his transfer to Kirklareli, inviting Necip Fazil Kisakurek, a famous poet and writer, had him lecture in a conference setting.

Took his leave and took a tour of Turkey's various places.
1966 March 11th got his transfer to Izmir, holding on to a managerial position there close to five years at Kestanepazari, staying at a small shack and not accepting any wages for his services.
1968 Went to Haj at Mecca.
1969 Set up meetings at coffeehouses lecturing extensively at the provinces and villages of the Aegean part of Turkey.
1971 Left Kestanepazari and set up student dormitories at Izmir, Guzelyali

At 12th of March an ultimatum having been given some of his companions having been arrested, struggled attempting to free them but to no avail.

May 3rd having been arrested but was released 9th of November under the conditions of having been banned from public lectures.
1972 23rd of February, get transferred to Edremit, serving 2 years.
1973 Attended Haj at Mecca for the second time.
1974 29th of June was transferred to Manisa.

Became a supporter of the cause; preliminary courses preparing students for the University.

20th of September, his father died.
1975 Began a series of conferences in titled Science and the Holy Koran, Darwinism, Golden Generation. These conferences took him to Ankara, Corum, Malatya, Diyarbakir, Konya, Antalya, and Aydin.
1976 28th of September, was transferred to Izmir, Bornova.
1977 Visited Germany, lecturing at variety of places. Gave first religious sermon at the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul. Then Prime Minister, Mr. Suleyman Demirel, and Secretary of State, Ihsan Sabri Caglayangil were among the attendants.
1979 Actively supported the Journal in titled Sizinti and sees it through its publication.
1980 September 5 took the podium for the last time also taking a leave of absence for the next 20 days.

12th of September, the military coup took place in Turkey, his home was raided, he averted being arrested by the virtue of not being home.

Obtained a 45-day leave of absence.

Residence where he attends as a guest was raided. After a 6-hour interrogation procedure, he was released.

25th of November, he was transferred to Canakkale, yet due to illness he was not able to serve.
1981 20th of March, took a permanent leave of absence.
1985 Visited Ahlat.
1986 6th of April, after 6 years took the podium once again, for the occasions of the opening of the Camlica Mosque and the religious holiday of Mirac Kandil.

Attended Haj in Mecca for the third time.

He was linked and investigated concerning a court case involving one Mehmet Ozyurt at Diyarbakir.

Rejected the desires from his friend asking him to reside at Medina.

Due to enormous love of country and his people crossed the border on foot with great difficulty to Turkey.
1989 1st of January, started preaching in Valide Sultan Mosque in Uskudar of Istanbul.
1991 16th of June, ended his preaches.

21st of September, addressed in the Symposium on the Prophet Muhammad.
1992 5th of May, paid a visit to Turgut Ozal, the 8th President of Turkey who had a prostate operation in Dallas, Texas.
1993 28th of June, his mother, Refia Gulen (80), passed away in Izmir.
Share Link: Google Yahoo MyWeb Del.icio.us Digg Facebook Myspace Reddit Technorati Stumble Upon Yahoo Bookmarks MSN Live