BY RIZAEDDIN FAHREDDIN

"Ismail Bey Gasprinski," trans. Alan W. Fisher, The Tatars of Crima: Return to the Homeland, ed. Edward A. Allworth, pp. 127-1 2. !opyri"ht 1##$, %&ke 'ni(ersity )ress. All ri"hts reser(ed. )osted with permission.* Ismail Bey Gasprinski, 1851-191 "Ismail Bey Gasprinski, 1$ 1-1#1*," Shura, nos 21 +1 ,o(em-er 1#1*., 22 +1 ,o(em-er 1#1*., 2/ +1 %e0em-er 1#1*., 2* +1 %e0em-er 1#1*.1 2*1-**, 27/-7 , 73 -$, 7/7-*1. 4ranslated -y Alan W. Fisher. 4his (ery lon" o-it&ary 5or Ismail Bey appeared in 5o&r iss&es o5 the 4atar-lan"&a"e 6o&rnal Shura, p&-lished in 7ren-&r" in ,o(em-er and %e0em-er 1#1*. )&-lished -imonthly 5rom 8an&ary 1#3$ to 8an&ary 1#1$, Shura was one o5 the most important literary and politi0al 4atar 6o&rnals in the last years o5 the 9&ssian Empire. Its editor was 9i:aeddin kadi Fahreddin, a re5orm-minded reli"io&s o55i0ial. As one 0an easily see in the o-it&ary that 5ollows, "Shura was 0ertainly, o5 all ;&slim 6o&rnals, the most deeply in5l&en0ed -y 9&ssian 0&lt&re." +Ale<andre Benni"sen and !hantal =emer0ier->&el?&e6ay, La Presse et le Mouvement National Chez les Musulmans de Russie avant 192 +)aris1 ;o&ton, 1#2*1, p. 77.. I wish to thank )ro5essor Edward Allworth -oth 5or in5ormin" me o5 this o-it&ary@s e<isten0e and pro(idin" me with a photo0opy o5 it. 1 Novem!er 191": #smail $e% &as'irali, 1()1*191" Ismail Bey was someone who was respe0ted in the world 5or his preo00&pation with the a55airs o5 h&manityA he was a man o5 o&rs who was re(ered 5or his writin"s a-o&t and on -ehal5 o5 o&r nationA o&r man and o&r leader, Ismail Bey Gaspirali, is now at rest and has departed 5or another a-ode. It was the prod&0t o5 Ismail Bey@s pen that "a(e &s the ro&te to 5ollow 5or the 5&t&reA he pro(ided 5or &s the ne0essary lessons to learn in order to rea0h the 5&t&re. With the death o5 Ismail Bey, 9&ssian ;&slims ha(e lost a person with "a tho&sand" 5a0es, a person who himsel5 was o&r ed&0ational 0enter and instit&tion. We are now separated 5rom the person who was most 0learly the ser(ant o5 knowled"e 5or and amon" o&r people. Be was -orn in a (ery traditional (illa"e, mo(ed to the 0ity and spent his li5e there. Be had a sharp intelle0t, "reat a-ility, nat&ral aptit&de, 0o&ra"e, 5irmness, was a hard worker, and -e0a&se o5 all o5 these, 0ontri-&ted as m&0h as any one man 0an to the well--ein" o5 9&ssia@s ;&slims. Be showed them, thro&"h his own e<ample, what their potential 5or renewal is. Be was the 0a&se o5 a re(ol&tion amon" 9&ssia@s ;&slims whi0h was all en0ompassin"1 in s0ien0e, in literat&re, in their so0iety as well as in their e0onomy. 'ntil today there has -een no ;&slim in 9&ssia who has 0ontri-&ted as m&0h as Ismail Bey. Bis entire ad&lt li5e Ismail Bey de(oted to ser(in" his nation, his people, his so0iety Cmillet +i, +hal+ ve ,emaat +iD. Be helped all o5 the rest o5 &s to de(elop o&r material and intelle0t&al wel5are and potential. Be was a ser(ant to all o5 &s witho&t parallel. 4he li(es o5 o&r people ha(e "reatly -ene5ited 5rom all o5 the years, months, days, and e(en ho&rs o5 Ismail Bey@s own li5e. It is &n5ort&nate indeed that someone who is o5 s&0h "reat ser(i0e to his people and all h&manity is so short-li(ed. Eet his "ood works and ser(i0es remain -ehind as his le"a0y. 4oo o5ten the lon"-li(ed o5 &s 0ontri-&te 5ar less to so0iety than does someone who has a relati(ely short li5e. =et &s -e "rate5&l, tho&"h, 5or his short li5e, 5or it was so important to the

(ery 5i-er o5 o&r e<isten0e. Altho&"h Ismail Bey@s li5e was not lon", it was 5illed with "a tho&sand" -lessin"s and "ood deeds 5or the rest o5 &s. E(eryone who knew him, and knew o5 him, re0o"ni:ed that e(erythin" he did was 5or the -ene5it o5 knowled"e and the people. =et &s all re6oi0e in Ismail Bey@s li5e, not -e too sad a-o&t his deathF All o5 the important people as well as the ordinary people ha(e a "reat de-t to Ismail Bey. Be was indeed one o5 God@s "reatest "i5ts to mankind. =et &s raise o&r thanks to God Almi"hty 5or this "i5t. Ismail Bey wo&ld ha(e wished that we remem-er him most 5or what he did to impro(e the intelle0t&al and spirit&al li5e o5 o&r people. While there were and are many who remain pessimisti0 a-o&t the 5&t&re o5 Islam and h&manity in "eneral, Ismail Bey showed &s how to attain a "ood 5&t&re. 7&r nation Cmillet D will -ene5it 5ore(er 5rom what lsmail Bey a00omplished. Be led the way in showin" how to raise and ed&0ate the ne<t "eneration o5 yo&n" people who will -e the ones to ser(e o&r nation in the 5&t&re. Ismail Bey@s 0ontri-&tions ha(e -e0ome the "&ide Creh!erD 5or the di55i0&lt-to-5ind ro&te o&t o5 o&r di55i0&lt present, the warnin"s a"ainst mistaken poli0ies, and the plans 5or o&r nation@s 5&t&re. For these reasons, it is important that his -io"raphy -e written and that it -e st&died -y all o5 the st&dents in o&r s0hools. Bowe(er, &p to now, this has not -een written. 4his m&st -e written so that we 0an 5&lly appre0iate what lsmail Bey did and so that we will -e a-le to -ene5it 5rom his a00omplishments. Be0a&se o5 Ismail Bey@s death, we ha(e lost a man who was o5 &se to o&r people in a tho&sand ways. Be was a man who worked hard, remained 5irm in his 0on(i0tions, and now he is "one. 4oday we 5eel deep "rie5 and -elie(e we ha(e e<perien0ed a "reat 0alamity. B&t God knows -est, and let &s take &p the paths that lsmail Bey had -&ilt, to 0omplete the tasks that he had -e"&n. 4his is the -est way 5or &s now to ser(e o&r nation. Altho&"h some elements o5 Ismail Bey@s -io"raphy ha(e appeared in o&r newspapers and 6o&rnals o(er the past se(eral years, no serio&s attempt has yet -een made to pro(ide a 0omplete story o5 his li5e. At Shura we ha(e de0ided to -e"in that task -y pro(idin" here an o&tline o5 his -io"raphy. We hope that in the 5&t&re a m&0h more serio&s and 0omplete e55ort will -e made. We ha(e -ene5ited in o&r pro6e0t 5rom the in5ormation printed in Ter,-man -y Basan Ga-ri E5endi, who was one o5 Ismail Bey@s 0losest 5riends and asso0iates. $io.ra'h%/ 4he 5o&nder o5 the newspaper Ter,-man, Ismail Bey Gaspirali, was -orn on $ ;ar0h 1$ 1 +1227. in a (illa"e 0alled '0h&kHy, whi0h was a two-ho&r 6o&rney 5rom BahIesaray. Bis mother 0ame 5rom a !rimean no-le 5amily and was named Fatma Banim. Bis 5ather, ;&sta5a A"a, 0ame 5rom a no-le 5amily o5 the se0ond rank. ;&sta5a A"a had -een -orn in the (illa"e Gaspra, whi0h was on the !rimean Bla0k Gea 0oast. Ismail Bey took the name Gaspirali 5rom this ori"in. +In5ormation on this 5a0t was p&-lished in Ter,-man, no. 1# C1$$*D.. 4here is some e(iden0e that Ismail Bey@s an0estors ori"inally 0ame 5rom the Jha:ar 4&rkish -ran0h, -&t the in5ormation is &n0lear. Gome time a"o, in Ter,-man, in an arti0le entitled "GKn %o"d&," a story was presented a-o&t Ismail Bey@s possi-le an0estors. A 0ertain %aniyal Be" 0ame to !rimea 5rom the !ir0assian re"ion and was 0onsidered -y some a !ir0assian, -y others a 4&rk. Ismail Bey -elie(ed that this %aniyal Be" was one o5 his early an0estors. We are not takin" a postion on this ?&estion, whi0h does not seem (ery important anyway. Ismail Bey@s 5ather and mother li(ed in A?yar +Ge(astopol. d&rin" the 1$ war and at its end

mo(ed to BahIesaray. At this point Ismail Bey was 5o&r years old. When Ismail Bey was ten years old, he 5o&nd a "irl 5riend named Ba-i-e who li(ed in BahIesaray. A5ter attendin" a military trainin" s0hool in ;os0ow, Ismail Bey went to Istan-&l and then to )aris. A5ter his stay a-road, he ret&rned to 9&ssia and to his own homeland. In 1$7* +12#1. Ismail Bey -e0ame a tea0her in Ealta where he ta&"ht ;&slim ad&lts the 9&ssian lan"&a"e. 4wo years later he 0ame to BahIesaray and "a(e 9&ssian lessons at the Lin0irli medrese. In 1$7# +12#2. he was ele0ted mayor C.olovaD. In this position he ser(ed 5o&r years. A5ter that period he -e"an what wo&ld -e0ome his li5e@s work. Be wo&ld also make a n&m-er o5 6o&rneys in the 0omin" years1 in 1$$ to Bak&, in 1$#/ a"ain to Bak& and then on to B&khara, in 1#37 and 1#3$ to E"ypt, and 5inally in 1#11 to India. A-o&t his se0ond 6o&rney to Bak&, Ismail Bey wrote a short a00o&nt in Ter,-man, a portion o5 whi0h we in0l&de here1 In 1$#/, I 5o&nd mysel5 5or a se0ond time in Bak&. 7n my 5irst trip I tra(eled with Ge5er Ali Bey Meli-eyo(. I passed thro&"h the !a&0as&s on the way to Bak&, that 5irst time. We were parti0&larly interested in learnin" a-o&t trade and 0ommer0e as it was 0ond&0ted -y ;&slims li(in" there. Ge5er Ali Bey was a mer0hant and was himsel5 interested in makin" some in(estments in the !a&0as&s and in Bak&. We met with a n&m-er o5 the ri0h mer0hants and ind&strialists. Ge5er Ali Bey p&r0hased one lar"e esta-lishment and de0ided to -e"in the p&-li0ation asso0iated with it o5 a newspaper. 4hose with whom he dealt 0o&ld not &nderstand the sense o5 startin" a newspaper, whi0h 0o&ld 0ertainly not -e pro5ita-le. And 5ew were willin" to 0onsider a newspaper that wo&ld -e modeled on Ter,-man and that wo&ld not -e essentially ;&slim in nat&re. 4hey were not parti0&larly interested in new 5orms o5 newspapers, o5 ed&0ation, o5 literat&re. 4hey said1 "For &s it is eno&"h to tr&st in God." Bappily Ge5er Ali Bey persisted in his plan and the newspaper was e(ent&ally started. We also noted then that many o5 the ed&0ated elements o5 that so0iety spoke Farsi, and the lo0al ordinary pop&lation 5o&nd it (ery di55i0&lt to speak with them. ,ow, on my se0ond 6o&rney, I am happy to report that 4&rki0 is -ein" &sed -y all, the newspaper is thri(in", and the people o5 the area are enterin" a new 5&t&re. His 0amil%/ Ismail Bey married in 1$7# +12#/., -&t a5ter a n&m-er o5 years, he di(or0ed that woman. In 1$$2 +12##., Ismail Bey married Lahire Banim, the da&"hter o5 Is5endiyar Ak0h&rin 5rom Gi-eria. 4hese two li(ed to"ether 5or twenty years. +A -io"raphy o5 this lady appears in the -ook Meshhur Hatunlar/. Altho&"h a5ter Lahire Banim@s death Ismail Bey married one o5 her sisters, it was Lahire Banim who was his prime 0ompanion thro&"ho&t his a0ti(e li5e. Ismail Bey had three sons1 9ahmet Bey, ;ans&r Bey, and Baydar BeyA and three da&"hters1 Bati0e Banim, Gha5i?a Banim, and ,i"yar Banim. Be had one li(in" sister, Leyne-. His edu,ation/ Ismail Bey st&died 5irst with Ba0i Ismail. At that tea0her@s death, Ismail Bey entered the "ymnasi&m in Akmes0it, and a5ter two years@ st&dy there, entered the Morone:h military a0ademy. From there he ad(an0ed to the ;os0ow hi"her military s0hool. It is interestin" to note that Ismail Bey, who spent more than thirty-5i(e years ser(in" the interests o5 9&ssian ;&slims and 4&rkish nationalists, had his 5irst ed&0ational e<perien0es in 9&ssian s0hools. Eet his nationalist a0ti(ity &ltimately 0&t him o55 5rom the 9&ssian 5amilies he "rew to know and lo(e, the 9&ssian writers, and the 9&ssian pro5essors. 7n this to&0hy ?&estion, E&s&5 Bey Ak0h&rin on0e wrote1

)eople o5ten think that their nation, their ideas and 0&lt&re are &ni?&e to them. 4hey think it wron" to min"le with other 0&lt&res. ;&slims today are amon" the worst in this re"ard. We 5or"et that lon" a"o, ;&slims were open to other 0&lt&res and ideas. Al Gha:ali was one s&0h philosopher who was open to s&0h 5orei"n ideas. Ismail Bey re0ei(ed his (ery 5irst ed&0ation with Islami0 tradition. B&t soon he -ran0hed o&t. Amon" his -est 5riends were the Jatko( 5amily. Ismail Bey 0annot -e said to ha(e s&55ered 5rom these asso0iations. Be may well ha(e -ene5ited. Ismail Bey 5o&nd the stren"th to remain 5irm a"ainst those who were &neasy a-o&t 0han"e, a"ainst those "masters" o5 the past who wa(ered on the ?&estion o5 renewal. Be &nderstood -etter than they that tr&e ser(i0e to o&r reli"ion re?&ired an a00eptan0e o5 renewal. Be o5ten wrote in Ter,-man that the old stone "walls" were 0r&m-lin" and that they needed to -e re-&ilt with new materials. Be learned 5rom Jatko( that 9&ssia and 9&ssians also needed renewal, that their own "walls" were in a state o5 deterioration. Be knew that it was not ne0essary to p&rs&e renewal in e<a0tly the same way that Jatko( and 9&ssians were doin" it -&t that one did not need to 5ear what they were sayin" solely -e0a&se they were 9&ssians. Indeed, he learned a "reat deal 5rom the newspapers that s&0h 9&ssians were p&-lishin", espe0ially the Mos,o1 &azette CMos+ovs+iia 2iedemostiD. 8o&rnalism needed men who were knowled"ea-le a-o&t the world. Ismail Bey was a man whose stren"th and desire 0om-ined to prod&0e 5or &s a &se5&l and modern 6o&rnalism that 0o&ld address the needs o5 o&r people. Be -elie(ed that Jatko( was 6&st s&0h a man 5or the 9&ssians too. When Jatko( died, Ismail Bey showed sin0ere "rie5 and in Ter,-man o55ered sympathy 5or his 5amily. Be wrote that Jatko( had pro(ided "reat ser(i0e to the 9&ssian people thro&"h 6o&rnalism, that he had worked hard at that task 5or thirty years, that 9&ssians wo&ld re0o"ni:e the tr&e (al&e o5 his ser(i0e. And he 0on0l&ded than he hoped, a5ter he had 0ompleted thirty years o5 ser(i0e, that o&r people wo&ld 0onsider him CIsmail BeyD in the same li"ht. %&rin" his time in the ;os0ow military a0ademy, Ismail Bey -e"an to de(elop a "reat a55e0tion 5or his own 4&rki0-4atar nation. A5ter those years, altho&"h he tra(eled as 5ar as )aris and Istan-&l, he tho&"ht a-o&t the pro-lems o5 o&r s0hools and o&r -ooks. Be de0ided on these trips that he wo&ld 5o0&s m&0h o5 his li5e on impro(in" the intelle0t&al li5e o5 o&r s0hools and -ooks, and wo&ld emphasi:e renewal o5 the tea0hin" and 6o&rnalisti0 pro5essions. 1) Novem!er 191" Ismail Bey p&-lished a -ook, in 9&ssian, entitled Russian Muslims/ With this work, Ismail Bey initiated a de-ate on some (ery important ?&estions. Be wrote, "7&r i"noran0e is the main reason 5or o&r -a0kward 0ondition. We ha(e no a00ess at all to what has -een dis0o(ered and to what is "oin" on in E&rope. We m&st -e a-le to read in order to o(er0ome o&r isolationA we m&st learn E&ropean ideas 5rom E&ropean so&r0es. We m&st introd&0e into o&r primary and se0ondary s0hools s&-6e0ts that will permit o&r p&pils to ha(e s&0h a00ess." Ismail Bey 5o&nd the means ne0essary to introd&0e these ideas amon" the 4&rki0-4atar people. Be &nderstood that this means was primarily the responsi-ility o5 the p&-lishin" ind&stry. Be0a&se o5 this, he p&-lished on $ ;ay 1$$1 a (ol&me entitled First- Born CTon.u3D, whi0h was soon 5ollowed -y a se0ond, 4a%!rea+ CShefa+D. 4o"ether, these two works ha(e -een 0onsidered to -e the 5amo&s "Ismail )&-li0ations." Ismail Bey, in the years sin0e, e<plained that it was the re0eption that these two works 5o&nd that pers&aded him to (ent&re the p&-li0ation o5 his 5amo&s newspaper Ter,-man/ Altho&"h Ismail Bey was not a-le to "ain assistan0e 5rom any ?&arter at 5irst, and despite the 5a0t that s&0h a (ent&re was 0onsidered to -e e<tremely -old at the time, Ismail Bey persisted and prod&0ed the 5irst iss&es o5 Ter,-man on his own. Ismail Bey had to tra(el to Gt. )eters-&r" in order to re0ei(e permission to -e"in p&-li0ation and had to in0&r 0onsidera-le personal e<pense in time and money. B&t on 13 April 1$$/ +1/33. the 5irst iss&e appeared. Ismail Bey 0ontin&ed to 5a0e one o-sta0le a5ter another, -&t the iss&es o5 Ter,-man

0ontin&ed to appear. In 1$$2, he also p&-lished a Tur+i 5ear!oo+ CSalname*i Tur+iD and a -ea&ti5&l almana0. In the introd&0tion to the 5ormer, Ismail Bey wrote1 "We ha(e p&t to"ether a Tur+i 5ear!oo+ and an almana0 5or the -ene5it o5 all ;&slims in 9&ssia, -oth 5or the 5irst time. We are 0ond&0tin" an e<periment to see i5 what is re"&larly done in 9&ssian, 7ttoman, and Fren0h lan"&a"es, whi0h pro(ide statisti0al and "eo"raphi0al in5ormation 5or those peoples, 0an also ser(e a &se5&l p&rpose 5or 9&ssian ;&slims." 4hro&"ho&t his li5e, Ismail Bey p&-lished inn&mera-le -ooks, -ro0h&res, essays, treatises, and 0olle0tions, all with the p&rpose o5 ser(in" 9&ssia@s ;&slims. B&t the most -ea&ti5&l and most &se5&l o5 all o5 the thin"s that he p&-lished was Ter,-man/ 4his newspaper allowed 9&ssia@s ;&slims to awaken, to 0ome o&t o5 se0l&sion, to enter the world. It permitted 9&ssia@s ;&slims to 0ease -ein" so 5ar -ehind the rest o5 the 0i(ili:ed world and pro(ided the needed remedy 5or many o5 o&r ills. Ismail Bey on0e wrote a-o&t the 0osts and rewards 0onne0ted with Ter,-man in this way1 4oday Ter,-man enters its third year. =et &s in5orm o&r readers what we see as the &se and p&rpose o5 Ter,-man, that it has aimed at impro(in" the health and happiness o5 o&r homeland CvatanD o5 the 4&rks as well as other ;&slims who li(e in 9&ssia. We ha(e aimed at pro(idin" the essentials 5or the ed&0ation o5 o&r nation, o5 the 4&rks and all ;&slims in 9&ssia. When the 5irst iss&e o5 Ter,-man was printed, we prod&0ed only /23 0opies, and we perhaps tho&"ht that we wo&ld 5ind it di55i0&lt to ha(e a readership warrantin" that many. In %e0em-er 1$$/, tho&"h, we needed to print *32 0opies. For 1$$* we had to in0rease o&r operatin" -&d"et, and -y %e0em-er we had 1,333 s&-s0ri-ers. =et &s des0ri-e -rie5ly who these 1,333 s&-s0ri-ers were. /33 were in the !rimeaA /33 were in Astrakhan, Gamara, 7ren-&r", '5a, Ja:an, and )ermA 1 3 li(ed in %a"istanA 3 were Gi-erian ;&slimsA 233 were in !entral Asia and 4&rkistan. 1 3 appeared to -e 5rom the &pper and wealthy 0lassesA /33 were ordinary workin" peopleA 33 were &r-an mer0hants, tea0hers, artisans. 7&r readership 0omes 5rom all o(er the 9&ssian ;&slim world, and in0l&des all sorts o5 people. +Ter,-man 1$$ . In an editorial appearin" in Ter,-man in 1#3/, in the twentieth anni(ersary iss&e, Ismail Bey wrote the 5ollowin", re5errin" to ideas he had presented in the (ery 5irst iss&e in 1$$/1 4he 5irst ser(i0e that Ter,-man will pro(ide is news that will -e &se5&l 5or o&r so0iety@s li(elihood and in5ormation a-o&t 9&ssian so0iety that 0an -e &se5&l and important 5or o&r own so0iety. 4he road ahead o5 &s is lon" and di55i0&lt. We th&s ask God@s help and "&idan0e, -oth o5 whi0h we will need in a-&ndan0e. B&t it will -e o&r readers who will de0ide i5 o&r aims ha(e -een a0hie(ed, i5 we ha(e pro(ed &se5&l to the needs o5 o&r so0iety. In twenty years we ha(e prod&0ed se(eral h&ndred iss&es o5 Ter,-man, and o5 these we -elie(e more than a million ;&slims in 9&ssia and ;&slims li(in" within the 7ttoman state ha(e read o&r iss&es. What has -een o&r e55e0t, o&r impa0tN We ha(e re0ei(ed m&0h in5ormation that is (ery "rati5yin". =etters 5rom o&r readers indi0ate a wide de"ree o5 s&pport. And e(en more important, the tan"i-le res&lts o5 o&r e55orts. G0hools 5or ;&slims in 9&ssia are 0han"in", are impro(in", and we -elie(e some o5 the 0redit 5or this de(elopment -elon"s with what has -een p&-lished in Ter,-man. Fo&ndations 5or more than one tho&sand primary s0hools ha(e -een laid, and in many o5 them, o&r "phoneti0 method" o5 instr&0tion is employed. 7&r yo&n" writers and s0holars ha(e prod&0ed in these twenty years as many as three h&ndred s0ienti5i0 and literary treatises. In ei"ht o5 o&r 0ities, so0ieties ha(e -een esta-lished to work 5or the so0ial and 0&lt&ral -ene5it o5 o&r people. 4he spirit&al and intelle0t&al health o5 o&r world o5 Islam is "reatly impro(ed. We hope that God is pleased with what has -een a0hie(ed. B&t m&0h still remains to -e a00omplished. We hope (ery m&0h that a ;&slim &ni(ersity may -e esta-lished and se(eral h&ndred more so0ial and 0&lt&ral so0ieties may -e 5o&nded. With God@s help Ter,-man will 0ontin&e with its e55orts to a00omplish these "oals.

In another iss&e o5 Ter,-man, Ismail Bey wrote the 5ollowin" on the matter o5 renewal and re5orm within Islam1 4hirteen years a"o there were inn&mera-le 5orms o5 re(ol&tionary and re5orm mo(ements a5oot in 9&ssian Islam, many o5 them in opposition to one another. In essen0e, these mo(ements raised 5i(e or si< types o5 ?&estion1 +1. ;&slims who are s&-6e0ts o5 the 9&ssian "o(ernment ha(e to de0ide whether they are loyal to the 0:ar or to some ;&slim "o(ernment, or are loyal to their own homeland CvatanD, +2. What sort o5 ed&0ation is proper and ne0essary 5or ;&slimsN Gho&ld it in0l&de the st&dy o5 modern s0ien0eN I5 so, is it ne0essary to learn 9&ssianN Gho&ld there -e ;&slim s0hools that tea0h modern s&-6e0tsN +/. What are the -est means 5or trainin" ;&slims to li(e in the modern world o5 trade and ind&stryN Gho&ld o&r s0hools -ran0h o&t o5 o&r old traditional modes and o55er new methods o5 instr&0tionN Is this sort o5 ed&0ation dan"ero&s to the preser(ation o5 o&r 0&lt&reN +*. Is it ne0essary that ;&slims in 9&ssia -e trained in the modern methods o5 a"ri0&lt&reN Is it possi-le to s&r(i(e and thri(e e0onomi0ally witho&t a0?&irin" new s0ienti5i0 a"ri0&lt&ral knowled"eN + . I5 we esta-lish o&r own national s0hools, to permit o&r yo&th to a0?&ire an ed&0ation witho&t "oin" to the 9&ssian s0hools, sho&ld o&r own s0hools -e modeled on the 9&ssian onesN Gho&ld they o55er the same s&-6e0ts and tea0h o&r yo&th the 9&ssian lan"&a"eN +2. What sho&ld -e the role o5 o&r newspapers and 6o&rnals in all o5 thisN Gho&ld they instr&0t, prod, in0ite, en0o&ra"eN Gho&ld they take positions on these (ario&s iss&esN +Ter,-man, 1$# . 4oward the -e"innin" o5 1$#2, Ismail Bey p&-lished an e(al&ation o5 the (ario&s re5orm mo(ements in(ol(in" 9&ssian ;&slims1 It is interestin" to 0ompare the sit&ation o5 9&ssia@s ;&slims at the -e"innin" o5 1$#2 with the sit&ation in 1$$3. 4oday there are a "reat many 9&ssian ;&slims, who 0o&ld not read or write -e5ore, who not only read -&t 0ontri-&te to Ter,-man/ 7(er these 5i5teen years, in 9&ssia and espe0ially in the 0ity o5 Ja:an, many -ooks ha(e -een written and p&-lished -y ;&slims. Altho&"h some o5 them still remain te<t-ooks written in Ara-i0, o&r "literat&re" has really -een -orn, and m&0h is written in 4&rki0. Be5ore, there was not m&0h -eyond the almana0s o5 A-d&lkayyim al ,asri E5endi and the treatises o5 9adlo(. 4oday, we ha(e almana0s, "eo"raphies, and histories. And we 0an sense the -e"innin"s o5 the writin" and p&-lishin" o5 poetry, di0tionaries, 5i0tion as well as non5i0tion in 4&rki0. We no lon"er ha(e to depend on learnin" 9&ssian and &sin" 9&ssian -ooks on these s&-6e0ts. We see the -irth o5 a "new literat&re" Cede-iyat-i 0adidD. B&t in this new literat&re, how m&0h is there o5 "en&ine new ideasN We ha(e a "reat many s0hools. B&t are there "en&ine s0holars, resear0hers, in?&irers amon" their tea0hersN 4here is not nearly eno&"h o5 "new method" or "new idea" in o&r s0hools in the 0ities and pro(in0es where ;&slims li(e. In 5a0t, it is not in o&r se0ondary s0hools that o&r ;&slim yo&th are really learnin" a-o&t the modern world in whi0h they li(eA it is in the 5a0tories where they work that they 0ome into 0onta0t with modernity. 4he real ?&estion that all o5 &s sho&ld -e now 0onsiderin" is this1 how will o&r ;&slim yo&th (al&e their 0&lt&re and traditions when they appear to -e so o&t o5 to&0h with the modern world. I5 they learn one thin" in s0hool and another in the 5a0tory, what are they to make o5 itN 4he 5&t&re, the independen0e, the so(erei"nty, the s&r(i(al o5 o&r nation is at stake. It is a-sol&tely essential that we prod&0e new ideas in o&r s0hools that are in a00ord with the new world into whi0h o&r yo&ths enter. Fi5teen years a"o, it mi"ht not ha(e seemed possi-le to a0hie(e. 4oday, howe(er, there is "reat hope. +Ter,-man, 1$# . A5ter 5o&ndin" Ter,-man, Ismail Bey made a 6o&rney alon" the Mol"a, and then into the distri0ts east o5 Itil. In '5a he met with Gelim Geri ;ir:a. Be then tra(eled thro&"h the !a&0as&s. Be learned o5 the 0&rrent 0onditions o5 the 4&rki0 and 4atar peoples li(in" in these areas. Be 0ame to the 0on0l&sion that they were li(in" in a deplora-le sit&ation, in a so0iety that was "ra(ely ill. 4hen, many years later, when he tra(eled to E"ypt to attend the "eneral Islami0 !on"ress, he

learned that the 4&rki0 world was not &ni?&e in this re"ard, that the entire Islami0 world was "ra(ely ill. Be wrote there an essay that was p&-lished in Ara-i0 and addressed these iss&es. Be 0alled 5or a plan 5or all ;&slims to 5ollow, to &se new methods in ed&0ation as the remedy 5or its "ra(e illness. 4he ma6or o-sta0le that Ismail Bey 5a0ed in the 4&rki0 world in 9&ssia, and in E"ypt, was the 0on0ern that many ;&slims, e(en ed&0ated and intelli"ent ones, raised a-o&t the 0ompati-ility o5 new ed&0ational methods with Islami0 tradition, with Islam itsel5. B&t Ismail Bey was willin" to "o to E"ypt, e(en as 5ar as India, in order to 0arry his messa"e and 0on0erns. A "reat many people who wished to 0ontin&e to rely on Islami0 traditions as they &nderstood them and who resisted 0onsiderin" many o5 the new ideas and new methods proposed -y Ismail Bey p&t o-sta0les in the way o5 Ismail Bey at e(ery 0han0e they 5o&nd. Books, pamphlets, essays, introd&0tions to other -ooks, all were &sed to oppose the new methods. B&t Ismail Bey 0o&ntered e(ery o-sta0le, responded to all 0riti0isms, with his own -ooks, pamphlets, introd&0tions, and essays. It is o&r opinion that in the 0ontest, Ismail Bey won, and he a0hie(ed "0he0kmate" CmutD a"ainst his opponents. Be made a 6o&rney to B&khara to 0on5ront some o5 the most in5l&ential o5 his opponents. 4here were many there, in the s0hools -oth se0ondary and primary, who ar"&ed that his ideas and methods were 0ontrary to Islami0 0&lt&re and law. Be &nderstood that e(en in the medreses o5 B&khara the knowled"e o5 the modern world had to -e introd&0ed. Ismail Bey@s road was lon" and di55i0&lt, -&t the 0orre0t one to 5ollow. Be was a modern man C,adid !ir adamD who ser(ed tr&th and reality. Be stro(e to 5ree &s 5rom i"noran0e, 5rom ideas that were -oth meanin"less and &seless. ;&slim st&dents, he ar"&ed, who attended medreses that remained dea5 to modern ideas were a national waste. Be was willin" to de(ote all o5 his time and ener"y at home and to make lon" and di55i0&lt 6o&rneys 5or no personal "ain or pro5it, -&t on -ehal5 o5 the possi-le "ain and pro5it o5 all o5 &s. 4he Islami0 world has -een restri0ted -y the ti"ht -onds o5 an o&tmoded past, o5 o&tmoded methods. Be ar"&ed that ;&slims sho&ld 5ind themsel(es o-li"ated to -reak these -onds, to 5ree their ima"ination, to ad(an0e. E(erywhere else, it was in the last 0ent&ry CnineteenthD that "modern 0i(ili:ation" was -orn. 4he Western peoples -e"an to pla0e knowled"e and s0ien0e at the 5ore5ront, to "i(e them hi"hest priorities. 4hey were a-le to dis0o(er a "reat deal a-o&t nat&re, and with these dis0o(eries were a-le to "reatly impro(e the li5e o5 their peoples. 4here ha(e -een "a tho&sand" real -ene5its to h&manity 5rom these dis0o(eries. ;er0hants, 5a0tory owners and workers, artisans, all ha(e 5o&nd new skills, talents, a-ilities, as res&lts o5 these dis0o(eries. "A tho&sand" "reat works ha(e res&lted. 9&ssian ;&slims ha(e tended to e<perien0e the re(erse o5 all that we wrote a-o(e. We ha(e not had a00ess to the dis0o(eries, to the s0ien0e and knowled"e that the Western peoples ha(e prod&0ed. And we ha(e not -een a-le to add o&r own 0ontri-&tions to those dis0o(eries. 4he de-ate has 0entered on two iss&es 0omin" 5rom this state o5 a55airs1 Is it ri"ht that we do not 0ontri-&te, and is it wron" to learn how to 0ontri-&teN Ismail Bey, and we, -elie(eCdD that the Islami0 world and ;&slims in 9&ssia ha(e the responsi-ility to 6oin the people who are prod&0in" these dis0o(eries. 4he 4&rki0 lan"&a"e is an e<0ellent means to a0hie(e these "oalsA those who are determined to depend on Ara-i0 and )ersian as the o55i0ial lan"&a"es o5 o&r past, will remain in the past. 4his was why Ismail Bey worked so hard to "ain a00eptan0e o5 a 0ommon 4&rki0 lan"&a"e, "4&rki." In "eneral, all ;&slims and the 4&rki0 people ha(e the innate 0apa0ity to -e0ome leaders in the prod&0tion o5 new knowled"e. 4his a0tion is not "a"ainst God." 9ather, almi"hty God demands no

less 5rom h&man -ein"s. We ha(e a "reat inheritan0e 5rom o&r an0estors, 4&rki0 and ;&slim. 7&r an0estors 5rom 0ent&ries a"o were leaders in the prod&0tion o5 new dis0o(eries and knowled"e. 4hey de(eloped "reat talents and a0hie(ed "reat works. 4he Mu6adamat o5 Bariri is a "ood e<ample o5 what we are ar"&in" here. Be wrote in Ara-i0 it is tr&e. B&t he "ained his knowled"e, a0?&ired ideas, 5rom all o(er. Bis 0ontri-&tions were important 5or his a"e. What Ismail Bey has worked 5or in o&r own a"e is similar. 1 4e,em!er 191" A00ordin" to 4a-iri, Bedri Bamdani on0e wrote a poem that 0onsisted o5 one possi-le a0t or a00omplishment a5ter another, intended 5or memori:ation and re0itation as instr&0tions 5or a 5&t&re leader. B&t a00ordin" to 4a-iri, this poem 0o&ld -e memori:ed and &tili:ed only -y one person in a "i(en a"e or era, that its e55e0ts are meant 5or the one rare indi(id&al who is meant to dominate a parti0&lar time. )arts 0an -e memori:ed -y anyone, -&t the whole poem only -y the one &ni?&e person. We know 5rom other so&r0es o5 s&0h a poem -y Bariri, in the ma6am 5orm, written in ,ishap&r. 4his latter poem 0ontained a story a-o&t talent and a-ility, and indi0ated that a man who has s&0h rare talent and a-ility 0an 5&l5ill his destiny only when his talent is &sed on -ehal5 o5 reli"ion and h&manity. 1. 7&r own a"e has had s&0h an indi(id&al who 0o&ld ha(e 5&l5illed Bamdani@s pre0epts, a man who possessed s&0h rare talents and a-ilities, who 0o&ld ha(e memori:ed the entire poem, and who &sed these talents and a-ilities on -ehal5 o5 this nation. 4his was Ismail Bey Gaspirali. 4here is no do&-t that Ismail Bey 5&l5illed what Bariri and Bamdani 0alled 5or. Ismail Bey is an e<ample o5 the sort o5 ser(ant o5 reli"ion and h&manity that the "reat poets des0ri-ed. 2. Ismail ;ir:a himsel5 wrote an arti0le in Ter,-man a-o&t the responsi-ilities that leaders ha(e toward their people and all h&manity. We s&mmari:e here the main points that Ismail Bey raised in that arti0le1 "E(ery 5orm o5 &se5&l a0ti(ity 5or mankind and 5or so0iety m&st -e in t&ne with the ideal. Witho&t 5oretho&"ht and plannin" the desired res&lts 0annot -e a0hie(ed, whate(er the a0ti(ity, it m&st -e 0are5&lly planned o&t and -e in a00ord with the ideal." /. Ismail Bey saw that it was ne0essary 5or all the 4&rki0 peoples and "ro&ps to &se a 0ommon "4&rki" lan"&a"e in order 5or them to ad(an0e, to 0oordinate their a0ti(ities in line with what he -elie(ed to -e the ideal. *. Be pressed 5or re5orm o5 the reli"io&s medreses/ 4his 0o&ld -e a00omplished only thro&"h a 0omprehensi(e plan that instit&ted a 0ommon tea0hin" 0&rri0&l&m &sin" a 0ommon new tea0hin" method -e"innin" with the primary s0hools. A-o&t these matters, he wrote a "reat deal in Ter,-man/ 7ne o5 his most important arti0les on this s&-6e0t appeared in o&r newspaper in '5a a 5ew years a"o, whi0h we s&mmari:e here1 7&r nati(e lan"&a"e 0an -est he preser(ed -y instr&0tin" the 0hildren in o&r primary s0hools &sin" the "phoneti0 method" o5 instr&0tion. Witho&t s&0h instr&0tion, the ne<t "enerations o5 o&r 4&rki0 yo&th will not speak the same lan"&a"e, will not -e a-le to &nderstand ea0h other, 0annot 0ond&0t their a0ti(ities in a00ord with the 0ommon ideal. In pla0es like )en:a and 4am-o(, it will -e 9&ssian and not 4&rki0 that pro(ides the means to a0hie(e any ideal. !learly we need to 5o0&s on the lan"&a"e ?&estion i5 we wish to preser(e o&r 5&t&re. Ismail Bey -elie(ed that the phoneti0 method o5 tea0hin" litera0y 0om-ined with the new method o5 "eneral instr&0tion was a-sol&tely ne0essary. A-o&t this s&-6e0t, we s&mmari:e some idea that

appeared in Ter,-man a n&m-er o5 years a"o1 4he 5o&ndations o5 the oral method were esta-lished in BahIesaray in 1$$/ when the 5irst newmethod s0hool was 5o&nded there. For the 5irst 5i(e or si< years, most o5 the people 5o&nd it di55i0&lt to a00ept the inno(ations. B&t 5inally some -e"an to noti0e that p&pils were learnin" to read and write well a5ter only two years o5 instr&0tion in this s0hool. 4hey -e"an to see the (al&e o5 the new method. ,ow there are ei"ht new-method s0hools in BahIesaray. It is possi-le to esta-lish as many as one h&ndred o5 them in o&r .u!erniia alone. +Ter,-man, no. 3 C1$# D. . A "reat deal on the re5orm o5 spirit&al 0onditions has -een p&-lished in Ter,-man/ Ismail Bey@s ideas on this ?&estion were most 0learly e<pressed in iss&e no. 23 +1$#$. in Ter,-man and may -e s&mmari:ed as 5ollows1 We ha(e 5or too lon" e<isted in a sit&ation where we re5&se to 0onsider what may a0t&ally help &s re0o(er 5rom o&r present 0ondition. We e<ist as i5 we remain stret0hed o&t in -ed, witho&t arisin". E(eryone sho&ld stri(e 5or a set o5 ideas and ideals that 0an permit them to a0hie(e the "reatest possi-le a00omplishments. E(eryone &p to now has -een satis5ied to 5o0&s on one or two traditional sets o5 ideas. We need to ha(e a00ess to a tho&sand sets o5 s&0h ideas, to -e a-le to 0hoose that or those that 0an -e most &se5&l o&r 5&t&re. 4o add new ideas and ideals is not to re6e0t what is "ood and &se5&l in o&r national or reli"io&s herita"e. 4hose o5 &s who wish really to -e a-le to ser(e o&r people m&st -e willin" to re0o"ni:e what is "ood and &se5&l in other sets o5 ideas and ideals. 7&r lo0al leaders, politi0al as well as ed&0ational, may well 0ontin&e to ser(e Islam -y a00eptin" the 5&t&re. 7&r ulema do not need to 5o0&s only on the past. B&t those who -elie(e that it is ri"ht and proper to pla0e all tr&st and hope in God 0an ne(ertheless -e"in to ser(e also the needs and aspirations o5 o&r nation. 4he 0i(ili:ed nations are not ne0essarily Godless in their 0i(ili:in" a0ti(ity. B&t the 0hallen"e is "reat. It will not -e easy to pers&ade o&r muftis and other ulema that Islam is not a"ainst 0han"e. 2. We s&mmari:e here some o5 Ismail Bey@s ideas on the ed&0ation o5 women as they appeared in do:ens o5 arti0les in Ter,-man: ;&slims ha(e tended to di(er"e in re0ent periods 5rom some o5 the pre0epts o5 Islami0 law. 4hey ha(e sometimes done it witho&t knowin" that they were (iolatin" some o5 the earliest pre0epts. 7ne o5 the e<amples o5 this sort o5 error relates to the ed&0ation and &p-rin"in" o5 women. Gome ha(e ar"&ed that -y ed&0atin" women, one is not keepin" God@s will, and one is in 5a0t pre(entin" s&0h women 5rom 5&l5illin" their ri"ht5&l responsi-ilities, that is, -ein" married and raisin" 0hildren. 4his is a-sol&tely an i"norant position to take. It is, in 5a0t, itsel5 a (iolation o5 God@s will. 7&r yo&n" "irls who pass thro&"h primary s0hools, and in many 0ases who enter "ymnasi&ms, are more a!le to 5&l5ill God@s will than those who do not. ;&slims in Ja:an and in '5a ha(e -e"&n to ed&0ate their da&"hters, and a n&m-er o5 them ha(e learned to read and write. Gome ;&slims ha(e 0ited reli"io&s reasons 5or opposin" this de(elopment in the !rimea, -&t many !rimean ;&slims ha(e seen the &tility in 5emale ed&0ation and ha(e s&pported it. 4hese !rimean da&"hters are -e"innin" to know the re?&isites o5 li(in" in the modern world. 4he 0ondition o5 these !rimean da&"hters sho&ld "i(e &se5&l instr&0tion to ;&slims li(in" in the !a&0as&s and in 4&rkistan where s&0h de(elopments are rare. 4here are too many people in the !a&0as&s and in 4&rkistan who say that what da&"hters need is instr&0tion in how to 5&l5ill God@s will, and nothin" more. What they do not &nderstand is the 5a0t that God wills -oth men and women to de(elop their minds, to -e ed&0ated, to learn s0ien0e and other 5orms o5 knowled"e. 4he da&"hters o5 all the ;&slims in 9&ssia m&st -e introd&0ed to ed&0ation, 6&st as it is important 5or their sons. We m&st not -e a5raid o5 the people, male or 5emale. We m&st not permit i"noran0e to 5lo&rish. We m&st not allow o&r da&"hters to -e0ome like !hinese "irls and women. In !hina women are not permitted to -e0ome 5&lly h&man. 4hey e<ist only to ser(e men. 4his is a ma6or di55eren0e -etween Islam and !hinese so0iety and traditions. 'n5ort&nately, many o5 &s

4&rks ha(e remained 5ar too lon" &nder the in5l&en0e o5 !hinese 0&lt&re. 7ne o5 the "reat -lessin"s o5 the 4&rks@ -e0omin" ;&slim many 0ent&ries a"o was their li-eration 5rom !hinese 0&lt&re and traditions. We were pa"ans then, and i"norant. Islam a55orded &s the opport&nity to -e0ome 0i(ili:ed, and the opport&nity was a(aila-le to -oth men and women. 4here are those amon" o&r ;&slim men who 5ear that ed&0ation 5or o&r women will open them to the possi-ility o5 pre5errin" 5orei"n men and their ideas. What they 5or"et is the 5a0t that !hinese 0&lt&re and traditions are 5orei"n, to &s, and to Islam. 4he 5o&ndations o5 0i(ili:ation are -&ilt only thro&"h ed&0ation. )erhaps !hinese women will some day arise and -e 5reed 5rom their s&-6e0tion. It is a-o&t time that we en0o&ra"e o&r own da&"hters to ariseF 7. 7n the openin" o5 so0ial wel5are so0ieties and thro&"h them the renewal o5 so0iety, there ha(e -een a "reat many arti0les in Ter,-man and we en0o&ra"e o&r readers to 0ons&lt them. $. In order to esta-lish 5irm 5o&ndations 5or o&r national literat&re, it is ne0essary that we de(elop a p&re, 0lear, and &nderstanda-le "4&rki" lan"&a"e. We ha(e dis0&ssed this s&-6e0t, and Ismail Bey@s intense parti0ipation in its s&00ess, a-o(e. Bere we will mention some o5 the pro-lems, and s&00esses, in this de(elopment, and draw 5rom e<amples o5 the &se o5 "4&rki" -y modern writers. 75 all o5 the hopes entertained -y Ismail Bey d&rin" his li5e, this one may well -e the most di55i0&lt o5 a0hie(ement. It is (ery di55i0&lt to 0han"e one@s lan"&a"e 0ons0io&sly. It is m&0h easier to learn a 5orei"n lan"&a"e than to re5orm in a 0onsidera-le way one@s own. B&t the initial steps in the re5orm o5 o&r literat&re and its e<pression ha(e -een a0hie(ed already. In an arti0le appearin" in Ter,-man in 1$$$, Ismail Bey noted that the most a0ti(e o5 o&r writers and literary 5i"&res &sed a lan"&a"e that was 5or the most part not &nderstanda-le -y most 4&rki0 readers in 9&ssia. Be wrote that 5or literary style and e(en lan"&a"e these writers owed their ma6or de-t to the past ""reats" within o&r literary history. Be hoped that in the 5&t&re o&tstandin" writers wo&ld emer"e who 0o&ld write in a lan"&a"e that the ordinary literate 4&rk 0o&ld &nderstand. We are happy to note that at the present time, many o5 o&r -est writers ha(e paid heed to Ismail Bey@s 0all. Amon" o&r most a0ti(e writers and literary 5i"&res today who wo&ld 5it Ismail Bey@s des0ription are the 5ollowin"1 +1. ;ir:a Fath Ali Ah&ndo( +4i5lis.. Be has p&-lished in the "4&rki" lan"&a"e a n&m-er o5 plays. +2. Basan Bey ;eliko( +Bak&.. Be 5o&nded one o5 the most important "4&rki" newspapers amon" 9&ssian ;&slims. +/. Gaid Ansi Lade +4i5lis.. Be p&-lishes a 4&rki0 newspaper named 7i%a*i 8af+asi%a and is the a&thor o5 many short stories. +*. !elal E5endi Ansi Lade +4i5lis.. 4he -rother o5 Gaid Ansi Lade, he is a writer and p&-lishes the newspaper 8esh+-l/ Be wrote the wonder5&l treatise "A Ghort G&ide to Jnowled"e." + . A-d&lselam Ah&nd:ade +Gh&sha.. Be is the a&thor o5 the hi"hly respe0ted -ook The Conditions Ne,essar% for 8no1led.e/ +2. Ami: E5endi ;ekara( +J&-an distri0t.. Be ser(es as a lo0al +adi and is the a&thor o5 the -ook 9 Cate,hism/ +7. Ataallah Ea-a:ido(. A writer in -oth 4&rki0 and 9&ssian o5 treatises on s0ien0e. Be is a lawyer in )etro"rad. +$. A-d&lkayy&m ,asiro( +Ja:an.. Be writes almana0s in 4&rki and has a&thored 5i(e or ten treatises. +#. Ghiha- al din ;er6ani. A pro5essor in the 0ity o5 Ja:an. Be has written a n&m-er o5 important essays in "4&rki" as well as in Ara-i0. +13. B&sseyin E5endi Gai-o( +4i5lis.. Be is a poet and has p&t to"ether a n&m-er o5 -ooks on the ?&estion o5 o&r national identity. Be is also the mufti o5 4i5lis. +11. ;&l&ka B&ma6&ko( +Gi-eria.. A poet who has p&-lished a "reat deal o5 poetry in "4&rki." +12. Altinsarin +7ren-&r".. A Ja:ak poet. +1/. ;&si Ak0hi-ito( +)en:a.. A no(elist o5 the 5irst rank, a&thor o5 the no(el Husam Mela/ +1*. Lahir Bekiye( +Ja:an.. An a&thor o5 no(els in 4atar. +1 . A-d&lselam Ja:yhano( +Ja:an.. Be wrote and p&-lished a "eo"raphy in "4&rki." 7ther writers who ha(e appeared in the years sin0e 1$$$ and who are 0ontri-&tin" "reatly to o&r national literat&re in0l&de1 Geli:a:im Ghir(ani, Ba-talla Ayshan, Ahd&lm&nih Ba0i, !h&kr ;ehmed Ali Ishasi, and a "tho&sand" -ea&ti5&l poets. Bowe(er, it is important to pla0e at the 5ore5ront o5 all o5 the names mentioned a-o(e, the name o5 Ismail Bey.

4hirty years a"o Ismail Bey e<plained to &s what was ne0essary 5or &s to really ser(e o&r people thro&"h writin". It in(ol(ed makin" 0lear and a(aila-le to o&r readers the most important ideas o5 o&r time. Ismail Bey was the -est at doin" this. 7ne o5 his slo"ans mi"ht well ha(e -een "what is -est 5or mankind is what is most &se5&l 5or mankind." 4his slo"an in5ormed e(erythin" that he did. At the openin" o5 the General Islami0 !on"ress that was held in E"ypt a 5ew years a"o, Ismail Bey dis0&ssed these important ?&estions openly and -l&ntly. Be prepared a spee0h to present -e5ore more than three h&ndred "&ests and parti0ipants at the hotel !ontinental in the middle o5 70to-er 1#37. We s&mmari:e here the main iss&es that he raised, whi0h we -elie(e 0learly 5o0&s Ismail Bey@s aims at that time1 Altho&"h ;&slims thro&"ho&t the world are today pla"&ed -y a 0ondition o5 -a0kwardness, there are important new ideas that are appearin" thro&"ho&t the ;&slim world that need to -e dis0&ssed and a-sor-ed. ;any newspapers and 6o&rnals ha(e -een 5o&nded on e(ery side in the ;&slim world, most o5 whi0h are pro(idin" "en&ine ser(i0e to the (ario&s ;&slim nationalities. B&t they do not hide the 5a0t that "enerally thro&"ho&t the ;&slim world, po(erty and i"noran0e seem to -e the permanent state o5 a55airs. In the ;&slim world, medreses 0ontin&e 5or the most part to -e instit&tions o5 the past and 0ontin&e to play the party o5 o-sta0le to pro"ress and renewal. ;&slims appear to -e &nder the domination o5 traders and 0ommer0ial interests. 4hey appear &na-le to take 0har"e o5 these a55airs on their own. %espite the 5a0t that there are s&pposed to -e more than three h&ndred million ;&slims thro&"ho&t the world, trade and ind&stry are not important amon" them. We ha(e no s&00ess5&l 0ommer0ial 0ompanies, no s&00ess5&l -ankin" esta-lishments, no leaders in international trade and 0ommer0e. We ha(e inherited 5rom o&r an0estors 5ertile land and ri0h 5orests and "reat 0ommer0ial traditions. B&t we 0annot dis0o(er how to make &se o5 them, to pro5it 5rom them. We are dependent on others, 5rom non-;&slim lands and Ameri0a. Why do we ha(e no s&00ess5&l mer0hants and traders within o&r ;&slim landsN G&rely, in Iran and 4&rkey, in E"ypt and ,orth A5ri0a, in India, there is s&55i0ient talent. It is my -elie5 that i5 the present sit&ation 0ontin&es 5or lon", not only the traditions and (al&es o5 the ;&slims -&t their (ery e<isten0e is in ?&estion. It is i"noran0e that is primarily to -lame. Greeks, B&l"arians, 8ews, Bind&s, all ha(e in less than hal5 a 0ent&ry made s&0h strides in pro"ress that they ha(e le5t &s 5ar -ehind. It is nothin" inherent in Islam that 0an e<plain this state o5 a55airs. It is nothin" inherent in Ara- or 4&rki0 0&lt&re that is to -lame. =et &s remem-er that 4&rks de(eloped the hi"hest 0&lt&re and s0ien0e in Gamarkand, "reat works o5 0i(ili:ation. 4his alone is proo5 o5 the 5a0t that 4&rks, and Ara-s, and all ;&slims are 0apa-le o5 these a0hie(ements today. )eoples who 0ome 5rom the same sto0k as 4&rksOFinns and B&n"ariansO are 5ar ahead o5 &s in s0ien0e and knowled"e. Are ;&slims, who today appear to -e witho&t knowled"e, witho&t talents, sla(es o5 o&tmoded ideas and systems, to remain in this 0ondition inde5initelyN Islam is a reli"ion that sho&ld -e a-le to o55er &s a sol&tion to the 0&rrent state o5 a55airs. Islam is a reli"ion that 5osters s0ien0e, knowled"e, ed&0ation, pro"ress. Islam is not a reli"ion opposed to any o5 the a-o(e. Why does it seem to -e so todayN I do not ha(e all o5 the answers to this ?&estion, the most important one we 5a0e today, perhaps the most important one we ha(e e(er 5a0ed. It will take serio&s, honest, -old, and -l&nt dis0&ssion. A5ter deli(erin" his spee0h, a "reat deal o5 dis0&ssion and ar"&ment took pla0e. B&t the essen0e o5 the de-ate 0entered aro&nd the ?&estion o5 whether Islam 0o&ld +sho&ld. -e re5ormed or 0han"ed, whether Islam was doomed to 5ail or destined to s&00eed and s&r(i(e. Ismail Bey was ro&ndly appla&ded 5or raisin" the ?&estion in s&0h a 0lear 5ashion. 7ne o5 Ismail Bey@s "reatest hopes was, in 5a0t, that Islam wo&ld s&00eed and s&r(i(e, that it wo&ld play what he -elie(ed to -e its ri"ht5&l role in the de(elopment o5 world 0i(ili:ation. B&t to do so it was ne0essary that ;&slim tea0hers, parti0&larly those who were in(ol(ed in reli"io&s and le"al ed&0ation, -e re5ormed and renewed. For this p&rpose, new and re5ormed tea0hers@

s0hools wo&ld ha(e to -e 5o&nded. It seems to &s that in re0ent years this parti0&lar ?&estion has also -een o5 &tmost importan0e to the 4&rki0 ;&slim world. And it was in his last se(eral years, when he was already -e0omin" ill, that Ismail Bey -e"an to 5o0&s more o5 his attention on the reli"io&s and spirit&al ed&0ation o5 4&rki0 ;&slims. Be was responsi-le 5or 5o&ndin" a spe0ial s0hool in BahIesaray that wo&ld 0on0entrate its e55orts on s&0h renewal o5 reli"io&s and spirit&al ed&0ationA it &tili:ed the "mother" 4&rki0 ton"&e and has set the 5o&ndations 5or 0ontin&ed renewal in 4&rki0 Islam. 1) 4e,em!er 191": #smail $e%:s ;ourne% to #ndia In order to p&-li0i:e his "phoneti0 method" o5 tea0hin" litera0y, Ismail Bey 6o&rneyed to India. Be was prepared to &se whate(er ener"y was ne0essary and to &nder"o 0onsidera-le personal sa0ri5i0e in order to pers&ade others o5 the -ene5its o5 this tea0hin" method. In 5a0t, tho&"h, he was not the 5irst "Ismail" to make s&0h a 6o&rney to India. In the year 17 1, another Ismail, a B&kharan -y -irth, and a 5ollower o5 Gaid Biste, le5t 7ren-&r" 5or a similar trip to India. It was one h&ndred si<ty years later that the se0ond Ismail, this time 5rom BahIesaray, also 6o&rneyed to India. Altho&"h the 5irst Ismail went in an o55i0ial "o(ernmental 0apa0ity, had with him a "reat deal o5 "old and sil(er, and was a00ompanied -y many assistants and other o55i0ials, he had a "reat deal o5 di55i0&lty rea0hin" India and had almost no s&00ess when he arri(ed. 4he se0ond Ismail made the trip a00ompanied only -y 5orty (erses C!e%tD and a ten-pie0e alpha-et to"ether with some additional s0hool Cma+ta!D materials. B&t this Ismail was a-le to meet with many o5 the "reat and important mem-ers o5 the Indian ;&slim 0omm&nity. Bis ma6or worry was that these important people wo&ld listen politely, wo&ld not appre0iate the possi-ilities o5 this new tea0hin" method, mi"ht not -e tr&ly interested in raisin" the litera0y o5 the mass o5 Indian ;&slims, and wo&ld p&t the new alpha-et and method into a "m&se&m" when he le5t. Ismail Bey -e"an his (isit with a 5ew days e<aminin" the ;&slim s0hools in Bom-ay. 4he s0hools o5 the Indian ;&slims, like those 5or ;&slims elsewhere in the world, were in a de0repit state. 4he leaders o5 some o5 these s0hools were -e"innin" to -elie(e that the pro-lem was with the &se o5 Ara-i0 letters and were -e"innin" to 0onsider the introd&0tion o5 another "more appropriate" alpha-et. At least Ismail Bey re0o"ni:ed that some o5 these leaders saw the need 5or ed&0ational re5orm. A5ter attendin" a meetin" o5 the En6&men-i Islam so0iety in Bom-ay, Ismail Bey dis0&ssed his new method with s0hool o55i0ials and, to the astonishment o5 so0iety mem-ers and tea0hers, o55ered to demonstrate to them that he 0o&ld tea0h illiterates to read in only 5orty days. Gome o5 these o55i0ials took &p Ismail Bey@s o55er, and on 2 ;ar0h 1#13, with all o5 the appropriate ;&slim -lessin"s made, the 5irst "phoneti0-method" s0hool was esta-lished in India. 4he En6&men-i Islam so0iety a"reed to pro(ide two months@ 5&ndin", to allow Ismail Bey to demonstrate the e55e0ti(eness o5 his method. At the end o5 the 5orty-day period a n&m-er o5 the pre(io&sly illiterate st&dents were a-le to read some simple lines, and the 5irm 5o&ndations 5or a new era in Indian ;&slim ed&0ation were laid. Indian Islam had in "lorio&s 0ent&ries past prod&0ed some o5 the leaders o5 ;&slim intelle0t&al and politi0al li5e1 emperors like Ak-ar GhahA philosophers like ;ir:ad-al Bar&ni, ;&hi-allah al B&khari, and ;ahm&d al !h&nk&riA poets like Fey:i and A:atA 0anoni0al 6&rists like BamdaniA statesmen like Ahmed i-n Ahd&lrahmanA mysti0s s&0h as Ahmed al Gahrendi and A-d&l ar9ashid al-!h&nk&riA masters like 9i:iya, Gekinder Bey, and Ghah6ihan BeyA writers like A-d&llah and Gadik Basan BanA ri0h mer0hants like 9ahmetallah and Ahmed BanA it is indeed 5ittin" that

the 5irst "phoneti0-method" s0hool was 5o&nded amon" the "reat Indian ;&slims, and we 0an take "reat pride in the 5a0t that it was a 9&ssian ;&slim who initiated this re5orm. Ismail Bey said the 5ollowin" a-o&t his 6o&rney to India, as reported in #+dam: I went to India to 0ond&0t some resear0h on a pro6e0t on whi0h I ha(e -een workin" 5or three years, to e<amine Indian ;&slim s0hools, to see how my tea0hin" method mi"ht 5it in their e<istin" s0hools, and 5inally to determine i5 it were possi-le to pers&ade the lo0al ;&slim s0hool o55i0ials to adopt my "phoneti0 method." While I was walkin" aro&nd Bom-ay, I saw si"ns and papers written in two s0ripts, one o5 whi0h resem-led En"lish and the other Be-rew. 4here was no pla0e where the si"ns were written with the Ara-i0 alpha-et. 4h&s ;&slims 0o&ld not possi-ly -e a-le to read the si"ns witho&t ha(in" learned a new lan"&a"e. And the alpha-ets &sed, stran"e to the ;&slims, did not permit them to e(en "so&nd o&t" the si"ns. 4h&s, the press&res amon" the Indian ;&slim 0omm&nity were risin" to adopt the =atin alpha-et 5or their own lan"&a"e. In the pro(in0e o5 Bom-ay there are twenty million people. Gho&ld they a0t&ally adopt the =atin alpha-et it will -e di55i0&lt to pre(ent it 5rom -ein" adopted elsewhere in the ;&slim world. ;en whose o00&pations are in(ol(ed with knowled"e and s0ien0e &s&ally need a "reat deal o5 testin", tryin", and e(iden0e -e5ore they will "i(e &p one set o5 ideas 5or new ones, one esta-lished method 5or another. And it was not 0lear at 5irst to s&0h people that the new methods were in 5a0t s&perior to the older ones. B&t Ismail Bey was e<tremely persistent, was willin" and a-le to de(ote a lon" time to pers&adin" s&0h leaders to 0ease de5endin" the old and to 0onsider a new road or path. 75 0o&rse, one o5 Ismail Bey@s important dis0o(eries was that any parti0&lar ortho"raphy 0an -e 0losely linked to ?&estions o5 national identity. Ismail Bey, thro&"ho&t a 0areer o5 more than thirty years, worked to prote0t the old ortho"raphy and the &se o5 Ara-i0 letters. Be 0ontin&ed to -e a-le to pro(ide answers to ?&estions raised -y the opponents, within the nationalist mo(ement, o5 the old alpha-et and spellin". Be 5irmly -elie(ed that it was possi-le to 0om-ine the old ortho"raphy with a new "phoneti0 method" o5 tea0hin" readin". Be kept this e55ort &p till the end o5 his li5e. Be"innin" with the appearan0e o5 Ter,-man, 9&ssian ;&slims "ot in the ha-it o5 &sin" the term Tatar, despite the 5a0t that it was not entirely appropriate 5or all 9&ssian ;&slims. B&t a5ter 1#32 they -e"an to &se more o5ten the term Tur+ as less spe0i5i0 and more a00&rate. 4he 0han"e was one whi0h Ismail Bey 5ostered. 7n learnin" o5 Ismail Bey@s death, there appeared in the newspapers and 6o&rnals o5 4&rkey, E"ypt, and Gyria a "reat many o&tpo&rin"s o5 sorrow and "rie5. We pro(ide -elow a samplin" o5 statements and testimony 5rom 6o&rnalists who were in5l&en0ed -y the ideas and a0tions o5 Ismail Bey, some o5 whi0h appeared in print in re0ent years. 1. Ahmed ;idhat E5endi. 4his person, who was a 5ollower o5 Ismail Bey, deli(ered a spee0h a-o&t Ismail Bey at an Islami0 !on"ress held in Istan-&l on 1# April 1#3#, in whi0h he said1 GentlemenF 4his e(enin" Ismail Bey honored &s -y appearin" -e5ore o&r "atherin" and presentin" &s with some tho&"ht-pro(okin" ideas. Be instr&0ted &s "not to pay attention o(erly to how one prono&n0es words, -&t to pay attention 0losely to the heart o5 the word itsel5." We sho&ld all ponder this 0are5&lly. In tr&th, it was a-sol&te tr&th that Ismail Bey spoke. ,one o5 &s 0an ha(e any do&-t that this (iew is 0ertainly tr&e.Ismail Bey Gaspirali is a man with a mission, with a 0ertainty o5 p&rpose. 4his man was responsi-le 5or introd&0in" in 9&ssia twenty-ei"ht years a"o the newspaper Ter,-man/ 4his man -e"an to p&-lish Ter,-man at a time when the 9&ssian ;&slims had little or no a00ess to news in their own lan"&a"e. Be also &nderstood that

in order to -e a-le to make ad(an0es in knowled"e and ed&0ation, a so&nd system o5 primary s0hoolin" was ne0essary. Finally, he -elie(ed that 5or the 5&l5illment o5 a so&nd national identity, 9&ssia@s ;&slims needed a 0ommon lan"&a"e. 4oward all o5 these "oals, this man de(oted his li5e. Ismail Bey mi"ht well ha(e 0ome to the 0on0l&sion that these "oals -ore too hi"h a pri0e. A "reat many people do&-ted the -ene5its o5 renewal and &nity. B&t the warrior Ismail Bey was (i0torio&s in these str&""les and was a-le to o(er0ome all sorts o5 slander and 5alse a00&sations whi0h his detra0tor prod&0ed. 2. !e(det Bey. 4his person, who was the leadin" 6o&rnalist and one-time editor o5 the newspaper, #+dam, wrote a lon" arti0le a-o&t Ismail Bey, portion o5 whi0h we p&-lish here1 Ismail Bey is a man whose name one day will -e a national mon&ment. Be 0omes 5rom the tr&e 4&rki0 sto0k +o5 the 9&ssianPnorthern-4&rki0 "ro&p.. We ha(e a n&m-er o5 ill&sions a-o&t o&rsel(es Cwe 4&rksD, and he reali:ed what they were. In order to -e"in to address these ill&sions, he 5o&nded a s0hool with per5e0tion in mind. We seldom 5ind amon" o&rsel(es s&00ess5&l -&sinessmen. We still li(e in a world o5 ill&sions and spe0ters. 4his man had an idea that may well 0&re o&r dea5ness and insensiti(ity. 4here are many people who are 5atalists, who are resi"ned to a00ept whate(er God has planned 5or their 5&t&re. Be de0ided to 0hallen"e s&0h people. 4hirty years a"o there was a-sol&tely no one in o&r p&-lishin" world who wo&ld not ha(e 0onsidered his ideas -itter tastin". We had no one who was willin" to apply "reat e55orts to sol(e o&r di55i0&lties. We had no pro-lem in 0reatin" o-sta0les 5or people s&0h as Ismail Bey.I know the "oodness o5 this manA I ha(e seen his works. ,othin" has -een p&-lished yet in modern Islami0 lan"&a"es that mat0hes the works he has p&-lished to awaken ;&slims to a0hie(e modern s0ien0es and knowled"e. It is the 0&stom amon" the people to pla0e hi"h (al&e on inherited ha-its and ideas. A00ordin" to this 0&stom, ;&slims tend to 0onsider their own traditional ideas s&perior to all else. 7therwise intelli"ent people tend to 0all those who prod&0e new ideas non -elie(ers. B&t there is a -i" di55eren0e -etween new ideas and &n-Islami0 ones, 6&st as one sho&ld distin"&ish -etween -i"ots and :ealots. E(en the an0ients who pro(ided 0ommentary on Islami0 law and traditions ar"&ed that one sho&ld -e "&ided -y more than what ideas one inherited 5rom the past. 4here is no do&-t that there are some people who now think otherwise, -&t most o5 o&r leaders still -elie(e that there sho&ld -e no tea0hin" o&tside o5 what the >&r@an o55ers. Ismail Bey has presented to &s a way to o(er0ome o&r -lindness to the present and 5&t&re. Be has asked o&r people to awaken. /. B&seyin BKsnK. Be is a sheikh o5 the 9&5aiyah der(ish order and has written a lon" arti0le on Ismail Bey in the 6o&rnal 4he ,ile Cal*NilD1 In an arti0le p&-lished in BahIesaray in the newspaper Hizmet re0ently, the 5o&nder and 0hie5 6o&rnalist o5 the newspaper Ter,-man, the :ealo&s, eminent, and 5amo&s Ismail Bey Gaspirali is reported to ha(e died and to ha(e 0ome 5a0e to 5a0e with his &ltimate destiny.We are deeply saddened -e0a&se Ismail Bey and his asso0iates ha(e -een tr&e ser(ants o5 o&r millions o5 reli"io&s -rothers in 9&ssia. We all pla0e o&r tr&st in tr&e ser(ants o5 God s&0h as Ismail Bey. 4he death o5 one who is also a tr&e ser(ant o5 o&r "reat nation CmilletD -rin"s &s a "reat sense o5 loss. We are (ery "rate5&l to Ismail Bey 5or ha(in" done what he did 5or o&r reli"ion and 5or o&r people.We take "reat pleas&re in the 5a0t that Ismail Bey was a-le to str&""le so e55e0ti(ely a"ainst the lies and mis&nderstandin"s that ha(e pla"&ed &s ;&slims. 4he entire ;&slim world is "rate5&l 5or Ismail Bey@s praiseworthy ser(i0e. Ismail Bey possessed a taste 5ree 5rom de5e0t. Be lo(ed simpli0ity and 5or this reason wore simple 0lothes and ate and drank simply. Bis writin" re5le0ted this simpli0ity. Be now is simply separated 5rom &s and is at rest. Be eats his simple 5ood there, drinks his 0o55ee there, and remains at rest there.

Be &sed to a00ept "&ests with hospitality at his home. Be wo&ld arise early, at si< or se(en, wo&ld drink -la0k 0o55ee, and a5ter that wo&ld -e"in to write. A5ter the mail arri(ed, he wo&ld read his letters and daily papers. Be took notes 5rom his daily readin", and marked &p the papers with a 0olored pen. Be did m&0h o5 his work while stret0hed o&t on his -ed C+erevetD. Be wrote (ery ?&i0kly and was writin" &p to the time o5 his death. Be smoked to-a00o. Aro&nd ten in the mornin" he wo&ld lea(e his room and walk to the editorial o55i0e o5 Ter,-man/ In his last days, he still (isited his o55i0e, talked with the newspaper@s sta55, -&t wo&ld soon ret&rn to his home and stret0h o&t on his -ed. We know that now, a5ter his death, he will still "-e present" in the o55i0es o5 Ter,-man/ Both his room and his o55i0e were 0heer5&l, ni0ely 0olored, with 5lowers. Be liked -ea&ti5&l m&si0. Be &sed to say, "4he world is 0olor5&l and -ea&ti5&lA so too sho&ld o&r press -e 0olor5&l and -ea&ti5&l." For Ismail Bey the "reatest pain and worst p&nishment wo&ld ha(e -een to ha(e no work to do, to -e idle. 4h&s he ne(er spent a day witho&t some prod&0ti(e work to -e a00omplished. Be was 0onstantly -&sy with writin" or readin" or speakin" or thinkin". ,o matter how "reat the di55i0&lty, Ismail Bey@s spirit was ne(er da&nted, and he ne(er lost hope. Bowe(er 5rail he mi"ht ha(e appeared, he had "reat -oldness and 5irmness inside. Be "a(e spirit to those witho&t spirit, hope to those witho&t hope. ,o one 0o&ld e(er say that he e(er was witho&t "oal or aim. Be had a sensiti(e and 0ompassionate heart. Be 0onstantly prea0hed moderation in the midst o5 deep 0risis. Be "a(e 0onsolation to those e<perien0in" sorrow, e(en to those who went morally astray. In the 0ity, no matter how ri0h and power5&l his 5riends or a0?&aintan0es, no matter how important the so0iety he kept, Ismail Bey ne(er distin"&ished himsel5 5rom the poor, weak, and h&n"ry. Be really pre5erred the simple 0&stoms and traditions o5 his people. While -ein" in "reat demand in "hi"h so0iety" in the 0ities, Ismail Bey pre5erred to ha(e a simple li5e, to wander a-o&t the -a:aar with ordinary people, to "o into small 0o55eeho&ses and drink 0o55ee, and to "ossip with the people. Ismail Bey did not m&0h like 5ood prepared in the E&ropean 5ashion. In 0&linary taste he was still an old timer. Be was not in 5a(or o5 repla0in" the old traditional 0&stoms and (al&es with E&ropean ones Ci.e. 9&ssianD and 5elt pained to see many o5 the yo&n" ;&slims adoptin" E&ropean taste in 5ood and dress and a-andonin" what he -elie(ed to -e "ood in the old ways. Ismail Bey pla0ed hi"h (al&e on the arts. Be did like some E&ropean m&si0, -&t pre5erred the 4&rki0 national m&si0 as it was known and per5ormed in typi0al Eastern (illa"es. Ismail Bey ar"&ed that e(en in traditional and isolated (illa"es in the !rimea, s&0h as Aksar 4emir %&l&s& and 4emirlenk ;arashi, "one day there will -e primary and hi"her s0hools that will prod&0e physi0ians, philolo"ists, poets, and painters. =et there -e m&si0 0onser(atories and medi0al s0hools open to all ;&slim 0hildren." From the 5irst week o5 1#1*, Ismail Bey -e"an to 0omplain that he 5elt weak and ill. In Fe-r&ary he went to )etro"rad -&t soon 5o&nd it ne0essary to ret&rn to BahIesaray and then to spend a 0o&ple o5 weeks at the shore takin" in the !rimean sea air. By the -e"innin" o5 s&mmer, howe(er, it was 0lear that he was (ery ill. 4hro&"ho&t 8&ne, Ismail Bey was "i(en a 0om-ination o5 the -est waters and minerals, and its

was hoped that these in 0om-ination with the wonder5&l !rimean air wo&ld restore him to health. E&s&5 Be" Ak0h&rin ret&rned to -e with him in the !rimea. Bis 0ondition 0ontin&ed to deteriorate. Eet he was still a-le to "et aro&nd. Be had a photo"raph taken o5 himsel5 with the sta55 o5 Ter,-man and a"ain with the mem-ers o5 his 5amily. E<perien0in" a "ood deal o5 pain, he went on 27 8&ne to a hospital in Akmes0id, spent three days there, and e(en was a-le to do some writin" while in -ed. 4he do0tors reported that the 5inal sta"es o5 his illness were a-o&t to -e"in. B&t his 0ondition sta-ili:ed, and he remained &n0han"ed -y the end o5 A&"&st. E(ery day he spent one or two ho&rs readin" the daily newspapers. Be spoke on politi0al ?&estions. B&t on $ Geptem-er he lost his a-ility to stand &p, and it -e0ame 0lear that he was -e"innin" to make his 5inal 6o&rney. Ismail Bey 0alled his 5amily to"ether, on # Geptem-er. 4hey prepared a spe0ial -&l"ar pila5 5or him, and in order to show them that he was still 0ompetent and a-le, he read to them his last will and testament1

Gin0e the end is "rowin" near, I think it important to ha(e my personal and 5inan0ial matters in hand. 4here5ore, I ha(e prepared and now read to yo& my testament and last wishes11. ;y "ra(e1 di" it on the east side o5 the t-r!e o5 ;en"li Giray Jhan -eside the Lin0irli ;edrese.2. )lease spend no more than 5orty r&-les on my -&rial and 5&neral and related e<penses. I want 233 r&-les spent 5or the -ene5it o5 a ma+ta! and mos?&e./. I do not want Ter,-man to -e di(ided &p. I hoped that Ter,-man will 0ontin&e to prosper and that the (ario&s mem-ers o5 my 5amily will 0ontin&e to pro5it 5rom it.*. A5ter me, I hope that the editorship o5 Ter,-man will -e taken on -y Basan Ga-ri Ay(a:o( and that all mem-ers o5 my 5amily will s&pport him. . Whate(er in0ome deri(es 5rom Ter,-man, let it -e di(ided e?&ally amon" my 0hildren and sons-in-law.2. )lease "i(e a 5i5ty-r&-le "i5t to the orphan I ha(e -e5riended named Leyne-. Aro&nd noon on 13 Geptem-er the "Easin-i Gheri5" Cs&ra /2 o5 the >&r@anD was read, and a5terwards, Ismail Bey "athered to"ether eno&"h stren"th to say1 God is "reatF I ha(e li(ed more than si<ty-three years. I ha(e de(oted more than thirty-5i(e o5 them to ;&slim mo(ements and Islami0 renewal. I hope my e55orts ha(e pro(ided lon"-lastin" -ene5it to my nation and that my work has helped e(eryone else@s work too. I ha(e one more hope. B&t I do not now know whether this hope will -e "ranted. It is that God will -e pleased with what I ha(e done and that God will appro(e o5 what all o5 yo& do a5ter me. 4his day passed. E(eryone remained in his ho&se, 5earin" the worst. 4he ne<t day, 11 Geptem-er, he remained in -ed, tho&"h early in the mornin", he was stron" eno&"h to "i(e some important ad(i0e to his 0lose 5riends and 5amily. B&t at aro&nd ei"ht in the mornin", Ismail Bey died. 4hose aro&nd him wept -itterly. 7n 12 Geptem-er the Friday prayers were said. 4he 5&neral ser(i0e was or"ani:ed -y the administration o5 Ter,-man, and his 0asket was 0arried -y si< men, and he was -&ried, as he had wished, alon"side o5 the ;en"li Giray Jhan t-r!e/ ,ews o5 his 5inal illness and death, p&-lished in Ter,-man and then immediately in the rest o5 the ;&slim press, prod&0ed deep "rie5 and mo&rnin" amon" the 4&rki0 and other ;&slims o5 9&ssia. B&t most e<pressed the hope that it wo&ld -e his li5e and a0hie(ements, not his death, that wo&ld inspire what ;&slims wo&ld do in the 5&t&re, their hopes and ser(i0e.

Ismail Bey was o&r master tea0her. We sho&ld not weep -&t now sho&ld take "reat pride in what he a00omplished. Amon" 9&ssian ;&slims, Ismail Bey was one o5 o&r "reatest. While we, at Shura, ha(e re0ei(ed statements o5 0onsolation 5rom a "reat many people, the 5ollowin" list "i(es some indi0ation o5 the "reat (ariety and -readth1 5rom the (illa"e o5 !hakmak, the imam and mudarris ;ehmed Ghakir Ahmed Meli 7"l& Fey:iA 5rom 4ashkent, ;&hsin E5endi Ghiir ;ehmed o"l& Bani5a AsimetA in Jerki, A-d al Ba-ir A-dallahA in Gamarkand, Gidi?iA in Irk&tsk, Ba-i-&llah Gar-ido(A in Ja:an, 8elalA and so 5orth. !learly, Ismail Bey meant a "reat deal to e(eryone. We will miss himF B&t we will 0arry on.