Nimetullah Hodja

Nimetullah Halil İbrahim Yurt Hodja was born in the Taşova district
of the Turkish province of Amasya in 1932. His first teacher was
Mehmet Ali Efendi, the mufti of Tasova. His father took the hodja
to listen to the conversations of scholars and wise men from an early
age. The hodja greatly increased his knowledge of Islam during
these conversations. Nimetullah Hodja was also one of the first
pupils to attend the İsmail Ağa Qur'an course in Istanbul.
The hodja served as muezzin at the Sultanahmet Mosque in 1955. He
also served as deputy imam to the two great scholars Mehmet Efendi
of Gönen and Seyyid Arvasi. When these two illustrious figures
recommended that he become an imam, he served as imam, muezzin and
preacher in various cities, including Istanbul, Mecca and Medina, and
in various foreign countries such as Japan. While he was living in
Japan, Nimetullah Hodja was invited to many places. He knows Arabic,
Urdu, English, Japanese, Chinese and Farsi.
This fine passage of Nimetullah Hodja is a proof of his fine moral
virtues and humility:
"I have been honored to serve and know Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan,
Mehmed Zahid Kotku, Mahmut Sami Ramazanoğlu and many other friends
of Allah. I ask for Allah's mercy on all the friends of Allah and
our Scholars. I love them all and seek to benefit from them all. I
have striven to be a student throughout my life, I am a student and
I recommend that to you."
Despite his advancing age, Nimetullah Hodja still travels the world
preaching and calling people to Allah with the same passion and
sincerity. He has to date visited more than 55 countries for the
purpose of telling everyone that Islam bestows love, peace and
calmness. He has established sincere friendships with people in all
the countries he has been to, no matter what their language, color
or faith, and has introduced our religion, our country and our
values to them and been instrumental in the happiness of many
people.
During his conversations, Nimetullah Hodja reminds Muslims that
they are brothers and must love one another, and imparts the glad
tidings that Islam will prevail across the world in this century and
that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear in this century.
NİMETULLAH HODJA SAYS, 'THIS CENTURY WILL BE THE CENTURY OF ISLAM'
In an interview with Feyz Magazine on 30 August, 2008, Nimetullah
Hodja stated that the century we are living in will see the coming
of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh):
Feyz magazine asks; Why do you emphasize the matter of the End Times so much?
Nimetullah Efendi: THIS CENTURY WILL BE THE CENTURY OF ISLAM, THERE
IS NO DOUBT THAT THE MAHDI WILL COME. SOME PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS. THAT IS VERY WRONG. I have heard that in person
from many elders. There are many hadiths on that subject....
THIS CENTURY WILL BELONG TO ISLAM, INSHA'ALLAH. OPPRESSION AND
INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD WILL FADE AWAY ... Great scholars in the Arab
world and Turkey are agreed that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will come.
There is no doubt about it. Our job is to assist Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)
by preaching. But not only by talking. It will happen if you set out
and strive to do what others cannot. You will wait a long time if
you do not observe Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) … WE MUST BOTH SEEK HIM and
work hard and strive to acquire the moral values of our Prophet
(saas). (30 August 2008 issue of Feyz Magazine)