We saw Sheikh Edebali as a small boy, in Season 2 of “Dirilis Ertugrul”, when Ertuğrul, Bamsi, Turgut, Dogan, and Geyikli went first to scout Byzantine’s border, just before their migration. They spent the night in Edebali’s father’s house. We met him now again as a father himself.
Sheik Edebali, fully named İmâdüddin Mustafa bin İbrâhim bin İnac el-Kırşehrî, was a highly influential Turkish Sufi Sheikh, a member of Babai Dervish Order and of the Ahi Brotherhood [Ahi – Turkish-Islamic Guild]. He commanded great respect in the religious circles and influenced the shape and developed the policies of the growing Ottoman State.
Being a wealthy person, Edebali spent his fortune on those who were not so well off. He used to build lodges for religious students, fed the poor, and sponsored Islamic law [Shariah] programs across Anatolia that educated the Turks on the principles of Islam.
Edebali, sometimes also referred to as a “Mullah” [Islamic scholar well-versed in the sacred law of the Quran], was the spiritual founder and the first Qadi [Judge] of the Ottoman Empire.
He passed away in Bilecik, aged 120, and was buried in the Dhikr room of his lodge. His daughter died one month after his death and his son-in-law Osman Gazi four months later.
Note: I already wrote an article solely dedicated to Sheik Edebali. You may easily find it among many other articles on my FB profile.
