Hafez Ali Mülayim, who witnessed the atrocities to Islamic values during the single party years of the Republican era, witnessed coups in following years, who gave a message to the enemies of Islam by reading the Conquest Surah in the Morning Prayer he performed in the square during July 15, narrated his interesting life story to ILKHA’s correspondent.

Hafez Ali Mülayim, 82-years-old, studied on Qur'an and Islamic sciences since from his childhood, became a disciple of Risale-i Nur, narrated interesting anecdotes from the process of his life he has come to today despite all the difficulties.

Hafez Ali also narrated the dialogue in the dream world with Bediüzzaman Said-i Nursi, uttered his unforgettable filled with holiness.

Hafez Ali memorized Qur’an at the age of 10, said that he had witnessed the persecutions of the Republican period and saw the pain of those days.

"We are the grandchildren of Bilâl-i Habashi [Ethiopia], who came many years ago and settled in Siirt. Our mother tongue was Arabic but then we learned Turkish,” started his words, Hafiz Ali.

“In Siirt, I remember the 1940s, in the morning we were taking our cuz and going out of the house. Our father and mother said to us, ‘do not show’... We were taking our cuz under our couches, we were children, we do not know. Police when searching us and finding our cuz on us, then we're taking us to the police center. Then our instructor was staying there for two days. We were children, they were not doing anything to us, and after two days they were releasing our teacher. In the morning, our parents were saying, 'your teacher has been released, so go.’ Our mothers are always saying, ‘become a teacher, become a scholar, we are raising you to be a religious child,’ she was advising.”

In those years, there was a Hafez in every house said Hafez Ali and also referred to Inonu period and said, “With my 3 other brothers, we were Hafez of Qur'an in our house. I remember, there was no home in Siirt without Hafez. I completed my memorizing of Qur’an when I was 10-years-old. The Qur’an has been forbidden for 18 years and the azans have been saying in Turkish in Ismet Inonu era. They do not know what this ‘İsmeto’ has done to this nation. We saw in our own time, in one party period. Our father and mother died at that time. They said us, ‘go to Istanbul, you have an uncle there.’ Then they wanted us to go Bitlis. They said that there is no Hafez remained in Bitlis and sent us to raise Hafez. Then we came to Bitlis. There were only two Hafez here. Hafez Mustafa and Hafiz Abdulgaffar. Because the Qur'an institutions have been closed for 18 years. I have seen this with my own eyes, it is not a story.”

“Those who raise their voice would be hanged saying he is a rebel”

Hafez Ali, who said that the mosques were closed and that he saw closely the animals being hosted there, continued as follows:

“The Aynel Barut Mosque was closed, there were 10 mules in it. The Kale Mosque was closed and filled with the straw given to the animals. The Hatuniye Mosque was closed. There were 100 animal saddles and 10 mules in. The Grand Mosque was closed. 5 army horses belong to the commanders were in. There were five dogs. Only a single minaret of Kızılmescit was open. My brother was a muezzin there. But this is what I see. It was same it other cities. If a person would shout, ‘why do you closing all these mosques? Open up these mosques so people can perform their prayers,’ they would suddenly arrest him. They would beat him saying ‘you are against the Turkish state and rebelled against it. The man would not able to defend. Then they would vanish the person. Then they would say in the morning, ‘we left him in front of his house.’ No one was able to make a voice. Five thousand scholars in the east were hanged. They were hanging anyone, sheik, scholar, Hafez. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi is the only one they couldn’t hand and stop.” (Şükrü Tontaş - ILKHA)

to be continued…