Mehmed Zahid Kotku

Mehmed Zahid Kotku (1315–1400 AH / 1897–1980 CE) was a Turkish Islamic scholar and the last prominent shaykh of the Naqshbandi-Khalidi order in Turkey. He served as imam at the Süleymaniye and Iskender Pasa mosques in Istanbul. Despite Turkey's secular restrictions on Islamic education, he educated thousands of students in traditional Islamic sciences. Many of his students became influential figures in Turkish politics, business, and scholarship. He is credited with playing a key role in the revival of Islamic consciousness in Turkey during the 20th century.