A Bond Shaped by Faith Between Konya and Medina: One Heart, Two Cities

The Konya News Editor-in-Chief Kerem İşkan hosted a very valuable guest who holds a special meaning for Konya on the Ramazan Geceleri program broadcast on Kanal 42. In fact, in this meeting, the question of who is the host and who is the guest takes on a different meaning. Because our guest is a distinguished individual whose roots extend to Konya, who moved to Medina with his family when he was only two years old and has spent most of his life there. 

Kerem İşkan: Welcome.

Mustafa Kanbaş: Thank you, Mr. Kerem, how are you? 

Kerem İşkan: Thank you very much. You did not turn down our invitation, and despite your busy schedule, by coming to our studio you truly brought Medina here. An incense burner with its wonderful scent, Arabic coffee, Medina dates, and most importantly, you… Welcome again. First of all, let us begin by listening to your life story. You go to Medina at the age of two. Why did your father make such a migration decision? 

Mustafa Kanbaş: First of all, I wish you a blessed Ramadan. My father was a hafiz and a madrasa student. In the early 1970s, both the political atmosphere of that period was becoming restrictive and, since he was a tradesman, he began to drift somewhat away from knowledge and the Qur’an. If he had continued in trade at that time, he would have become a very large industrialist today, but trade was taking up too much of his time. While my father was thinking, “Where should I go to renew my knowledge? To Baghdad, Damascus, or Egypt?”, he went to Dişçi Mahmut Efendi. He said, “Hodja, I feel constrained. I am losing my memorization of the Qur’an, what should I do?” Mahmut Efendi made a bibliomancy from the Qur’an (opening a page at random), and the verses of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) appeared. He said “Mashallah” and added: “If you are to go abroad, you should go to Medina, but if you stay within Türkiye, do not leave Konya.” Although Medina had never been in my father’s mind, he made his decision upon this advice. At that time there was no residence permit; at the beginning of 1976, he boarded a bus with a passport and went to Medina. I had not even completed my second year at that time. My father was not actually planning to stay permanently; he would renew his knowledge and return. However, he saw the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) in his dream. The Prophet refused his request to meet and said, “Go and bring your children.” Upon this, my father returned to Konya at the end of 1976 and took us there with the intention of performing umrah. When King Faisal was martyred and Khalid succeeded him, residence permits were issued. With a sponsorship system, we received our first residence permit in 1977. Thank God, we have been there ever since. 

Kerem İşkan: What was life in Medina at that time? 

Mustafa Kanbaş: Life was so simple and full of blessings… The surroundings of the Haram were all waqf properties; foundations belonging to Turks, Egyptians, Moroccans, Pakistanis… I started kindergarten at the age of five, then primary school. My father started me on memorization of the Qur’an at the age of six. When enrolling in primary school, they initially did not want to accept me because I was Turkish. Our teacher was Muhammad Sıddık al-Meymeni; his mother was from Bursa, and he himself was Arab. He did not have a single stutter in the Qur’an. My father said, “This child has memorized two juz,” and put me forward. When I recited fluently, the teacher admired it, took money out of his pocket and gave it to me, and I was accepted into the school that way. As you grow up there, you adopt the customs of Medina. Most people think I am Arab, not Turkish. There was a level of trust that you cannot see today. A jewellery shop would not be closed when the call to prayer was recited. They would stretch a cover made by joining two pieces of cloth in front of the shop, place a stone on it so it would not fly away, and go to prayer. People refrained from stealing out of respect for the city of the Prophet and the House of God; no one would even take money lying on the ground. 

Kerem İşkan: I believe you also passed by a very valuable figure, Ali Ulvi Kurucu, during your primary school years. 

Mustafa Kanbaş: Yes, my school was right next to the Haram. On my way to school, I would pass by the Arif Hikmet Library. The director of the library was Ali Ulvi Kurucu. Very important figures would come to his gatherings. If someone showed even the slightest lack of manners, or spoke disrespectfully about the Prophet, he would not tolerate it and would set them straight. Every morning, I would pass in front of him, go inside, kiss his hand, and take a piece of candy. At that age, going to school after kissing his hand was more valuable to me than worldly possessions. 

Kerem İşkan: We said at the beginning of the program, “Konya is very similar to Medina.” You have spent your life among the locals there. What does it mean to be a native of Medina? 

Mustafa Kanbaş: Those who are born and raised within the boundaries of Medina are called the people of Medina. The two cities are truly similar. Both are like flat plains; you can see from one end to the other. Both have many mosques. And most importantly, the hospitality of Konya is also present among the people of Medina. A person from Konya does not feel like a stranger there. For example, during Ramadan, families from Medina such as the Dakkak family open the doors of their homes around the Haram. After iftar, whoever is hungry— Turkish, Afghan, Pakistani— enters, eats, drinks tea, greets, and leaves. 

Kerem İşkan: So, which Konya dish do you miss the most in Medina? Etliekmek? 

Mustafa Kanbaş: Of course, etliekmek. But a culture from here has also gone there. One of the dishes of Medina cuisine is what we call stuffed grape leaves, “dolma.” Su böreği is definitely present. Even höşmerim exists, but it is prepared with Medina-style spices. Arabs also have 20 types of rice; Mandi, Madbi, Bukhari, with chickpeas… But I always tell friends: saying “I cannot find food here” would upset the Prophet. One must adapt to the culture there and be grateful for the blessings. Whoever comes to Medina is the guest of the Prophet and should be served with a smiling face. The reward and the sin there are multiplied tenfold. 

Kerem İşkan: How do you perform your worship? Do you pray in the Haram? 

Mustafa Kanbaş: I try to perform the evening and night prayers in the Haram. In the past, during crowded periods, the people of Medina would not go to the Haram. In order to make space for visiting pilgrims and not disturb them, they would perform their prayers in neighbourhood mosques or at home. The same applies to the people of Mecca; for example, on the Day of Arafah when pilgrims are at Arafat, it is like a holiday for the people of Mecca— they go and worship comfortably at the Kaaba. 

Kerem İşkan: We have a mutual acquaintance in Medina, “Fırtına İsmail.” He even has photos with our President… 

Mustafa Kanbaş: Our elder İsmail Özcan. He devoted himself to worship and left trade. No one even knows his name is İsmail. He moves so fast that they call him “Fırtına” (Storm). Even his shoes are special—they must be slippery so he can move quickly. We leave the shop together; by the time I reach the Haram walking, he has already distributed all the pastries and returned. He also speaks very comfortably and sincerely with our President. He speaks the truth without hesitation. 

Kerem İşkan: I also want to ask about this Arabic coffee you brought. There seems to be a special ritual in how you pour it from the dallah into the cup. 

Mustafa Kanbaş: Yes, you hold the pot (dallah) in your left hand and the cup in your right. There must be a special dripping sound while pouring. Only a small amount is poured into the cup; filling it completely is considered impolite. It contains coffee beans and cardamom, and it boils for about 45 minutes. It is drunk before meals, not after, to prepare the stomach. If you do not want more, you gently shake the cup, which means “thank you, I do not want more.” This coffee holds great importance in Arab culture. When you go to ask for a girl’s hand or to make a request, the host offers coffee. If you have a request, you do not drink the coffee but place it on the table. The host asks, “Why are you not drinking?” You state your request; if it is accepted, you drink it with pleasure. If your request will not be fulfilled, the coffee is not drunk. It places a heavy responsibility on the other party. 

Kerem İşkan: Visits to Medina have reached record levels in recent years, and visas have become easier. Transportation has also changed… 

Mustafa Kanbaş: In the past, visas were very difficult and would take months. Now you can get a visa within 24 hours. Türkiye is very strong in the region, and the Saudi people love Türkiye. In the past, traveling by road was very common. I got a city driving license at 15, and when I turned 18, I would travel the 2,200-kilometer Medina–Konya route via Jordan and Syria in 1.5 days with my own car. Now, with the improvement of security on the Syria route, road travel has become active again. 

Kerem İşkan: You have been in Medina for many years, working as a sworn translator. You host state officials and even our President. We know you do all these services with love and without charge. Finally, what would you recommend to visitors coming to Medina? 

Mustafa Kanbaş: Medina has many names; Taba (beauty), Darüsselam, Ardullah (the land of God), and Lemmame (the one that gathers and reunites)… You may not see your relatives in Europe, but Medina brings you together with someone you have not seen for 10 years. My advice is this: when we come to Medina, to the presence of our Prophet (peace be upon him), we should wear our best clothes. One should not come in slippers or careless attire. Just as we prepare ourselves when visiting a state leader, we should also wear our finest fragrances and cleanest clothes when visiting the Prophet. We should not show less care to Medina than we do when going to Europe with branded clothing. 

Kerem İşkan: Scholars from Konya used to frequently travel to Medina as well, right? 

Mustafa Kanbaş: Of course… Tahir Büyükkörükçü Hodja would spend six months of the year in Medina and six months in Konya. When he came, we would carry containers of sweet zamzam water to his house every morning. One day I did not go to the morning prayer; I parked the car and slept, but they thought I had come from the mosque. When I brought the zamzam home, Tahir Hodja did not offer me candy from the bowl at the door as usual. He said nothing, just held my ear and said, “Do not abandon prayer!” It was impossible for him to see that I had not gone to the mosque, but he had sensed it. May God have mercy on him. 

Kerem İşkan: Thank you very much for this wonderful conversation. Those who enjoyed Mr. Mustafa’s talk can visit Diyar-ı Hurma in the Textile Market. They are there not for trade, but to host guests. If time permits, we would like to host you again. 

Mustafa Kanbaş: Inshallah, thank you.