1941-1993

DateDescription
1941Born April 27 in Erzurum's Pasinler (Hasankale) County at the village of Korucuk.
1945At the age of five mastered the Koran and pursued prayer.
1946Began elementary school.
1949Abandoned elementary school as the family moved to the village of Alvar. (Later on passed an equivalency exam and thus completed it)
1951Took Arabic lessons from his father Ramiz Gülen thus continuing his religious education.
1952Became a student of Haci Sitki Effendi.
1954Became a student of Sadi Effendi, the grandson of the Imam of Alvar Honorary Muhammed Lutfi.

Within a couple of months mastered Emsile, Bina, and Merahi (=grammar books) reciting them verbatim. Completed Izhari.

Was not required to do Kafiye and continued on to Molla Cami.
1956Imam of Alvar Honorary Muhammed Lutfi died.

Studied at the religious school next to Kemhan Mosque for the next six months.

After leaving, he went to Tasmescid. Within his means arranged a room at the Ahmediye Mosque and stayed with a friend. Gülen stayed there until his trip to Edirne.

Started studying with Osman Bektas. Gave religious lectures at the Korucuk and Alvar villages.
1957Due to Ramadan festivities took a trip to Amasya, Tokat, and Sivas giving religious lectures and setting up meetings.

Made the acquaintance of Risale-i Nur, a series of books by Said Nursi.
1958Went to Edirne giving informal religious lectures.
1959At August 6 became formally the Imam second in line at Ucserefeli Mosque. He stayed there for the next two and a half years.
1960Received a wedding proposal that was not to be.

Read last rites to two prisoners at death row.
1961At November 10 began his military service at Mamak in Ankara serving out his preliminary duties there before shipping out to Iskenderun.

Gave religious lectures there as well.
1963In Erzurum gave conferences lecturing extensively on Mevlana.

Attended the opening of one of Struggle with Communism Committee.
1964At July 4th began work as Koran teacher in Edirne.
1965July 31st got his transfer to Kirklareli, inviting Necip Fazil Kisakurek, a famous poet and writer, had him lecture in a conference setting.

Took his leave and took a tour of Turkey's various places.
1966March 11th got his transfer to Izmir, holding on to a managerial position there close to five years at Kestanepazari, staying at a small shack and not accepting any wages for his services.
1968Went to Haj at Mecca.
1969Set up meetings at coffeehouses lecturing extensively at the provinces and villages of the Aegean part of Turkey.
1971Left Kestanepazari and set up student dormitories at Izmir, Guzelyali

At 12th of March an ultimatum having been given some of his companions having been arrested, struggled attempting to free them but to no avail.

May 3rd having been arrested but was released 9th of November under the conditions of having been banned from public lectures.
197223rd of February, get transferred to Edremit, serving 2 years.
1973Attended Haj at Mecca for the second time.
197429th of June was transferred to Manisa.

Became a supporter of the cause; preliminary courses preparing students for the University.

20th of September, his father died.
1975Began a series of conferences in titled Science and the Holy Koran, Darwinism, Golden Generation. These conferences took him to Ankara, Corum, Malatya, Diyarbakir, Konya, Antalya, and Aydin.
197628th of September, was transferred to Izmir, Bornova.
1977Visited Germany, lecturing at variety of places. Gave first religious sermon at the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul. Then Prime Minister, Mr. Suleyman Demirel, and Secretary of State, Ihsan Sabri Caglayangil were among the attendants.
1979Actively supported the Journal in titled Sizinti and sees it through its publication.
1980September 5 took the podium for the last time also taking a leave of absence for the next 20 days.

12th of September, the military coup took place in Turkey, his home was raided, he averted being arrested by the virtue of not being home.

Obtained a 45-day leave of absence.

Residence where he attends as a guest was raided. After a 6-hour interrogation procedure, he was released.

25th of November, he was transferred to Canakkale, yet due to illness he was not able to serve.
198120th of March, took a permanent leave of absence.
1985Visited Ahlat.
19866th of April, after 6 years took the podium once again, for the occasions of the opening of the Camlica Mosque and the religious holiday of Mirac Kandil.

Attended Haj in Mecca for the third time.

He was linked and investigated concerning a court case involving one Mehmet Ozyurt at Diyarbakir.

Rejected the desires from his friend asking him to reside at Medina.

Due to enormous love of country and his people crossed the border on foot with great difficulty to Turkey.
19891st of January, started preaching in Valide Sultan Mosque in Uskudar of Istanbul.
199116th of June, ended his preaches.

21st of September, addressed in the Symposium on the Prophet Muhammad.
19925th of May, paid a visit to Turgut Ozal, the 8th President of Turkey who had a prostate operation in Dallas, Texas.
199328th of June, his mother, Refia Gülen (80), passed away in Izmir.
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