Nimetullah Halil İbrahim Yurt Hodja was born in the Taşova district of the Turkish province of Amasya in 1932. His first teacher was Mehmet Ali Efendi, the mufti of Tasova. His father took the hodja to listen to the conversations of scholars and wise men from an early age. The hodja greatly increased his knowledge of Islam during these conversations. Nimetullah Hodja was also one of the first pupils to attend the İsmail Ağa Qur’an course in Istanbul.

The hodja served as muezzin at the Sultanahmet Mosque in 1955. He also served as deputy imam to the two great scholars Mehmet Efendi of Gönen and Seyyid Arvasi. When these two illustrious figures recommended that he become an imam, he served as imam, muezzin and preacher in various cities, including Istanbul, Mecca and Medina, and in various foreign countries such as Japan. While he was living in Japan, Nimetullah Hodja was invited to many places. He knows Arabic, Urdu, English, Japanese, Chinese and Farsi.

This fine passage of Nimetullah Hodja is a proof of his fine moral virtues and humility:

“I have been honored to serve and know Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, Mehmed Zahid Kotku, Mahmut Sami Ramazanoğlu and many other friends of Allah. I ask for Allah’s mercy on all the friends of Allah and our Scholars. I love them all and seek to benefit from them all. I have striven to be a student  throughout my life, I am a student and I recommend that to you.” 

Despite his advancing age, Nimetullah Hodja still travels the world preaching and calling people to Allah with the same passion and sincerity. He has to date visited more than 55 countries for the purpose of telling everyone that Islam bestows love, peace and calmness. He has established sincere friendships with people in all the countries he has been to, no matter what their language, color or faith, and has introduced our religion, our country and our values to them and been instrumental in the happiness of many people. 

During his conversations, Nimetullah Hodja reminds Muslims that they are brothers and must love one another, and imparts the glad tidings that Islam will prevail across the world in this century and that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear in this century.

NİMETULLAH HODJA SAYS, ‘THIS CENTURY WILL BE THE CENTURY OF ISLAM’

In an interview with Feyz Magazine on 30 August, 2008, Nimetullah Hodja stated that the century we are living in will see the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh):
Feyz magazine asks; Why do you emphasize the matter of the End Times so much?

Nimetullah Efendi: THIS CENTURY WILL BE THE CENTURY OF ISLAM, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE MAHDI WILL COME. SOME PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS. THAT IS VERY WRONG. I have heard that in person from many elders. There are many hadiths on that subject....
THIS CENTURY WILL BELONG TO ISLAM, INSHA’ALLAH. OPPRESSION AND INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD WILL FADE AWAY ... Great scholars in the Arab world and Turkey are agreed that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will come. There is no doubt about it. Our job is to assist Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) by preaching. But not only by talking. It will happen if you set out and strive to do what others cannot. You will wait a long time if you do not observe Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) … WE MUST BOTH SEEK HIM and work hard and strive to acquire the moral values of our Prophet (saas). (30 August 2008 issue of Feyz Magazine)