Anna Demchenko, exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Mirza Hussein Efendi Yusif Gaibzade (Gaibov) was mufti of the Transcaucasia for 33 years. However, he is not only one of the greatest spiritual leaders in the history of Azerbaijan, but also a prominent teacher and theologian. His contribution to the literary reviewing and systematization of Azerbaijani literature is invaluable. Mirza Hussein Efendi was respected by his contemporaries not only as a religious leader, but also as an educator who fought against prejudices. The fact that he managed to combine sincere faith and splendid secular education meant that he was an outstanding person.
Mirza Hussein Gaibov was born in 1830 in the family of a poor man, Yusuf Gaib-ogly. They boy lost his parents when he was six, and his uncle Ibrahim Efendi Gaib-Ogly took Mirza in. He gave him to a madrasah where Mirza Hussein showed outstanding talents in studying, a sharp mind, diligence, and a passion for knowledge. At the age of 17 the boy was an assistant of a teacher in madrasah. He supervised younger pupils. The talents of Mirza Hussein hadn’t gone unnoticed – the Transcaucasia Mufti Muhammad Mufti-Zade (Vidadov) who arrived to the Kazakh region of Azerbaijan to hold an inspection noticed that pupils of the junior division were especially good at studies. He found out and remembered who was a supervisor of the division. When a Russian-Tatar school was opened in Tiflis, Mufti proposed Mirza Hussein to become a teacher of Oriental languages in the new school. Gaibov agreed for the proposal, even though he had to left the madrasah and his education was unfinished. The young teacher continued his education by himself; and according to his nephew Ali Aga Shikhlinsky, “soon he spoke fluently in Farsi and Arabic.” Mirza Hussein also studied the Russian language.
His close friend was Mirza Fatali Akhundov, the writer, philosopher, social activist and educator. He met him in the madrasah of the Transcaucasia Spiritual Directorate in Tiflis, where he Gaibov was a teacher. Later the mufti often helped Mirza Fatali in interpreting Arabic books, as he spoke Arabic better than his friend. Gaibov was also a friend of Georgian poet and educator Ilya Chavchavadze; as Ali Aga Shakhlinsky said his uncle was “absolutely free from ethnic prejudices.”
An important stage in Gaibov’s professional career was his appointment to the position of the secretary of the Transcaucasia Spiritual Directorate of Sunni School under Transcaucasia Mufti. The position wasn’t religious, for example, the same position in the Transcaucasia Spiritual Directorate of Sunni School was taken by a Russian Orthodox man named Kostin. Gaibov got used to enter into details of everything he was involved in, so he studied Shariah law thoroughly. Thus, he gained a clear striving for education as an instrument to spread true knowledge.
Two friends, Gaibov and Akhundov, wanted to open a Muslim department in the Gori normal school and they succeeded in it. Gaibov accepted a proposal to teach languages in the school, when the department was opened in 1879 at a Transcaucasia normal school. However, two years later he had to abandon teaching. Gaibov was elected Transcaucasia Mufti, even though he warned everybody about his secular views. He realized that at the new position he could act effectively and spread education.
An important aspect of Mirza Hussein Effendi’s teaching was his support provided to the young people who had talents and character, but had no chance of getting education because of their lowborn status or lack of money. Hundreds of young people entered schools and universities on the motion of Gaibov. Mirza Hussein Efendi was a good judge of character and saw talents or their absence from the first sight. It enabled him to guarantee success of his applicants and made no mistakes. One of them was Ibrahim Aga Vekilov, a son of a commoner, a village fellow of Gaibov. The boy who became an orphan at 12 went to Tiflis in 1866. He wanted to be a military man, like his father. However, Ibrahim spoke Russian poorly, which left almost no chances for him to enter a school. Gaibov learnt about the boy’s desire and helped him, he sent the boy to training courses. Due to Mufti’s request the principal of the school Mamleyev supervised the boy and taught him Russian. The boy achieved serious success in education and was sent to St. Petersburg Military Topographic School. As the result, he became General.
Mirza Hussein Efendi also stood for women’s right for education. He wrote two articles devoted to this problem – “Dasturi Nisvan” and “Education and Raising Our Women and Girls.” Gaibov was sure that female education didn’t contradict Shariah laws and was necessary for society. He also stood against wearing paranja. He proved that Shariah didn’t forbid female education or require wearing paranja; it came from Iranian traditions which were brought to Azerbaijan as a result of invasion.
Mirza Hussein Gaib-Zade died in March 1917 and was buried in Tiflis where he lived most of his life. Soon the October Revolution took place and the country sank into chaos. The Transcaucasia Islamic Council lost its functions.
