This work brings together two commentaries, one in prose and one in verse, by centering on İlmî Mehmed Dede’s work titled Şerh-i Cezîre-i Mesnevî while also making use of Cevrî Çelebi’s Aynu’l-Füyûz and Hall-i Tahkîkât. Following every couplet commented on by İlmî, the corresponding verse commentary from Cevrî’s Aynu’l-Füyûz is provided. For the first eighteen couplets not found in Aynu’l-Füyûz, reference was made to Hall-i Tahkîkât, a commentary written by Cevrî in the same style. This method, which we chose so that our readers might benefit from three distinct works simultaneously and experience the pleasure of both prose and verse, connects different eras and offers an example of continuity.
Cezîre-i Mesnevî, consisting of couplets selected from the Mesnevî by Yusuf Sîneçâk Dede, is among the modest yet highly influential specimens of Mesnevî literature, which is considered the first of its kind in the classical period. Written primarily for Mevlevi dervishes to teach the way of the order through the Mesnevî, the work also functions secondarily as a small guide to understanding the Mesnevî. In the work, 366 couplets pertaining to the practical subjects of Sufism are gathered under 34 headings.
As far as can be determined, the first of the five commentaries written on this work belongs to İlmî Mehmed Dede under the title Şerh-i Cezîre-i Mesnevî. In this commentary, written approximately twenty-five years after Sîneçâk Dede’s passing, the author contented himself with providing brief explanations for a significant portion of the couplets and sought to keep the volume of the commentary small.
While İlmî Dede commented on the selection Yusuf Sîneçâk composed regarding the practical issues of Sufism, he inevitably touched upon theoretical subjects as well. İlmî Dede states that the commentary was commissioned by a member of the Ottoman Dynasty who belonged to the Mevleviyye order, and he expresses that he wrote the work so that those who do not know Persian might understand it, reach purity of heart, and receive their share from the path of Rumi.