Abstract:

  Throughout history, religion has had an important place in making sense of life and shaping it for humans. It is only possible with religion that the needs of humans are covered, and they are protected from various influences around. The imams, who perform a religious duty, are called as the servants of charity. Being an imam means being the leader and the head of a state to obey for people. In time, this term has become to be used as a person who leads people in performing prayers in masjids or who leads a community. In the Ottoman State, on the other hand, being an imam meant having one of the most important duties in the staff serving the Muslim community. Imams acted not only within mosques but also in all levels of the state to serve the religion with the conscious of being the heirs of the Prophet as religious employees. One of these duties is the appointment of imams in the Navy. Some conditions like having adequate knowledge and good moral values were sought in the candidates who wanted to become imams in the Navy. Imams were supposed to be present in the ships, shipyards or in any harbor to which they were appointed by their chiefs, and lead the community in perfuming prayers in prayer times every day. Leading people in prayers was not the sole duty of imams who were appointed in the Navy, they were also meant to provide religious advice to the sailors, mechanics and other soldiers in the ships that sailed to far countries, and tried to make them become soldiers with good moral values and loyal to the state. Since religious duty required important accumulation of knowledge and wisdom, imams constantly tried to increase their knowledge and wisdom. In this context, the appointment of the imams to the Navy ships in the Ottoman State, their duties and ranks will be examined in this study

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