At 92 Years Old, He Sends His Pulpits Free of Charge All Over the World
Ali Önder, 92, a resident of Sivas, is drawing attention with his life story. For years, he has made minbars, mihrabs, and pulpits for mosques free of charge, and was awarded the 'Goodness Award' by President Erdoğan in 2022.
Living in the village of Suçatı in the Gürün District of Sivas, 92-year-old Ali Önder has devoted himself to acts of kindness for about 44 years. Using walnut wood, he has made 29 minbars, 8 mihrabs, and 8 pulpits without charging any fees, which have been placed in mosques across various locations in Turkey. In addition to donating minbars to many mosques in his district, Önder has also sent them to other cities upon request. In 2022, he was honored with a 'Goodness Award' at the 'Goodness Awards' program organized by the Turkish Diyanet Foundation. Önder stated that he does everything for the sake of Allah, saying, "If you see the work you are going to do in your dreams at night, you will succeed; otherwise, you will not. I have made things for the houses of Allah for His sake. As I have grown older, I have made my 29th minbar and I consider it complete."
"I did it for the sake of Allah"
After working as a contractor for a while, Önder began woodworking. He said, "I started making minbars in 1987. The minbars I made started to be appreciated. When the work was liked, I received affection as well. I worked as a contractor for 20 years. I had 5-6 truckloads of walnut wood. I tried to sell it but couldn’t. It seems there was a reason for that. Time passed, and I left contracting. I also grew older. I made a minbar for the Ibadaullah Mosque, and it was greatly appreciated. The district governor, the mayor, and the mufti came, and the requests increased. Requests started coming from all over Turkey. I made 29 minbars, 8 pulpits, and 8 mihrabs. I did not charge for any of these minbars. I did all of them for the sake of Allah. Making one takes about three and a half months. As I have grown older, I say that I have finished with the 29th minbar. However, I will still keep busy. I will work for my health and make things like small tables. Former Sivas Governor Salih Ayhan asked me, 'What is the secret of success?' I said, 'If you see the work you are going to do in your dreams, you will succeed; otherwise, you will not.'"
"When will you become rich, Ali?"
Önder noted that his wealth is not material. He said, "In 1982, we went on a pilgrimage. There, a scholar told my wife, 'Ali will become very rich in the future.' My wife told me. We were happy and delighted. We returned home, and 3-5 years passed, but Ali never became rich. My grandchildren ask, 'Grandpa, when will you become rich?' My children also ask. Ten years passed, and I started asking myself, 'Ali, when will you become rich?' While I was painting my 18th minbar to send to Trabzon, I had a thought. You cannot do a quarter of this work for money, but if one of Allah's servants deems it worthy, you can do 18 or even 20. That’s when I realized that my wealth is not material wealth. It is making something for the houses of Allah for the sake of Allah. The 29th, the last minbar I made, I will send to the Şuğul Mosque in Gürün, which was damaged in the earthquake."
