Mahmud Esad Coşan (14 April 1938 – 4 February 2001) was a Turkish academic author, preacher, professor of Islam and Naqshbandi leader.
He was born in Çanakkale's Ayvacık county, Ahmetçe village. He finished Vezneciler Primary School in 1950 and Vefa High School in 1956. He started Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, the Arab-Persian Philology. He took certificates of Arabic Language and Literature, Persian Language and Literature, Medieval History and Turkish-Islamic Art. Classic-Religious Turkish Texts Chair won first place in the residency exam in Ankara, in 1960. He served as secretary for two years in first years of assistance in faculty editorial board. In 1965, he received his PhD by completing a dissertation on the fifteenth century poet Hatiboğlu Muhammed and his works. In 1973, he became Associate Professor and became a faculty member in University of Ankara Turkish-Islamic Literature Department. In 1977–1980, while teaching at the College of Theology, he also taught Turkish Language and Literature at the Sakarya Government Architecture and Engineering Academy. In 1982, he became full Professor and he served as guest lecturer abroad.
In 1977, he began to chats of hadith with Mehmed Zahid Kotku's order. He was the leader of İskenderpaşa Jamia of the Nakşibendi-Khalidiyya Ṭarīqah when Mehmed Zahid Kotku died on 13 November 1980. He voluntarily retired in 1987. He continued his conferencing, chat, publishing, and various corporate activities. He went to Australia after the 28 February operation. From 1997 until his death, he lived in Australia and attended conferences in Australia, the United States, and Europe.
Coşan and his son-in-law Ali Yücel Uyarel died in a car accident on the night of 4 February 2001 in Dubbo, Australia.
Congregation members went to the community centre in Bulgurlu, Üsküdar following the arrival of the news of Coşan's death. Coşan's father Halil Necati Coşan and his brother Ahmet Mithat Coşan agreed condolences in Çilhane Mosque.
On 9 February 2001 his funeral prayer was held in Fatih Mosque. He was buried in Eyup Sultan Cemetery.
İslâm Dergisi Başmakaleleri (Editorials of Magazine of Islam)
Kadın ve Aile Dergisi Başmakaleleri (Editorials of Magazine of Women and Family)
İlim Sanat ve Panzehir Dergileri Başmakaleleri (Editorials of Magazines of Science&Art and Antidote)
Dilimiz ve Kültürümüz (Our Language and Culture)
Tarihi ve Tasavvufi Şahsiyetler (Historical and Mystical Figures)
Mehmed Zahid Kotku (Mehmed Zahid Kotku)
İstanbul'un Fethi ve Fatih (The Conquest of Istanbul and Conqueror)
Hatiboğlu Muhammed ve Eserleri (Hatiboğlu Muhammed and His Works)
Matbaaci Ibrâhîm-i Müteferrika ve Risâle-i Islâmiye (1982) (The Printer Ibrahim-i Muteferriqa and Risale-i Islamiyye)
Haji Bektashi Veli ve Maqàlat (Hadji Baktash Veli and his Work Maqalat)
İslâm Çağrısı (1990) (The Message of Islam)
Yeni Ufuklar (1992) (New Horizons)