Sultan of Futuwwa Sayyid Abu’l-Hasan Harakanî will be commemorated during 2019 Sufi Studies Week

Organized annually by the Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, the Sufi Studies Week (TAG) will be held once again on 27-28 April 2019. TAG will be hosting the “Sultan of Futuwwa Abu’l-Hasan Harakanî” International Symposium this year. At the same time, the “Sufi Studies Thesis Workshop” will be held where MA theses being written at the Institute will be presented.

The “Sultan of Futuwwa Abu’l-Hasan Harakanî” International Symposium is presented through the joint efforts of the Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, Sayyid Abu’l Hasan Harakanî Foundation, Kerim Education, Culture and Health Foundation, Istanbul branch of the Turkish Women’s Cultural Association (TURKKAD), and Nefes Publishing.

The symposium will be held at Üsküdar University on April 27-28, 2019 and 28 invited guests from 7 different countries will be presenting at the symposium. The symposium will take place over two days and nine panels, wherein 10 presentations will be from international participants.

Known to have deeply influenced great Sufis such as Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani, Najmaddin Daya, Attar, and Mavlana Jalal al-Din Rumi, Sayyid Abu’l-Hasan Harakanî will be commemorated in an international symposium, to be held in Istanbul for the first time.
The Kafkas University and Sayyid Abu’l Hasan Harakanî Foundation had hosted researchers under the same title in previous years at three international symposiums held in Kars.


Who is Sayyid Abu'l Hasan Harakanî?

Abu’l-Hasan Harakanî (963?-1033) was born in Haraqan village north of Bistam. It is accepted from sources that he was ummi and that his murshid was Bayazid al-Bistam. According to an anecdote related about Harakanî by Mavlana, Bayazid al-Bistam had spoken of the coming of a great wali from Haraqan a century after him. In addition, Mavlana records that Attar, Ibn Sina and Mahmud of Ghazna traveled to Harakan to visit him.


All aspects will be addressed

In the symposium to be held at Üsküdar University, many interesting topics such as Harakanî’s place in Sufism, Harakanî’s work by the name of Nur al-Ulum, Ibn Arabi’s understanding of futuwwa, Harakanî in the Masnavi, the Harakanî-Ibn Sina encounter, futuwwatnamas, differing views on futuwwa in literature, and reflections of the understanding of futuwwa on business will be discussed. We hope that by bringing together researchers who work on this topic and different viewpoints and offering engagement opportunities, foundations for new research will be established by way of this symposium.

The symposium, which will be open to the public and free of charge, will be broadcasted live on Üsküdar University Television and the Kerim Foundation website.

“O Allah! I am Your and the Prophet’s subject and the servant of Your people. Whoever comes to this house, give him his bread; do not ask his name or religion. For whomsoever has the honor of bearing a soul in the dargah of Allah the Almighty, definitely has a right to eat from Abu Hasan’s table.”
Abu'l-Hasan Harakanî


Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)