Caliphate, human dignity, and creation discussed from a Sufi perspective

A discussion titled 'Caliph-Human Dignity and Existential Purpose' was held in collaboration with Üsküdar University Institute of Sufi Studies and Kerim Foundation. During the discussion, modern humanity's responsibilities on Earth, dignity, and purpose of creation were addressed from a Sufi perspective. In the program attended by State Artist and Institute of Sufi Studies Instructor Ahmet Özhan as a speaker, Özhan pointed out that humans are born potentially as caliphs by creation, but to realize this, they need to become conscious and purify themselves with knowledge and wisdom. In the discussion moderated by Deputy Director of the Institute of Sufi Studies Asst. Prof. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, Zülfikar stated that caliphate is only possible for those who can evolve from 'basar' (mankind) to 'insan' (human being), and emphasized the importance of the example set by those who live with good morals. 

Üsküdar University Institute of Sufi Studies Director Prof. Elif Erhan, faculty members, and students attended the program held at the Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall, Üsküdar University Central Campus.

In this context, State Artist and Institute of Sufi Studies Instructor Ahmet Özhan, along with Deputy Director of the Institute of Sufi Studies Asst. Prof. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, evaluated humanity's existential purpose and the reality of the caliphate from a Sufi perspective. 

Instructor Ahmet Özhan: “Destiny is not Jacobin”

Ahmet Özhan began his speech with an introduction on destiny and the sense of responsibility, stating that remaining passive in the face of wrong and retreating by saying 'it's destiny' is not the right approach. Instructor Ahmet Özhan stated that destiny is not of an imposing nature; “Destiny is not a Jacobin (imposing) thing. There is no instruction like, 'I wrote this for you from above, you will live it.' There is no such thing. Allah sent books, sent prophets, and sent saints who followed the path of the prophets. We have the choice to benefit from all of them and interpret your destiny as you wish. Ignoring this and saying, 'What can we do, it was destiny...' is not acceptable. There is no such Islam, no such Muhammadianism, no such passivity. If something that does not conform to Sharia comes before me, that is not destiny. Struggling against it is your destiny,” he said. 

“The words of a person who does not live the truth of their words do not affect others”

Özhan emphasized that theoretical knowledge alone is not sufficient in the world of science and life, and that knowledge must necessarily transform into experience, illustrating this with examples from daily life. Özhan stated that unlived knowledge would remain ineffective; “Do not preach what you have not lived; that is called 'shatahāt' (words not rooted in truth). It exists in words, but not in reality; that is shatahāt. What is necessary, however, is to prove the truth of your words in your own life. You say, 'Be generous,' but you are stingy (nekessin) – what happened? You say, 'Be of good morals,' but you have little relation to morals – what happened? The words of a person who does not live the truth of what they say do not affect others. It's a blank firing; it goes off, but the bullet does not reach the target,” he expressed. 

“The Caliph is created to serve existence with compassion and love”

Özhan argued that the concept of caliphate in the Quran does not signify administrative or political superiority, reminding humanity of its true duty on Earth. Addressing humanity's responsibility to beautify the world, Özhan said; “In the holy verse, Allah (Cenab-ı Hak) uses the word 'ja'ala' (to make/create) rather than 'khalaqa' (to create from nothing). Humanity is created open-ended, susceptible to knowledge and wisdom. A Caliph is not created with the purpose of dominating (exerting pressure) in a social status. On the contrary, they are created to serve existence with compassion and love. This is the definition of a Caliph. Otherwise, describing it as a point of power does not reflect the truth. The Caliph is responsible for developing the world and humanity.” he concluded. 

“Dignity is the ability to forgive”

Özhan, defining the concept of human dignity, another main topic of the discussion, in connection with Muhammadan ethics, stated that true dignity lies in forgiveness. Özhan conveyed the ways to be dignified; “Human dignity stems from being composed of Allah's attributes and 'asma' (names). Dignity also belongs to Allah. The more a human reflects this dignity, the more dignified they are. This reflection occurs through being composed, smiling, generous, forgiving, helpful, and empathetic. To be dignified, one must resemble Prophet Muhammad, and forgive one's enemies, because dignity is the ability to forgive,” he concluded. 

Asst. Prof. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar discussed the ethics of responsibility

Deputy Director of the Institute of Sufi Studies Asst. Prof. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, who moderated the program, began her speech by recalling the verses in the Holy Quran that point to humanity's position on Earth. Zülfikar stated that in the 30th verse of Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah declares, 'I will create a caliph on Earth,' and in the 72nd verse of Surah Al-Ahzab, it is expressed, 'Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.' In this context, Zülfikar made evaluations on human responsibility and dignity.

Based on these verses in the Holy Quran, Zülfikar directed questions to Ahmet Özhan: 'Who is 'insan' (human being), who is the 'caliph-human', and what does human dignity mean?' Zülfikar emphasized the importance of examples showing that only a person living with an ethics of responsibility can fulfill the trust and become the human being promised with caliphate.

Shared the example of Kenan Rifâî from Sâmiha Ayverdi’s work

Continuing her speech, Asst. Prof. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar shared Sâmiha Ayverdi's evaluations of her spiritual guide Kenan Rifâî from her book 'Mülâkatlar' with the participants, conveying the following statements: 

“The greatest gain in this world, the most valuable of all tasks, is to find a 'human being.' (…) He is the only human being who lives free from the waves of human faults. I say 'only,' because we see that every good person has a connection to this world, be it through children, honor, money, or even the pleasure of goodness and worship. Kenan Rifâî, however, is unconditionally for Allah alone.

Furthermore, I would like to say that people, with both their pens and their tongues, utter very grand and valuable words and promise many things to humanity; but these words are often merely for the sake of being spoken. They cannot apply what they know and what they communicate.

If we examine the lives of great men, this is what we will see. But Kenan Rifâî never advises anything he does not do himself, nor does he propose anything he would shy away from doing. To observe his life built upon pure, malice-free, revenge-free, envy-free, and entirely human foundations, what else can it give a person but awe and reverence?”

Prayers were offered during the discussion

The discussion, which garnered significant interest from the participants, concluded with a prayer by Ahmet Özhan and questions from the attendees.