An event titled “Ibn Arabi–Rumi: The Heart of Spirituality” was organized by the Üsküdar University History Club in cooperation with the Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies and the Kerim Foundation. The event, which aimed to reinterpret two great figures of Sufi thought in light of the questions of the modern world, hosted Dr. Kerim Güç as a guest speaker. Addressing the Sufi tradition shaped by Rumi and Ibn Arabi within the context of the Ottoman educational curriculum, Dr. Güç emphasized that the fundamental purpose of civilization is to establish a system that places the human being at its center. He stated, “Multidisciplinary studies are essential in the new world order.”
Held at the South Campus A Block, the event brought together students, faculty members, and participants around the teachings of two influential figures whose spiritual depth, intellectual richness, and cultural legacy have endured for centuries.
“Multidisciplinary studies are essential in the new world order”
Discussing Eastern and Western concepts of civilization, the Sufi tradition, and the background of the Ottoman education system, Dr. Kerim Güç emphasized that no structure which does not place the human being at its center can truly be called a civilization.
Reflecting on modern education, Dr. Güç said: “I completed my postgraduate education in the United States, where specialization was emphasized. However, in the new world order, rather than specializing in a single field, a multidisciplinary approach across various disciplines has gained importance. Today, many fields of science intersect and interact. Psychology, sociology, and anthropology are closely connected, and within these fields, Sufi thought is also expected to be present, because we need systems that place human beings more firmly at the center.”
“Shams represents his transition from the first stage to the second”
Evaluating Rumi’s intellectual journey through Sufi stages, Dr. Güç stated: “In the East, we have Rumi, who described his life in three stages: ‘I was raw, I was cooked, I was burned.’ In essence, this corresponds to ‘Ilm al-yaqin, Ayn al-yaqin, and Haqq al-yaqin.’ This transformation is only possible through a spiritual guide. Shams represents Rumi’s transition from the first stage to the second. Just as acids and bases are harmful on their own but produce water and salt when combined, two essential elements that sustain life, spiritual transformation also emerges through such union.”
“We no longer learn by reading alone, but by seeing”
Explaining the role of the teacher in Sufi education, Dr. Güç said: “The first thing a teacher does for a student is to break their idols, the idols rooted in Ilm al-yaqin. Teachers know well that books are extremely important for scholars. According to tradition, Shams initially throws Rumi’s books into water. He tells him, ‘I noticed that none of these books mattered much to you except the Masnavi.’ He retrieves it from the water, completely dry, and hands it back to Rumi. When Rumi opens it, the pages are blank. The message is symbolic: ‘I will rewrite you.’ This marks the beginning of Ayn al-yaqin. From that moment on, we no longer learn by reading alone; we learn by seeing.”
“The Ottoman educational curriculum is shaped”
Referring to the hardships of the late Seljuk period, Dr. Güç noted: “The Seljuk state was on the verge of collapse. Civil wars, hunger, heavy taxation. Yet in the midst of these hardships, wisdom flourished. In 13th century Anatolia, we see Rumi, Ibn Arabi, Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi, Yunus Emre, Hacı Bektaş, Nasreddin Hodja, and Ahi Evran. It was an era of extraordinary minds. This shows that in times of hardship, divine assistance manifests. Davud al-Qaysari brought together the Masnavi and Ibn Arabi’s Futuhat and shaped our educational curriculum. Thus, the foundations of the Ottoman education system were laid.”
“The gradual break begins after Suleiman the Magnificent”
Dr. Güç also highlighted how Sufi tradition was gradually pushed out of the education system and how this contributed to Ottoman decline: “Sufi influence within educational institutions gradually diminished, replaced by a more rigid outlook. Early sultans all had spiritual mentors. For example, Mehmed the Conqueror encouraged multidisciplinary debates between Sufis and philosophers. However, after Suleiman the Magnificent, this connection weakened. As the curriculum drifted away from the intellectual legacy of Ibn Arabi and Rumi, the tradition itself began to fade.”
“Its late arrival became a major problem”
Addressing technological stagnation, Dr. Güç pointed to the late arrival of the printing press in the Ottoman Empire: “Gutenberg invented the printing press in the mid-15th century, yet it reached us nearly 250 years later through Ibrahim Müteferrika. Books have always been central to civilization, as seen in Baghdad, Alexandria, and Andalusia. Its late adoption was a major setback for us.”
“They all carry the same essence”
Finally, Dr. Güç emphasized the futility of contrasting Rumi and Ibn Arabi: “Sometimes people take sides, favoring one over the other. This contradicts the spirit of Sufism. Ultimately, all these figures reach the same truth. They are manifestations of sainthood, expressions of divine reality. Each appeals to different temperaments, but from the outside, they all carry the same essence, the finest inheritors of the Muhammadan Truth.”
