An event titled “Ibn al-Arabi-Mevlana: The Heart of Spirituality” was organized by Üsküdar University History Club in cooperation with Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies and Kerim Foundation. Dr. Kerim Güç attended the event, which aimed to re-understand the two great figures of Sufi thought in the light of the modern world's questions, as a guest speaker. Dr. Kerim Güç discussed the Sufi tradition shaped through Hz. Mevlana and Ibn al-Arabi within the context of the Ottoman education system's curriculum, stating that the main goal of civilization is to establish a human-centered system. Güç said, “Multidisciplinary studies are needed in the new world order.”
The event, held in South Campus A Block, brought together the teachings of two important figures, whose spiritual depth, intellectual richness, and cultural heritage have endured for centuries, with students, faculty members, and other participants.
“Multidisciplinary studies are needed in the new world order”
Dr. Kerim Güç, who discussed Eastern and Western civilization concepts, the Sufi tradition, and the background of the Ottoman education system, emphasized that no structure that does not center on humanity can truly be a civilization.
Dr. Kerim Güç made evaluations regarding the modern understanding of education, saying: “I received my postgraduate education in America, where there was always a thought system based on specialization, but in the new world order, approaching every field multidisciplinarily, rather than specializing in a single area, is gaining value. Because today, many branches of science are in contact with each other, intertwined. When you look at it, fields like psychology, sociology, anthropology, and among them, Sufi thought is also expected to be an approach, and a more human-centered system needs to be established.”
“Shams shows his transition from the first stage to the second stage in his life”
Dr. Kerim Güç, evaluating Hz. Mevlana's intellectual journey through Sufi stages, said: “In the East, there is Hz. Mevlana, who structured his life into three parts: ‘I was raw, I was cooked, I was burned.’ That is, precisely, ‘I was Ilm al-Yaqin (knowledge of certainty), I became Ayn al-Yaqin (vision of certainty), and I became Haqq al-Yaqin (truth of certainty).’ This transformation is possible with a spiritual guide; Shams shows his transition from the first stage to the second stage in his life. Just as acid and base are very caustic on their own – if you take acid in your hand, it burns; if you take base in your hand, it burns – but when acid and base combine, they produce two elements. One of them is water, and one of them is salt. That is, these are the two elements that enable us to survive in this world.”
“Now we learn by seeing, not by reading…”
Explaining the role of the teacher in Sufi education, Dr. Kerim Güç said: “The first action a teacher will take towards a student is to break their idols. To break the idols in their heart that stem from Ilm al-Yaqin. Our teachers know very well that for a professor, for a teacher, the most important things are books. And according to legend, Hz. Mevlana first went through a process where his books were thrown into water by Shams. Shams tells him, ‘I realized that all these books weren't that important to you, but Esrarnâme – that book – was very important.’ He takes it out of the water, dry, and gives it to Hz. Mevlana. Hz. Mevlana opens the book joyfully, but the inside of the book is empty. What he wants to convey here, what he wants to convey within this symbolism, is ‘I will rewrite you.’ And this is the Ayn al-Yaqin process for us. When this process begins, we no longer learn by reading from somewhere; we now learn by seeing.”
“The curricula of the Ottoman education system are being drawn up”
Dr. Kerim Güç, also touching upon the difficulties of the late Seljuk period, said: “The Seljuks are on the verge of extinction… Civil wars have broken out. There is no food, taxes are high. In such a situation, it was one of the most difficult times for this nation, for our people. However difficult it was, my Lord (Mevla) placed equally wise figures there. Perhaps in the middle of Anatolia in the 1200s, we spoke of Mevlana and Ibn al-Arabi, we spoke of Konevi, but in addition to these, Yunus Emre also arrived. Hacı Bektaş Veli also arrived. And then Nasreddin Hodja came, Ahi Evran came. In other words, it was a time like what Americans call ‘All-Stars,’ like the best players in basketball. This also shows us that behind all these difficulties, Allah will surely provide help and lead us back to our golden age. Davud al-Qaysari takes both the Mathnawi and Ibn al-Arabi's Futuhat, and draws up our curriculum. The curricula of the Ottoman education system are being drawn up,” he stated.
“It gradually started to break away after Suleiman the Magnificent”
Dr. Kerim Güç, drawing attention to the gradual exclusion of the Sufi tradition from the education system, expressed the impact of this break on the Ottoman Empire's decline with these words: “The Sufi perspective, the involvement of those dervish lodges, gradually began to diminish, and a more radical outlook slowly emerged there. Especially the permeation of that radical outlook among the sultans… All of those early sultans I mentioned earlier had a teacher, all had a Sufi teacher. For example, Fatih (Mehmed the Conqueror) conducted multidisciplinary studies, bringing Sufis and philosophers face to face, asking ‘Which is better?’ or ‘Which will decide better?’ but those who came after, after Suleiman the Magnificent, gradually began to break away from this, and with that break, moving away from that curriculum, moving away from the thought system of Ibn al-Arabi and Mevlana, gradually distances us from that intellectual tradition,” he said.
“Its very late arrival is one of the big problems”
Dr. Kerim Güç, stating that staying away from technological advancements was also a significant turning point, evaluated the late arrival of the printing press to the Ottoman Empire. Güç said: “There was an invention of the printing press around 1400-1450, as is known, by Gutenberg; it reached us in the 1600-1650s through İbrahim Müteferrika. There is a 250-year gap in between. How important is the book? As we've seen, the magnificent library in Baghdad, the magnificent library in Alexandria, the magnificent library in Spain... but its very late arrival to us is, in my opinion, one of the major problems,” he stated.
“They all actually carry the same core”
Dr. Kerim Güç, also emphasizing the meaninglessness of distinctions made between Mevlana and Ibn al-Arabi, said: “Sometimes there's a tendency, like when we support a team; we support Ibn al-Arabi, we support Mevlana. This approach is contrary to the spirit of Sufi thought. At the end of the day, when you look at them, we see that they all arrive at the same point. They emerge as manifestations, arrivals in this world, and manifestos of a Saint (Wali). Therefore, whichever spiritual path is more suitable for accepting which, that teacher becomes more suitable for it. But when we look from the outside, they all actually carry the same core, that is, they are the most beautiful inheritors of the Muhammadan Reality (Haqiqat-i Muhammadiyah),” he stated.
