Üsküdar Üniversitesi Journal of Sufi Studies Institute (TAED) has published its highly anticipated new issue, featuring interdisciplinary richness and strong academic contributions. The journal includes groundbreaking research spanning a wide range, from West African Sufism to Indo-Islamic relations, from the search for spirituality in modern business life to patient approach in Ottoman medicine.
Sufism's contribution to modern sustainability…
One of the prominent articles in the new issue belongs to Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector and Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan. In his article titled “Spiritual Sustainability in the Modern World: Sustainable Development Goals from a Sufi Perspective,” Prof. Dr. Tarhan draws attention to the deep harmony between Sufi thought and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Prof. Dr. Tarhan states the following in his article:
“Today's sustainability crises are not problems that can be overcome solely with technological or economic solutions. Traditional wisdom, by centering the individual's inner transformation, gives spirit to modern quality perceptions.”
Intersection of Sufi values with SDGs
In his article, Prof. Dr. Tarhan explains with examples how Sufi values such as contentment, compassion, sharing, waste prevention, and equality offer a strong ethical framework for global issues like poverty, inequality, and the climate crisis, while also demonstrating that the connection established between the Sufi approach and development goals has a wide impact, from individual awareness to social justice.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan summarizes the relationship between SDGs and Sufi values with these words: “While sustainable development aims to transform the external world, the permanence of this transformation is possible through the moral evolution that begins in a person's inner world.”
Editor Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören: “The journal offers rich academic content”
According to the assessment of Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören, editor of the Journal of Sufi Studies Institute and faculty member at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Sufi Studies Institute, the issue offers rich academic content demonstrating that Sufism is not merely a historical legacy but a dynamic intellectual tradition capable of providing solutions to the complex issues of today's world.
Prominent topics in the journal
The new issue of the journal contains remarkable research that reveals the multifaceted academic reflections of Sufi thought.
West African Sufism and spiritual authority discussions: A deep analysis of how the “Yan Hakika” movement, which emerged from the Tijaniyya-Ibrahimiyya branch in Nigeria, created a new authority discussion through its interpretations of Vahdet-i Vücûd.
The cultural journey of the metaphysics of love: The connection established between Fahreddin-i Irâkî's theory of love and Japanese philosopher Nishida's metaphysics of self offers a striking bridge between Sufism and Far Eastern philosophy.
Work life and spirituality in Generation Z: A field study examining young professionals' search for meaning, purpose, and belonging shows that Sufi concepts form a new psychosocial foundation in the modern business world.
Relationship between history and politics: Indian Sufi-state relations are evaluated through the works of historian Khaliq Ahmad Nizami; from the perspective of tranquility, negotiation, and preserving spiritual integrity.
Holistic treatment in Ottoman medicine: The principle of Ottoman physicians to “make the patient's heart glad” recalls the holistic perspective that modern medicine sometimes neglects.
For Tarhan's article:
Journal of Sufi Studies Institute:
