Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, was the guest of the 2020-2021 Academic Year Closing Event organized by Marmara University Psychology and Irfan Club. Dr. Nesrullah Okan moderated the program titled “Yunus Emre as a Social Psychologist.” Tarhan said: “His poems are now passing from mouth to mouth. He aimed to be spiritually beneficial to society. One of his goals was to touch people's souls and guide them in finding the truth. Since Yunus Emre was a poet, he stirred people's hearts with poetic language, taking their temporary mortal loves and explaining that everything is fleeting.”
“Yunus Emre is a spiritual treasure”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed out that Yunus Emre, who adds value to people's lives and guides hearts towards the love of Allah, is a spiritual treasure; “There are seeds sown by Yunus Emre and Mevlana. Those seeds give birth to the Ottoman plane tree a hundred years later. This is not a coincidence; first, a mental transformation occurs, and for a mental transformation, a spiritual transformation is necessary. The heart is activated, forming an irfan (gnosis) movement regarding where people will direct their love. After that, people begin to seek, find, and love the truth, rather than temporary things like possessions, property, or money. Gradually, very beautiful developments begin to emerge in this direction. I studied that period. Yunus Emre passed away at over eighty years old, and before his death, he wrote the Risale-i Nushiyye (Book of Counsel). He compiled many of his teachings there. He aimed to alleviate people's anxieties and fears and to direct their souls and hearts away from fleeting things that overwhelm them, towards a meaning consistent with existence. Since Yunus Emre was a poet, he stirs people's hearts with poetic language, taking their mortal loves and explaining to them that everything is fleeting. He tries to direct hearts towards the love of Allah. The person who could take Yunus Emre's place in this era might be Abdurrahim Karakoç. He has such beautiful poems that it's as if he is the Yunus Emre of our time... Yunus Emre is a spiritual treasure that directs hearts towards Allah.”
“There is intention behind inspiration”
Emphasizing that deeds are judged by intentions, Tarhan stated that Yunus Emre had a spiritual purpose beneficial to society. Tarhan said: “His poems are now passing from mouth to mouth. He aimed to be spiritually beneficial to society. One of his goals was to touch people's souls and guide them in finding the truth. Thus, if a person helps others without expecting any personal gain, Allah makes others love that person. It is selfless and spontaneous; Allah makes them loved. Mevlana and Yunus Emre's motivation was also this. They cared for people, wrote poems, read, and explained the truth purely for divine pleasure. In all of this, they did not satisfy their egos. They did it to bring people closer to Allah. He inspired and made them loved. There is also intention behind inspiration. Deeds are according to intentions. These states are examples for us. If a person loses their intention, thinks worldly, and acts according to their interests, the intention becomes corrupted. The most powerful deed is the power of sincerity (ikhlas). We also see sincerity and devotion in Yunus Emre's works. Yunus Emre is the greatest example. His words that touch hearts and souls emerged in this way.”
“Yunus Emre experiences the joy of being one with Allah”
Tarhan stated that if one maintains a proper intention and sincerity, along with the continuation of voluntary help, miracles can exist within that intention and sincerity; “It opens doors for people, and you can even take very good steps forward. I see this, that sincerity, in Yunus Emre. He is so sincere, he expresses such beautiful feelings about connecting with Allah, saying, 'It is You I need, it is You I need,' meaning 'I desire neither heaven nor hell.' So much so that he feels and lives the joy of being one with Allah, and that is enough for him. He has found it; to achieve this is a great station, not everyone is destined for it. For this, we have also gone through periods of hardship, but the youth of this era are both fortunate and unfortunate. That is, there is no need to enter solitary cells, caves, etc., to see this. Currently, they should engage in activities related to explaining the truth.”
“The greatest miracle in this era is steadfastness”
Tarhan noted that it is very difficult to maintain one's intention in this era, stating; “It is especially difficult to maintain one's intention in this era. The greatest miracle in this era is steadfastness. If a person can be free even against themselves, they have surpassed themselves. It is even more difficult in a society with so many opportunists. We are going through a very difficult period for young people due to the emergence of distracting environments. The danger of that time was different; the danger of the present time is of another kind. The greatest jihad, as our Prophet said, is against one's ego (nafs). People in this era forget their ego. The disease of this age is the excessive rise of one's ego. In such an era, Yunus Emre and Mevlana should be taken as examples. We need to take the essence of their time and bring it to this era. Not as if we are living in their time, but by taking them and creating an appropriate framework within the context of this time and age, and putting it into practice. If we can do this, we will have continued along the same path.”