Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Sufism offers a solution to the loneliness of the modern age!”

The closing symposium titled “Bridging Mystical Philosophy and Arts in Sufism” was held in cooperation with Kyoto University Kenan Rifai Center for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies and Kerim Foundation.

Speaking at the symposium, President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan drew attention to the problems of the modern age such as loneliness, egoism, hedonism, and the search for meaning. Stating that Sufism responds to humanity's search for meaning and need for solace, Tarhan said, “Only humans have a search for meaning, and the human brain is programmed to work accordingly. If you do not meet humanity’s search for meaning and need for solace, mental illnesses increase. Globally, we are seeing an increase in depression, suicide, and loneliness.”

Üsküdar University Rector's Advisor Cemalnur Sargut drew attention to Kenan Rifai (Hz.)'s vision regarding the teaching of Sufism in universities, stating, “The truth of Islam is Sufism. In other words, it is not possible to learn Islam without Sufism. The ultimate point of religion is good morals. When morals are learned, etiquette begins.”

Prof. Elif Erhan, Director of Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, stated that academic collaborations have expanded and unique contributions have been made to the literature in the field of Sufi studies through the international project carried out with Kyoto University Kenan Rifai Center for Sufi Studies.

The closing symposium titled “Bridging Mystical Philosophy and Arts in Sufism” of the project jointly carried out by Kyoto University Kenan Rifai Center for Sufi Studies, celebrating its 10th anniversary, with Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies and Kerim Foundation, was held on September 13-14, 2026, at Üsküdar University Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall. Researchers from Japan, as well as Indonesia, France, and South Korea, participated in the final sessions of the 6-year international research project, which was supported by a fund of over 20 million JPY from Japan’s scientific research institution JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) and Kerim Foundation.

In the opening section of the symposium; Asst. Prof. Elif Erhan, Director of Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, conveyed the institute's establishment process, interdisciplinary academic structure, and publication activities; while Prof. Yasushi Tonaga, Founding President of Kyoto University Kenan Rifai Center, shared the center's history and future projections. Cemalnur Sargut, Founding President of Kerim Foundation, and President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan delivered opening and congratulatory speeches.

International Prestige and Üsküdar University’s Contribution to the Project

In the institutional partners session of the symposium; Prof. Emine Yeniterzi, Asst. Prof. F. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, Prof. Reşat Ögören, and Asst. Prof. Hatice Dilek Güldütuna presented their talks. Prof. Alexandre Papas, Director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Prof. Oman Fathurahman, faculty member at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University of Indonesia (UIN Jakarta), Assoc. Prof. Mona Farouk, Director of the North Africa Research Center at Busan University's Institute for Mediterranean Studies in South Korea, and Prof. Tuba Işık from Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, delivered their speeches, emphasizing the international value of the collaboration. Additionally, Prof. Tatsuro Fujikura, the new director of Kyoto University Kenan Rifai Center, addressed the participants with a video message.

In the evaluations, Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies' scientific production at international standards and its internationalization vision were highly praised.

The two-day closing sessions were attended by Prof. Yasushi Tonaga, Prof. Masayuki Akahori, Dr. Manami Suzuki, and Kotoko Madono from Kyoto University, Japan; Prof. Oman Fathurrahman and Dr. Rohman al-Bantani from Indonesia; Prof. Alexandre Papas from France; Prof. Mona Farouk from South Korea; Prof. M. Baha Tanman and Prof. Vasfi Emre Ömürlü from Turkey; and Prof. Emine Yeniterzi, Prof. Reşat Öngören, Asst. Prof. Hatice Dilek Güldütuna, Asst. Prof. F. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, Asst. Prof. Arzu Eylül Yalçınkaya, Dr. Esin Tümer Kurnaz, and Dr. İlahe Kurşun Memmedova from Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, with their presentations.

Speaking at the opening program, President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan extended his thanks to all participants from Japan, Jakarta, and South Korea.

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “If humanity’s search for meaning and need for solace are not met, mental illnesses increase”

Stating that Sufism is still not understood even in Turkey, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Understanding is only possible if we explain the truths with scientific rigor in this age. This already shows the vision here. People find the truth through academic studies. There is a search for truth within humans. And currently, there is a much greater need for the Sufi tradition than in the past.”

Prof. Tarhan explained the reason for this need as follows:

“This age has some meaning immunity diseases. For example, one is secularism; worldliness. That is, a worldview that considers life to consist only of worldly life. However, neurogenetic studies have shown that humans have neurocognitive and metacognitive (supra-mind) genes. These genes seek a search for meaning; a search for eternity, a search for freedom, and an explanation for death. Only humans have a search for meaning, and the human brain is programmed to work accordingly. If you do not meet humanity’s search for meaning and need for solace, mental illnesses increase. Globally, we are seeing an increase in depression, suicide, and loneliness.”

“Sufi teaching finds a solution to loneliness by establishing a connection with the Creator” 

Pointing out that all these indicate how much the Sufi culture and Sufi teaching are needed, Prof. Tarhan said, “Sufi teaching finds a solution to loneliness by establishing a connection with the Creator.”

Recalling Gandhi's saying, ‘No one who has God by their side is alone,’ Prof. Tarhan said, “Tawhid teaches this. If you have the belief in Tawhid, you may appear alone, but you are not lonely. As Mevlana said; 'If you want a friend, Allah is enough; if you want a companion, the Quran is enough; if you want an enemy, the ego is enough.' All these show us the meaning of Tawhid as a remedy for loneliness; the ability for a person to connect with their Lord, to open their heart to their Lord. Sufism teaches this, and Islamic ethics also tells this to people.”

“One of the diseases of this age is egoism, the other is hedonism” 

Stating that one of the diseases of this age is egoism, Prof. Tarhan said, “Globally, we see individualism turning into selfishness. Narcissistic personality is rapidly increasing in people right now. Statistics show a significant rise after the 2000s. As a result, loneliness emerges.”

Prof. Tarhan also stated that another disease is hedonism, or pleasure-seeking, saying, “There is currently a philosophy, a Western culture, that teaches chasing pleasure as an ego ideal. This is a consumption-oriented culture; a culture that wants to increase production by increasing consumption. As a result, people cannot be happy in constant competition. As they say 'earn, consume,' a hedonistic philosophy of human life has emerged. And there is also ontological insecurity. As a result of insecurity, incidents of interpersonal violence increase, and the strong begin to oppress the weak. Look at global wars; those with power oppress the weak. This oppression of the weak by the strong is the law of the jungle.”

“Humanity needs respect for multiculturalism and multi-legalism” 

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan claimed that especially the so-called 'developed' countries act by the law of the jungle, and said:

“This is very surprising and also thought-provoking. For example, the Ottoman Empire never established a ministry of colonies. But in England, there is a ministry of colonies; Belgium, France, all of them established ministries of colonies. That is, they defined colonialism as a political role. The concept of being a colonizer does not exist in Islamic culture or Islamic teaching. For this reason, in the Middle East, in Istanbul, all kinds of cultures lived together, all kinds of beliefs coexisted. In fact, in Lebanon, one of the Ottoman sultans was asked, 'A group worshiping the devil has emerged here, what should we do?' The Sultan asks, 'Does it disturb public order? Does it cause mischief?' 'No.' 'Then do not interfere,' he says. This is respect for multiculturalism and multi-legalism. Humanity needs this. The Ottomans learned this from Sufi lodges; there was a lodge at every street corner.”

“The 21st century must be the age of wisdom”

Prof. Tarhan stated that the Ottoman Empire failed to synthesize madrasa, school, and tekke (lodge) in its later periods, and said, “The Ottoman Empire disintegrated for this reason. The madrasa taught religious sciences, the tekke taught morals, and the school taught natural sciences. Because it could not synthesize the three, different types of people were raised.”

Prof. Tarhan stated that those who studied only religious sciences leaned towards bigotry, and those who studied only natural sciences were anti-religious, saying, “As a result, bigotry and anti-religious sentiment began to fight each other. Even now, Turkey is still struggling with this dual-identity way of life. However, the two need to be synthesized; the 21st century necessitates this. The 20th century was the age of information, the 21st century must be the age of wisdom. Otherwise, either war will break out, the apocalypse will happen, or we will make peace. The path to wisdom is also Sufism.”

Sufism teaches one to discipline their ego! 

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan summarized a hermit's story that Tolstoy took from Mevlana and the Sufi tradition, concluding his words as follows:

“In Tolstoy's book 'My Confession,' there is a hermit living in a cave. Someone comes and asks, 'Aren't you bored here all alone?' The hermit says, 'No, I am not alone.' When the person asks, 'How are you not alone, there is no one next to you?' the hermit explains, 'No, I have two falcons, two eagles, two rabbits, one donkey, and one lion. I am disciplining them.' When asked, 'Where are they then?' he says, 'The two falcons are my eyes; they try to attack everything. The two eagles are my arms; they want to tear everything apart. The rabbits are my two feet; they get scared and run away at the slightest danger. The donkey is my body; it is lazy and does not want to work. The snake is my tongue; it wants to bite everything, inject its venom into everything. The lion is my ego; it constantly says 'me, me, me'. I am trying to educate these.' This is the Sufi teaching.”

Cemalnur Sargut: “If there is success, it belongs to Allah”

Cemalnur Sargut, Üsküdar University Rector's Advisor, stated that the vision of Kenan Rifai (Hz.) regarding the teaching of Sufism in universities underlies the studies, and that the successes achieved are realized with the support of Allah. Sargut explained that with this understanding, studies in the field of Sufi research are carried out in different countries and universities.

“If there is success, it belongs to Allah. We see that Allah loves us. Because, thank God, He supports us in everything we do. The beginning of all this is the words of my Teacher Kenan Rifai (Hz.): ‘One day the dervish lodges will be closed, but Sufism will be taught in universities.’ Sargut emphasized that in the education of children, adults must first set an example with their own lives, and stated that the truth of Islam can be conveyed by living through good morals and etiquette. Sargut said; “They always ask me, ‘How will we educate our children, how will we teach Islam?’ There is only one answer: You be true Muslims so that children may see the truth of Islam in you. The truth of Islam is Sufism. In other words, it is not possible to learn Islam without Sufism. The ultimate point of religion is good morals. When morals are learned, etiquette begins.”

Prof. Elif Erhan: “Collaborations make significant contributions to academic visibility”

Prof. Elif Erhan, Director of Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, stated that the Institute was established in 2014 and used the following expressions:

“Our institute continues its activities in three main areas: postgraduate education, research, and social contribution. To date, 232 students have graduated from our non-thesis master's program, we have produced 122 master's theses, and 11 students have graduated from our doctoral program. In the last three years, we have published more than 20 articles and books indexed by SCOPUS. One of the most important examples of our international collaborations is our projects carried out with Kyoto University Kenan Rifai Center for Sufi Studies. These collaborations make significant contributions to the scientific production and visibility of Sufi studies in the international academic field.”

Focus Areas of the Completed Project: Mawlawiyya and Rifa'iyya

In the concluding symposium of the project, which aimed to build a bridge between Eastern and Western academia and focused on the Mawlawiyya tradition in its first two years and the Rifa'iyya tradition in its last two years, the Sufi thought, Sufi history, Sufi literature, music, architectural, and anthropological dimensions of the related themes were discussed:

In the first session of the first day, Prof. Reşat Öngören presented the history of the Rifa'iyya in Ottoman Anatolia in his presentation titled "The Rifa'is in Ottoman Anatolia". Prof. Oman Fathurahman (UIN Jakarta) examined the traces of the Rifa'iyya in Indonesian manuscripts with his presentation "Traces of Rifa'i Sufi Order in Indonesian Manuscripts: A Preliminary Study". Prof. Emine Yeniterzi evaluated the concept of istiqāma in Ahmad al-Rifā'ī's work al-Burhânü'l-Mu'ayyad with her presentation "Istiqāma/Steadfastness on the Straight Path in Ahmad al-Rifā'ī's Burhan al-Mu'ayyad: The Making of the Sufi".

In the second session, Rohman al-BANTANI discussed the Debus tradition in Banten in his paper titled "Beyond the Tariqa: The Transmission and Transformation of Rifa'iyya Tariqa in Bantenese Debus". Dr. Manami Suzuki (Kyoto Univ.) examined the sound and body dimensions of the Rifa'iyya dhikr in Prizren in her presentation titled "Rifa'i Dhikr in European Muslim Society: Sound, Body, and Religious Belonging in Prizren, Kosovo". Dr. Esin Tümer Kurnaz delivered her presentation "A Hermeneutic Reading of the Newly Edited Ādāb-i Țarīqat-i Rifāʻiyya", while Assoc. Prof. Mona Farouk M. Ahmed (Busan Univ.) conveyed the development of the Rifa'iyya in Egypt with her presentation "Between Spiritual Discipline and Popular Belief: The Development of the Rifai Order in Egypt".

On the second day, Dr. İlahe Kurşun Memmedova shared the social reflections of Ahmad al-Rifa'i's understanding of Ahl al-Bayt in contemporary Iraq in her presentation "Ahmad al-Rifa'i's Conception of Ahl al-Bayt and Its Socio-Religious Impact in Contemporary Iraq". Prof. Alexandre Papas (CNRS, France) evaluated the early Khwajagan-Naqshbandiyya traditions in his paper titled "Debating dhikr in the early Khwajagan-Naqshbandiyya. Reading 'Ali Ramitani's Mahbub al-'arifin". Prof. Vasfi Emre Ömürlü and Asst. Prof. Hatice Dilek Güldütuna jointly delivered their presentation "Rhythmic Flow and Structure in Classical Kıyam Zikir in Rifâî Dargahs of Istanbul", while Prof. Yasushi Tonaga examined the philosophy of music in Ibn 'Arabi in his paper titled "Music according to Ibn 'Arabi".

In the final session of the project, Dr. Kotoko Madono delivered her presentation titled "When Yunus Emre Speaks through Niyâzî-i Mısrî: Re-voicing and Sufi Poetic Authority in the Early Modern Ottoman World". Prof. M. Baha Tanman analyzed the Rifa'iyya tekkes in Ottoman Sufi architecture in his presentation titled "Rifai Tekkes in Ottoman Sufi Architecture". Prof. Masayuki Akahori (Sophia Univ.) presented an anthropological approach with his presentation "Masters and Disciples, Saints and Venerators: Parallels and Reversals in Sufism and Saint Veneration". Dr. Arzu Eylül Yalçınkaya conveyed the social and cultural functions of the Ümmü Ken'an Sufi Lodge in her paper titled "Representing the Rifa'i Tradition in Early Twentieth-Century Istanbul: Ken'an Rifā'ī and the Socio-Cultural Functions of the Ümmü Ken'ān Sufi Lodge".

The Symposium Board, consisting of Prof. Yasushi Tonaga, Prof. Emine Yeniterzi, Asst. Prof. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, and Prof. Masayuki Akahori, summarized the current outputs of the project after the sessions and made evaluations regarding future studies.