The “Sufi Thought and Practices from Past to Present Workshop” was held in cooperation with Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies and Kerim Foundation. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar University, who delivered the opening speech of the program, drew attention to the fact that one of the biggest diseases of our time is worldliness. Tarhan noted that modern humans currently worship the world, and that the type of person who does not think about life after death has become widespread, adding that if there is no life after death, life would have no meaning.
Dr. Makoto Sawai from Tenri University, Japan, Dr. Kie Inoue from Meiji University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Daisuke Maruyama, Prof. Dr. Elif Erhan, Director of the Institute for Sufi Studies, Dr. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, Deputy Director of the Institute for Sufi Studies, Dr. Dilek Güldütuna from the Institute for Sufi Studies, Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören, faculty member of the Institute for Sufi Studies, and Prof. Dr. Mahmut Erol Kılıç, faculty member of the Institute for Sufi Studies, participated in the event held at Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan; “The 21st Century dervish should have the Quran in one hand and a computer in the other”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar University, delivered the opening speech of the event. Speaking about how modern humans currently worship the world, Tarhan said; “The 21st-century dervish should have the Quran in one hand and a computer in the other. When you think about whether this has an equivalent in reference, there are three perspectives on the world here; the type of person who is concerned with the world's evils, pursuing only worldly pleasures by forgetting God, that is the wrong one. Indeed, one of the biggest diseases of our time is worldliness. Modern humans currently worship the world. Hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure, living as if one will never die, and then thinking 'I will just die and cease to exist,' not pondering about the afterlife, this type of person has become very widespread. If there is no life after death, this life loses its meaning, the life of a being like humans loses its meaning. In fact, a study was done on bees. If bees disappear from the world, the world turns into a desert after 50 years. If humans disappear, the world becomes very beautiful and green after 50 years.”
Tarhan: “Everything that can be questioned is science”
Tarhan, drawing attention to the fact that there are 4,300 religions in the world and that Tawhid (monotheism) is the most reasonable among them, stated; “There are some societal prejudices. Unfortunately, there are prejudices that we frequently encounter in bureaucracy in Turkey as well. Globally, these prejudices exist. They came with the Age of Enlightenment. This practice also negatively affects the gap between the doctrinal dimension and the practical dimension of Sufism. One of these is the understanding of 'Religion is separate, science is separate.' There is a saying by Hegel, one of the Enlightenment philosophers: 'Everything rational is real, everything real is rational.' Therefore, everything that can be questioned is science. If you can question religion, if you can logically interpret religion by questioning it, and if you can explain it after interpreting it, or somehow place it within a logical framework, then that religion becomes a logical interpretation in the laboratory of reason. It becomes reasonable. There are 4,300 religions in the world. If we consider which one is reasonable among them, it is Tawhid. In the sense of God's unity and oneness, if there is a God, that God can only be like the God defined in Tawhid.”
Tarhan: “Misinterpreting religion hinders progress”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that in the 21st century, the interpretation of religion needs formal renewals while preserving its fundamentals. Tarhan said; “True freedom is to be free from one's own desires, wants, and impulses. 'Break the chains, tear down the walls, live!' This is not freedom. Sufi practice teaches this. With this advice, religion does not hinder human progress. Misinterpreting religion hinders progress. In the 21st century, interpreting religion more correctly requires preserving the fundamentals, but some formal renewals are needed. Hz. Mevlana likens the world to a sea and humans to a ship. A ship floats on the sea, but if it takes water inside, it sinks. So, the world is a sea; if you take the sea water into yourself, you will sink. Let the world be in your hand, but not in your heart. We need to manage our minds well while doing worldly and otherworldly affairs. We need to time and order well where worldly affairs begin, between the two. Let's not be objects of the world, let's be subjects of the world. Let's manage the world and live in it in accordance with divine will and divine goals. If we can do this, the world will be our slave. Otherwise, we will become slaves to the world, this is what we derive from Hz. Mevlana.”
Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç: “To know man, to rectify man, is to know the entire universe”
Speaking within the scope of the program, Prof. Dr. Mahmut Erol Kılıç, a faculty member at the Institute for Sufi Studies, drew attention to the importance of the second generation in the history of religions. Kılıç stated, “If we consider Sufism as an explanatory model; the Ottomans did this, and life was viewed starting from this model. We intentionally use the term model. Man opens up and interprets religion... The second generation is very important in the history of religions. Because it is this second generation that clarifies what came from the Prophets and makes the Prophets speak. This can only happen with the help of a model. That is, if we leave aside its decadent, degenerate state today, philosophy is actually an individual's attempt to make sense of themselves. Everything is in a state of 'kewn u fesad,' creation and corruption. Sufism presents an explanatory model: Sufi thought. It also has a form of application. However, sometimes the gap between thought and application, that is, between meaning and practice, can widen. In this era, studies on practical application seem to have increased with an Orientalist perspective. In fact, it is necessary to focus more on Sufi thought, its doctrine, which is its essential meaning. What kind of human education method did Sufis follow? In the macro-cosmic structure, the essential thing is man and knowing man. To know man, to rectify man, is to know the entire universe. The decline in quality in every field stems from the low investment in people. We request the translation into Turkish of the works of the esteemed Japanese researcher Toshihiko Izutsu, whose studies on the perception of multiplicity within unity we always commend with great appreciation.”
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören: "There was close contact between Sufis and the army”
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören, a faculty member at the Institute for Sufi Studies, summarized; “It is known that the Ottoman State maintained close relations with Sufis since its establishment. This relationship, which began with Sheikh Edebâlî marrying his daughter to Osman Gazi, the founder of the state, deepened with the appointment of Dâvûd al-Qaysari, a prominent follower of the Muhyiyüddin Ibn al-Arabî school, to the chief professorship. Thanks to Ibn al-Fârîz's views and also Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, which appeared approximately a century later, this understanding spread to wider circles. Thus, from the beginning, rulers, members of the ulema, and the public were brought together within a high-level Sufi understanding that had taken shape even before the Ottomans. This environment led to prominent relations within the triangle of the Palace, madrasa, and tekke, and as a natural result, works representing a holistic approach that addressed kalam, fiqh, and Sufism together emerged in the context of the sharia-tariqa relationship. On the other hand, in accordance with Hacı Bektaş Velî's understanding of jihad, dervishes, while continuing their jihad against their own selves, facilitated conquests by participating in jihad campaigns against the enemy. Naturally, this approach led to close contact between Sufis and the army.”
Sufis during the formative period of Sufism…
Dr. Makoto Sawai from Tenri University, Japan, delivered a speech titled 'Sufism: Leading the Spiritual World.' Sawai stated; “During the formative period of Sufism, Sufis tried to establish a pioneering position in their societies by highlighting the difference between Sufism and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Before the emergence of Sufism, the Arabic term ulema (singular `alim) literally means “those who possess knowledge”; it refers to Muslim scholars such as jurists (fuqahā) and theologians (mutakallimūn). However, Sufis tried to expand the field of knowledge by adding spiritual knowledge (ma'rifa) and differentiating it from ordinary knowledge (ilm).
Ṣarrāj (Kitāb al-Lumaʿ) discusses three sources of Islamic knowledge: the Quran, the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and the truths of faith. According to him, these terms mean religion (Islam), faith (Iman), and righteous deeds (Ihsan). Every faith and righteous deed has two aspects: outward (zāhir) and inward (bātin). Furthermore, Qushayrī, in his Quranic exegesis Laṭaif al-isharat, presents both the “language of ordinary knowledge” (lisānu'l-ilm) and the “subtle language” (lisānu'l-ishara).”
Dr. Kie Inoue: “Prophets and Saints have always been at the center of discussions in Sufism”
Within the scope of the workshop, Dr. Kie Inoue from Meiji University, Tokyo, gave a speech titled 'Saints as Heirs of Prophets: The Case of Mevlana and Sultan Veled.' Inoue drew attention to the discussions surrounding prophets and saints in Sufism. Inoue stated; “The issue of prophets and saints has always been at the center of discussions in Sufism. Prophets and saints have always held a special status distinguishing them from ordinary people. In the context of Islam, one of the most problematic topics when discussing these special individuals is how those called “Awliya” (saints) are treated. From the 13th century onwards, prophets and saints began to be discussed in parallel. Mevlana, who lived almost in the same period as Ibn Arabi, also addressed the roles of Prophets and Saints together. In this context, we will examine Mevlana's son Sultan Veled and present his views on this matter.”
Adam and Adamhood in Niyâzî-i Mısrî's Divan…
Among the panelists, Dr. H. Dilek Güldütuna made remarkable observations in her paper titled 'Adam and Adamhood in Niyâzî-i Mısrî (d. 1694) Divan.' Dr. Güldütuna stated, “Ibn Arabi, in the Adam chapter, which is the first section of his famous work Fususu'l-Hikem, describes the fundamental human qualities in the person of Adam, the first human and first prophet, and elaborates on humanity's relationship with the universe.” She added, “In this study, the Divan of Niyazi Mısrî, one of the most important representatives of the Akbari tradition, is explained in the context of the chapter concerning Adam.”
From a (State) President to an Exemplary Muslim…
At the workshop, which featured prominent figures, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Daisuke Maruyama from the National Defense Academy of Japan also presented a paper titled 'From a (State) President to an Exemplary Muslim.' Dr. Maruyama;
“I will try to explain how the Bashir regime in Sudan sought to legitimize its authority, using a study compiled in 2004 at the initiative of the government. A book consisting of biographies and anecdotes of Sufis active in Funj (1604-1821) was later compiled so that the names of presidents, former presidents, and even some politicians would be listed alongside prominent Sufis. In my speech, by addressing the purpose of compiling the encyclopedia and the content of politicians' biographies, I will try to explain how presidents and politicians attempted to authorize themselves as a kind of “saint” in a religious sense. This presentation also analyzes the strategies and initiatives used by the Islamist government to adapt, reinterpret, and exploit Sufism and related topics to fit its ideology.”
Ramadan from the perspective of Civilization…
In her paper titled 'Ramadan Practices from the Perspective of Civilization,' Dr. F. Can Güzel Güner Zülfükar, Deputy Director of the Institute for Sufi Studies, drew attention to the concepts of civilization and Ramadan from Sâmiha Ayverdi's perspective. Zülfükar stated, “Sâmiha Ayverdi, who sees humanity as the cornerstone of civilization, acts in line with the hadith “He is not one of us who eats his fill while his neighbor remains hungry,” and places particular emphasis on the month of Ramadan. Highlighting the importance of Ramadan for Ottoman-Turkish society, Ayverdi explains how the inherent unity of Islam manifests in social structure, especially during Ramadan, which offers an opportunity to overcome distinctions of class, society, and economy. From Ayverdi's perspective, another benefit of Ramadan is that it is a period when differences between various segments of society disappear, and a purification process continues within humanity itself. Ayverdi, who evaluates Ramadan as a period when an individual's relationship with another individual, society, the universe, and Allah gradually strengthens, provides examples of various traditions common at that time and unfortunately now on the verge of being forgotten. Thus, Sâmiha Ayverdi, not only recounts and transmits past traditions but also guides us on how we can reach that level of consciousness, solidarity, and community today.”
The workshop concluded with a final session…
The workshop continued with a concluding session featuring all panelists. In the final section, where participants' questions were also answered, Prof. Dr. Öngören, regarding Sufi practices, stated, “What do we mean by “Sufi practices” or “Sufi application,” and how should we understand this? Cangüzel Hoca (Teacher) explained it wonderfully through the example of Samiha Ayverdi. These practices are the reflection in life and heart of the spiritual state sought through Sufism. It is knowledge that one should not think ill of anyone. However, not harboring any ill will towards anyone within yourself is Sufism. It is knowledge that one should not gossip. Not gossiping is Sufism. This is also the purpose of Sufi education.”
