The conference titled "Sufism as a Quality Control Tool," with Director General of the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç as a speaker, was held at the Avicenna Auditorium of NP Health Campus.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “There are common denominators between the United Nations' sustainable development goals and Sufism teachings. The UN discovered Sufism.”
Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç: “Although a connection may not initially be established between Sufism and 'quality,' an economic term, if we build the bridges correctly, we can see the links. In this regard, we are receiving satisfactory feedback from the studies at the Institute of Sufism, which pioneered interdisciplinary works specifically at Üsküdar University.”
Rector Advisor Cemalnur Sargut: "Here, we are even working to teach ethics to artificial intelligence. This is an indicator of the level at which the interdisciplinary studies, centered on Sufi thought, are being carried out at the Institute."
Üsküdar University Institute for Sufism Studies hosted an important conference that brought together the modern world's quest for quality with Sufism's profound perspective. The conference titled "Sufism as a Quality Control Tool," with IRCICA Director General and Üsküdar University Institute for Sufism Studies Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç as a speaker, was held at the Avicenna Auditorium of NP Health Campus.
The program was organized as the first of the Quality Commission Activities newly initiated by the Institute.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan: “More than half of the UN's labels are from Sufism…”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar University and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, delivered the opening speech of the program, describing the university's ranking first among foundation universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings as a "meaningful coincidence" exactly on the days this conference was held. Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "This achievement is a fruit of our university's vision and efforts. When we look, we see that more than half of these UN labels are derived from Sufism and Eastern wisdom. The UN discovered Sufism."
Common denominators between the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and Sufism teachings…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan expressed the common denominators between the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and Sufism teachings as follows:
"SDG 1 and 2 labels are the 'end poverty' and 'zero hunger' labels. We are in third place in both of these labels. These labels aim to create living conditions befitting human dignity. What did Sufism teach us here? It says, 'Love the created because of the Creator.' That is, love the created but without severing the bond with the Creator. When you do so, you add more meaning to what you love, you try not to harm it, you establish that bond. And it considers helping the oppressed, the needy, and the poor as an act of worship. Imagine, the goal of 'zero hunger' can be achieved if a person engages in social responsibility projects with a sense of worship. The reward system in the human brain operates on an interest-driven basis. To activate this reward system, a person needs an otherworldly reward; not a temporary, worldly one. This is how our brain's operating system works," he stated.
We call the concept of Ihsan "silent goodness"...
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that people are motivated when they establish a connection with Allah and consider the reward of connecting with Allah, the reward of paradise. “This is a motivation technique; it is not opportunism or self-interest. It is acting in accordance with human nature. That desire for reward is a biological weakness of humanity. Instead of opposing it, it is about directing it in a positive direction. Sufism does this. In other words, the concept of ihsan in Sufism is actually related to this. We are trying to call the concept of ihsan 'silent goodness'," he said.
Sufism sees justice as an attribute of Allah
Drawing attention to the peace and justice (SDG 16) label, Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated, "The SDG advocates for the rule of law and the elimination of discrimination. Sufism also sees justice as an attribute of Allah and teaches that the strong should not oppress the weak. In the essence of Islam, the path to injustice is closed, even with good intentions."
Referring to the respect for nature (SDG 13-15) labels, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "While the UN aims for climate action and the protection of life, Sufism views the earth as 'mother' and a tree as 'charity'. The hadith 'Even if you know the world is ending, plant a tree' is the foundation of this philosophy. The consciousness that everything is a trust rejects waste and excessive consumption."
Sufism, on the other hand, says 'Knowledge is the path that brings one closer to oneself and one's Lord'
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also emphasized the quality education (SDG 4) label, stating, "The SDG advocates for the right to quality education. Sufism, on the other hand, says 'Knowledge is the path that brings one closer to oneself and one's Lord.' Today's bloodless jihad is a spiritual jihad waged with knowledge."
Reminding of the gender equality (SDG 5) label, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "While the UN aims for the empowerment of women, Sufism cites female Sufis like Rabia Adeviyye as examples and presents 'insan-ı kâmil' (the perfect human) as a goal independent of gender. The measure of reaching truth is piety, not gender."
The cure for narcissism is virtue ethics
Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that the purpose of the Sufism institute is to teach virtue ethics, stating, "It is necessary to teach engineers, doctors, and everyone; everyone needs it. Humanity has begun to feel a greater need for virtue ethics."
Stating that there is a global narcissism epidemic in today's world, Prof. Dr. Tarhan continued:
"The cure for narcissism is virtue ethics. The globalization of Sufism, which teaches virtue ethics, is also the remedy for this. Therefore, there is a greater need for it. When you combine this with science, it becomes easier for people to believe and apply it. Scientific robustness convinces people. That is why we are trying to present Sufism with scientific soundness. Here, in leadership psychology, there is a measure we use to distinguish between a true leader and a false leader. If a leader binds their followers (this could be parents, companies, or a spiritual guide) to their own person, they are on the path of deceit. But if a leader binds them to a cause, an idea, an ideal, to Allah, that leader is a true leader. Therefore, instead of a leadership style that binds to a person, a style that binds to vision and ideals is important. The system needs to function even without the individual's person. All these SDG labels speak of the globalization of virtue ethics. This also exists in our Anatolian wisdom, in the Holy Quran, and we can say that the path to it is the teaching of Sufism."
Sargut: "To love Allah is to be freed from carnal servitude"
Cemalnur Sargut, Rector Advisor of Üsküdar University, began her speech with a definition of Sufism she learned from her mother: "When I asked my mother 'What is Sufism?' as a child, I received the answer, 'It is to feel ease in the heart during times of distress and calamity.' When I pondered how this could be, I met Allah, whom I had not yet known. To love Allah is to be freed from carnal servitudes such as jealousy and excessive attachment."
Stating that the Institute for Sufism Studies, established with the visionary foresight of Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, is a dream come true, Sargut said, "Now engineers, architects, doctors, people from every branch are moving here to learn ethics."
We are even working to teach ethics to artificial intelligence
Emphasizing that Sufism is never against science, Cemalnur Sargut stated that, on the contrary, they aim to accept science and embed the most beautiful ethics within it. Sargut said, "Here, ethics-based studies, including those involving artificial intelligence, are being conducted."
Prof. Dr. Kılıç: “Allah Almighty says, 'I created you in the most perfect form'”
Prof. Dr. Mahmut Erol Kılıç, who gave the conference titled "Sufism as a Quality Control Tool," stated that the primary source from which Sufism draws, just like Islam, is the Holy Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, saying, "Allah Almighty says, 'I created you in the most perfect form.'"
Prof. Dr. Kılıç stated that the process of a human being reaching perfection can be realized through education and training, adding, "However, this education, unlike modern educational philosophy, is not cumulative, meaning it is not an accumulation of knowledge. Because that person already carries the necessary knowledge to reach perfection in their fitra, that is, in their essence. What needs to be done in this process is merely a reminder. That knowledge is already present within them."
One of the most fundamental concepts in Sufism is 'Ikhlas'…
Prof. Dr. Kılıç also noted that Sufism is not merely a path of individual spirituality, saying, "Firstly, the importance of intention. From the perspective of Sufism, one of the most fundamental concepts is 'ikhlas.' It is sincerity and earnestness. When we evaluate this concept from the perspective of business ethics, how sincere a person is when doing their job and how pure their intention is are very important. Even in quality control processes, this situation is questioned in a way, 'Is the person's intention right?' Secondly, there is the issue of self-auditing. A person questioning themselves. That is, being able to say, 'Am I doing the right thing?' In Sufism, this is called 'muraqaba.' In fact, this self-accounting should be done daily. A person should hold themselves accountable with questions like, 'Did I do something wrong today?', 'Did I hurt someone's feelings?' Overlapping points can be seen between 'nefs muhasebesi' (self-reckoning) in Sufism and quality control in modern production. Additionally, in Sufism, there is a process of 'purification,' or 'tazkiyah.' A three-stage process is mentioned: takhliyah (emptying), tazkiyah (purification), and tasfiyah (refinement). There is also a station called ihsan in Sufism," he said.
Sufism's concept of justice and altruism…
Prof. Dr. Kılıç stated that there are other important concepts that can be derived from Sufism, saying, "For example, the concept of 'justice,' meaning being just. Skills such as acting fairly in the workplace, working in harmony with teammates, and creating synergy are related to this. To provide this environment, some virtues such as 'altruism,' meaning giving of oneself, thinking of others, showing generosity or benevolence, are necessary. These positive and constructive characteristics of Sufism can sometimes also benefit others. Because altruism, that is, making sacrifices for others, only gains meaning if the other party approaches with the same intention. That is, I give from myself, and they give from themselves to me; thus, a balanced and beautiful relationship emerges. Another important concept of Sufism is 'contentment.' Lifestyles such as being content with little, eating little, speaking little, and sleeping little are recommended," he said.
Yoga and meditation are religious rituals
Prof. Dr. Kılıç stated that practices such as yoga and meditation are applications belonging to Far Eastern religions, especially Hinduism, and noted the following:
"In a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, it is narrated that 160,000 prophets were sent to earth. In the Holy Quran, if we consider Luqman (peace be upon him) as a prophet, we only know of 28 prophets whose names are mentioned. Thus, there is a large difference between the figure of 160,000 and 28. This indicates that thousands of prophets, whose names are not given to us, may have come and gone. We do not know who they were. In this context, we should not confine ourselves to a narrow framework. For example, Lao Tzu, Buddha, Confucius... Why shouldn't they be prophets? Indeed, some Islamic scholars, such as Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, have considered these figures as prophets.
Among the revelations sent down to these prophets are the acts of worship of those religions. For example, yoga is an act of worship akin to prayer in those religions. There are also various levels in yoga. The highest-level types of yoga, such as Hatha Yoga, are entirely metaphysical applications. These practices align with spiritual works aimed at reaching the station of 'nafs-i kâmile' (the perfected self) in Sufism. Lower-level yoga practices, on the other hand, are directed towards the control of breath and body. Such applications can also be considered forms of meditation with physical and biological effects. However, it should not be forgotten that yoga and meditation are not merely bodily or mental practices; they are also religious rituals, religious acts.”
The essence of Far Eastern sports are rituals performed in temples
Prof. Dr. Kılıç stated that the essence of Far Eastern sports is not a philosophy of competition such as defeating an opponent, killing an enemy, or overcoming them, and that these practices are entirely about purifying one's self. "These practices of the Far East are not actually sports, but rituals performed in temples. Indeed, in our chivalry philosophy, in the upbringing of futuwwa youth, and in the alp-eren culture, such strength and discipline exercises were performed by young people. However, when these teachings came to the West, they lost their meaning and were transformed," he said.
“It is essential for the people of Sufism to be much more careful and conscious”
Prof. Dr. Kılıç explained that Sufism's goal of "beautiful human," "perfect human," "peaceful human," that is, an individual harmonious with themselves, their society, and their environment, should not become a model desired, owned, and even exploited by certain circles. "A true Sufi must also be aware of this. That is, they must be able to ask this question: 'Who wants to benefit from me, from this model of goodness and peace of mine?' This aspect of the matter is extremely important. At this point, there are remarkable texts written in China by some Buddhist and Taoist writers and philosophers. They stated: 'The West took our value systems and appropriated them. From this perspective, we also need to be vigilant.' It is especially essential for the people of Sufism to be much more careful and conscious in this regard," he said.
“A Sufi is tolerant towards everyone; but not a fool”
Prof. Dr. Kılıç stated that there are some international structures seriously investing in Sufism, and that some international powers at one point supported the discourse of "tolerant Islam," adding, "Today, these same powers are now concerned with investing in Sufism: They say, 'We should turn to Sufis.' Frankly, I also receive invitations from many international institutions and structures. Sometimes I even attend these invitations. They think they can easily use us. But against those whose intentions are very obvious and clear, I can clearly say 'No.' However, some situations can be more indirect. Vigilance is essential there too. Because a Sufi is tolerant towards everyone; but not a fool. A Sufi does not oppress anyone; nor can they be an instrument of oppression. If someone is still perpetrating oppression, for example, slaughtering innocent people in Gaza, and then organizes a 'Sufism symposium' in Tel Aviv, we cannot find this credible," he said.
One of the Institute's most fundamental missions is serving society
Assistant Professor Dr. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, Deputy Director of the Institute for Sufism Studies, stated that one of the Institute's most fundamental missions is to serve society, saying, "Sufism holds a unique position because it represents not only a scientific but also an ethical, spiritual, and cultural field. The Institute for Sufism Studies continues its improvement efforts with surveys, supported by the Üsküdar University Quality Control Student Club," and added, "We conduct all our work with the principle of 'Service to the people is service to the Truth (God)."
A family photo was taken at the highly attended conference. Prof. Dr. Mahmut Erol Kılıç was presented with a plaque in memory of the day by Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Cemalnur Sargut.
