Yirmi Altıncı Söz/en: Revizyonlar arasındaki fark

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    ("'''The Third:'''The power of choice is not opposed to Divine Determining, indeed, Divine Determining corroborates the power of choice. Because Divine Determining is a sort of Divine knowledge. Divine knowledge is connected with our will and choice, in which case it corroborates it, it does not nullify it." içeriğiyle yeni sayfa oluşturdu)
    ("------ <center> The Twenty-Fifth Word ⇐ | The Words | ⇒ The Twenty-Seventh Word </center> ------" içeriğiyle yeni sayfa oluşturdu)
     
    (Aynı kullanıcının aradaki diğer 83 değişikliği gösterilmiyor)
    57. satır: 57. satır:
    '''The Third:'''The power of choice is not opposed to Divine Determining, indeed, Divine Determining corroborates the power of choice. Because Divine Determining is a sort of Divine knowledge. Divine knowledge is connected with our will and choice, in which case it corroborates it, it does not nullify it.
    '''The Third:'''The power of choice is not opposed to Divine Determining, indeed, Divine Determining corroborates the power of choice. Because Divine Determining is a sort of Divine knowledge. Divine knowledge is connected with our will and choice, in which case it corroborates it, it does not nullify it.


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    '''The Fourth:''' Divine Determining is a sort of knowledge. Knowledge is dependent on the thing  known. That is, it knows it as it is. The thing known is not dependent on knowledge.That is, the  principles of  knowledge  are  not  fundamental so  that  the knowledge directs the thing known with  regard to its external existence. Because the essence of the thing known and its external existence  look  to will and are based on power.
    '''Dördüncüsü:''' Kader, ilim nevindendir. İlim, malûma tabidir. Yani nasıl olacak, öyle taalluk ediyor. Yoksa malûm, ilme tabi değil. Yani ilim desatiri; malûmu, haricî vücud noktasında idare etmek için esas değil. Çünkü malûmun zatı ve vücud-u haricîsi, iradeye bakar ve kudrete istinad eder.
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    Also, pre-eternity is not the tip of a chain reaching into the past which should be considered the end point in the existence of things and a source of compulsion. Rather, pre-eternity holds the past, the present, and the future all at once, looking at them from above like a mirror. In which case, it is not right to imagine an end to past time which stretches back within the  sphere of contingency and call it pre-eternity, and to suppose that things enter that knowledge of pre-eternity in sequence, and that oneself is outside it; to reason thus is not right. Consider the  following  example in order to explain this mystery:
    Hem ezel, mazi silsilesinin bir ucu değil ki eşyanın vücudunda esas tutulup ona göre bir mecburiyet tasavvur edilsin. Belki ezel; mazi ve hal ve istikbali birden tutar, yüksekten bakar bir âyine-misaldir. Öyle ise daire-i mümkinat içinde uzanıp giden zamanın mazi tarafında bir uç tahayyül edip, ona ezel deyip o ezel ilmine, eşyanın tertip ile girmesini ve kendisini onun haricinde tevehhüm etmesi, ona göre muhakeme etmek hakikat değildir.
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    Suppose there is a mirror in your hand and the area to your right is the past and the area to your left, the future; the mirror only holds what is opposite it. Then with a movement it holds both sides, but it cannot hold all of it. However low the mirror is held, less will appear in it, and the higher it rises, the area it encompasses expands, until it can hold both sides in their entirety simultaneously. Whatever occurs in the areas reflected in the mirror in this position cannot be said to precede or follow one another, or to conform to or oppose one another.
    Şu sırrın keşfi için şu misale bak: Senin elinde bir âyine bulunsa, sağ tarafındaki mesafe mazi, sol tarafındaki mesafe müstakbel farz edilse o âyine yalnız mukabilini tutar. Sonra o iki tarafı bir tertip ile tutar, çoğunu tutamaz. O âyine ne kadar aşağı ise o kadar az görür. Fakat o âyine ile yükseğe çıktıkça o âyinenin mukabil dairesi genişlenir. Gitgide, bütün iki taraf mesafeyi birden bir anda tutar. İşte şu âyine şu vaziyette onun irtisamında, o mesafelerde cereyan eden hâlât birbirine mukaddem, muahhar, muvafık, muhalif denilmez.
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    Divine Determining is part of pre-eternal knowledge, and in the words of the Hadith, pre-eternal knowledge is “at an elevated station which from its lofty view-point encompasses everything that has been and will be from pre-eternity to post- eternity.” We and our reasoning cannot be outside of it so we can be like a mirror to the area of the past.
    İşte kader, ilm-i ezelîden olduğu için ilm-i ezelî, hadîsin tabiriyle “Manzar-ı a’lâdan, ezelden ebede kadar her şey, olmuş ve olacak, birden tutar, ihata eder bir makam-ı a’lâdadır.” Biz ve muhakematımız, onun haricinde olamaz ki mazi mesafesinde bir âyine tarzında olsun.
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    '''The Fifth:''' Divine Determining has a connection with cause and effect. That is, this effect will occur through this cause. In which case, it may not be said that “Since so-and- so’s death is determined at such-and-such a time, what fault has the man who fired the rifle through his own choice, for if he had not fired it, the other still would have died?”
    '''Beşincisi:''' Kader, sebeple müsebbebe bir taalluku var. Yani şu müsebbeb, şu sebeple vukua gelecek. Öyle ise denilmesin ki: “Madem filan adamın ölmesi, filan vakitte mukadderdir. Cüz-i ihtiyarıyla tüfek atan adamın ne kabahati var, atmasaydı yine ölecekti?”
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    '''Question:''' Why may it not be said?
    '''Sual:''' Niçin denilmesin?
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    '''The Answer:''' Because Divine Determining specified that so-and-so’s death would occur through the man’s rifle. If you suppose that he did not fire the rifle, then you are supposing that Divine Determining had no connection with it, so with what would you decree his death? If you imagine cause and effect to be separate like the Jabriyya, or you deny Divine  Determining like the Mu’tazila, you leave the Sunni School and join the heretics. We people of truth say: “If he had not fired the rifle, we do not know if he would have died.” The Jabariyya say: “If he had not fired it, he still would have died.” While the Mu’tazila say: “If he had not fired it, he would not have died.”
    '''Elcevap:''' Çünkü kader, onun ölmesini onun tüfeğiyle tayin etmiştir. Eğer onun tüfek atmamasını farz etsen o vakit kaderin adem-i taallukunu farz ediyorsun. O vakit ölmesini ne ile hükmedeceksin? Ya Cebrî gibi sebebe ayrı, müsebbebe ayrı birer kader tasavvur etsen veyahut Mutezile gibi kaderi inkâr etsen, Ehl-i Sünnet ve Cemaat’i bırakıp fırka-i dâlleye girersin. Öyle ise biz ehl-i hak deriz ki: “Tüfek atmasaydı ölmesi bizce meçhul.” Cebrî der: “Atmasaydı yine ölecekti.” Mutezile der: “Atmasaydı ölmeyecekti.”
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    '''The Sixth:'''(*<ref>*This is a truth addressing exact scholars in particular.</ref>) According to Maturidi, inclination, the essence of the power of choice, is a theoretical or relative matter and may be attributed to God’s servants. But Ash’ari considered it to have existence, so did not attribute it to them. However, according to Ash’ari, the power of disposal within inclination is a theoretical matter, which makes the inclination  and  the  disposal  together  a  relative  matter  lacking  a  definite  external existence. Theoretical or relative matters do not require causes through which, for their existence, necessity would intervene and nullify the will and power of choice. Rather, if the cause of the theoretical matters  acquires  the weight of preference, the theoretical matter may  become  actual and  existent. In which  case, at  that  juncture, it  may  be abandoned. The Qur’an may say to a person at that point: “This is evil; do not do it.”
    '''Altıncısı:''' (Hâşiye-1<ref>'''Hâşiye-1:''' Gayet müdakkik âlimlere mahsus bir hakikattir. </ref>) Cüz-i ihtiyarînin üssü’l-esası olan meyelan, Matüridîce bir emr-i itibarîdir, abde verilebilir. Fakat Eş’arî, ona mevcud nazarıyla baktığı için abde vermemiş. Fakat o meyelandaki tasarruf, Eş’ariyece bir emr-i itibarîdir. Öyle ise o meyelan, o tasarruf, bir emr-i nisbîdir. Muhakkak bir vücud-u haricîsi yoktur. Emr-i itibarî ise illet-i tamme istemez ki illet-i tamme vücudu için lüzum ve zaruret ve vücub ortaya girip ihtiyarı ref’etsin. Belki o emr-i itibarînin illeti, bir rüçhaniyet derecesinde bir vaziyet alsa, o emr-i itibarî sübut bulabilir. Öyle ise o anda onu terk edebilir. Kur’an ona o anda diyebilir ki: “Şu şerdir, yapma.”
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    Indeed, if God’s servants had been the creators of their actions and had had the power to create, then their wills would have been removed. For an established rule in the sciences of religion and philosophy is: “If a thing is not necessary, it may not come into existence [of itself].” That is, there has to be a cause for a thing to come into existence. The cause necessarily requires the effect. Then no power of choice would remain.
    Evet, eğer abd hâlık-ı ef’ali bulunsaydı ve icada iktidarı olsaydı o vakit ihtiyarı ref’ olurdu. Çünkü ilm-i usûl ve hikmette   مَا لَم۟ يَجِب۟ لَم۟ يُوجَد۟ kaidesince mukarrerdir ki: “Bir şey vâcib olmazsa vücuda gelmez.” Yani illet-i tamme bulunacak, sonra vücuda gelebilir. İllet-i tamme ise ma’lulü, bizzarure ve bi’l-vücub iktiza ediyor. O vakit ihtiyar kalmaz.
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    '''If you say:''' Preference  without  a  cause  or  attribute  to  cause  the  preference  is impossible. Whereas  the  theoretical  or  relative  matter  we  call  human  acquisition sometimes  does  a  thing  and  sometimes  does  not;  if  there  is  nothing  to  cause  the preference, preference without  something to cause it would necessarily occur, and this demolishes one of the most important bases of theology?
    '''Eğer desen:''' Tercih bilâ-müreccih muhaldir. Halbuki o emr-i itibarî dediğimiz kesb-i insanî, bazen yapmak ve bazen yapmamak, eğer mûcib bir müreccih bulunmazsa tercih bilâ-müreccih lâzım gelir. Şu ise usûl-ü kelâmiyenin en mühim bir esasını hedmeder?
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    '''The  Answer:'''A being  preferable  without  something  to  make  it  preferable  is impossible. That is, a being deemed preferable or superior without a cause or attribute to make it so is impossible. But preference without something to cause it is permissible and occurs. Will is an attribute, and its mark is to perform a work such as that.
    '''Elcevap:''' Tereccuh bilâ-müreccih muhaldir. (Hâşiye-2<ref>'''Hâşiye-2:''' Tereccuh ayrıdır, tercih ayrıdır, çok fark var. </ref>) Yani müreccihsiz, sebepsiz rüçhaniyet muhaldir. Yoksa, tercih bilâ-müreccih caizdir ve vakidir. İrade bir sıfattır; onun şe’ni, böyle bir işi görmektir.
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    '''If you ask:''' “Since the one who creates the murder is Almighty God, why do you call me a murderer?
    '''Eğer desen:''' Madem katli halk eden Hak’tır. Niçin bana kātil denilir?
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    '''The Answer:''' Because according to the rules of grammar, the active participle is derived from the infinitive, which is a relative matter. It cannot be derived from the verbal noun, which is an actual or existent matter. The infinitive is our acquisition; so we are called the murderer. The verbal noun is Almighty God’s creature. Something which gives an  inkling of responsibility cannot be derived from the verbal noun.
    '''Elcevap:''' Çünkü ilm-i sarf kaidesince ism-i fâil, bir emr-i nisbî olan masdardan müştaktır. Yoksa bir emr-i sabit olan hasıl-ı bi’l-masdardan inşikak etmez. Masdar kesbimizdir, kātil unvanını da biz alırız. Hasıl-ı bi’l-masdar, Hakk’ın mahlukudur. Mes’uliyeti işmam eden bir şey, hasıl-ı bi’l-masdardan müştak kılınmaz.
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    '''The Seventh:''' For sure, man’s faculty of will and power of choice are weak and a theoretical  matter, but Almighty God, the Absolutely Wise One, made that weak and partial will a condition for the connection of His universal will. He in effect says: “My servant! Whichever way you wish to take with your will, I will take you there. In which case the responsibility is yours!” If the comparison is not mistaken, you take a powerless child onto your shoulders and leaving the choice to him, tell him you  will take him wherever he wishes. The child wants to go to a high mountain so you take him there, but he either catches cold or falls. So of course you reprimand him, saying, “You wanted to go there,and you give him a slap.
    '''Yedincisi:''' İrade-i cüz’iye-i insaniye ve cüz-i ihtiyariyesi çendan zayıftır, bir emr-i itibarîdir fakat Cenab-ı Hak ve Hakîm-i Mutlak, o zayıf cüz’î iradeyi, irade-i külliyesinin taallukuna bir şart-ı âdi yapmıştır. Yani manen der: “Ey abdim! İhtiyarınla hangi yolu istersen seni o yolda götürürüm. Öyle ise mes’uliyet sana aittir!” Teşbihte hata olmasın, sen bir iktidarsız çocuğu omuzuna alsan, onu muhayyer bırakıp “Nereyi istersen seni oraya götüreceğim.” desen o çocuk yüksek bir dağı istedi, götürdün. Çocuk üşüdü yahut düştü. Elbette “Sen istedin!diyerek itab edip üstünde bir tokat vuracaksın.
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    Thus, Almighty God, the Firmest of Judges, makes His servant’s will, which is utterly weak, a condition, and His universal will follows it.
    İşte Cenab-ı Hak, Ahkemü’l-Hâkimîn, nihayet zaafta olan abdin iradesini bir şart-ı âdi yapıp irade-i külliyesi ona nazar eder.
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    '''In Short:'''O man! You have a will known as the power of choice which is extremely weak, but whose hand in evil acts and destruction is extremely long and in good deeds is extremely short. Give one of the hands of that will of yours to supplication, so that it may reach Paradise, a fruit of the chain of good deeds, and stretch to eternal happiness. And give its other hand to the seeking of forgiveness, so that it may be short for evil deeds and will not reach the Zakkum-tree of Hell, which is one fruit of  that accursed tree.
    '''Elhasıl:''' Ey insan! Senin elinde gayet zayıf fakat seyyiatta ve tahribatta eli gayet uzun ve hasenatta eli gayet kısa, cüz-i ihtiyarî namında bir iraden var. O iradenin bir eline duayı ver ki silsile-i hasenatın bir meyvesi olan cennete eli yetişsin ve bir çiçeği olan saadet-i ebediyeye eli uzansın. Diğer eline istiğfarı ver ki onun eli seyyiattan kısalsın ve o şecere-i mel’unenin bir meyvesi olan zakkum-u cehenneme yetişmesin.
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    That is, just as supplication and reliance on God greatly strengthen the inclination to do good, so repentance and the seeking of forgiveness cut the inclination to do evil, putting an end to its transgressions.
    '''Demek dua ve tevekkül, meyelan-ı hayra büyük bir kuvvet verdiği gibi; istiğfar ve tövbe dahi meyelan-ı şerri keser, tecavüzatını kırar.'''
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    <span id="ÜÇÜNCÜ_MEBHAS"></span>
    === ÜÇÜNCÜ MEBHAS ===
    ===THIRD TOPIC===
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    Belief in Divine Determining is one of the pillars of belief. That is, the belief that “everything is determined by Almighty God.” The certain proofs for Divine Determining are so numerous they cannot be calculated. We shall show in an Introduction, simply and clearly, how strong and broad is this pillar of belief.
    Kadere iman, imanın erkânındandır. Yani “Her şey, Cenab-ı Hakk’ın takdiriyledir.” Kadere delail-i kat’iye o kadar çoktur ki hadd ü hesaba gelmez. Biz, basit ve zâhir bir tarz ile şu rükn-ü imanîyi, ne derece kuvvetli ve geniş olduğunu, bir mukaddime ile göstereceğiz.
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    '''Introduction:'''
    '''Mukaddime:''' Her şey vücudundan evvel ve vücudundan sonra yazıldığını    وَلَا رَط۟بٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ اِلَّا فٖى كِتَابٍ مُبٖينٍ    gibi pek çok âyât-ı Kur’aniye tasrih ediyor ve şu kâinat denilen, kudretin Kur’an-ı kebirinin âyâtı dahi şu hükm-ü Kur’anîyi, nizam ve mizan ve intizam ve tasvir ve tezyin ve imtiyaz gibi âyât-ı tekviniyesiyle tasdik ediyor.
    Numerous verses of the Qur’an, like, Nor anything fresh or dry [green or withered] but is [inscribed] in a Clear Book,(*<ref>*Qur’an, 6:59.</ref>) state  clearly that  before  it  comes  into  existence  and  after  it  passes  from existence, everything is written. Through its creational signs like the order, balance, regularity, adornment, differentiation, and the giving of form, the verses, the signs, of the  mighty Qur’an inscribed by Divine power and called the universe confirm these statements of the  Qur’an.
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    Indeed, the well-ordered missives and finely balanced verses of the book of the universe testify that everything is written.
    '''Evet, şu kâinat kitabının manzum mektubatı ve mevzun âyâtı şehadet eder ki her şey yazılıdır.'''
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    The indication that everything is determined and written before it comes into  existence are all beginnings, seeds, measured proportions, and forms; each of these testifies to this. For  seeds and grains are subtle containers appearing from the workbench of “Be!,” and it is in each of which  is deposited a tiny index traced by Divine Determining. Divine power employs minute particles according to that plan of Divine Determining, and constructs the mighty miracles of power on the seeds. That is to say, everything that will happen to the tree is as though inscribed in its seed. For in regard to their substance seeds are simple and similar to one another; materially they are nothing.
    Amma vücudundan evvel her şey mukadder ve yazılı olduğuna delil, bütün mebâdi ve çekirdekler ve mekadîr ve suretler, birer şahittir. Zira her bir tohum ve çekirdekler, “kâf-nun” tezgâhından çıkan birer latîf sandukçadır ki kaderle tersim edilen bir fihristecik, ona tevdi edilmiştir ki kudret, o kaderin hendesesine göre zerratı istihdam edip, o tohumcuklar üstünde koca mu’cizat-ı kudreti bina ediyor. Demek, bütün ağacın başına gelecek bütün vakıatı ile çekirdeğinde yazılı hükmündedir. Zira tohumlar maddeten basittir, birbirinin aynıdır, maddeten bir şey yoktur.
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    Furthermore,  the  well-measured  proportions  of  everything  clearly  show  Divine Determining.  Yes, whatever living creature is considered, it is as though its form and measure emerged from a  wisely  and skilfully wrought mould. For it to receive such a measure, form, and shape, either there has to be a truly wondrous and infinitely intricate physical mould, or else pre-eternal power cuts out the  form and shape according to a well-proportioned immaterial mould that exists in knowledge and comes  from Divine Determining, and clothes it in it.
    Hem her şeyin miktar-ı muntazaması, kaderi vâzıhan gösterir. Evet, hangi zîhayata bakılsa görünüyor ki gayet hikmetli ve sanatlı bir kalıptan çıkmış gibi bir miktar, bir şekil var ki o miktarı, o sureti, o şekli almak ya hârika ve nihayet derecede eğri büğrü maddî bir kalıp bulunmalı veyahut kaderden gelen mevzun, ilmî bir kalıb-ı manevî ile kudret-i ezeliye o sureti, o şekli biçip giydiriyor.
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    For example, look carefully at this tree or that animal, you will see that the particles, which are lifeless, deaf, blind, unconscious, and similar to one another, are in motion in its growth and development. In some of the being’s intricate extremities the particles halt, as  though seeing, knowing and recognizing the place of fruits and benefits. Then in another place they change their direction as though following some important aim. That means they are in motion in accordance with the immaterial measured proportions of the tree or animal, which come from Divine Determining, and are governed by those proportions.
    Mesela, sen şu ağaca, şu hayvana dikkat ile bak ki camid, sağır, kör, şuursuz, birbirinin misli olan zerreler, onun neşv ü nemasında hareket eder. Bazı eğri büğrü hududlarda meyve ve faydaların yerini tanır, görür, bilir gibi durur, tevakkuf eder. Sonra başka bir yerde, büyük bir gayeyi takip eder gibi yolunu değiştirir. Demek, kaderden gelen miktar-ı manevînin ve o miktarın emr-i manevîsiyle zerreler hareket ederler.
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    Since there are the manifestations of Divine Determining to this extent in physical and visible things, certainly the forms with which things are clothed with the passing of time and the states acquired through the motions they perform will also be dependent on the  ordering  of  Divine  Determining. In  a  seed  are  two  manifestations  of  Divine Determining;
    Madem maddî ve görünecek eşyada bu derece kaderin tecelliyatı var. Elbette eşyanın mürur-u zamanla giydikleri suretler ve ettikleri harekât ile hasıl olan vaziyetler dahi bir intizam-ı kadere tabidir. Evet, bir çekirdekte hem bedihî olarak irade ve evamir-i tekviniyenin unvanı olan “Kitab-ı Mübin”den haber veren ve işaret eden hem nazarî olarak emir ve ilm-i İlahînin bir unvanı olan “İmam-ı Mübin”den haber veren ve remzeden iki kader tecellisi var:
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    one is ‘evident’ and points to the Clear Book, which is a title of will and the creational commands; the other is ‘theoretical’ and points to the Clear Record, which is a title  of  Divine  knowledge  and  the  Divine  command.
    '''Bedihî kader ise''' o çekirdeğin tazammun ettiği ağacın, maddî keyfiyat ve vaziyetleri ve heyetleridir ki sonra göz ile görünecek.
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    ‘Evident’  Divine  Determining specifies the physical nature, states, and parts of the tree which the seed comprises. While ‘theoretical’  Divine  Determining  specifies  the  stages, states, forms, motions, and glorifications  which the tree will undergo and perform over the period of its life, and which are in the seed and will be created from it; these stages, states, forms, and acts, which constantly change and are called  its  life-history, each  have  a  regulated  measure  in  accordance  with  Divine Determining, the same as the tree’s branches and leaves.
    '''Nazarî ise''' o çekirdekte, ondan halk olunacak ağacın müddet-i hayatındaki geçireceği tavırlar, vaziyetler, şekiller, hareketler, tesbihatlardır ki tarihçe-i hayat namıyla tabir edilen vakit be-vakit değişen tavırlar, vaziyetler, şekiller, fiiller; o ağacın dalları, yaprakları gibi intizamlı birer kaderî miktarı vardır.
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    Since there is such a manifestation of Divine Determining in the most common and simple of things, it surely demonstrates that all things are written before they come into existence; this may be understood with little attention.
    Madem en âdi ve basit eşyada böyle kaderin tecellisi var. Elbette umum eşyanın vücudundan evvel yazılı olduğunu ifade eder ve az bir dikkatle anlaşılır.
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    Now, evidence for the fact that the story of everything’s life is written after its existence are all fruits, which in this world tell of the Clear Book and the Clear Record, and the faculty of memory in man, which points to the Preserved Tablet; these all hint and testify to this fact. Indeed, the appointed events of a tree’s life are written in its seeds, which are like the hearts of its fruits. And man’s life-history together with some of the past events of the world are written in his memory in such a way that, as though copying out with the hand of power and pen of Divine Determining in a faculty as tiny as a mustard seed a small note from the page of his actions, the memory gives the note to man’s hand and puts it in the pocket of his mind, so that with it he will call his actions to mind at the time of reckoning. So too, due to it he may be confident that within the upheavals of  transience and death there are numerous lasting mirrors in which the All-Powerful and Wise One  depicts  and makes permanent  the  identities of transient  beings; and truly numerous tablets which  shall endure for all eternity on which that All-Knowing Preserver inscribes the meanings of transitory beings.
    Şimdi, vücudundan sonra her şeyin sergüzeşt-i hayatı yazıldığına delil ise âlemde “Kitab-ı Mübin” ve “İmam-ı Mübin”den haber veren bütün meyveler ve “Levh-i Mahfuz”dan haber veren ve işaret eden insandaki bütün kuvve-i hâfızalar birer şahittir, birer emaredir. Evet, her bir meyve, bütün ağacın mukadderat-ı hayatı onun kalbi hükmünde olan çekirdeğinde yazılıyor. İnsanın sergüzeşt-i hayatıyla beraber kısmen âlemin hâdisat-ı maziyesi, kuvve-i hâfızasında öyle bir surette yazılıyor ki güya hardal küçüklüğünde bu kuvvecikte dest-i kudret, kalem-i kaderiyle insanın sahife-i a’malinden küçük bir senet istinsah ederek, insanın eline verip dimağının cebine koymuş. Tâ muhasebe vaktinde onunla hatırlatsın. Hem tâ mutmain olsun ki bu fena ve zeval herc ü mercinde beka için pek çok âyineler var ki Kadîr-i Hakîm zâillerin hüviyetlerini onlarda tersim edip ibka ediyor. Hem beka için pek çok levhalar var ki Hafîz-i Alîm fânilerin manalarını onlarda yazıyor.
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    '''In Short:'''Since plant life, the simplest and lowest level of life, is dependent on the ordering of Divine Determining to this extent, certainly human life, the highest level of life, has been drawn in all in its details according to the scale and measuring of Divine Determining and is inscribed by its pen. Yes, just as raindrops tell of clouds, and drops of water point to the existence of a water-source, and notes and portfolios to the existence of a large ledger, so too, the ‘evident’ Divine Determining which we observe and which is the physical order in living beings indicates the notebook of Divine will and creational commands known as the Clear Book. Similarly, their fruits, seeds, grains, forms, and shapes, which  are  like  the  droplets, notes, and  portfolios  of  ‘theoretical’  Divine Determining, which is the non-physical order and pertains to life, indicates the Preserved Tablet, one office of Divine knowledge, which is called the Clear Record.
    '''Elhasıl:''' Madem en basit ve en aşağı derece-i hayat olan nebatat hayatı, bu derece kaderin nizamına tabidir. Elbette en yüksek derece-i hayat olan hayat-ı insaniye, bütün teferruatıyla kaderin mikyasıyla çizilmiştir ve kalemiyle yazılıyor. Evet nasıl katreler, buluttan haber verir; reşhalar, su menbaını gösterir; senetler, cüzdanlar, bir defter-i kebirin vücuduna işaret ederler. Öyle de şu meşhudumuz olan, zîhayatlardaki intizam-ı maddî olan bedihî kader ve intizam-ı manevî ve hayatî olan nazarî kaderin reşhaları, katreleri, senetleri, cüzdanları hükmünde olan meyveler, nutfeler, tohumlar, çekirdekler, suretler, şekiller; bilbedahe “Kitab-ı Mübin” denilen irade ve evamir-i tekviniyenin defterini ve “İmam-ı Mübin” denilen ilm-i İlahînin bir divanı olan Levh-i Mahfuz’u gösterir.
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    '''To Conclude:''' We see clearly that at the time of their growth and development the particles of living beings travel to their intricate extremities and halt, then they change their path. At  each of the extremities they produce the  fruits of benefits, uses, and instances of wisdom. Clearly, the  forms of those things and their measures are drawn with a pen of Determining. Thus, observable, evident Determining shows that in the non- physical states of living beings also are well-ordered, fruitful extremities and limits drawn with the pen of Determining. Divine power is the source, Divine Determining is the pattern. Power writes the meaningful book on that pattern.
    '''Netice-i meram:''' Madem bilmüşahede görüyoruz ki her bir zîhayatın neşv ü nema zamanında, zerreleri eğri büğrü hududlara gider, durur. Zerreler yolunu değiştirir. O hududların nihayetlerinde birer hikmet, birer fayda, birer maslahatı semere verirler. Bilbedahe o şeyin miktar-ı surîsi, bir kader kalemiyle tersim edilmiştir. İşte meşhud, bedihî kader, o zîhayatın manevî hâlâtında dahi bir kader kalemiyle çizilmiş muntazam meyvedar hududları, nihayetleri var olduğunu gösterir. Kudret masdardır, kader mistardır. Kudret o maânî kitabını, o mistar üstünde yazar.
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    Since we understand clearly that the fruitful limits and  purposeful  extremities  have  been  drawn  with  the  pen  of  Divine  Determining, physical and non-physical, certainly the states and stages which all living beings undergo in the course of their lives are also drawn with that pen. For their  life-stories follow a course with order and balance; they change forms and receive shapes.
    Madem maddî ve manevî kader kalemiyle tersim edilmiş müsmir hudutlar, hikmetli nihayetler olduğunu kat’iyen anlıyoruz. Elbette her bir zîhayatın müddet-i hayatında geçireceği ahval ve etvarı, o kaderin kalemiyle tersim edilmiş. Çünkü sergüzeşt-i hayatı, bir intizam ve mizan ile cereyan ediyor. Suretler değiştiriyor, şekiller alıyor.
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    Since the pen of Divine Determining thus rules in all living beings, surely the life-history of man, the world’s most perfect fruit and vicegerent of the earth and bearer of the Supreme Trust, is more than anything dependent on the law of Divine Determining.
    Madem böyle umum zîhayatta kalem-i kader hükümrandır. Elbette âlemin en mükemmel meyvesi ve arzın halifesi ve emanet-i kübranın hâmili olan insanın sergüzeşt-i hayatiyesi, her şeyden ziyade kaderin kanununa tabidir.
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    '''If you say:''' “Divine Determining has bound us like this. It has negated our freedom. Isn’t belief in it a burden and irksome for the heart and spirit, which yearn for expansion and to roam freely?”
    '''Eğer desen:''' “Kader bizi böyle bağlamış, hürriyetimizi selbetmiştir. İnbisat ve cevelana müştak olan kalp ve ruh için kadere iman bir ağırlık, bir sıkıntı vermiyor mu?”
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    '''The Answer:''' Absolutely not! It is not burdensome; it rather affords a luminosity and joy producing a lightness, ease, and spirit, and ensuring confidence and security. Because if man does not believe in Divine Determining, he is compelled to bear a burden as heavy as the world on the shoulders of his spirit within a constricted space, which allows him only an insignificant independence and temporary freedom. For man is connected with the whole universe. He has infinite aims and desires. But since his power, will, and freedom are insufficient to meet a millionth of these, it may be understood how awesome is the burden of the distress he bears.
    '''Elcevap:''' Kat’â ve aslâ! Sıkıntı vermediği gibi nihayetsiz bir hiffet, bir rahatlık ve revh u reyhanı veren ve emn ü emanı temin eden bir sürur, bir nur veriyor. Çünkü insan kadere iman etmezse küçük bir dairede cüz’î bir serbestiyet, muvakkat bir hürriyet içinde, dünya kadar ağır bir yükü, bîçare ruhun omuzunda taşımaya mecburdur. Çünkü insan bütün kâinatla alâkadardır. Nihayetsiz makasıd ve metalibi var. Kudreti, iradesi, hürriyeti milyondan birisine kâfi gelmediği için çektiği manevî sıkıntı ağırlığı, ne kadar müthiş ve muvahhiş olduğu anlaşılır.
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    Thus, belief in Divine Determining throws that burden in its entirety onto the ship of Divine Determining, allowing him to roam free within its perfections with perfect ease and perfect freedom of spirit and heart. It only negates the petty freedom of the evil-commanding soul and smashes its Pharaoh- like tyranny and lordship, and its acting as it  wishes.
    İşte kadere iman, bütün o ağırlığı kaderin sefinesine atar, kemal-i rahat ile ruh ve kalbin kemal-i hürriyetiyle kemalâtında serbest cevelanına meydan veriyor. Yalnız nefs-i emmarenin cüz’î hürriyetini selbeder ve firavuniyetini ve rububiyetini ve keyfe-mâyeşa hareketini kırar.
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    Belief in Divine Determining produces such pleasure and happiness it is beyond description. We shall only allude to it with the following comparison.
    Kadere iman o kadar lezzetli, saadetlidir ki tarif edilmez. Yalnız şu temsil ile o lezzete ve o saadete bir işaret edeceğiz. Şöyle ki:
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    Two men travelled to the seat of government of a king, and there entered his private palace, a place of rare wonders. One of them did not recognize the king and laying hands on everything and stealing them, wanted to settle there. However, he experienced certain difficulties, for he had to manage the palace and its park, oversee its revenues, work its machines, and feed its strange animals; he  suffered constant distress. The paradise-like park became hell for him. He pitied everything. He could not govern them. He passed his time  regretfully. Then  this  thieving, unmannerly  man  was  cast  into  prison  as  a punishment. The second man recognized the king and knew himself to be his guest. He believed that all the matters in the park and palace occurred through the regulation of the law, and that everything functioned with perfect ease in accordance with a programme. Leaving the difficulties to the king’s law, he benefited with complete enjoyment from all the pleasures of that Paradise-like garden, and relying on the king’s mercy and the  efficacy of the administrative laws, he saw everything  as  agreeable  and  passed  his  life  in  perfect  pleasure  and  happiness. He understood the meaning of the saying: “He who believes in Divine Determining is saved from grief.
    İki adam, bir padişahın payitahtına giderler. O padişahın mahall-i garaib olan has sarayına girerler. Biri, padişahı bilmez; o yerde gasıbane, sârıkane tavattun etmek ister. Fakat o bahçe, o sarayın iktiza ettikleri idare ve tedbir ve vâridat ve makinelerini işlettirmek ve garib hayvanatın erzakını vermek gibi zahmetli külfetleri görür, mütemadiyen ızdırap çeker. O cennet gibi bahçe, başına bir cehennem gibi oluyor. Her şeye acıyor. İdare edemiyor. Teessüfle vaktini geçirir. Sonra da o hırsız edepsiz adam, te’dib suretiyle hapse atılır. İkinci adam, padişahı tanır, padişaha kendini misafir bilir. Bütün o bahçede, o sarayda olan işler, bir nizam-ı kanunla cereyan ettiğini, her şey bir programla, kemal-i suhuletle işlediğini itikad eder. Zahmet ve külfetleri, padişahın kanununa bırakıp kemal-i safa ile o cennet-misal bahçenin bütün lezzetlerinden istifade edip padişahın merhametine ve idare kanunlarının güzelliğine istinaden her şeyi hoş görür, kemal-i lezzet ve saadetle hayatını geçirir. İşte    مَن۟ اٰمَنَ بِال۟قَدَرِ اَمِنَ مِنَ ال۟كَدَرِ    sırrını anla.
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    <span id="DÖRDÜNCÜ_MEBHAS"></span>
    === DÖRDÜNCÜ MEBHAS ===
    ===FOURTH TOPIC===
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    '''If you say:'''“In the First Topic you proved that everything about Divine Determining  is good and beautiful. Even the evil that comes from it is good, and the ugliness, beautiful. But the disasters and tribulations in this world refute that statement.”
    '''Eğer desen:''' “Birinci Mebhas’ta ispat ettin ki: Kaderin her şeyi güzeldir, hayırdır. Ondan gelen şer de hayırdır, çirkinlik de güzeldir. Halbuki şu dâr-ı dünyadaki musibetler, beliyyeler, o hükmü cerh ediyor.”
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    '''The  Answer:''' O my soul and my friend who feel severe pain out of intense compassion! The facts that all virtues and perfections return to existence and that the basis of all rebellion, calamities, and defects is non-existence are a proof that existence is pure good and non-existence, pure evil. Since non-existence is pure evil, circumstances that either result in non-existence or give an inkling of it, also comprise evil. Therefore, life, the most brilliant light of  existence, proceeding through different circumstances, finds strength; it encounters varying situations  and is purified; it takes on numerous qualities  and  produces  the  desired  results,  and  enters  many  stages  and  displays comprehensively the impresses of the Bestower of Life’s Names.
    '''Elcevap:''' Ey şiddet-i şefkatten şedit bir elemi hisseden nefsim ve arkadaşım! Vücud, hayr-ı mahz; adem, şerr-i mahz olduğuna; bütün mehasin ve kemalâtın vücuda rücûu ve bütün maâsi ve mesaib ve nekaisin esası adem olduğu, delildir. Madem adem şerr-i mahzdır. Ademe müncer olan veya ademi işmam eden hâlât dahi şerri tazammun eder. Onun için vücudun en parlak nuru olan hayat, ahval-i muhtelife içinde yuvarlanıp kuvvet buluyor. Mütebayin vaziyetlere girip tasaffi ediyor. Ve müteaddid keyfiyatı alıp matlub semeratı veriyor. Ve müteaddid tavırlara girip Vâhib-i Hayat’ın nukuş-u esmasını güzelce gösterir.
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    It is due to this fact that certain things happen to living creatures in the form of griefs, calamities, difficulties, and tribulations whereby the lights of existence are renewed in their lives, and the darkness of non-existence  draws  distant  and  their  lives  are  purified. For  arrest, repose, silence, idleness, rest, and monotony are all, both in  quality and as conditions, non-existence. Even the greatest pleasure is reduced to nothing by monotony.
    İşte şu hakikattendir ki zîhayatlara âlâm ve mesaib ve meşakkat ve beliyyat suretinde bazı hâlât ârız olur ki o hâlât ile hayatlarına envar-ı vücud teceddüd edip zulümat-ı adem tebâud ederek hayatları tasaffi ediyor. Zira tevakkuf, sükûnet, sükût, atalet, istirahat, yeknesaklık; keyfiyatta ve ahvalde birer ademdir. Hattâ en büyük bir lezzet, yeknesaklık içinde hiçe iner.
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    '''In Short:''' Since life displays the impresses of the Most Beautiful Names, everything that happens to it is good.
    '''Elhasıl:''' Madem hayat, esma-i hüsnanın nukuşunu gösterir. Hayatın başına gelen her şey hasendir.
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    For example, an extremely rich and infinitely skilful person who is proficient in many crafts, for an hour and in return for a wage, clothes a miserable wretch in a bejewelled, artistically fashioned garment. This garment he made in order to make the miserable man act as a model and to display the works of his art and his extensive wealth. He works the garment on the man, gives it various forms, and alters it. In order to display every variety of his art, he cuts it, changes it, and lengthens and shortens it. Can the poor man receiving the wage be justified if he says to the  person: “You are giving me trouble. You are making me bow down and stand up. By cutting and shortening this garment which makes me more beautiful, you are spoiling my beauty”? Does he have the right to tell him: “You are acting unkindly and unfairly”?
    Mesela gayet zengin, nihayet derecede sanatkâr ve çok sanatlarda mahir bir zat; âsâr-ı sanatını hem kıymettar servetini göstermek için âdi bir miskin adamı, modellik vazifesini gördürmek için bir ücrete mukabil bir saatte murassa, musanna yaptığı gömleği giydirir, onun üstünde işler ve vaziyetler verir, tebdil eder. Hem her nevi sanatını göstermek için keser, değiştirir, uzaltır, kısaltır. Acaba şu ücretli miskin adam o zata dese: “Bana zahmet veriyorsun. Eğilip kalkmakla vaziyet veriyorsun. Beni güzelleştiren bu gömleği kesip kısaltmakla güzelliğimi bozuyorsun.” demeye hak kazanabilir mi? “Merhametsizlik, insafsızlık ettin.” diyebilir mi?
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    Thus, like him, in order to display the impresses of His Most Beautiful Names, the All-Glorious Maker, the Peerless Creator, alters within  numerous circumstances the garment of existence He clothes on living creatures, bejewelled with senses and subtle faculties like eyes, ears, the reason, and the heart. He changes it within very many situations. Among these are circumstances in the form of suffering and calamity which show the meanings of some of His Names, and the rays of mercy within flashes of wisdom, and the subtle instances of beauty within those rays of mercy.
    İşte onun gibi Sâni’-i Zülcelal, Fâtır-ı Bîmisal; zîhayata göz, kulak, akıl, kalp gibi havas ve letaif ile murassa olarak giydirdiği vücud gömleğini esma-i hüsnanın nakışlarını göstermek için çok hâlât içinde çevirir, çok vaziyetlerde değiştirir. Elemler, musibetler nevinde olan keyfiyat; bazı esmasının ahkâmını göstermek için lemaat-ı hikmet içinde bazı şuâat-ı rahmet ve o şuâat-ı rahmet içinde latîf güzellikler vardır.
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    <span id="Hâtime"></span>
    === Hâtime ===
    ===Conclusion===
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    [Five  Paragraphs  which  silenced  the  Old  Said’s  rebellious, proud, vain, conceited, and hypocritical soul, and compelled it to submit.]
    Eski Said’in serkeş, müftehir, mağrur, ucublu, riyakâr nefsini susturan, teslime mecbur eden '''beş fıkra'''dır.
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    FIRST PARAGRAPH: Since things exist and they are full of art, they surely have a maker. As is  decisively proved in the Twenty-Second Word, if everything is not one person’s, then each thing  becomes as difficult and problematical as all things. Since someone made the earth and the heavens and created them, for sure that most wise and skilful Being would not leave to others living beings,  which are the fruits, results, and aims of the heavens and the earth, and spoil his work. Making it  futile  and without purpose, He would not hand over to others all His wise works; He would not give their thanks and worship to others.
    '''Birinci Fıkra:''' Madem eşya var ve sanatlıdır. Elbette bir ustaları var. Yirmi İkinci Söz’de gayet kat’î ispat edildiği gibi eğer her şey birinin olmazsa o vakit her bir şey, bütün eşya kadar müşkül ve ağır olur. Eğer her şey birinin olsa o zaman bütün eşya, bir şey kadar âsân ve kolay olur. Madem zemin ve âsumanı birisi yapmış, yaratmış. Elbette o pek hikmetli ve çok sanatkâr zat, zemin ve âsumanın meyveleri ve neticeleri ve gayeleri olan zîhayatları başkalara bırakıp işi bozmayacak. Başka ellere teslim edip bütün hikmetli işlerini abes etmeyecek, hiçe indirmeyecek, şükür ve ibadetlerini başkasına vermeyecektir.
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    SECOND PARAGRAPH: O my conceited soul! You resemble a grape-vine. Do not become  proud! The  vine  itself  did  not  attach the  bunches  of grapes; someone  else attached them.
    '''İkinci Fıkra:''' Sen ey mağrur nefsim! Üzüm ağacına benzersin. Fahirlenme! Salkımları o ağaç kendi takmamış, başkası onları ona takmış.
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    THIRD PARAGRAPH: O my hypocritical soul! Do not become vain, saying: “I have served religion.” According to the meaning of the saying, “God strengthens this religion by means  of sinful men,”(*<ref>*Bukhari, Jihad, 182; Maghazi, 38; Qadr, 5; Muslim, Iman, 178; Ibn Maja, Fitan, 35.</ref>) it was because you were not purified. Indeed, you should know yourself to be such a sinful man, and that your duty and worship is thanks for past bounties. For these are the function of your nature, incumbent on you due to your
    '''Üçüncü Fıkra:''' Sen ey riyakâr nefsim! “Dine hizmet ettim.” diye gururlanma.   اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَيُؤَيِّدُ هٰذَا الدّٖينَ بِالرَّجُلِ ال۟فَاجِرِ   sırrınca: Müzekkâ olmadığın için belki sen kendini o recül-ü fâcir bilmelisin. Hizmetini, ubudiyetini; geçen nimetlerin şükrü ve vazife-i fıtrat ve farîza-i hilkat ve netice-i sanat bil, ucub ve riyadan kurtul!
    creation, and the result of art; know this and be saved from vanity and hypocrisy!
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    FOURTH PARAGRAPH: If you want knowledge of reality and true wisdom, gain knowledge of Almighty God. For the realities of beings are rays of the Divine Name of Truth and the manifestations of His Names and attributes. The reality of all things, whether physical, non-physical, essential, non-essential, and the reality of all human beings, is based on a Name and relies on Its reality. Things are not merely insignificant forms without reality. There is a brief discussion of this mystery at the end of the Twentieth Word.
    '''Dördüncü Fıkra:''' Hakikat ilmini, hakiki hikmeti istersen Ce­nab-ı Hakk’ın marifetini kazan. Çünkü bütün hakaik-i mevcudat, ism-i Hakk’ın şuâatı ve esmasının tezahüratı ve sıfâtının tecelliyatıdırlar. Maddî ve manevî, cevherî, arazî her bir şeyin, her bir insanın hakikati, birer ismin nuruna dayanır ve hakikatine istinad eder. Yoksa hakikatsiz, ehemmiyetsiz bir surettir. Yirminci Söz’ün âhirinde, şu sırra dair bir nebze bahsi geçmiştir.
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    O my soul! If you long for the life of this world and flee death, know certainly that the conditions you suppose to be life are only the  minute in which you are. All the time previous to the present minute and the things of the world within that time are dead in the present minute. And all the time subsequent to the present minute and all it contains are non-existent in it, and nothing. That means the physical life on which you rely is only one minute. Some of the learned, even, said it was a tenth of a minute, rather, the passing instant. It is due to this mystery that certain saints stated that with regard to this world, this world is non-existent.
    Ey nefis! Eğer şu dünya hayatına müştaksan, mevtten kaçarsan kat’iyen bil ki: Hayat zannettiğin hâlât, yalnız bulunduğun dakikadır. O dakikadan evvel bütün zamanın ve o zaman içindeki eşya-i dünyeviye, o dakikada meyyittir, ölmüştür. O dakikadan sonra bütün zamanın ve onun mazrufu, o dakikada ademdir, hiçtir. Demek, güvendiğin hayat-ı maddiye, yalnız bir dakikadır. Hattâ bir kısım ehl-i tetkik “Bir âşiredir belki bir ân-ı seyyaledir.” demişler. İşte şu sırdandır ki bazı ehl-i velayet, dünyanın dünya cihetiyle ademine hükmetmişler.
    </div>


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    Since it is thus, give up the physical life of the soul; rise to the level of life of the heart, spirit, and inner faculties; see what a broad sphere of life they have. For them, the past and the future, which for you are dead, are living; they are existent and full of life. O my soul! Like my heart, you too weep and cry out and say:
    Madem böyledir, hayat-ı maddiye-i nefsiyeyi bırak. Kalp ve ruh ve sırrın derece-i hayatlarına çık, bak; ne kadar geniş bir daire-i hayatları var. Senin için meyyit olan mazi, müstakbel; onlar için haydır, hayattar ve mevcuddur. Ey nefsim! Madem öyledir, sen dahi kalbim gibi ağla ve bağır ve de ki:
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    I am ephemeral; I do not want another who is thus. I am impotent; I do not want another who is thus. I have surrendered my spirit to the Most Merciful; I do not want another. I want another, but let him be an eternal friend. I am a mere atom, but I desire an Everlasting Sun. I am nothing, yet I wish for these beings, all of them.
    “Fâniyim, fâni olanı istemem. Âcizim, âciz olanı istemem. Ruhumu Rahman’a teslim eyledim, gayr istemem. İsterim fakat bir yâr-ı bâki isterim. Zerreyim fakat bir şems-i sermed isterim. Hiç-ender hiçim fakat bu mevcudatı birden isterim.
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    FIFTH PARAGRAPH:This Paragraph occurred to me in Arabic, and so it was written thus. Also, it recalls one of the thirty-three degrees of reflection in the recitation, God is Most Great.
    '''Beşinci Fıkra:''' Şu fıkra, Arabî geldiği için Arabî yazıldı. Hem şu fıkra-i Arabiye, “Allahu ekber” zikrinde otuz üç mertebe-i tefekkürden bir mertebeye işarettir.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    God is Most Great! The Eternal, All-Knowing, All-Wise, Most Generous, Most Compassionate,  All-Beauteous,  the  Inscriber,  the  Pre-Eternal!  What  is  the reality of the universe in its entirety and in its parts, and its pages and levels, and what is the reality of  beings altogether and singly, in their existence and continuation, but the lines of the pen of His Determining and Decree, and His setting in order and determining, with knowledge and wisdom; what are they but the  skilful  inscriptions  of  His  knowledge  and  wisdom  and  regulating  and forming, with art and favour; the adornments of the shining hand of His art and favour  and  embellishing  and  illuminating,  with  grace  and  munificence;  the flowers of the subtleties of His favour and munificence and making known and loved, with mercy and bounty; the fruits of the effusions of His mercy and bounty and pity and compassion, with beauty  and  perfection;  the  flashes  and  manifestations  of  His  beauty  and perfection  through  the  testimony  of  the  transience  of  the  mirrors  and  the ephemerality  of  the  places  of  manifestation  and  the  permanence  of  that transcendent, eternal beauty, and its  constant manifestation and appearance throughout the passage of the seasons, centuries, and  ages, and the perpetual bestowal of bounties throughout the passage of the creatures and  days and people?
    اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ اِذْ هُوَ الْقَدِيرُ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ الْكَرِيمُ الرَّحِيمُ الْجَمِيلُ النَّقَّاشُ الْاَزَلِىُّ الَّذِي مَاحَقِيقَةُ هٰذِهِ الْكَائِنَاتِ كُلًّا وَجُزْءًا وَصَحَائِفَ وَطَبَقَاتٍ، وَمَا حَقَائِقُ هٰذِهِ الْمَوْجُودَاتِ كُلِّيًّا وَجُزْئِيًّا وَوُجُودًا وَبَقَاءً، اِلَّا خُطُوطُ قَلَمِ قَضَائِهِ وَقَدَرِهِ، وَتنْظِيمِهِ وَتقْدِيرِهِ بِعِلْمٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ، وَنقُوشُ پَرْكَارِ عِلْمِهِ وَحِكْمَتِهِ وَتصْوِيرِهِ وَتدْبِيرِهِ بِصُنْعٍ وَعِنَايَةٍ، وَتزْيِينَاتُ يَدِ بَيْضَاءِ صُنْعِهِ وَعِنَايَتِهِ وَتَزْيِينِهِ وَتَنْوِيرِهِ بِلُطْفٍ وَكَرَمٍ، وَاَزَاهِيرُ لَطَائِفِ لُطْفِهِ وَكَرَمِهِ وَتَوَدُّدِهِ وَتَعَرُّفِهِ بِرَحْمَةٍ وَنِعْمَةٍ، وَثَمَرَاتُ فَيَّاضِ رَحْمَتِهِ وَنِعْمَتِهِ وَتَرَحُّمِهِ وَتَحَنُّنِهِ بِجَمَالٍ وَكَمَالٍ، وَلمَعَاتُ وَتَجَلِّيَاتُ جَمَالِهِ وَكَمَالِهِ بِشَهَادَاتِ تَفَانِيَةِ الْمَرَايَا، وَسَيَّالِيَةِ الْمَظَاهِرِ مَعَ بَقَاءِ الْجَمَالِ الْمُجَرَّدِ السَّرْمَدِىِّ الدَّائِمِ التَّجَلِّى، وَالظُّهُورِ عَلٰى مَرِّ الْفُصُولِ وَالْعُصُورِ وَالدُّهُورِ، وَدَائِمِ الْاِنْعَامِ عَلٰى مَرِّ الْاَنَامِ وَالْاَيَّامِ وَالْاَعْوَامِ
    </div>


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    Indeed, a perfect work points to one possessing intellect who performs a perfect act, and the perfect act points to one with understanding who possesses perfect names, and the perfect names point to perfect attributes, and perfect attributes point to perfect qualities, and the perfect qualities point to the perfection of the essence from which they proceed, and this is absolutely certain. Indeed, the ephemerality of the mirrors and death of creatures together with the perpetual  manifestation and constant effulgence is the clearest of proofs that their apparent beauty  does not belong to the places of manifestation; it is the most eloquent statement and clearest argument for a transcendent beauty, and renewed bestowal, to the Necessary Existent, to the Enduring One, the Loving One... O God! Grant blessings to our master Muhammad from pre-eternity to post- eternity to the number of things encompassed by Divine Knowledge, and to his Family and Companions, and grant them peace.
    نَعَمْ فَالْاَثَرُ الْمُكَمَّلُ يَدُلُّ ذَا عَقْلٍ عَلٰى الْفِعْلِ الْمُكَمَّلِ، ثُمَّ الْفِعْلُ الْمُكَمَّلُ يَدُلُّ ذَا فَهْمٍ عَلٰى الْاِسْمِ الْمُكَمَّلِ، ثُمَّ الْاِسْمُ الْمُكَمَّلُ يَدُلُّ بِالْبَدَاهَةِ عَلٰى الْوَصْفِ الْمُكَمَّلِ، ثُمَّ الْوَصْفُ الْمُكَمَّلُ يَدُلُّ بِالضَّرُورَةِ عَلٰى الشَّأْنِ الْمُكَمَّلِ، ثُمَّ الشَّأْنُ الْمُكَمَّلُ يَدُلُّ بِالْيَقِينِ عَلٰى كَمَالِ الذَّاتِ بِمَا يَلِيقُ بِالذَّاتِ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ الْيَقِينِ
    نَعَمْ تَفَانِي الْمِرْآةِ، زَوَالُ الْمَوْجُودَاتِ مَعَ التَّجَلِّى الدَّائِمِ مَعَ الْفَيْضِ الْمُلَازِمِ، مِنْ اَظْهَرِ الظَّوَاهِرِ، اَنَّ الْجَمَالَ الظَّاهِرَ لَيْسَ مُلْكُ الْمَظَاهِرِ، مِنْ اَفْصَحِ تِبْيَانٍ، مِنْ اَوْضَحِ بُرْهَانٍ لِلْجَمَالِ الْمُجَرَّدِ لِلْاِحْسَانِ الْمُجَدَّدِ لِلْوَاجِبِ الْوُجُودِ، لِلْبَاقِي الْوَدُودِ
    اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ مِنَ الْاَزَلِ اِلَى الْاَبَدِ عَدَدَ مَا فِي عِلْمِ اللّٰهِ وَعَلٰى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّمْ
    </div>




    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    <span id="ZEYL"></span>
    == ZEYL ==
    ==Addendum==
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
    بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    [This short Addendum has great importance; it is beneficial for everyone.]
    ('''Bu küçücük zeylin büyük bir ehemmiyeti var. Herkese menfaatlidir.''')
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    The ways leading to Almighty God are truly numerous. While all true ways are taken from the Qur’an, some are shorter, safer, and more general than others. One of these is the  way  of  impotence,  poverty, compassion, and  reflection, from  which,  with  my defective understanding, I have benefited.
    Cenab-ı Hakk’a vâsıl olacak tarîkler pek çoktur. Bütün hak tarîkler Kur’an’dan alınmıştır. Fakat tarîkatların bazısı, bazısından daha kısa, daha selâmetli, daha umumiyetli oluyor. O tarîkler içinde, kāsır fehmimle Kur’an’dan istifade ettiğim '''acz''' ve '''fakr''' ve '''şefkat''' ve '''tefekkür''' tarîkıdır.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    Indeed, like ecstatic love, impotence is a path which, by way of worship, leads to winning God’s love; but it is safer.
    Evet, acz dahi aşk gibi belki daha eslem bir tarîktir ki ubudiyet tarîkıyla mahbubiyete kadar gider.
    </div>


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    Poverty too leads to the Divine Name of All-Merciful.
    Fakr dahi Rahman ismine îsal eder.
    </div>


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    And, like  ecstatic  love, compassion leads to the Name of All-Compassionate, but is a swifter and broader path.
    Hem şefkat dahi aşk gibi belki daha keskin ve daha geniş bir tarîktir ki Rahîm ismine îsal eder.
    </div>


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    Also like ecstatic love, reflection leads to the Name of All- Wise, but it is a richer, broader, and more  brilliant path.
    Hem tefekkür dahi aşk gibi belki daha zengin, daha parlak, daha geniş bir tarîktir ki Hakîm ismine îsal eder.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    This path consists not of ten steps like the ‘ten subtle faculties’ of some of the Sufi orders (tariqat) employing silent recollection, nor  of  seven  stages  like  the  ‘seven  souls’  of  those  practising  public recitation, but of four steps. It is reality , rather than a tariqat. It is Shari’a. However, let it not be misunderstood. It means to see one’s impotence, poverty and faults before Almighty God, not to fabricate them or display them to people.
    Şu tarîk, hafî tarîkler misillü “Letaif-i Aşere” gibi on hatve değil ve tarîk-i cehriye gibi “Nüfus-u Seb’a” yedi mertebeye atılan adımlar değil belki '''dört hatve'''den ibarettir. Tarîkattan ziyade hakikattir, şeriattır. Yanlış anlaşılmasın, acz ve fakr ve kusurunu Cenab-ı Hakk’a karşı görmek demektir. Yoksa onları yapmak veya halka göstermek demek değildir.
    </div>


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    The method of this short path is to follow the Practices of the Prophet (PBUH), perform the religious obligations and give up serious  sins. And  it  is  especially to  perform the prescribed prayers correctly and with attention, and following them to say the tesbihat.
    Şu kısa tarîkın evradı: İttiba-ı sünnettir, feraizi işlemek, kebairi terk etmektir. Ve bilhassa namazı ta’dil-i erkân ile kılmak, namazın arkasındaki tesbihatı yapmaktır.
    </div>


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    The verse, Therefore, do not justify yourselves,(*<ref>*Qur’an, 53:32.</ref>) points to the first step.
    Birinci hatveye    فَلَا تُزَكُّٓوا اَن۟فُسَكُم۟    âyeti işaret ediyor.
    </div>


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    The verse, And be not like those who forget God, and He therefore makes them forget their own selves,(*<ref>*Qur’an, 59:19.</ref>) points to the second step.
    İkinci hatveye    وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذٖينَ نَسُوا اللّٰهَ فَاَن۟سٰيهُم۟ اَن۟فُسَهُم۟   âyeti işaret ediyor.
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    The verse, Whatever good happens to you is from God, but whatever evil befalls you is from yourself,(*<ref>*Qur’an, 4:79.</ref>) points to the third step.
    Üçüncü hatveye مَٓا اَصَابَكَ مِن۟ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللّٰهِ وَمَٓا اَصَابَكَ مِن۟ سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن۟ نَف۟سِكَ âyeti işaret ediyor.
    </div>


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    The verse, Everything will perish save His countenance,(*<ref>*Qur’an, 28:88.</ref>) points to the fourth step.
    Dördüncü hatveye   كُلُّ شَى۟ءٍ هَالِكٌ اِلَّا وَج۟هَهُ   âyeti işaret ediyor.
    </div>


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    A brief explanation of these Four Steps is as follows:
    '''Şu dört hatvenin kısa bir izahı şudur ki:'''
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    '''THE FIRST STEP:''' As the verse, Therefore, do not justify yourselves suggests, it is to not purify  the  soul. For on account of his nature and innate disposition, man loves himself. Indeed, he loves himself before anything else, and only himself. He sacrifices everything other than himself to his own soul. He praises himself in a manner befitting
    '''Birinci hatvede'''   فَلَا تُزَكُّٓوا اَن۟فُسَكُم۟   âyeti işaret ettiği gibi: Tezkiye-i nefis etmemek. Zira insan, cibilliyeti ve fıtratı hasebiyle nefsini sever. Belki evvela ve bizzat yalnız zatını sever, başka her şeyi nefsine feda eder. Mabuda lâyık bir tarzda nefsini medheder. Mabuda lâyık bir tenzih ile nefsini meayibden tenzih ve tebrie eder. Elden geldiği kadar kusurları kendine lâyık görmez ve kabul etmez. Nefsine perestiş eder tarzında şiddetle müdafaa eder. Hattâ fıtratında tevdi edilen ve Mabud-u Hakiki’nin hamd ve tesbihi için ona verilen cihazat ve istidadı, kendi nefsine sarf ederek   مَنِ اتَّخَذَ اِلٰهَهُ هَوٰيهُ   sırrına mazhar olur. Kendini görür, kendine güvenir, kendini beğenir.
    some object of worship. He absolves and exonerates himself from faults in the same way. As far as he possibly can, he does not see faults as being appropriate for him, and does not accept them. He defends himself passionately as though worshipping himself. Even, using on himself the members and faculties given him as part of his nature in order to
    </div>
    praise and glorify the True Object of Worship, he displays the meaning of the verse, Who takes as his god his own desires.(*<ref>*Qur’an, 25:43; 45:23.</ref>)
    He considers himself, he relies on himself, he fancies himself.


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    Thus, his purification and cleansing at this stage, in this step, is to not purify himself; it is not to absolve himself.
    İşte şu mertebede, şu hatvede tezkiyesi, tathiri: Onu tezkiye etmemek, tebrie etmemektir.
    </div>


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    '''SECOND STEP:'''As the verse, And be not like those who forget God, and He therefore makes them forget their own selves teaches, man is oblivious of himself, and is not aware of himself. If he thinks of death, it is in relation to others. If he sees transience and decline, he does not attribute them to himself. His evil-commanding soul demands that when it comes to inconvenience and service of others, he forgets himself, but when it comes to receiving his recompense, and to benefits and enjoyment, he thinks of himself, and takes his own part fervently. His purification, cleansing, and training at this stage is the reverse of this state.
    '''İkinci hatvede'''    وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذٖينَ نَسُوا اللّٰهَ فَاَن۟سٰيهُم۟ اَن۟فُسَهُم۟   dersini verdiği gibi: Kendini unutmuş, kendinden haberi yok. Mevti düşünse başkasına verir. Fena ve zevali görse kendine almaz. Ve külfet ve hizmet makamında nefsini unutmak fakat ahz-ı ücret ve istifade-i huzuzat makamında nefsini düşünmek, şiddetle iltizam etmek, nefs-i emmarenin muktezasıdır.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    That is to say, when oblivious of himself, it is not to be oblivious. That is, to forget himself when it comes to pleasure, and ambition and greed, and to think of himself when it comes to death and service of others.
    Şu makamda tezkiyesi, tathiri, terbiyesi şu haletin aksidir. Yani nisyan-ı nefis içinde nisyan etmemek. Yani huzuzat ve ihtirasatta unutmak ve mevtte ve hizmette düşünmek.
    </div>


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    '''THIRD STEP:''' As the verse, Whatever good happens to you is from God, but whatever evil befalls you is from yourself teaches, the nature of the evil-commanding soul demands that  it  always  considers goodness to be  from itself and becomes vain and conceited. Thus, in this Step, a person sees only faults, defects, impotence, and poverty in himself, and understands that all his good qualities and perfections are bounties bestowed on him by the All-Glorious Creator. He gives thanks instead of being conceited, and offers praise instead of boasting.
    '''Üçüncü hatvede''' مَٓا اَصَابَكَ مِن۟ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللّٰهِ وَمَٓا اَصَابَكَ مِن۟ سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن۟ نَف۟سِكَ dersini verdiği gibi: Nefsin muktezası, daima iyiliği kendinden bilip fahir ve ucbe girer. Bu hatvede nefsinde yalnız kusuru ve naksı ve aczi ve fakrı görüp bütün mehasin ve kemalâtını, Fâtır-ı Zülcelal tarafından ona ihsan edilmiş nimetler olduğunu anlayıp, fahir yerinde şükür ve temeddüh yerinde hamdetmektir.
    </div>


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    According to the meaning of the verse, Truly he succeeds who purifies it,(*<ref>*Qur’an, 91:9.</ref>)
    Şu mertebede tezkiyesi   قَد۟ اَف۟لَحَ مَن۟ زَكّٰيهَا   sırrıyla şudur ki: Kemalini kemalsizlikte, kudretini aczde, gınasını fakrda bilmektir.
    his purification at this stage  is to know his perfection to lie in imperfection, his power in impotence, and his wealth in poverty.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    '''FOURTH  STEP:'''As  the  verse,  Everything  will  perish  save  His  countenance teaches, the evil-commanding soul considers itself to be free and independent and to exist of itself. Because of this,  man claims to possess a sort of dominicality. He harbours a hostile rebelliousness towards his True Object of Worship. Thus, through understanding the following fact, he is saved from this.
    '''Dördüncü hatvede'''   كُلُّ شَى۟ءٍ هَالِكٌ اِلَّا وَج۟هَهُ   dersini verdiği gibi: Nefis, kendini serbest ve müstakil ve bizzat mevcud bilir. Ondan bir nevi rububiyet dava eder. Mabud’una karşı adâvetkârane bir isyanı taşır. İşte gelecek şu hakikati derk etmekle ondan kurtulur.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    The fact is this: According to the apparent  meaning  of things,  which looks to  each thing  itself,
    Hakikat şöyledir ki: Her şey nefsinde mana-yı ismiyle fânidir, mefkuddur, hâdistir, ma’dumdur. Fakat mana-yı harfiyle ve Sâni’-i Zülcelal’in esmasına âyinedarlık cihetiyle ve vazifedarlık itibarıyla şahittir, meşhuddur, vâciddir, mevcuddur.
    everything is transitory, lacking, accidental, non-existent. But according to the meaning that signifies something other than itself and in respect of each thing being a mirror to the All-Glorious Maker’s Names  and charged with various duties, each is a witness, it is witnessed, and it is existent.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    The purification and cleansing of a person at this stage is as follows: In his existence he is non-existent, and in his non-existence he has existence. That is to say, if he values himself and attributes existence to himself, he is in a darkness of non- existence as great as the universe. That is, if he relies on his individual existence and is unmindful of the True Giver of Existence, he has an individual light of existence like that of a fire-fly and is submerged in an endless darkness of non-existence and separation. But if he gives up egotism and sees that he is a mirror of the manifestations of the True Giver of  Existence, he  gains  all  beings  and  an  infinite  existence. For  he  who  finds  the Necessary Existent One, the manifestation of Whose Names all beings manifest, finds everything.
    Şu makamda tezkiyesi ve tathiri şudur ki: Vücudunda adem, ademinde vücudu vardır. Yani kendini bilse, vücud verse kâinat kadar bir zulümat-ı adem içindedir. Yani vücud-u şahsîsine güvenip Mûcid-i Hakiki’den gaflet etse yıldız böceği gibi bir şahsî ziya-yı vücudu, nihayetsiz zulümat-ı adem ve firaklar içinde bulunur, boğulur. Fakat enaniyeti bırakıp, bizzat nefsi hiç olduğunu ve Mûcid-i Hakiki’nin bir âyine-i tecellisi bulunduğunu gördüğü vakit, bütün mevcudatı ve nihayetsiz bir vücudu kazanır. Zira bütün mevcudat, esmasının cilvelerine mazhar olan Zat-ı Vâcibü’l-vücud’u bulan, her şeyi bulur.
    </div>




    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    <span id="HÂTİME"></span>
    == HÂTİME ==
    ==Conclusion==
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    The Four Steps in this way of impotence, poverty, compassion, and reflection have been  explained  in  the  twenty-six  Words  so  far  written, which  are  concerned  with knowledge of reality, the reality of the Shari’a, and the wisdom of the Qur’an. So here we shall allude briefly to only one or two points, as follows:
    Şu acz, fakr, şefkat, tefekkür tarîkındaki dört hatvenin izahatı; hakikatin ilmine, şeriatın hakikatine, Kur’an’ın hikmetine dair olan yirmi altı adet Sözlerde geçmiştir. Yalnız şurada bir iki noktaya kısa bir işaret edeceğiz. Şöyle ki:
    </div>


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    Indeed,  this  path  is  shorter, because  it  consists  of  four  steps. When  impotence removes the  hand from the soul, it gives it directly to the All-Powerful One of Glory. Whereas, when the way of ecstatic love, the swiftest way, takes the hand away from the soul, it attaches it to the metaphorical beloved. Only after the beloved is found to be impermanent does it go to the True Beloved.
    Evet, şu tarîk daha kısadır. Çünkü dört hatvedir. Acz, elini nefisten çekse doğrudan doğruya Kadîr-i Zülcelal’e verir. Halbuki en keskin tarîk olan aşk, nefisten elini çeker fakat maşuk-u mecazîye yapışır. Onun zevalini bulduktan sonra Mahbub-u Hakiki’ye gider.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    Also, this path is much safer, because the ravings and high-flown claims of the soul are not present on it. For, apart from impotence, poverty, and defect, the soul possesses nothing so that it oversteps its mark.
    Hem şu tarîk daha eslemdir. Çünkü nefsin şatahat ve bâlâ-pervazane davaları bulunmaz. Çünkü acz ve fakr ve kusurdan başka nefsinde bulmuyor ki haddinden fazla geçsin.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    Also, this path is much broader and more universal. For, in order to attain to a constant awareness of God’s presence, a person is not compelled to imagine the universe to be condemned  to non-existence and to declare: “There is no existent but He,” like those  who  believe  in  ‘the  unity  of  existence,’  nor  to  suppose  the  universe  to  be condemned to imprisonment in absolute oblivion and to say, “There is nothing witnessed but He,” like those who believe in ‘the unity of witnessing.’ Rather, since the Qur’an has most explicitly pardoned the universe and released it from execution and imprisonment, one on this path disregards the above, and dismissing beings from working on their own account and employing them on account of the All-Glorious Creator, and in the duty of manifesting the  Most Beautiful Names and being mirrors to them, he considers them from the point of view of signifying something other than themselves; and being saved from absolute heedlessness he enters the  Divine presence permanently; he finds a way leading to Almighty God in everything.
    Hem bu tarîk daha umumî ve cadde-i kübradır. Çünkü kâinatı ehl-i vahdetü’l-vücud gibi huzur-u daimî kazanmak için idama mahkûm zannedip   ‌لَا مَو۟جُودَ اِلَّا هُوَ‌   hükmetmeye veyahut ehl-i vahdetü’ş-şuhud gibi huzur-u daimî için kâinatı nisyan-ı mutlak hapsinde hapse mahkûm tahayyül edip   ‌لَا مَش۟هُودَ اِلَّا هُوَ   demeye mecbur olmuyor. Belki idamdan ve hapisten gayet zâhir olarak Kur’an affettiğinden, o da sarf-ı nazar edip ve mevcudatı kendileri hesabına hizmetten azlederek Fâtır-ı Zülcelal hesabına istihdam edip, esma-i hüsnasının mazhariyet ve âyinedarlık vazifesinde istimal ederek mana-yı harfî nazarıyla onlara bakıp, mutlak gafletten kurtulup huzur-u daimîye girmektir; her şeyde Cenab-ı Hakk’a bir yol bulmaktır.
    </div>


    <div lang="tr" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr">
    In Short: Dismissing beings from working on account of other beings, this way is to not look at them as signifying themselves.
    '''Elhasıl:''' Mevcudatı mevcudat hesabına hizmetten azlederek, mana-yı ismiyle bakmamaktır.
    </div>




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    <center> [[Yirmi Beşinci Söz]] ⇐ | [[Sözler]] | ⇒ [[Yirmi Yedinci Söz]] </center>
    <center> [[Yirmi Beşinci Söz/en|The Twenty-Fifth Word]] ⇐ | [[Sözler/en|The Words]] | ⇒ [[Yirmi Yedinci Söz/en|The Twenty-Seventh Word]] </center>
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    </div>

    16.26, 13 Ağustos 2024 itibarı ile sayfanın şu anki hâli

    Diğer diller:

    THE TREATISE ON DIVINE DETERMINING

    In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. And there is not a thing but its [sources and] treasures [inexhaustible] are with Us, but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.(*[1]) And of all things have We taken account in a Clear Book.(*[2])


    [Divine Determining(*[3]) and the power of choice(*[4])

    are two important matters. We shall attempt to disclose a few of their mysteries in four ‘Topics’.]
    

    FIRST TOPIC

    Divine Determining and the power of choice are aspects of a belief pertaining to state and conscience which show the final limits of Islam and belief; they are not theoretical and do not pertain to knowledge. That is to say, a believer attributes everything to Almighty God, even his actions and self, till finally the power of choice confronts him, so he cannot evade his obligation and responsibility. It tells him: “You are responsible and under obligation.” Then, so that he does not become proud at his good deeds and his achievements, Divine Determining confronts him, saying: “Know your limits; the one who does them is not you.”

    Yes, Divine Determining and the power of choice are at the final degrees of belief and Islam; the former has been included among the matters of belief to save the soul from pride, and the latter, to make it admit to its responsibility. Obdurate evil-commanding souls clinging to Divine Determining in order to clear themselves of the responsibility of the evils they have committed, and their becoming proud and conceited on account of the virtues bestowed on them and their relying on the power of choice, are actions totally opposed to the mystery of Divine Determining and wisdom of the power of choice; they are not matters pertaining to knowledge which might give rise to such actions.

    For ordinary people who have not progressed spiritually there may be occasions when Divine Determining is used, and these are calamities and disasters when it is the remedy for despair and grief. But it should not be used to justify rebellion and in matters of the future so that it becomes a cause of dissipation and idleness.

    That is to say, Divine Determining has not been included among the matters of belief to relieve people from their obligations and responsibility, but to save them fro m pride and conceit. While the power of choice has been included in order to be the source of evils, not to be the source of virtues, so that people become like the Pharaoh.

    Yes, as the Qur’an states, man is totally responsible for his evils, for it is he who wants the evils. Since evils are destructive, man may perpetrate much destruction with a single evil act, like burning down a house with one match, and he becomes deserving of an awesome punishment.

    However, he does not have the right to take pride in good deeds; his part in them is extremely small. For what wants and requires the good deeds is Divine mercy, and what creates them is dominical power. Both request and reply, reason and cause, are from God. Man only comes to have them through supplication, belief, consciousness, and consent.

    As for evils, it is man’s soul that wants them, either through capacity or through choice, – like in the white and beautiful light of the sun some substances become black and putrefy, and the blackness is related to their capacity – however, it is Almighty God Who creates the evils through a Divine law which comprises numerous benefits. That is to say, the cause and the request are from the soul, so that it is the soul which is responsible, while it is Almighty God Who creates the evils and brings them into existence, and since they have other results and fruits which are good, they are good.

    It is for the above reason that the ‘acquisition’ (kasb) of evil, that is, the desire for evil, is evil, but the creation of evil is not evil. A lazy man who receives damage from rain, which comprises many instances of good, may not say that the rain is not mercy. Yes, together with a minor evil in its creation are numerous instances of good. To abandon that good for a minor evil becomes a greater evil. Therefore, a minor evil becomes like good. There is no evil or ugliness in Divine creation. They rather pertain to His servant’s wish and to his capacity.

    Furthermore, Divine Determining is both exempt from evil and ugliness with regard to results and fruits, and free from tyranny and ugliness with respect to reason and cause. Because Divine Determining looks to the true causes and acts justly. Men construct their judgements on causes which they see superficially and fall into error within the pure justice of Divine Determining. For example, a judge finds you guilty of theft and sends you to prison. You are not a thief, but you have committed a murder which no one knows about. Thus, Divine Determining also sentenced you to imprisonment, but it sentenced you for the secret murder and acted justly. Since the judge sentenced you for a theft of which you were innocent, he acted unjustly. Thus, in a single thing the justice of Divine Determining and Divine creation and man’s wrongful choice or acquisition were apparent in two respects; you can make analogies with this for other things. That is to say, with regard to origin and end, source and branch, cause and results, Divine Determining and creation are exempt from evil, ugliness, and tyranny.

    If it is said: “Man has no ability to create with his power of choice and has nothing apart from ‘acquisition,’ which is as though theoretical, so how is it that in the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition he is shown to be rebellious and hostile towards the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who complains greatly about him; the Creator mobilizes Himself and all His angels to assist His believing servants against the rebellious, affording them the greatest importance?”

    The Answer:Because disbelief, rebellion, and evil are destruction and non- existence. However, vast destruction and innumerable instances of non-existence may result from a single theoretical matter and one instance of non-existence. Through the helmsman of a large ship abandoning his duty, the ship may sink and the labour of all those employed on it go for nothing; all those instances of destruction will result from a single instance of non-existence. Similarly, since disbelief and rebellion are non- existence and destruction, the power of choice may provoke them through a theoretical matter and cause awesome consequences.

    For although disbelief is only one evil, it insults the whole universe, accusing it of being worthless and futile, and denies all beings, which display proofs of Divine unity, and is contemptuous towards all the manifestations of the Divine Names. It is therefore pure wisdom that Almighty God utters severe complaints about the unbelievers, threatening them awesomely in the name of the universe and all beings and the Divine Names; it is pure justice that they should suffer eternal punishment. Since through unbelief and rebellion man takes the way of destruction, with a small act of service, he may perform a great many works. In the face of unbelief therefore, the believers are in need of Almighty God’s boundless grace. For due to one troublesome child who is trying to burn down a house, ten strong men who have undertaken to protect and repair it may be obliged to beseech the child’s parents, or even have recourse to the king. In the same way the believers are in need of many Divine favours in order to withstand the unmannerly people of rebellion.

    In Short: If the one speaking of Divine Determining and the power of choice has perfect belief and is aware of the Divine presence, he attributes the universe and himself to Almighty God, knowing them to be under His disposal. He has the right to speak of them. For since he knows himself and everything to be from Almighty God, he assumes the responsibility, basing it on his power of choice. He accepts that it is the source of evils and proclaims his Sustainer free of fault. He remains within the sphere of worship and undertakes the obligations with which he is charged by Almighty God. Moreover, he does not become proud at his good deeds and achievements; he rather looks to Divine Determining and offers thanks. He sees Divine Determining in the calamities that befall him, and endures them in patience.

    However, if the one speaking of Divine Determining and the power of choice is one of the heedless and neglectful, then he has no right to speak of them. For, impelled by his misguidance, his evil-commanding soul attributes the universe to causes and divides up God’s property among them. And he attributes the ownership of himself to himself. He ascribes his acts to himself and to causes. His responsibility and faults, he refers to Divine Determining. He will finally ascribe the power of choice to Almighty God, and he will consider Divine Determining last of all; thus discussion of them becomes meaningless. To discuss them is only a trick of the soul which is entirely contrary to the wisdom in them, in order to save such a person from responsibility.

    SECOND TOPIC

    This is a minute and scholarly investigation addressing scholars in particular.(*[5])

    If you say: “How is Divine Determining compatible with the power of choice?”

    The Answer: In seven ways...

    The First: The All-Just and Wise One, to Whose wisdom and justice the universe testifies with the tongue of order and balance, gave to man a power of choice of unknown nature which would be the means of reward and punishment for him. We do not know many of the numerous aspects of the All-Just and Wise One’s wisdom; our not knowing how the power of choice is compatible with Divine Determining does not prove that it is not so.

    The Second: Of necessity everyone perceives in himself a will and choice; he knows it through his conscience. To know the nature of beings is one thing; to know they exist is something different. There are many things which although their existence is self-evident, we do not know their true nature... The power of choice may be included among these. Everything is not restricted to what we know; our not knowing them does not prove the things we do not know do not exist.

    The Third:The power of choice is not opposed to Divine Determining, indeed, Divine Determining corroborates the power of choice. Because Divine Determining is a sort of Divine knowledge. Divine knowledge is connected with our will and choice, in which case it corroborates it, it does not nullify it.

    The Fourth: Divine Determining is a sort of knowledge. Knowledge is dependent on the thing known. That is, it knows it as it is. The thing known is not dependent on knowledge.That is, the principles of knowledge are not fundamental so that the knowledge directs the thing known with regard to its external existence. Because the essence of the thing known and its external existence look to will and are based on power.

    Also, pre-eternity is not the tip of a chain reaching into the past which should be considered the end point in the existence of things and a source of compulsion. Rather, pre-eternity holds the past, the present, and the future all at once, looking at them from above like a mirror. In which case, it is not right to imagine an end to past time which stretches back within the sphere of contingency and call it pre-eternity, and to suppose that things enter that knowledge of pre-eternity in sequence, and that oneself is outside it; to reason thus is not right. Consider the following example in order to explain this mystery:

    Suppose there is a mirror in your hand and the area to your right is the past and the area to your left, the future; the mirror only holds what is opposite it. Then with a movement it holds both sides, but it cannot hold all of it. However low the mirror is held, less will appear in it, and the higher it rises, the area it encompasses expands, until it can hold both sides in their entirety simultaneously. Whatever occurs in the areas reflected in the mirror in this position cannot be said to precede or follow one another, or to conform to or oppose one another.

    Divine Determining is part of pre-eternal knowledge, and in the words of the Hadith, pre-eternal knowledge is “at an elevated station which from its lofty view-point encompasses everything that has been and will be from pre-eternity to post- eternity.” We and our reasoning cannot be outside of it so we can be like a mirror to the area of the past.

    The Fifth: Divine Determining has a connection with cause and effect. That is, this effect will occur through this cause. In which case, it may not be said that “Since so-and- so’s death is determined at such-and-such a time, what fault has the man who fired the rifle through his own choice, for if he had not fired it, the other still would have died?”

    Question: Why may it not be said?

    The Answer: Because Divine Determining specified that so-and-so’s death would occur through the man’s rifle. If you suppose that he did not fire the rifle, then you are supposing that Divine Determining had no connection with it, so with what would you decree his death? If you imagine cause and effect to be separate like the Jabriyya, or you deny Divine Determining like the Mu’tazila, you leave the Sunni School and join the heretics. We people of truth say: “If he had not fired the rifle, we do not know if he would have died.” The Jabariyya say: “If he had not fired it, he still would have died.” While the Mu’tazila say: “If he had not fired it, he would not have died.”

    The Sixth:(*[6]) According to Maturidi, inclination, the essence of the power of choice, is a theoretical or relative matter and may be attributed to God’s servants. But Ash’ari considered it to have existence, so did not attribute it to them. However, according to Ash’ari, the power of disposal within inclination is a theoretical matter, which makes the inclination and the disposal together a relative matter lacking a definite external existence. Theoretical or relative matters do not require causes through which, for their existence, necessity would intervene and nullify the will and power of choice. Rather, if the cause of the theoretical matters acquires the weight of preference, the theoretical matter may become actual and existent. In which case, at that juncture, it may be abandoned. The Qur’an may say to a person at that point: “This is evil; do not do it.”

    Indeed, if God’s servants had been the creators of their actions and had had the power to create, then their wills would have been removed. For an established rule in the sciences of religion and philosophy is: “If a thing is not necessary, it may not come into existence [of itself].” That is, there has to be a cause for a thing to come into existence. The cause necessarily requires the effect. Then no power of choice would remain.

    If you say: Preference without a cause or attribute to cause the preference is impossible. Whereas the theoretical or relative matter we call human acquisition sometimes does a thing and sometimes does not; if there is nothing to cause the preference, preference without something to cause it would necessarily occur, and this demolishes one of the most important bases of theology?

    The Answer:A being preferable without something to make it preferable is impossible. That is, a being deemed preferable or superior without a cause or attribute to make it so is impossible. But preference without something to cause it is permissible and occurs. Will is an attribute, and its mark is to perform a work such as that.

    If you ask: “Since the one who creates the murder is Almighty God, why do you call me a murderer?”

    The Answer: Because according to the rules of grammar, the active participle is derived from the infinitive, which is a relative matter. It cannot be derived from the verbal noun, which is an actual or existent matter. The infinitive is our acquisition; so we are called the murderer. The verbal noun is Almighty God’s creature. Something which gives an inkling of responsibility cannot be derived from the verbal noun.

    The Seventh: For sure, man’s faculty of will and power of choice are weak and a theoretical matter, but Almighty God, the Absolutely Wise One, made that weak and partial will a condition for the connection of His universal will. He in effect says: “My servant! Whichever way you wish to take with your will, I will take you there. In which case the responsibility is yours!” If the comparison is not mistaken, you take a powerless child onto your shoulders and leaving the choice to him, tell him you will take him wherever he wishes. The child wants to go to a high mountain so you take him there, but he either catches cold or falls. So of course you reprimand him, saying, “You wanted to go there,” and you give him a slap.

    Thus, Almighty God, the Firmest of Judges, makes His servant’s will, which is utterly weak, a condition, and His universal will follows it.

    In Short:O man! You have a will known as the power of choice which is extremely weak, but whose hand in evil acts and destruction is extremely long and in good deeds is extremely short. Give one of the hands of that will of yours to supplication, so that it may reach Paradise, a fruit of the chain of good deeds, and stretch to eternal happiness. And give its other hand to the seeking of forgiveness, so that it may be short for evil deeds and will not reach the Zakkum-tree of Hell, which is one fruit of that accursed tree.

    That is, just as supplication and reliance on God greatly strengthen the inclination to do good, so repentance and the seeking of forgiveness cut the inclination to do evil, putting an end to its transgressions.

    THIRD TOPIC

    Belief in Divine Determining is one of the pillars of belief. That is, the belief that “everything is determined by Almighty God.” The certain proofs for Divine Determining are so numerous they cannot be calculated. We shall show in an Introduction, simply and clearly, how strong and broad is this pillar of belief.

    Introduction: Numerous verses of the Qur’an, like, Nor anything fresh or dry [green or withered] but is [inscribed] in a Clear Book,(*[7]) state clearly that before it comes into existence and after it passes from existence, everything is written. Through its creational signs like the order, balance, regularity, adornment, differentiation, and the giving of form, the verses, the signs, of the mighty Qur’an inscribed by Divine power and called the universe confirm these statements of the Qur’an.

    Indeed, the well-ordered missives and finely balanced verses of the book of the universe testify that everything is written.

    The indication that everything is determined and written before it comes into existence are all beginnings, seeds, measured proportions, and forms; each of these testifies to this. For seeds and grains are subtle containers appearing from the workbench of “Be!,” and it is in each of which is deposited a tiny index traced by Divine Determining. Divine power employs minute particles according to that plan of Divine Determining, and constructs the mighty miracles of power on the seeds. That is to say, everything that will happen to the tree is as though inscribed in its seed. For in regard to their substance seeds are simple and similar to one another; materially they are nothing.

    Furthermore, the well-measured proportions of everything clearly show Divine Determining. Yes, whatever living creature is considered, it is as though its form and measure emerged from a wisely and skilfully wrought mould. For it to receive such a measure, form, and shape, either there has to be a truly wondrous and infinitely intricate physical mould, or else pre-eternal power cuts out the form and shape according to a well-proportioned immaterial mould that exists in knowledge and comes from Divine Determining, and clothes it in it.

    For example, look carefully at this tree or that animal, you will see that the particles, which are lifeless, deaf, blind, unconscious, and similar to one another, are in motion in its growth and development. In some of the being’s intricate extremities the particles halt, as though seeing, knowing and recognizing the place of fruits and benefits. Then in another place they change their direction as though following some important aim. That means they are in motion in accordance with the immaterial measured proportions of the tree or animal, which come from Divine Determining, and are governed by those proportions.

    Since there are the manifestations of Divine Determining to this extent in physical and visible things, certainly the forms with which things are clothed with the passing of time and the states acquired through the motions they perform will also be dependent on the ordering of Divine Determining. In a seed are two manifestations of Divine Determining;

    one is ‘evident’ and points to the Clear Book, which is a title of will and the creational commands; the other is ‘theoretical’ and points to the Clear Record, which is a title of Divine knowledge and the Divine command.

    ‘Evident’ Divine Determining specifies the physical nature, states, and parts of the tree which the seed comprises. While ‘theoretical’ Divine Determining specifies the stages, states, forms, motions, and glorifications which the tree will undergo and perform over the period of its life, and which are in the seed and will be created from it; these stages, states, forms, and acts, which constantly change and are called its life-history, each have a regulated measure in accordance with Divine Determining, the same as the tree’s branches and leaves.

    Since there is such a manifestation of Divine Determining in the most common and simple of things, it surely demonstrates that all things are written before they come into existence; this may be understood with little attention.

    Now, evidence for the fact that the story of everything’s life is written after its existence are all fruits, which in this world tell of the Clear Book and the Clear Record, and the faculty of memory in man, which points to the Preserved Tablet; these all hint and testify to this fact. Indeed, the appointed events of a tree’s life are written in its seeds, which are like the hearts of its fruits. And man’s life-history together with some of the past events of the world are written in his memory in such a way that, as though copying out with the hand of power and pen of Divine Determining in a faculty as tiny as a mustard seed a small note from the page of his actions, the memory gives the note to man’s hand and puts it in the pocket of his mind, so that with it he will call his actions to mind at the time of reckoning. So too, due to it he may be confident that within the upheavals of transience and death there are numerous lasting mirrors in which the All-Powerful and Wise One depicts and makes permanent the identities of transient beings; and truly numerous tablets which shall endure for all eternity on which that All-Knowing Preserver inscribes the meanings of transitory beings.

    In Short:Since plant life, the simplest and lowest level of life, is dependent on the ordering of Divine Determining to this extent, certainly human life, the highest level of life, has been drawn in all in its details according to the scale and measuring of Divine Determining and is inscribed by its pen. Yes, just as raindrops tell of clouds, and drops of water point to the existence of a water-source, and notes and portfolios to the existence of a large ledger, so too, the ‘evident’ Divine Determining which we observe and which is the physical order in living beings indicates the notebook of Divine will and creational commands known as the Clear Book. Similarly, their fruits, seeds, grains, forms, and shapes, which are like the droplets, notes, and portfolios of ‘theoretical’ Divine Determining, which is the non-physical order and pertains to life, indicates the Preserved Tablet, one office of Divine knowledge, which is called the Clear Record.

    To Conclude: We see clearly that at the time of their growth and development the particles of living beings travel to their intricate extremities and halt, then they change their path. At each of the extremities they produce the fruits of benefits, uses, and instances of wisdom. Clearly, the forms of those things and their measures are drawn with a pen of Determining. Thus, observable, evident Determining shows that in the non- physical states of living beings also are well-ordered, fruitful extremities and limits drawn with the pen of Determining. Divine power is the source, Divine Determining is the pattern. Power writes the meaningful book on that pattern.

    Since we understand clearly that the fruitful limits and purposeful extremities have been drawn with the pen of Divine Determining, physical and non-physical, certainly the states and stages which all living beings undergo in the course of their lives are also drawn with that pen. For their life-stories follow a course with order and balance; they change forms and receive shapes.

    Since the pen of Divine Determining thus rules in all living beings, surely the life-history of man, the world’s most perfect fruit and vicegerent of the earth and bearer of the Supreme Trust, is more than anything dependent on the law of Divine Determining.

    If you say: “Divine Determining has bound us like this. It has negated our freedom. Isn’t belief in it a burden and irksome for the heart and spirit, which yearn for expansion and to roam freely?”

    The Answer: Absolutely not! It is not burdensome; it rather affords a luminosity and joy producing a lightness, ease, and spirit, and ensuring confidence and security. Because if man does not believe in Divine Determining, he is compelled to bear a burden as heavy as the world on the shoulders of his spirit within a constricted space, which allows him only an insignificant independence and temporary freedom. For man is connected with the whole universe. He has infinite aims and desires. But since his power, will, and freedom are insufficient to meet a millionth of these, it may be understood how awesome is the burden of the distress he bears.

    Thus, belief in Divine Determining throws that burden in its entirety onto the ship of Divine Determining, allowing him to roam free within its perfections with perfect ease and perfect freedom of spirit and heart. It only negates the petty freedom of the evil-commanding soul and smashes its Pharaoh- like tyranny and lordship, and its acting as it wishes.

    Belief in Divine Determining produces such pleasure and happiness it is beyond description. We shall only allude to it with the following comparison.

    Two men travelled to the seat of government of a king, and there entered his private palace, a place of rare wonders. One of them did not recognize the king and laying hands on everything and stealing them, wanted to settle there. However, he experienced certain difficulties, for he had to manage the palace and its park, oversee its revenues, work its machines, and feed its strange animals; he suffered constant distress. The paradise-like park became hell for him. He pitied everything. He could not govern them. He passed his time regretfully. Then this thieving, unmannerly man was cast into prison as a punishment. The second man recognized the king and knew himself to be his guest. He believed that all the matters in the park and palace occurred through the regulation of the law, and that everything functioned with perfect ease in accordance with a programme. Leaving the difficulties to the king’s law, he benefited with complete enjoyment from all the pleasures of that Paradise-like garden, and relying on the king’s mercy and the efficacy of the administrative laws, he saw everything as agreeable and passed his life in perfect pleasure and happiness. He understood the meaning of the saying: “He who believes in Divine Determining is saved from grief.”

    FOURTH TOPIC

    If you say:“In the First Topic you proved that everything about Divine Determining is good and beautiful. Even the evil that comes from it is good, and the ugliness, beautiful. But the disasters and tribulations in this world refute that statement.”

    The Answer: O my soul and my friend who feel severe pain out of intense compassion! The facts that all virtues and perfections return to existence and that the basis of all rebellion, calamities, and defects is non-existence are a proof that existence is pure good and non-existence, pure evil. Since non-existence is pure evil, circumstances that either result in non-existence or give an inkling of it, also comprise evil. Therefore, life, the most brilliant light of existence, proceeding through different circumstances, finds strength; it encounters varying situations and is purified; it takes on numerous qualities and produces the desired results, and enters many stages and displays comprehensively the impresses of the Bestower of Life’s Names.

    It is due to this fact that certain things happen to living creatures in the form of griefs, calamities, difficulties, and tribulations whereby the lights of existence are renewed in their lives, and the darkness of non-existence draws distant and their lives are purified. For arrest, repose, silence, idleness, rest, and monotony are all, both in quality and as conditions, non-existence. Even the greatest pleasure is reduced to nothing by monotony.

    In Short: Since life displays the impresses of the Most Beautiful Names, everything that happens to it is good.

    For example, an extremely rich and infinitely skilful person who is proficient in many crafts, for an hour and in return for a wage, clothes a miserable wretch in a bejewelled, artistically fashioned garment. This garment he made in order to make the miserable man act as a model and to display the works of his art and his extensive wealth. He works the garment on the man, gives it various forms, and alters it. In order to display every variety of his art, he cuts it, changes it, and lengthens and shortens it. Can the poor man receiving the wage be justified if he says to the person: “You are giving me trouble. You are making me bow down and stand up. By cutting and shortening this garment which makes me more beautiful, you are spoiling my beauty”? Does he have the right to tell him: “You are acting unkindly and unfairly”?

    Thus, like him, in order to display the impresses of His Most Beautiful Names, the All-Glorious Maker, the Peerless Creator, alters within numerous circumstances the garment of existence He clothes on living creatures, bejewelled with senses and subtle faculties like eyes, ears, the reason, and the heart. He changes it within very many situations. Among these are circumstances in the form of suffering and calamity which show the meanings of some of His Names, and the rays of mercy within flashes of wisdom, and the subtle instances of beauty within those rays of mercy.


    Conclusion

    [Five Paragraphs which silenced the Old Said’s rebellious, proud, vain, conceited, and hypocritical soul, and compelled it to submit.]

    FIRST PARAGRAPH: Since things exist and they are full of art, they surely have a maker. As is decisively proved in the Twenty-Second Word, if everything is not one person’s, then each thing becomes as difficult and problematical as all things. Since someone made the earth and the heavens and created them, for sure that most wise and skilful Being would not leave to others living beings, which are the fruits, results, and aims of the heavens and the earth, and spoil his work. Making it futile and without purpose, He would not hand over to others all His wise works; He would not give their thanks and worship to others.

    SECOND PARAGRAPH: O my conceited soul! You resemble a grape-vine. Do not become proud! The vine itself did not attach the bunches of grapes; someone else attached them.

    THIRD PARAGRAPH: O my hypocritical soul! Do not become vain, saying: “I have served religion.” According to the meaning of the saying, “God strengthens this religion by means of sinful men,”(*[8]) it was because you were not purified. Indeed, you should know yourself to be such a sinful man, and that your duty and worship is thanks for past bounties. For these are the function of your nature, incumbent on you due to your creation, and the result of art; know this and be saved from vanity and hypocrisy!

    FOURTH PARAGRAPH: If you want knowledge of reality and true wisdom, gain knowledge of Almighty God. For the realities of beings are rays of the Divine Name of Truth and the manifestations of His Names and attributes. The reality of all things, whether physical, non-physical, essential, non-essential, and the reality of all human beings, is based on a Name and relies on Its reality. Things are not merely insignificant forms without reality. There is a brief discussion of this mystery at the end of the Twentieth Word.

    O my soul! If you long for the life of this world and flee death, know certainly that the conditions you suppose to be life are only the minute in which you are. All the time previous to the present minute and the things of the world within that time are dead in the present minute. And all the time subsequent to the present minute and all it contains are non-existent in it, and nothing. That means the physical life on which you rely is only one minute. Some of the learned, even, said it was a tenth of a minute, rather, the passing instant. It is due to this mystery that certain saints stated that with regard to this world, this world is non-existent.

    Since it is thus, give up the physical life of the soul; rise to the level of life of the heart, spirit, and inner faculties; see what a broad sphere of life they have. For them, the past and the future, which for you are dead, are living; they are existent and full of life. O my soul! Like my heart, you too weep and cry out and say:

    I am ephemeral; I do not want another who is thus. I am impotent; I do not want another who is thus. I have surrendered my spirit to the Most Merciful; I do not want another. I want another, but let him be an eternal friend. I am a mere atom, but I desire an Everlasting Sun. I am nothing, yet I wish for these beings, all of them.

    FIFTH PARAGRAPH:This Paragraph occurred to me in Arabic, and so it was written thus. Also, it recalls one of the thirty-three degrees of reflection in the recitation, God is Most Great.

    God is Most Great! The Eternal, All-Knowing, All-Wise, Most Generous, Most Compassionate, All-Beauteous, the Inscriber, the Pre-Eternal! What is the reality of the universe in its entirety and in its parts, and its pages and levels, and what is the reality of beings altogether and singly, in their existence and continuation, but the lines of the pen of His Determining and Decree, and His setting in order and determining, with knowledge and wisdom; what are they but the skilful inscriptions of His knowledge and wisdom and regulating and forming, with art and favour; the adornments of the shining hand of His art and favour and embellishing and illuminating, with grace and munificence; the flowers of the subtleties of His favour and munificence and making known and loved, with mercy and bounty; the fruits of the effusions of His mercy and bounty and pity and compassion, with beauty and perfection; the flashes and manifestations of His beauty and perfection through the testimony of the transience of the mirrors and the ephemerality of the places of manifestation and the permanence of that transcendent, eternal beauty, and its constant manifestation and appearance throughout the passage of the seasons, centuries, and ages, and the perpetual bestowal of bounties throughout the passage of the creatures and days and people?

    Indeed, a perfect work points to one possessing intellect who performs a perfect act, and the perfect act points to one with understanding who possesses perfect names, and the perfect names point to perfect attributes, and perfect attributes point to perfect qualities, and the perfect qualities point to the perfection of the essence from which they proceed, and this is absolutely certain. Indeed, the ephemerality of the mirrors and death of creatures together with the perpetual manifestation and constant effulgence is the clearest of proofs that their apparent beauty does not belong to the places of manifestation; it is the most eloquent statement and clearest argument for a transcendent beauty, and renewed bestowal, to the Necessary Existent, to the Enduring One, the Loving One... O God! Grant blessings to our master Muhammad from pre-eternity to post- eternity to the number of things encompassed by Divine Knowledge, and to his Family and Companions, and grant them peace.


    Addendum

    In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

    [This short Addendum has great importance; it is beneficial for everyone.]

    The ways leading to Almighty God are truly numerous. While all true ways are taken from the Qur’an, some are shorter, safer, and more general than others. One of these is the way of impotence, poverty, compassion, and reflection, from which, with my defective understanding, I have benefited.

    Indeed, like ecstatic love, impotence is a path which, by way of worship, leads to winning God’s love; but it is safer.

    Poverty too leads to the Divine Name of All-Merciful.

    And, like ecstatic love, compassion leads to the Name of All-Compassionate, but is a swifter and broader path.

    Also like ecstatic love, reflection leads to the Name of All- Wise, but it is a richer, broader, and more brilliant path.

    This path consists not of ten steps like the ‘ten subtle faculties’ of some of the Sufi orders (tariqat) employing silent recollection, nor of seven stages like the ‘seven souls’ of those practising public recitation, but of four steps. It is reality , rather than a tariqat. It is Shari’a. However, let it not be misunderstood. It means to see one’s impotence, poverty and faults before Almighty God, not to fabricate them or display them to people.

    The method of this short path is to follow the Practices of the Prophet (PBUH), perform the religious obligations and give up serious sins. And it is especially to perform the prescribed prayers correctly and with attention, and following them to say the tesbihat.

    The verse, Therefore, do not justify yourselves,(*[9]) points to the first step.

    The verse, And be not like those who forget God, and He therefore makes them forget their own selves,(*[10]) points to the second step.

    The verse, Whatever good happens to you is from God, but whatever evil befalls you is from yourself,(*[11]) points to the third step.

    The verse, Everything will perish save His countenance,(*[12]) points to the fourth step.

    A brief explanation of these Four Steps is as follows:

    THE FIRST STEP: As the verse, Therefore, do not justify yourselves suggests, it is to not purify the soul. For on account of his nature and innate disposition, man loves himself. Indeed, he loves himself before anything else, and only himself. He sacrifices everything other than himself to his own soul. He praises himself in a manner befitting some object of worship. He absolves and exonerates himself from faults in the same way. As far as he possibly can, he does not see faults as being appropriate for him, and does not accept them. He defends himself passionately as though worshipping himself. Even, using on himself the members and faculties given him as part of his nature in order to praise and glorify the True Object of Worship, he displays the meaning of the verse, Who takes as his god his own desires.(*[13]) He considers himself, he relies on himself, he fancies himself.

    Thus, his purification and cleansing at this stage, in this step, is to not purify himself; it is not to absolve himself.

    SECOND STEP:As the verse, And be not like those who forget God, and He therefore makes them forget their own selves teaches, man is oblivious of himself, and is not aware of himself. If he thinks of death, it is in relation to others. If he sees transience and decline, he does not attribute them to himself. His evil-commanding soul demands that when it comes to inconvenience and service of others, he forgets himself, but when it comes to receiving his recompense, and to benefits and enjoyment, he thinks of himself, and takes his own part fervently. His purification, cleansing, and training at this stage is the reverse of this state.

    That is to say, when oblivious of himself, it is not to be oblivious. That is, to forget himself when it comes to pleasure, and ambition and greed, and to think of himself when it comes to death and service of others.

    THIRD STEP: As the verse, Whatever good happens to you is from God, but whatever evil befalls you is from yourself teaches, the nature of the evil-commanding soul demands that it always considers goodness to be from itself and becomes vain and conceited. Thus, in this Step, a person sees only faults, defects, impotence, and poverty in himself, and understands that all his good qualities and perfections are bounties bestowed on him by the All-Glorious Creator. He gives thanks instead of being conceited, and offers praise instead of boasting.

    According to the meaning of the verse, Truly he succeeds who purifies it,(*[14])

    his purification at this stage  is to know his perfection to lie in imperfection, his power in impotence, and his wealth in poverty.
    

    FOURTH STEP:As the verse, Everything will perish save His countenance teaches, the evil-commanding soul considers itself to be free and independent and to exist of itself. Because of this, man claims to possess a sort of dominicality. He harbours a hostile rebelliousness towards his True Object of Worship. Thus, through understanding the following fact, he is saved from this.

    The fact is this: According to the apparent meaning of things, which looks to each thing itself, everything is transitory, lacking, accidental, non-existent. But according to the meaning that signifies something other than itself and in respect of each thing being a mirror to the All-Glorious Maker’s Names and charged with various duties, each is a witness, it is witnessed, and it is existent.

    The purification and cleansing of a person at this stage is as follows: In his existence he is non-existent, and in his non-existence he has existence. That is to say, if he values himself and attributes existence to himself, he is in a darkness of non- existence as great as the universe. That is, if he relies on his individual existence and is unmindful of the True Giver of Existence, he has an individual light of existence like that of a fire-fly and is submerged in an endless darkness of non-existence and separation. But if he gives up egotism and sees that he is a mirror of the manifestations of the True Giver of Existence, he gains all beings and an infinite existence. For he who finds the Necessary Existent One, the manifestation of Whose Names all beings manifest, finds everything.


    Conclusion

    The Four Steps in this way of impotence, poverty, compassion, and reflection have been explained in the twenty-six Words so far written, which are concerned with knowledge of reality, the reality of the Shari’a, and the wisdom of the Qur’an. So here we shall allude briefly to only one or two points, as follows:

    Indeed, this path is shorter, because it consists of four steps. When impotence removes the hand from the soul, it gives it directly to the All-Powerful One of Glory. Whereas, when the way of ecstatic love, the swiftest way, takes the hand away from the soul, it attaches it to the metaphorical beloved. Only after the beloved is found to be impermanent does it go to the True Beloved.

    Also, this path is much safer, because the ravings and high-flown claims of the soul are not present on it. For, apart from impotence, poverty, and defect, the soul possesses nothing so that it oversteps its mark.

    Also, this path is much broader and more universal. For, in order to attain to a constant awareness of God’s presence, a person is not compelled to imagine the universe to be condemned to non-existence and to declare: “There is no existent but He,” like those who believe in ‘the unity of existence,’ nor to suppose the universe to be condemned to imprisonment in absolute oblivion and to say, “There is nothing witnessed but He,” like those who believe in ‘the unity of witnessing.’ Rather, since the Qur’an has most explicitly pardoned the universe and released it from execution and imprisonment, one on this path disregards the above, and dismissing beings from working on their own account and employing them on account of the All-Glorious Creator, and in the duty of manifesting the Most Beautiful Names and being mirrors to them, he considers them from the point of view of signifying something other than themselves; and being saved from absolute heedlessness he enters the Divine presence permanently; he finds a way leading to Almighty God in everything.

    In Short: Dismissing beings from working on account of other beings, this way is to not look at them as signifying themselves.



    The Twenty-Fifth Word ⇐ | The Words | ⇒ The Twenty-Seventh Word

    1. *Qur’an, 15:21.
    2. *Qur’an, 36:12.
    3. *Divine Determining (Qadar; T. Kader) is also known as fate or destiny. [Tr.]
    4. *The power of choice or faculty of will (juz’i irada, juz’-i ikhtiyari), also known as free will. [Tr.]
    5. *This Second Topic is the most profound and difficult of the questions of the mystery of Divine Determining. It is held by the all learned scholars to be one of the most important and controversial questions of theology and belief, yet the Risale-i Nur has solved it completely.
    6. *This is a truth addressing exact scholars in particular.
    7. *Qur’an, 6:59.
    8. *Bukhari, Jihad, 182; Maghazi, 38; Qadr, 5; Muslim, Iman, 178; Ibn Maja, Fitan, 35.
    9. *Qur’an, 53:32.
    10. *Qur’an, 59:19.
    11. *Qur’an, 4:79.
    12. *Qur’an, 28:88.
    13. *Qur’an, 25:43; 45:23.
    14. *Qur’an, 91:9.