On Altıncı Mektup/en

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Men said to them: “A great army is gathering against you,” and frightened them. But it [only] increased their belief; they said: “For us God suffices, and He is the best Disposer of Affairs.”(3:173)

This letter manifested the meaning of the verse, “But speak to him mildly,”(20:44) and was not written vehemently.

It is the answer to a question asked me explicitly and implicitly by many people.

[To reply is not agreeable to me and I do not want to, for I have bound everything to reliance on God. But since I have not been left in peace to myself in my own world and since they have turned my attention towards the world, I am compelled to propound five points in the language of the Old Said in order to explain the reality of the situation both to my friends, and to the worldly,(*)and to those in authority, so as to save not myself, but my friends and my Words, from the suspicions and ill-treatment of the worldly.]

FIRST POINT

I am asked: “Why have you withdrawn from politics and now have nothing to do with them?”

The Answer: The Old Said of nine or ten years ago was involved in politics to a degree; indeed, thinking he would serve religion and learning by means of politics, he was wearied for nothing. He saw that it is a dangerous way which is dubious and full of difficulties, and for me superfluous as well as forming an obstacle to the most necessary duties. It is mostly lies and may be exploited by foreigners without one being aware of it.

Furthermore, a person who enters politics either wins or is in opposition. As for winning, since I am neither an official nor a deputy, to work in politics is unnecessary and nonsense for me. Politics has no need for me that I should meddle in them for nothing. If I join the opposition, I would do so either with ideas or with force. If it was with ideas there is no need for me, for the questions are all clear and everyone knows them as I do. To wag one’s chin for nothing is pointless. If I join the opposition intending to use force and to provoke an incident, I might commit thousands of sins to reach one doubtful goal. Numerous people would be struck by disaster on account of one. So saying that in all conscience he could not commit sins and cause the innocent to commit them for a one or two in ten possibility, the Old Said gave up cigarettes together with the newspapers, politics, and worldly conversation about politics.

Decisive evidence for this is the fact that for the past eight years I have not read a single newspaper nor listened to one being read. Let someone come forward and say that I have read one or listened to one. Whereas eight years ago the Old Said used to read perhaps eight newspapers every day.

Furthermore, for the past five years I have been under the closest scrutiny and surveillance. Anyone who has observed the slightest hint of political activity should say so. For someone like me who is nervous, fearless, and without attachment, who considers the best stratagem to be without stratagem, his ideas will not remain secret for eight days, let alone eight years. If he had had any appetite or desire for politics, there would have been no need for investigation and scrutiny, for he would have given voice like the firing of a cannon.

SECOND POINT

Why does the New Said avoid politics with such vehemence?

The Answer: He avoids it so vehemently in order to serve belief and the Qur’an, which is of the greatest importance, the greatest necessity and is most pure and most right, and so as not to sacrifice unnecessarily and officiously for one or two doubtful years of worldly life the work of gaining more than millions of years of eternal life.

For he says: I am growing old and I do not know how much longer I shall live, so for me the most important question should be working for eternal life. The prime means of gaining eternal life and the key to everlasting happiness is belief (êma\n), so I have to work for that.

But since I am obliged by the Shari‘a to serve people in respect of learning so that they may profit too, I want to perform that duty. However, such service will either concern social and worldly life, which I cannot do, and also in stormy times it is not possible to perform such service soundly. I therefore gave up that side of it and chose the side of serving belief, which is the most important, the most necessary, and the soundest. I leave that door open so that the truths of belief I have gained for myself and the spiritual remedies I have myself experienced may be acquired by others. Perhaps Almighty God will accept this service and make it atonement for my former sins.

Apart from Satan the Accursed, no one, be it a believer or an unbeliever, one of the veracious or an atheist, has the right to oppose this work. For unbelief resembles nothing else. In tyrannizing, vice, and grievous sins there may be an inauspicious diabolical pleasure, but in unbelief there is no sort of pleasure at all. It is pain upon pain, darkness upon darkness, torment upon torment.

Just how contrary to reason it would be for someone like me who is unattached, alone, and compelled to atone for his former sins to leave aside working for an endless eternal life and serving a sacred light like belief, and to cast himself in old age into the unnecessary, perilous games of politics – just how contrary to wisdom, just what a lunacy it would be even lunatics would understand!

But if you ask why service of the Qur’an and belief prohibit me, I would say this: the truths of belief and the Qur’an are each like diamonds. If I were polluted by politics, the ordinary people who are easily deceived, would wonder about those diamonds I was holding: “Aren’t they for political propaganda, to attract more supporters?” They might regard the diamonds as bits of common glass. Then, by being involved with politics I would be wronging the diamonds by as though reducing their value.

O you whose view is restricted to this world! Why do you struggle against me? Why do you not leave me to myself?

If you say: The shaikhs sometimes interfere in our business, and they sometimes call you a shaikh.

I reply: Good sirs! I am not a shaikh, I am a hoja (teacher). The evidence is this: I have been here four years and if I had taught a single person the Sufi way, you would have had the right to be suspicious. But I have told everyone who has come to me: Belief is necessary, Islam is necessary; this is not the age of Sufism.

If you say: They call you Said-i Kurdi; perhaps you have some nationalist ideas and that doesn’t suit our interests.

I would reply: Sirs! The things the Old Said and the New Said have written are clear. I cite as testimony the certain statement, “Islam has abrogated the tribalism of Ignorance.”(*)For years I have considered negative nationalism and racialism to be fatal poisons, since they are a variety of European disease. And Europe has infected Islam with it thinking it would cause division, and Islam would break up and be easily swallowed. My students and those people who have had anything to do with me know that for years I have tried to treat that disease.

Since it is thus, good sirs, why you make every incident a pretext to harass me? According to what principle do you cause me distress at every worldly incident, which is like punishing and inflicting trouble on a soldier in the West because of a mistake made by a soldier in the East because they both belong to the army, or convicting a shopkeeper in Baghdad because of a crime committed by a tradesman in Istanbul due to their being in the same line of business? Who could do this in all conscience? What advantage is there that could require it?

THIRD POINT

My friends who wonder how I am and are astonished at my meeting in patience every calamity, silently ask the following question: “How can you endure the difficulties you’re faced with, when formerly you were very proud and angry and could not endure even the least insult?”

The Answer:Listen to two short stories about two incidents and you will receive your answer:

The First Story: Two years ago an official spoke insultingly and contemptuously about me behind my back. They told me about it later. A vein of temperament remaining from the Old Said made me feel upset about it for about an hour. Then through Almighty God’s mercy the following occurred to me; it dispelled the distress and made me forgive the man. It was this:

I addressed my soul saying: if his insults and the faults he described concerned my person, may God be pleased with him, because he recalled the faults of my soul. If he spoke the truth, he prompted me to train my soul and helped to save me from arrogance. If he spoke falsely, he helped to save me from hypocrisy and undeserved fame, the source of hypocrisy. No, I am not reconciled with my soul, for I have not trained it. If someone tells me there is a scorpion on my neck or breast or else points it out to me, I should be grateful to him, not offended.

But if the man’s insults were directed at my belief and my being a servant of the Qur’an, it does not concern me. I refer him to the Qur’an’s Owner, who employs me.

He is mighty, He is wise. And if it was merely to curse at me, insult me, and blacken my character, that does not concern me either. For I am an exile, a prisoner, a stranger, and my hands are tied; it does not fall to me to try to restore my honour myself. To do so is the business of the authorities of this village where I am a guest and under surveillance, then of the district, then of the province. Insulting a person’s prisoner concerns the person; he defends the prisoner.

Since that was the reality of the matter, my heart became easy. I declared: “My [own] affair I commit to God; for God [ever] watches over His servants.”(40:44) I thought of the incident as not having happened. But unfortunately it was later understood that the Qur’an had not forgiven the man.

The Second Story: This year I heard that an incident had occurred. Although I only heard a brief account of it after it had happened, I was treated as though I had been closely connected with it. Anyway I hardly correspond with anyone, and if I do, I only write extremely rarely to a friend concerning some question of belief. In fact I have written only one letter to my brother in four years. Both I prevent myself from mixing with others, and the worldly prevent me. I have only been able to meet with one or two close friends once or twice a week. As for visitors to the village, once or twice a month perhaps one or two used to meet with me for one or two minutes concerning some matter to do with the hereafter.

In exile, a stranger, alone, with no one, I was barred from everything, from everyone, in a village that was unsuitable for someone like me to work for a livelihood. As a matter of fact, four years ago I repaired a tumble-down mosque. Although with the certificate I had from my own region to act an imam and preacher, I acted as imam in the mosque for four years (May God accept it), this past Ramadan I could not go there. Sometimes I performed the five daily prayers alone. I was deprived of the twenty-fivefold merit of performing the prayers in congregation.

I showed the same patience and forbearance in the face of these two incidents that befell me as I did in the face of that official’s treatment two years ago. God willing I shall continue to do so. I think like this, and say:

if this ill-treatment, distress, and oppression inflicted on me by the worldly is for my faulty soul, I forgive it. Perhaps my soul will be reformed by means of it, and perhaps it will be atonement for its sins. I have experienced many good things in this guest-house of the world; if I experience a little of its trials, I shall still offer thanks.

But if the worldly oppress me because of my service of belief and the Qur’an, it is not up to me to defend it. I refer it to the Mighty and Compelling One.

If their intention is to destroy the regard in which I am held generally, to expunge my undeserved fame, which is baseless and causes hypocrisy and destroys sincerity, may God bless them! For to be held in high regard by people generally and gain a name among them is harmful for people like me. Those who have dealings with me know that I do not want respect to be shown to me, indeed, I can’t abide it. I have even scolded a valuable friend of mine perhaps fifty times for show ing me excessive respect.

If their intention in slandering me, belittling me in the eyes of the people, and defaming me is aimed at the truths of belief and the Qur’an of which I am the interpreter, it is pointless. For a veil cannot be drawn over the stars of the Qur’an. A person who closes his eyes only himself does not see; he does not make it night for anyone else.

FOURTH POINT

The answer to a number of suspicious questions:

The First:

The worldly say to me: “How do you live? What do you live on since you do not work? We don’t want people in our country who sit around idly and live off the labour of others.”

The Answer: I live through frugality and the resulting plenty. I am not obliged to anyone other than the One who Provides for me and I have taken the decision not to become indebted to anyone else. Yes, someone who lives on a hundred para, or even forty para, does not become indebted to anyone. I do not want to explain this matter. To do so is most disagreeable to me, as it may make me feel a sort of pride or egotism. But since the worldly ask about it suspiciously, I reply as follows:

since my childhood, throughout my life, it has been one of my guiding principles not to accept anything from people, even zakat, and not to accept a salary – only I was compelled to accept one for one or two years in the Darü’l-Hikmeti’l- Islamiye on the insistence of my friends – and not to become obliged to people for a worldly livelihood. The people of my native region and those who have known me in other places know this. During these five years of exile, many friends have tried earnestly to make me accept their gifts, but I have accepted none of them.

And so, if it is asked me, “So how do you manage to live?”, I reply: “I live through divine bestowal and blessings.”

For sure, my soul deserves every sort of insult and contempt, but the plenty and blessings, a divine bestowal, I receive as sustenance are a wonder resulting from service of the Qur’an.

In accordance with the verse,But the bounty of your Sustainer rehearse and proclaim,(93:11)I shall cite the bounties Almighty God has bestowed on me, and give a few examples by way of thanks. To do so is thanks, but I am still frightened that it will induce hypocrisy and pride, and that blessed plenty will be cut. For to make known a secret divine gift of plenty causes it to cease. But what can I do? I have to describe them.

The First: This six months one bushel (kile)(*)of wheat, consisting of thirty-six loaves of bread, has sufficed me. There is still some left, it is not finished. How much longer(*)it will last, I do not know.

The Second: This blessed month of Ramadan I was given food by only two houses, and both of them made me ill. I understood that I am prohibited from eating other people’s food. The rest of the time, in the whole of Ramadan, three loaves of bread and one okka(*)of rice were enough for me, as was witnessed and told by Abdullah Çavuş, the owner of a blessed house and a loyal friend who saw my economizing. In fact, the rice was finished two weeks after the end of Ramadan.

The Third: For three months on the mountain one kıyye(*)of butter was enough for me and my guests, eating it every day together with bread. On one occasion even I had a blessed visitor called Süleyman. Both his bread and my bread were about to be finished. It was Wednesday. I told him to go and get some more. For two hours’ distance on every side of us there was no one from whom he could have got any. He said that he wanted to stay with me on the mountain on Thursday night so that we could pray together. I declared: “Our reliance is on God,” and told him to stay.

Later, although it had no connection with this and there was no reason for it, we both began walking till we reached the top of the mountain. There was a little water in the ewer, and we had a small piece of sugar and some tea. I told him: “Brother! Make some tea!” He set about making it and I sat down under a cedar-tree overlooking a deep ravine. I thought regretfully to myself: we have a bit of mouldy bread which will only just be enough for us this evening. What shall we do for two days and what shall I say to this ingenuous man? While thinking this, I suddenly turned my head involuntarily and I saw a huge loaf of bread on the cedar-tree in among the branches; it was facing us. I exclaimed: “Süleyman! Good news! Almighty God has sent us food.” We took the bread, and looking at it saw that no bird or wild animal had touched it. And for twenty or thirty days no one at all had climbed to the top of that mountain. The bread was sufficient for us for the two days. While we were eating and it was about to be finished, righteous Süleyman who had been the most loyal of loyal friends for four years, suddenly appeared from below with more bread.

The Fourth: I bought this sack coat I’m wearing seven years ago second-hand. In five years I have spent only four and a half liras on clothes, underwear, slippers, and stockings. Frugality and divine mercy and the resulting plenty have sufficed me.

There are many other things like these examples and numerous sorts of divine blessings. The people of this village know most of them. But do not suppose I am mentioning them out of pride, I have been forced to, rather. And do not think they were due to my goodness. These instances of plenty were either bestowal to the sincere friends who have visited me, or a bestowal on account of service of the Qur’an, or an abundance and benefit resulting from frugality, or they have been sustenance for the four cats I have which recite the divine names “O Most Compassionate One! O Most Compassionate One!”, which comes in the form of plenty and from which I benefit too. Yes, if you listen carefully to their mournful miaowings, you will understand that they are saying, “O Most Compassionate One! O Most Compassionate One!”

We have arrived at the subject of cats and it has recalled the hen. I have a hen. This winter every day almost without exception she brought me an egg from the treasury of mercy. Then one day she brought me two eggs and I was astonished. I asked my friends “How can this be?” They replied: “Perhaps it is a divine gift.” The hen also has a young chick she hatched in the summer. It started to lay at the beginning of Ramadan and continued for forty days. Neither I nor those who assist me have any doubt that, both its being a pullet, and the season being winter, and Ramadan, this blessed situation was a divine gift and bestowal. And whenever the mother stopped laying, it immediately started, never leaving me without eggs.

Second Suspicious Question:

The worldly ask: How can we be sure you won’t meddle in our world? If we set you free, you may interfere in it. Also, how do we know that you aren’t being cunning? How do we know that it isn’t a stratagem, pretending to have abandoned the world and taking things from the people not openly, but secretly?

The Answer: My attitude in the Court Martial and in the period before the proclamation of the Constitution, which are known by many, and my defence in the Court Martial at that time called The Testimony of Two Schools of Misfortune, show decisively that the life I lived was such that I would not resort to the tiniest wiles, let alone cunning and subterfuge.

If I had resorted to trickery this last five years, I would have made application to you in sycophantic manner. A wily man tries to ingratiate himself. He does not hold back; he always tries to deceive and hoodwink. Whereas I have not condescended to respond to the severest attacks and criticisms levelled at me. Saying, “I place my trust in God,” I turned my back on the worldly.

Moreover, if he is sensible, a person who discovers the reality of this world and knows the hereafter, is not sorry; he does not turn back to the world and struggle with it again. After the age of fifty, a person who has no connection with anything and is alone, will not sacrifice eternal life for one or two years of the chatter and deception of this world. If he does, he is not cunning but foolish and crazy. What can a crazy lunatic do so that anyone should bother with him?

As for suspecting me of outwardly abandoning the world while inwardly seeking it, in accordance with the verse,Nor do I absolve my own self [of blame]; the [human] soul is certainly prone to evil,(12:53)I do not exonerate my soul, for it wants everything bad. But in this fleeting world, this temporary guest-house, during old age, in a brief life, it is not reasonable to destroy eternal life and everlasting happiness for a little bit of pleasure. Since it is not profitable for the reasonable and the aware, willy-nilly my soul has had to follow my reason.

The Third Suspicious Question:

The worldly say: Do you like us? Do you approve of us? If you do like us, why are you stand-offish and have nothing to do with us?

If you don’t like us, that means you object to us and we crush those who object to us.

The Answer: Not you, if I had loved your world, I would not have withdrawn from it. I don’t like either you or your world, but I don’t interfere with them. For I have different goals; my heart is filled with different things, leaving no room for anything else. Your duty is to look to a person’s hand, not to his heart. For you seek your government and your public order. So long as his hand does not interfere, what right do you have to interfere in his heart and tell him, “your heart should love us too,” although you are in no way worthy of it?

Yes, just as I desire the spring during this winter and long for it but cannot will it or make it come; so too I long for the world to be righted and I pray for it and I want the worldly to be reformed, but I cannot will these things because I do not have the power. I cannot bring them about, because it is neither my duty, nor do I have the capacity.

Dördüncü şüpheli sual:

Ehl-i dünya diyorlar ki: O kadar belalar gördük ki kimseye emniyetimiz kalmadı. Sana nasıl emin olabiliriz ki fırsat senin eline geçse arzu ettiğin gibi karışmazsın?

Elcevap: Evvelki noktalar size emniyet vermekle beraber memleketimde, talebe ve akrabam içinde, beni dinleyenlerin ortasında, heyecanlı hâdiseler içinde dünyanıza karışmadığım halde; diyar-ı gurbette ve yalnız, tek başıyla, garib, zayıf, âciz, bütün kuvvetiyle âhirete müteveccih, ihtilattan, muhabereden kesilmiş, iman ve âhiret münasebetiyle uzaktan uzağa yalnız bazı ehl-i âhireti dost bulan ve başka herkese yabani ve herkes de ona yabani nazarıyla bakan bir insan; semeresiz, tehlikeli dünyanıza karışsa muzaaf bir divane olmak gerektir.

Beşinci Nokta

Beş küçük meseleye dairdir:

Birincisi:

Ehl-i dünya bana diyorlar ki: Bizim usûl-ü medeniyetimizi, tarz-ı hayatımızı ve suret-i telebbüsümüzü ne için sen kendine tatbik etmiyorsun? Demek bize muarızsın.

Ben de derim: Hey efendiler! Ne hak ile bana usûl-ü medeniyetinizi teklif ediyorsunuz? Halbuki siz, beni hukuk-u medeniyetten ıskat etmiş gibi, haksız olarak beş sene bir köyde muhabereden ve ihtilattan memnû bir tarzda ikamet ettirdiniz. Her menfîyi şehirlerde dost ve akrabasıyla beraber bıraktınız ve sonra vesika verdiğiniz halde, sebepsiz beni tecrit edip bir iki tane müstesna hiçbir hemşehri ile görüştürmediniz. Demek, beni efrad-ı milletten ve raiyetten saymıyorsunuz. Nasıl kanun-u medeniyetinizin bana tatbikini teklif ediyorsunuz? Dünyayı bana zindan ettiniz. Zindanda olan bir adama böyle şeyler teklif edilmez. Siz bana dünya kapısını kapadınız; ben de âhiret kapısını çaldım, rahmet-i İlahiye açtı. Âhiret kapısında bulunan bir adama, dünyanın karmakarışık usûl ve âdâtı ona nasıl teklif edilir? Ne vakit beni serbest bırakıp memleketime iade edip hukukumu verdiniz, o vakit usûlünüzün tatbikini isteyebilirsiniz.

İkinci Mesele:

Ehl-i dünya diyorlar ki: Bize ahkâm-ı diniyeyi ve hakaik-i İslâmiyeyi talim edecek resmî bir dairemiz var. Sen ne salahiyetle neşriyat-ı diniye yapıyorsun? Sen madem nefye mahkûmsun, bu işlere karışmaya hakkın yok.

Elcevap: Hak ve hakikat inhisar altına alınmaz! İman ve Kur’an nasıl inhisar altına alınabilir? Siz dünyanızın usûlünü, kanununu inhisar altına alabilirsiniz. Fakat hakaik-i imaniye ve esasat-ı Kur’aniye, resmî bir şekilde ve ücret mukabilinde dünya muamelatı suretine sokulmaz. Belki bir mevhibe-i İlahiye olan o esrar, hâlis bir niyet ile ve dünyadan ve huzuzat-ı nefsaniyeden tecerrüd etmek vesilesiyle o feyizler gelebilir. Hem de sizin o resmî daireniz dahi memlekette iken beni vaiz kabul etti, tayin etti. Ben o vaizliği kabul ettim fakat maaşını terk ettim. Elimde vesikam var. Vaizlik, imamlık vesikasıyla her yerde amel edebilirim çünkü benim nefyim haksız olmuştur. Hem menfîler madem iade edildi, eski vesikalarımın hükmü bâkidir.

Sâniyen, yazdığım hakaik-i imaniyeyi doğrudan doğruya nefsime hitap etmişim. Herkesi davet etmiyorum. Belki ruhları muhtaç ve kalpleri yaralı olanlar, o edviye-i Kur’aniyeyi arayıp buluyorlar. Yalnız medar-ı maişetim için yeni huruf çıkmadan evvel, haşre dair bir risalemi tabettirdim. Bunu da bana karşı insafsız eski vali, o risaleyi tetkik edip tenkit edecek bir cihet bulamadığı için ilişemedi.

Üçüncü Mesele:

Benim bazı dostlarım, ehl-i dünya bana şüpheli baktıkları için ehl-i dünyaya hoş görünmek için; benden zâhiren teberri ediyorlar, belki tenkit ediyorlar. Halbuki kurnaz ehl-i dünya, bunların teberrisini ve bana karşı içtinablarını, o ehl-i dünyaya sadakate değil belki bir nevi riyaya, vicdansızlığa hamledip o dostlarıma karşı fena nazarla bakıyorlar.

Ben de derim: Ey âhiret dostlarım! Benim Kur’an’a hizmetkârlığımdan teberri edip kaçmayınız. Çünkü inşâallah benden size zarar gelmez. Eğer faraza musibet gelse veya bana zulmedilse siz benden teberri ile kurtulamazsınız. O hal ile musibete ve tokada daha ziyade istihkak kesbedersiniz. Hem ne var ki evhama düşüyorsunuz?

Dördüncü Mesele:

Şu nefiy zamanımda görüyorum ki hodfüruş ve siyaset bataklığına düşmüş bazı insanlar, bana tarafgirane, rakibane bir nazarla bakıyorlar. Güya ben de onlar gibi dünya cereyanlarıyla alâkadarım.

Hey efendiler! Ben imanın cereyanındayım. Karşımda imansızlık cereyanı var. Başka cereyanlarla alâkam yok. O adamlardan ücret mukabilinde iş görenler, belki kendini bir derece mazur görüyor. Fakat ücretsiz, hamiyet namına bana karşı tarafgirane, rakibane vaziyet almak ve ilişmek ve eziyet etmek; gayet fena bir hatadır. Çünkü sâbıkan ispat edildiği gibi siyaset-i dünya ile hiç alâkadar değilim; yalnız bütün vaktimi ve hayatımı, hakaik-i imaniye ve Kur’aniyeye hasr ve vakfetmişim. Madem böyledir, bana eziyet verip rakibane ilişen adam düşünsün ki o muamelesi zındıka ve imansızlık namına imana ilişmek hükmüne geçer.

Beşinci Mesele:

Dünya madem fânidir.

Hem madem ömür kısadır.

Hem madem gayet lüzumlu vazifeler çoktur.

Hem madem hayat-ı ebediye burada kazanılacaktır.

Hem madem dünya sahipsiz değil.

Hem madem şu misafirhane-i dünyanın gayet Hakîm ve Kerîm bir Müdebbiri var.

Hem madem ne iyilik ve ne fenalık, cezasız kalmayacaktır.

Hem madem لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللّٰهُ نَف۟سًا اِلَّا وُس۟عَهَا sırrınca teklif-i mâlâyutak yoktur.

Hem madem zararsız yol, zararlı yola müreccahtır.

Hem madem dünyevî dostlar ve rütbeler, kabir kapısına kadardır.

Elbette en bahtiyar odur ki: Dünya için âhireti unutmasın, âhiretini dünyaya feda etmesin, hayat-ı ebediyesini hayat-ı dünyeviye için bozmasın, malayani şeylerle ömrünü telef etmesin, kendini misafir telakki edip misafirhane sahibinin emirlerine göre hareket etsin, selâmetle kabir kapısını açıp saadet-i ebediyeye girsin. (Hâşiye)

• * *

On Altıncı Mektup’un Zeyli

بِاس۟مِهٖ وَ اِن۟ مِن۟ شَى۟ءٍ اِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَم۟دِهٖ

Ehl-i dünya sebepsiz, benim gibi âciz, garib bir adamdan tevehhüm edip binler adam kuvvetinde tahayyül ederek beni çok kayıtlar altına almışlar. Barla’nın bir mahallesi olan Bedre’de ve Barla’nın bir dağında, bir iki gece kalmaklığıma müsaade etmemişler. İşittim ki diyorlar:

“Said elli bin nefer kuvvetindedir, onun için serbest bırakmıyoruz.”

Ben de derim ki: Ey bedbaht ehl-i dünya! Bütün kuvvetinizle dünyaya çalıştığınız halde, neden dünyanın işini dahi bilmiyorsunuz? Divane gibi hükmediyorsunuz. Eğer korkunuz şahsımdan ise elli bin nefer değil belki bir nefer elli defa benden ziyade işler görebilir. Yani, odamın kapısında durup bana “Çıkmayacaksın!” diyebilir.

Eğer korkunuz mesleğimden ve Kur’an’a ait dellâllığımdan ve kuvve-i maneviye-i imaniyeden ise elli bin nefer değil, yanlışsınız! Meslek itibarıyla elli milyon kuvvetindeyim, haberiniz olsun! Çünkü Kur’an-ı Hakîm’in kuvvetiyle sizin dinsizleriniz dâhil olduğu halde, bütün Avrupa’ya meydan okuyorum. Bütün neşrettiğim envar-ı imaniye ile onların fünun-u müsbete ve tabiat dedikleri muhkem kalelerini zîr ü zeber etmişim. Onların en büyük dinsiz feylesoflarını, hayvandan aşağı düşürmüşüm. Dinsizleriniz dahi içinde bulunan bütün Avrupa toplansa Allah’ın tevfikiyle beni o mesleğimin bir meselesinden geri çeviremezler, inşâallah mağlup edemezler!

Madem böyledir, ben sizin dünyanıza karışmıyorum, siz de benim âhiretime karışmayınız! Karışsanız da beyhudedir.

Takdir-i Hudâ, kuvvet-i bâzu ile dönmez

Bir şem’a ki Mevla yaka, üflemekle sönmez.

Benim hakkımda, müstesna bir surette, pek ziyade ehl-i dünya tevehhüm edip âdeta korkuyorlar. Bende bulunmayan ve bulunsa dahi siyasî bir kusur teşkil etmeyen ve ittihama medar olmayan şeyhlik, büyüklük, hanedan, aşiret sahibi, nüfuzlu, etbaı çok, hemşehrileriyle görüşmek, dünya ahvaliyle alâkadar olmak, hattâ siyasete girmek, hattâ muhalif olmak gibi bende bulunmayan emirleri tahayyül ederek evhama düşmüşler. Hattâ hapiste ve hariçteki, yani kendilerince kabil-i af olmayanların dahi aflarını müzakere ettikleri sırada, beni âdeta her şeyden men’ettiler. Fena ve fâni bir adamın, güzel ve bâki şöyle bir sözü var:

Zulmün topu var, güllesi var, kalesi varsa

Hakkın da bükülmez kolu, dönmez yüzü vardır.

Ben de derim:

Ehl-i dünyanın hükmü var, şevketi var, kuvveti varsa

Kur’an’ın feyziyle, hâdiminde de

Şaşırmaz ilmi, susmaz sözü vardır;

Yanılmaz kalbi, sönmez nuru vardır.

Çok dostlarla beraber bana nezaret eden bir kumandan, mükerreren sual ettiler:

“Neden vesika için müracaat etmiyorsun? İstida vermiyorsun?”

Elcevap: Beş altı sebep için müracaat etmiyorum ve edemiyorum:

Birincisi: Ben ehl-i dünyanın dünyasına karışmadım ki onların mahkûmu olayım, onlara müracaat edeyim. Ben, kader-i İlahînin mahkûmuyum ve ona karşı kusurum var, ona müracaat ediyorum.

İkincisi: Bu dünya çabuk tebeddül eder bir misafirhane olduğunu yakînen iman edip bildim. Onun için hakiki vatan değil, her yer birdir. Madem vatanımda bâki kalmayacağım; beyhude ona karşı çabalamak, oraya gitmek bir şeye yaramıyor. Madem her yer misafirhanedir; eğer misafirhane sahibinin rahmeti yâr ise herkes yârdır, her yer yarar. Eğer yâr değilse her yer kalbe bârdır ve herkes düşmandır.

Üçüncüsü: Müracaat, kanun dairesinde olur. Halbuki bu altı senedir bana karşı muamele, keyfî ve fevka’l-kanundur. Menfîler kanunuyla bana muamele edilmedi. Hukuk-u medeniyetten ve belki hukuk-u dünyeviyeden ıskat edilmiş bir tarzda bana baktılar. Bu fevka’l-kanun muamele edenlere, kanun namına müracaat manasız olur.

Dördüncüsü: Bu sene buranın müdürü, benim namıma, Barla’nın bir mahallesi hükmünde olan Bedre karyesinde, tebdil-i hava için birkaç gün kalmaya dair müracaat etti; müsaade etmediler. Böyle ehemmiyetsiz bir ihtiyacıma cevab-ı red verenlere nasıl müracaat edilir? Müracaat edilse zillet içinde faydasız bir tezellül olur.

Beşincisi: Haksızlığı hak iddia edenlere karşı hak dava etmek ve onlara müracaat etmek; bir haksızlıktır, hakka karşı bir hürmetsizliktir. Ben bu haksızlığı ve hakka karşı hürmetsizliği irtikâb etmek istemem vesselâm.

Altıncı Sebep: Bana karşı ehl-i dünyanın verdikleri sıkıntı, siyaset için değil çünkü onlar da bilirler ki siyasete karışmıyorum, siyasetten kaçıyorum. Belki bilerek veya bilmeyerek zındıka hesabına, benim dine merbutiyetimden beni tazip ediyorlar. Öyle ise onlara müracaat etmek, dinden pişmanlık göstermek ve meslek-i zındıkayı okşamak demektir.

Hem ben onlara müracaat ve dehalet ettikçe; âdil olan kader-i İlahî, beni onların zalim eliyle tazip edecektir. Çünkü onlar diyanete merbutiyetimden beni sıkıyorlar. Kader ise benim diyanette ve ihlasta noksaniyetim var, ara sıra ehl-i dünyaya riyakârlıklarımdan için beni sıkıyor.

Öyle ise şimdilik şu sıkıntıdan kurtuluşum yok. Eğer ehl-i dünyaya müracaat etsem kader der: “Ey riyakâr! Bu müracaatın cezasını çek!” Eğer müracaat etmezsem ehl-i dünya der: “Bizi tanımıyorsun, sıkıntıda kal!”

Yedinci Sebep: Malûmdur ki bir memurun vazifesi, heyet-i içtimaiyeye muzır eşhasa meydan vermemek ve nâfi’lere yardım etmektir. Halbuki beni nezaret altına alan memur, kabir kapısına gelen misafir bir ihtiyar adama “Lâ ilahe illallah”taki imanın latîf bir zevkini izah ettiğim vakit –bir cürm-ü meşhud halinde beni yakalamak gibi– çok zaman yanıma gelmediği halde, o vakit güya bir kabahat işliyorum gibi yanıma geldi. İhlas ile dinleyen o bîçareyi de mahrum bıraktı, beni de hiddete getirdi. Halbuki burada bazı adamlar vardı, o onlara ehemmiyet vermiyordu. Sonra edepsizliklerde ve köydeki hayat-ı içtimaiyeye zehir verecek surette bulundukları vakit, onlara iltifat etmeye ve takdir etmeye başladı.

Hem malûmdur ki: Zindanda yüz cinayeti bulunan bir adam, nezarete memur zabit olsun, nefer olsun, her zaman onlarla görüşebilir. Halbuki bir senedir hem âmir hem nezarete memur hükûmet-i milliyece iki mühim zat kaç defa odamın yanından geçtikleri halde, kat’â ve aslâ ne benim ile görüştüler ve ne de halimi sordular. Ben evvel zannettim ki adâvetlerinden yanaşmıyorlar. Sonra tahakkuk etti ki evhamlarından… Güya ben onları yutacağım gibi kaçıyorlar.

İşte şu adamlar gibi eczası ve memurları bulunan bir hükûmeti, hükûmet diyerek merci tanıyıp müracaat etmek, kâr-ı akıl değil, beyhude bir zillettir. Eski Said olsaydı Antere gibi diyecekti:

مَاءُ ال۟حَيَاةِ بِذِلَّةٍ كَجَهَنَّمَ وَ جَهَنَّمُ بِال۟عِزِّ فَخ۟رُ مَن۟زِلٖى

Eski Said yok, Yeni Said ise ehl-i dünya ile konuşmayı manasız görüyor. Dünyaları başlarını yesin! Ne yaparlarsa yapsınlar! Mahkeme-i kübrada onlarla muhakeme olacağız der, sükût eder.

Adem-i müracaatımın sebeplerinden sekizincisi: “Gayr-ı meşru bir muhabbetin neticesi, merhametsiz bir adâvet olduğu” kaidesince, âdil olan kader-i İlahî, lâyık olmadıkları halde meylettiğim şu ehl-i dünyanın zalim eliyle beni tazip ediyor. Ben de bu azaba müstahakım deyip sükût ediyorum.

Çünkü Harb-i Umumî’de Gönüllü Alay Kumandanı olarak iki sene çalıştım, çarpıştım. Ordu Kumandanı ve Enver Paşa takdiratı altında kıymettar talebelerimi, dostlarımı feda ettim. Yaralanıp esir düştüm. Esaretten geldikten sonra Hutuvat-ı Sitte gibi eserlerimle kendimi tehlikeye atıp İngilizlerin İstanbul’a tasallutu altında, İngilizlerin başlarına vurdum. Şu beni işkenceli ve sebepsiz esaret altına alanlara yardım ettim. İşte onlar da bana, o yardım cezasını böyle veriyorlar. Üç sene Rusya’da esaretimde çektiğim zahmet ve sıkıntıyı, burada bu dostlarım bana üç ayda çektirdiler.

Halbuki Ruslar, beni Kürt Gönüllü Kumandanı suretinde, Kazakları ve esirleri kesen gaddar adam nazarıyla bana baktıkları halde, beni dersten men’etmediler. Arkadaşım olan doksan esir zabitlerin kısm-ı ekserisine ders veriyordum. Bir defa Rus Kumandanı geldi, dinledi. Türkçe bilmediği için siyasî ders zannetti; bir defa beni men’etti, sonra yine izin verdi. Hem aynı kışlada bir odayı cami yaptık. Ben imamlık yapıyordum. Hiç müdahale etmediler, ihtilattan men’etmediler, beni muhabereden kesmediler.

Halbuki bu dostlarım güya vatandaşlarım ve dindaşlarım ve onların menfaat-i imaniyelerine uğraştığım adamlar, hiçbir sebep yokken, siyasetten ve dünyadan alâkamı kestiğimi bilirlerken üç sene değil belki beni altı sene sıkıntılı bir esaret altına aldılar; ihtilattan men’ettiler. Vesikam olduğu halde dersten, hattâ odamda hususi dersimi de men’ettiler; muhabereye set çektiler. Hattâ vesikam olduğu halde, kendim tamir ettiğim ve dört sene imamlık ettiğim mescidimden beni men’ettiler. Şimdi dahi cemaat sevabından beni mahrum etmek için –daimî cemaatim ve âhiret kardeşlerim– mahsus üç adama dahi imamet etmemi kabul etmiyorlar.

Hem istemediğim halde, birisi bana iyi dese bana nezaret eden memur kıskanarak kızıyor, nüfuzunu kırayım diye vicdansızcasına tedbirler yapıyor, âmirlerinden iltifat görmek için beni taciz ediyor.

İşte böyle vaziyette bir adam, Cenab-ı Hak’tan başka kime müracaat eder? Hâkim, kendi müddeî olsa elbette ona şekva edilmez. Gel sen söyle, bu hale ne diyeceğiz? Sen ne dersen de. Ben derim ki: Bu dostlarım içinde çok münafıklar var. Münafık kâfirden eşeddir. Onun için kâfir Rus’un bana çektirmediğini çektiriyorlar.

Hey bedbahtlar! Ben size ne yaptım ve ne yapıyorum? İmanınızın kurtulmasına ve saadet-i ebediyenize hizmet ediyorum! Demek hizmetim hâlis, lillah için olmamış ki aksü’l-amel oluyor. Siz ona mukabil, her fırsatta beni incitiyorsunuz. Elbette mahkeme-i kübrada sizinle görüşeceğiz.

حَس۟بُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِع۟مَ ال۟وَكٖيلُ ۝ نِع۟مَ ال۟مَو۟لٰى وَنِع۟مَ النَّصٖيرُ derim.

اَل۟بَاقٖى هُوَ ال۟بَاقٖى

Said Nursî

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