The Eighth Word
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
God, there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Self Subsistent.(*[1]) Verily, the religion before God is Islam.(*[2])
If you want to understand this world, and man’s spirit within the world, and the nature and value of religion for man, and how the world is a prison if there is no True Religion, and that without religion man becomes the most miserable of creatures, and that it is “O God!” and, “There is no god but God” that solve this world’s talisman and deliver the human spirit from darkness, then listen to and consider this comparison:
Long ago, two brothers set off on a long journey. They continued on their way until the road forked. At the fork they saw a serious-looking man and asked him: “Which road is good?” He told them: “On the road to the right one is compelled to comply with the law and order, but within that hardship is security and happiness. However, on the left- hand road there is freedom and no restraint, but within its freedom lie danger and wretchedness. Now, the choice is yours!”
After listening to this, saying, “I place my trust in God,”(*[3]) the brother with a good character took the right road and conformed to the order and regulations. The other brother, who was immoral and a layabout, chose the road to the left just for the lack of restrictions. With our imaginations, we shall follow this man in his situation, which was apparently easy but in reality burdensome.
Thus, this man went up hill and down dale until he found himself in a desolate wilderness. He suddenly heard a terrifying sound and saw that a great lion had come out of the forest and was about to attack him. He fled. He came across a waterless well sixty yards deep, and in his fear jumped into it. He fell half-way down it where his hands met a tree. He clung on to it. The tree, which was growing out of the walls of the well, had two roots.Two rats, one white and one black, were attacking and gnawing through them. He looked up and saw that the lion was waiting at the top of the well like a sentry. He looked down and saw a ghastly dragon. It raised its head and drew it close to his foot thirty yards above. Its mouth was as big as the mouth of the well. Then he looked at the well’s walls and saw that stinging, poisonous vermin had gathered round him. He looked up at the mouth of the well and saw a fig-tree. But it was not an ordinary tree; it bore the fruit of many different trees, from walnuts to pomegranates.
Thus, due to his lack of thought and foolishness, the man did not understand that this was not just some ordinary matter, these things were not here by chance, and that there were mysterious secrets concealed in these strange beings. And he did not grasp that there was someone very powerful directing them. Now, although his heart, spirit, and mind were secretly weeping and wailing at this grievous situation, his evil-commanding soul pretended that it was nothing; it closed its ears to the weeping of his heart and spirit, and deceiving itself, started to eat the tree’s fruit as though it was in a garden. But some of the fruit were poisonous and harmful.
Almighty God says in a Divine Hadith: “I am according to how my servants think of Me.”(*[4]) Thus, through his foolishness and lack of understanding, this unhappy man thought what he saw to be ordinary and the actual truth. So that is the way he was treated, and is treated, and will be treated. He neither dies so that he is saved from it, nor does he live – he is in such torment. Now we shall leave this ill-omened man in his torment and return, so that we may consider the situation of the other brother.
This fortunate and intelligent person went on his way, but he suffered no distress like his brother. For, due to his fine morals, he thought of good things and imagined good things. Everything was friendly and familiar to him. And he did not suffer any difficulty and hardship like his brother, for he knew the order and followed it. He found it easy. He went on his way freely and in peace and security. Then he came across a garden in which were both lovely flowers and fruits, and, since it was not looked after, rotting and filthy things. His brother had also entered such a garden, but he had noticed and occupied himself with the filthy things and they had turned his stomach, so he had left it and moved on without being able to rest himself. But this man acted according to the rule, ‘look on the good side of everything,’ and had paid no attention to the rotting things. He had benefited a lot from the good things, and taking a good rest, he had left and gone on his way.
Later, also like the first brother, he had entered a vast desert, and had suddenly heard the roar of a lion which was attacking him. He was frightened,but not as much as his brother. For, because of his good thoughts and positive attitude, he thought to himself: “This desert has a ruler, and it is possible that this lion is a servant under the ruler’s command,” and found consolation. But he still fled until he came across an empty well sixty yards deep. He threw himself into it. Like his brother, his hand clasped a tree half-way down and he remained suspended in the air. He looked and saw two animals gnawing through the tree’s two roots. He looked up and saw the lion, and looked down and saw the dragon. Just like his brother he was seeing a most strange situation. He was terrified like him, but his terror was a thousand times less than his brother’s. For his good morals had given him good thoughts, and good thoughts show the good side of everything.
So, because of this, he thought as follows: “These strange happenings are connected to someone. Also it seems that they are acting in accordance with a command. In which case, these matters contain a talisman. Yes, everything is happening at the command of a hidden ruler. Therefore, I am not alone; the hidden ruler is watching me, he is testing me, he is impelling me somewhere for some purpose, and inviting me there.
A curiosity arising from this pleasant fear and these agreeable thoughts prompt me to say: I wonder who it is that is testing me, wants to make himself known, and is impelling me for some purpose on this strange road.” Then, love for the owner of the talisman arose out of the desire to know him, and from that love arose the desire to solve the talisman. And from that desire arose the will to acquire good qualities which would please and gratify the talisman’s owner.
Then he looked at the tree and saw it was a fig-tree, but it was bearing the fruits of thousands of trees. So then all his fear left him, for he understood that for certain the fig-tree was a list, an index, an exhibition. The hidden ruler must have attached samples of the fruits in the garden to the tree through a miracle and with a talisman, and must have adorned the tree in a way that would point to each of the foods he had prepared for his guests. For there is no other way a single tree could produce the fruits of thousands of different trees.
Then he began to entreat that he would be inspired with the key to the talisman. He called out: “O ruler of this place! I have happened upon you and I take refuge with you. I am your servant and I want to please you. I am searching for you.” After he had made this supplication, the walls of the well suddenly parted, and a door opened onto a wonderful, pleasant, quiet garden. Indeed, the dragon’s mouth was transformed into the door, and both it and the lion took on the forms of two servants; they invited him to enter. The lion even became a docile horse for him.
İşte ey tembel nefsim ve ey hayalî arkadaşım! Geliniz, bu iki kardeşin vaziyetlerini muvazene edelim. Tâ iyilik, nasıl iyilik getirir ve fenalık, nasıl fenalık getirir; görelim, bilelim.
Bakınız, sol yolun bedbaht yolcusu, her vakit ejderhanın ağzına girmeye muntazırdır, titriyor. Ve şu bahtiyar ise meyvedar ve revnaktar bir bahçeye davet edilir. Hem o bedbaht, elîm bir dehşette ve azîm bir korku içinde kalbi parçalanıyor. Ve şu bahtiyar ise leziz bir ibret, tatlı bir havf, mahbub bir marifet içinde garib şeyleri seyir ve temaşa ediyor. Hem o bedbaht, vahşet ve meyusiyet ve kimsesizlik içinde azap çekiyor. Ve şu bahtiyar ise ünsiyet ve ümit ve iştiyak içinde telezzüz ediyor. Hem o bedbaht, kendini vahşi canavarların hücumuna maruz bir mahpus hükmünde görüyor. Ve şu bahtiyar ise bir aziz misafirdir ki misafiri olduğu Mihmandar-ı Kerîm’in acib hizmetkârları ile ünsiyet edip eğleniyor. Hem o bedbaht zâhiren leziz, manen zehirli yemişleri yemekle azabını tacil ediyor. Zira o meyveler, numunelerdir, tatmaya izin var, tâ asıllarına talip olup müşteri olsun. Yoksa hayvan gibi yutmaya izin yoktur. Ve şu bahtiyar ise tadar, işi anlar, yemesini tehir eder ve intizar ile telezzüz eder. Hem o bedbaht, kendi kendine zulmetmiş. Gündüz gibi güzel bir hakikati ve parlak bir vaziyeti, basîretsizliği ile kendisine muzlim ve zulümatlı bir evham, bir cehennem şekline getirmiş. Ne şefkate müstahaktır ve ne de kimseden şekvaya hakkı vardır.
Mesela bir adam; güzel bir bahçede, ahbaplarının ortasında, yaz mevsiminde, hoş bir ziyafetteki keyfe kanaat etmeyip kendini pis müskirlerle sarhoş edip; kendisini kış ortasında, canavarlar içinde aç, çıplak tahayyül edip bağırmaya ve ağlamaya başlasa, nasıl şefkate lâyık değil, kendi kendine zulmediyor. Dostlarını canavar görüp tahkir ediyor. İşte bu bedbaht dahi öyledir. Ve şu bahtiyar ise hakikati görür. Hakikat ise güzeldir. Hakikatin hüsnünü derk etmekle hakikat sahibinin kemaline hürmet eder, rahmetine müstahak olur. İşte “Fenalığı kendinden, iyiliği Allah’tan bil.” olan hükm-ü Kur’anînin sırrı zâhir oluyor.
Daha bunlar gibi sair farkları muvazene etsen anlayacaksın ki evvelkisinin nefs-i emmaresi, ona bir manevî cehennem ihzar etmiş. Ve ötekisinin hüsn-ü niyeti ve hüsn-ü zannı ve hüsn-ü hasleti ve hüsn-ü fikri, onu büyük bir ihsan ve saadete ve parlak bir fazilete ve feyze mazhar etmiş.
Ey nefsim ve ey nefsimle beraber bu hikâyeyi dinleyen adam! Eğer bedbaht kardeş olmak istemezsen ve bahtiyar kardeş olmak istersen, Kur’an’ı dinle ve hükmüne mutî ol ve ona yapış ve ahkâmıyla amel et.
Şu hikâye-i temsiliyede olan hakikatleri eğer fehmettin ise hakikat-i dini ve dünyayı ve insanı ve imanı ona tatbik edebilirsin. Mühimlerini ben söyleyeceğim, incelerini sen kendin istihraç et.
İşte bak! O iki kardeş ise biri ruh-u mü’min ve kalb-i salihtir. Diğeri, ruh-u kâfir ve kalb-i fâsıktır.
Ve o iki tarîkten sağ ise tarîk-i Kur’an ve imandır, sol ise tarîk-i isyan ve küfrandır.
Ve o yoldaki bahçe ise cemiyet-i beşeriye ve medeniyet-i insaniye içinde muvakkat hayat-ı içtimaiyedir ki hayır ve şer, iyi ve fena, temiz ve pis şeyler beraber bulunur. Âkıl odur ki: خُذْ مَا صَفَا دَعْ مَا كَدَرْ kaidesiyle amel eder, selâmet-i kalp ile gider.
Ve o sahra ise şu arz ve dünyadır. Ve o arslan ise ölüm ve eceldir. Ve o kuyu ise beden-i insan ve zaman-ı hayattır. Ve o altmış arşın derinlik ise ömr-ü vasatî ve ömr-ü galibî olan altmış seneye işarettir. Ve o ağaç ise müddet-i ömür ve madde-i hayattır. Ve o siyah ve beyaz iki hayvan ise gece ve gündüzdür.
Ve o ejderha ise ağzı kabir olan tarîk-i berzahiye ve revak-ı uhrevîdir. Fakat o ağız, mü’min için zindandan bir bahçeye açılan bir kapıdır.
Ve o haşerat-ı muzırra ise musibat-ı dünyeviyedir. Fakat mü’min için gaflet uykusuna dalmamak için tatlı ikazat-ı İlahiye ve iltifatat-ı Rahmaniye hükmündedir.
Ve o ağaçtaki yemişler ise dünyevî nimetlerdir ki Cenab-ı Kerîm-i Mutlak, onları âhiret nimetlerine bir liste hem ihtar edici hem müşabihleri hem cennet meyvelerine müşterileri davet eden numuneler suretinde yapmış.
Ve o ağacın birliğiyle beraber muhtelif başka başka meyveler vermesi ise kudret-i Samedaniyenin sikkesine ve rububiyet-i İlahiyenin hâtemine ve saltanat-ı uluhiyetin turrasına işarettir. Çünkü “Bir tek şeyden her şeyi yapmak” yani bir topraktan bütün nebatat ve meyveleri yapmak, hem bir sudan bütün hayvanatı halk etmek, hem basit bir yemekten bütün cihazat-ı hayvaniyeyi icad etmek; bununla beraber “Her şeyi bir tek şey yapmak” yani zîhayatın yediği gayet muhtelifü’l-cins taamlardan o zîhayata bir lahm-ı mahsus yapmak, bir cild-i basit dokumak gibi sanatlar; Zat-ı Ehad-i Samed olan Sultan-ı ezel ve ebed’in sikke-i hâssasıdır, hâtem-i mahsusudur, taklit edilmez bir turrasıdır. Evet, bir şeyi her şey ve her şeyi bir şey yapmak; her şeyin Hâlık’ına has ve Kādir-i külli şey’e mahsus bir nişandır, bir âyettir.
Ve o tılsım ise sırr-ı iman ile açılan sırr-ı hikmet-i hilkattir ve o miftah ise يَا اَللّٰهُ ❀ لَااِلٰهَ اِلَّااللّٰهُ ❀ اَللّٰهُ لااِلٰهَ اِلَّاهُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ dur.
Ve o ejderha ağzı bahçe kapısına inkılab etmesi ise işarettir ki kabir ehl-i dalalet ve tuğyan için vahşet ve nisyan içinde, zindan gibi sıkıntılı ve bir ejderha batnı gibi dar bir mezara açılan bir kapı olduğu halde, ehl-i Kur’an ve iman için zindan-ı dünyadan bostan-ı bekaya ve meydan-ı imtihandan ravza-i cinana ve zahmet-i hayattan rahmet-i Rahman’a açılan bir kapıdır. Ve o vahşi arslanın dahi munis bir hizmetkâra dönmesi ve musahhar bir at olması ise işarettir ki mevt, ehl-i dalalet için bütün mahbubatından elîm bir firak-ı ebedîdir. Hem kendi cennet-i kâzibe-i dünyeviyesinden ihraç ve vahşet ve yalnızlık içinde zindan-ı mezara idhal ve hapis olduğu halde, ehl-i hidayet ve ehl-i Kur’an için öteki âleme gitmiş eski dost ve ahbaplarına kavuşmaya vesiledir. Hem hakiki vatanlarına ve ebedî makam-ı saadetlerine girmeye vasıtadır. Hem zindan-ı dünyadan bostan-ı cinana bir davettir. Hem Rahman-ı Rahîm’in fazlından kendi hizmetine mukabil ahz-ı ücret etmeye bir nöbettir. Hem vazife-i hayat külfetinden bir terhistir. Hem ubudiyet ve imtihanın talim ve talimatından bir paydostur.
Elhasıl: Her kim hayat-ı fâniyeyi esas maksat yapsa zâhiren bir cennet içinde olsa da manen cehennemdedir. Ve her kim hayat-ı bâkiyeye ciddi müteveccih ise saadet-i dâreyne mazhardır. Dünyası ne kadar fena ve sıkıntılı olsa da dünyasını, cennetin intizar salonu hükmünde gördüğü için hoş görür, tahammül eder, sabır içinde şükreder.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْنَا مِنْ اَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ وَالسَّلَامَةِ وَالْقُرْآنِ وَالْاِيمَانِ آمِينَ ❀ اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلٰى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلٰى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ بِعَدَدِ جَمِيعِ الْحُرُوفَاتِ الْمُتَشَكِّلَةِ فِي جَمِيعِ الْكَلِمَاتِ الْمُتَمَثِّلَةِ بِاِذْنِ الرَحْمٰنِ فِي مَرَايَا تَمَوُّجَاتِ الْهَوَاءِ عِنْدَ قِرَائَةِ كُلِّ كَلِمَةٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مِنْ كُلِّ قَارِئٍ مِنْ اَوَّلِ النُّزُولِ اِلٰى آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ وَارْحَمْنَا وَوَالِدَيْنَا وَارْحَمِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ بِعَدَدِهَا بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ ❀ آمِينَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ