The Eleventh Word
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
By the sun and its glorious splendour; * By the moon as it follows it; * By the day as it shows [the sun’s] glory; * By the night as it conceals it; * By the firmament and its wonderful structure; * By the earth and its wide expanse; * By the soul and the order and proportion given it.(*[1])
Brother! If you want to understand a little about the talisman of the wisdom of the world and the riddle of man’s creation and the mystery of the realit y of the prescribed prayers, then consider this short comparison together with my own soul.
One time there was a king. As wealth he had numerous treasuries containing diamonds and emeralds and jewels of every kind. Besides these he had other, hidden, wondrous treasuries. By way of attainment he had consummate skill in strange arts, and encompassing knowledge of innumerable wondrous sciences, and great erudition in endless branches of abstruse learning.
Now, like every possessor of beauty and perfection wants to see and display his own beauty and perfection, that glorious king wanted to open up an exhibition and set out displays within it in order to make manifest and display in the view of the people the majesty of his rule, his glittering wealth, the wonders of his art, and the marvels of his knowledge, and so that he could behold his beauty and perfection in two respects:
The First Respect: so that he himself could behold them with his own discerning eye.
The Other: so that he could look through the view of others.
With this purpose in mind, the king started to construct a vast and majestic palace. He divided it into magnificent apartments and dwellings, and decorated it with every sort of jewel from his treasuries, and with his own hand so full of art adorned it with the finest and most beautiful works. He ordered it with the subtlest of the arts of his wisdom, and decked it out with the miraculous works of his knowledge. Then after completing it, he set up in the palace broad tables containing the most delicious of every kind of food and every sort of bounty. He specified an appropriate table for each group. He set out such a munificent and artful banquet that it was as though the boundless priceless bounties he spread out had come into existence through the works of a hundred subtle arts.
Then he invited his people and subjects from all the regions of his lands to feast and behold the spectacle. Later the king appointed a Supreme Commander (PBUH) as teacher, to make known the purposes of the palace and the meanings of its contents; to describe its Maker and its contents to the people, make known the secrets of the palace’s embellishments, teach what the arts within it were pointing to, and to explain what the well-set jewels were, and the harmonious embroideries; and to explain to those who entered the palace the way in which they indicated the perfections and arts of the palace’s owner, and to inform them of the correct conduct in beholding them, and to explain the official ceremonies as the king, who did not appear, wished them to be.
The teacher and instructor had an assistant in each area of the palace, while he himself remained in the largest apartment among his students, making the following announcement to all the spectators. He told them:
“O people! By making this palace and displaying these things our lord, who is the king of the palace, wants to make himself known to you. You therefore should recognize Him and try to get to know Him. And with these adornments He wants to make Himself loved by you. Also, He shows His love for you through these bounties that you see, so you should love Him too by obeying Him. And through these bounties and gifts which are to be seen He shows His compassion and kindness for you, so you should show your respect for Him by offering thanks. And through these works of His perfection He wants to display His transcendent beauty to you, so you should show your eagerness to see Him and gain His regard. And through placing a particular stamp and special seal and an inimitable signet on every one of these adorned works of art that you see, He wants to show that everything is particular to Him, and is the work of His own hand, and that He is single and unique and independent and removed. You therefore should recognize that He is single and alone, and without peer or like or match, and accept that He is such.”
He spoke further fitting words to the spectators like these concerning the King and this station. Then the people who had entered the palace separated into two groups.
The First Group: Since these people had self-knowledge, were intelligent, and their hearts were in the right place, when they looked at the wonders inside the palace, they declared: “There are great matters afoot here!” They understood that it was not in vain or some trifling plaything. They were curious, and while wondering: “I wonder what the talisman to this is and what it contains,” they suddenly heard the speech the Master and Instructor was giving, and they realized that the keys to all the mysteries were with him. So they approached him and said: “Peace be upon you, O Master! By rights, a truthful and exact instructor like you is necessary for a magnificent palace such as this. Please tell us what our Lord has made known to you!”
First of all the Master repeated the speech to them. They listened carefully, and accepting it, profited greatly. They acted as the King wished. And because the King was pleased at their becoming conduct and manners, he invited them to another special, elevated, ineffable palace. And he bestowed it on them in a way worthy of such a munificent king, and fitting for such obedient subjects, and suitable for such well-mannered guests, and appropriate to such an elevated palace. He made them permanently happy.
As for the Second Group, because their minds were corrupted and their hearts extinguished, when they entered the palace, they were defeated by their evil-commanding souls and took notice of nothing apart from the delicious foods; they closed their eyes to all the virtues and stopped up their ears to the guidance of the Master (PBUH) and the warnings of his students. They stuffed themselves like animals then sank into sleep. They quaffed elixirs which had been prepared for certain other matters and were not to have been consumed. Then they became drunk and started shouting so much they greatly upset the other spectating guests. They were ill-mannered in the face of the Glorious Maker’s rules. So the soldiers of the palace’s owner arrested them, and cast them into a prison appropriate to such unmannerly people.
O friend who is listening to this story with me! Of course you have understood that the Glorious Creator built this palace for the above-mentioned aims. The achievement of these aims is dependent on two things:
The First: The existence of the Master (PBUH) whom we saw and whose speech we heard. Because if not for him, all the aims would have been futile. For an incomprehensible book with no author consists only of meaningless paper.
The Second is the people listening the Master’s words and accepting them. That is to say, the Master’s existence is the cause of the palace’s existence, and the people’s listening to him is the cause of the continuation of the palace’s existence. In which case, it may be said that if it had not been for the Master (PBUH), the Glorious King would not have built the palace. And again it may be said that when the people do not heed the Master’s (PBUH) instructions, the palace will of a certainty be transformed and changed.
Friend! The story ends here. If you have understood the meaning of the comparison, come and behold its reality.
The palace is this world. Its roof is the heavens illuminated with smiling stars, and its floor, the face of the earth adorned from east to west with multifarious flowers. As for the King, he is the Most Holy One, the Pre-Eternal and Post-Eternal Monarch, Whom all things in the seven heavens and the earth glorify and extol, each with its particular tongue. He is a king so powerful He created the heavens and earth in six days, then abided on the Throne. One of Power and Majesty, Who, alternating night and day like two threads, one white and one black, writes His signs of the page of the universe; One to Whose command the sun, moon, and stars are subjugated.
The apartments of the palace are the eighteen thousand worlds, each of which has been set in order and decorated in a fashion suitable to it. The strange arts you saw in the palace are the miracles of Divine power you see in this world, and the foods you saw there allude to the wonderful fruits of Divine mercy in this world, especially in summer, and above all in the gardens of Barla. The stove and kitchen there is the earth here, which has fire in its heart, and the face of the earth.
While the jewels of the hidden treasuries you saw in the comparison are the similitudes of the manifestations of the sacred Divine Names. And the embroideries there, and the signs of the embroideries, are the well-ordered and finely worked beings and the harmonious impresses of the pen of power which adorn this world and point to the Names of the All-Powerful One of Glory. As for the Master, he is our Master Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him). His assistants are the prophets (Peace be upon them), and his students, the saints and purified scholars. The ruler’s servants in the palace indicate the angels (Peace be upon them) in this world. And the guests invited to the banquet to spectate in the comparison are the jinn and mankind in this guest-house of the world, and the animals, who are the servants of mankind.
As for the two groups, one of them here consists of the people of belief, who are the students of the All-Wise Qur’an, the interpreter of the verses and signs of the book of the universe. The other group consists of the people of unbelief and rebellion, who follow Satan and their evil-commanding souls; deaf and dumb, like animals, or even lower, they form the group of the misguided, who recognize the life of this world only.
FIRST GROUP: These are the felicitous and the good, who listened to the Master, ‘the Possessor of Two Wings.’ He is both the worshipping servant of God; in regard to worship he describes his Sustainer so that he is like the envoy of his community at the Court of Almighty God. He is also God’s Messenger; with regard to Messengership he conveys his Sustainer’s decrees to men and the jinn by means of the Qur’an.
This happy community heeded the Messenger and listened to the Qur’an. They saw themselves invested with the prescribed prayers, which are the index of all the varieties of worship, and numerous subtle duties within elevated stations.
Indeed, they saw in detail the duties and stations which the prayers point to with their various formulas and actions. It was like this:
Firstly: Since they observed the Divine works, and in the form of a transaction in the absence of the person concerned, saw themselves in the station of observing the wonders of the sovereignty of dominicality, they performed the duty of extolling and glorifying God, declaring: “God is Most Great!”
Secondly: Through being seen in the station of herald of His brilliant and wonderful works, which are the manifestations of the sacred Divine Names, exclaiming: “Glory be to God! All Praise be to God!”, they performed the duty of hallowing and praising God.
Thirdly: In the station of perceiving and understanding with their inner and outer senses the bounties stored up in the treasuries of Divine mercy, they started to carry out the duty of thanks and praise.
Fourthly: In the station of weighing up with the scales of their spiritual faculties the jewels in the treasuries of the Divine Names, they began the duty of praise and declaring God to be free of all fault.
Fifthly: In the station of studying the Sustainer’s missives, written with the pen of power on the plan of Divine Determining, they began the duty of contemplation and appreciation.
Sixthly: With beholding the subtle, delicate, fine beauties in the creation of things and in the art in beings, in the station of declaring God to be free of all defect, they took up the duty of love and yearning for their All-Glorious Creator, their All-Beauteous Maker.
That is to say, after looking at the universe and works and performing the duties in the above-mentioned stations through transactions in the object of worship’s absence, they rose to the degree of also beholding the transactions and acts of the All-Wise Maker, whereby, in the form of a transaction in the presence of the person concerned, they responded with knowledge and wonder in the face of the All-Glorious Creator’s making Himself known to conscious beings through the miracles of His art, and declared: “Glory be unto You! How can we truly know you? What makes You known are the miracles of the works of Your art!”
Then, they responded with love and passion to that Most Merciful One’s making Himself loved through the beautiful fruits of His mercy.
“You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help!”, they declared.
Then they responded with thanks and praise to the True Bestower’s showing His mercy and compassion through His sweet bounties, and exclaimed:
“Glory be unto You! All praise is Yours! How can we thank You as is Your due? You are utterly worthy of thanks! For all Your bounties spread through all the universe hymn Your praises and thanks through the clear tongues of their beings. All Your bounties lined up in the market of the world and scattered over the face of the earth proclaim Your praises and extol You.
Through testifying to Your munificence and generosity, all the well-ordered and well- proportioned fruits of Your mercy and bounty offer You thanks before the gazes of Your creatures.” Then they responded, saying: “God is Most Great!” before the manifestation of Divine beauty, glory, perfection, and majesty in the mirrors of beings, ever changing on the face of the universe; they bowed reverently in their impotence, and prostrated in humility with love and wonder.
Then announcing their poverty and need, they responded with supplication and beseeching to the Possessor of Absolute Riches’ displaying the abundance of His wealth and breadth of His mercy, and declared: “From You alone do we seek help!”
Then they responded appreciatively to the All-Glorious Maker’s displaying the subtleties and wonders of His antique art in the exhibition of creatures, exclaiming: “What wonders God has willed!” Observing and applauding them, they declared, “How beautifully they have been made! What blessings God has bestowed!” Holding everyone witness, they said in wonder: “Come! Look at these! Hasten to the prayers and to prosperity!”
And they responded with submission and obedience to the Monarch of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity’s proclamation of the sovereignty of His dominicality in every corner of the universe and the manifestation of His unity. Declaring: “We hear and we obey!”, they affirmed His unity.
Then, before the manifestation of the Godhead of that Sustainer of All the Worlds, they responded with worship and humble veneration, which consists of proclaiming their poverty within need, and with the prescribed prayers, which are the summary of worship.
Thus, through performing their various duties of worship in the mighty mosque known as the abode of this world, they carried out the obligations and duties of their lives, and assumed ‘the finest of forms.’ They ascended to a rank above all creatures by which, through the auspiciousness of belief and assurance and ‘the Trust,’ they became trustworthy Vicegerents of God on the Earth.
Daha bunlar gibi gûnagûn ubudiyet vazifeleriyle şu dâr-ı dünya denilen mescid-i kebirinde farîza-i ömürlerini ve vazife-i hayatlarını eda edip ahsen-i takvim suretini aldılar. Bütün mahlukat üstünde bir mertebeye çıktılar ki yümn-ü iman ile emn ü emanet ile mücehhez, emin bir halife-i arz oldular.
Ve şu meydan-ı tecrübe ve şu destgâh-ı imtihandan sonra onların Rabb-i Kerîm’i onları, imanlarına mükâfat olarak saadet-i ebediyeye ve İslâmiyetlerine ücret olarak Dârü’s-selâm’a davet ederek öyle bir ikram etti ve eder ki hiç göz görmemiş ve kulak işitmemiş ve kalb-i beşere hutur etmemiş derecede parlak bir tarzda rahmetine mazhar etti ve onlara ebediyet ve beka verdi. Çünkü ebedî ve sermedî olan bir cemalin seyirci müştakı ve âyinedar âşığı, elbette bâki kalıp ebede gidecektir.
İşte Kur’an şakirdlerinin âkıbetleri böyledir. Cenab-ı Hak bizleri onlardan eylesin, âmin!
Amma füccar ve eşrar olan diğer güruh ise hadd-i büluğ ile şu âlem sarayına girdikleri vakit, bütün vahdaniyetin delillerine karşı küfür ile mukabele edip ve bütün nimetlere karşı küfran ile mukabele ederek ve bütün mevcudatı kıymetsizlikle kâfirane bir ittiham ile tahkir ettiler ve bütün esma-i İlahiyenin tecelliyatına karşı red ve inkâr ile mukabele ettiklerinden, az bir vakitte nihayetsiz bir cinayet işlediler; nihayetsiz bir azaba müstahak oldular. Evet, insana sermaye-i ömür ve cihazat-ı insaniye, mezkûr vezaif için verilmiştir.
Ey sersem nefsim ve ey pür-heves arkadaşım! Âyâ zannediyor musunuz ki vazife-i hayatınız; yalnız terbiye-i medeniye ile güzelce muhafaza-i nefis etmek, ayıp olmasın, batn ve fercin hizmetine mi münhasırdır? Yahut zannediyor musunuz ki hayatınızın makinesinde dercedilen şu nazik letaif ve maneviyat ve şu hassas aza ve âlât ve şu muntazam cevarih ve cihazat ve şu mütecessis havas ve hissiyatın gaye-i yegânesi; şu hayat-ı fâniyede nefs-i rezilenin, hevesat-ı süfliyenin tatmini için istimaline mi münhasırdır? Hâşâ ve kellâ! Belki vücudunuzda şunların yaratılması ve fıtratınızda bunların gaye-i idhali, iki esastır:
Biri: Cenab-ı Mün’im-i Hakiki’nin bütün nimetlerinin her bir çeşitlerini size ihsas ettirip şükrettirmekten ibarettir. Siz de hissedip şükür ve ibadetini etmelisiniz.
İkincisi: Âleme tecelli eden esma-i kudsiye-i İlahiyenin bütün tecelliyatının aksamını, birer birer, size o cihazat vasıtasıyla bildirip tattırmaktır. Siz dahi tatmakla tanıyarak iman getirmelisiniz.
İşte bu iki esas üzerine kemalât-ı insaniye neşv ü nema bulur. Bununla insan, insan olur.
İnsaniyetin cihazatı, hayvan gibi hayat-ı dünyeviyeyi kazanmak için verilmemiş olduğuna şu temsil sırrıyla bak:
Mesela, bir zat bir hizmetçisine yirmi altın verdi, tâ mahsus bir kumaştan kendisine bir kat libas alsın. O hizmetçi gitti, o kumaşın a’lâsından mükemmel bir libas aldı, giydi.
Sonra gördü ki o zat, diğer bir hizmetkârına bin altın verip bir kâğıt içinde bazı şeyler yazılı olarak onun cebine koydu, ticarete gönderdi. Şimdi, her aklı başında olan bilir ki o sermaye, bir kat libas almak için değil. Çünkü evvelki hizmetkâr, yirmi altınla en a’lâ kumaştan bir kat libas almış olduğundan elbette bu bin altın, bir kat libasa sarf edilmez. Şayet bu ikinci hizmetkâr, cebine konulan kâğıdı okumayıp belki evvelki hizmetçiye bakıp, bütün parayı bir dükkâncıya bir kat libas için verip hem o kumaşın en çürüğünden ve arkadaşının libasından elli derece aşağı bir libas alsa, elbette o hâdim nihayet derecede ahmaklık etmiş olacağı için şiddetle tazip ve hiddetle te’dib edilecektir.
Ey nefsim ve ey arkadaşım! Aklınızı başınıza toplayınız. Sermaye-i ömür ve istidad-ı hayatınızı hayvan gibi belki hayvandan çok aşağı bir derecede şu hayat-ı fâniye ve lezzet-i maddiyeye sarf etmeyiniz. Yoksa sermayece en a’lâ hayvandan elli derece yüksek olduğunuz halde en ednasından elli derece aşağı düşersiniz.
Ey gafil nefsim! Senin hayatının gayesini ve hayatının mahiyetini hem hayatının suretini hem hayatının sırr-ı hakikatini hem hayatının kemal-i saadetini bir derece anlamak istersen bak:
Senin hayatının gayelerinin icmali dokuz emirdir:
Birincisi şudur ki: Senin vücudunda konulan duygular terazileriyle rahmet-i İlahiyenin hazinelerinde iddihar edilen nimetleri tartmaktır ve küllî şükretmektir.
İkincisi: Senin fıtratında vaz’edilen cihazatın anahtarlarıyla esma-i kudsiye-i İlahiyenin gizli definelerini açmaktır, Zat-ı Akdes’i o esma ile tanımaktır.
Üçüncüsü: Şu teşhirgâh-ı dünyada, mahlukat nazarında, esma-i İlahiyenin sana taktıkları garib sanatlarını ve latîf cilvelerini bilerek hayatınla teşhir ve izhar etmektir.
Dördüncüsü: Lisan-ı hal ve kālinle Hâlık’ının dergâh-ı rububiyetine ubudiyetini ilan etmektir.
Beşincisi: Nasıl bir asker, padişahından aldığı türlü türlü nişanları, resmî vakitlerde takıp padişahın nazarında görünmekle onun iltifatat-ı âsârını gösterdiği gibi sen dahi esma-i İlahiyenin cilvelerinin sana verdikleri letaif-i insaniye murassaatıyla bilerek süslenip o Şahid-i Ezelî’nin nazar-ı şuhud ve işhadına görünmektir.
Altıncısı: Zevi’l-hayat olanların tezahürat-ı hayatiye denilen, Hâlıklarına tahiyyatları; ve rumuzat-ı hayatiye denilen, Sâni’lerine tesbihatları ve semerat ve gayat-ı hayatiye denilen, Vâhibü’l-hayat’a arz-ı ubudiyetlerini bilerek müşahede etmek, tefekkür ile görüp şehadetle göstermektir.
Yedincisi: Senin hayatına verilen cüz’î ilim ve kudret ve irade gibi sıfat ve hallerinden küçük numunelerini vâhid-i kıyasî ittihaz ile Hâlık-ı Zülcelal’in sıfât-ı mutlakasını ve şuun-u mukaddesesini o ölçüler ile bilmektir. Mesela sen, cüz’î iktidarın ve cüz’î ilmin ve cüz’î iraden ile bu haneyi muntazam yaptığından şu kasr-ı âlemin senin hanenden büyüklüğü derecesinde, şu âlemin ustasını o nisbette Kadîr, Alîm, Hakîm, Müdebbir bilmek lâzımdır.
Sekizincisi: Şu âlemdeki mevcudatın her biri kendine mahsus bir dil ile Hâlık’ının vahdaniyetine ve Sâni’inin rububiyetine dair manevî sözlerini fehmetmektir.
Dokuzuncusu: Acz ve zaafın, fakr ve ihtiyacın ölçüsüyle kudret-i İlahiye ve gına-yı Rabbaniyenin derecat-ı tecelliyatını anlamaktır. Nasıl ki açlığın dereceleri nisbetinde ve ihtiyacın envaı miktarınca, taamın lezzeti ve derecatı ve çeşitleri anlaşılır. Onun gibi sen de nihayetsiz aczin ve fakrınla nihayetsiz kudret ve gına-yı İlahiyenin derecatını fehmetmelisin. İşte senin hayatının gayeleri, icmalen bunlar gibi emirlerdir.
Şimdi kendi hayatının mahiyetine bak ki o mahiyetinin icmali şudur:
Esma-i İlahiyeye ait garaibin fihristesi hem şuun ve sıfât-ı İlahiyenin bir mikyası hem kâinattaki âlemlerin bir mizanı hem bu âlem-i kebirin bir listesi hem şu kâinatın bir haritası hem şu kitab-ı ekberin bir fezlekesi hem kudretin gizli definelerini açacak bir anahtar külçesi hem mevcudata serpilen ve evkata takılan kemalâtının bir ahsen-i takvimidir. İşte mahiyet-i hayatın bunlar gibi emirlerdir.
Şimdi senin hayatının sureti ve tarz-ı vazifesi şudur ki:
Hayatın bir kelime-i mektubedir. Kalem-i kudretle yazılmış hikmet-nüma bir sözdür. Görünüp ve işitilip esma-i hüsnaya delâlet eder. İşte hayatının sureti bu gibi emirlerdir.
Şimdi hayatının sırr-ı hakikati şudur ki:
Tecelli-i ehadiyete, cilve-i samediyete âyineliktir. Yani bütün âleme tecelli eden esmanın nokta-i mihrakıyesi hükmünde bir câmiiyetle Zat-ı Ehad-i Samed’e âyineliktir.
Şimdi hayatının saadet içindeki kemali ise:
Senin hayatının âyinesinde temessül eden Şems-i Ezelî’nin envarını hissedip sevmektir. Zîşuur olarak ona şevk göstermektir. Onun muhabbetiyle kendinden geçmektir. Kalbin göz bebeğinde aks-i nurunu yerleştirmektir. İşte bu sırdandır ki seni a’lâ-yı illiyyîne çıkaran bir hadîs-i kudsînin meal-i şerifi olan
مَنْ نَه گُنْجَمْ دَرْ سَمٰوَاتُ وزَمِينْ ❀ اَزْ عَجَبْ گُنْجَمْ بَقَلْبِ مُوٴْمِنِينْ
denilmiştir.
İşte ey nefsim! Hayatının böyle ulvi gayata müteveccih olduğu ve şöyle kıymetli hazineleri câmi’ olduğu halde, hiç akıl ve insafa lâyık mıdır ki hiç-ender hiç olan muvakkat huzuzat-ı nefsaniyeye, geçici lezaiz-i dünyeviyeye sarf edip zayi edersin? Eğer zayi etmemek istersen, geçen temsil ve hakikate remzeden
وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحٰيهَا ❀ وَالْقَمَرِ اِذَا تَلٰيهَا ❀ وَالنَّـهَارِ اِذَا جَلّٰيهَا ❀ وَالَّيْلِ اِذَا يَغْشٰيهَا ❀ وَالسَّمَٓاءِ وَمَا بَنٰيهَا ❀ وَالْاَرْضِ وَمَا طَحٰيهَا ❀ وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوّٰيهَا ❀ فَاَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوٰيهَا ❀ قَدْ اَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكّٰيهَا ❀ وَقَدْخَابَ مَنْ دَسّٰيهَا
suresindeki kasem ve cevab-ı kasemi düşünüp amel et.
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلٰى شَمْسِ سَمَاءِ الرِّسَالَةِ وَقَمَرِ بُرْجِ النُّبُوَّةِ وَعَلٰى آلِهِ وَاَصْحَابِهِ نُجُومِ الْهِدَايَةِ وَارْحَمْنَا وَارْحَمِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ آمِينْ آمِينْ آمِينْ
- ↑ *Qur’an, 91:1-7.