THE CALL FROM THE SHRINE OF THE HEART OF RUMI
Some people are already in the past while they are still alive. And yet there are others who continue to vigorously refresh our spirits and revive our hearts even though they passed away centuries ago. These are people who simply do not become history.
Such people are the friends of Allah, who throughout their entire existence have become one with leir Lord. The graves of these friends of Allah are located in the hearts of believers. Although their ansient bodies became dust long ago, they continue to live and inspire us today with their devout udy and knowledge of the hearts. And surely, they will remain alive through their spiritual guidance id service to humanity.
One of the most distinguished of such friends of Allah is Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi who continues i revive hearts, filling them with grace and leading them with his spiritual guidance, thanks to the meless, abounding bounty that Allah the Almighty bestowed upon him.
Rumi is one that invites us to faith and he is an absolute healer of hearts. The invocation of his heart id his profound call are cures for the illnesses of hearts until the Day of Judgment. His call will always ig out, never to become obsolete. The recital of his supplications, the Mathnawi, beautifully expresses e secret of his constantly renewing message of the heart:
" When you see the river of life which is eternal, throw the water from your bowl into it; this water is your life. Thus you will join the river of eternity! Could water that goes before a river ever be held back?
"The water in the bowl, when it joins the water in the river, becomes free of its own existence and becomes the water of the river.
" When this happens, the nature and the state of the water in the bowl become non-existent and only the essence remains. This essence can never be reduced nor spoiled nor become putrid."
Therefore, the profound call of those who have attained the state of becoming the essence after breaking free of their transient lower natures will never diminish in strength, never be spoiled or become putrid. They are, in truth, like rivers that rid themselves of their own color, rhythm and flow, reaching the endless oceans.
From the horizon of eternity, Rumi illuminates the truth of the phenomenon of the human being in a manner that is beyond time and space. Even after centuries, the subject, content and style of his words have lost nothing of their refreshing novelty and liveliness. They are like a spring breeze that transcends centuries and brings life to the gardens of the heart, wafting the scent of heaven to us.
These prominent friends of Allah have always been the guides in their societies, guides for people who want to find the true faith, guides even of sultans who ruled the world; this is because they could see things through the eye of the heart and divine love. As a matter of fact, they removed the curtain over exoteric sciences and rational knowledge and were showered with the blessing manifestations of Divine Love.
The feelings and thoughts of people like Rumi whose world of the heart was permeated with Divine Love and nearness to Allah, are blessed with Divine Wisdom; Allah the Almighty is the eye through which they see and He is the hand that they hold. This makes them a center of spiritual attention that draws people's hearts toward itself. As a matter of fact, because Allah the Almighty loves these genuine servants of His, He makes His other servants love them as well. In the Holy Qur'an it is stated:
Surely (as for) those who believe and do good deeds for them will Allah bring about love. (Qur'an :19/96)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) says in a hadith: "If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel, saying, 'Allah loves so and-so; 0 Gabriel! Love him.' Gabriel will love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of Heaven: 'Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also,' and so all the inhabitants of Heaven will love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth."
(Bukhari, Beginning of Creation, 6)
This is a blessing of such great dimensions that people cannot be thankful enough for it, indeed, they can not even conceive of its dimensions. In another hadith Prophet Muhammad informs us that Allah Almighty says:
7 am near to the thought of My servant when he thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance)." (Bukhari,
Tawhid, 15; Muslim, Dhikr, 2,19,50)
If a believer remembers Allah Almighty in their heart and reflects on His creation and His blessings, Allah will remove the veils from the believer's path and bless the believer with a myriad of spiritual manifestations. If a believer remembers Allah in an assembly and seeks to convey the truth and message of Islam and praise it, then Allah Almighty makes all the inhabitants of Heaven love them and the inhabitants pray for the good of this person.
The nature of this love is such that it sparkles in the hearts which touch and embrace all, at every level of society, from the lowest to the highest, whatever their profession or inclinations. How could anyone not love such a person? Inside the shrines of the heart of these friends of Allah, like Rumi, anybody from the desolate to the down-and-out, from the needy to the oppressed, from the sinful to the devout, can find a compassionate embrace that is forever open.
In the face of the silent cries and laments for help that rise from the souls of the ignorant, who think their misery is their happiness, the discerning and altruistic heart of Rumi, a profound ocean of mercy, invokes Allah thus:
"My Lord, if only Your devout servants are to hope for Your mercy, who can the sinful turn to for help?..
My Lord Almighty, if You only accept Your the most select of servants, with whom will the sinful
plead?.. (And Verily, You are the Most Merciful!..)"
Friends of Allah, like Abdul Qadir Jilani, Shah Naqshband, Yunus Emre and Rumi. These friends of Allah treat the sinful with compassion, as if they are birds with broken wings; they work on the principle that 'only a broken tool is brought to the repair shop'. They believe that reviving the shrines of the heart of the sinful with their gaze is the eternal and utmost happiness and that it is a blessing for themselves and one which is more precious than anything else in the world.
Compassion and mercy are in the very nature of these absolute believers who have the manifestations of two of Allah's names reflected. on themselves: Rahman (The All Beneficient) and Rahim (The Most Merciful). Again, these devout believers purge themselves of the egotism of 'me, only me' and instead attain the altruism of 'my ummah, my ummah', leading a life of reforming the souls and behavior of people. Their spiritual guidance continues, even after their transient bodies pass away. They are the ones that use their souls as bridges to the ultimate union with Allah at the end of the long journey of taming their nafs; they strive to take the ummah nearer their Lord along the same path. They are the guides of the masses who are waiting for salvation. They are spiritual heroes who assume the responsibility of the masses in their conscience, in the presence of Allah and His servants.
Friends of Allah are eternally happy people who are blessed with the completion of the seen (external) and unseen (inner) aspects of their lives on the path of Sufism; the attain perfection of conduct as a result of their gradual elevation through the states and stages of the heart. They are the pinnacles of perfection of prophetic guidance and conduct and they can be found in all eras. They are the living guides and examples to those that did not have the honor of seeing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions.
In a hadith, Prophet Muhammad says, "Scholars (who have completed the inner and external aspects of their lives and have perfected their knowledge to the point of gnosis) are the successors of the prophets." (Abu Dawud, Knowledge.1)
The advice and suggestions of the people of Allah are manifestations of the inspiration and benevolence of Prophet Muhammad's preaching. It is the Prophet (pbuh) who is the core of spiritual benevolence. Lectures and advice embellished with divine truths and spiritual fire are like crystal drops falling upon us from this core through spiritual transmission. It is imperative that we look upon the communions of friends of Allah as rare treasures, for they are eminent personalities who have emulated the twenty-three years of Prophet Muhammad's prophethood, verbally, practically and emotionally, for the ummah. That is why their advice and warnings are healers of hearts.
One day, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told his companions: "When you see a tree of Heaven, sit under its shade and eat from the fruit" They asked him in response: "0, Messenger of Allah, how is this possible while we are still in this world?" The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "When you come across a true scholar, it is like coming across a tree from heaven."
Thus, the friends of Allah are the trees of heaven, who for centuries, with their shade of benevolence, have soothed hearts that ache with • love and they continue to do so. Their wise and exemplary advice nourishes the hearts that adore the truth.
Rumi says: "Allah sent prophets and saints to this world as a mercy. That is why they put great effort into preaching and advising people. And they pray to Allah for those who do not listen to them and say, 'My Lord, please have mercy on them, do not close the door of your mercy on them.
"0 you! Come to your senses and listen to the advice of the saints with great passion. Listen so that you can be free of fear and sorrow, attain spiritual peace and be safe and secure forever.
"Before you miss the opportunity and start to hesitate, follow a completed person who has purged himself of the deceptions of this transitory world and submitted himself thoroughly to Allah, follow him so that you can be saved from the incitements of this corrupted world.
"Words of the friends of Allah are like a pure, crystal river of the waters of eternal life. Drink from that water as much as you can when you have the chance, drink so that flowers and roses blossom in your heart."
Friends of Allah are like rivers that flow a long way, bringing life to thousands of species, people, animals, trees, flowers and birds. The ultimate destination of these rivers is the sea of eternal union with Allah, who is the Truth.
Their lives are pinnacles of humanity, just as their deaths are exceptional and exemplary lessons of wisdom. For they live on this world by paying utmost attention to the fact that there is an afterworld and they lead their lives in loving harmony with the divine will; this is why death, in their eyes, is far from being a dark nightmare. Instead they consider it to be the sine qua non for the attainment of ultimate union with Allah. Rumi says: "OSon! Everybody's death comes in their own hue. To those who hate death and feel hostile towards it without thinking that it is this which will bring them nearer to Allah, death appears as a dreadful enemy. And it appears to those that are friends with it as a friend."
That is why the fact of death, which sends shivers through most people's bodies and which they dread, is, to the friends of Allah, the 'wedding night', the union with the beloved. They will be made free of all the fears of the world for they feared nothing but going against the will of Allah while in this world. The verses of the Qur'an speak of this:
'Now surely the friends of Allah-theyshall have no fear nor shall they grieve.' (Qur'an:10/62)
'They shall have good news in this world's life and in the hereafter.' (Qur'an:!0/64)
Just as every prophet had his own distinguishing attributes; the friends of Allah have theirs too. In the sphere of the heart though, all of these know Allah in a way that is very different compared to the scope of the comprehension and concepts of ordinary people. They remain in their heart above and beyond all that is transitory and they keep striving to be closer to Allah, who is the Truth. They remain ever cognizant of their weakness in this sphere of infinite gnosis. Even so, these people are neither all at the same stage nor are they all given the same responsibilities.
Some of them are not given the responsibility of spiritual guidance. They are in a constant state of silence. This kind of people is speechless in the face of the ways of Divine Power.
Some others on the other hand return amongst people at the end of their completion. These are the ones who are responsible for spiritual guidance. Such friends of Allah, who assume the responsibility for humanity are like waterfalls. Divine secrets and wisdom come flowing through their tongues and hearts.
In their relationships with people, they are like a teacher training a child in progressive stages; sometimes they act as though they do not know most of the secrets, wisdom and truths that are in their knowledge and in their hearts.
A thinker who is a lover of Rumi tells of the inability of the majority of people to fully comprehend his most profound states in the following excerpt:
"We only listen to the ecstatic laments of MawlanaJalaladdin Rumi. There is no possibility for us to see into the depths of the sea of peace in which he was immersed. We can only see whatever comes floating up to the surface of the sea from those depths. What we have is not the love that Rumi had, but the expressions of that love in the form of ecstatic laments. This is the extent of what we can understand with our fairly inadequate language. It is only he who was immersed-in the sea of peace. And we are left with the sounds of the storms of his ecstasy. Alas! We think that those sounds are Rumi himself."
Historically Turkey is known as the nation that. reads the Mathnawi the most, after the Glorious Qur'an and the hadith. In fact, there are only three works of heart in our history for which we use the attribute sharif (noble, exalted, and respected}. The first of these is Bukhari al-Sharif that contains the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (pbuh). The second is Shifah al-Sharif, which is a description of our beloved Master's appearance and attributes. And the last one is Mathnawi al-Sharif of Rumi. Within the framework of the great and profound understanding of the Mawlawi order, the reed flute, seen in the Mathnawi, is a symbol of the 'complete spirituality, perfect human being.' Yet, some groups of people treat it only as a musical instrument Throughout Ottoman history, these three glorious works were taught without any remuneration in the mosques by people who had the necessary credentials. We need also to retreat into our inner world to contemplate how much we can comprehend Rumi and how much we can benefit from the spiritual guidance of this doctor of the heart; he offers us a recipe for salvation from the illnesses of the heart.
However, some people today discard the spiritual dimension of Rumi either intentionally or out of ignorance and instead, they convey a false image of him and a false idea of the Mawlawi order that have more to do with worldliness and which is more profane, looking no deeper than the surface. Yet again the sema ritual (the whirling of dervishes), which has great importance in the Mawlawi order, has been made to look like a type of folk dance.
In truth, the life of Rumi was one that was dignified by his loyalty to the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Stating that the Qur'an is an infinite, profound ocean of truths, he says:
"It is possible to depict the appearance of Qur'an with a pen and an inkstand. To put all the secrets that it contains into words, however, is not conceivable, even if the oceans turned to ink and all the trees of the world to pens."
Those who claim that Rumi was not a Muslim who lived by the Qur'an, trying to present him as someone who endorsed different beliefs and philosophies, will have to face up to his answer:
"/ will be a subject and slave of the Qur'an so long as this soul remains in this body. I am the sand on the path of Muhammad, who is the chosen one. If anyone recounts anything different than this as my words, I will be displeased with both that person and those words."
Very truly, Rumi is a spiritual guide who leads humanity to the truth; this truth is nothing less than the divine directions of the Qur'an. One can see this in his works which come alive through his very words. This eminent friend of Allah thus says:
"The Mathnawi is a path for those who desire to be near to Allah and become cognizant and insightful of His secrets. The Mathnawi is a cure for the hearts of those who are purified. It washes away the sorrow, helps to understand the Qur'an clearly and reforms the character."
In short, the gist of Rumi's guidance for all humanity, which will continue until Doomsday, is: "Make faith a source of pleasure for the hearts. Make hearts capable of benefiting from the Qur'an and the spirituality of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) at the most profound level.
Improve the religious brotherhood to a level of mutual love, compassion and service and make sacrifices for each other, remaining ever-aware of this state. Attain a compassionate and merciful outlook on and a profound sensibility for all that has been created for the sake of the love of their Creator.
Comprehend the human being in his own truth and the divine blessings bestowed upon him; have an intimate understanding of the secrets and wisdom written upon the pages of the universe. Know that being human, one has been 'created in the best form'; protect the dignity of being human; be cognizant of one's own differences from other creatures and act in accordance with it."
Rumi describes his state at the peak of his career in exoteric sciences as "I was unripe"; he then goes on to call the state when he was bestowed with the manifestations of gnosis and when the secrets of the universe started to be revealed to him as "I ripened" and finally, he tells his state in attaining union with the love of Allah as "I burned".
How sad it is that people who are sent to this world to be tested as subjects of Allah are in fact deceived by the allures of the world and fall into negligence. Death will fall upon and swallow everyone like a fiery whirlwind and it is without a doubt the most dreadful disaster to come. All paths of life disappear into the horizon of death; this is the most momentous phenomenon of all and it is heart-wrenching. Considering the fact that there is nothing more astounding to those who are alive than death, people who comprehend the majesty of death should also give up the transitory benefits of this world and live a life of taqwa (piety). For this reason, people must be in awe in the face of the ways of Divine Majesty and Power and contemplate the secrets and wisdom written upon the pages of the universe. They should never forget that there will be a new dawn of truth rising from the heart of death and that they will have to account for everything that has been recorded in their life, in front of Divine Judgment.
My Lord! Grant us all the ability to contemplate the universe through the eyes of Divine Love and give us refined sensibility, heartfelt awe and the passion of the faithful in our contemplation. Bless us all with tears of regret and repentance and take us to the land of Your mercy and forgiveness.
Such people are the friends of Allah, who throughout their entire existence have become one with leir Lord. The graves of these friends of Allah are located in the hearts of believers. Although their ansient bodies became dust long ago, they continue to live and inspire us today with their devout udy and knowledge of the hearts. And surely, they will remain alive through their spiritual guidance id service to humanity.
One of the most distinguished of such friends of Allah is Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi who continues i revive hearts, filling them with grace and leading them with his spiritual guidance, thanks to the meless, abounding bounty that Allah the Almighty bestowed upon him.
Rumi is one that invites us to faith and he is an absolute healer of hearts. The invocation of his heart id his profound call are cures for the illnesses of hearts until the Day of Judgment. His call will always ig out, never to become obsolete. The recital of his supplications, the Mathnawi, beautifully expresses e secret of his constantly renewing message of the heart:
" When you see the river of life which is eternal, throw the water from your bowl into it; this water is your life. Thus you will join the river of eternity! Could water that goes before a river ever be held back?
"The water in the bowl, when it joins the water in the river, becomes free of its own existence and becomes the water of the river.
" When this happens, the nature and the state of the water in the bowl become non-existent and only the essence remains. This essence can never be reduced nor spoiled nor become putrid."
Therefore, the profound call of those who have attained the state of becoming the essence after breaking free of their transient lower natures will never diminish in strength, never be spoiled or become putrid. They are, in truth, like rivers that rid themselves of their own color, rhythm and flow, reaching the endless oceans.
From the horizon of eternity, Rumi illuminates the truth of the phenomenon of the human being in a manner that is beyond time and space. Even after centuries, the subject, content and style of his words have lost nothing of their refreshing novelty and liveliness. They are like a spring breeze that transcends centuries and brings life to the gardens of the heart, wafting the scent of heaven to us.
These prominent friends of Allah have always been the guides in their societies, guides for people who want to find the true faith, guides even of sultans who ruled the world; this is because they could see things through the eye of the heart and divine love. As a matter of fact, they removed the curtain over exoteric sciences and rational knowledge and were showered with the blessing manifestations of Divine Love.
The feelings and thoughts of people like Rumi whose world of the heart was permeated with Divine Love and nearness to Allah, are blessed with Divine Wisdom; Allah the Almighty is the eye through which they see and He is the hand that they hold. This makes them a center of spiritual attention that draws people's hearts toward itself. As a matter of fact, because Allah the Almighty loves these genuine servants of His, He makes His other servants love them as well. In the Holy Qur'an it is stated:
Surely (as for) those who believe and do good deeds for them will Allah bring about love. (Qur'an :19/96)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) says in a hadith: "If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel, saying, 'Allah loves so and-so; 0 Gabriel! Love him.' Gabriel will love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of Heaven: 'Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also,' and so all the inhabitants of Heaven will love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth."
(Bukhari, Beginning of Creation, 6)
This is a blessing of such great dimensions that people cannot be thankful enough for it, indeed, they can not even conceive of its dimensions. In another hadith Prophet Muhammad informs us that Allah Almighty says:
7 am near to the thought of My servant when he thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance)." (Bukhari,
Tawhid, 15; Muslim, Dhikr, 2,19,50)
If a believer remembers Allah Almighty in their heart and reflects on His creation and His blessings, Allah will remove the veils from the believer's path and bless the believer with a myriad of spiritual manifestations. If a believer remembers Allah in an assembly and seeks to convey the truth and message of Islam and praise it, then Allah Almighty makes all the inhabitants of Heaven love them and the inhabitants pray for the good of this person.
The nature of this love is such that it sparkles in the hearts which touch and embrace all, at every level of society, from the lowest to the highest, whatever their profession or inclinations. How could anyone not love such a person? Inside the shrines of the heart of these friends of Allah, like Rumi, anybody from the desolate to the down-and-out, from the needy to the oppressed, from the sinful to the devout, can find a compassionate embrace that is forever open.
In the face of the silent cries and laments for help that rise from the souls of the ignorant, who think their misery is their happiness, the discerning and altruistic heart of Rumi, a profound ocean of mercy, invokes Allah thus:
"My Lord, if only Your devout servants are to hope for Your mercy, who can the sinful turn to for help?..
My Lord Almighty, if You only accept Your the most select of servants, with whom will the sinful
plead?.. (And Verily, You are the Most Merciful!..)"
Friends of Allah, like Abdul Qadir Jilani, Shah Naqshband, Yunus Emre and Rumi. These friends of Allah treat the sinful with compassion, as if they are birds with broken wings; they work on the principle that 'only a broken tool is brought to the repair shop'. They believe that reviving the shrines of the heart of the sinful with their gaze is the eternal and utmost happiness and that it is a blessing for themselves and one which is more precious than anything else in the world.
Compassion and mercy are in the very nature of these absolute believers who have the manifestations of two of Allah's names reflected. on themselves: Rahman (The All Beneficient) and Rahim (The Most Merciful). Again, these devout believers purge themselves of the egotism of 'me, only me' and instead attain the altruism of 'my ummah, my ummah', leading a life of reforming the souls and behavior of people. Their spiritual guidance continues, even after their transient bodies pass away. They are the ones that use their souls as bridges to the ultimate union with Allah at the end of the long journey of taming their nafs; they strive to take the ummah nearer their Lord along the same path. They are the guides of the masses who are waiting for salvation. They are spiritual heroes who assume the responsibility of the masses in their conscience, in the presence of Allah and His servants.
Friends of Allah are eternally happy people who are blessed with the completion of the seen (external) and unseen (inner) aspects of their lives on the path of Sufism; the attain perfection of conduct as a result of their gradual elevation through the states and stages of the heart. They are the pinnacles of perfection of prophetic guidance and conduct and they can be found in all eras. They are the living guides and examples to those that did not have the honor of seeing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions.
In a hadith, Prophet Muhammad says, "Scholars (who have completed the inner and external aspects of their lives and have perfected their knowledge to the point of gnosis) are the successors of the prophets." (Abu Dawud, Knowledge.1)
The advice and suggestions of the people of Allah are manifestations of the inspiration and benevolence of Prophet Muhammad's preaching. It is the Prophet (pbuh) who is the core of spiritual benevolence. Lectures and advice embellished with divine truths and spiritual fire are like crystal drops falling upon us from this core through spiritual transmission. It is imperative that we look upon the communions of friends of Allah as rare treasures, for they are eminent personalities who have emulated the twenty-three years of Prophet Muhammad's prophethood, verbally, practically and emotionally, for the ummah. That is why their advice and warnings are healers of hearts.
One day, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told his companions: "When you see a tree of Heaven, sit under its shade and eat from the fruit" They asked him in response: "0, Messenger of Allah, how is this possible while we are still in this world?" The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "When you come across a true scholar, it is like coming across a tree from heaven."
Thus, the friends of Allah are the trees of heaven, who for centuries, with their shade of benevolence, have soothed hearts that ache with • love and they continue to do so. Their wise and exemplary advice nourishes the hearts that adore the truth.
Rumi says: "Allah sent prophets and saints to this world as a mercy. That is why they put great effort into preaching and advising people. And they pray to Allah for those who do not listen to them and say, 'My Lord, please have mercy on them, do not close the door of your mercy on them.
"0 you! Come to your senses and listen to the advice of the saints with great passion. Listen so that you can be free of fear and sorrow, attain spiritual peace and be safe and secure forever.
"Before you miss the opportunity and start to hesitate, follow a completed person who has purged himself of the deceptions of this transitory world and submitted himself thoroughly to Allah, follow him so that you can be saved from the incitements of this corrupted world.
"Words of the friends of Allah are like a pure, crystal river of the waters of eternal life. Drink from that water as much as you can when you have the chance, drink so that flowers and roses blossom in your heart."
Friends of Allah are like rivers that flow a long way, bringing life to thousands of species, people, animals, trees, flowers and birds. The ultimate destination of these rivers is the sea of eternal union with Allah, who is the Truth.
Their lives are pinnacles of humanity, just as their deaths are exceptional and exemplary lessons of wisdom. For they live on this world by paying utmost attention to the fact that there is an afterworld and they lead their lives in loving harmony with the divine will; this is why death, in their eyes, is far from being a dark nightmare. Instead they consider it to be the sine qua non for the attainment of ultimate union with Allah. Rumi says: "OSon! Everybody's death comes in their own hue. To those who hate death and feel hostile towards it without thinking that it is this which will bring them nearer to Allah, death appears as a dreadful enemy. And it appears to those that are friends with it as a friend."
That is why the fact of death, which sends shivers through most people's bodies and which they dread, is, to the friends of Allah, the 'wedding night', the union with the beloved. They will be made free of all the fears of the world for they feared nothing but going against the will of Allah while in this world. The verses of the Qur'an speak of this:
'Now surely the friends of Allah-theyshall have no fear nor shall they grieve.' (Qur'an:10/62)
'They shall have good news in this world's life and in the hereafter.' (Qur'an:!0/64)
Just as every prophet had his own distinguishing attributes; the friends of Allah have theirs too. In the sphere of the heart though, all of these know Allah in a way that is very different compared to the scope of the comprehension and concepts of ordinary people. They remain in their heart above and beyond all that is transitory and they keep striving to be closer to Allah, who is the Truth. They remain ever cognizant of their weakness in this sphere of infinite gnosis. Even so, these people are neither all at the same stage nor are they all given the same responsibilities.
Some of them are not given the responsibility of spiritual guidance. They are in a constant state of silence. This kind of people is speechless in the face of the ways of Divine Power.
Some others on the other hand return amongst people at the end of their completion. These are the ones who are responsible for spiritual guidance. Such friends of Allah, who assume the responsibility for humanity are like waterfalls. Divine secrets and wisdom come flowing through their tongues and hearts.
In their relationships with people, they are like a teacher training a child in progressive stages; sometimes they act as though they do not know most of the secrets, wisdom and truths that are in their knowledge and in their hearts.
A thinker who is a lover of Rumi tells of the inability of the majority of people to fully comprehend his most profound states in the following excerpt:
"We only listen to the ecstatic laments of MawlanaJalaladdin Rumi. There is no possibility for us to see into the depths of the sea of peace in which he was immersed. We can only see whatever comes floating up to the surface of the sea from those depths. What we have is not the love that Rumi had, but the expressions of that love in the form of ecstatic laments. This is the extent of what we can understand with our fairly inadequate language. It is only he who was immersed-in the sea of peace. And we are left with the sounds of the storms of his ecstasy. Alas! We think that those sounds are Rumi himself."
Historically Turkey is known as the nation that. reads the Mathnawi the most, after the Glorious Qur'an and the hadith. In fact, there are only three works of heart in our history for which we use the attribute sharif (noble, exalted, and respected}. The first of these is Bukhari al-Sharif that contains the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (pbuh). The second is Shifah al-Sharif, which is a description of our beloved Master's appearance and attributes. And the last one is Mathnawi al-Sharif of Rumi. Within the framework of the great and profound understanding of the Mawlawi order, the reed flute, seen in the Mathnawi, is a symbol of the 'complete spirituality, perfect human being.' Yet, some groups of people treat it only as a musical instrument Throughout Ottoman history, these three glorious works were taught without any remuneration in the mosques by people who had the necessary credentials. We need also to retreat into our inner world to contemplate how much we can comprehend Rumi and how much we can benefit from the spiritual guidance of this doctor of the heart; he offers us a recipe for salvation from the illnesses of the heart.
However, some people today discard the spiritual dimension of Rumi either intentionally or out of ignorance and instead, they convey a false image of him and a false idea of the Mawlawi order that have more to do with worldliness and which is more profane, looking no deeper than the surface. Yet again the sema ritual (the whirling of dervishes), which has great importance in the Mawlawi order, has been made to look like a type of folk dance.
In truth, the life of Rumi was one that was dignified by his loyalty to the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Stating that the Qur'an is an infinite, profound ocean of truths, he says:
"It is possible to depict the appearance of Qur'an with a pen and an inkstand. To put all the secrets that it contains into words, however, is not conceivable, even if the oceans turned to ink and all the trees of the world to pens."
Those who claim that Rumi was not a Muslim who lived by the Qur'an, trying to present him as someone who endorsed different beliefs and philosophies, will have to face up to his answer:
"/ will be a subject and slave of the Qur'an so long as this soul remains in this body. I am the sand on the path of Muhammad, who is the chosen one. If anyone recounts anything different than this as my words, I will be displeased with both that person and those words."
Very truly, Rumi is a spiritual guide who leads humanity to the truth; this truth is nothing less than the divine directions of the Qur'an. One can see this in his works which come alive through his very words. This eminent friend of Allah thus says:
"The Mathnawi is a path for those who desire to be near to Allah and become cognizant and insightful of His secrets. The Mathnawi is a cure for the hearts of those who are purified. It washes away the sorrow, helps to understand the Qur'an clearly and reforms the character."
In short, the gist of Rumi's guidance for all humanity, which will continue until Doomsday, is: "Make faith a source of pleasure for the hearts. Make hearts capable of benefiting from the Qur'an and the spirituality of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) at the most profound level.
Improve the religious brotherhood to a level of mutual love, compassion and service and make sacrifices for each other, remaining ever-aware of this state. Attain a compassionate and merciful outlook on and a profound sensibility for all that has been created for the sake of the love of their Creator.
Comprehend the human being in his own truth and the divine blessings bestowed upon him; have an intimate understanding of the secrets and wisdom written upon the pages of the universe. Know that being human, one has been 'created in the best form'; protect the dignity of being human; be cognizant of one's own differences from other creatures and act in accordance with it."
Rumi describes his state at the peak of his career in exoteric sciences as "I was unripe"; he then goes on to call the state when he was bestowed with the manifestations of gnosis and when the secrets of the universe started to be revealed to him as "I ripened" and finally, he tells his state in attaining union with the love of Allah as "I burned".
How sad it is that people who are sent to this world to be tested as subjects of Allah are in fact deceived by the allures of the world and fall into negligence. Death will fall upon and swallow everyone like a fiery whirlwind and it is without a doubt the most dreadful disaster to come. All paths of life disappear into the horizon of death; this is the most momentous phenomenon of all and it is heart-wrenching. Considering the fact that there is nothing more astounding to those who are alive than death, people who comprehend the majesty of death should also give up the transitory benefits of this world and live a life of taqwa (piety). For this reason, people must be in awe in the face of the ways of Divine Majesty and Power and contemplate the secrets and wisdom written upon the pages of the universe. They should never forget that there will be a new dawn of truth rising from the heart of death and that they will have to account for everything that has been recorded in their life, in front of Divine Judgment.
My Lord! Grant us all the ability to contemplate the universe through the eyes of Divine Love and give us refined sensibility, heartfelt awe and the passion of the faithful in our contemplation. Bless us all with tears of regret and repentance and take us to the land of Your mercy and forgiveness.
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