by Cemalnur Sargut
Recently there have been some compliments about me in the media saying I hold spiritual degrees, which I consider myself unworthy of. After the law which involved the closing of sufi houses (tekke) and small dervish lodges, our spiritual guide (murshid) Ken’an-er Rifai closed his tekke, teaching us that obeying divine order is sharia and nothing can come true without God’s will and he said “In any country no law which maintains order and balance can be outside of sharia” [1] and “With or without any means, it is God that manifests in everything. Don’t say they closed the sufi houses and they did this and they did that…It is God who makes them do this. It doesn’t mean that it’s not so just because you don’t understand this. Nobody is to blame. The One who does, arranges and regulates everything is God. It doesn’t mean that it’s not so just because you don’t perceive this. You forbid your child from approaching the fire but does he appreciate this? He gets angry and cries. There is wisdom in everything God does. Being able to see this is Oneness (tavhid)” [2]
When he was asked “What is a sufi house (tekke)? He answered, “For the one who has reached the truth of whirling and remembrance, his skin becomes his tekke, his heart becomes his station.” [3]
Ken’an er-Rifai has lit the way for today’s culture, saying tasawwuf, which is the real way of living the truth of religion, should be taught by academic teachers who live it and make it live. He manifested this truth through his students and through the works he has left us which were written with the love of God and Prophet Muhammad. He has communicated by living, teaching and writing that the real Islam is to honor Prophet Muhammad’s Sunna (the sayings and doings of the Prophet Muhammad) and sharia, and it is to serve people by seeing God the Truth (Hakk) in them and doing all of this with the love of Prophet Muhammad.
Me; your humble servant, have witnessed and learned Ken’an er-Rifai’s teachings being practiced in life by my teacher, Samiha Ayverdi and my mother, Meşkure Sargut. And again I have learned from my teachers that all ranks, positions and rewards belong to this world, and if the one who loves his God and Prophet gives credit to these, then s/he is in tremendous captivity. I hope that all these efforts put into us are not wasted. May God let us be servants, let us live and tell what we have learned for the service of people.
In his time he was the sheikh of four sufi orders (tariqa): Mawlawi authorization (ijaza) was given to him personally by Chelebi family who were appreciative of his Masnavi commentary. He took Rifai authorization through Hamza Rıfai in Madina, Kadiri authorization through his own spiritual guide (murshid) Hazret-i Ethem, Shazeli authorization through another Shazeli sheikh. This sheikh saw Ebu Hasan Shazeli himself in his dream and was ordered to give this authorization to Kenan’er Rifai.
Ken’an er-Rifai, is one of the greatest scholars, person of wisdom, sufi, composer, poet and author of his time. Sheikh-ul Islam master Nesimi, Sheikh-ul Islam master Abdullah, Sheikh-ul Islam master Haydarizade Ibrahim, accountant for Ministry of Education Sukru, Master Gulzar-i Hakikat Muharriri Rahimi, Veteran General Ahmet Muhtar, Poet Yusuf Ziya, many sheikhs, generals…Innumerable men of wisdom from that time have been students to him.
Just as in Mawlana’s time, Christian priests and Jewish people attended his classes to benefit from his spiritual knowledge.
His Works:
Muktezâ-yı Hayat [Requirements of Life]
The Revolution of the World, Translated from Camille Flammarion.
Rehber’i Salikin [The Wayfarer’s Guide]
Tuhfe-i Ken’an [Gift of Kenan]
Ahmed er-Rifai
İlâhiyât-ı Ken’an (his anthems and compositions)
Masnavi Commentary
His student’s comments about him are like the smallest spot in an ocean. Just like every Perfect Human who reflects God in the best manner he has used all kinds of arts, and revealed how great a lover of God he is through his poems, writings, compositions, his life style and his students. Once Samiha Ayverdi prepared a long text to give information about him. When he saw the text, he tore it apart and said; “Samiha, tell them that my teacher is a nothing.” We haven’t seen a better description of service and humbleness. May God bless him!
Reference Information about him:
İslam Ansiklopedisi, Ken’an Rifai, Vol 25, pp: 254-255
İslam ve Tarikatler, Mehmet Demirci
Tasavvuf, Mahir İz
Tasavvuf ve Tarikatler, Yaşar Nuri Öztürk
Misyonerlik Karşısında Türkiye, Samiha Ayverdi
Türk Musikisi Ansiklopedisi
Sufi Kadınlar, Camille Helminski
Aşkın Gül Bahçesi – Hatice Cenan Sultan p: 359
Hazineyi Paylaşmak – Samiha Ayverdi p: 375
Notes:
[1] Ken’an er-Rifai, Sohbetler [Spiritual Discourses], p: 103
[2] Ken’an er-Rifai, Sohbetler [Spiritual Discourses], p: 214
[3] Ken’an er-Rifai, Sohbetler [Spiritual Discourses], p: 615
