Cemalnur Sargut

Hatice Cenan and Semiha Cemal

According to Ken’an Rifai, it is through woman that love becomes apparent. He accepts no power other than the tutorship of love for evolving humans into genuine human being.

Whether we are aware of it or not, the goal of every human is love. However, like the adventures a water drop suffers, he passes through many devious ways toward his target. The one who cannot attain the genuine love is bounded to remain within the body cage. If one has not the ability to attain the divine (‘külli’) love, God bounds them to a figure (‘suret’) or a person so that they could generate the capability for love of God.

Our murshid says, “Actually there are no distinctions between love, lover and beloved. They all mean a single thing. The beloved is the mirror for the lover. Love is their sum. As one sees himself in the mirror, the attraction and the passion of the lover to the beloved is nothing but his passion toward his own meaning.

Love is superior to everything, even to prayer and zikir. Moreover, if the prayer lacks love, it is of no use. How immense a difference is it between the prayer performed with love thus seeing Cemal, and the one performed as a duty.

Wish also for others the goodness, the beauty, the joy of heart, the love and the divine light (nur) that you desire for yourself so that you could be a true lover. Share your pleasure, your love and wealth generously because this indicates the maturity of love. Be not only for yourself but for the universe (‘alem’) as well. How pleasant it is when wood becomes ember following its clutter of burning. Similarly, it is the pleasure and the purpose of the lover to reach serenity after passing through the primitive states, and to dedicate himself to the service of humanity.

The one lacking love, also lacks peace and ease. A man feeling at ease is the one who can recognise Hak in all existing things. Love is the telescope for the eye of wisdom, a lens viewing the future. There is no beauty, which cannot be witnessed for an eye strengthened by love.

Ken’an Rifai says, “For centuries so many things were told and written, and so many bloody adventures were attempted for the sake of women. Sometimes her name was used as a means of unbounded ambitions and was sometimes delivered as a flag to the hands of virtue. But none of the mentalities, or the philosophies have been able to appreciate her and to determine her actual place as much as Islamic mysticism.

No matter how much the way women is regarded by Islam is distorted due to personal benefits through the centuries, the value given to women can not be doubted. The greatest evidence of this is in the Kuran. In the Book all the addressing is given without any discrimination as “muminin and müminat, salihin and salihat” Mumine and saliha women are not separated from mumin and salih men. In the earlier periods of Islam, women accompanied men in every phase of social life. She even actively joined gazas (war for Islam).

Hz. Resulullah says, “In this world I was granted the virtue to appreciate woman and pleasant fragrances, and namaz which is the light of my eye. By saying “Woman is the other half of man”, he absolutely and explicitly described the social status of women.

Our murshid, Ken’an Rifai inquires, “Where does the significance that Islam gives to women come from?” Because woman has the God’s power of creating and undertakes the main role in continuation of human race, special significance is given to women. In his Mesnevi, Rumi says:

“Pertev-i Hakkest an masuk ni
Halikest an guyya mahluk ni”

It is stated in the poem that women are viewed not merely as the created but almost like the creator (‘Halik’). This is because of the fact that they represent God’s creative power, which is the essence of universe. Hazret-i Muhammed (s.a.s.) commands, “women influence men who have wisdom and heart (‘gönül’). This is what true reality (‘hakikat’) is. Gentle and wise men are able to show understanding and compassion towards women. They avoid harsh behaviour and tend not to hurt women. On the contrary, ignorant and irrational men treat women cruelly for in their nature animal instincts are predominant. Love and gentleness are human attributes whereas violence and lust are animal attributes.

In the light of all these, one can say that it is not vain for a man to be attracted to the woman he loves. She is not merely a lover. She is the glory of God’s beauty. One can also say that woman is not simply someone who has been created by God (‘mahluk’) but she is almost like the creator (‘Halik’).

In the light of true reality (hakikat), it is easy to understand why even the strongest man may feel a weakness for a woman. The man’s capacity to love a woman is a measure of his wisdom and maturity. His defeat by a woman is possible only at a certain level of maturity.

Our murshid, Ken’an Rifai points out, “Love (‘muhabbet’) for woman is because of being able to witness God in the mirror-like existence of woman.” Ibn-i Fariz says, “Each beauty in the universe is a reflection of God’s beauty.” Therefore, man’s love for woman in a sense means longing for a reunion (‘vuslat’) with divine beauty.

Ken’an Rifai emphasizes that such thinking is true only for a man who has attained a certain level of spiritual knowledge (‘irfan’) travelling a long distance in the spiritual world. Seeing woman as a means of satisfying one’s sexual desires and lust and thus perceiving her as a sinner is a work of simple and primitive mind. However, regarding woman as a bridge, or a means of reaching the true beloved (‘mahbub-i hakiki’) is an expression of a mature mentality, which finds its highest level (‘kemal’) in Islam.

Two important women play a big role in the life of Ken’an Rifai: his mother, Hatice Cenan and Semiha Cemal. His mother poured the fortunes of womanhood and friendship, her accumulation of spiritual knowledge via a love canal free off sirk (polytheism) and malice (‘garaz’). This way, she gave him everything she possessed and became a light showing him the way in this valley. Until the day she passed away, she stood by him anytime a problem arose and found a way of saying, “You are not alone. I am with you”. Till the end of his life, Ken’an Rifai longed for the company of his novel mother.

Semiha Cemal, a perfect existence, brought him an excellent example of the agreement in passed-eternity i.e. the agreement, where the mankind accepted the one and only God. Semiha Cemal was in true love (‘ask’) with Ken’an Rifai, filled with such an understanding and faith that can hardly be witnessed in world history. The basis of her love was established by Semiha Cemal’s ability to see and understand him, her active participation in his matters and her wish to make her existence just as the same as his. Semiha Cemal’s existence served as a bridge for having exchanges with humanity. She was a friend to share his matters with and provided a shoulder on which his tired head could rest.

Her hodja said to her, “I have only one pleasure, which is to teach you spiritual knowledge (‘irfan’).” Then Semiha Cemal asked, “What can I do in return?” And replied Ken’an Rifai, “Learn not to run after your animal self (‘nefis’). Don’t be the one who is full with a single draught of water. Love me! Love me so that I love you, too. Know the meaning of ‘Love me’ very well. Love me means love my beloved, love all the people, love love (‘ask’) and love God.”.

Why did Ken’an Rifai choose woman to have this exchange? Woman is a more suitable means and a more fertile platform for an exchange of ideas, emotions and faith than man is. The whole point is that he is in contact with women and he sees them as the determiners and constructors of the future of humankind. These two profound women, Hatice Cenan and Semiha Cemal were the keys to future’s female murshidas and prepared us for them.