Cemalnur Sargut

Sufism is an inner journey. In Islamic Sufism, this journey is called “suluk”. The final destination in Islamic Sufism is the point where one realizes “The one, who knows himself (nafs) with nothingness, knows his Sustainer (Rabb) in existence.” (Hadith)

Nothingness is one’s being in balance in every Divine name and attribute he/she is given and also realizing one’s position in accordance with the eternity of the Creator. This state does not create lazy or insignificant personalities. On the contrary, it creates strong personalities who are not only sure of their Creator but also not affected by the events of the material world.

In order for a human being to exist as a balanced strong personality, he/she says:

1. I have a body and I am not affected by its being healthy, sick, tired or full of energy because my body exists only to carry the meaning of Allah. That is why I care about my body but do not worship it.
2. I have feelings but these feelings are only means to realize the meaning of the Creator, to reveal the Divine names and the attributes I possess. 
3. I have an intellect. However, I use my intellect not to exert any rules but rather to learn about and perceive (“tefekkur”) new things. Although I know that intellect works through contrasts, I use contrasts in attaining Unity (Oneness) because I realize that anything that has an opposite is nonexistent in reality.
4. I have an ego but I am nothing in contrast to eternity. However, I am everything in contrast to the One who manifests in nothingness. The fact that Allah has created me, respected me and manifested in me, gives me confidence. On the other hand, I learn my nothingness through being unsuccessful every time I desire to be perfect.
5. I have a heart. However, I know that my heart is not a piece of flesh but rather the place at which the light of Allah reflects because it is referred in the Qur’an; “Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth.” (Surah Nur (24): 35). It is through this light that my heart comprehends the depths and eternity that my intellect cannot perceive. And my heart becomes the dwelling of Allah. Allah manifests there. I realize through this manifestation that everything is nothing but One and all the numbers are the repetition of the number one.
6. I own an infinite richness due to the fact that Allah has blown soul from His soul. When I realize this, I am peaceful, calm and at presence of Allah.

All these perceptions are related to the fact that one has integrated all different aspects of one’s being. Therefore, we first have to keep our body strong and adaptable, keep a sufficient and balanced diet, keep our desires from extremes yet avoid being desireless. In Mevlana’s Mesnevi, Jesus is asked: “What are you most afraid of?” “The anger of Allah.” He replies. When he is asked: “How do we defend ourselves from this anger?” he replies: “By restraining your own anger.” “Fear is the result of the ‘nafs’ (ego, self)” says Hz. Mevlana. For the one who trusts in Allah and who believes that Allah is the real protector as a parent, the only fear is to offend this glorious lover. Even if this fear is like the fear of a spoiled child who is trying to get the attention of her/his mother, it still keeps one from suffering. However, this state and perception is not living without precautions. It is to take precautions but not to feel sorry for the outcome. It is to think that we may easily lose what belongs to us. Epictetus reveals this fact by saying: “If you like a pot, admit that what you like is a pot so that you do not feel sorry when it is broken”. This state is remembering that the name given by the Qur’an to the door keeper of the hell is “Malik” (the one who possesses worldly goods) and to the doorkeeper of heaven is “Rıdvan” (the one who is totally content), which emphasizes the fact that we should be content with our state realizing that what we own in this world are all given for safe keeping not for claiming as ours. This state is also to feel happy realizing that we are being educated when confronted with events which we would normally think of as misfortune.

Plato explains this stability in feelings, which is called “sırât-ı mustakîm” in Islam, as such: The physical being is a horse-car ridden by intellect (the intellect here is the intellect, which is married to the enlightened heart. That is, it is the intellect, which is satisfied only by the confirmation of its intuitions by the enlightened heart). One of the two horses is lust, that is, extremity in senses, and the other is moral values or ethic that train oneself. It is only when the horses are in balance that the car moves on. These make it evident that Sufism, which started with the first human being, has said and suggested the same things at all times. Thus, human beings exist with respect to the One inherent in him/her, and do not exist with respect to himself/herself. That is why humans do not have pride but rather have dignity. Pride means “I am superior” and dignity means, “I have a cause to exist” This understanding takes one into peacefulness, that is to the presence of Allah. It is at this moment that one attains practical intellect.

The human being who attains a certain level through the guidance of his/her meaning is no more affected by the material world. He/she does not become happy when praised or get upset when criticised. He/she is not greedy and not afraid of loosing. He/She only trusts in Allah. This state has become evident in the life of Moses, who practised Sufism in his everyday life. As it is stated in the Qur’an and in the Old Testament, Moses ascends to the state of trust upon the following episode. The Creator asks him what he is carrying in his hand. Moses answers: “It is my stick and I lean on it.” And he continues to explain what he does with that stick. Allah commands him to throw the stick. As Moses throws the stick, it transforms into a snake. This is how Moses learns the only power to trust is Allah. Later, Moses -as he is commanded by Allah- throws his stick in front of the Pharaoh and the magicians. The stick, which turns into a snake, swallows the snakes of the magicians. This proves that the command of Allah is more powerful than the will and the efforts of the human beings. Allah declares to Moses: “It is not you when you throw the stick.” And this teaches human beings the joy of being in service to all creation with our own will and desire without disrupting the will of Allah. As a result of all these, human beings experience the joy of being real humans. Our goal is not to destroy ourselves, but rather to see humane and secret spirits through ourselves.

Sufism is not something to talk about but rather; it is an inner journey which requires to be practiced. Sufism searches the inner meaning of “sharia” (the sacred law) and it does not let human beings be of service to this law but rather it enables the law to be in service of the human beings.

The word of Oneness (Kelime-i Tawhid) is “La ilahe illallah”. “La” is accepting the ones who say nothing but I exist (atheists). The second part, “ilahe”, is accepting the times when we worshipped everything we came across. In the third part (illallah), we accept the times of “la ilahe” and realize that all we worship are deemed to disappear and there is nothing to worship and finally we accept the only Being to worship is Allah in the state of “The one who knows his/her ‘nafs’, knows his/her Sustainer (Rabb)”.

“Namaz”, (the ritual prayer) is the inner peace, which is valid in all paths of Sufism, and it is to find the creator (“Hakk”) in oneself to prostrate before that creator and being at "Mirac", that is being together with the creator.

“Zekat” (obligatory alms) teaches human beings that the only way to live in the society is to have the joy of sharing their excess possessions with others.

Fasting is the kind of worship, which refrains the body from extremes and teaches patience, makes one comprehend the state of the poor. For the ones who exercise it -as in the way it should be-, the reward is in Qur’an. The outcome of the patience for the Ramadan is the night of "Kadir", when Allah has graced mankind with the knowledge conveying the Creator’s meaning.

Pilgrimage to Mekka means removing the differences among people and circumambulating the enlightened heart which carries the meaning of Allah and is free from all the idols (anything other than Allah).

As can be seen, Sufism is the art of becoming human (who is created with the attributes of metals, plants and animals). Today, if the religions can be viewed through the unifying glasses of Sufism, it becomes apparent that they complete one another. It then can be realized that everything consists of One. From this point of view, the differences are accepted as the mirrors which reflect the beauty of the One. The warless societies which are cried for are only secured by the people who have completed their inner struggles.