Cemalnur Sargut

Meşkûre Sargut, born in March 1925 in Edirnekapı, İstanbul, was the third daughter of the Tınaz Family. When her mother, Şadiye Hanım, was sad that her third child was also a girl, she was warned gently by her teacher Kenan Rifai. He named the baby Meşkûre, “the one we should be thankful to God because of her”. Kenan Rifai, a Friend of God, did not only warn Şadiye Hanım, but also gave the good news of how this baby will serve people around her for her entire life.

 

Meşkûre was taken to Kenan Rifai’s house for the first time when she was 40 days old and she started learning the knowledge of tasawwuf and the secret of being a human in this house. During her middle school education, while her peers sought after different ambitions, she was tasting the happiness of learning the real knowledge from the original source, appreciating and keeping her hunger for knowledge. She was trying to follow her teacher’s footsteps along the way. In fact once she said to her teacher that she was afraid to annoy him by following him this close. Kenan Rifai’s response was: “There is no time and place for you, you’ll be close to me all the time.” Her teacher was   raising her to teach this knowledge of reality for more than 50 years. Kenan Rifai was raising her to inspire people for knowledge with her words; for love with her eyes; and for patience with her daily conducts. 

 

She got married to doctor Omer Faruk Sargut while continuing her bachelor education in English philology. She stopped her college education per her husband’s request and focused even more on tasawwuf training. After her teacher Kenan Rifai passed away in 1950, she continued developing her knowledge by learning form Nazlı Hanım and Samiha Ayverdi, who were also taught by Kenan Rifai. In these years, she published: “Addressing to the Sentimental Hearts”, “Garden of the Enlightened”, “Mawlana Speaks”, “Mawlana at the Road of God and Truth”. Afterwards, these pieces were collected into two books: “From Heart To Heart” and “From the Garden of Enlightened”. 

 

She is a founding member of several non-profit organizations, which serve Turkish and Tasawwuf culture, art, literature, and education: Turkish Women’s Cultural Association, Kubbealtı Academy, Institute of Samiha Ayverdi, and Cenan Foundation. She always served with her material and moral abilities and provided a role model of generosity by sharing everything she possessed. 

 

Meşkûre Sargut is now 79 years old. Looking at her life, we see she raised two children: Cemalnur Sargut and Asuman Kulaksız. And she has three grandchildren: Kerim, Ömer, and Nesligül. However, in reality she raised hundreds of children; enlightened her environment with the light of belief; became a source of patience and tranquility; taught, taught, and taught... As Kenan Rifai indicated when she was born, now we, her children, are thanking God for her presence. 

 

Asuman Kulaksız

İstanbul, 2004