Samiha AyverdiSamiha Ayverdi was born in Sehzadebasi, Istanbul in 1905. She pursued a private education after graduating from Suleymaniyye Inas Numune Secondary School in 1921. She taught herself French and became proficient in it. She also trained herself in fields of history, tasawwuf (sufism), philosophy and literature. However, the person who played the most significant role in her life was Kenan Rifai, a great contemplator and mutasawwuf (sufi). Samiha Ayverdi’s first novel, Ashk Budur (This is Love) was published in 1938. After 1946, she focused on mainly intellectual and historical works. She wrote her memoirs. In 1966 she founded the Association for Turkish Housewives. In 1970, with her elder brother, Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi, an architect, and his wife, İlhan Ayverdi, she established the Kubbealti Society, which became a Foundation in 1978. Her 87 years of life, full of service, came to an end during the month of Ramadan on 22 March, 1993. Her student Cemalnur Sargut describes her teacher, Samiha Ayverdi as follows: We did not learn -with mere knowledge- Hadrat Aisha’s description of The Prophet’s morals (akhlaq) with the Quran’s morals, or the Prophet’s hadith saying that the perfect human being (kamil insan) and the Qur’an are twins. Indeed we actually witnessed these qualities in the life of Samiha Ayverdi. She is the perfect human that is described in this Sufi interpretation of a Quranic verse: “If all the seas were ink and all the trees were pencils, they would still not suffice to describe the perfect human being, who is the words of Allah.” Samiha Ayverdi was so humble that you could see Allah’s majesty manifested in her. When looking at someone like Samiha Ayverdi, whose words and deeds are in perfect agreement, how can it be not possible to gain the pleasure of living with the Quranic verse, “The hand that is throwing is mine.” To me, due to her being my teacher, she was one of the most beautiful and qualified mirrors that Allah likes looking at. The reason for this is that her nothingness would always be apparent. Hadrat Ali says, “Before reaching the state of jam which means joining all things together in Allah, distinguishing things as being separate (tafriq) is blasphemy (kufr). After achieving this state of jam, lack of tafriq becomes unbelief.” Samiha Ayverdi represented maqam (station) of jam (joining). That is why when she got angry, she would do it for the sake of Allah and therefore her anger would not hurt others. When she tells someone his/her mistake, she would do it for Allah. Actually she had an endless welcoming attitude. She could never be vindictive towards the cruel, but yet she would fight cruelty. Not only in her works but also in her daily life Samiha Ayverdi’s use of Turkish language was very refined, strong as well as plain. She was competent in all subject matters. She would talk so little. She would explain the movement of a leaf outside with a Quranic verse. Hadiths and verses in most of their senses were imminent in her state and words. When people were in her presence, they would learn something from her knowledge (ilm), state of being, manners and even her look. When with her, people would feel the fear and majesty of Allah as well as a profound sense of being protected, loved and not being hurt by anyone in this world. With her we understood the hadith that says, “Heaven is under the feet of mothers,” for every moment that we were together was heaven and the heedless moments when we were away were hell. She was a servant of Allah (abd or kul ) for she was a teacher (Rab). Her attribute of being Rab would manifest Allah’s majesty and make us shiver. Her quality of being a servant of Allah would make the nothingness of her nafs (soul, ego) apparent. This would enable us to strongly feel her embracement, love and friendship. We would also feel as if she were our sister, mother, father and parents. It seems to me that the best way to speak of her is with her own words: “May Allah not make us apart from your footsteps, eyes, words or essence. O the one who informs us about Haqq (Allah)! O the one who unveils and shows Him! O the one who lets us know that Haqq exists, and that all existence is Haqq! May Allah not make us apart from you, neither in this world nor in the hereafter. Amin!” Samiha Ayverdi’s Works:
• Aşk Budur (This is Ashk) 1938 |