Reaching
“Felâh” (the Salvation) by fulfilling our covenants is to reach
The fact that the servant wishes to reach Allah causes his breast to be slit and his soul (’s heart) to be opened to surrenders.
Therefore (for) whomsoever Allah intends that He would guide him aright (whomsoever Allah wills to make reach hidâyet, He wills to make his spirit reach Himself), He opens up (slits) his breast for Islâm (Surrenders), and (for) whomsoever He intends that He should cause him to fall into Misguidance, He makes his breast strait and narrow as if he were ascending to the sky; thus does Allah uncleanness on those who do not believe.
If the person whose (soul’s) heart has been opened up to Surrenders does zikir, Allah’s mercy reaches it as a light.
What! Is he whose (soul’s) heart Allah has slit (opened up) for Islâm (Surrenders) so that he is in a light from his Lord (like the hard-hearted)? Nay, woe to those whose (souls’) hearts are darkened and hardened from Allah’s zikir (as they do not zikir); those are in manifest (plain) Misguidance.
This light brings about a feeling of awe (hushu’) in that (soul’s) heart.
Has not the time yet come for those who are âmenű (who wish to reach Allah spiritually before death) that their (souls’) hearts should be humble (filled with a feeling of awe) with Allah’s zikir and with what (the light) has come down (thanks to this zikir) from the Truth (Hakk, Allah)? And (that) they should not be like those who were given the Book before, but the term became prolonged to them (and as they did not do zikir in the course of that time) their (souls’) hearts darkened and hardened, and [let them do zikir so that their (souls’) hearts should not darken and harden and become sick], and most of them are “fâsikűn” (the rebellious, the disobedient to Allah, the transgressors, those who have gone out of the Way of Allah after having previously reached hidâyet).
The assistance that the servant can seek only from his Lord is sought for His leading his servants to the Straight Path.
The Only Master (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Religion (Recompense) (the Day of Resurrection).
You Alone do we serve and You Alone do we beseech for (special) Help.
Make us reach the Straight Path.
As for the Straight Path, It makes man reach hidâyet (Guidance).
And from among their fathers and their descendants and their brethren, and We chose them and We made them reach the Straight Path (We guided them to the Straight Path).
This is Allah’s Hidâyet (Guidance) He guides therewith whom He wills of His servants; and if they had set up others (with Him), certainly what they did would have become ineffectual for them (of no benefit to them) (all that they used to do would have gone for nothing).
As for Hidâyet (Guidance) it is to reach Allah (spiritually before death).
And believe no one except the one who depends on (follows) your Religion. Say: Surely the (true) guidance (hidâyet) is to reach Allah (Allah’s Guidance). (Is it) that one may be given (by Him) the like of what you were given; or they would contend with you by an argument before (in the Presence of) your Lord (you say so)? Say; Surely all the Grace (Virtue) is in the Hand of Allah. He gives it to whom He wills; And Allah is Ample-Giver (All-Surrounding) All- Knower.
Say: Shall we invoke others besides Allah, that can not benefit us nor harm us, and shall we be returned back on our heels after Allah has made us reach Himself, like him whom the devils have made to fall down perplexed in the earth? He has companions who call him to Hidâyet (Guidance, reaching Allah spiritually before death), (saying): Come to us. Say: Surely, reaching Allah (Allah’s Guidance) is the guidance (hidâyet) and we have been commanded to surrender (ourselves) to the Lord of the Worlds.
The fact that the (special) Help named “istiane” and sought only from Allah in order that it should make man reach Him can be demanded from Allah is only possible through patience and performing the (requirement) prayer. And the performing of this prayer is easy merely for those possessing hushu’ (a feeling of awe).
And seek (special) assistance through patience and the (requirement) prayer, and most surely it is a hard task (thing) except for the owners of hushu’ (a feeling of awe) (the humble ones).
Who are certain that they shall meet their Lord (during the life of the present world) and that they shall return to Him (after death).
Now, the person must be possessed of hushu’ according to the 16th verse of Al-Hadîd Sura that he may seek “istiane” (special assistance, help…) from Allah by performing the requirement prayer, that he may demand from Allah the personage who will make him reach Allah. It is only Allah who knows the personage (the murshid) who will make the person reach Allah.
And upon Allah only it rests to appoint and determine the Way(s) (all the ways going from the dervish convents to the Straight Path, that is, the murshids), and there are some deviating (ways); and if He wills, He would certainly cause all of you to reach hidâyet (guidance).
For this reason, it is only from Allah that “istiane” (special help) can be sought.
You Alone do we serve and You Alone do we beseech for (special) Help.
The servant beseeches Allah for (special) help by performing the requirement prayer. Allah has promised that He would fulfil the servant’s invocation (on condition that he should possess hushu’).
And when My Servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near (to them); I answer the invitation (call) of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My Call, and believe in Me that they may reach “ irshâd”.
For this reason, He will absolutely show him his murshid.
And you have repented before your murshid by repeating word by word that which he has said to you. Seven witnesses including Allah look into your soul’s heart and see the demand into it. You have a longing for reaching Allah into your soul’s heart. If so, thereafter the activity starts.
After that, 7 blessings will be granted by Allahű Tealâ to that person. In order that these 7 blessings can be accorded to him, first of all, that person has to obtain 12 favors from Allah. And to obtain these 12 favors, the person absolutely has to wish to reach Allah. Allahű Tealâ should hear, know and see this wish in the soul’s heart of that person. No one can have a right to 7 blessings unless he receives (obtains) 12 favors. 7 blessings are the vested rights of 12 favors. Whoever performs his first duty, wishes to reach Allah, 12 vested rights follow this duty. The person who has wished to reach Allah has accomplished his duty. He has conferred 12 favors automatically on whomever wishes to reach Allah. This is the law of Allah, He will absolutely accord them to him. Unless these 12 favors will be constituted as a basis, unless the person will obtain this right Allah makes available for him, unless he will obtain this right by executing his duty (by wishing to reach Allah), he will never be able to obtain these 7 blessings.
There are some people who ask us: “How can we reach our murshid? What must
we do to reach him? Can we enter
Two kinds of men can reach the murshids:
1. Those who reach the murshids by wishing to reach Allah (those who possess 12 favors)
2. Those who reach the murshids but who do not want to reach Allah.
The former will absolutely attain to the Salvation. The Paradise of Allah
will definitely be for them. They will assuredly enter
Unless a man obtains 12 vested rights, he cannot carry out the duty of
wishing to reach Allah, he can not obtain 12 favors. Unless he obtains these 12
favors, reaching a murshid cannot save him in any way, cannot lead him to
Allahű Tealâ declares: Allah does not want any hardship (difficulty) for you. He wants easiness (facility) for you.
Pay close attention to the facility Allah wishes for you: the facility comes to you in clear and definite fashion. You are merely the owner of a wish; you wish to reach Allah. Thereupon, Allah bestows 12 favors upon you.
To wish to reach Allah is a duty for the human beings. The realization of this duty brings forth 12 rights automatically, whoever wishes to reach Allah, He will accord 12 favors to him and this is an automatic right of the one who wishes to reach Allah.This right is realized automatically. If so, the one who has obtained 12 favors is someone to whom his murshid has been shown by Allahu Teala. He is there he can attain. What will happen? The person will go and depend on his murshid. If this stands proxy for the murshid, he will lead him to his principal murshid. Let us say that he has reached him. He has knelt down before him, repented and said: “There is no god but Allah, Muhammed (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah.” (An-Naba' – 38)
The Spirit of the imam of the Era there, the honorable scribes, the angels holding up the Divine Throne (‘arş), the murrshid (the heart’s eye of the murshid), the spirit of the imam of the Era over his head, the life film displaying the thoughts of that person and Allah, these seven witnesses see the wish into the soul’s heart of that person. Does he wish to reach Allah or not? If he has wished, all these witnesses see that there is no more “ekinnet” in his soul’s heart but there is “ihbat”. “Vakra” has been taken out from the ears of this person, “hicab-ı mesture” has been removed between him and the post of irshad, the light door of the soul’s heart of that person has been made to turn to Allah, the light way has been slit from his breast to his (soul’s) heart, an accumulation of light has begun in the soul’s heart of that person, 2% of mercy was able to enter his soul’s heart. All this is seen by witnesses. That is, has he obtained 12 favors or not? Has he obtained these vested rights or not? The event is made evident instantly. Has the basis on which 7 blessings will settle become ready or not? It becomes instantly evident. If this ground is existent (if he has already obtained 12 favors), first of all, the Spirit immediately arrives over the head of that person and communicates the decree of Allah to him through His command. Allahű Tealâ says there:
The Increaser of the degrees and the Possessor of the Divine Throne (‘arş) makes reach a Spirit from His command (a spirit that will communicate to him the decree of Allah) over the person He wishes among His servants (He wishes to make reach Himself) (over the head of the person whom Allah wants to make reach Himself as he wants to reach Him, too) in order to warn him that the day of his meeting with Allah has come.
The aim at His saying “from his command, at his command...” is what He says in the 24th verse of Secde Sura;
We have made imams (spiritual leaders) out of them so that they should make (the human beings) reach hidâyet through our command (so that they should make the spirits of the human beings reach Allah) because of their Patience and of their having closeness to Our Verses (signs).
Now, the spirit of the İmam of the Era addresses the spirit in the physical body of that person; Your day of meeting with Allah (yevmettelâk) has come. I am communicating to you the decree of Allah.I say this to you with the autorization given to me by Allah. (This is the explication of the decree (order) from the first point of view.) Now, I, who is the owner of this decree, gives you a second order thanks to the autorization Allah has given to me:Leave your physical body and set forth towards Allah.
Thereupon, your spirit will leave your physical body.
Let us repeate respectively the events, now;
1. Blessing: The spirit of the İmam of the Era comes and settles over the head of the person: An other spirit possesing competence far beyond that of the spirit in the physical body of that person. (because that spirit is at the same time the owner of a property capable of preserving the person from the negative influence of all the occult sciences, is a guardian). It comes and settles down over the head of the person and says to his spirit; “your day of meeting with Allah has come.” Together with the settling down of this spirit over your head Allah begins to act according to the 22th verse of Al-Mujadilah Sura. He opens up the seal of the person’s heart.
As for the ones who do not believe (in Allah), whether you warn them or you do not warn them; it is equal for them. They do not believe.
Allah has put a seal on their hearts (on the mercy doors of their hearts) and on their hearing centers [in their (souls) hearts] and has drawn a curtain (named gışâveh) over their seeing centers [in their (souls’) hearts]. There is a tremendous torment for them.
And Allah inscribes the word of “iman” (belief) into the (soul’s) heart. This is the second blessing.
You shall never find a community who believes in Allah and the Last Day
loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger even if they are their fathers
or their sons or their brothers and sisters or their tribes. He has written iman
(belief) into their (souls’) hearts and supported them with a spirit (trained
in His presence) from Himself and He introduces them into the gardens of
paradise beneath which rivers flow. They will dwell therein for ever. He is
pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.These are the adherents of
Allah. Behold! Verily, it is the adherents of Allah that will reach the
Salvation (Felah,
Thus, after 12 favors, from the moment the person reaches his murshid, kneels down before him and repents, he obtains successively four blessings.
3. Blessing: His sins (bad deeds, seyyiat) have been transformed into merits (good deeds, hasenat)
Allahű Tealâ decrees:
The torture multiplies for him on the Doomsday and remains therein for ever in abjectness.
Except for the one who repents (in front of his murshid) and (as the belief is inscribed into his soul’s heart by repenting before the murshid) becomes a believer (a mumin) and (for the same reason) performs the improving deeds (the soul’s purification); Allah transforms the evil deeds (sins) of this person into good deeds (merits). And Allah is the Most Forgiving (the one who transforms sins into merits) and the All-Compassionate (the One who sends down His mercy)
And whoever repents and does the improving deeds (the soul’s purification) then he assuredly returns to Allah as the one whose repentence has been accepted by Him.
After 12 favors, you have attained to the third of the 7 blessings together with the first blessing, everything granted by Allah becomes a blessing.
The first blessings is the spirit of the İmam of the Era. Over the head of Whomever there is this blessing, only that one is on the Straight Path.
The path of those over (the heads of) whom you have bestowed your Blessings, not (the path of) those incurred your Wrath, not (the path of) those who are in Misguidance.
Only the ones over the heads of whom we have bestowed Our Blessings can be on the Straight Path. And Allah explains on whom He has bestowed His Blessings.
Verily Allah has bestowed His Blessings upon the believers when He has sent (brought to life, commissioned) a Messenger among them from themselves, He reads (and explains) his Signs (verses) to them, purifies them and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom.Beforehand, (before they had depended on this Messenger) they were in an open Misguidance.
Now, the formation of the blessings over the heads of those persons is only possible through their becoming believers. As for becoming a believer, this is only realizable when the Spirit of the Imam of the Era comes over their heads and the word of unbelief is taken out of their (souls’) hearts and the word of belief is written therein.
Allahű Tealâ decrees:
The nomadic Arabs said: We have become mu’mins (believers) (we have believed). Say (to them): you have not become believers yet but say: we have entered (the circle of) Islam. Because iman (belief) has not entered your (souls’) hearts yet. (Iman has not been written therein yet.) And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, nothing will decrease from your deeds. Verily, Allah is the Most-Forgiving, the Most-Compassionate.
That is to say, Allahu Teala says: “He has not taken out the Unbelief (Kufur) from your (souls’) hearts yet and He has not introduced the belief (iman) therein yet. Therefore, you are not believers yet.”
So, here is the point where a person becomes a believer. The point where Allah takes out the unbelief from the soul’s heart and inscribes instead the belief therein. (The going out of something and the entering of an other thing into the soul’s heart; the taking out of the unbelief from the soul’s heart and the entering of the belief therein on account of the writing of the belief therein by Allah).
Thus, this person becomes the owner of the five blessings. After this point, three conditions of characteristic are involved: Three hidâyets:
The spirit of the person leaves its physical body and set off towards Allah.This is the hidâyet (reaching) of the spirit. The Spirit of the İmam of the Era that communicates the order of Allah to him: “your day of reaching Allah has come. Leave your physical body.”
The Increaser of the degrees and the Possessor of the Divine Throne (‘arş) makes reach a Spirit through His command (a spirit that will communicate to him the decree of Allah) over the person He wishes among His servants (He wishes to make reach Himself) (over the head of the person whom Allah wants to cause to reach Himself as he wants to reach Him, too) in order to warn him that the day of meeting with Him (the day of reaching Him) has come.
Thereupon, the spirit sets off towards Allah. Allahű Tealâ declares:
That day (the day when one kisses the hand of the murshid and depends on him) is the Day of the Truth.Whoever wishes (to reach Allah) takes a road (the Straight Path) that makes himself reach His Sustainer. (Allah) is a Shelter (for the person who has reached Him).
So, your spirit sets out on a journey towards Allah and is on the Straight Path according to the 153th verse of Al-An’âm Sura:
And this is My Straight Path. Depend on it, and do not follow the (other) ways. All these ways will deviate you from His way. This is the thing with which Allah had bound you so that you may be possessed of takvâ.
We see that the first hidâyet begins so, dear readers, my intimate friends, my heartfelt friends! Your spirit sets out on a journey towards Allah.Allahu Teala declares:
Say: “Of a certainly, hidâyet is reaching Allah” (The human spirit’s reaching Allah before death.) This is the hidâyet of the spirit. It begins within the standards we have explained. Your spirit leaves your physcial body and sets out on a journey towards Allah and attains to the Straight Path.
The second hidâyet is the hidâyet of the physical body. Allahu Teala says:
Truly, we have sent (brought to life, charged) a Messenger in each community in order that they refrain (abstain) from Tâgűt (Satan and his followers) and become the servants of Allah. Some of them did Allah lead to hidâyet and some of them have deserved the Misguidance (those who have depended on the Messengers have reached hidâyet and those who have not depended on them have deserved the Misguidance). Make journeys on the Earth and see how the end of the deniers have been.
We understand thus that those who have depended on the Imam of the Era have reached hidâyet and that those who have depended on the Messenger in the tribe (nation’community) in which they are found have reached hidâyet. As becoming the servant of Allah, saving oneself from being a servant to Satan is to reach hidâyet, this is the hidâyet of the physical body.
Allahű Tealâ says:
Oh sons of Adam! Have I not taken an covenant (ahd) from you that you should not be servants to Satan, truly he is an open enemy to you and that you should be My Servants. This is (to be on) the Straight Path.
So, Allahű Tealâ sends a Messenger into each community in order that they should depend on him and thus be the servants of Allah.
If so, our physical body begins to become a servant of Allah as soon as it depends on the murshid.
This is the hidâyet of the physical body, too. Because Allahu Teala says about the human beings beginning to become the servants of Allah that they are the ones who have stepped into hidâyet, who have reached hidâyet in the 36th verse of Nahl Sura. That is to say, when a man becomes a servant of Allah, he is considered as having reached hidâyet.
The third hidâyet is the hidâyet of the soul. Allahű Tealâ decrees in the 105th verse of Maide Sura:
Oh those who have become âmenű (those who have surpassed the first 7 stages, who have wished to reach Allah) the responsibility of your souls (purifying your souls) is upon you (is a duty to you, is incumbent on you); when you have reached hidâyet (by purifying your souls), those who are in Misguidance cannot harm you. You will be made to turn back to Allah, all of you. Then He will make known to you that which you had done.
The third hidâyet, the hidâyet of the soul is to be purified. So, our three bodies step into hidâyet. With these three hidâyets, we attain to the 4. blessings. The 5. blessings is the spirit being on hidâyet, the seventh blessing is the physical body being on hidâyet, the 6. blessings is the soul being on hidâyet, that is to say, all these three bodies’ being on hidâyet.
Allahű Tealâ decrees:
The parable of those who spend their property (goods) in the way of Allah is like the parable of a grain that causes seven spikes (ears) to sprout (grow). In each spike there are hundred grains. And Allah augments (the sustenance) for the ones He wishes, And Allah is the All-Embracing, the All-Knowing.
Thus, the ninth blessings of Allah comes into being. As Allahű Tealâ used to give 1 to 10, on that day, He begins to grant 1 to 100 and repeating this seven times, He increases it from 100 to 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 times. That is, He says that He will conclude it by granting 700 fold profits in return for one single one.
And the 7. blessing: the free will begins to be fortified as the vices of the soul’s heart decrease.
Those who said: Truly we are for Allah (we are created for Him) and of a certainly we shall turn back to Him when a disaster have befallen them.
It is those (those who certainly know that they will turn to Allah in this wordly life) that upon whom there are benedictions (salâvatun) from their Sustainer and a mercy and it is those that have reached hidâyet.
That is to say, whoever sets off in order to reach Allah receives the mercy and virtue he had received beforehand. Yes the 175th verse of Nisa Sura says as follows:
As for the ones who have become âmenű (the ones who have surpassed the first 7 stages, who have wished to reach Allah) and wished to hold fast to Him.He soon will introduce them into mercy from Himself and a virtue and will lead them to a Straight Path (leading them) to Him.
What do we see here? We only receive the mercy and virtue before attaining to the Straight Path.This is the favor of Allah but He adds the mercy and benedictions to the mercy and virtue after having reached the murshid.
The fact that the person begins the soul’s purification with the repentance made in front of the murshid becomes possible. Thus, the soul is purifed through 7 levels. These levels are as follows:
1. Nefs-i Emmâre: The Evil-Commanding Soul
And I do not put my soul in the clear, most surely the soul is wont (prone) to command (him to do) evil, except such as My Lord has manifested Himself with His Name of All-Compassionate over, surely My Lord is Oft-Forgiving (He transforms sins into good deeds), All-Compasionate [He sends Mercy, and purifies and refines the souls (’ hearts) with it].
2. Nefs-i Levvâme: The Self-Accusing Soul
Nay! I swear by the self-accusing soul!
3. Nefs-i Mulhîme: The Inspired Soul
Then (Allah’s) Takvâ and (Satan’s) Fucűr are inspired to him.
4. Nefs-i Mutmainne: The Satisfied Soul
89/Al-Fajr – 27:
O Satisfied Soul!
Those who are âmenű and whose (souls’) hearts are satisfied with Allah’s zikir; now surely with Allah’s zikir are the (souls’) hearts are satisfied.
5. Nefs-i Râdıye: The Soul well-pleased (with Allah)
(Be) well-pleased (with Him), well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
6. Nefs-i Mardıyyeh: The Soul well-pleasing (Him)
(Be) well-pleased (with Him), well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
7. Nefs-i Tezkiye: The Purified Soul
And a burdened person cannot bear the burden of another; and if one heavy laden should cry for (another to carry) his burden, naught of it shall be carried (lifted) even if he be near of kin. You warn only those who feel hushu’ (awe) towards their Lord in the Unseen and perform the (prescribed) prayers and whoever purifies himself, he purifies himself for his own soul. Unto Allah is the journeying (of the spirit).
The soul (’s heart) is purified (cleaned) throughout these stages (levels). And the purification has been achieved for the soul that has completed it through 7 stages. As for the spirit: he ascends to one heavenly floor on the Straight Path at each level of the soul’s purification and when the 7th level called the stage of the Purification has been completed, the spirit also has reached Allah.
The Straight Path is a Way leading to Allah and ends at Him.
And that to your Lord is the end (of the Way, of the Straight Path).
The Straight Path (Sırât-ı Mustakîm) makes the servants reach hidâyet. As for reaching hidâyet: it is to reach Allah. (See: 4/175)
And from among their fathers and their descendants and their brethren, and We chose them and made them reach the Straight Path.
This is Allah’s Guidance (Allah’s Hidâyet) He guides thereby whom He wills of His servants; and if they had set up others (with Him), certainly what they did would have gone for nothing for them.
And do not believe but in him who depends on (follows) your religion. Say: Surely the (true) Guidance (Hidâyet) is reaching Allah (Allah’s Guidance) – (it is) that one may be given (by Him) the like of what you were given; or (that) they would contend with you by an argument before (in the Presence of) your Lord (you say so) Say: Surely Grace (Virtue, “Fazl”) is in the Hand of Allah. He grants it to whom He pleases; and Allah is Ample-Giving (All-Surrounding), All-Knower.
And the Jews will not be pleased with you, nor the Christians until you depend on (follow) their religion. Say: Surely Allah’s guidance [reaching Allah (spiritually before death)], that is the (true) Guidance (Hidâyet). And if you follow their lusts (low desires) after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian (velî) from Allah, nor any helper.
Whomsoever Allah causes to reach Himself (whose spirit He causes to reach Himself), he has reached hidâyet, and whomever He causes to fall into Misguidance, you shall not find for him any “veli murshid” (Any Friend of Allah who will make him reach “irshad”).
As for the spirit who has arrived at the beginning of the Straight Path by repenting in front of the murshid: he rises one more heavenly floor together with each level of purification, and at the last level, through the purification of the soul, he arrives in Allah (“Vuslat”).
And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden; and if one heavily laden should cry for (another to carry), naught of it shall be carried (lifted) even if he be near of kin. You can warn only those who feel hushu’ (awe) towards their Lord in the Unseen and perform the daily (prescribed) prayers. And he who purifies himself, then he purifies only for (the benefit of) his own soul. And to Allah is the journeying (of the spirit).
And those who convey (make reach) that which (their spirits) Allah has commanded to be conveyed (to be made to reach Him) to Him (before death) and have awe of their Lord (feel hushu’ towards their Lord) and fear the evil reckoning.
That is the Day of the Truth [the Day on which we kiss the hand of our murshid and depend on him in order to reach the Truth (Hakk, Allah)], so whosoever desires (to reach Allah spiritually before death) may take the Way (leading himself) to his Lord (the Straight Path). (Allah becomes) a Shelter (a Refuge) (for the person who has reached Allah).
The fact
that we shall be received among the servants of Allah after having purified our
soul (’s heart) and making our spirit reach Allah and that we shall be
accepted so into
O Satisfied Soul!
(Be) well-pleased (with Him), well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
(O physical body!) then (when you have purified your soul (’s heart) and made your spirit reach Allah) (you become a servant to Me) enter among My servants!
Enter My
Normally, to reach
I swear by the Time.
Most surely the human beings are indeed in utter loss.
Except those who are âmenű (those who wish to reach Allah spiritually before death, that is, those who have surpassed the first 7 stages) and do improving deeds (those who have surpassed the second 7 stages) and enjoin on each other (recommend one another to) the Truth (Hakk, Allah) [those who have surpassed the third 7 stages] and enjoin on each other (recommend one another to) Patience [those who have surpassed the fourth 7 stages].
Ve’l ‘Asr Sura declares that the first stage of attaining to the Salvation (Felâh) is to be âmenű. The person who has been âmenű is the person who has only wished to reach Allah. Allah hears, sees and knows this wish (longing) in the (soul’s) heart of that person.
1. At the first stage, he experiences the events.
2. At the second stage, he compares (and evaluates) the events and an inclination (towards Allah) begins.
3. At the third stage, he wishes to reach Allah.
Whoever hopes to meet Allah (wishes to make his spirit reach Allah before death), the appointed term by Allah will then most surely come; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
And Our Lord takes out an invisible veil (a hidden barrier) named “hıcâb-ı mestűre” preventing the person from loving the Messenger of Allah (his murshid).
And when you recite the Qur’ân, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter (the Day when their spirits will reach Allah before dying) a hidden barrier (an invisible veil).
Our Lord removes that veil (screen).
5. At the fifth stage, He takes out “vakra” (heaviness, deafness… immaterial weight) from their ears.
6. At the sixth stage, He takes away the coverings (ekinnet) on their (souls’) hearts being a divine computerized system that prevents them from comprehending what the post of irshad has said (to them).
And We have placed coverings (ekinnet) on their (souls’) hearts and a heaviness (vakrâ) in their ears lest they comprehend it, and when you mention your Lord Alone in the Qur’ân, they turn their backs in aversion.
7. At the seventh stage, He puts “İhbât”, a divine computerized system ensuring their comprehending what has been uttered by his murshid.
And those who have been given the knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord, so they may believe in it and their (souls’) hearts may submit to it with humility [“ihbat” has been put into their (souls’) hearts]; and most surely, Allah causes those who are âmenű to reach a Straight Path.
The seventh stage makes the person âmenű. It is the first of the four times seven stages existing between man and Allah. Man has attained to the Salvation. But he has not yet reached hidâyet (guidance). However, he has obtained the Promise of Allah. Our Lord decrees in the 54th verse of Hacc Sura: “Most surely, Allah makes those who are âmenű reach the Straight Path.”
Even if his life did not last enough, Allah will place him into His Paradise owing to this Promise of His.
The fact that a person can be a believer is possible only by the Faith being written into his (soul’s) heart.
You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day (reaching Allah spiritually before death) befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their (own) fathers, or their sons or their brethren and their kindred, these are they into whose (souls’) hearts He has written the Faith and whom He has strengthened with a spirit from Him (the spirit of the murshid trained in His Presence): and He will cause them to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein; Allah is well-pleased with them and they are (also) well-pleased with Him; these are Allah’s Party; now surely the Party of Allah are the ones who have reached the Salvation (Felâh, the worldly happiness and the Bliss of Paradise).
The dwellers of the desert say: We believe. Say: You believe not but say: “We have entered (the circle of) Islâm, and the Faith has not yet entered your (souls’) hearts; and if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish aught of your deeds; surely, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.
A person being able to be a believer is only possible through his beginning improving deeds, that is, the soul’s purification.
40/Ghâfir – 40:
Whoever does an evil, he shall not be recompensed (with aught) but the
like of it, and whoever does improving deeds (the soul’s purification),
whether male or female, and he is a believer, these shall enter the Garden (
The fact that a person can be of the “hâfizűn” (the guarded ones, protected ones) is possible only through his carrying the spirit of his murshid over his head as a guardian.
For him, there is the one (the spirit of the murshid) who follows him before and behind him (extending from the frontside to the backside). He guards him by the Command of Allah. Verily! Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition; and when Allah wills evil to a people, there is no averting it, and besides Him they have no protector.
We have seen that being a believer, the faith being written in his (soul’s) heart, beginning the soul’s purification and being of the hâfizűn (the protected ones) is possibly through repenting in front of the murshid.
Thus, the Faith being written in the (soul’s) heart of the person, his beginning the soul’s purification and having a protecting spirit over his head become possible only when he repents before the murshid.
Under
normal conditions, when the servant has fulfilled his three covenants, he
carries out his first surrender: the surrender of the spirit. But the servant
has become the owner of
If the person has wished to reach Allah, if his (soul’s) breast has been slit and opened up to the surrenders because of this, if Allah’s mercy has attained his (soul’s) heart and brought hushu’ (a feeling of awe) into being in his (soul’s) heart through zikir on account of this, if he has asked his murshid from Allah with this hushu’ by performing the requirement prayer and Allah has shown him his murshid (in his dream) and he has repented in front of this murshid, then the conditions have been realized. And if this person continues to live, he will absolutely fulfil his covenants. If the one who has had this particularity is to die before finding the occasion of carrying out his covenants after having repented in front of his murshid, as the death is a destiny and he is qualified to fulfil absolutely his covenants if his appointed term had not come, Allahű Tealâ receives him into His Paradise.
Under
normal conditions, it is not possible for one who does not wish to reach Allah
(while living the life of the present world) to enter
And on the Day when He will gather them as if they had not stayed but an hour of the day, (in which) they knew each other. They will perish indeed who called the Meeting with Allah (spiritually before death) to be a lie, and they cannot reach hidâyet (guidance) (they cannot make their spirits reach Allah before death) [as they have belied reaching Allah before dying].
As for those who have lost their souls: It is proclaimed that they shall remain in Hell for ever.
And as for him whose scales (of good deeds) are light, these are they who shall have lost their souls, abiding in Hell.
These are those who deny arriving in Allah (Vuslat).
Surely those who do not hope in Our meeting (in making their spirits reach Allah while living) and are pleased with this world’s life and are satisfied with it, and those who are unaware of our Verses (Signs…): (As for) those: their abode is the Fire because of what (the degrees) they have earned.
As those who do not believe in arriving in Allah (spiritually before death) shall absolutely go to Hell, the remaining people are those who believe in arriving in Allah while living in this world, that is, in meeting with Allah. Our Glorious Qur’ân names them (those who are) âmenű.
Whoever hopes to meet Allah, the term appointed by Allah will then most surely come; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
If a person believes in Allah, fulfils the 5 conditions of Islâm but does not believe in reaching Allah while living the world’s life, that person will remain in Hell forever.
30/Ar-Rűm – 8:
Do they not reflect within their souls (themselves): Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them two but with truth, and (for) an appointed term? And most surely most of mankind disbelieve in the Meeting of their Lord (in reaching Allah spiritually before death).
But the
Pardon of Allah may always be a means of men’s reaching
We are going to present in the following chapters of the matter expressed in rough lines up to this point concerning the fact that Allah will receive men into His Paradise or not.
And when My Servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near (to them); I answer the Call of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should (also) answer My Invitation and believe in Me that they may reach “ irshâd”.
As we wish to reach irshad, we are certain that He will fulfil His Promise He has made in this direction, Allah be praised. Because there is no breaking of His Promise. Now, when we perform the requirement prayer, our Lord will assuredly show us our “fountain”, that is, our murshid that night (or an other night, but absolutely). When we find that murshid, a ceremony takes place in the Presence of Allahű Tealâ. We kneal down in front of our murshid. This repentance is a repentance that will make us reach Allah while living this world’s life.
“Vuslat” (Arriving in Allah) expresses reaching Allah in the life of the
present world and for this reason attaining to a more superior
[evvâb: the one who has taken refuge (shelter in) with Allah who is a Shelter (Refuge, meâb)]
[hafîz: the one who carries a guardian (the spirit of his murshid) over his head]
While our
Lord speaks of Hell in the 30th verse of Kaf Sura as a crosscut after
the Day of Resurrection, He speaks of
And
This is what you were promised, (it is) for every “evvâb” [whose spirit has reached Allah and taken Shelter (meâb) in Him] hafiz (who carries as a guardian the spirit of his murshid).
Now, this
promised
For him, there is the one (the spirit of the murshid) who follows him before and behind him (extending from the frontside to the backside). He guards him by the Command of Allah. Verily, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition; and when Allah wills evil to a people, there is no averting it, and besides him they have no protector (Helper).
That is, He does not remove His protection over them. Therefore, Allahű Tealâ protects His servants. Our Lord explains in the 22th verse of Al-Mujadilah Sura how this occurs:
You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day (reaching Allah spiritually before death) befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their (own) fathers, or their sons or their brethren and their kindred (people), these are they into whose (souls’) hearts He has written the Faith (Belief) and whom He has strengthened with a spirit from Him (the spirit of the murshid trained in His Presence) and He will cause them to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein; Allah is well-pleased with them and they (also) are well-pleased with Him; these are Allah’s Party; now surely the Party of Allah are the ones who have reached the Salvation (Felâh, the worldly happiness and the lofty Felicity of Paradise).
Thus, the fact that the persons can be taken under protection, that a spirit from the Presence of Allah can protect them by being over their heads is possible only through their extending efforts in order to reach the Consent of Allah, being well-pleased with Him. How can the Good Pleasure (Consent) of Allah be obtained? Our Lord expresses the way of acquiring it in the All-Wise Qur’ân. We see being well-pleased with Him and obtaining his Good Pleasure to be formed at the 5th and 6th stages of the seven stages of the soul’s purification. For Our Lord decrees that He has “built” the soul out of seven levels in the 98th verse of Al-An’âm Sura:
And He it is Who has brought you into being (literally: Who has “built”, “constructed” “inşa’”) from a single soul.
Like the construction of a building with 7 superposed flats, the soul has been designed (formed) after the creation of the physical body.
The love of desires, of women and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver and branded (well bred) horses and cattle and tilth, is made to seem fair to men; this is the provision (these are the comforts) of the life of this world; and Allah is the Best Shelter (Refuge) in His Presence.
This verse makes known to us that the person who takes shelter in Allah is “evvâb”.
Our Lord speaks of the seven stages of the soul throughout the Noble Qur’ân.
Our Lord decrees so in the 53th verse of Yűsuf Sura:
I cannot put my soul in the clear, verily the soul is wont (prone) to command (him to do) evil, except such as my Lord has manifested Himself with His All-Compassionate Name over, surely my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.
Nay! I swear by the self-accusing soul!
Then (Allah’s) “Takvâ” and (Satan’s) “Fucűr” are inspired to him.
(As for) those who are âmenű and whose (souls’) hearts are satisfied (are set at rest) through Allah’s zikir: now surely by Allah’s zikir are the (souls’) hearts satisfied.
O Satisfied Soul!
Be well-pleased (with Him), well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
And no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another; and if one heavily laden should cry for (another to carry) his load, nothing of it shall be carried (lifted) even if he be near of kin. You warn only those who feel hushu’ (awe) towards their Lord and perform the daily (prescribed) prayers. And whosoever purifies himself, then he purifies himself only for his own soul; and to Allah is the journeying (of the spirit).
It has been spoken of the purified soul. In which case, a guardian is assigned to the persons who show zeal for being well-pleased with Allah and obtaining His Good Pleasure that are the fifth and sixth stages of the soul’s purification. Our Lord has issued His decrees as to how men will act in this direction as follows:
O those who are âmenű (those who have surpassed the first 7 stages, those who wish to reach Allah) the responsability of your souls (purifying your souls) is upon you; when you reach hidâyet (guidance) (through purifying your souls), those who are in Misguidance cannot harm you. The return of you all is to Allah, then He will inform you of what you used to do.
That is to say, if you do not purify your soul (’s heart), if you do not reach Allah (spiritually) while living, you will absolutely be made to return to Allah after dying. We do know that hidâyet (guidance) is to reach Allah while living in this world. In other words, if you cannot reach Allah in this world’s life, while you are living this worldly life, you shall be made of a certainty to return to Him in the end, after death. Then you will be informed of what you used to do in this world.
A question may come to your mind such as this: what relation is there between hidâyet and the soul’s purification? The answer to this question is given in the 18th verse of Fâtır Sura:
And no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another; and if one heavily laden should cry for (another to carry) his load, nothing of it shall be carried (lifted) even if he be near of kin. You warn only those who feel hushu’ (awe) towards their Lord and perform the daily (prescribed) prayers. And whosoever purifies himself, then he purifies himself only for his own soul; and to Allah is the journeying (of the spirit).
We see here that the return to our Lord is possible through the soul’s purification. The way that the person showing zeal for accomplishing the process of purification in the direction of Allah’s orders has to follow is issued as a decree in the 27 and 28th verses of Fecr Sura:
O Satisfied Soul! Be well-pleased (with Him), well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
Therefore, we are in a position to surpass firstly the stages of the soul’s purification and then to return to our Lord.
Here, we see that the person who fulfils the command of Allah has to purify his soul (’s heart) and when we consider how this process of purification is realized, we see that no one is capable of purifying his own soul (’s heart), as it is explained in the Noble Qur’ân. Our Lord has brought this matter to light in the 49th verse of Nisâ Sura:
Have you not considered those who attribute purity to their souls (’ hearts)? Nay, [no one’s soul become purified because he says that he has purified his soul (’s heart)] Allah purifies only whom He wills; and they shall not be wronged the husk of a date-stone.
Well, how does Allahű Tealâ do this? How must we act that our Lord may purify our soul (’s heart)? Our Lord decrees so on this matter in the 24th verse of Secde Sura:
And We made of them Imams to make (men) reach hidâyet (guidance) by Our Command when they were patient, and they were certain of our Verses (Signs, Proofs…) (ılme’l yakîn = certainty at the degree of knowledge; ‘ayne’l yakîn = certainty at the degree of witnessing; hakku’l yakîn = absolute certainty).
“so that they may make (men) reach hidâyet by Our Command.” He says: As hidâyet (guidance) is impossible without the soul’s purification, that means that these personages help them in the direction of their souls’ purification. And they make them reach hidâyet. When we consider who these personages are, we can see that these were the prophets in the ages of the prophets according to the Noble Qur’ân, but that they are some who are charged with this duty after the prophets. Our Lord explains the situation in the Ages of the prophets in the 151th verse of Al-Baqarah Sura as follows:
Similarly, We have sent among you a Messenger from among you who recites (reads and explains) to you Our Verses (the Qur’ân) and purifies you and teaches you the Book (the Qur’ân) and the Wisdom and teaches you that which you did know.
Is this duty finished after the prophets? No, as long as mankind will live on this earth, it is decreed that they definitely need the soul’s purification. For this reason, Our Lord will cause these personages to exist until the Day of Resurrection. Allahű Tealâ speaks of the personages He has commissioned in the 2th verse of Al-Jumu’ah Sura and in the 164th verse of Âl-‘Imrân Sura in order to clarify this matter. This time, He does not say: “We have sent them.” For only the prophets are sent because they have not the free will, the right to choose according to the 68th verse of Kasas Sura.
And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses: to choose is not theirs; glory be to Allah, and exalted be He above what they associate (as partners with Him).
Allahű Tealâ uses “erselnâ = We sent” for them. But He says “be’asnâ = we raised, brought to life, commissioned…” for the Messengers.
Certainly Allah conferred a Blessing upon the believers when He raised (commissioned, brought to life) among them a Messenger from among themselves; He recites (reads and explains) to them His Verses (Signs, Evidences …), purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although before that (before depending on these Messengers) they were surely in manifest Misguidance.
He it is Who raised (commissioned, charged, brought to life) among the illiterates a Messenger from among themselves, who recites (reads and explains) to them His Verses (the Qur’ân) and purifies them (their souls’ hearts), and teaches them the Book (the Qur’ân) and the Wisdom, although before that (before depending on these Messengers) they were certainly in evident Misguidance.
Thus, He proclaims that these personages have been commissioned with purifiying the souls (’ hearts) of men and will continue their missions until the Day of Resurrection. But these personages charged with this duty have set out by using their free will, differently from the prophets and Allahű Tealâ has entrusted them with this duty owing to their worthiness. In any case, Our Lord decrees so in the 24th verse of Secde Sura:
And We made of them (men) Imams (murshids) so that they should make (men) reach hidâyet (guidance) when they were patient, and they were certain of our Verses (Signs…).
How shall we find the personages He has entrusted with this duty?
Since Allahű Tealâ has appointed the personages He has commissioned, He absolutely knows them. Our Lord decrees in the 9th verse of Nahl Sura:
And upon Allah it rests to determine the Way (all the ways going from the dervish convents to the Straight Path, that is, the murshids), and there are some deviating (ways); and if Allah had willed, He could have made every one of you reach hidâyet (guidance).
If Allahű Tealâ has determined the way (the murshid) and if He shows the way that is right, so we will demand these “fountains”, these leaders appointed by Him to us from our Lord. As a matter of fact, everyone who performs the daily prayers, in each cycle (rek’at) of his prayer, while reciting Fâtihâ Sura, has such a demand from Allah. But as he has not yet been aware of this, he has a demand but he does not yet show zeal for reaching it. Any demand is not sufficient, there must be also a certain striving.
If we consider Al-Fâtihah Sura once again, we will see this:
All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
The All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.
Master of the Day of Religion.
You Alone do we serve (To You alone are we servants) and You Alone do we beseech for (special) Help.
[Through this (special) Help of Yours] guide (lead) us to the Straight Path [Make us reach the Straight Path].
1/Al-Fâtihah – 7:
The Path of those upon (the heads of) whom You have bestowed a Blessing. Not (the Path of) those upon whom Your Wrath is brought down, nor of those who go astray (who are in Misguidance) (nor of those who could not reach their murshids).
We are searching for those personages. We long to be of those personages. Because our Lord has spoken of them in the 164th verse of Âl-‘Imrân Sura. He has spoken of the entrusted ones with this duty by Allah in order that He may complete His Blessings on the believers. We have not become aware of this. The time of raising our demand from the potential to the actual has come. Our investigations throughout the Noble Qur’ân as to how we will realize this demand of ours continue. What were we beseeching for? We were beseeching for (special) help. Our Lord, on His Part, explains that this (special) help to make us reach Allah will be sought from Allah in the 45th verse of Al-Baqarah Sura as follows:
Seek (special) Help through patience and the (requirement) Prayer; and truly it is extremely hard and heavy save for those who are possessed of hushu’ (a feeling of awe).
Our Lord discloses in the following verse, the 46th verse, how those who have obtained this help have been thinking and what (sort of) a Faith they have.
Those who are certain that they will meet their Lord (in this world’s life) and that (after dying) to Him they will return.
And it is then that they are the owners of Faith. Those persons have perceived that they will return to their Lord. Because they can attain to such a comprehension at the instant when they believe (have the firm conviction) that they will make their spirits reach Allah while living this world’s life by purifying their souls (’ hearts).
And we will see that the Faith will be written into their (souls’) hearts at the moment they will set off in order to reach Allah, they will attain to the post of “irshad” and repent in front of him. We learn from the noble sayings of our Master the Prophet (PBUH) how we will ask for (special) help from Allah through patience and the prayer. When this sacred verse had been sent down, sahâbe had said to our Master (PBUH) “O Messenger of Allah! How will we ask for (special) help from our Lord in patience and the Prayer? Our Master the Prophet (PBUH) had decreed: “Previously” you used to execute the habits (customs) of the Age of Ignorance. You used to ask for help from the Devil (Satan). Henceforth, my Lord has decreed. “Let them ask for it from Me, not from the Devil” and my brother Cebrâil (Gabriel) has taught me two cycles (rek’at) of prayer. The first is the prayer of “istihare”. This is a help implored from our Lord for our knowing if something will be good or evil for us. This is a prayer of two rek’ats (cycles) we will perform in the night binding Thurday to Friday by taking the bodily ablution. The second is the requirement prayer (hâcet namazı) that we will perform to meet a need of ours. And will we perform it for a special help (istiane), so, this “istiane” (special help to be sought only from Allah in order that we may reach our murshid appointed to us by Allah in the Pre-eternity) is only for asking from Allah for a murshid who will purify our soul (’s heart).
Further, Allahű Tealâ has given us a promise on this matter according to the 186th verse of Bakara Sura:
When My Servants question you about Me (tell them) I am surely near (to them). I answer the invitation of the suppliant when he calls on Me; therefore let them answer My Call (Invitation) and believe in Me, that they may reach “irshâd”.
Therefore, Allahű Tealâ decrees that He will definitely help us concerning our reaching irshad, that He will accept our invocations, that He will not refuse our requests.
Now, we
supplicate in order that our murshid should be shown us at the end of a prayer
of four “rek’ats” (cycles) that we will perform having taking a bodily
ablution in one of the nights binding Thursday to Friday or in the sacred nights
according to this noble saying of our Master the Prophet (PBUH). We position our
bed in order that we may have qiblah (the direction of the Inviolable House of
Worship at
Here the suras we have to recite within the prayer:
1. cycle (rek’at): three times “Âyete’l Kursî” after reciting “Fâtihâ”
2. cycle (rek’at): the Suras of “İhlâs”, “Felâk”, “Nâs” are recited after Fâtiha Sura.
3. cycle (rek’at): the Suras of “İhlâs”, “Felâk”, “Nâs” are recited after Fâtiha Sura.
4. cycle (rek’at): the Suras of “İhlâs”, “Felâk”, “Nâs” are recited after Fâtiha Sura.
If our (soul’s) heart has been opened up for surrenders (Islâm) according to the 125th verse of Al-An’âm Sura, our Lord will assuredly show us the one He has charged with the duty to purify our soul (’s heart).
1. Blessing: The spirit of the İmam of the Era comes and settles over the head of the person. An other spirit possessing competence far beyond that of the spirit in the physical body of that person. (because that spirit is at the same time the owner of a property capable of preserving the person from the negative influence of all the occult sciences, is a guardian). It comes and settles down over the head of the person and says to his spirit; “your day of meeting with Allah has come.” Together with the settling down of this spirit over your head Allah begins to act according to the 22th verse of Al-Mujadilah Sura.
You shall never find a community who believes in Allah and the Last Day
loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger even if they are their fathers
or their sons or their brothers and sisters or their tribes. He has written iman
(belief) into their (souls’) hearts and supported them with a spirit (trained
in His presence) from Himself and He causes them to enter the Gardens (paradise)
beneath which rivers flow. They will dwell therein for ever. He is pleased with
them and they are pleased with Him.These are the Party of Allah. Behold! Verily,
it is the Party of Allah that will reach the Salvation (Felah,
2. Blessing: Allah writes the word of the Faith into the soul’s heart when the spirit of the Imam of the Era comes and settles down over his head. Thus the seven conditions of becoming a believer are formed:
1) The disbelief in the soul’s heart has been taken out.
2) “Ekinnet” has been taken away from the soul’s heart.
3) “Ihbat” has been put into the soul’s heart.
4) the light way of the (soul’s) heart has been made to turn towards Allah.
5) Allah has opened up (slit) a light way from the
6) That person’s heart has reached hushu’ (a feeling of awe).
7) Allah has written the word of the Faith into that (soul’s) heart.
Thus, that person is not the one who says that he is a believer verbally but whose heart is a disbeliever. At the 14. stage, the person has been a believer in the real meaning of the word. If so, the (soul’s) heart surpasses constanly the phases. Up to this point, the person:
1) has wished to reached Allah, received 12 favors.
2) As Allah has shown him his murshid, he has reached him. He has knelt down in front of him, kissed his hand, has realized his dependence. Thereupon, Allah has written the word of the Faith into his (soul’s) heart.
3. Blessing: Allah changes his sins into merits. While Allahű Tealâ was giving him 10 to 1 merit, from that day on, He begins to grant him 100 to 1 merit.
4. Blessing: the person’s spirit sets out towards Allah:
The spirit of the person leaves its physical body and set off towards Allah.This is the hidâyet (reaching) of the spirit. The Spirit of the İmam of the Era that communicates the order of Allah to him: “your day of reaching Allah has come. Leave your physical body.”
The Increaser of the degrees and the Possessor of the Divine Throne (‘arş) sends a Spirit through His command (a spirit that will communicate to him the decree of Allah) over the person He wishes among His servants (He wishes to cause to reach Himself) (over the head of the person Allah wants to cause to reach Himself as he wants to reach Him, too) in order to warn him that the day of meeting with Him (the day of reaching Him) has come.
Thereupon, the spirit sets off towards Allah. Allahű Tealâ declares:
That day (the day when one kisses the hand of the murshid and depends on him) is the Day of Truth.Whoever wishes (to reach Allah) takes a road (the Straight Path) that makes himself reach His Sustainer. (Allah) is a Shelter (for the person who has reached Him).
So, your spirit sets out on a journey towards Allah and is on the Straight Path according to the 153th verse of Al-An’âm Sura:
And this is My Straight Path. Depend on it, and do not follow the (other) ways. All these ways will deviate you from His way. This is the thing with which Allah has bound you so that you may be possessed of takvâ.
We see that the first hidâyet begins so, dear readers, my intimate friends, my heartfelt friends! Your spirit sets out on a journey towards Allah.Allahu Teala declares:
3/Al-i Imran – 73:
Say: “Of a certainly, hidâyet is reaching Allah” (The human spirit reaching Allah before death.) This is the hidâyet of the spirit. It begins within the standards we have explained. Your spirit leaves your physical body and sets out on a journey towards Allah and attains to the Straight Path.
5. Blessing: His physical body begins to be saved from being a servant to Satan:
Truly, we have sent (brought to life, charged) a Messenger in each community in order that they refrain (abstain) from Tagut (Satan and his followers) and become the servants of Allah. Some of them did Allah lead to hidâyet and some of them have deserved the Misguidance (those who have depended on the Messengers have reached hidâyet and those who have not depended on them have deserved the Aberration). Make journeys on the Earth and see how the end of the deniers have been.
We understand thus that those who have depended on the Imam of the Era have reached hidâyet and that those who have depended on the Messenger in the tribe (nation, community) in which they are found have reached hidâyet. As becoming the servant of Allah, saving oneself from being a servant to Satan is to reach hidâyet, this is the hidâyet of the physical body.
Allahű Tealâ says:
Oh sons of Adam! Have I not taken an covenant (ahd) from you that you should not be servants to Satan, truly he is an open enemy to you and that you should be My Servants. This is (to be on) the Straight Path.
So, Allahű Tealâ sends a Messenger into each community in order that they should depend on him and thus be the servants of Allah.
If so, our physical body begins to become a servant of Allah as soon as it depends on the murshid.
This is the hidâyet of the physical body, too. Because Allahu Teala says about the human beings beginning to become the servants of Allah that they are the ones who have stepped into hidâyet, who have reached hidâyet in the 36th verse of Nahl Sura. That is to say, when a man becomes a servant of Allah, he is considered as having reached hidâyet.
6. Blessing: His soul (’s heart) begin to be purified:
5/Al-Mâ’idah – 105:
Oh those who have become âmenű (those who have surpassed the first 7 stages, who have wished to reach Allah) the responsibility of your souls (purifying your souls) is upon you (is a duty to you, is incumbent on you); when you have reached hidâyet (by purifying your souls), those who are in Misguidance cannot harm you. You will be made to turn back to Allah, all of you. Then He will make known to you that which you had done.
The third hidâyet, the hidâyet of the soul is to be purified. So, our three bodies step into hidâyet.
7. Blessing: His free will begins to be fortified as his soul (’s heart) is purified.
I cannot put my soul in the clear, verily, the soul is wont (prone) to command (him to do) evil, except such as my Lord has had mercy on, surely My Lord is Oft-Forgiving (changes sins into good deeds), All-Compassionate (sends mercy, purifies and refines the souls through this Mercy).
When the murshid has purified the soul (’s heart) of the person mentioned in the 53th verse of Yűsuf Sura (the Evil-Commanding Soul = Nefs-i Emmâre), his spirit has become competent (skilled, apt) to ascend to the first heavenly floor by completing his training on the Ground Floor.
Nay! I swear by the self-accusing soul!
The following stage of the soul is a state of soul being reproached, accused, censured, repenting. He constantly accuses his soul. When he has purified his soul (’s heart) at this stage mentioned in the 2th verse of Kıyâme Sura, the spirit of that person becomes competent to ascend to the second heavenly floor (layer).
(Allah’s) takvâ and (Satan’s) fucűr are inspired to him.
“Fucűr” is evil, wickedness, “takvâ” is to guard oneself against evil. That is, this stage of the soul is a period of time in which both fucűr (all kinds of evils) is inspired by Satan and takvâ (all kinds of goodness) is inspired by Allahű Tealâ. The disciple will try to find the truth in that period by informing his murshid of each inspiration coming into his (soul’s) heart. The spirit of the person who has purified his (soul’s) heart at this stage also is competent (apt) to ascend to the third heavenly floor.
Later, he attains the fourth stage of the soul, Nefs-i Mutmainne (the Satisfied Soul). “Mutmainne” means to be satisfied. Our Lord decrees in the 28th verse of Ar-Ra’d Sura as follows:
Those who are âmenű and whose (souls’) hearts are satisfied with Allah’s zikir; now surely with Allah’s zikir are the (souls’) hearts are satisfied.
It is such a soul that Our Lord addresses him. He decrees in the 27th verse of Fecr Sura: “O Satisfied Soul!” This stage of the soul is a period in which the soul has attained a satisfaction, is content. The spirit of the person who has attained this stage is competent (authorized) to ascend to the fourth stage.
Being well-pleased with Allah, the stage of being well-pleased takes place in the 28th verse of Fecr Sura. When the person is well-pleased with Allah obtains also His Consent (Good Pleasure). Allah too is well-pleased with His servant. The soul in the Al-Fajr Sura is a soul that has obtained the Consent of Allah. Thus, the spirit of the disciple will firstly become competent (authorized, apt…) to ascend to the fifth, then to the sixth floor.
The seventh stage of the soul is named “Tezkiye”.
“Tezkiye” (Purification) is the purification of the soul, at least, the 19 vices of the soul (’s heart) being taken under control. Now, when the person has completed the process of purifying his soul (’s heart), his spirit will ascend to the seventh heavenly floor and reach the Essence of Allah by surpassing finally the seven Worlds of the 7th heavenly floor. The person returns to his Lord and surrenders to Him by completing the purification. He reaches “Fenâfillâh” (Extinction in Allah) and becomes a Saint (Friend) of Allah.
Yes, the person who has arrived in his Lord has become a Friend (Saint) of Allah. Our Exalted Lord says in the 39th verse of An-Naba’ Sura about the disciple reaching Allah: “reaching Allah who is a Shelter (Refuge, meâb)”. Our Lord decrees so:
That is the Day of the Truth [the Day when we kiss the hand of our murshid and depend on him in order to reach the Truth (Hakk, Allah)]. Whoever wishes (to reach Allah) takes a Way (leading him) to his Lord. (Allah becomes) a Shelter (Refuge, Meâb) (for the person who has reached Allah).
“That Day is the Day of the Truth.” It is the day when we have taken the first step for reaching the Truth (Allah). The person who wishes (by following this Way) reaches his Lord and his Lord is a Shelter (Refuge, “Meâb”) for him. Meâb means shelter, Refuge in Arabic. “Meâb” and “evvab” stem from the same root. Meâb is a Shelter (Refuge); evvâb is the one who takes shelter (refuge). As soon as the person arrives in his Lord and takes shelter in Him, he is named “evvâb”. Our Lord mentions the prophets as “evvâb” in the 30. and 44th verses of 38/Sâd Sura. He speaks of Eyyup (Job) and Suleyman (Solomon) as “evvâb”. So, they were the personages who had turned to their Lord and become “evvâb”.
The state of being “hafîz” in the 32th verse of Qâf Sura (50/32) is the state of the spirit of the murshid of a person in which he takes his disciple under protection by settling over his head at the instant the disciple has kissed the hand of his murshid in order to return to his Lord. The disciple has now become a “hafîz”. He has been taken under protection. As for the state of being “evvâb” in the same verse, it is the spirit of the disciple reaching Allah and being taken under protection in the Essence (Zât) of Allah by surrendering to Him, Allah being a protecting Shelter for the spirit of the disciple. Being a “hafîz” is realized at the 14th stage and being an “evvâb” at the 21th stage.
The fact that the disciple has arrived in Allah, has become an “evvâb” after having been a “hafîz”, will lead him to the first “takvâ”, to the first level of “takvâ”. And he will become a Friend (Saint) of Allah. It is then that the person will reach hidâyet (guidance). He will make his spirit reach Allah. In any case, if we are to read successively the 27, 28, 29 and 30th verses of Fecr Sura, we will understand the situation.
O Satisfied Soul!
Be well-pleased (with Him), well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
(O physical body!) then [when you have purified your soul (’s heart) and made your spirit reach Allah] (you will become a servant to Me) enter among My servants!
Enter My
Our Lord
decrees so in the 20 and 21th verses of
And certainly Iblîs (Satan) found true his conjecture concerning them, so they follow him, except a sect (a group) of the believers.
And he has no authority over them, except that We may distinguish (test) him who believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt about it; and your Lord is the Preserver of all things (Watchful over everything).
Our Master the Prophet (PBUH) decrees so in his noble saying in the same sense:
“At the end of time, my community will be divided up into many groups (parties, sects) they will be on the 73 in number. One of them will be on the Straight Path, 72 of them will not be able to find the real (right) way. Our Master the Prophet names that unique group (Party) the Saved Party (Fırka-i Nâciye). Really, the Way of Allah is a single Way. The followers of the Way are named “Hızbullâh” [the Adherents (Party)] of Allah, that is, those who are in the Way of Allah, the Friends of Allah. Who are the Friends of Allah? Those who keep their promise they had sworn to Allah in the Pre-eternity.
And (know) that this is My Path, Straight One, therefore depend on (follow) It, and follow not (other) ways, for they will separate (lead) you away from His Way; this He has enjoined you with that you may be possessed of “Takvâ”.
From this verse, we deduce that that single group (sect) is the sect that is on the Straight Path.
And when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their backs (loins), their seed (descendants, offspring: their souls, spirits and physical bodies) and made them bear witness against their souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: “Yes! We bear witness. Lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection we were unaware (heedless) of this.
All the souls, spirits and physical bodies have recognized our Lord as a Master and acknowledged that they are their servants.
The souls promised Allah to be purified, the spirits to reach Him and the physical bodies to be servants to Him when they had descended on Earth and had been incarnated there. The Invitation made by Allah to the physical bodies, the souls and the spirits, the Call to the Covenants, if one responds to (accept) the invitation, that is, if one swears, this gives rise to the making of a Contract between Allah and the physical bodies, souls and spirits.
On the one
hand, the soul swears that he will be purified, the spirit makes a promise in
order to reach Allah in the world’s life and the physical body makes an
covenant that he will be a servant to Allah. On the other hand, Allah promises
It has been expressed in the Noble Qur’ân that, out of these covenants, the covenant (ahd) of the physical body should lead man to the servanthood of Allah.
Did I not take an engagement from you, O Children of Adam! That you should not serve (be servants to) Satan? Surely he is an open enemy to you,
36/Yâ-Sîn – 61:
And that you should serve Me: this is (to be on) the Straight Path.
Whoever does not wish to depend on (follow) this Way named the Straight Path and to reach the servanthood will definitely be a servant to Satan. He will follow Satan, and just as our Lord decrees in this verse, he will be of the losers on the Day of Resurrection.
3/Âl-‘Imrân – 51:
Surely Allah is my Lord and yours, therefore serve Him (be servants to Him); this is (to be on) the Straight Path.
We are also deducing from this verse that our being servants necessitates (our being on) the Straight Path.
You Alone do we serve and You Alone do we beseech for (special) help.
Make us reach the Straight Path [guide (lead) us to Straight Path].
The Path of those upon whom You have bestowed a Blessings (the spirit of the Imam of the Era). Not (the Path) of those upon whom Your Wrath is brought down, nor of those who are in Misguidance (who go astray).
For this reason, we have recourse to Allah, we beseech Him for special help in order that He should cause us to go up on the Straight Path.
What was the promise of the Devil (Satan)?
Her are the 61, 62, 63 and 64 verses of İsra Sura:
And when we said to the angels: “Prostrate yourselves before Adam!” they all prostrated themselves except Iblîs (Satan). He said: “Shall I prostrate myself unto him whom You have created of clay?
He (Iblîs) said: Do you see this (creature) whom You have honored above me? If You give me respite until the Day of Resurrection, I surely will seize his progeny, all but a few.
(63) He (Allah) said: Be gone! For whoever of them will follow you, then surely Hell is your recompense, a full reward: (64) And beguile whomsoever of them you can with your (seductive) voice, and collect against them your forces riding and on foot, and share with them in property and children, and hold out promises to them; and Satan makes promises for them only to deceive (them).
Surely (as for) My (true) servants, you shall have no authority (power) over them; and your Lord is Sufficient as a Protector (Guardian).
If we carry out our promise (mîsâk), our oath (yemîn) given by us on the Day of “Kâlű Belâ” (literally: they said: Yes) mentioned in the 172th verse of Al-A’râf Sura , we can be servants to Allah. But where is this servanthood realizable? As we can reach this servanthood by means of the Straight Path, of that Way, first of all we have to make the Straight Path a Way for us.
And (know) that this is My Path, the Straight One, therefore, depend on (follow) It, and do not follow (other) ways, for they will separate you away from His Way; this He has bound you with so that you may be possessed of Takvâ.
This splitting up into groups (sects) mentioned in the noble saying of our Master the Prophet subjects us to Satan. Now, we are obliged not to be divided up into groups but to be on the Straight Path. And Our Lord has created us with the disposition of “Hanîf”, a disposition suited to not ascribe partners (unto Allah) and fitting to surrender to him so that we may reach peace and tranquility thanks to it.
Then set your face (physical body) for the Religion as a man by disposition (nature) upright of Allah, in which He has created mankind: There is no altering of Allah’s creation; that is the lasting religion, but most people do not know.
Our Lord decrees so in the 31 and 32th verses of Rűm Sura:
Turn unto Him and be possessed of takvâ and perform the daily (prescribed) prayers and be not of those who ascribe partners (unto Him).
Of those who split up their religion and have become sects, each sect exulting in what they had with them.
Thus, in order that we should not be split into groups, we have to return to our Lord by journeying on the Straight Path. What sort of returning is this?
Our Lord gives us these orders for this Return:
Return to your Lord!
And turn to your Lord (repentant) and surrender (submit) to Him before there comes to you the (grave) torment, then you shall not be helped.
Answer the Call of your Lord before there comes the Day (of death) from Allah for which there shall be no everting.
Repeat the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with (utter, exclusive) devotion (detaching yourself from everything else).
And depend on (follow) the Way of him who turns to Me.
Therefore flee to Allah…
Turn(ing) unto Him…
And those who cause to reach that which (their spirits) Allah has commanded to be conveyed (to be made to reach Him) to Him (before death) and have awe of their Lord and fear the evil reckoning.
And Allah invites (mankind) to the Abode of Surrender (to His Own Essence who will take delivery of the spirit) and guides whom He wills (to guide to the Abode of Surrender, to His Essence) to the Straight Path (leading to Allah).
And remember the Blessings of Allah on you and His Promise with which He bound you firmly, when you said: “We have heard and we obey, and be the possessors of takvâ towards Allah, surely Allah knows what is in the breasts (of men).
And fulfil the covenants of Allah.
Surely Allah commands you to render back the Trusts (the spirit, the physical body, the soul and the free will to His (True) Owner (to Allah).
Allahű Tealâ has thus given the command: Turn to Allah and surrender (submit) to Him in 12 separate places of the Noble Qur’ân. This command is not in vain.
This order has been given us in order that we may be on the Straight Path. Our Lord decrees again in the 103th verse of Âl-‘Imrân Sura:
And hold fast to the rope of Allah all together and be not disunited and remember the Blessings of Allah on you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so by His Blessing you became brothers; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it; thus does Allah make clear to you His Verses (Signs, proofs…) that you may reach hidâyet (guidance).
Here, we are commanded to hold fast to the rope of Allah. Now, this “rope of Allah” is the Straight Path (Sırât-ı Mustakîm).
This Straight Path is defined in the 87 and 88th verses of Al-An’âm Sura:
6/Al-An’âm – 87:
And from among their fathers and their descendants and their brothers, and We chose them and We made them reach the Straight Path.
This is Allah’s Hidâyet (Guidance), He guides thereby whom He wills of His servants; and if they had set up others (with Him), certainly what they did would have gone for nothing for them.
Thus, the Straight Path is the Way to Hidâyet (Guidance). The meaning of the word “Hidâyet” in the dictionary is “to reach, to attain”. Allahű Tealâ mentions two kinds of hidâyet (guidance): the one is to reach Allah, the other is to reach the Devil (Satan), to arrive in Hell. Now, Our Lord expresses so the Way of Hidâyet reaching Allah in the 71th verse of Al-An’âm Sura:
Say: “Shall we call on that besides Allah, which does not benefit us nor hurt us, and shall we be returned back on our heels after Allah has made us reach Him, like him whom the devils (şeyâtîn) have made to fall down perplexed in the earth? He has companions who call him to the Hidâyet (reaching Allah spiritually before death), (saying): “Come to us.” Say: Surely reaching Allah, that is the hidâyet and we are commanded to surrender to the Lord of the Worlds.
Therefore, hidâyet (hudâ) is to reach Allah, and in the end, to surrender to Him. Because our Master the Prophet says in order to be a model for us: “We have been commanded with it.”
The second way of “hidâyet” is the way of reaching Satan and Hell.
Our Lord decrees in the 23th verse of Saffât Sura:
Then make them reach the Path to Hell! [Then lead them to the Path to Hell!]
Thus, The Straight Path is the Way reaching Allah. For this reason, we are obliged to obey the order given us: “Turn to your Lord!” so that we may attain to the servanthood. As a matter of fact, according to the 28th verse of Fecr Sura, which contains one of these orders, we see that we have attained to the servanthood of our Lord. “And enter among My servants.”
And our Lord decrees so in the 26th verse of Fecr Sura:
And no one can bind (with a Promise) like His.
That is, He says: We take the Promise (a firm word) in the most beautiful fashion. As you know it, Our Lord had taken a firm word (mîsâk, Promise) from us on the Day of “Elestu birabbikum” (literally: Am I not your Lord?). Our Lord names this firm word “mîsâk”. Mîsâk, vesîka (document) vusuk (firmness) stem from the same root. He decrees in the 27 and 28th verses:
O Satisfied Soul!
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah) and well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
Therefore, we have to reach the servanthood in order to keep away from the dominance of Satan. Since the soul’s purification and the spirit reaching Allah (before death) is necessary in order to attain to the servanthood and all these are possible only by reaching the murshid and repenting in front of him, to attain to the rank of irshad is indispensable.
On the other hand, not to split into sects and to be on the unique Way (that is, on the Straight Path) and thus constitute a single sect consisting of the believers is again possible only by finding the murshid and repenting before him. For in case we find our murshid appointed by Allah for us (in the Pre-eternity) and repent before him, only then the Faith is written into our (soul’s) heart and we become a believer. It has been seen that to be able to be found in the unique sect consisting of the believers is only possible by reaching the murshid.
Our Lord decrees so in the 30, 31 and 32th verses of Ar-Rűm Sura about the fact that He has created mankind with the disposition (nature) of “Hanîf”.
Then set your face (your physical body) for the Religion as a “hanîf” – the disposition made by Allah in which He has created men; there is no altering of Allah’s creation (Men are always created with the disposition of Hanîf). That is the lasting religion, but most people do not know (this truth)-
Turn(ing) to Him (repentant) and be possessed of Takvâ and keep up the Prayer and be not of those ascribing partners (unto Him).
Of those who split up their religion and became sects, each sect exulting in what they had with them (with their own knowledge).
Our Lord has created everybody with the disposition (nature) of “Hanîf”. Hanîf means
1. To believe in Allah who is the One and the Only (not to ascribe partners unto Him).
2. To surrender (submit) (to Him).
Men make their spirits reach Allah and surrender to Him as “Hanîfs”.
To be “hanîf” means to be Islâm. To be Islâm (muslim) is to surrender, that is, to surrender the spirit, the physical body and the soul and the free will to Allah.
Turn(ing) to Him (repentant) and be possessed of Takvâ and perform (keep up) the Prayer(s) and be not of those ascribing partners (unto Him).
And men surrender their physical bodies to Allah as “hanîfs”.
And who can be better in religion than one who surrenders his face (his physical body) to Allah? And he is a good-doer (muhsîn) and depends on (follows) the religion of İbrâhîm (Abraham) as a “hanîf” (the upright one by nature). And Allah did take İbrâhîm as an intimate friend.
We reach the surrender of the soul also that is the third surrender with the disposition of Hanîf again.
And they were not enjoined anything except that they should be servants to Allah, being utterly pure in his religion as “hanîfs” (the upright ones) (by disposition) and perform the daily (prescribed) prayers and pay zekât (the poor-rate) and that is the lasting religion.
Now, our Lord creates men firstly with the disposition of “Hanîf”. Then He commands us to surrender to Allah through our Master the Prophet in the 123th verse of Nahl Sura:
Then We revealed to you: Depend on (follow) the religion of İbrâhîm (Abraham) who was a “hanîf” (the upright one by nature) and he was not of the polytheists (idolaters).
The Command of our Lord is obvious: He commands even our Master the prophet not to be of the polytheists (idolaters, ascribing partners to Allah).
“Şirk” is to attribute partners with Allah. That is, to have others deities than Allah, to believe that Allah has some partners, peers, likes, etc…
Our Master
the Prophet says that there are two kinds of polytheism: an unhidden polytheism
and a hidden one. The open polytheism is to get an idol and worship it along
with Allah. The fact that the Jews say: “Uzeyr (Ezra) is the son of Allah and
that the Christians believe in the Trinity, that is, the
As for the second kind of polytheism: if we obey the lusts of our soul instead of obeying the orders of Allah, we are in an hidden polytheism. The orders, the inspirations in two opposite directions have been coming to the soul after our Lord has designed (fashioned) him, decrees Allah.
Our Lord decrees so in the 7, 8, 9 and 10th verses of Şems Sura:
I swear by the soul and Him who designed (fashioned him) (in seven levels).
(Satan’s) fucűr and (Allah’s) takvâ are inspired to him (to that soul).
Surely, he who purifies his soul reaches the Salvation (enters
And he fails who corrupts himself (his soul).
The person who follows his soul does not hear the voice of Allah and falls into a hidden polytheism.
But if they do not answer you (your invitation to make them reach hidâyet) then know that they only follow their low desires; and who is more misguided than he who follows his lusts (fancies) without any guide (hidâyetchi) from Allah? Surely Allah does not make the unjust people reach hidâyet (guidance).
In the above mentioned verse, “those who follow their caprices (lusts, low desires) indicates clearly to the hidden polytheism.
Have you then considered him who takes his low desire for his god, and Allah has made him fall into Misguidance upon a knowledge (of his) and has set a seal upon his (soul’s) hearing and his (soul’s) heart and put a covering upon his (soul’s) sight. Who can then make him reach hidâyet after Allah? Will you not be mindful (not deliberate, learn a lesson)?
We find the same statement in the above mentioned verse, too. “Those who take their low desires for their gods” fall into the hidden polytheism (idolatry). They do not obey the Caller of Allah who realizes His Invitation.
While inspirations are coming to this soul in the direction of “takvâ” (goodness) on the one hand, inspirations in the sense of fucűr (wickedness), with the expression of Allahű Tealâ, are coming on the other hand. Whoever obeys the orders coming from Allah in the direction of takvâ will reach the Salvation. Whoever obeys “fucűr” coming from Satan has taken him for his lord instead of Allah. This is a hidden polytheism. Obeying the orders of Allah is obeying Allah who is the Lord, the Absolute Giver of Orders. Whosoever obeys Allah becomes a servant to Him and whoever obeys Satan is a servant of him. Allah orders us to take the orders from Allah, our Lord.
Then we become a servant to Allah.
He decrees so in the 60 and 61th verses of Yâ-sîn Sura:
Did I not take an Covenant from you, O Children of Adam! That you should not serve Shaitan (Satan)? Surely he is an open enemy to you.
And that you should serve (be servants to) Me. This is (to be on) the Straight Path.
He orders us to serve One Being, not to serve other gods, helpers, lords. This is the time in which the hidden polytheism vanishes. Our Lord decrees in the 29th verse of Az-Zumar Sura as an example of this situation:
Allah sets forth a parable: There is a slave in whom are (several) partners disputing with one another, and there is another slave wholly owned by one man (master). Are the two alike in comparisont? (All) praise is due to Allah. Nay! Most of them do not know.
Of a certainty, the slave who will conform to a single master, obey the orders of a single master will be in a better condition. Now, we shall attain the happiness when we abandon one of the masters from whom we take orders in opposite directions and act by order of a single Master. InshaAllah (if Allah wills it), to be able to attain this happiness is possible through reaching the third servanthood. How do we reach it? Our Lord decrees in the 21th verse of Bakara Sura:
2/Al-Baqarah – 21:
O mankind! Be servants to your Lord who created you and those before you so that you may be possessed of “Takvâ”.
Therefore, without being a servant, it is not possible to reach the (first) takvâ. Where is the servanthood and where is it realized? Our Lord has elucidated where the servanthood is to be found in His Noble Qur’ân, in the 29th verse of Fecr Sura:
(O physical body!) then [when you have purified your soul (’s heart) and made your spirit reach Allah] (you will become a servant to Me) enter among My servants!
When we consider the actions and conditions thanks to which we have been accepted among the servants of Allah, we see the 27 and 28th verses of Al-Fajr Sura in which Our Lord makes known to us which deeds we have to do.
O Satisfied Soul!
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah), pleasing (Him) (obtain the Consent of Allah). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
And enter My
So, not to be muşrik (polytheist, idolater…) to keep away from the polytheism, to remove the hidden idolatry (şirk, polytheism, ascribing partners to Allah) is possible only by reaching the servanthood. Then we should recollect the promise (firm word) in the 26th verse of Al-Fajr Sura before reaching the servanthood. And according to the 27 and 28th verses of Fecr Sura, we see that we are obliged to make our spirit reach our Lord by surpassing the stages of the soul (’s purification). In fact, Allahű Zu’l Celâl Hz. (Allah, the Owner of Mjesty) has commanded us to return to our Lord in the 31th verse of Ar-Rűm Sura so that that polytheism (şirk) may be removed.
To be
saved from the hidden polytheism (idolatry), the first standard of being a
“hanîf” is possible only in this way. This too is the basic element of
reaching
Our Lord announces in the 102 and 103th of Al-Mu’minűn Sura and in the 8 and 9th of Al-A’râf Sura who will reach the Salvation and who will be disappointed (be of the losers) by exposing an crosscut (a shapshot) from the Doomsday.
Then as for him whose scales (of good deeds) are heavy: these are they who
reach the salvation (enter
And as for him whose scales (of good deeds) are light: they are those who lost their souls, in Hell will they abide.
And the weighing (measuring out) on that Day will be just; then as for him whose scales (of good deeds) are heavy: those are they who shall reach the Salvation.
And as for him whose scales (of good deeds) are light: those are they who have made their souls suffer loss because they wronged our Verses (Signs, Proofs…).
Thus, according to these announcements, we have to take one of the two ways. The one is the Way of our Lord which is the Way to reach the Salvation. We can reach it only by giving their due importance to the verses of our Lord, by not neglecting them. When we fulfil the necessities of the sacred verses related to the spirit reaching Allah while living this world’s life, we do not do wrong (injustice) to the verses. Who does wrong to whomever or whatever does wrong to his own soul in truth, because the person who has done wrong has lost degrees. As for losing degrees: it is the soul doing wrong to himself.
In the 9th verse of Al-A’râf Sura , it has been expressed that those who have caused their souls to fall into loss are those who have wronged the Verses of Allah.
By wronging which verses the soul will fall into loss has been brought to light in the below mentioned verses:
10/Yűnus – 45:
And on the Day when He shall gather them together, (it will be) as though they had stayed but an hour of the day (when) they know each other. They will cause their souls to fall into loss who called the Meeting with Allah (spiritually before death) to be a lie, and they could not reach hidâyet (guidance) (as they denied reaching Allah before death).
Surely those who do not hope in Our Meeting (those who do not wish to make their spirits reach Allah while living) and are pleased with this world’s life and are satisfied with it, and those who are heedless of our Verses (Signs, evidences…). (As for) those: their Abode will be the Fire, because of what they used to earn.
To conform
to the essentials in our Noble Qur’ân by learning the verses makes man reach
Felâh (the Salvation,
And there are among them illiterates who do not know (and recognize) the Book (of Allah) but they trust upon false desires (lies) (propagated by manuscripts) and they do but conjecture).
Woe, then, to those who write the book (containing false knowledge) with their hands and say: “This is from (the Presence of) Allah, so that they may purchase with it a small price; therefore woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.
As can be understood from these sacred verses, to follow conjectures and whims (false desires) is to fall into loss.
In the 168th verse of Nisâ Sura, the situation of the unjust people has been described:
Surely (as for) those disbelieve and act unjustly (as they have prevented and averted others from reaching their murshids), Allah will not forgive them (He will not transform their sins into good deeds) nor make them reach a road (tarîk) (the Way leading to Allah, the Straight Path).
Then, to act in the direction of the sacred verses will lead us to the Salvation. Our Lord who has created us with the three bodies has announced the duties of these bodies of ours in the Noble Qur’ân He has sent down for us.
1. Our physical body
Our physical body has been ordered to be a servant to Allah.
O mankind! Serve (be servants to) your Lord Who created you and those before you so that you may reach hidâyet (guidance).
2. Our soul
We have been commanded to purify our soul (’s heart).
O you who are âmenű (those who have surpassed the first seven stages, those who have wished to reach Allah and then to surrender to Him)! the responsibility of your souls is (to purify your souls) upon you. When you have reached hidâyet (guidance) (by purifying your souls), those who are in Misguidance cannot harm you. The return of you all is to Allah, then He will inform you of what you used to do.
3. Our spirit
What our spirit should do has been declared in 12 separate sacred verses.
Here, we will mention only one of them:
And turn (repentant) to your Lord and surrender (submit) to Him before the (grave) torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped.
Now, to arrive in Allah in this world’s life is to meet with Allah (to reach Allah).
If we purify our soul (’s heart), if we reach Allah (“mulâkî”) by causing our spirit that rises together with each stage of the soul’s purification to arrive in Allah and if we make our physical body “a servant to Allah” we will be of those who do not make their souls fall into loss and of those whose scales (of good deeds) will be heavy on the Day of Resurrection.
As for the purification of the soul, the spirit arriving in Allah (Vuslat) and the physical body being a servant to Allah: all these can be realized only by reaching the murshid.
And if your Lord had so willed, He would certainly have made a single nation (community), but they will not cease to disagree (differ). Except him on whom your Lord has mercy; and for this did He create them; and the Word of your Lord is fulfilled: Certainly I will fill Hell with the jinn and the men, all together.
And certainly We have created for Hell many of the jinn and the men; they have (souls’) hearts with which they do not comprehend, and they have (souls’) eyes with which they do not see, and they have (souls’) ears with which they do not hear; they are as cattle, nay, they are in worse Misguidance; these are the heedless ones.
So, Allah has created us in a disposition apt to enter under the protection of our Sustainer and so that we may enter under that protection. Whoever has entered under the protection of Allah is not of those who have split up into sects. As for those who have split up into various sects and who are not on the Straight Path due to the different standards of thought and who are in constant disagreement with those who are on the Straight Path (the unique group that has reached the Salvation): it is obvious that they will go to Hell. In this case, the fact that those who have not split up into sects will reach the salvation has become evident.
So, as long as men do not enter under the protection of their Lord, they will always be in conflict and be split into sects (groups) and will not be able to realize the unification that our Lord decrees in the 103th verse of Âl-‘Imrân Sura:
And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (to the Straight Path) and be not divided (among yourselves) and remember Allah’s Blessings on you, for you were enemies one to another, then He united your hearts, so by His Blessings you became brethren; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it; thus does Allah make clear to you His Verses (Signs, realities…) that you may reach hidâyet (guidance).
The Rope leading to Allah is the Straight Path. Those who hold fast to this Rope and set off towards Allah are on a unique way and are not split into sects (groups).
All those who have not entered under the protection are in a position to be split into sects and remain in conflict. How shall we enter under the protection? Our Lord shed light on this matter in the 53th verse of Yűsuf Sura, too:
While Allah is relating the story of Hz. Yusuf (Joseph) He causes Hz. Yusuf to speak so:
I cannot acquit my soul, most surely the soul is wont (prone) to command evil, except such as my Lord has had mercy on, surely My Lord is Oft-Forgiving (changes sins into good deeds), and All-Compassionate (sends Mercy, thus purifies and refines the souls with it).
So, as long as we do not become a soul that Our Lord protects, our soul always commands us (to do) evil!
There is the one (the spirit of the murshid) following him before him and behind him (extending from his frontside to his backside), who guards him by Allah’s Commandment; surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own state; and when Allah wills evil to a people, there is no averting it, and besides Him they have no protector.
So, Allahű Tealâ takes some servants of His under His Protection. When we consider whom He takes under His protection, the 22th verse of Mucâdile Sura of our Noble Qur’ân comes to our mind:
You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the Latter Day (reaching Allah before dying) befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their (own) fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindsfolk; these are they into whose (souls’) hearts He has written the Faith, and whom He has strengthened with a spirit from Him (trained in His Presence) (through the settling of the spirit of the murshid over their heads): and He will cause them to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein; Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him; these are Allah’s Party; now surely the Party of Allah that reach the Salvation (Felâh).
So, Allahű Tealâ takes thus His servants under His protection by means of a spirit (trained in His Presence). He says that those servants are well-pleased with Allah and have obtained the Consent of Allah. In this way, if the human being can purify his soul (’s heart) through 7 stages, he will be able to reach the goal.
The stages of the soul (’s purification) have been indicated in the below sacred verses:
1. Nefs-i Emmâre (the Evil-Commanding Soul) 12/Yűsuf – 53.
2. Nefs-i Levvâme (the Self-Accusing Soul) 75/Al-Qiyâmah – 2.
3. Nefs-i Mulhîme (the Inspired Soul) 91/Ash-Shams – 8.
4. Nefs-i Mutmainne (the Satisfied Soul) 89/Al-Fajr – 27 and 13/Ar-Ra’d – 28.
5. Nefs-i Râdıye [the Soul well-pleased (with Allah)] 89/Al-Fajr – 28.
6. Nefs-i Mardıyye [the Soul well-pleasing (Him)]
7. Nefs-i Tezkiye (The Purified Soul) 35/Fâtir – 18.
Obtaining the Consent of Allah arises at the 6th verse level (of purification).
It has been seen that man reaching these aims starts beginning from the writing of the Faith into his (soul’s) heart and his being supported by a spirit (the spirit of the İmam of the Era trained in the Presence of Allah). As for all these, they are realized by reaching the murshid and repenting in front of him.
The fact that one can attain the Salvation (the Deliverance) before reaching Allah has been declared in the Noble Qur’ân.
Therefore whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do improving deeds, and associate none as a partner in the service of his Lord.
As the existence of a free will is evident here, meeting Allah is a return to Allah before dying, while living this world’s life. The starting point of this return is the person knealing down in front of his murshid appointed for him by Allah in the Pre-eternity and his repenting. This repentance is a repentance carried out according to the 70th verse of Furkan Sura. Our Lord decrees in the 110th verse of Kehf Sura: “Whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do improving deeds.” Now, why the one who longs to meet his Lord should do improving deeds has been expressed in the 5 and 6th verses of Muhammed Sura:
He will make them reach hidâyet (guidance) and improve their state
(condition) and admit them to
So, in
order to reach (meet) Allah in this world’s life (before dying), it is
necessary to do improving deeds, briefly to improve the soul (’s heart) (to
purify it). Whoever improves his soul (’s heart) with the help of Allah, it is
expressed that that person will go to
Our Lord
decrees that no one will be able to enter
Men returning to their Lord with the death is a return that is not dependent on the free will of the servants. Because our Lord decrees so on this matter in His sacred verses respectively:
32/As-Sajdah – 11:
Say: “The angel of death who is given charge of you shall cause you to die, then to your Lord you shall be brought back.
Here, it is definite that any free will does not exist. Because our death occurs though the Will of Allahű Tealâ in the fashion that our Lord has decreed in the 145th verse of Âl-‘Imrân and not through our free will.
And a soul will not die but with the Permission of Allah (by Allah’s Leave).
We understand in the best fashion from the below mentioned sacred verses why Allahű Tealâ has commanded the free will twelve times separately to arrive in Allah (that is, how essential it is to reach Allah spiritually before death). Our Lord decrees in these sacred verses as follows:
Repeat the Name of Allah and detach yourself from everything else save Him.
Answer (the Invitation of) your Lord before there comes from Allah a Day (the appointed hour of death) which cannot be averted; you shall have no refuge on that Day, nor shall it be yours to make a denial (of it).
Return (repentant) to your Lord and (thus) surrender (submit) to Him before there comes to you the (grave) torment (before dying), then you shall not be helped.
We see
this order in the sermon (khutbah) delivered at the first
Reach Allah and surrender to Him before there comes to you the death.
Therefore flee to Allah, surely I am a plain warner to you from Him.
But if they strive (contend) with you that you associate with Me what you have no knowledge of, do not obey them, and keep company with them in this world kindly, and depend on (follow) the Way of him who turns (repentant) to Me (whose spirit has turned to Me before death), then (after death) to Me is your return (Azrael will bring you to Me), then will I inform you of what you used to do.
Turn(ing) unto Him (Only) and be possessed of takvâ and perform the prayer(s) and be not of those who ascribe partners (unto Him) (of the polytheists, of the idolaters).
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah) well-pleased (Him) (O spirit) return to your Lord!
And do not approach the property of the orphan except in the best manner until he attains his maturity; and give full measure and weight with justice – We do not impose on any soul except to the extent of its scope (ability); and when you speak then be just even if it be (against) a kinsman and fulfil the Covenant(s) of Allah. This He has enjoined you with that you may deliberate.
And remember the Blessings of Allah on you and His Promise with which He bound you firmly, when you said: “We have heard and we obeyed, and be possessed of takvâ towards Allah, surely Allah knows what is in the breasts.
And those who cause to reach that which (their spirits) Allah has commanded to be made to reach Him (before death) and have awe (hushu’) of their Lord and dread the evil reckoning.
And Allah invites (men) to the Abode of Surrender (to His Own Essence that will take delivery of the spirit). And He guides whomever He wills (to cause to reach the Abode of Surrender, His own Essence) to the Straight Path.
Surely Allah commands you to render back the Trusts (the spirit, the physical body and the soul) to His Owner (Allah).
And the fact that men have to fulfil these commands and that, otherwise, they will not be able to enter Paradise, and that, therefore, the deeds that a person will do in order to return to his Lord have to be improving deeds has been explained in the 110th verse of Kehf Sura. Now, Allah be praised that what the person who wishes to reach Allah has to do has been understood from the 27 and 28th verse of Fecr Sura:
O Satisfied Soul!
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah), well-pleasing (Him); (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
The sixth stage of the (soul’s) purification.
And a burdened one cannot bear another’s burden; and if one weighed down by burden should cry for (another to carry) its burden, naught of it will be lifted even if he be near of kin. You warn only those who have awe of their Lord (in the) Unseen, and perform the prayer(s); and whoever purifies himself, he purifies himself for his own soul; and unto Allah is the journeying (of his spirit).
The seventh stage of the (soul’s) purification.
89/Al-Fajr – 28:
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah) and well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
It has been seen that firstly our soul (’s heart) has been purified through the stages of purification and taken under control. Our spirit ascending to one heavenly floor with each stage of (soul’s) purification, surpasses the 7 heavenly floors and arrives in Allah when our soul completes the purification of the stage.
Whoever
has made his spirit reach Allah in this world’s life will enter
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah) and well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
And enter My
What is meeting (reaching) Allah? Why does our Lord dwell so insistenly on meeting Allah? Because this meeting is a meeting occurring with our free will. Our Lord decrees in the 110th verse of Kehf Sura:
Therefore whoever hopes (wishes) to meet His Lord let him do improving deeds.
Whoever hopes (wishes) to meet (reach) Allah (to make his spirit reach Allah before dying) the appointed term appointed by Allah will then most surely come; and He is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
And whoever strives hard, he strives hard only for his own soul; most surely Allah is not in need of the Worlds.
Our Lord commands the person who wishes to reach Allah to strive hard with his soul. This reaching (meeting) is not the meeting after death. This meeting is reaching Him in this world’s life (on this earth) through the free will.
Allahű Tealâ says: “whoever hopes (wishes) to meet (reach) Allah” both in the 5th verse of Al-‘Ankabűt Sura and in the 110th verse of Kehf Sura. The wishing of the free will has been considered as fundamental.
Whoever hopes (wishes) to meet (reach) Allah, the term appointed by Allah will then most surely come; and He is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
Therefore whoever hopes to meet His Lord, let him do improving deeds…
Our Lord decrees in the 156th verse of Al-Baqarah Sura that there are those who can realize this meeting (reaching).
Who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: “Surely We belong to Allah (we are created for Him) and to Him we shall surely return.”
Who are certain that they shall meet their Lord (in this world’s life) and that they shall return to Him (with their deaths).
Here our Lord speaks of two returns. One of those returns is the return while living in this world, the other after our death. The return after death is not dependent on our free will.
Who would wish to return to Allah as soon as possible through death?
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah) and well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
In the 46th verse of Bakara Sura, there is a plain command to return to Allah. If this is a command to return to Allah through death, this means that Allah gives the command to die to everyone. As for the suicide, it is absolutely forbidden in Islâm. The one who commits suicide deserves Hell. As it is out of the question that Allah might give the command to commit suicide to anyone, the command to return to Allah belongs to a command executed in the world’s life. Arriving in Allah (Vuslat) has been commanded.
On the one hand, Allahű Tealâ decrees:
O you who are âmneű (who wish to reach Allah before death and to surrender to Him). Be the Possessors of Takvâ with the most care which is due to Him and do not die unless you are Muslims [those who have surrendered their spirits, physical bodies, souls and free wills (faculties of choice) to Allah].
And the same did İbrâhîm enjoin on his sons and (so did) Ya’kűb (Jacob) O my sons! Surely Allah has chosen for you (this) religion, therefore do not die unless you are Muslims (those who have submitted themselves to Allah).
But on the other hand, He decrees so:
And a soul will not die but by Allah’s Leave; the term is fixed (appointed) (there is an appointed term of death pre-determined).
So, the event occurring with the death takes place outside our free will. Our Lord is addressing our free will (our faculty of choice). He decrees so in the 3th verse of Dehr (İnsân) Sura:
Verily, we make him (man) reach the Way (causing him to meet Allah) whether he [by reaching Allah on the Way of hidâyet (guidance)] may be thankful or he may be unthankful (disbeliever). [As he did not enter the Way of hidâyet and the Faith has not been written into his (soul’s) heart].
That is to say, everything has been left to the free will of the servant and Allahű Tealâ decrees in the 18th verse of İsrâ Sura:
Whoever desires the immediate (gains of this worldly life), We hasten to him therein what We wills for whomsoever We desire, then We assign to him the Hell.
So, Allahű
Tealâ decrees that He will act in the direction of the demand of His servant.
Thus, there is a fact of reaching (meeting) Allah and we are obliged to realize
it one day. As for the command to reach Him: He has given it in 12 separate
places of the Noble Qur’ân in this fashion: “Return to your Lord!” (See:
Our Lord calls us to Him in order that we may meet (reach) Him in these 12 sacred verses. These commands are the 12 orders given to the free will while living in this worldly life. Now, unless men do not act according to them, their falling in utter loss is at issue. Well, but how shall we return and surrender to Him, meet (reach) Him? Allahű Tealâ wills us not to be like those announced in the 7th verse of Ar-Rűm Sura on this matter.
They know only some appearance of this world’s life, but of the Hereafter they are absolutely heedless.
Do they not reflect within their souls (themselves): Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them two but with truth and (for) an appointed term? And of a certainty most of mankind are disbelievers (deniers) in the Meeting with their Lord (reaching Allah while living in this worldly life).
Our Lord decrees so in the 72th verse of Al-Ahzâb Sura:
Surely We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they shrank from bearing it and and feared from it, and man undertook (assumed) it. (For) surely he is extremely unjust, extremely ignorant.
Surely, Allah commands you to render back the trusts to His Possessor, and if you judge between mankind, that you judge with justice. Assuredly, how excellent Allah admonishes you with it! Surely Allah is Hearer, All-Seer.
The first one of the trusts is the spirit. In essence, the spirit is from the Command of our Lord and will reach Him. The spirit will not of those that will gather together in His Presence. The one to realize the first surrender is the spirit.
Our Lord expresses how the spirit will arrive in Him in the 18th verse of Fâtır Sura:
And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another; and if one weighted down by burden should cry for its burden, naught of it will be lifted, even if he be near of kin. You warn only those have awe (hushu’) of their Lord in the Unseen and perform the prayers; and whosoever purifies himself then he purifies himself only for his own soul. And to Allah the journeying (of his spirit).
On the other hand, it is decreed so in the 27 and 28th verses of Fecr Sura:
O Satisfied Soul!
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah), well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
In order that the servant can make his spirit reach Allah, we see a parallelism between the soul’s purification, the purification of our soul that is our third body – and the spirit being made to reach Allah. Our Lord says about our soul in the 105th verse of Al-Mâ’idah Sura as follows:
O you who are âmenű (those who have surpassed the first seven stages, those who have wished to reach Allah)! the responsibility of your souls (’ hearts) is upon you (is a duty to you). When you have reached hidâyet (guidance) (by purifying your souls), those who are in Misguidance cannot harm you. All of you will be made to return to Allah, then He will inform you of what you used to do.
So, if we do not purify our soul (’s heart) and reach Allah (spiritually before dying), that is, if we cannot return to Him, we will absolutely be made to return to Him in the end. Now, this return, the second return, is the compulsory one, whereas what we are commanded is the first return and it becomes clear that it is possible only through the soul’s purification. We have already given some information about the way the soul’s purification will be achieved. As the soul’s purification will not be able to be accomplished without any murshid, what has to be done is obvious.
The second surrender (delivery) is the surrender of the physical body. The person goes on doing improving deeds. He increases his “zikir”. And one day, because of the increasing zikir, the (soul’s) heart attains to 90% of light. It is then that the person will surrender his physical body to Allah.
And who is better in religion than he who surrenders (submits) his face (his physical body) to Allah? And he is a good-doer (muhsîn) and depends on (follows) the religion of İbrâhîm as a “hanîf” (the upright one by nature). And Allah did take İbrâhîm as an intimate friend.
When 9% of darkness in the (soul’s) heart has been completely illuminated by attaining to continuous zikir, that person will have also surrendered his soul to Allah.
And they were not enjoined anything except that they should be servants utterly pure in religion as “hanîfs” and keep up prayer and give zekât (pay the poor-rate), and that is the lasting religion.
Thus, the trusts mentioned in the 58th verse of An-Nisâ’ Sura (the spirit, the physical body and the soul) will surrender successively, phase by phase, to Allah.
When the spirit surrenders to Allah, the soul is a hostage. He (it) is not yet a trust. But the physical body is a trust. When we surrender our physical body to Allah, then the soul becomes a trust. When the soul that is the last trust is surrendered (to Allah), we have surrendered our three trusts to Allah, we become so Islâm (muslim, the one who has “surrendered” his “trusts” to Allah).
Our Lord declares in the 37, 38 and 39th verses of An-Nazi’ât Sura as follows:
(37) Then as for him who is inordinate (who has transgressed all bounds). (38) And prefers the life of this world: (39) Then surely the Hell, that is the Abode.
The same sura continues so:
(40) And as for him who fears to stand in the Presence of His Lord and
forbids the soul from low desires. (41) Then surely the Garden (
So, the soul has a great importance. First of all, how can we keep our soul away from evils? Our Lord has “built” (fashioned, designed) like an apartment building with 7 superposed floors. It is decreed so in the 98th verse of Al-An’âm Sura:
And He it is Who has brought you into being (has produced, “built”) from a single soul,then there is (for you) a resting-place (a habitation, the Manifest World, the Earth…) and a depository (the Intermediate World – Âlem-i Berzâh); indeed we have detailed (made plain) the verses (signs) for a people who have understanding (comprehension, “fıkıh”).
(My Lord!) I cannot put my soul in the clear, for most surely the soul constantly commands evil, except such as (the souls) over (the heads of) whom My Lord has manifested Himself with His Name of All-Compassionate. Surely My Lord is Oft-Forgiving (He changes sins into good deeds) All-Compassionate [He sends His Mercy, purifies and refines thus the souls (’ hearts) with it].
So, the person who wants to keep his soul away from evils has to become a person whom his Lord protects. How can we become the ones whom our Lord protects? How does it become possible to attain that state? On this matter, Allahű Tealâ decrees so in the 118 and 119th verses of Hűd Sura:
If your Lord had so willed, He would certainly have made mankind a single nation (community), yet they shall continue to differ. Except those over (the heads of) whom your Lord has manifested Himself with His Name of All-Compassionate and for this end He has created them and the Word of your Lord is fulfilled: “Of a certainty, I will fill Hell with the jinn and the men, all together.
Those who have caused their souls to fall into Misguidance will remain forever in Hell according to the 103th verse of Mu’minűn Sura. Therefore, the infinite torment of Hell is unavoidable (valid) for those who know but deny the sacred verses that Allah has sent down concerning reaching Allah in the world’s life. It is decreed that those who do not wish to reach Allah in the life of the present world and devote themselves entirely to it are heedless of the Verses (Signs) of Allah.
Those who do not hope (wish for) in Our Meeting (in their making their spirits reach Allah while living) and are pleased with it, (those) are heedless of Our Verses (Sings, Revelations, realities, proofs…).
But We leave those alone who do not hope for our Meeting (who do not wish to reach Us spiritually before death) in their inordinacy (trespasses) blindly wandering on.
As a matter of fact, it has been announced in the 18th verse of Al-Isrâ’ Sura that those who seek out only the fleeting benefits of the worldly life are fit for Hell.
Whoever desires the immediate (gains of this worldly life), We hasten to him therein what We will for whomsoever We Will, then We assign to him the Hell, he shall enter it despised and driven away (rejected).
On the other hand, it has been decreed so in the 7, 8, 9 and 10 versess of Ash-Shams Sura:
And by the soul and Him that fashioned (designed) him (through seven stages, layers).
Then (Satan’s) fucűr (all that is wrong, evil…). And (Allah’s) takvâ (all that is right, good, beautiful…) are inspired to him.
And he has indeed reached the Salvation (the worldly happiness and the
bliss of
And he who stunts (corrupts) him is ruined.
So, we are obliged to purify and train (educate) our soul (’s heart) in any way. Our Lord has already entrusted us a duty in the direction of our purifying our soul (’s heart):
O you who are âmenű (those who have surpassed the first 7 stages, those who have wished to reach Allah spiritually before dying)! The responsability of your souls (’ hearts) is upon you (is a duty to you). When you have reached hidâyet (guidance) [by purifying your souls (’ hearts)], those who are in Misguidance cannot harm you. All of you will be made to return to Allah, then He will inform you of what you used to do.
Therefore, here too, it is decreed that the purification of our soul (’s heart) is a duty to us and to be able to clean the soul’s heart from kinds of evils is possible only by purifying and training him.
Our Lord declares so for those who follow their low desires in the 50th verse of Kasas Sura:
But if they do not respond to you (your invitation to make them reach hidâyet) then know that they only follow their low desires; and who is more misguided than he who follows his lusts (caprices, fancies) without any guide (hidâyetchi) from Allah? Surely Allah does not make the unjust people reach hidâyet (guidance).
“Who is more misguided than he who follows his lusts without any guide from Allah?” Here, we see that the one who follows his low desires never depends on an Inviter from Allah and for this reason falls into Misguidance. Beyazıt-i Bestamî Hz. Has a saying in this sense: “the one who does not have a sheikh has Satan as a sheikh (murshid).”
Have you then considered him who takes his low desire for his god, and Allah has made him fall into Misguidance upon a knowledge (of his) and has set a seal upon his (soul’s) hearing and his (soul’s) heart and put a covering upon his (soul’s) sight. Who can then make him reach hidâyet after Allah? Will you not be mindful (not deliberate, learn a lesson)?
Allahű Tealâ affirms this statement in the 17th verse Kehf Sura:
Whomsoever Allah causes to reach Himself (whose spirit He has caused to reach Himself before death), he has reached hidâyet (guidance), and whomsoever He causes to fall into Misguidance, you shall not find for him any Friend (veliyyen) to lead (him) to “irshad” (murshid).
So, in case there is a personage to show us the right way, we do not follow our soul, our low desires. The 7th verse of Ar-Ra’d Sura is in this sense:
And those who disbelieve say: “Why has not a sign (miracle) been sent down upon him from his Lord? You are only a warner and (there is) a guide (murshid, hidâyetchi, the one charged with making the spirits reach Allah) for every people (in all periods of time and in all the nations…).
It has been decreed: We absolutely appoint someone for making men reach Allah for each nation. So, in order to get rid of the low desires of the soul, not to follow the soul, to be freed from evils, we have to show zeal for the soul’s purification on the one hand, but on the other hand, we have to find the murshid appointed for us by Allah in the Pre-eternity and depend on him.
He (Allah) said: “Get forth you two therefrom (from
Our Master the Prophet and all his companions (Sahâbe) who had depended on him had invited (men) to Allah.
Say: “This is my Way. I call to Allah, I and (all) those who depend on me on clear evidence (by seeing Allah with the eye of the inner heart). And glory be to Allah! And I am not one of the polytheists (idolaters).
And return (repentant) to your Lord and surrender (submit) to Him before there comes to you the (grave) torment, then you shall not be helped.
How do we return and surrender to Him? The necessity of the murshid:
And that some of us are Muslims (who have surrendered to Allah) and some of us are el-kâsitűn [whose (souls’) hearts have been darkened and hardened and thus become sick); so whoever wishes to surrender (to Allah), these seek (the right way of reaching) their murshids. And as for the “kâsitűn” they shall be firewood for Hell: and that if they had kept to the roads, We would certainly have given them water (rain, mercy) in abudance.
The word of “tarîk” is explained so in the 17th verse of Mu’minűn Sura:
And indeed We have created above you seven roads, and We are never heedless (unaware) of the creation (of these roads).
These 7
roads are the 7 ways connecting the heavenly floors to one another. His name is
the
The spirit proceeds on this Path in accordance with the stages of the soul’s purification. Here, it has been proclaimed that the right way will be shown by Allah.
And upon Allah it rests to show the right way [And upon Allah it rests to determine the ways (the murshids)] and there are some deviating (ways); And if He had willed, He would have made all (mankind) reach hidâyet (guidance).
Istiane (special help) is only sought from Allah.
Master of the Day of the Religion (of the Day of Accounting).
You (Alone) we serve and You (Alone) we ask for (special) help.
Make us reach the Straight Path (with your help) (Guide us to the Straight Path).
This (special) help is asked with the requirement prayer.
And seek assistance through patience and the (requirement) prayer, and most surely it is an extremely heavy and hard thing except for the possessors of hushu’ (a feeling of awe).
O you who are âmenű (who have surpassed the first seven stages and wished to reach Allah spiritually before death and surrender to Him)! Seek assistance through patience and the (requirement) prayer; surely Allah is with the Patient.
The prayer here is the prayer of need (the requirement prayer). The murshid is demanded from Allah through the requirement prayer and the murshid is shown them. After having found our murshid, we purify our soul, train him and go on a journey on the Straight Path and surrender to Allah. Because the murshid is the personage who makes us reach Allah.
And We made of them Imams to make them reach hidâyet (guidance) by Our Command when they were patient and they were certain of our Verses (Signs). [ılme’l yakîn = certainty at the degree of knowledge, closeness through knowledge; ‘ayne’l yakîn = certainty at the degree of witnessing; closeness through witnessing; hakku’l yakîn = absolute Certainty, Closeness to the Truth (Hak, Allah)].
The fact
that the person who has arrived in Allah will also reach
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah), pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
And enter My
Our Lord makes known to us our state on the Day of Judgement:
56/Al-Wâqi’ah – 7, 8, 9, 10, 11:
And you (all) shall be (in) three sorts (groups). Then (as to) the
companions of the Right Hand (the owners of the covenants, the auspicious –
fortunate – ones, those worthy of
Mankind will be assembled in three groups:
1. Ashâb-ı Meymene [The Companions of the Right Hand; those whose books of deeds will be given from their right sides; the Fortunate (auspicious) Ones, those worthy of Paradise; the Owners of the covenants].
2. Ashâb-ı Meş’eme [The Companions of the Left Hand; those whose books of deeds will be given from their left sides, the Unfortunate (inauspicious, unhappy) Ones; those fit for Hell).
3. Sâbikűn (the Foremost in competiton): The salvation at the minimum degree is possible for Ashâb-ı Meymene (the Owners of the covenants). Which possessors of the covenants? [which personages who have fulfilled their covenants sworn (given) to Allah in the Pre-eternity?].
And when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their backs (loins, reins), their seed (offspring, descendants) and made them bear witness against their souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: “Yes! We testify!” (That was) lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: Surely we were heedless (unaware) of this.
Thus we had responded to the Will (Engagement, Ahd) of Allah with the covenants sworn. We had acknowledged His Lordship (Dominicality) and had sworn to reach the servanthood.
36/Yâ-Sîn – 60:
Did I not take an covenant (ahd) from you, O Children of Adam, that you should not serve (be servants of) Satan? Surely he is an open enemy to You? And that you should serve (be servants to) Me? This is (to be on) the Straight Path.
This is the first covenant that our physical body has sworn (given) to Allah. It is mentioned as “ahd” in our Noble Qur’ân. We attain to this servanthood in this fashion:
O Satisfied Soul!
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah), well-pleasing (Him). (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
(O physical body!) [when you have purified your soul (’s heart) and made your spirit reach Allah] (you will be a servant to ME) enter among My servants!
The second covenant has been sworn (given) by our soul. It is mentioned as “yemîn” in our Glorious Qur’ân.
Every soul is held a hostage for what (the degrees) he earns.
Except the owners of the covenants (yemîn, those who have fulfilled their covenants).
(they will be) in Gardens…
Our Lord
decrees in the 71th verse of Maryam Sura that everybody will pass
through it (Hell), that those fit for Hell will remain therein as hostages and
that those worthy of Paradise will go to
And there is not one of you but shall come to it; this is an unavoidable (absolute) decree of your Lord.
And We will deliver (rescue) the possessors of “Takvâ” and we will leave the unjust therein on their kneels (crouching).
The third covenant is the covenant sworn by the spirit and is mentioned as “mîsâk” (promise, firm word) in the Noble Qur’ân.
Our Lord decrees so in the 20 and 21th verse of Ra’d Sura:
Those who fulfil their engagement (ahd) with Allah (the covenants of their souls, the promises of their spirits and the oaths of their physical bodies) and (especially) do not break their Promises (the covenants that their spirits had sworn to Allah in the Pre-eternity concerning their reaching Allah before death).
And those who cause to reach what (their spirits) Allah has commanded to be made to reach Him (before death) and have awe of their Lord and dread an evil reckoning.
These are
the covenants sworn (given) to Allah. Only by fulfilling them, the person can
enter among the group of Ashâb-ı Yemîn qualified as those worthy of
Answer (the Call, Invitation of) your Lord before there comes from Allah a Day (the appointed hour of death) which cannot be averted; you shall have no refuge on that Day, nor shall it be yours to make a denial (of it).
And Allah invites (men) to the Abode (Homeland) of Surrender (Peace) (to His Own Essence that will take delivery of the spirit). And He guides whomever He wills [to make reach the Abode of Surrender, His own Essence (Zât)] to the Straight Path.
When My Servants question you about Me (tell them) I am surely near (to them). I answer the invitation of the suppliant when he calls on Me; therefore let them answer My Call (Invitation) and believe in Me, that they may reach “irshâd”.
So, there is an Invitation of Allah. This is an Invitation of the utmost level. In order to reach this goal, the servant should believe in Allah, in reaching Allah while living this worldly life and wish to reach Him in this world’s life. The fact that the servant wishes to reach Allah (spiritually before death) is the beginning of answering the Invitation (the Call).
Therefore (for) whomesoever Allah intends that He would guide him aright (whomsoever Allah wills to cause to reach hidâyet, He wills to make his spirit reach Himself), He opens up (slits) his breast for Islâm (Surrenders), and (for) whomsoever He intends that He should cause him to fall into Misguidance, He makes his breast strait and narrow as if he were ascending to the sky; thus does Allah uncleanness (torment) on those who do not believe.
For those who respond to (the orders of) their Lord is the best reward; and (as for) those who do not respond to (the Call of) Him, if they possessed all that is in the earth and the like thereof with it, they would certainly give it for a ransom. (As for) those, an evil reckoning shall be Hell, and evil is the resting-place!
Thus,
whoever responds to (the Call, Invitation of) His Lord, he shall attain the most
beautiful (best) one, that is, he shall enter
And the faces shall be humbled before the Ever-living, the Self-Subsistent (Allah). And he has failed that bears iniquity (on his back). And whoever does improving deeds and he is a believer, he shall have no fear of Injustice nor of the withholding of his due. To suffer losses arises from the faults of the soul and the person is ruined.
And by the soul and Him that fashioned (designed) him (within seven levels).
(Satan’s) fucűr (all kinds of evils) and (Allah’s) takvâ (all that is right, good) are inspired to him.
Surely, he who purifies him has reached the Salvation (Felâh) (will enter Paradies).
Allah decrees in the 40th verse of Ghâfir Sura:
40/Ghâfir – 40:
Whoever does an evil, he shall not be recompensed (with aught) but the
like of it, and whoever does improving deeds, whether male or female, – and he
is a believer – these shall enter the Garden (
To do improving deeds is a prescription for the improving (purification) of the soul (’s heart). This prescription can be given only by the one who acts in the direction of the Allah’s Commands. In this respect, Our Lord addresses all mankind in the 35th verse of Al-A’râf Sura :
O Children of Adam! Whenever there come to you Messengers from among you (of your own) relating to you My Verses (Signs), then whoever becomes the possessors of takvâ(refrains from all kinds of evils) and improves (amends),there shall no fear come upon them nor shall they grieve.
To be
possessed of Takvâ and to improve one’s soul (’s heart), to purify him are
the signs of the same level. To enter
Our Lord has used “hidâyet” in the two opposite directions throughout the Noble Qur’ân:
1. To reach the Way of Allah and Allah.
2. To reach the Road (tarîk) to Hell and Satan.
Most surely, we make him (man) reach the Way (causing him to meet Allah) whether he [by reaching Allah (proceeding) on the Way of hidâyet (guidance)] may be thankful or he may be unthankful (disbeliever). [As he did not enter the Way of hidâyet and the Faith has not been written into his (soul’s) heart].
It has
been seen that to choose the Way of Guidance (Hidâyet) or Misguidance (Dalâlet)
is dependent on the wish (will) of the servant. The
And that to your Lord is the End (Goal) (of the Way) (of the Straight Path).
For every nation (community) We appointed acts of devotion (rites and ceremonies, a Way of acting) which they observe. So let them not dispute the matter with you. And invite them to your Lord. Of a surety, you are on a guidance (hidâyet) having direction (towards Allah).
The second Way is the Path to Hell departing from the zero point and going in the negative direction downwards Satan.
(22) Gather together those who did wrong and their associates, and what they used to serve (worship). (23) Besides Allah, then lead them to (make them reach) the Path to Hell.
From this we deduce (understand) that the hidâyet (guidance) that our Lord has commanded is “Huden Mustakîm = Hidâyet having a direction (towards Allah).”
Say: “Shall we call on that besides Allah, which does not benefit us nor harm us, and shall we be returned back on our heels after Allah has made us reach Him, like him whom the devils have made to fall down perplexed in the earth? He has companions who call him to the Hidâyet (guidance, reaching Allah spiritually before death), (saying): “Come to us.” Say: Surely, reaching Allah, that is the hidâyet (guidance) and we are commanded to surrender (submit) to the Lord of the Worlds.
Thus, “hidâyet” is reaching Allah. It is the human spirit (man’s spirit) that will reach Allah and surrender to Him. Furthermore, it has been announced that the surrender of the physical body and the soul to Allah also is “Hidâyet” (Guidance).
And We made of them Imams to make (men) reach hidâyet (guidance) by Our Command when (because) they were patient and they were certain of our Verses (Signs) [(ılme’l yakîn, ‘ayne’l yakîn, hakku’l yakîn)].
Imams who make (men) reach Allah and surrender them to Him by Allah’s Command…
Whomsoever Allah causes to reach Himself (whose spirit He causes to reach Himself), he has reached hidâyet, and whomever He causes to fall into Misguidance, you shall not find for him any “velî murshid” (And Friend of Allah who will make him reach “irshad”).
It becomes evident from this that man will fall into Misguidance unless there will be a murshid for him.
And that some of us are Muslims (who have surrendered to Allah) and some of us are “el-kâsitűn” [whose (souls’) hearts have been darkened and hardened and thus become sick); so whoever wishes to surrender (to Allah), these seek (the right way of reaching) their murshids.
It has
been seen that to reach Allah and arrive in Him begins with surrendering to the
murshid. If these surrenders are carried out, the
I swear by the Time.
Most surely mankind is in utter loss.
Except those who are âmenű (those who have surpassed the first 7 stages) and do improving deeds (the soul’s purification) (those who have surpassed the second 7 stages) and (by reaching Allah spiritually) recommend one another to the Truth (Hakk, Allah) (those who have surpassed the third 7 stages) and recommend one another to Patience [those who have surpassed the fourth 7 stages].
Most of men are in loss as they do not know the truths and they follow their lusts with the exception of those who have been âmenű.
To be âmenű begins with accepting Allah as a Shelter (Refuge) that has to be reached, continues with being a believer and with the first, second and third and fourth surrenders and includes the stage of Salâh (Improvement), too.
Who are certain that they shall meet (with) their Lord (in this world’s life) and that they shall return to Him (with their deaths).
As it is recorded in “Sahih-i Buharî” someone wearing a while garment is coming to our Master the Prophet and asking him: “what is Faith?” Our Master the Prophet (PBUH) is answering him: “It is to believe in Allah, in His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, in meeting with Him (before dying) and in the Resurrection.” Thus, being âmenű begins with believing in reaching Allah while living the life of the present life. And the person searches for a Means to attain to his murshid.
O you who are âmenű! Be the possessors of Takvâ (Piety) and seek a Means to make you reach (the personage who will make you reach) Allah and strive hard in the Way of Allah that you may attain the Salvation (Felâh).
Depend on the Imam of the Era who will cause you to reach “hidâyet” by means of this Means (the personage, the murshid).
32/As-Sajdah – 24:
And We made of them Imams to make (men) reach hidâyet (guidance) by Our Command when (because) they were patient and they were certain of our Verses (Signs, Revelations…) [three levels of certainty (Closeness): ılme’l yakîn, ‘ayne’l yakîn, hakku’l yakîn].
This is an act done for the improvement, purification of the soul (’s heart). The soul has been purified by those who are charged with the duty of the soul’s purification according to the prescription given in the direction of the orders taken from Allah. The 24th verse of As-Sajdah Sura expresses this purpose: “The Imams who make (men) reach “hidâyet” (guidance) by Our Command.”
Certainly Allah conferred a Blessing upon the Believers when He raised (commissioned, brought to life) among them a Messenger from among themselves. He recites (reads and explains) to them His Verses (the Qur’ân) purifies them (their souls’ hearts) and teach them the Book (the Qur’ân) and the Wisdom, although before that (before depending on these Messengers), they were in manifest Misguidance.
He it is Who raised (charged, brought to life) among the illiterates a Messenger from among them, who recites (reads and explains) to them His Verses (the Qur’ân) and purifies them (their souls’ hearts) and teaches them the Book (the Qur’ân) and the Wisdom, although before that (before depending on these Messengers), they were certainly in evident Misguidance.
To recommend others to the Truth is that which those who have reached the Truth can achieve. As those who have not reached the Truth cannot recommend it to others, these persons are those who have already reached the Truth (Allah).
Allah decrees so in the 39th verse of Nebe’ Sura:
That is the Day of the Truth [the Day when we kiss the hand of our murshid and depend on him in order to reach the Truth (Hakk, Allah)]. Whoever wishes (to reach Allah) takes a Way (leading him) to his Lord. (Allah becomes) a Shelter (Refuge) (for the person who has reached Allah).
And of those whom We have created are a people (a community) who guide with the Truth and thereby they do justice.
As for making (men) reach hidâyet: it has been realized by the authorized ones whom Allah has appointed. Both those who have reached the Truth and those who make (men) reach the Truth are the ones who recommend the Truth (Hakk, Allah) to others.
Whosoever has become the owner of the patient, only those who can recommend other people to it. How can we attain to patience? It is decreed so in the 127th verse of Nahl Sura:
And be patient and your patience is not but by (the assistance of) Allah, and do not grieve for them and do not distress yourself at what they plan (devise).
As the patience is by (the help of) Allah, we become the possessors of patience only by calling on Allah, by doing too much zikir. The true owners of patience are those who do continuous zikir.
And none are made to reach (receive) it (repelling evil with what is best) but those who are patient, and none are made to reach (receive) it but those who are the owners of great happiness (portion).
To be “irshad” is to be illuminated, to attain immaterial maturity.
Our Lord decrees so in the 186th verse of Bakara Sura:
And when My Servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near (to them); I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My Call (Invitation) and believe in Me, that they may reach “irshâd”.
Here, it becomes clear that “irshad” is the invitation to Allah. And the Call of all the Friends (Saints) of Allah is “irshad” and it is obvious that this “irshad” is the Salvation.
And he who believed said: O my people! Depend on me, I will make you reach the Way of irshad (being mature, perfect).
O my people! This life of the world is only a (passing) enjoyment (comfort), and surely the Hereafter is the Abode to settle (everlastingly).
Whoever does an evil, he shall be repaid (recompensed) but the like
thereof, and whoever does improving deeds, whether male or female –and he is a
believer– these shall enter the Garden (
And, O my people! How is it that I call you to the Salvation and you call me to the Fire!
A reality emerges therefrom: The Salvation is possible only through “irshad”. As to the enemies of Allah: They command the opposite of this: the Fire.
And certainly We sent Műsâ (Moses) with our Verses (Signs) and clear authority, unto Pharaoh and his nobles (chiefs). But they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was no “irshad” (right directing).
As for the murshids who give the order of “irshad”, they make men reach “irshad”.
Whomsoever Allah causes to reach Himself (whose spirit He causes to reach Himself), he has reached hidâyet (guidance), and whomsoever He causes to fall into Misguidance, you shall not find for him any “velî murshid” (And Friend of Allah who will make him reach “irshad”).
It has been seen that Misguidance results from the lack of the murshid. On the other hand, if we consider the Age of our Master the Prophet, we see that all of sahâbe had reached irshad.
And know that the Messenger of Allah is among you. If he were to obey you in many a matter, you would surely fall into distress (even be cursed). But Allah has endeared the Faith to you and beautified (ornated) it in your (souls’) hearts and He has made the Unbelief, and going out of the Way of Allah (fusűk, wrong-doings, transgressions) and disobedience hateful to you. Such are they who have reached “irshad”.
By Grace (Virtue) from Allah and His Blessings; And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.
As is
declared in the sacred verse, all sahâbe (Companions of the Prophet) had
reached “irshad” and had been worthy of
The love of desires of women and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver, and well bred (branded) horses and cattle and tilth, is made to seem fair (beautiful) to men; this is the provision (the comfort) of the life of this world; and Allah is the Best Shelter (Refuge, Goal, “Meâb”) in His Presence (indehu).
The Most
Beautiful (Best) Shelter in this universe is the presence (
Most surely, We have created man (the man’s soul) in the best make (in a period of time in which he will be able to turn into the most beautiful one).
Then We caused him to precipitate into the Lowest of the Low (Esfel-i Sâfilîn).
The Lowest of the Low is the name of the lowest, dreadful floor (layer) of the Hell. Men have been created with a disposition that may roll down therein, because our soul (’s heart) is constituted of 19 vices. Our Lord has designed our soul with these 19 vices (sicknesses, imperfections) and has granted him the prescription indispensable for his being saved from all of them and has announced this in His Noble Qur’ân.
Our Exalted Lord decrees so in the 9th verse of Al-Hashr Sura and in the 16th verse of Tegâbun Sura:
64/At-Taghâbun – 16; 59/Al-Hashr – 9:
And whoever is saved from the greediness of his soul, these it is that have reached the Salvation (the Successful).
And for this, Our Lord decrees in the 7, 8, 9, 10th verses of Ash-Shams Sura as follows:
And by the soul and Him that fashioned [(designed him] (within seven levels).
(Satan’s) fucűr (all kinds of evils) and (Allah’s) takvâ (all kinds of goodness, righteousness…) are inspired to him.
Surely, he who purifies him has reached the Salvation (Felâh, the
happiness of the world’s life and the Bliss of
And he who stunts (corrupts) him is ruined.
Then, the unique way of our being saved from this greediness of our soul (’s heart) is the purification of our soul (’s heart). It has been understood that it is necessary to be purified, that is, to be possessed of “takvâ” in order to be saved of the greediness, to become quiet (tranquil, serene).
Say: “Shall I tell you of what is better than these? For those who are possessed of takvâ are Gardens with (in the Presence of) their Lord, beneath which rivers flow, and pure mates and the Consent (good-Pleasure) of Allah. Allah is Seer of His servants.
As for reaching takvâ: it is possible by being a Saint (a Friend of Allah).
Assurely, the Friends of Allah: no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.
Those who are âmenű (who wish to reach Allah spiritually before dying and surrender to Him) and became the Possessors of takvâ.
Theirs is the good tidings in this world’s life and in the Hereafter.
Our Lord decrees so in the 6, 7, 8, 9th verses of Kâri’a Sura:
(6) Then as for him whose scales (of good deeds) are heavy, (7) He will be in a pleasing life. (8) But as for him whose scales (of good deeds) are light, (9) The bottomless pit will be his home (his mother).
Those who
will go to
He knows what is before them and what is behind them and they do not intercede for anyone except for him who has reached the Consent (the Good-Pleasure of Allah).
As those who have reached the Consent can be only interceded for, unless one has reached the Consent (of Allah), it is not possible that his scales (of good deeds) be heavy. Our Master the Prophet (PBUH) decrees:
“No one
can enter
Sahabe asks him: “You also?”
He answers: “Yes, I too.”
Allahű Tealâ announces in the 21th verse of Nűr Sura:
And had it not been for Allah’s Virtue (Grace) unto you and His mercy, none of you would have been purified forever.
He has indeed reached the Salvation who purifies him.
With it (light and a clear Book) Allah guides him (makes him reach) who depends on His Consent (Good-Pleasure) (him who wishes to reach Allah) into the Ways of surrender (to the murshids) and brings them out of (the) Darkness(es) into (the) light by HisWill, and makes them reach the Straight Path.
And afterwards, when they have made their spirits reach Allah, they attain the first Consent. As for the person who has been purified: he is the one who has wished to reach Allah and has reached Him. The fact that these persons will reach the Consent (of Allah) is declared in the 20 and 21th verses of Leyl Sura:
(20) He seeks only the Countenance (Face, Essence, Zât) of his Lord. Most High, (21) And he shall soon be well-pleased [He shall soon reach the Consent (of Allah)].
Allah changes their sins into good deeds. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.
And whosoever repents and does improving deeds, he surely turns to Allah as the one whose repentence has been accepted (by Allah).
As for the inclination of the person towards Allah: It makes that person reach the repentance. There are three sorts of repentance for men:
1. Repentance: The is a repentance that man may realize at any moment. The person supplicates Allah to his heart’s content, begs pardon. Allah pardons his sins but he commits them again and again.
2. Repentance: This repentance is fulfilled before the murshid appointed by Allah, the Caliph of the Era, the angels that bear the Divine Throne (‘arsh) and Allah.
The Day on which the spirit (the spirit of the Imam of the Era) and the angels stand forth in rows; they do not speak except he whom the All-Merciful (Allah) permits (to speak) and who speaks what is right (lâ ilâhe illalah = there is no god but Allah).
Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allah) and the one around it (the spirit of the Caliph of the Era who is there) glorify the Praise of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who are âmenű (ask the transformation of their sins into good deeds):“Our Lord! You embrace all things in Mercy and Knowledge, so forgive (transmute their sins into rewards) those who repent (in front of their murshids) and follow (depend on) Your Way, and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire!
This sort of repentance is the repentance to which Mevlânâ Celâleddin Rűmî invites saying: Come on! Even if you have broken your repentance a hundred times!” This is a repentance made by wishing to reach Allah, to surrender to Him and by repeating word by word the words of the murshid. In this repentance:
- The sins are changed into good deeds.
- The blessing (the spirit of the Imam of the Era) comes and settles over our head.
- The Faith is written in our soul’s heart. We become a believer.
- Thanks to this repentance, we go up on the Straight Path.
- We are delivered from Misguidance.
- We take the first step into Hidâyet (the process of reaching Allah spiritually before death).
- We begin doing improving deeds.
In case this repentance is broken, the person falls into “fısk” (going out of the Way of Allah after having entered it) he becomes a “fâsık” (the one who has gone out of the Way of Allah after having entered it). If one breaks his repentance three times, the Disbelief is impressed on the (soul’s) heart of this person. And the repentance of that person will never be accepted (by Allah).
Surely those who swear allegiance to you do but swear allegiance to Allah; the Hand of Allah is above their hands (as Allah has manifested Himself over your whole body, He has also manifested Himself over your hand). Therefore, whoever has caused (his degrees) to fall (into negative) [has broken (his faith)] has surely caused them to fall into negative (has broken it) due to his own soul (as he has not fulfilled the covenants he had sworn to Allah). Whoever fulfils his covenants with Allah [the promise (of his spirit), the covenant (of his physical body) and the oath (of his soul)], He will grant him a mighty reward.
Save Him who repents (in front of his murshid) and becomes so a believer (as the Faith has been written into his soul’s heart by repenting before his murshid) and (for the same reason) does improving deeds; such, Allah changes their sins into rewards. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.
And whosoever repents (in front of his murshid) and does improving deeds, he surely turns (repentant) to Allah as the one whose repentance has been accepted (by Allah).
3. Repentance: This is a repentance whose revocation, violation is not in question. This repentance is called “Tövbe-i Nasűh” (Irrevocable Repentance). It is a repentance made in the Presence of Allah.
All the sins committed until the completion of the improving of the soul (’s heart) after the second sort of repentance made in front of the murshid are blotted out. The Ligth of Improvement (nűr-u salâh) is granted. The repentance will never be broken (violated). We pass on to the Station of Salâh (Improvement) that is the 28th stage through this repentance. We reach “irshad”, we are possessed of patience. We pass on to the total zikir (zikr-i kullî).
O You who are âmenű (who wish to reach Allah spiritually before dying and surrender to Him)! Turn (repentant) to Allah with an Irrevocable Repentance! Maybe Your Lord will expiate from you your sins and cause you to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow, on the Day on which Allah will not abase the Prophet and those who are âmenű with him. Their Light shall run on before them and on their right hands; they will say: “Our Lord! Complete for us our Light for us and grant us forgiveness. Surely, You are Powerful over all things!
It is not possible to go back on this repentance. Our Lord takes man under guarantee with the Irrevocable Repentance. We pass on to the Station of Improvement (Salâh) through this repentance. The Station of “Salâh” is composed of 7 levels (1. Level: The Irrevocable Repentance). With the Irrevocable Repentance, Allah grants the light of Improvement over the head of that person (2. Level). He blots out the sins that he has committed between the moment he has depended on his murshid and the improvement of his soul (’s heart) (3. Level).
O You who are âmenű! Turn (repentant) to Allah with an Irrevocable Repentance! Maybe Your Lord will expiate from you your sins (blot out your sins) and cause you to enter Gardens under which rivers flow, on the Day on which Allah will not disgrace (abase) the Prophet and those who are âmenű with him. Their Light will run on before them and on their right hands; they shall say: “Our Lord! Complete for us our Light and grant us forgiveness! Surely, You are Powerful over all things.
We reach “irshad” at the 4th level. And we are possessed of total zikir.
And know that the Messenger of Allah is among you. If he were to obey you in many a matter, you would surely fall into distress (even be cursed), but Allah has endeared the Faith to you and beautified (ornated) it in your (souls’) hearts and He has made the Unbelief, going out of the Way of Allah after having entered it (fusűk, wrong-doings, transgressions…) and disobedience hateful to you. Such are they who have reached “irshad”.
There is no compulsion in (the) Religion; Verily, “ruşd” (the Way of hidâyet, the Way leading to Allah) has become clearly distinct from “gayy” (the Way to Misguidance, the Way leading to Satan, to Hell); therefore, whoever disbelieves in the “Tâgűt” (all false deities, Satan and his followers) and believes in Allah, he indeed laid hold on the firmest handle (the hand of the murshid), which shall not break off, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
The fifth,
sixth and seventh stations are those of slavery. Those who are at these stations
glorify Allah (tesbih = zikir without the exercise of the free will). They will
be raised and assembled together with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs.
They are possessed of the uppermost
And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, these are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed blessings from among the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the improved ones (sâlihs) and a goodly company are they!
At the fifth level, the free will is connected to Allah.
At the sixth level, the removal of the free will is experienced.
At the fifth and sixth levels, the Total Will (irâde-i kulliye) dominates.
At the seventh level, there is only one personage in each Era (Age). The Divine Will is in question. The manifestation of Allah presents a perpetuity.
Műsâ said to his people: “Ask (special) help from Allah and be patient; surely the earth is Allah’s. He causes such of His servants to inherit it as He pleases, and the end is for those who are possessed of Takvâ [who guard (against all kinds of evils)].
Say: The losers surely are those who shall have lost their souls (themselves) and their families (those who follow themselves) on the Day of Resurrection; now surely that is the clear loss. For them are layers of fire from above them and from beneath them. This is the doom with which Allah frightens His servants. So, o My Servants! Be the owners of Takvâ towards Me. And (as for) those who keep off from “Tâgűt” (all the false deities) lest they should serve them, and turn to Allah (in repentance), for them there are glad tidings. Therefore, give good news to My servants.
Our Lord decrees so in the 36th verse of Nahl Sura:
And of certainty We have raised (brought to life, commissioned) in every nation (community) a Messenger, (proclaiming): “Serve (be servants to) Allah, and shun false deities (Satan and his followers)!
O you who are âmenű (who wish to reach Allah spiritually before dying and to surrender to Him)! Do not follow the steps of the Shaitan (Satan); and whoever follows the footsteps of Satan, then surely he enjoins on him what is indecent and wickedness (all kinds of evils) and had it not been for Allah’s Virtue (Grace) upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have ever been purified. But Allah purifies whom He wills (by sending His Lights into his soul’s heart). And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
O you who are âmenű! Enter (the circle of) Surrendering one and all, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan; surely he is an open enemy to you.
Our Lord reminds us once again of our fulfilling our covenants we had sworn to Allah on the Day of “Kâlű Belâ” [they said: Yes, (You are our Lord)] in the 60 and 61th verses of Yâ-sîn Sura:
(60) Did I not take an covenant from you, O Children of Adam! That you should not serve (be servants of) Satan? Surely he is an open enemy to you, (61) and that you should serve (be servants to) Me; this is (to be on) the Straight Path.
Our Lord warns us through these sacred verses so that we should not fall into loss and gives us the necessary prescriptions. Then, what should we do that we may get rid of Tâgűt (Satan and his followers from the jinn and mankind, all kinds of false gods). The answer is in:
There is no compulsion in (the) Religion; Verily, “erruşd” (the Way of Guidance, the Way leading to Allah, the Way of maturity…) has become clearly distinct from the “Gayy” (the Way to Misguidance, the Way leading to Satan, to Hell); therefore, whoever disbelieves in the “Tâgűt” (all the false gods, Satan and his followers from the jinn and mankind) and believes in Allah, he indeed grasped the firmest handle (the hand of the murshid), which shall not break off, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
Thus, to believe in Allah by disbelieving in (the) Tâgűt in order to attain irshad, that is, to wish to reach Allah is only possible by wishing to set off in order to obtain the Consent of Allah.
Allah commands mankind to serve (be servants to) Himself in the 56th verse of Zâriyât Sura. If man wishes to be a servant to Allah, this is the initial servanthood. The servanthood begins with the demand (wish) of the person. For this reason, the initial servanthood is realized when the person becomes âmenű. Later on, this demand, this wish will ensure the going up of the person on the Straight Path, make him reach his murshid. When we depend on the murshid, we attain the pre-servanthood. We step on the servanthood. We go up on the Straight Path. We are a real candidate for being a servant (to Allah). Being a servant for which we beseech Allah in the 5th verse of Al-Fâtihah Sura can be realisable only by going up on the Straight Path.
You only do we serve (to You Alone are we servants) and You Alone we beseech for (special) help.
(Trough Your special help) make us reach (guide us to) the Straight Path.
Therefore, a man being a servant to Allah is realized by his going up on the Straight Path. Our Master the Prophet addresses so mankind:
Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him (be servants to Him); this is (to be on) the Straight Path.
İbrahim (PBUH) invites his father to the servanthood, to the Straight Path that will make him a servant of Allah in the 43th verse of Meryem Sura:
To go up on the Straight Path is the beginning of the servanthood. In order that a man can go up on the Straight Path, it is necessary that a Blessing should be given over the head of this person. The Straight Path is the path of those over the heads of whom the Blessing has been bestowed.
The Path of those upon (the heads of) whom You have bestowed a Blessing (the spirit of the Imam of the Era that has come and settled over their heads). Not (the Path) of those upon whom Your Wrath is brought down, nor of those who are in Misguidance (who go astray).
What is this Blessing?
Certainly Allah conferred a Blessing upon the believers when He has raised (brought to life, commissioned) among them a Messenger of their own who recites (reads and explains) to them His Verses (the Qur’ân) purifies them (their souls’ hearts) and teaches them the Book (the Qur’ân) and the Wisdom, although before that (before depending on these murshids-Messengers), they were in manifest Misguidance.
As can be seen in the sacred verse, this Blessing belongs to the Messenger of Allah (to the spirit of the Imam of the Era) living among men.
The One who increases the Degrees, the Possessor of the Divine Throne, sends the Spirit by His Command upon whom He wills of His servants, that he may warn (that person’s spirit) of the Day of Meeting (with Allah).
Over the head of whom Allah has sent the spirit belonging to the Messenger as a Blessing, that person goes up on the path (the Straight Path) (leading to Allah).
Allah expresses that this Blessing is the spirit belonging to the Messenger and causes the person to go up on the Straight Path. The coming of this spirit over our head ensures the going up of our own spirit on the Straight Path. Without this Blessing reaching us from our Lord, it is not possible for a man’s spirit to go up on the Straight Path and to make a journey on it and thus to reach Allah while living in this world. For this reason, our Lord elucidates this truth in the 33th verse of Ar-Rahmân Sura proclaiming: “You cannot pass through (penetrate) the diameters (regions) of the heavens and the earth.”
O assembly of the jinn and the men! If you have power to pass through (penetrate) the diameters (regions) of the heavens and the earth, then pass through; you cannot pass through but with a Sultan (an authorized one).
The haughty and arrogant people who do not deign to depend on this sultan deny the verses (signs) of Allah. Allah describes their state in the 40th verse of Al-Ahzâb Sura:
Muhammed (PBUH) is not the father of any of your men, but the Messenger of Allah and the Last (Seal) of the prophets; and Allah is All-Knower of all things.
It has been seen that the reason for a man going up on the Straight Path is the spirit of the Messenger that Allah has sent by His Command. This spirit is a Blessing for that man. This is a guardian enabling him to remain on the Straight Path.
There is the one (the spirit of the murshid) following him before him and behind him (extending from his frontside to his backside), who guards him by Allah’s Command; surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own state; and when Allah wills evil to a people, there is no averting it, and besides Him they have no protector.
In respect of our spirit, the servanthood begins when the spirit of the Messenger comes and settles over our head and thus we go up on the Straight Path. The spirit arrives at the end of the Straight Path by completing his journeying, reaches the Nothingness by surpassing the Lote-tree of the Farthest Boundary and after a while arrives in Allah. Allah has become a Shelter (Refuge, Meâb, Terminal) for the spirit of that servant. And the spirit is annihilated in (the Essence of) Allah. This is the surrender of the spirit to Allah. The person has reached the first servanthood. The 22th stage of the 28 stages existing between Allah and the servant is the stage where we attain the first servanthood.
Our Lord has made the surrender compulsory upon all the human spirits just twelve times:
And those who cause to reach that which (their spirits) Allah has commanded to be made to reach Him (before death) and have awe of their Lord and dread the evil reckoning.
Turn(ing) unto Him (Alone) and be the possessors of takvâ and perform the prayer(s) and be not of those who ascribe partners (unto Him) (of the polytheists, of the idolaters).
Therefore flee to Allah, surely I am a plain warner to you from Him.
Return (repentant) to your Lord and thus surrender (submit) to Him before there comes to you the (grave) torment (before dying), then you shall not be helped.
Repeat the Name of Allah and detach yourself from everything else save Him.
(Be) well-pleased (with Allah) well-pleasing (Him); (O spirit!) Return to your Lord!
Respond to (the Invitation of) your Lord before there comes from Allah a Day (the appointed hour of death) which cannot be averted; you shall have no refuge on that Day, nor shall it be yours to make a denial (of it).
And Allah invites (men) to the Abode of Surrender (to His own Essence that will take delivery of the spirit). And He guides whomever He wills (to cause to reach the Abode of Surrender, His Own Essence) to the Straight Path.
9) 31/Luqmân – 15:
But if they strive (contend) with you that you associate with Me what you have no knowledge of, do not obey them, and keep company with them in this world kindly, and depend on (follow) the Way of him who turns (repentant) to Me (whose spirit has turned to Me before death), then (after death) to Me is your return (Azrael will bring your spirit to Me), then will I inform you of what you used to do.
And remember the Blessings of Allah on you and His Promise with which He bound you firmly, when you said: “We have heard and we obeyed” and be possessed of takvâ towards Allah, surely Allah knows what is in the breasts.
And do not approach the property of the orphan except in the best manner until he attains his maturity; and give full measure and weight with justice – We do not impose on any soul except to the extent of its scope (ability); and when you speak, then be just even if it be (against) a kinsman and fulfil the Covenant(s) of Allah. This He has enjoined you with that you may deliberate (take a lesson).
Surely Allah commands you to render back the Trusts (the spirit, the physical body and the soul and the free will) to His Possessor (Allah).
The beginning of the servanthood for the physical body is the same as the spirit. Beginning from the day on which we go up on the Straight Path. Beginning from the day on which we go up on the Straight Path, the physical body abstains from following the footsteps of Satan and begins to be a servant to Allah. Our Lord has again given this duty to his Messenger. In case this Messenger carries out his duty, the person will be a servant to Allah in respect of his physical body.
And of certainty We raised (brought to life, commissioned) in every nation (community) a Messenger (saying): “Serve (be servants to) Allah, and shun the Shaitan (Satan). So there were some of them whom Allah guided (caused to reach Himself) and there were others against whom Misguidance was due; therefore travel on earth (in the land), then see what was the end of the deniers.
However, this servanthood (the servanthood of the physical body) is not realized when the spirit surrenders to Allah. The surrender of the physical body is realized at the 25th stage.
And who is better in religion than he who surrenders (submits) his face (his physical body) to Allah and – he is a good-doer – (muhsîn) and depends on (follows) the religion of İbrâhîm (Abraham) as a hanîf (as a pur monotheist by disposition). And Allah took İbrâhîm as an intimate friend.
The second servanthood is the greater servanthood (ekber kulluk).
Those (owners of takvâ) who spend (benevolently) in ease as well as in straitness, and those who suppress (their) anger and pardon men; and Allah loves the good-doers (muhsins).
And the last servanthood will be realized with the surrender of the soul to Allah. Its beginning is the day on which we go up on the Straight Path just like with our two other bodies: at the 14th stage.
The surrender of the soul to Allah is possible only by his getting rid of the 19 vices existing in himself. This is realizable through doing improving deeds just as the repentance made in front of the murshid causes man to go up on the Straight Path, so too does it ensure his beginning improving deeds.
Save Him who repents (in front of his murshid) and becomes a believer (as the Faith has been written into his soul’s heart by repenting before his murshid) and (for the same reason) does improving deeds; such, Allah changes their sins into merits. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.
Improving deeds are realized through zikir. Zikir causes Allah’s lights to come by pairs (Virtue-Mercy) (Mercy-blessings) into the (soul’s) heart of the person. These lights purify the (soul’s) heart.
This process of being improved can begin only when we depends on the Guide (hidâyetchi, the one who makes our spirit reach Allah before death). With the repentance made in front of the guide, Allah opens the seal of the (soul’s) heart previously sealed off, takes out the word of Disbelief from its inside and writes the word of Belief in place of it. The improving of the soul begins on account of the lights coming from Allah through zikir.
Allah has sent down the most beautiful (best) (of the lights) He has brought about in pairs (mercy-virtue and mercy-blessings) similar (analogous) to the Book, whereat the skins of those who are possessed of awe (hushu’) shudder (tremble) and then their skins and hearts soften (become pliant) with Allah’s zikir (tremble, are illuminated, purified and thus the spirit of the person reaches Allah, attains hidâyet). This is Allah’s hidâyet (guidance); He causes to reach with it [by purifying his soul (’s heart) with Allah’s lights and thus making him reach His Essence] whom He wills. But whomever He abandons in Misguidance, there is no guide (hidâyetchi) for him.
The guides here are the Messengers of Allah. They are charged with the duty of purifying, improving the souls (’ hearts) of men.
Certainly Allah conferred a Blessing upon the believers when He has raised (brought to life, commissioned) among them a Messenger of their own who recites (reads and explains) to them His Verses (the Qur’ân) purifies them (their souls’ hearts) and teaches them the Book (the Qur’ân) and the Wisdom, although before that (before depending on these murshids-Messengers), they were in flagrant Misguidance.
He it is Who raised (brought to life, commissioned) among the illiterates a Messenger from among them, who recites (reads and explains) to them His Verses (the Qur’ân) and purifies them (their souls’ hearts) and teaches them the Book (the Qur’ân) and the Wisdom; although before that (before depending on these murshids-messengers), they were in flagrant Misguidance.
Our Lord! And raise up in them a Messenger from among them who shall recite (read and explain) to them Your Verses (the Qur’ân) and teach them the Book (the Qur’ân) and the Wisdom and purify them (their souls’ hearts); surely You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
O Children of Adam! Whenever Messengers of your own come to you who relate to you My Verses (the Qur’ân), then whoever becomes the owner of takvâ (refrains from all kinds of evils) and improves (his soul’s heart), there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
The surrender of the soul is realized when the soul’s heart is illuminated %100. The 27th stage is the stage where the surrender of the soul is accomplished. The person has reached continuous zikir.
Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the alternation of the night and the day there are indeed signs for “űli’l elbâb” (the owners of continuous zikir, of the treasures of the divine secrets).
Those (űli’l elbâb) repeat the Name of Allah standing and sitting and lying down on their sides and meditate upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! You have not created this in vain! Glory be to You! Protect us from the torment of the Fire.
Because he does zikir continuously, his (soul’s) heart is illuminated %100. There are no more vices therein. Thus the person has been a servant to Allah in respect of the soul. He has reached the third servanthood [the most beautiful (best) servanthood, “ahsen kulluk”].