The Letters (20-29)
by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi
Table of Contents
The Twentieth Letter
| English translation | Original Text |
|---|---|
| The Twentieth Letter | Yirminci Mektub |
| In His Name, be He glorified! | بِاسْمِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ |
| And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise. | وَاِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ اِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ |
| In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. | بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ |
| There is no god but God, He is One, He has no partner; His is the dominion and His is the praise; He alone grants life, and deals death, and He is living and dies not; all good is in His hand, He is powerful over all things, and with Him all things have their end. 1 | لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِى وَ يُمِيتُ وَ هُوَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ وَ هُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَ اِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ |
| 1. Bukharı, Adhan, 155; Tahajjud 21; Muslim, Dhikr, 28, 30, 74, 75, 76; Tirmidhı, Mawaqit, 108; }Jajj, 104; Nasa’ı, Sahw, 83-6; lbn Maja, Du’a, 10, 14, 16; Abü Da’üd, Manasik, 56; Darimı, Salat, 88, 90; Muwapa’, }Jajj, 127, 243; Qur’an, 20, 22; Musnad, i, 47; ii, 5; iii, 320; iv, 4; v, 191. | |
| [This sentence expressing Divine Unity, which is recited following the morning and evening prayers, possesses numerous merits 2 and according to an authentic narration, bears the degree of the Greatest Name 3 . It contains eleven phrases, | [Sabah ve akşam namazından sonra tekrarı, pek çok fazileti bulunan ve bir rivayet-i sahihada ism-i a’zam mertebesini taşıyan şu cümle-i tevhidiyenin onbir kelimesi var. |
| 2. See, Musnad, iv, 60; al-Haythamı, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, x, 107.3. See, lbn Maja, Du’a, 9. | |
| in each of which are both some good tidings, and a degree in the affirmation of the Unity of God’s dominicality, and an aspect of the grandeur and perfection of Divine Unity from the point of view of a Greatest Name. | Herbir kelimesinde hem birer müjde ve beşaret, hem birer mertebe-i tevhid-i rububiyet, hem bir ism-i a’zam noktasında bir kibriya–i vahdet ve bir kemal–i vahdaniyet vardır. |
| Referring a full explanation of these great and elevated truths to other parts of the Risale-i Nur, in fulfilment of a promise we shall for now write a brief, index-like summary of them in two Stations and an Introduction.] | Bu büyük ve ulvî hakikatların izahını sair Sözlere havale edip, bir vaade binaen, şimdilik mücmel bir hülâsa suretinde; “İki Makam”, bir “Mukaddime” ile ona bir fihriste yapacağız.] |
| Introduction | Mukaddime |
| Be certain of this, that the highest aim of creation and its most important result are belief in God. | Kat’iyyen bil ki: Hilkatin en yüksek gayesi ve fıtratın en yüce neticesi iman-ı billahtır. |
| The most exalted rank in humanity and its highest degree are the knowledge of God contained within belief in God. | Ve insaniyetin en âlî mertebesi ve beşeriyetin en büyük makamı, iman-ı billah içindeki marifetullahtır. |
| The most radiant happiness and sweetest bounty for jinn and human beings are the love of God contained within the knowledge of God. | Cinn ü insin en parlak saadeti ve en tatlı nimeti, o marifetullah içindeki muhabbetullahtır. |
| And the purest joy for the human spirit and the sheerest delight for man’s heart are the rapture of the spirit contained within the love of God. | Ve ruh-u beşer için en hâlis sürur ve kalb-i insan için en safi sevinç, o muhabbetullah içindeki lezzet-i ruhaniyedir. |
| Indeed, all true happiness, pure joy, sweet bounties, and untroubled pleasure lie in knowledge of God and love of God; they cannot exist without them. | Evet bütün hakikî saadet ve hâlis sürur ve şirin nimet ve safi lezzet elbette marifetullah ve muhabbetullahtadır. Onlar, onsuz olamaz. |
| One who knows and loves God Almighty is potentially able to receive endless bounties, happiness, lights, and mysteries. | Cenab-ı Hakk’ı tanıyan ve seven, nihayetsiz saadete, nimete, envâra, esrara; ya bilkuvve veya bilfiil mazhardır. |
| While one who does not truly know and love him is afflicted spiritually and materially by endless misery, pain, and fears. | O’nu hakikî tanımayan, sevmeyen; nihayetsiz şekavete, âlâma ve evhama manen ve maddeten mübtela olur. |
| Even if such an impotent and miserable person owned the whole world, it would be worth nothing for him, for it would seem to him that he was living a fruitless life among the vagrant human race in a wretched world without owner or protector. | Evet şu perişan dünyada, âvâre nev’-i beşer içinde, semeresiz bir hayatta; sahibsiz, hâmîsiz bir surette; âciz, miskin bir insan, bütün dünyanın sultanı da olsa kaç para eder. |
| Everyone may understand just how wretched and bewildered is man among the vagrant human race in this bewildering fleeting world if he does not know his Owner, if he does not discover his Master. | İşte bu âvâre nev’-i beşer içinde, bu perişan fâni dünyada; insan, sahibini tanımazsa, mâlikini bulmazsa, ne kadar bîçare sergerdan olduğunu herkes anlar. |
| But if he does discover and know Him, he will seek refuge in His mercy and will rely on His power. The desolate world will turn into a place of recreation and pleasure, it will become a place of trade for the hereafter. | Eğer sahibini bulsa, mâlikini tanısa, o vakit rahmetine iltica eder, kudretine istinad eder. O vahşetgâh dünya, bir tenezzühgâha döner ve bir ticaretgâh olur. |
| First Station | Birinci Makam |
| Each of the eleven phrases of the above-mentioned sentence affirming Divine Unity contains some good news. | Şu kelâm-ı tevhidînin, onbir kelimesinin her birinde birer müjde var. |
| And in the good news of each lies a cure, while in each of those cures a spiritual pleasure may be found. | Ve o müjdede birer şifa ve o şifada birer lezzet-i maneviye bulunur. |
| The First Phrase | Birinci Kelime |
| ‘There is no god but God.’ This phrase contains the following good news for the human spirit, subject as it is to countless needs and the attacks of innumerable enemies. | لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللّٰهُ ‘ta şöyle bir müjde var ki; hadsiz hacata mübtela, nihayetsiz a’danın hücumuna hedef olan ruh-u insanî |
| On the one hand it finds a place of recourse, a source of help, through which is opened to it the door of a treasury of mercy that will guarantee all its needs. | şu kelimede öyle bir nokta-i istimdad bulur ki, bütün hacatını temin edecek bir hazine-i rahmet kapısını ona açar |
| While on the other it finds a point of support and strength, for the phrase makes known to it its Creator and True Object of Worship, Who possesses an absolute power that will secure it from the evil of all its enemies; it shows it its master, and who it is that owns it. | ve öyle bir nokta-i istinad bulur ki, bütün a’dasının şerrinden emin edecek bir kudret-i mutlakanın sahibi olan kendi Mabud‘unu ve Hâlık‘ını bildirir ve tanıttırır, sahibini gösterir, Mâlik’i kim olduğunu irae eder. |
| Through pointing this out, the phrase saves the heart from utter desolation and the spirit from aching sorrow; it ensures an eternal joy, a perpetual happiness. | Ve o irae ile, kalbi vahşet-i mutlakadan ve ruhu hüzn-ü elîmden kurtarıp, ebedî bir ferahı, daimî bir süruru temin eder. |
| The Second Phrase | İkinci Kelime |
| ‘He is One.’ This phrase announces the following good news, which is both healing and a source of happiness: | وَحْدَهُ Şu kelimede şifalı, saadetli bir müjde vardır. Şöyle ki: |
| Man’s spirit and heart, which are connected to most of the creatures in the universe and reach the point of being overwhelmed in misery and confusion on account of this connection, | Kâinatın ekser enva’ıyla alâkadar ve o alâkadarlık yüzünden perişan ve keşmekeş içinde boğulmak derecesine gelen ruh-u beşer ve kalb-i insan |
| find in the phrase ‘He is One’ a refuge and protector that will deliver them from all the confusion and bewilderment. | وَحْدَهُ kelimesinde bir melce’, bir halaskâr bulur ki; onu bütün o keşmekeşten, o perişaniyetten kurtarır. |
| That is to say, it is as if ‘He is One’ is saying to man: | Yani, وَحْدَهُ manen der: |
| “God is One. Do not wear yourself out having recourse to other things; | “Allah birdir. Başka şeylere müracaat edip yorulma, |
| do not demean yourself and feel indebted to them; | onlara tezellül edip minnet çekme, |
| do not flatter them and fawn on them and humiliate yourself; | onlara temelluk edip boyun eğme, |
| do not follow them and make things difficult for yourself; | onların arkasına düşüp zahmet çekme, |
| do not fear them and tremble before them; | onlardan korkup titreme. |
| because the Monarch of the universe is one, | Çünki Sultan-ı Kâinat birdir, |
| the key to all things is with Him, | her şeyin anahtarı O’nun yanında, |
| the reins of all things are in His hand, | her şeyin dizgini O’nun elindedir; |
| everything will be resolved by His command. | her şey O’nun emriyle halledilir. |
| If you find Him, you will be saved from endless indebtedness, countless fears.” | O’nu bulsan, her matlubunu buldun; hadsiz minnetlerden, korkulardan kurtuldun.” |
| The Third Phrase | Üçüncü Kelime |
| ‘He has no partner.’ Just as in His Divinity and in His sovereignty He has no partner, | لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ Yani, nasıl ki uluhiyetinde ve saltanatında şeriki yoktur; |
| God is One and He cannot be many, | Allah bir olur, müteaddid olamaz. |
| so too in His dominicality and in His actions and in His creating He has no partner. | Öyle de; rububiyetinde ve icraatında ve îcadâtında dahi şeriki yoktur. |
| It sometimes happens that a monarch is one, having no partner in his sovereignty, | Bazan olur ki; sultan bir olur, saltanatında şeriki olmaz.. |
| but in the execution of his affairs his officials act as his partners; | fakat icraatında, onun memurları onun şeriki sayılırlar |
| they prevent everyone from entering his presence, saying: “Have recourse to us.” | ve onun huzuruna herkesin girmesine mani olurlar. “Bize de müracaat et” derler. |
| However, God Almighty, the Monarch of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity, has no partner in His sovereignty, | Fakat Ezel, Ebed Sultanı olan Cenab-ı Hak, saltanatında şeriki olmadığı gibi; |
| just as He has no need for partners or helpers in the execution of His dominicality. | icraat-ı rububiyetinde dahi muinlere, şeriklere muhtaç değildir. |
| If it were not for His command and will, His strength and power, not a single thing could interfere with another. | Emr u iradesi, havl ü kuvveti olmazsa hiçbir şey, hiçbir şeye müdahale edemez. |
| Everyone can have recourse to Him directly. | Doğrudan doğruya herkes O’na müracaat edebilir. |
| Since He has no partner or helper, it may not be said to someone seeking recourse, “It is forbidden, you may not enter into His presence.” | Şeriki ve muini olmadığından, o müracaatçı adama “Yasaktır, O’nun huzuruna giremezsin” denilmez. |
| This phrase, therefore, delivers the following joyful announcement to the human spirit: | İşte şu kelime, ruh-u beşer için şöyle bir müjde verir ki: |
| the human spirit which has attained to faith may, without let or hindrance, opposition or interference, in any state, for any wish, at any time and in any place, enter the presence of the All-Beauteous and Glorious One, the One of power and perfection, Who is the Pre-Eternal and Post-Eternal Owner of the treasuries of mercy, the treasuries of bliss, and may present its needs. | İmanı elde eden ruh-u beşer; manisiz, müdahalesiz, hailsiz, mümanaatsız, her halinde, her arzusunda, her anda, her yerde o ezel ve ebed ve hazain-i rahmet mâliki ve defain-i saadet sahibi olan Cemil-i Zülcelal, Kadîr-i Zülkemal’in huzuruna girip, hacatını arzedebilir. |
| Finding His mercy and relying on His power, it will attain perfect ease and happiness. | Ve rahmetini bulup, kudretine istinad ederek, kemal-i ferah ve süruru kazanabilir. |
| The Fourth Phrase | Dördüncü Kelime |
| ‘His is the dominion.’ That is to say, ownership is altogether His. | لَهُ الْمُلْكُ Yani, mülk umumen O’nundur. |
| As for you, you are both His property, you are owned by Him, and you work in His property. | Sen, hem O’nun mülküsün, hem memluküsün, hem mülkünde çalışıyorsun. |
| This phrase announces the following joyful and healing news: | Şu kelime, şöyle şifalı bir müjde veriyor ve diyor: |
| “O mankind! Do not suppose that you own yourself, for you have no control over any of the things that concern you; such a load would be heavy. | Ey insan! Sen kendini, kendine mâlik sayma. Çünki sen kendini idare edemezsin, o yük ağırdır. |
| Also, you are unable to protect yourself, to avoid disasters, or to do those things that you must. | Kendi başına muhafaza edemezsin, belalardan sakınıp, levazımatını yerine getiremezsin. |
| In which case, do not suffer pain and torment without reason, the ownership is another’s. | Öyle ise beyhude ızdıraba düşüp azab çekme, mülk başkasınındır. |
| The Owner is both All-Powerful and All-Merciful; rely on His power and do not cast aspersions on His mercy! Put grief behind you, be joyful! Discard your troubles and find serenity!“ | O Mâlik, hem Kadîr‘dir, hem Rahîm‘dir; kudretine istinad et, rahmetini ittiham etme. Kederi bırak, keyfini çek. Zahmeti at, safayı bul. |
| It also says: “The universe, which you love, to which you are connected and which grieves you by its confusedness and which you are unable to put right, is the property of an All-Powerful and Merciful One. | Hem der ki: Manen sevdiğin ve alâkadar olduğun ve perişaniyetinden müteessir olduğun ve ıslah edemediğin şu kâinat, bir Kadîr-i Rahîm’in mülküdür. |
| So hand over the property to its Owner, leave it to Him. Attract His pleasure, not His harshness. | Mülkü sahibine teslim et, O’na bırak.. cefasını değil, safasını çek. |
| He is both All-Wise and All-Merciful. He has free disposal over His property and administers it as He wishes. | O hem Hakîm‘dir, hem Rahîm‘dir. Mülkünde istediği gibi tasarruf eder, çevirir. |
| Whenever you take fright, say like Ibrahim Hakki: “Let’s see what the Master does; whatever He does, it is best;” see it well, and do not interfere!” | Dehşet aldığın zaman, İbrahim Hakkı gibi “Mevlâ görelim neyler, neylerse güzel eyler” de, pencerelerden seyret, içlerine girme. |
| The Fifth Phrase | Beşinci Kelime |
| ‘His is the praise.’ Praise, laudation, and acclaim are proper to Him, are fitting for Him. | وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ Yani hamd ü sena, medih ve minnet O’na mahsustur, O’na lâyıktır. |
| That is to say, bounties are His; they come from His treasury. And as for the treasury, it is unending. | Demek nimetler O’nundur ve O’nun hazinesinden çıkar. Hazine ise, daimîdir. |
| This phrase, therefore, delivers the following good news: | İşte şu kelime, şöyle müjde verip diyor ki: |
| “O mankind! Do not suffer and sorrow when bounties cease, for the treasury of mercy is inexhaustible. | “Ey insan! Nimetin zevalinden elem çekme. Çünki rahmet hazinesi tükenmez. |
| Do not dwell on the fleeting nature of pleasure and cry out with pain, | Ve lezzetin zevalini düşünüp, o elemden feryad etme. |
| because the fruit of the bounty is the fruit of a boundless mercy. Since its tree is undying, when the fruit finishes it is replaced by more. | Çünki o nimet meyvesi, bir rahmet-i bînihayenin semeresidir. Ağacı bâki ise, meyve gitse de yerine gelen var. |
| If you thankfully think that within the pleasure of the bounty itself is a merciful favour a hundred times more pleasurable, you will be able to increase the pleasure a hundredfold. | Nimetin lezzeti içinde, o lezzetten yüz derece daha ziyade lezzetli bir iltifat-ı rahmeti hamd ile düşünüp, lezzeti birden yüz derece yapabilirsin. |
| Within an apple an august monarch presents to you is a pleasure superior to that of a hundred, rather a thousand, apples because it is he that has bestowed it on you and made you experience the pleasure of a royal favour. | Nasılki bir padişah-ı zîşanın sana hediye ettiği bir elma lezzeti içinde yüz belki bin elmanın lezzetinin fevkinde, bir iltifat-ı şahane lezzetini sana ihsas ve ihsan eder. |
| In the same way, through the phrase ‘His is the praise’ will be opened to you the door of a spiritual pleasure a thousand times sweeter than the bounty itself. For this phrase means to offer praise and thanks; that is to say, to perceive the bestowal of bounty. This in turn means to recognize the Bestower, which is to reflect on the bestowal of bounty, and so finally to ponder over the favour of His compassion and His continuing to bestow bounties.” | Öyle de لَهُ الْحَمْدُ kelimesiyle, yani hamd ve şükür ile, yani nimetten in’amı hissetmekle, yani Mün’im’i tanımakla ve in’amını düşünmekle, yani O’nun rahmetinin iltifatını ve şefkatinin teveccühünü ve in’amının devamını düşünmekle; nimetten bin derece daha leziz, manevî bir lezzet kapısını sana açar. |
| The Sixth Phrase | Altıncı Kelime |
| ‘He alone grants life.’ That is, the giver of life is He. | يُحْيِى Yani hayatı veren O’dur. |
| The one who causes life to continue by means of sustenance is again He. | Ve hayatı rızık ile idame eden de O’dur. |
| The supplier of the necessities of life is also He. | Ve levazımat-ı hayatı da ihzar eden yine O’dur. |
| And the exalted aims of life pertain to Him | Ve hayatın âlî gayeleri O’na aittir |
| and its important results look to Him | ve mühim neticeleri O’na bakar, |
| and ninety-nine out of a hundred of its fruits are His. | yüzde doksandokuz meyvesi O’nundur. |
| Thus, this phrase calls out to ephemeral and impotent man in this way, it makes this joyful announcement: | İşte şu kelime; şöyle fâni ve âciz beşere nida eder, müjde verir ve der: |
| “O man! Do not trouble yourself by taking the heavy responsibilities of life onto your own shoulders. | “Ey insan! Hayatın ağır tekâlifini omuzuna alıp zahmet çekme. |
| Do not think of the transience of life and start grieving. | Hayatın fenasını düşünüp, hüzne düşme. |
| Do not see only its worldly and unimportant fruits and regret that you came to this world. | Yalnız dünyevî ehemmiyetsiz meyvelerini görüp dünyaya gelişinden pişmanlık gösterme. |
| Rather, the life-machine in the ship of your being belongs to the Ever-Living and Self-Subsistent One, and it is He Who provides for all its expenses and requirements. | Belki o sefine-i vücudundaki hayat makinesi, Hayy-u Kayyum‘a aittir. Masarıf ve levazımatını, O tedarik eder. |
| Also, your life has a great many aims and results and they pertain to Him, too. | Ve o hayatın pek kesretli gayeleri ve neticeleri var ve O’na aittir. |
| As for you, you are just a helmsman on the ship, so do your duty well and take the wage and pleasure that come with it. | Sen, o gemide bir dümenci neferisin. Vazifeni güzel gör, ücretini al, keyfine bak. |
| Think just how precious is the life-ship and how valuable its benefits; then think just how Generous and Merciful is the Owner of the ship. So, rejoice and give thanks | O hayat sefinesi, ne kadar kıymetdar olduğunu ve ne kadar güzel faideler verdiğini ve o sefine sahibi zâtın, ne kadar Kerim ve Rahîm olduğunu düşün, mesrur ol ve şükret |
| and know that when you perform your duty with integrity, all the results the ship produces will in one respect be transferred to the register of your actions, that they will secure an immortal life for you, will endow you with eternal life.” | ve anla ki: Vazifeni istikametle yaptığın vakit, o sefinenin verdiği bütün netaic; bir cihetle senin defter-i a’maline geçer, sana bir hayat-ı bâkiyeyi temin eder, seni ebedî ihya eder.” |
| The Seventh Phrase | Yedinci Kelime |
| ‘And deals death.’ That is, the one who causes death is He. | وَ يُمِيتُ Yani mevti veren O’dur. |
| He discharges you from the duty of life, changes your abode from this transitory world, and releases you from the labour of service. | Yani hayat vazifesinden terhis eder, fâni dünyadan yerini tebdil eder, külfet-i hizmetten âzad eder. |
| That is, He takes you from a transient life to an immortal one. | Yani hayat-ı fâniyeden, seni hayat-ı bâkiyeye alır. |
| This phrase, then, shouts out the following to ephemeral jinn and man: | İşte şu kelime, şöylece fâni cinn ü inse bağırır, der ki: |
| “Here is good news for you! Death is not destruction, or nothingness, or annihilation; | Sizlere müjde! Mevt idam değil, hiçlik değil, fena değil, |
| it is not cessation, or extinction; | inkıraz değil, sönmek değil, |
| it is not eternal separation, or non-existence, or a chance event; | firak-ı ebedî değil, adem değil, tesadüf değil, |
| it is not authorless obliteration. | fâilsiz bir in’idam değil. |
| Rather, it is being discharged by the Author Who is All-Wise and All-Compassionate; it is a change of abode. | Belki bir Fâil-i Hakîm-i Rahîm tarafından bir terhistir, bir tebdil-i mekândır. |
| It is being despatched to eternal bliss, to your true home. | Saadet-i Ebediye tarafına, vatan-ı aslîlerine bir sevkiyattır. |
| It is the door of union to the Intermediate Realm, which is where you will meet with ninety-nine per cent of your friends.” | Yüzde doksandokuz ahbabın mecmaı olan âlem-i berzaha bir visal kapısıdır. |
| The Eighth Phrase | Sekizinci Kelime |
| ‘And He is living and dies not.’ That is to say, the Possessor of a beauty, perfection, and munificence that are infinitely superior to the beauty, perfection, and munificence to be seen in all the creatures of the universe, and that arouse love, | وَ هُوَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ Yani, bütün kâinatın mevcudatında görünen ve vesile-i muhabbet olan kemal ve hüsün ve ihsanın hadsiz bir derece fevkinde bir cemal ve kemal ve ihsanın sahibi |
| and an Eternal Object of Worship, an Everlasting Beloved, one single manifestation of Whose beauty is sufficent to replace all other beloveds, has an enduring life through pre-eternity and post-eternity | ve bütün mahbublara bedel, birtek cilve-i cemali kâfi gelen bir Mabud-u Lemyezel, bir Mahbub-u Lâyezal‘in ezelî ve ebedî bir hayat-ı daimesi var ki; |
| – a life free from any trace of cessation or ephemerality.. and exempt from any fault, defect, or imperfection. | şaibe-i zeval ü fenadan münezzeh.. ve avarız-ı naks u kusurdan müberradır. |
| Thus, this phrase proclaims to jinn and man, to all conscious beings, and the people of love and ardour: | İşte şu kelime, cinn ü inse ve bütün zîşuura ve ehl-i muhabbet ve aşka ilân eder ki: |
| “Here is good news for you! There is an Everlasting Beloved Who will cure and bind your wounds caused by countless separations from the ones you love. | “Sizlere müjde! Mahbublarınızdan nihayetsiz firakların yaralarını tedavi edip merhem süren bir Mahbub-u Bâki‘niz var. |
| Since He exists and is undying, whatever may happen do not fret over the others. | Madem O var ve Bâki’dir, başkaları ne olursa olsun merak çekmeyiniz. |
| Furthermore, the beauty and generosity, virtue and perfection in them, which are the cause of your love, are, passing through many veils, the shadows of the palest of shadows of the manifestation of the Ever-Enduring Beloved’s ever-enduring Beauty. | Belki o mahbublarda, sebeb-i muhabbetiniz olan hüsn ü ihsan, fazl u kemal, o Mahbub-u Bâki’nin cilve-i cemal-i bâkisinden çok perdelerden geçip, gayet zayıf bir gölgenin gölgesidir. |
| Do not grieve at their disappearance, for they are mirrors of a sort. | Onların zevalleri, sizleri incitmesin. Çünki onlar bir nevi âyinelerdir. |
| The changing of the mirrors renews and embellishes the manifestation of the Beauty’s radiance. | Âyinelerin değişmesi şaşaa-i cemalin cilvesini tazeleştirir, güzelleştirir. |
| Since He exists, everything exists.“ | Madem O var, her şey var.“ |
| The Ninth Phrase | Dokuzuncu Kelime |
| ‘All good is in His hand.’ Every good action you perform is transferred to His register. | بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ Yani, her hayır, O’nun elindedir. Her yaptığınız hayrat, O’nun defterine geçer. |
| Every righteous deed you do is recorded with Him. | Her işlediğiniz a’mal-i sâliha, yanında kaydedilir. |
| Thus, this phrase calls out to jinn and mankind with the following good news: | İşte şu kelime, cinn ü inse nida edip müjde veriyor. Diyor ki: |
| “O you wretched ones! When you journey to the grave do not cry out in despair, “Alas! Everything we owned is destroyed, all our efforts wasted; we have left the beautiful broad earth and entered the narrow grave,” | “Ey bîçareler! Mezaristana göçtüğünüz zaman, “Eyvah! Malımız harab olup, sa’yimiz heba oldu; şu güzel ve geniş dünyadan gidip, dar bir toprağa girdik.” demeyiniz, feryad edip me’yus olmayınız… |
| for everything of yours is preserved, all your actions written down, every service you have rendered recorded. | Çünki sizin her şeyiniz muhafaza ediliyor. Her ameliniz yazılmıştır. Her hizmetiniz kaydedilmiştir. |
| One of Glory in Whose hand is all good and Who is able to bring all good to fruition, will reward your service: drawing you to Himself, He will keep you only temporarily under the ground. | Hizmetinizin mükâfatını verecek ve her hayır elinde ve her hayrı yapabilecek bir Zât-ı Zülcelal, sizi celb edip, yer altında muvakkaten durdurur. |
| Later, He will bring you to His presence. | Sonra huzuruna aldırır. |
| What happiness for those of you who have completed their service and duty; | Ne mutlu sizlere ki; hizmetinizi ve vazifenizi bitirdiniz. |
| your labour is finished, you are going to ease and mercy! | Zahmetiniz bitti, rahata ve rahmete gidiyorsunuz. |
| Service and toil are over, you are going to receive your wage! | Hizmet, meşakkat bitti; ücret almağa gidiyorsunuz. |
| Indeed, the All-Powerful One of Glory preserves seeds and grains, which are the pages of the register of last spring’s deeds and the deposit-boxes of its services, and preserves and publishes them the following spring in glittering fashion, indeed, in a manner a hundred times more plentiful than the originals. | Evet geçen baharın defter-i a’malinin sahifeleri ve hidematının sandukçaları olan tohumları, çekirdekleri muhafaza eden.. ve ikinci baharda gayet şaşaalı, belki yüz derece aslından daha bereketli bir tarzda muhafaza eden, neşreden Kadîr-i Zülcelal; |
| He is, then, preserving the results of your life in the same way, and will reward your service in a truly abundant fashion.” | elbette sizin de netaic-i hayatınızı öyle muhafaza ediyor ve hizmetinize pek kesretli bir surette mükâfat verecektir. |
| The Tenth Phrase | Onuncu Kelime |
| ‘And He is Powerful over all things.’ That is, He is One, He is Unique, He has power over everything. | وَ هُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ Yani, O Vâhid‘dir, Ehad‘dir, her şeye kadirdir. |
| Nothing at all is difficult for Him. | Hiçbir şey O’na ağır gelmez. |
| To create the spring is as easy for Him as to create a flower, | Bir baharı halketmek bir çiçek kadar O’na kolaydır. |
| and He creates Paradise with as much ease as He creates the spring. | Cennet’i halk etmek, bir bahar kadar O’na rahattır. |
| The innumerable artefacts which He continuously creates every day, every year, every century, witness with numberless tongues to His boundless power. | Her günde, her senede, her asırda, yeniden yeniye icad ettiği hadsiz masnuatı, nihayetsiz kudretine nihayetsiz lisanlarla şehadet ederler. |
| Thus, this phrase too delivers good news: | İşte şu kelime dahi şöyle müjde eder. Der ki: |
| “O man! The service you have offered and the worship you have performed are not for nothing. | “Ey insan! Yaptığın hizmet, ettiğin ubudiyet boşuboşuna gitmez. |
| A realm of reward, an abode of bliss, has been prepared for you. | Bir dâr-ı mükâfat, bir mahall-i saadet senin için ihzar edilmiştir. |
| An unending Paradise is awaiting you in place of this fleeting world of yours. | Senin şu fâni dünyana bedel, bâki bir Cennet seni bekler. |
| Have faith and confidence in the promise of the Glorious Creator Whom you know and Whom you worship, | İbadet ettiğin ve tanıdığın Hâlık-ı Zülcelal‘in vaadine iman ve itimad et. |
| for it is impossible for Him to break His promise. | Ona vaadinde hulf etmek muhaldir. |
| In absolutely no respect is there any deficiency in His power; | Kudretinde hiçbir cihetle noksaniyet yoktur. |
| impotence cannot interfere in His works. | İşlerine, acz müdahale edemez. |
| Just as He creates your tiny garden, so too is He able to create Paradise for you, | Senin küçük bahçeni halk ettiği gibi, Cennet’i dahi senin için halk edebilir |
| and He has created it and promised it to you. | ve halk etmiş ve sana vaad etmiş. |
| And because He has promised, He shall, of course, admit you to it. | Ve vaadettiği için, elbette seni onun içine alacak. |
| Since we see through observation that every year on the face of the earth He gathers together and disperses with perfect order and balance, with perfect timing and ease, more than three hundred thousand species and groups of animals and plants, | Madem bilmüşahede görüyoruz: Her senede, yer yüzünde, hayvanat ve nebatatın üç yüz binden ziyade enva’larını ve milletlerini, kemal-i intizam ve mizan ile, kemal-i sür’at ve sühuletle haşr edip, neşreder. |
| most certainly such an All-Powerful One of Glory is capable of carrying out His promise. | Elbette böyle bir Kadîr-i Zülcelal, vaadini yerine getirmeye muktedirdir. |
| And being thus Absolutely Powerful He creates samples of the resurrection and Paradise in thousands of forms every year. | Hem madem her senede, öyle bir Kadîr-i Mutlak, haşrin ve Cennet’in nümunelerini binler tarzda icad ediyor. |
| And since, promising eternal bliss through all His revealed Books, He gives the glad tidings of Paradise; | Hem madem bütün semavî fermanları ile saadet-i ebediyeyi vaad edip, Cennet’i müjde veriyor. |
| and since all His actions and deeds are carried out with truth, veracity, and seriousness; | Hem madem bütün icraatı ve şuunatı hak ve hakikattır ve sıdk ve ciddiyetledir. |
| and since, through the testimony of all His works of art, all perfections point to and testify to His infinite perfection, | Hem madem âsârının şehadetiyle, bütün kemalât, O’nun nihayetsiz kemaline delalet ve şehadet eder. |
| there being in absolutely no respect any defect or fault in Him; | Ve hiçbir cihette naks ve kusur onda yoktur. |
| and since the breaking of a promise, lying, falsehood, and deception are the ugliest of qualities, besides being defects and faults; | Hem madem hulf-ül va’d ve hilaf ve kizb ve aldatmak, en çirkin bir haslet ve naks u kusurdur. |
| then most decidedly and most certainly will that All-Powerful One of Glory, that All-Wise One of Perfection, that All-Merciful One of Beauty, carry out His promise: | Elbette ve elbette o Kadîr-i Zülcelal, o Hakîm-i Zülkemal, o Rahîm-i Zülcemal vaadini yerine getirecek; |
| He will open the gate to eternal bliss; | saadet-i ebediye kapısını açacak, |
| He will admit you, O people of faith, to Paradise, which was the original home of your forefather Adam.“ | Âdem babanızın vatan-ı aslîsi olan Cennet’e sizleri ey ehl-i iman idhal edecektir.” |
| #268 | |
| The Eleventh Phrase | Onbirinci Kelime |
| ‘And with Him all things have their end.’ That is, human beings are sent to this world, which is the realm of trial and examination, with the important duties of trading and acting as officials. | وَ اِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ Yani, ticaret ve memuriyet için, mühim vazifelerle bu dâr-ı imtihan olan dünyaya gönderilen insanlar; |
| After they have concluded their trading, accomplished their duties, and completed their service, | ticaretlerini yapıp, vazifelerini bitirip ve hizmetlerini itmam ettikten sonra, |
| they will return and meet once more with their Generous Master and Glorious Creator Who sent them forth in the first place. | yine onları gönderen Hâlık-ı Zülcelal‘ine dönecekler ve Mevlâ-yı Kerim‘lerine kavuşacaklar. |
| Leaving this transient realm, they will be honoured and elevated to the presence of grandeur in the realm of permanence. | Yani, bu dâr-ı fâniden gidip dâr-ı bâkide huzur-u kibriyaya müşerref olacaklar. |
| That is to say, being delivered from the turbulence of causes and from the obscure veils of intermediaries, they will meet with their Merciful Sustainer without veil at the seat of His eternal majesty. | Yani, esbab dağdağasından ve vesaitin karanlık perdelerinden kurtulup, Rabb-i Rahîm‘lerine makarr-ı saltanat-ı ebedîsinde perdesiz kavuşacaklar. |
| Everyone will find his Creator, True Object of Worship, Sustainer, Lord, and Owner and will know Him directly. | Doğrudan doğruya herkes, kendi Hâlık‘ı ve Mabud‘u ve Rabb‘i ve Seyyid‘i ve Mâlik‘i kim olduğunu bilecek ve bulacaklar. |
| Thus, this phrase proclaims the following joyful news, which is greater than all the rest: | İşte şu kelime bütün müjdelerin fevkinde şöyle müjde eder. Ve der ki: |
| “O mankind! Do you know where you are going and to where you are being impelled? | “Ey insan! Bilir misin nereye gidiyorsun ve nereye sevk olunuyorsun? |
| As is stated at the end of the Thirty-Second Word, a thousand years of happy life in this world cannot be compared to one hour of life in Paradise. And a thousand years of life in Paradise cannot be compared to one hour’s vision of the sheer loveliness of the Beauteous One of Glory. You are going to the sphere of His mercy, and to His presence. | Otuzikinci Söz’ün âhirinde denildiği gibi: Dünyanın bin sene mesudane hayatı, bir saat hayatına mukabil gelmeyen Cennet hayatının ve o Cennet hayatının dahi bin senesi, bir saat rü’yet-i cemaline mukabil gelmeyen bir Cemil-i Zülcelal’in daire-i rahmetine ve mertebe-i huzuruna gidiyorsun. |
| The loveliness and beauty in all the creatures of this world and in those metaphorical beloveds by which you are so stricken and obsessed and for which you are so desirous, | Mübtela ve meftun ve müştak olduğunuz mecazî mahbublarda ve bütün mevcudat-ı dünyeviyedeki hüsün ve cemal, |
| are but a sort of shadow of the manifestation of His beauty and of the loveliness of His Names; | O’nun cilve-i cemalinin ve hüsn-ü esmasının bir nevi gölgesi |
| and all Paradise with all of its subtle wonders, a single manifestation of His mercy; | ve bütün Cennet, bütün letaifiyle bir cilve-i rahmeti |
| and all longing and love and allurement and captivation, but a flash of the love of the Eternal Worshipful One and Everlasting Beloved. And you are going to the sphere of His presence. | ve bütün iştiyaklar ve muhabbetler ve incizablar ve cazibeler, bir lem’a-i muhabbeti olan bir Mabud-u Lemyezel‘in, bir Mahbub-u Lâyezal‘in daire-i huzuruna gidiyorsunuz |
| You are being summoned to Paradise, which is an eternal feasting place. | ve ziyafetgâh-ı ebedîsi olan Cennet’e çağrılıyorsunuz. |
| Since this is so, it is not with weeping that you enter the grave, but smiling with expectation.“ | Öyle ise kabir kapısına ağlayarak değil, gülerek giriniz.“ |
| The phrase announces this good news as well: | Hem şu kelime şöyle müjde veriyor, diyor ki: |
| “O mankind! Do not be apprehensive imagining that you are going to extinction, non-existence, nothingness, darkness, oblivion, decay, and dissolution, and that you will drown in multiplicity. | “Ey insan! Fenaya, ademe, hiçliğe, zulümata, nisyana, çürümeye, dağılmaya ve kesrette boğulmaya gittiğinizi tevehhüm edip düşünmeyiniz! |
| You are going not to extinction, but to permanence. | Siz fenaya değil, bekaya gidiyorsunuz. |
| You are being impelled not to non-existence, but to perpetual existence. | Ademe değil, vücud-u daimîye sevk olunuyorsunuz. |
| You are going to enter not darkness, but the world of light. | Zulümata değil, âlem-i nura giriyorsunuz. |
| And you are returning to your true owner, to the seat of the Pre-Eternal Monarch. | Sahib ve Mâlik-i Hakikî’nin tarafına gidiyorsunuz ve Sultan-ı Ezelî’nin payitahtına dönüyorsunuz. |
| You will not drown in multiplicity, you will take your rest in the sphere of Unity. | Kesrette boğulmaya değil, vahdet dairesinde teneffüs edeceksiniz. |
| You are bound not for separation, but for union.” | Firaka değil, visale müteveccihsiniz.” |
| #269 | |
| Second Station | İkinci Makam |
| [The Second Station proves divine unity at the level of the Greatest Name, briefly and in summary form.] | [İsm-i A’zam noktasında, tevhidin isbatına muhtasar bir işarettir] |
| The First Phrase | Birinci Kelime |
| “There is no god but God” In this phrase is an affirmation of the unity of the Godhead and of the True Object of Worship. | لاَ اِلَهَ اِلاَّ اللَّهُ da, bir tevhid-i uluhiyet ve mabudiyet vardır. |
| An extremely powerful proof of this degree is as follows: | Şu mertebenin gayet kuvvetli bir bürhanına şöyle işaret ederiz ki: |
| A most orderly activity is apparent on the face of the universe, especially on the page of the earth. | Şu kâinat yüzünde, hususan zeminin sahifesinde, gayet muntazam bir faaliyet görünüyor. |
| And we observe there a most wise creativity. | Ve gayet hikmetli bir hallakıyet müşahede ediyoruz. |
| And we clearly see a systematic unfolding; that is, everything being expanded and revealed and given an appropriate shape and form. | Ve gayet intizamlı bir fettahiyet, yani her şeye lâyık bir şekil açmak ve suret vermek aynelyakîn görüyoruz. |
| Furthermore, we see a most compassionate, generous, and merciful munificence and bountifulness. | Hem gayet şefkatli, keremli, rahmetli bir vehhabiyet ve ihsanat görüyoruz. |
| Since this is so, it of necessity proves, indeed provokes awareness of, the necessary existence and unity of an Active, Creative, Opening, and Munificent Possessor of Glory. | Öyle ise, bizzarure şu hâl ve şu keyfiyet; Faal, Hallak, Fettah, Vehhab bir Zât-ı Zülcelal’in vücub-u vücudunu ve vahdetini isbat eder, belki ihsas eder. |
| Indeed, the constant evanescence and renewal of beings demonstrate that those beings are the manifestations of the sacred names of an All-Powerful Maker, | Evet mevcudatın mütemadiyen zevalleri, tazelenmeleri gösteriyor ki, o mevcudat; bir Sani’-i Kadîr’in kudsî esmasının cilveleri |
| and are shadows of the lights of His names; | ve envâr-ı esmaiyesinin gölgeleri |
| that they are works of art produced by His actions, | ve ef’alinin eserleri |
| and impressions and pages inscribed by the pen of divine determining and power; | ve kalem-i kader ve kudretin nakışları ve sahifeleri |
| that they are mirrors reflecting the beauty of His perfection. | ve cemal-i kemalinin âyineleridir. |
| Just as the Owner of the universe proves this mighty truth and exalted degree of the affirmation of His unity with all the scriptures and sacred books that He has revealed, | Şu hakikat-ı uzmaya ve şu tevhidin mertebe-i ulyasına, şu kâinatın sahibi, bütün gönderdiği mukaddes kitablar ve suhuflarıyla o tevhidi gösterdiği gibi; |
| so have the people of truth and the perfected members of the human race proved it through their investigations and discoveries. | bütün ehl-i hakikat ve kâmilîn-i nev’-i beşer tahkikatlarıyla ve keşfiyatlarıyla, aynı mertebe-i tevhidi gösteriyorlar. |
| The universe too points to this degree through the unceasing testimonies of the miracles of art, wonders of power, and treasuries of wealth that it displays, despite its impotence and poverty. | Ve kâinat dahi, acz ve fakrıyla beraber, mazhar olduğu daimî mu’cizat-ı san’atın ve havarik-ı iktidar, hazain-i servetin şehadetiyle, aynı mertebe-i tevhide işaret eder. |
| That is to say, the scriptures and books of the Pre-Eternal Witness, and the investigations and unveilings of the people of witnessing, and the orderly states and wise and purposeful functions of the Manifest World are united in their agreement on this degree of the affirmation of divine unity. | Demek Şahid-i Ezelî bütün kütüb ve suhufuyla ve ehl-i şuhud bütün tahkikat ve küşûfuyla ve âlem-i şehadet bütün muntazam ahval ve hakîmane şuunatıyla o mertebe-i tevhidde bil’icma’ ittifak ediyorlar. |
| Those who do not accept the Single One of Unity (Vahid-i Ehad), therefore, must either accept innumerable gods, or else like the foolish Sophists, deny both their own existence and that of the universe. | İşte o Vâhid-i Ehad’i kabul etmeyen, ya nihayetsiz ilahları kabul edecek veyahut ahmak Sofestaî gibi hem kendini, hem kâinatın vücudunu inkâr edecek. |
| #270 | |
| The Second Phrase | İkinci Kelime |
| “He is One” This phrase demonstrates an explicit degree of the affirmation of divine unity. | وَحْدَهُ İşte şu kelime sarih bir mertebe-i tevhidi gösterir. |
| A convincing and comprehensive argument proving it is as follows: | Şu mertebeyi dahi, a’zamî bir surette isbat eden gayet kuvvetli bir bürhanına şöyle işaret ederiz ki: |
| When we open our eyes, when the universe fastens our gaze on its face, the first thing to attract our attention is a universal and perfect order; we see that there is a comprehensive, sensitive equilibrium; | Biz gözümüzü açtıkça, kâinat yüzüne nazarımızı saldırdıkça, en evvel gözümüze ilişen, âmm ve mükemmel bir nizamdır ve şamil, hassas bir mizandır görüyoruz. |
| everything exists within a precise order and delicate balance and measure. | Her şey dakik bir nizam ile, hassas bir mizan ve ölçü içindedir. |
| When we look a little more carefully, a continual ordering and balancing strike our eye. | Daha bir parça dikkat-i nazar ettikçe, yeniden yeniye bir tanzim ve tevziniyet gözümüze çarpıyor. |
| That is to say, someone is changing the order with regularity and renewing the balance with measuredness. | Yani: Birisi, intizam ile o nizamı değiştiriyor ve tartı ile o mizanı tazelendiriyor. |
| Everything is a model and is clothed in a great many orderly balanced forms. | Her şey bir model olup, pek kesretli muntazam ve mevzun suretler giydiriliyor. |
| When we study it even more closely, a wisdom and justice appear behind the ordering and balancing. | Daha ziyade dikkat ettikçe, o tanzim ve tevzin altında bir hikmet ve adalet görünüyor. |
| A purpose and benefit are considered, a truth, a usefulness are followed in the motion of everything, even the minutest particles. | Her harekette bir hikmet ve maslahat gözetiliyor, bir hak, bir faide takib ediliyor. |
| When we study it with even greater attention, what strikes our conscious gaze is the demonstration of a power within an extremely wise activity, and the manifestation of a comprehensive knowledge that encompasses all things together with all their attributes. | Daha ziyade dikkat ettikçe, gayet hakîmane bir faaliyet içinde bir kudretin tezahüratı ve her şeyin her şe’nini ihata eden gayet muhit bir ilmin cilveleri nazar-ı şuurumuza çarpıyor. |
| That is to say, the order and balance in all beings show us plainly a universal ordering and balancing; and the ordering and balancing show us a universal wisdom and justice; and the wisdom and justice in turn show us a power and knowledge. | Demek bütün mevcudattaki şu nizam ve mizan, umuma âmm bir tanzim ve tevzini ve o tanzim ve tevzin, âmm bir hikmet ve adaleti ve o hikmet ve adalet, bir kudret ve ilmi gözümüze gösteriyor. |
| That is, it is apparent that behind these veils is One Powerful over all things who has Knowledge of all things. | Demek bir Kadîr-i Külli Şey ve bir Alîm-i Külli Şey, şu perdeler arkasında akla görünüyor. |
| Furthermore, we look to the beginning and end of everything, and we see, particularly in animate creatures, that their beginnings, origins, and roots are such that it is as if their seeds contain all the systems and members of those creatures, each in the form of an instruction sheet and timetable. | Hem her şeyin evveline ve âhirine bakıyoruz, hususan zîhayat nev’inde görüyoruz ki: Başlangıçları, asılları, kökleri, hem meyveleri ve neticeleri öyle bir tarzdadır ki; güya tohumları, asılları; birer tarife, birer proğram şeklinde bütün o mevcudun cihazatını tazammun ediyor. |
| Then their fruits and results are such that the meanings of those animate creatures are filtered and concentrated in them; they bequeath their life histories to them. | Ve neticesinde ve meyvesinde; yine bütün o zîhayatın manası süzülüp onda tecemmu’ eder, tarihçe-i hayatını ona bırakır. |
| It is as if their seeds are collections of the principles according to which they were given existence, | Güya onun aslı olan çekirdeği, desatir-i icadiyesinin bir mecmuasıdır. |
| and their fruits and results a sort of index of the commands that brought them into existence. | Ve meyvesi ve semeresi ise, evamir-i icadiyesinin bir fihristesi hükmünde görüyoruz. |
| Then we look to the outer and inner faces of those animate creatures: the free disposal of an utterly wise power and the fashioning and ordering of an utterly effective will are apparent. | Sonra o zîhayatın zahirine ve bâtınına bakıyoruz. Gayet derecede hikmetli bir kudretin tasarrufatı ve nafiz bir iradenin tasviratı ve tanzimatı görünüyor. |
| That is, a strength and power create; a command and will clothe with form. | Yani, bir kuvvet ve kudret icad eder; bir emir ve irade suret giydirir. |
| Thus, when we study beings attentively, we observe that their beginnings are instruction sheets prepared by One Possessing Knowledge, | İşte bütün mevcudat, böyle evveline dikkat ettikçe bir ilmin tarifenamesi |