The Twenty-third Letter
| The Twenty-third Letter | Yirmiüçüncü Mektub |
| In His Name, be He glorified! And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise.(17:44) | بِاسْمِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَاِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ اِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ |
| Peace be upon you, and God’s blessings and mercy for ever, to the number of the seconds of the minutes of your life and the particles of your body! | اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ اَبَدًا بِعَدَدِ عَاشِرَاتِ دَقَا ئِقِ عُمْرِكَ وَذَرَّاتِ وُجُودِكَ |
| My Dear, Enterprising, Serious, True, Sincere, and Sagacious Brother! | Aziz, gayretli, ciddî, hakikatlı, hâlis, dirayetli kardeşim! |
| For brothers of the hereafter and the truth like us, differences of time and place are no obstacle to their conversing and intimacy. | Bizim gibi hakikat ve âhiret kardeşlerin, ihtilaf-ı zaman ve mekân sohbetlerine ve ünsiyetlerine bir mani’ teşkil etmez. |
| Even if one is in the east, one in the west, one in the past, one in the future, one in this world, and one in the next, they still may be thought of as being together and may converse. | Biri şarkta, biri garbda, biri mazide, biri müstakbelde, biri dünyada, biri âhirette olsa da beraber sayılabilirler ve sohbet edebilirler. |
| Especially those who have undertaken the same duty to achieve the same goal; they are as though united. | Hususan birtek maksad için bir tek vazifede bulunanlar, birbirinin aynı hükmündedirler. |
| Every morning I imagine that you are here with me, and I make over a part, a third, of my spiritual gains to you. May God find them acceptable! | Sizi her sabah yanımda tasavvur edip, kazancımın bir kısmını, bir sülüsünü (Allah kabul etsin) size veriyorum. |
| In my prayers you are together with Abdülmecid and Abdurrahman. God willing, you always receive your share. | Duada, Abdülmecid ve Abdurrahman ile berabersiniz. İnşâallah her vakit hissenizi alırsınız. |
| Your suffering difficulties in respect of worldly life saddened me a little, for your sake. | Sizin dünyaca bazı müşkilâtınız, senin hesabına beni bir parça müteessir etti. |
| But since this world is not eternal and good may come of disasters, it occurred to me to say on your behalf: “This too will pass.” | Fakat madem dünya bâki değil ve musibetlerinde bir nevi hayır vardır; senin bedeline “Yahu bu da geçer” kalbime geldi. |
| I thought of the Hadith: “True life is the life of the hereafter.” (*) I recited the verse: “God is with those who patiently persevere.” (2:253) I said: “To God do we belong, and to Him is our return.”(2:156) And I found consolation in place of you. | لاَ عَيْشَ اِلاَّ عَيْشُ اْلاۤخِرَةِ düşündüm, اِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ okudum, اِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَاِنَّا اِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ dedim. Senin yerine teselli buldum. |
| *{Bukhari, Riqaq, 1; Jihad, 33, 110; Manaqib al-Athar, 9; Maghazi, 29; Muslim, Jihad, 126, 129; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 55; Ibn Maja, Masajid, 3; Musnad, ii, 381; iii, 172, 180, 216, 276; v, 332.} | |
| If Almighty God loves one of His servants, He makes him feel disgust at the world and shows it to be ugly.(*) God willing, you belong to that class of His loved ones. | Cenab-ı Hak bir abdini severse, dünyayı ona küstürür, çirkin gösterir. İnşâallah sen de o sevgililerin sınıfındansın. |
| *{Tirmidhi, Tibb, 1; Musnad, v, 427; al-Hakim, al -Mustadrak, iv, 207; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, x, 285; al-Suyuti, Kanz al-‘Ummal, iii, 204} | |
| Do not let the increased difficulties preventing the spreading of the Words upset you. | “Sözler”in neşrine manilerin çoğalması sizi müteessir etmesin. |
| God willing, when the amount you have distributed comes to manifest divine mercy, those light-filled seeds will open a profusion of flowers. | İnşâallah neşrettiğin miktar bir rahmete mazhar olduğu zaman, pek bereketli bir surette o nurlu çekirdekler, kesretli çiçekler açacaklar. |
| You asked a number of questions. My dear brother! The majority of the Words and Letters that have been written occurred to my heart instantaneously without the exercise of will; and they turned out very well. | Bazı sualler soruyorsunuz. Aziz kardeşim, yazılan galib Sözler ve Mektublar; ihtiyarsız, def’î ve ânî bir surette kalbe geliyordu, güzel oluyordu. |
| If I reply to you relying on my will and strength of knowledge and thought like the Old Said, the answers will turn out dull and deficient. | Eğer ihtiyar ile Eski Said gibi kuvve-i ilmiye ile düşünüp cevab versem; sönük düşer, noksan olur. |
| For some time now my heart has received no inspirations and the whip of my memory been broken; so I shall reply extremely briefly to each of them, so as not to leave you without an answer. | Bir miktardır ki; tulûat-ı kalbiye tevakkuf etmiş, hâfıza kamçısı kırılmış, fakat cevabsız kalmamak için gayet muhtasar birer cevab yazacağız: |
| Your First Question | Birinci Sualiniz |
| What is the best way believers can pray for one another? | Mü’minin mü’mine en iyi duası nasıl olmalıdır? |
| The Answer: Their prayer has to be within the bounds of what is acceptable, for supplications become acceptable under certain conditions; their acceptability increases as these conditions are fulfilled. | Elcevab: Esbab-ı kabul dairesinde olmalı. Çünki bazı şerait dâhilinde dua makbul olur. Şerait-i kabulün içtimaı nisbetinde makbuliyeti ziyadeleşir. |
| For instance, when a person wants to offer supplications, he should be purified spiritually by seeking forgiveness; then he should recite benedictions (salawat) for the Prophet (UWBP), an acceptable prayer, for intercession; | Ezcümle: Dua edileceği vakit, istiğfar ile manevî temizlenmeli, sonra makbul bir dua olan salavat-ı şerifeyi şefaatçı gibi zikretmeli |
| and following his supplication he should again recite the salawat. For a prayer offered between two such acceptable prayers itself becomes acceptable; | ve âhirde yine salavat getirmeli. Çünki iki makbul duanın ortasında bir dua makbul olur. |
| as is praying for another without their knowledge*; and are the traditional supplications and prayers in the Qur’an and Hadiths. For example: | Hem بِظَهْرِ الْغَيْبِ yani “gıyaben ona dua etmek”; hem hadîste ve Kur’anda gelen me’sur dualarla dua etmek. Meselâ: |
| *{Muslim, Dhikr, 86-8; Tirmidhi, Birr, 50; Abu Da’ud, Witr, 29; Ibn Maja, Manasik, 5} | |
| O God! I beseech You to bestow forgiveness and well-being on me and on so-and-so in religion, this world, and the hereafter*. O our Sustainer! Give us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire.( 2:201) | اَللَّهُمَّ اِنِّى اَسْئَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَ الْعَافِيَةَ لِى وَ لَهُ فِى الدِّينِ وَ الدُّنْيَا وَ اْلاۤخِرَةِ رَبَّنَا اۤتِنَا فِى الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى اْلاۤخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَ قِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ |
| *{al-Nawawi, al -Adhkar, 74; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, i, 517} | |
| General supplications like these when offered sincerely and with humility and tranquility of heart; | gibi câmi’ dualarla dua etmek; hem hulûs ve huşu’ ve huzur-u kalb ile dua etmek; |
| and following the five daily prayers, and the morning prayer in particular; | hem namazın sonunda, bilhassa sabah namazından sonra; |
| and in holy places, and mosques in particular; | hem mevâki’-i mübarekede, hususan mescidlerde; |
| and on Fridays, and particularly during “the hour when prayers are answered;” | hem Cum’ada, hususan saat-ı icabede; hem şuhur-u selâsede, |
| and during the three months of Rajab, Sha’ban, and Ramadan, and on the well known holy nights, such as the Prophet’s (UWBP) birthday and Ragha’ib, and on the Night of Power in particular | hususan leyali-i meşhurede; hem ramazanda, hususan leyle-i kadirde dua etmek |
| – it is to be strongly hoped from divine mercy that such supplications will be accepted*. | kabule karin olması rahmet-i İlahiyeden kaviyyen me’muldür. |
| *{Ghazali, Ihya’‘Ulum al-Din, i, 457-66; al-Nawawi, al -Adhkar, 420-6} | |
| The results of such acceptable prayers are either seen in this world exactly as requested, or they are accepted in respect of the eternal life in the hereafter of the one who offered them. | O makbul duanın ya aynen dünyada eseri görünür veyahut dua olunanın âhiretine ve hayat-ı ebediyesi cihetinde makbul olur. |
| That is to say, if what was sought does not occur exactly as wished, it should not be said that the prayer was not accepted*, but that it was accepted in a better form. | Demek aynı maksad yerine gelmezse, dua kabul olmadı denilmez; belki daha iyi bir surette kabul edilmiş denilir. |
| *{Bukhari, Da’wat, 22; Muslim, Dhikr, 90-1} | |
| Your Second Question | İkinci Sualiniz |
| Since the phrase, “May God be pleased with him” is used for the Companions of the Prophet (UWBP), is it appropriate to use it in the same way for others? | Sahabe-i Kiram Hazeratına Radıyallahü Anh denildiğine binaen, başkalara da bu manada söylemek muvafık mıdır? |
| The Answer: Yes, it may be used, because unlike “Upon whom be blessings and peace,” which is a mark of God’s Messenger (UWBP), the epithet, “May God be pleased with him” is not particular to the Companions, | Elcevab: Evet denilir. Çünki Resul-i Ekrem’in bir şiarı olan Aleyhissalâtü Vesselâm kelâmı gibi Radıyallahü Anh terkibi, Sahabeye mahsus bir şiar değil, |
| but should be used for persons who, like the Companions, attained to the “greater sainthood” known as “the legacy of prophethood,” rising to the station of God’s pleasure. | belki Sahabe gibi veraset-i nübüvvet denilen velayet-i kübrada bulunan ve makam-ı rızaya yetişen Eimme-i Erbaa, Şah-ı Geylanî, İmam-ı Rabbanî, İmam-ı Gazalî gibi zâtlara denilmeli. |
| Examples are the four Imams, and Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir Gilani, Imam-i Rabbani (Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi), and Imam Ghazali. But the general practice among religious scholars has been to use “May God be pleased with him” for the Companions; “May God have mercy on him” for the two generations succeeding them; “May God forgive him” for subsequent generations; and “May his mystery be sanctified” for the great saints. | Fakat örf-ü ülemada Sahabeye, Radıyallahü Anh; Tâbiîn ve Tebe-i Tâbiîne, Rahimehullah; onlardan sonrakilere, Gaferehullah; ve Evliyaya, Kuddise Sırruhu denilir. |
| Your Third Question | Üçüncü Sualiniz |
| Which were superior, the great imams and interpreters of the Holy Law, or the shahs and spiritual poles of the true Sufi paths? | Başta müçtehidîn-i izam imamları mı efdal, yoksa hak tarîkatların şahları, aktabları mı efdaldir? |
| The Answer: Not all the interpreters of the Law were superior to the shahs and spiritual poles, only Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi’i, and Ahmad b. Hanbal. | Elcevab: Umum müçtehidîn değil; belki Ebu Hanife, Mâlik, Şafiî, Ahmed İbn-i Hanbel; şahların, aktabların fevkındedirler. |
| But in some respects, some wondrous spiritual poles like Shaikh Gilani reached more brilliant stations in particular virtues. However, general virtue was the Imams’. | Fakat hususî faziletlerde Şah-ı Geylanî gibi bazı hârika kutublar, bir cihette daha parlak makama sahibdirler. Fakat küllî fazilet imamlarındır. |
| Furthermore, some of the shahs of the Sufi paths were also interpreters of the Law; it cannot therefore be said that all interpreters of the Law were superior to the spiritual poles. | Hem tarîkat şahlarının bir kısmı, müçtehidlerdendir; onun için umum müçtehidîn, aktabdan daha efdaldir denilmez. |
| But it may be said that after the Companions and the Mahdi, the four Imams were superior. | Fakat Eimme-i Erbaa, Sahabeden ve Mehdi’den sonra en efdallerdir, denilir. |
| Your Fourth Question | Dördüncü Sualiniz |
| What is the purpose and aim of the words: “God is with those who patiently persevere?”(2:153; 8:46) | اِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ de hikmet ve gaye nedir? |
| The Answer: As required by His name of All-Wise, Almighty God placed in all things an arrangement like the steps of stairs. | Elcevab: Cenab-ı Hak, Hakîm ismi muktezası olarak, vücud-u eşyada bir merdivenin basamakları gibi bir tertib vaz’etmiş. |
| The impatient man does not act with slow deliberation, so either skips some of the steps and falls, or leaves some deficient; he cannot mount to the roof of his goal. | Sabırsız adam teenni ile hareket etmediği için, basamakları ya atlar düşer veya noksan bırakır; maksud damına çıkamaz. |
| Greed is therefore the cause of loss. Patience however is the key to all difficulties, and the saying, “The greedy are subject to disappointment and loss,” and the Hadith, “Patience is the key to happiness,”* have become proverbial. | Onun için hırs mahrumiyete sebebdir. Sabır ise müşkilâtın anahtarıdır ki, اَلْحَرِيصُ خَا ئِبٌ خَاسِرٌ * وَالصَّبْرُ مِفْتَاحُ الْفَرَجِ durub-u emsal hükmüne geçmiştir. |
| *{al -‘Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa’, ii, 21} | |
| That is to say, Almighty God’s grace and favour are with the patient. For patience is threefold: | Demek Cenab-ı Hakk’ın inayet ve tevfiki, sabırlı adamlarla beraberdir. Çünki sabır üçtür: |
| The First is to patiently persevere in refraining from sin; this patience is taqwa and manifests the meaning of the verse: God is with those who fear Him and restrain themselves.(2:194) | Biri: Masiyetten kendini çekip sabretmektir. Şu sabır takvadır, اِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ sırrına mazhar eder. |
| The Second is patience in the face of calamity; this to place one’s trust in God and to submit to Him. It is to be honoured by the manifestation of these verses: God loves the patient.(3:146) * God loves those who put their trust in Him. (3:159) | İkincisi: Musibetlere karşı sabırdır ki, tevekkül ve teslimdir. اِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ * اِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ şerefine mazhar ediyor. |
| As for impatience, it amounts to complaining about God, and to criticizing His actions, accusing His mercy, and not liking His wisdom. | Ve sabırsızlık ise Allah’tan şikayeti tazammun eder. Ve ef’alini tenkid ve rahmetini ittiham ve hikmetini beğenmemek çıkar. |
| For sure, man is weak and powerless, and weeps complainingly at the blows of misfortune, but his complaint must be to Him, not about Him. | Evet musibetin darbesine karşı şekva suretiyle elbette âciz ve zaîf insan ağlar; fakat şekva ona olmalı, ondan olmamalı. |
| It should resemble Jacob’s (Upon whom be peace) words: He said: I only complain of my distraction and anguish to God. (12:86) | Hazret-i Yakub Aleyhisselâm’ın اِنَّمَا اَشْكُوا بَثّىِ وَحُزْنِى اِلَى اللَّهِ demesi gibi olmalı. |
| That is to say, he should complain to God, not lament saying: “What have I done that this should have happened to me?” as though complaining to other human beings about God; to excite the sympathy of impotent humans is harmful and meaningless. | Yani: Musibeti Allah’a şekva etmeli, yoksa Allah’ı insanlara şekva eder gibi, “Eyvah! Of!” deyip, “Ben ne ettim ki, bu başıma geldi” diyerek, âciz insanların rikkatini tahrik etmek zarardır, manasızdır. |
| The Third Sort of Patience is patient perseverance in worship, which raises a person to the station of being beloved of God. | Üçüncü Sabır: İbadet üzerine sabırdır ki, şu sabır onu makam-ı mahbubiyete kadar çıkarıyor. |
| It urges him towards perfect worship of God and servitude of Him, which is the most elevated station. | En büyük makam olan ubudiyet-i kâmile canibine sevkediyor. |
| Your Fifth Question | Beşinci Sualiniz |
| Fifteen is accepted as the age of discretion. How did God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) worship before his prophetic mission? | Sinn-i mükellefiyet onbeş sene kabul ediliyor. Hazret-i Peygamber Aleyhissalâtü Vesselâm, nübüvvetten evvel nasıl ibadet ederdi? |
| The Answer: He used to worship in accordance with what remained of Abraham’s (Upon whom be peace) religion, which was still extant in Arabia though in very obscure form. | Elcevab: Hazret-i İbrahim Aleyhisselâm’ın, Arabistanda çok perdeler altında cereyan eden bâkiye-i dini ile; |
| But this was his own choice, to perform a good act, not because he was obliged or compelled in any way. This truth is lengthy, so let it remain at that for now. | fakat farziyet ve mecburiyet suretiyle değil, belki ihtiyarıyla ve mendubiyet suretiyle ibadet ederdi. Şu hakikat uzundur, şimdilik kısa kalsın. |
| Your Sixth Question | Altıncı Sualiniz |
| What was the wisdom in his prophethood commencing when he was forty years of age, which is reckoned to be the age of perfect maturity, and his blessed life continuing for sixty-three years? | Sinn-i kemal itibar olunan kırk yaşında nübüvvetin gelmesi ve ömr-ü saadetlerinin altmışüç olmasındaki hikmet nedir? |
| The Answer: There were numerous purposes and instances of wisdom in this. One of them is as follows: | Elcevab: Hikmetleri çoktur. Birisi şudur ki: |
| Prophethood brings with it extremely heavy responsibility. To bear it, the intellectual abilities have to mature and capacity of the heart, increase and be perfected. | Nübüvvet, gayet ağır ve büyük bir mükellefiyettir. Melekât-ı akliye ve istidadat-ı kalbiyenin inkişafı ve tekemmülü ile o ağır mükellefiyet tahammül edilir. |
| Forty is the age they are most perfectly developed. In addition, the period of youth, when the passions of the soul are enflamed, the blood is fiery and exuberant, and worldly ambitions are intense, | O tekemmülün zamanı ise kırk yaşıdır. Hem hevesat-ı nefsaniyenin heyecanlı zamanı ve hararet-i gariziyenin galeyanlı hengâmı ve ihtirasat-ı dünyeviyenin feveranlı vakti olan gençlik ve şebabiyet ise, |
| is not fitting for the duties of prophethood, which are purely divine, sacred, and pertain to the hereafter. | sırf İlahî ve uhrevî ve kudsî olan vezaif-i nübüvvete muvafık düşmüyor. |
| However serious and sincere a man is before the age of forty, the suspicion that he is working for worldly renown might occur to those who themselves seek fame. | Kırktan evvel ne kadar ciddî ve hâlis bir adam olsa da, şöhretperestlerin hatırlarına belki dünyanın şan ü şerefi için çalışır vehmi gelir. |
| He could not easily be exonerated in the face of their accusations. But after the age of forty, the descent to the grave begins, and the hereafter looms larger for such a man than this world. | Onların ittihamından çabuk kurtulamaz. Fakat kırktan sonra, madem kabir tarafına nüzul başlıyor ve dünyadan ziyade âhiret ona görünüyor. |
| He can be easily vindicated by his actions and works, which look to the hereafter, and he is successful. And others too are saved from thinking ill of him. | Harekât ve a’mal-i uhreviyesinde çabuk o ittihamdan kurtulur ve muvaffak olur. İnsanlar da sû’-i zandan kurtulur, halâs olur. |
| When it comes to his blessed life lasting sixty-three years, one of the instances of wisdom in it is this: | Amma ömr-ü saadetinin altmışüç olması ise, çok hikmetlerinden birisi şudur ki: |
| The believers are charged by the Shari’a to love and respect God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) to the utmost degree, to feel repelled at nothing about him at all, and to look on everything about him as good. | Şer’an ehl-i iman, Resul-i Ekrem Aleyhissalâtü Vesselâm’ı gayet derecede sevmek ve hürmet etmek ve hiç bir şey’inden nefret etmemek ve her halini güzel görmekle mükellef olduğundan; |
| Almighty God, therefore, did not leave His Noble Beloved (UWBP) to live the difficult, troublesome years of old age after sixty-three; | altmıştan sonraki meşakkatli ve musibetli olan ihtiyarlık zamanında, Habib-i Ekremini bırakmıyor; |
| He rather sent him to the Sublime Court at that age, which was the average life expectancy of the community of which he was the leader. He took him to Himself, showing that he was the leader in every respect. | belki imam olduğu ümmetin ömr-ü galibi olan altmışüçte mele-i a’lâya gönderiyor, yanına alıyor; her cihette imam olduğunu gösteriyor. |
| Your Seventh Question | Yedinci Sualiniz |
| Is the following a Hadith, and what does it mean? “The best of youths are those who resemble men of mature age, while the worst men of middle age are those who resemble youths.”* | خَيْرُ شَبَابِكُمْ مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِكُهُولِكُمْ وَشَرُّ كُهُولِكُمْ مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِشَبَابِكُمْ hadîs midir; bundan murad nedir? |
| *{‘Ali Mawardi, Adab al-Dunya wa’l-Din, 27; Ghazali, Ihya’‘Ulum al-Din, i, 142; al-Manawi, al -Faydal -Qadir, iii, 487} | |
| The Answer: I have heard that it is a Hadith. Its meaning is this: | Elcevab: Hadîs olarak işitmişim. Murad da şudur ki: |
| “The best youth is the one who thinks about death like an elderly person, and working for the hereafter, avoids joining those who become captive to the passions of youth and drown in heedlessness. | “En hayırlı genç odur ki; ihtiyar gibi ölümü düşünüp âhiretine çalışarak, gençlik hevesatına esir olmayıp gaflette boğulmayandır. |
| And the worst of your elderly people is the one who tries to resemble the young in heedlessness and passion, and follows the lusts of the soul like a child.” | Ve ihtiyarlarınızın en kötüsü odur ki; gaflette ve hevesatta gençlere benzemek ister; çocukçasına hevesat-ı nefsaniyeye tâbi olur.” |
| The correct form of the second part you saw in the piece is as follows. I have hung it above my head for the wisdom it teaches. I look it at it every morning and evening and receive instruction: | Senin levhanda gördüğün ikinci parçanın sahih sureti şudur ki; ben başımın üstünde onu bir levha-i hikmet olarak ta’lik etmişim. Her sabah ve akşam ona bakarım, dersimi alırım: |
| If you want a friend, God is sufficient. Yes, if He is your friend, everything is friendly. | Dost istersen Allah yeter. Evet o dost ise, herşey dosttur. |
| If you want companions, the Qur’an is sufficient. For in the imagination one meets with the prophets and angels in it, observes the events in which they were involved, and becomes familiar with them. | Yârân istersen Kur’an yeter. Evet ondaki enbiya ve melaike ile hayalen görüşür ve vukuatlarını seyredip ünsiyet eder. |
| If you want possessions, contentment is sufficient. Yes, the person who is content is frugal; and the frugal person receives the blessing of plenty. | Mal istersen kanaat yeter. Evet kanaat eden, iktisad eder; iktisad eden, bereket bulur. |
| If you want an enemy, the soul is sufficient. Yes, the person who fancies himself is visited with calamities and meets with difficulties, whereas the one who is not fond of himself, finds happiness, and receives mercy. | Düşman istersen nefis yeter. Evet kendini beğenen, belayı bulur zahmete düşer; kendini beğenmeyen, safayı bulur, rahmete gider. |
| If you want advice, death is sufficient. Yes, the person who thinks of death is saved from love of this world, and works in earnest for the hereafter. | Nasihat istersen ölüm yeter. Evet ölümü düşünen, hubb-u dünyadan kurtulur ve âhiretine ciddî çalışır. |
| I am adding an eighth to your seven matters. It is like this: | Yedinci mes’elenize bir sekizinciyi ben ilâve ediyorum. Şöyle ki: |
| A couple of days ago, a Qur’an reciter read part of Sura Yusuf as far as, Take my soul [at death] as one submitting to Your will [as a Muslim], and unite me with the righteous.(12:101) This point occurred to me in a flash: | Bir iki gün evvel bir hâfız, Sure-i Yusuf’tan bir aşr, tâ تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًا وَاَلْحِقْنِى بِالصَّالِحِينَ e kadar okudu. Birden ânî bir surette bir nükte kalbe geldi: |
| Everything concerning the Qur’an and belief is valuable; however insignificant a point appears to be, it has great value. | Kur’ana ve imana ait her şey kıymetlidir, zahiren ne kadar küçük olursa olsun kıymetçe büyüktür. |
| Nothing that helps to win eternal happiness is insignificant. In which case, it may not be said that this is only a small point and not worth explaining or being given importance. | Evet saadet-i ebediyeye yardım eden küçük değildir. Öyle ise, “şu küçük bir nüktedir, şu izaha ve ehemmiyete değmez” denilmez. |
| And certainly, the first student and person addressed in matters of this kind, who appreciates the fine points of the Qur’an, İbrahim Hulusi, wants to hear this point! In which case, listen to it: | Elbette şu çeşit mesailde en birinci talebe ve muhatab olan ve nüket-i Kur’aniyeyi takdir eden İbrahim Hulusi, o nükteyi işitmek ister. Öyle ise dinle: |
| It is a fine point about the finest of stories. An elevated, subtle, happy, and miraculous point of the verse, Take my soul [at death] as one submitting to Your will [as a Muslim], and unite me with the righteous ,(12:101) which announces that the story of Joseph (Upon whom be peace), the best of stories, has reached its conclusion. It is this: | En güzel bir kıssanın güzel bir nüktesidir. Ahsen-ül kasas olan Kıssa-i Yusuf Aleyhisselâm hâtimesini haber veren تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًا وَاَلْحِقْنِى بِالصَّالِحِينَ âyetinin, ulvî ve latif ve müjdeli ve i’cazkârane bir nüktesi şudur ki: |
| The sorrows of death and separation at the end of other happy stories sour the pleasure the listener has received from the story in his imagination, and dispel it. | Sair ferahlı ve saadetli kıssaların âhirindeki zeval ve firak haberlerinin acıları ve elemi, kıssadan alınan hayalî lezzeti acılaştırıyor, kırıyor. |
| Especially if they describe death and separation just when recounting the moment of perfect joy and happiness; this is even more painful and causes those listening to cry out in sorrow. | Bahusus kemal-i ferah ve saadet içinde bulunduğunu ihbar ettiği hengâmda, mevtini ve firakını haber vermek daha elîmdir; dinleyenlere “Eyvah!” dedirtir. |
| However, although this verse mentions Joseph’s death just at the most brilliant part of his story, when he is Ruler of Egypt, united with his mother and father, fondly meeting with his brothers, and is experiencing the greatest worldly happiness and joy, it does so in such a way as to say: | Halbuki şu âyet, Kıssa-i Yusuf’un (A.S.) en parlak kısmı ki; Aziz-i Mısır olması, peder ve vâlidesiyle görüşmesi, kardeşleriyle sevişip tanışması olan, dünyada en büyük saadetli ve ferahlı bir hengâmda, Hazret-i Yusuf’un mevtini şöyle bir surette haber veriyor ve diyor ki: |
| Joseph himself asked Almighty God for his death in order to experience greater happiness and a more brilliant situation; and he did die and did receive that happiness. | Şu ferahlı ve saadetli vaziyetten daha saadetli, daha parlak bir vaziyete mazhar olmak için, Hazret-i Yusuf kendisi Cenab-ı Hak’tan vefatını istedi ve vefat etti; o saadete mazhar oldu. |
| That is to say, there is beyond the grave a happiness and joy greater than the pleasurable happiness of this world, | Demek o dünyevî lezzetli saadetten daha cazibedar bir saadet ve ferahlı bir vaziyet kabrin arkasında vardır ki; |
| so that while in that most joyful worldly situation, a truth-seeing person like Joseph (Upon whom be peace) wished for bitter death, so as to receive that other happiness. | Hazret-i Yusuf Aleyhisselâm gibi hakikat-bîn bir zât, o gayet lezzetli dünyevî vaziyet içinde gayet acı olan mevti istedi, tâ öteki saadete mazhar olsun. |
| So note this eloquence of the All-Wise Qur’an, and the way it announces the end of the story of Joseph. It causes not sorrow and regret to those listening to it, but gives good tidings and adds further joy. It also gives guidance, saying: | İşte Kur’an-ı Hakîm’in şu belâgatına bak ki, Kıssa-i Yusuf’un hâtimesini ne suretle haber verdi. O haberde dinleyenlere elem ve teessüf değil, belki bir müjde ve bir sürur ilâve ediyor. Hem irşad ediyor ki: |
| Work for beyond the grave, for it is there that true happiness and pleasure will be found! | Kabrin arkası için çalışınız, hakikî saadet ve lezzet ondadır. |
| It also points out Joseph’s exalted veraciousness, saying: Even the most brilliant and joyful situation of this world did not cause him to become heedless; it did not captivate him; he still wanted the hereafter. | Hem Hazret-i Yusuf’un âlî sıddıkıyetini gösteriyor ve diyor: Dünyanın en parlak ve en sürurlu haleti dahi ona gaflet vermiyor, onu meftun etmiyor, yine âhireti istiyor. |
| The Eternal One, He is the Eternal One! Said Nursi | اَلْبَاقِى هُوَ الْبَاقِى Said Nursî |