Ömer Tuğrul İnançer’s speech from the Sheb-i Arus on the 733rd anniversary of Hazreti Mevlana Celâleddin-i Rumi’s (May Allah sanctify his spiritual secret), passing from this world into the realms beyond.

Mathnawi Sohbat - 2

Loyalty or faithfulness to a promise [wafâ, Turkish: vefa] is the most important indicator of faith [îmân], mystic knowledge [‘irfân], and ethics [ahlâq]…Allah (SWT) described the believers [mû’min] in the Qur’ân as “Those who are true [yûfûn] to the pact [‘ahd] of Allah and do not break the covenant [mîthâq]” (13:20). Our Prophet Muhammad (salla ‘llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) declared that breaking one‘s promise or breaking a covenant is the sign of a hypocrite [‘alâmatu ‘l-munâfiq].

Hz. Mevlâna also placed great importance on vefa, and in several places in his works he introduces the notion of [vefa] making a commitment to faithfulness.  By repeatedly mentioning this notion of a promise to be faithful he endeavors to teach us that vefa is truly a noble virtue to which one can make a promise.  Let us show our appreciation in our sohbat and offer an example of vefa, inşaallah (Allah willing), by remembering Chelebî Husâmuddîn, who was responsible for encouraging Hz. Mevlâna to allow him to dictate the Mathnawi and thereby to pass down this unique work (the Mathnawi) from Hz. Mevlâna to us.  Though it is but a drop in the ocean, we know a little bit concerning Shams-i Tabrîzî (who helped to unveil the divine love that already existed within Hz. Mevlana), and we can say we know some things about the Mathnawi-yi Sherif, as well, but we certainly can‘t say we know nearly enough about Hazrat-i Husâmuddîn Chelebi.

As you know, The Mathnawí is also known by the name, “Husâmî-nâme”, and this is the title that was originally given by Hz. Mevlâna himself.  In the opening verse of the sixth volume of the Mathnawi Hz. Mevlâna states:

“Through the attraction (influence) of a Sage like thee, the Book of Husám (Husâmî-nâma) has come into circulation in the world.” [Mathnawi Book 6, verse 2]

As it is known within the science of astronomy, there is both attraction and being drawn to attraction.  With the attraction of the Sun, our planet (earth) and the other planets rotate and turn around the Sun, and with the attraction and draw of the Earth, the moon rotates and turns around it.  With the attraction of the Moon, the tides occur. Through Hz. Mevlâna‘s metaphor, and with such a noble literary expression, he states that the Mathnawi came into circulation in the world (“turning” around the world) under the name “Hüsâmî-nâme” with the attraction of Chelebî Husâmuddîn.  Hz. Mevlâna speaks to Chelebî Husâmuddîn in the following verses stating:

In (composing) this Mathnawí thou, O Ziyá‘u ‘l-Haqq (Radiance of God) Husámu‘ddín, art my object.

The whole Mathnawí in its branches and roots is thine: thou hast accepted (it).  In (all) its expressions my object is (to reveal) thy mystery; in composing it my object is (to hear) thy voice.

To me thy voice is the voice of God: Heaven forfend that (I should say) the lover is separate from the Beloved.  [Mathnawi Book 4, verses 754-55, 758-59]

The reason why Hz Mevlâna says, “the whole Mathnawi…is thine” to Chelebî is that before the Mathnawi-i Sherif was written, the ones who were in Hz. Mevlâna’s circle of guidance [irshâd] in the way of sufism [tasawwuf] studied the traditional Islamic sciences, such as commentary on the Qur’ân [tafsîr], Traditions [Hadîth] of the Prophet Muhammad’s sayings and deeds, jurisprudence [fiqh], biographies of the Prophet Muhammad [siyar-i Nabî], theology [kalam], and sufism [tasawwuf--the traditional Islamic science of moral and spiritual purification and the quest for nearness to Allah].

And, especially, they studied masterpieces of sufi wisdom, such as  (those by Farîduddîn ‘Attâr): the “Book of the Divine” (Ilâhî-nâma), the “Book of Secrets” (Asrâr-nâma), and the “Language of the Birds” (Mantîqu ‘l-Tayr), as well as (those by Hakîm Sanâ’î): the “Walled Garden of Truth” (Hadîqatu ‘l-Haqîqat) and the “Journey of the Servants (of God) to the (Heavenly) Destination” (Sayru ’l-’Ibâd ilâ ‘l-Ma’âd). These works still have great importance and are considered a prerequisite to beginning the traditional way of studying the Mathnawí.  Hz. Mevlâna described ‘Attâr as “the soul” (of sufism–tasawwuf) and Hakîm Sanâ’î as the “two eyes” (of the soul).

So, Chelebî Husâmuddîn kindly requested from Hz. Mevlâna to write a work like those that had been written by the aforementioned Muslim poets, and Hz. Mevlâna said “I already knew what you were thinking.  This desire of yours was reflected from within your pure heart to me, and so I wrote (these verses)” and then he removed from the top of his blessed turban a piece of paper which contained the first eighteen verses of the Mathnawi which he [Rumi] then placed into Chelebî Husâmuddîn’s hand.  I would like to point out an important thing here that needs to be considered.  Hz. Mevlâna removed the first eighteen verses from the top of his blessed turban.  The Mathnawi should be respected.  It is not a “bed-side book” but should rather be “enthroned”.

And the Mathnawi-yi Sherif‘s first eighteen verses begin with “Be-sh’naw” (Listen!) and end with Vesselam –Wassalam (farewell).  Likewise, for those of you who understand, Basmalah starts with the letter “ba” and ends with “mîm”…

Of course this conversation has no ending, but with your permission let us enthrone our words with those of our Efendi Hz. Mevlana regarding Chelebî Husâmuddîn and thus end the speech by asking for Hz. Mevlana’s and his followers’ grace and favor [himmat]:

““I have exerted myself to give length to the Poem in Rhymed Couplets, which comprises strange tales and rare sayings and excellent discourses and precious indications, and the (religious) path of the ascetics and the (spiritual) garden of the devotees— (all this being) brief in expression but manifold in meaning— at the request of my master and stay and support, (who holds) the place of the spirit in my body, and (who is) the treasure of my to-day and my to-morrow, namely, the Shaykh, the exemplar for them that know God and the leader of them that possess right guidance and certainty, the helper of humankind, the trusted keeper of (their) hearts and consciences, the charge deposited by God amongst His creatures, and His choice amongst His creation, and (the object of) His injunctions to His Prophet and (of) His secrets (imparted) to His chosen one, the key of the treasuries of the empyrean, the trustee of the riches stored in the earth, the father of virtues, the Sword (Husám) of the Truth and Religion, Hasan son of Muhammad son of al-Hasan, generally known as Ibn Akhí Turk, the Abú Yazíd of the time, the Junayd of the age”

Translated by: www.semazen.net

It will continue next week inshaallah….

Source: http://www.semazen.net/eng/yazar_yazi.php?id=18