1. Modern Dünyanın Anlam Arayışına Tasavvufî Katkı: İbrahim Hakkı’nın İnsanın Mânâ Boyutuna Dair Düşünceleri.
- Author
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Çetin, Nuran
- Abstract
From the past to the present, human beings have been in search of making sense of life, questioning, and finding satisfactory answers in both religious and worldly matters. In fact, servitude also begins with such a search. When a person cannot find satisfying answers to the issues they feel the need to question, they may encounter some spiritual problems. Although needs, conditions, time, and place are constantly changing, the search that lies at the center of the human heart continues. In this context, understanding the intellectual foundation of the meaning of life is of great importance for the development of a healthy personality. In psychology, the concept of the ideal human being who has realized themselves, and in Sufism, the concept of the perfect human being at the highest spiritual rank, are among the fundamental topics that these two fields address with different methodologies. From a Sufi perspective, the human search for meaning is realized primarily through an individual's self-awareness, recognition of their inner world, and understanding of the functions of the heart, soul, self, and intellect within them. Due to their importance, these concepts are extensively covered both in religious texts and in Sufi terminology. Erzurumlu İbrahim Hakkı (d. 1194/1780) is one of the Sufi thinkers and scholars who extensively discusses these terms in his works, particularly in the context of Quranic verses and Hadiths. This article, which aims to understand the spiritual dimension of a human being and determine one's perspective on life and humanity through İbrahim Hakkı's interpretations of the heart, soul, self, and intellect, is composed of two sections. The first section generally addresses the topic of human's search for meaning, while the second section delves into İbrahim Hakkı's explanations regarding the heart, soul, self, and intellect in an effort to comprehend the spiritual dimension. The article aims to examine the emphasized aspects of the modern search for meaning within the framework of the terms intellect, heart, soul, and self, which are prominent in understanding reality. A general evaluation of the subject is presented at the end of the article. It is a well-known fact that individuals who develop their personalities around a certain purpose, meaning, ideal, and set of values tend to be more at peace. It is also known that those who struggle to find meaning in their mental world lack enthusiasm and may fall into anxiety, depression, or even consider suicide. The meaning of life, which requires effort, hardship, sacrifice, and sometimes involves anxiety and difficulties, has been questioned from the past to the present. When investigating why humanity, despite having access to technical means, comfort, and convenience, still cannot find happiness, we encounter an inner issue such as meaninglessness. Although the opportunities available to modern humans in the external world have significantly increased due to improvements in work and career success, this has not translated into a corresponding richness and happiness in their inner world. It has been observed that individuals who cannot reach a resolution in their search for the meaning of life experience feelings of inadequacy and deficiency. Such feelings actually stem from a lack of understanding of one's inner world. In this context, it is important to benefit from the views of Sufis who closely engage with the spiritual aspect of human beings. Ibrahim Hakkı, who lived in the 18th century, is one of the scholars and wise Sufis who dealt in detail with the spiritual aspects of a human being, such as the heart, soul, self, and intellect, in his works. As is well known, the main themes of his works consist of his views on God, the universe, and humanity. İbrahim Hakkı, who approached the reality that humanity and the universe can only be understood on the basis of the Quran and the Sunnah, and in the light of scientific data, closely engaged with various fields in his writings. This article discusses İbrahim Hakkı's explanations of the concepts of intellect, soul, self, and heart, with a focus on their foundational relevance to the search for meaning in today's world. On the other hand, Western scientists have explained the search for meaning in life by evaluating humans primarily within the framework of their internal or external needs, failing to consider the spiritual aspect of a human being from a holistic perspective. Therefore, there is a need for a better understanding of the elements that encompass the whole of a human being's spiritual dimension, such as the heart, soul, self, and intellect, in order to ground the issues discussed on a solid foundation. In the process of searching for meaning, the heart, soul, self, and intellect are extremely important as they are the qualities that make a person human and also impose responsibilities. Through these aspects, a person makes sense of themselves and the universe they inhabit, and also establishes a connection with the Being who created everything. To evaluate a person’s search for meaning, it is first necessary to understand their spiritual dimension well. As is known, the heart, soul, self, and intellect are the elements that constitute the spiritual side of a person. Therefore, understanding these concepts is important in grounding the search for meaning. From a Sufi perspective, it is observed that Sufis like İbrahim Hakkı have extensively covered these terms in their works. This article aims to benefit from İbrahim Hakkı's views, which assess the human being within the framework of the unity of heart, intellect, soul, and self, based on the reality of existence. In this context, the different approaches to the search for meaning between Sufis, particularly İbrahim Hakkı, and modern thinkers can be expressed as follows: While the foundation of Sufis’ understanding of life’s meaning is based on the Islamic cultural tradition centered on the Quran and the Sunnah, as well as on the experiential and intuitive knowledge obtained in the heart and conveyed by Sufis through written and oral transmission, modern thinkers base their understanding of life’s meaning on reason, individual freedom, and scientific data. Sufis explain the approach to attributing meaning to life within the framework of the servant’s relationship with Allah, love for Him, and submission to Him, whereas modern thinkers explain it through various factors such as individual satisfaction and social contribution. Sufis view life as an inseparable whole encompassing both this world and the hereafter and seek to attribute meaning accordingly, while modern thinkers see the meaning and value of life as confined only to this world. For Sufis, in understanding the meaning of life, the dominance of the 'we' perspective around strong social bonds such as altruism, cooperation, and solidarity is fundamental, whereas for modern thinkers, the construction of an individual’s self and core values is essential in the meaning of life. Sufis consider the meaning of life in connection with the inner peace that reflects outwardly, while modern thinkers approach it more on the basis of external happiness, such as comfort and a comfortable life, often overlooking inner peace. In short, Sufis explain the process of finding meaning in life more within the framework of metaphysical data, while modern thinkers base it on physical data. As a result, benefiting from the views of Sufis, who consider both the physical and spiritual aspects of a person in a holistic manner, would greatly contribute to efforts in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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