tugrul inancer al-jerrahi - excerpts on ramadan from a radio program
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Even the Crescent of Ramadan Feels Different
Logbook (Seyir Defteri Radio Program) | Episode 34 | August 28, 2008
We must first note that the distinction, that we see between the material and the spiritual, does
not exist in reality; we sometimes speak of the material or sometimes the spiritual aspect of
things by way of explaining them. There is no absolute distinction between the material (madd)
and the spiritual (manaw), or between the inward (btn) and the outward (zhir); they are
there to help us explain things in more comprehensible ways. That which has no matter, has no
meaning [in this realm of ours], and that which has no meaning cannot have a material body. If
we undergo certain material changes during the month of Ramadan, from the order of our meals
to that of our work, this is a clear indication that spiritual changes take place as well. Or, the
material changes occur because spiritual changes occur. Have the zhir and the btin ever
contradicted each other? The former is what everybody can see, whereas one must become a
rijl1 in order to see the btin. In the blessed month of Ramadan, certain changes invariably
happen inwardly and outwardly, and, in the context of the world and our Islam; these changes
1 Rijl is the plural of the Arabic Word rajul, man. But based on a Quranic yah in Srah an-Nr, the word takes on more than a literal meaning, transcending the outward gender. It is, in this sense, a tasawwuf term that means a real servant (outwardly male or female), who is never distracted from Allahs presence and remembrance. This is called the station of rijl, and, although plural, it is sometimes used as singular. When it comes to the meaning of this word, Turul Efendim always says, Who is more of a rijl; our Mother Khadija or you and me; Rabiatul-Adawiya or you and me? Who? Being a real man, a rijl is not by organs...
Srah an-Nr, yt 36-37: (This Light of Allah illumines) such houses (mosques and centers) which Allah has ordained to exalt (i.e. enhance their esteem and honor) and remember His Name therein. (These are the houses) in
which (Allahs servants) glorify Him morning and evening. * (Blessed with this Light) are those servants [rijlun] of (Allah) whom neither trade nor sale diverts from the remembrance of Allah, and from establishing Prayer and paying
Zakat (the Alms-due. Even while performing their worldly duties) they keep fearing the Day when hearts and eyes
will (all) overturn (with terror).
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are not limited to Muslim-majority countries, they happen all around the world, because this is
the month when the Holy Quran descended.
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Those who know how to look with their inner eyes,
can see the difference between the crescent of the
other months and that of Ramadan. This cannot be
explained; those who experience know. The month of
Ramadan, in the words of our Beloved Master
(sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), is so blessed, that he
said, "If a believer rejoices over the coming of
Ramadan, feels pleased, paradise becomes his due."
In another narration of glad tidings, our Beloved Master said, "A fasting believer has two joyous
moments; one is at the moment of breaking the fast, the other is when he meets His Lord." At
the iftar table, if it is only the body that is delighted, then there is something missing in that fast.
One of the possible physical effects caused by fasting is foul breath. In a Hadith, our Beloved
Master says, "The odor of the breath of a fasting person is the best smell that reaches Allah." All
kinds of bad breath originate from eating unlawful things; if all of what you eat and consume is
lawful, then your breath doesn't smell even if you eat onion, but, because it is not possible for
everything we eat, consume, or do, to be lawful, some foul breath is unavoidable. The beauty of
the odor of that breath in the sight of Allah comes from this; as we wait at the iftar table, we
state with our body language, "O Lord! We don't touch these lawful foods, that You have
bestowed on us, for Your sake." We consider Allah's sake, not our nafs' sake.
***
Every sin that we commit grieves Allah. We just think about the reward and punishment of things.
One must reach the state of satisfaction and contentment of "I have done what my Beloved said,
and I didn't upset Him." The ultimate goal should not be rewards or avoiding punishments; they
are but encouraging or deterring divine procedures. A Muslim is refined and conscious. Heaven
and hell are two creatures of Allah; an rif doesn't run after creatures!
***
Aren't we the ummah of a Prophet, who said, "O Lord! We couldn't know You the way You
deserve to be known!" [m arafnka haqqa ma'rifatik] Who are some people to say that they
have become perfect in every aspect and that they should be followed by all? Everybody, without
an exception, goes after Muhammad Mustafa, beside whom there is no other to be followed.
One can follow somebody who shows him the way that will lead to Him, but not everybody
follows this particular guide... There is only one personage that all humanity must follow, and he
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is Ahmed- Mahmud-u Muhammad Mustafa, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam... If we don't explain
these correctly, some people tend to deify their teachers, murshids, sheikhs etc... This is a very
dangerous state and in some cases there is nothing to do to save these people. The person
guiding you to the right path is very important to you, but he is not as important to other people
as he is to you, because people have all sorts of dispositions.
***
The sublime value of fasting mostly
comes from the fact that it is a
collective act of worship. The longest
act of worship observed by the most
people is fasting. Rites of worship are
not to be done individually, they are
supposed to be observed in
congregation. Salt is made in
congregation, yet there is permission
to make it individually.
***
A certain reward is more or less apparent for every act of worship; people can sense the good
states that will take them to some kind of reward. There was a dervish serving Hz. Mawln Rm
for his daily affairs. Hz. Pr is a very polite person, who heaps compliments on those around him
for the smallest things they do for him, yet he never thanks this particular dervish. This attracts
the attention of Sultan Walad [his son] and he asks Hz. Pr about the wisdom behind it: Hz. Pr
says, "There is a reward for every good deed, and when we mortals give rewards, thanks, or
compliments for such deeds, we have paid them as mortals in our own right. If I thank him, he
will have received his reward more or less; so I don't thank him on purpose so that Allah may
thank him on my behalf; His reward and thanks are eternal!" Because fasting is the longest
collective worship, Allah Most High says, I, Myself, will give its reward particularly."
***
It is established by Quranic statements that Allah's punishment is burning like fire. But if you, like
an inquisition priest, attempt to interpret this burning quality as tar or natural gas or as different
kinds of tortures, you have clearly not understood those yahs. We have a saying, "Fire has fallen
into my chest" or "My inside is burning" (to express a great distress, mostly related to the loss of
somebody very close to you.) Well, open up your chest to me so that I can see if there is fire in
there? May Allah protect everybody from that, but, especially when somebody loses a child
what kind of fire, what kind of burning is that? Also, is it possible to learn Islam from somebody
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who explains the Sirat Bridge as a tightrope? These are all symbols to help explain these subtle
points; you cannot explain heaven and hell by taking these symbols literally. The net result of all
acts of worship is to be with Allah, to live with Him 24/7, not receiving rewards or warding off
punishments... One of the ways to achieve this unity is fasting.
***
As we tend to so often repeat, one cannot build rulings from
translated texts. It is high time we dropped the attitude of "Let
me read the Qur'an and the Hadith and learn my religion!"
You can learn your religion from somebody who acts on what
he knows, whose face and presence unmistakably remind you
of Allah and His Messenger, who is very gentle and
benevolent, but who warns people regarding Allah when
necessary; in brief, you can learn your religion from a real
human being. The way to learn is doing. All of the other
sciences apart from Ma'rifatullah are but instrumental
knowledges. Ma'rifah is [this also colloquially translates as "the trick
is..."] to know Allah with Allah.
***
Umrah during the month of Ramadan is the most important visit of the Ka'ba after Hajj. Our
Beloved Master informs us that serving food to a fasting person at their fast-breaking table is a
special state. Lavish and showy iftar organizations do not befit Muslims, but it is a fard ayn, on
the other hand, to accept invitations; we cannot solve anything by avoiding such iftar
organizations; "let me save myself, I don't care what others do!" is not a good Muslim attitude.
You can go to such fast-breaking dinners and caution people in a brotherly way against the
lavishness of such grand dinners; without breaking their hearts, without making them feel
themselves inferior to you, without confronting them with their mistakes.
***
These eyes have seen a man lighting his cigarette at an iftar table five minutes before the maghrib
azan. In Islamic Law, there is no punishment for not fasting, but there is a prescribed penalty for
making it apparent that you are not fasting. A Muslim does not have the right or authority to
punish another Muslim for not fasting, but there exists in Islamic Law a penalty for eating and
drinking publicly, which is an utterly rude and unrefined behavior.
***
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Most people wrongly say [in Turkish] that they are "reviving" [ihya] the month of Ramadan; no;
whatever you do, you cannot revive Ramadan; quite the contrary, Ramadan revives you with its
arrival.
With the host of the program Sadettin Acar. The photos are from March 26, 2012.
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