The atmosphere around Aziz Mahmud Hudayi Shrine is often filled with humanity – a palpable sense of longing and hope. This space draws people from all walks of life, each carrying their own burdens and seeking solace.
A Sanctuary for Hearts
“There are so few fathers present; it’s truly an occasion for mothers, aunts, and grandmothers,” one might say. Outside the shrine entrance, boxes of Turkish delight are displayed… People come and go, taking a few here and there. It’s remarkable that these boxes haven’t been raided! If you opened these boxes in a marketplace, the Turkish delight would be gone within forty seconds; paper collectors would descend upon the containers.
How many Istanbuls are there? For every person living in this city, there is an Istanbul. Everyone’s Istanbul is their own. This city is home to lazy cats and mischievous seagulls. I wish I could hear the shrine from the cats and seagulls as well. If they were to say to me, “You called our laziness and mischief death and wrongdoing; first, you must answer for your words, then let us tell you about the Aziz Mahmud Hudayi Shrine,” how would I defend myself?
My mother, struggling to walk, made it to the shrine steps with her cane but quickly turned back. “I can’t keep walking, I’ll come when I have free time,” she said. There are crowds in hospitals, on beaches, and on the metro. So why do so many people come to the shrine?
Suffering Guides People to God
A man, troubled by an argument with his wife, brooding at the ablution fountain, is approached by a spiritual guide who says: “If a man always has good relations with his wife, you won’t find a congregation in the mosque.”
He experienced tension at home and sought refuge in the mosque. It’s fortunate he didn’t seek solace in places of sin. Who plays gambling or uses drugs to relieve their sorrow, or falls into an addiction? To alleviate grief, one must either find forgiveness or succumb to forbidden acts.
“Sorrow makes you weep; love inspires expression,” they say. Adding to that: Sorrow and affection bring people before the shrine. Those who come because of sorrow are more numerous than those who come because of love. Imam Hasan al-Basri said, “If poverty, sickness, and death did not exist, humankind’s pride would never be humbled.” Graying hair and undying sorrows lead a person to God. “Sorrow is the bond of the beloved.” Sorrow and affliction are a rope drawn by those who love; both the one who draws it and the one who pulls it is Allah.
The faces of those entering the shrine show fatigue and anxiety; it’s clear they’ve come from dead ends. Those leaving the shrine have a glow, peace, and tranquility… They are like babies waking up with a smile from their sleep. The same difference is felt in those who enter and exit mosques and gatherings.
The Gaze of the Heart and Insight
People with hearts are skilled at “turning things around.” A teacher, when asked by a student about buying a house, said: “Let the house be near the mosque, let it have large windows; let the call to prayer fill it.” There’s also the approach of starting with, “The house should be close to the metro, and have a southern exposure…” But hearing the words, “The house should be near the mosque,” made the man begin opening the windows facing the mosque more than those facing the street, parks, or restaurants.
Another spiritual guide used to say: “Open the windows in a place where the Quran is recited and interpreted; let the city breathe fresh air!” For years, I have been hammering away when saying, “Open the windows, let fresh air enter the classroom,” in Quranic classes and gatherings. The difference between saying, “Open the windows, let the city breathe fresh air,” and “Open the windows, let fresh air enter the classroom” cannot be measured even by quantum computers. As many people as live in Istanbul, there are as many differences in humanity.
In our world where a drop of saffron colors a bucket of milk, sometimes a word or a story opens up new horizons for a person. A word, a saying, or a suspicion can ruin a basket of figs.
People are flavored by their eyes and ears. The internet world is constantly flowing… Streams of light and darkness are always watering. Which stream do the eyes and ears lie beneath?