BEŞİNCİ BAB · SEKİZİNCİ FASIL · Dördüncü Madde
**Fourth Article**
Concerning the beautiful customs, assistance, friendship, and attire of the most revered Pole (Gavs), eminent spiritual guide Ismail Tillovi Fakirullah (may Allah be pleased with him).
O esteemed one! Know that the custom of Fakirullah (may Allah be pleased with him) was to observe reverence for the command of God and to treat all people with gentleness and kindness. When the blessed name of God Most High was mentioned, he would show respect and immediately say, "Glorified is His essence." When the name of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was mentioned, he would say, “Peace and blessings be upon him.”
When the name of another Prophet was mentioned, he would say, “Upon them be peace.” For Gabriel, Michael, Israfil, and Azrael, he would say, "Peace be upon them."
For a Companion of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he would say, “May Allah be pleased with him.” For a saint, he would say, “May his soul be sanctified.” For a scholar or pious person, he would say, “May the mercy of God be upon him.”
He would pray that the Sultan of the Islamic state be just and merciful and victorious over his enemies. He would teach his children their religion and religious instruction, visit his relatives, respect the rights of his neighbors, and meet their needs with a joyful heart. He loved all friends who visited him and did not hold against those who did not come. When dignitaries or even ministers came to visit, he would not stand up for them. However, he would not leave without conveying commands and prohibitions to them in a gentle and humble manner.
He was as if the embodiment of propriety, honor, and refinement; he would not laugh aloud but would speak what needed to be said with a smile. He would answer those who asked questions and remain silent for those who did not.
He would sit cross-legged upon a black prayer rug spread in the center of his room, facing the qibla. He paid no attention to the people around him nor leaned against a wall. He did not rest his head on a pillow nor look upwards. When visitors came, he would glance at them once upon arrival and once upon departure. If they brought offerings, gifts, gold, or silver, he would accept them but would instruct them to place them beneath the prayer rug. His eldest son would then collect them and use them for the expenses of his household. He would personally distribute other gifts among his family members.
However, fruit and other types of food offered as gifts, he would share with those present in his gathering and partake himself. He would eat only a quarter of a loaf of bread in a day and night. He could drink only one bowl of water every five or six days. Often, he would be overcome by a state of ecstasy (wajd). While in wajd, he would lower his head, close his eyes, and remain silent. When sitting, his entire body would turn; first to the right, then from the right to the left, then from the left forward, and then from forward back to the right, moving completely from the waist up. He would open his left hand and place it on the ground behind him, drawing a circumscribing circle with the tip of his index finger over his palm, as if following his own movement. To such an extent that this state of attraction (cezba) would transport the perfect man beyond himself. In this state, his senses and perceptions would become so absorbed that he could neither speak nor be aware of anyone. He would remain oblivious to everything and preoccupied with his own condition. Those present would disperse in awe.
After the well incident, because he was a blessed personality of angelic bearing (hasur), he did not sleep with his wife and did not visit anyone’s home. However, those who came to his abode required a daily cauldron of food, a cauldron of rice pilaf, and two hundred loaves of bread.
He strictly avoided all forms of innovation (bid'ah) and did not abandon the Sunnah. He would perform the five daily prayers in his own room, reciting the call to prayer (adhan) and praying with the congregation. On Fridays, he would perform ablution (ghusl) and change his clothes before going to the mosque. He would continue the sunrise, midday, twilight, and late-night prayers. He fasted every Monday and Thursday. Every Friday, he would invariably recite Surah Kahf before prayer. In all his words, actions, character, and demeanor, he followed the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). He followed in the blessed footsteps of the Prophet in all his customs, worship, and beliefs. Even this poor one [Ibrahim Hakkı] had the opportunity to read the book *Masabih* from that virtuous perfect man for eight months and closely observe his ways. I have seen that every aspect of his behavior was consistent with the Holy Book. In short, he was a virtuous scholar who acted upon his knowledge, turned away from the world, and completely devoted himself to God Most High. He was steadfast in his duties related to worship and possessed direction in observing the subtleties of worship. May Allah be pleased with him.
The clothing and attire of Shaykh were also in accordance with the Sunnah. His garments were made of coarse cloth, white, green, and black. His clothes were short and patched, not long like those worn by arrogant people. He wore a small turban upon two pieces of cloth on his head. He wore an inner shirt of white-colored fine cloth and took care to keep it clean. He also had slippers (terlik) and a tunic (zıbın) of white-colored fine cloth, as well as a short coat (kaftan).
He would tie a sash of white-colored fine cloth around his waist. His cloak (cuba) was made of green fine serge, reaching the new elbow and the hem to the knee. The color was like emerald. These garments were worn in two layers, as described above. He also had two sleeveless abas made of fine serge, with which he performed every prayer. His aba for summer was white, and his aba for winter was black and opaque. He wore yellow socks (mest) and shoes (pabuç), each pair being two.
He had two prayer rugs made of black-colored fine cloth…
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“There is no power or strength except in Allah.”
[170]. Meaning: “There is no god but Allah. He is One; He has no partner in dominion, and all praise belongs to Him—He gives life and causes death. He lives with a life that does not perish; all power is within His control. He is capable of all things.”
[171]. Meaning: “There is no god but Allah.”
[172]. Meaning: "Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the Messenger of Allah."
[173]. Meaning: “We entered the evening. Dominion belongs to Allah, the One and the All-Powerful. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the approaching night, from the evil within it, and from the harm that follows it. I seek refuge in You from the deceptions of Satan and what they bring. There is no power or strength except in Allah, the Exalted and Majestic.”
[174]. Meaning: “O Allah, I fasted for Your pleasure, believing in You, and trusting in You. I break my fast with the sustenance You have provided.”
[175]. Meaning: "I also intend to observe the sacred fast of Ramadan tomorrow. Forgive me the sins I have committed in the past and those I will commit in the future."
[176]. Meaning: “O Allah, just as You have nourished us, nourish all who are hungry.”
[177]. Meaning: "Allah be praised with pure sentiments, countless praises that diminish not but increase, that are rejected from Your presence but accepted. We praise Him without ever deeming our praise sufficient, abandoning it not and being independent of it not. Praise be to Allah Who provides sustenance and drink and clothing, for He made us Muslims and guided us. May His mercy and blessings be upon those who prepared this food and those who eat it. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
[178]. Meaning: “O Allah, I laid down to sleep with Your exalted name. Forgive my sins. I entrust my soul to You; if You retain it, have mercy on me. If You return it, protect it as You protect Your righteous servants. O Allah, awaken me at the time most beloved to You and enable me to perform the finest deeds in Your sight. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is His servant and Messenger.”
[179]. Üveys al-Karnī.
[180]. Hasūr: One who abstains from approaching women due to the struggle he wages with his soul, possessing power yet disinclined to marriage. This term is used in the Noble Qur’an to describe Yahya (peace be upon him).
[181]. For a similar narration, see Tabarani, Mu'jam al-Awsat, VIII/153, H. No: 7307.
He would recite, “All praise is due to Allah who gave us life after death and returned our souls to us, and to Him is the sending forth and the resurrection,” and then perform ablution. Afterwards, he would perform the Tahajjud prayer with diligence. Then, seated cross-legged on his mat facing the qibla, he would supplicate and seek forgiveness of Allah, the Forgiving. He would continue in this manner, reviving the pre-dawn hours and then resting until morning.
After the well incident, being a blessed personality of Hasūr, with an angelic countenance, he did not lie with his wife nor visit anyone’s home. However, those who came to his abode were provided with a pot of food, a pot of rice, and two hundred loaves of bread daily.
“Cleanliness is part of faith,” he would say, and would first seek cleanliness, giving little importance to adornment. Indeed, he did not even wear his silver ring. His signet ring made of silver had a Yemeni stone, an almond shape, and a silver band inscribed with the words “Servant of the Eternal Living, Ismail bin Qasim.” He kept a chest containing his shroud, perfumes, and other necessities, as he contemplated death at every moment. He also kept another chest for his other garments. Incense was burned in his cell on Friday evenings. His drinking cup was made of white porcelain. The plate with which he ate was made of wood, and his spoon was made of juniper wood and was small. His lamp was a candlestick made of green china. His walking stick (asā) was a memento from his father. He had four jugs made of white clay ready for ablution and ritual bath; two were large for the ritual bath, and the other two were very small and narrow.
Reciting, “In Your name, my Lord, I lean my head to sleep, forgive me my sins. I entrust my soul to You; if You retain it, have mercy on it, and if You return it, protect it as You protect Your righteous servants. O Allah, awaken me at the most beloved of times to You, and enable me to perform the finest deeds in Your sight. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is His servant and Messenger,” he would detach himself from this world of multiplicity and enter into the realm of unity.
“You have given us morning, and dominion belongs to Allah, the One, the All-Powerful. I have accepted Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, as my Prophet, the Ka’bah as my qibla, the Qur’an as my guide, believers as my brothers, and female believers as my sisters. There is no power nor strength except in Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent,” he would recite, and then perform his own dawn prayer aloud on a brick-sized stone in his room at the Shafi'i time.
He would invariably send blessings and peace upon the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, at the beginning and end of his supplication, reciting, “There is no god but Allah, alone, He has no partner; to Him belongs dominion, and to Him belongs praise—He gives life and causes death; He is living and does not die. All good is in His hand, and He is capable of all things.”
The blessed year of Rajab, on the first night of Friday during the hour of Müşteri, Mawlana Molla Qasim al-Hanafi’s son was born with happiness. He received the name Ismail due to his piety and handsome appearance. His fortunate mother nurtured him for years with delicate fruits. His pure nature readily accepted all kinds of food, perhaps even bread and drinks.
He abstained from bestial attributes because he disliked them. Thus, his inner and outer being was filled with the delight of knowledge and devotion. Through tranquility and reverence, he attained the presence of angels. [Ismail Fakirullah Effendi] showed utmost respect for his parents’ rights, obtaining their blessings and contentment until the very end.
7- Is this a thing, or is it a spirit? Is it love, or sight? How sublime is the Divine!
Meaning: “We praise Allah with pure sentiments, countless praises that increase without diminishing, are not rejected but accepted from His presence. We never deem our praise sufficient, praising Him without ceasing and without independence. Praise be to Allah who provides sustenance and clothing; He made us Muslims and guided us. May His mercy and blessings be upon those who prepared this food and those who eat it. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
Meaning: “O God, I laid myself down on Your noble name. Forgive my sins. I entrust my soul to You; if You retain it, have mercy. If You send it back, protect it as You protect Your righteous servants. O God, awaken me at the time dearest to You and grant me success in performing the most beautiful deeds pleasing to You. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His servant and Messenger.”
Meaning: “We have entered the evening. Sovereignty belongs to Allah, the One, the All-Powerful. O God, I seek refuge in You from the evil of this night, what it contains, and what follows it. I seek refuge in You from the wiles of devils and their creations. There is no true strength or power except in Allah, the Exalted, the Magnificent.”
Meaning: “O God, I fasted for Your pleasure, believing in You, trusting in You. I break my fast with the sustenance You have provided.”
Meaning: "I also intend to observe the blessed Fast of Ramadan tomorrow. Forgive the sins I have committed in the past and those I will commit in the future."
Meaning: “O God, satisfy the hungry as You have satisfied us.”
Meaning: “O God, there is no obstacle to what You give, nor can anyone grant it; Your decree cannot be rejected. No powerful one can benefit without Your power. Praise be to Allah, all praise belongs to Him. There is no god but Allah. Allah is the Greatest. There is no true strength or power except in Allah, the Exalted, the Magnificent.”
Meaning: “There is no god but Allah. He is One; He has no partner in sovereignty, all praise belongs to Him; He is the one who gives life and causes death. He lives with an immortal life; all power is in His hand. He is capable of everything.”
Meaning: "There is no god but Allah."
Meaning: “Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.”
3- It seems the intention of my beloved was to ‘be known’ – how delightful it was to witness the unfolding with such fervor!
[Uveys al-Karni]. He used to say, "Allâhumma eşbi’ külle câyi’in kemâ şebe’nâ." After placing the tips of his fingers on the tablecloth (bringing them to his mouth) and kissing them, he would raise both hands;
Hasur: The person who abstains from approaching women due to the struggle with his soul, who does not desire marriage despite possessing power. Hz. Yahya (peace be upon him) is described with this term in the Noble Qur’an.
For a similar narration, see Tabarani, Mu'jam al-Awsat, VIII/153, H. No: 7307.
“We have entered and sovereignty belongs to Allah, the One, the All-Powerful. O God, I seek refuge in You from the evil of this night, what it contains, and what follows it. And I seek refuge in You from the whispers of devils and I seek refuge in You, my Lord, that they be present. There is no power nor strength except in Allah, the Exalted, the Magnificent.” He was careful to recite this during the first hour of the evening prayer.
In this sentence within the text, it is stated that his dear mother nourished him with luscious fruits for forty years. However, below this paragraph is a note stating that his affectionate mother passed away when he reached the age of thirty. Considering there is an error here, I have changed the phrase "forty years" to “for many years.”
Meaning: “(All praise be to Allah) we have arrived at dawn. The Lord of the dawn is One and All-Powerful. We are pleased with Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) as our Prophet. Our Qibla is the Ka’bah, our Imam is the Qur'an, all believers are our brothers, and believing women are our sisters. There is no power or strength except in Allah, the Exalted, the Magnificent.”
Meaning: “O God, Lord of this invitation and the prayer to be performed, grant favor, virtues, and high ranks to our Master Muhammad (peace be upon him). Bring him to the praised station that You have promised. Surely You do not break Your promise.”
Meaning: "I praise Allah with the praise worthy of Him; I praise Allah, whose glory is magnificent."
In the printed version, it reads “âgâh u”.
Fault, shame, deficiency, sin. A mischievous thing. (Internet dictionary.)
Gunne: Speaking from the throat, bringing the voice out through the nose.
Meaning: "Praise be to Allah who will resurrect us after our death and return our souls to us, and we are resurrected; Our return is to Him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His servant and Messenger.”
Meaning: The secret of companionship can be defined as always being with Allah, knowing oneself in His presence at every moment. This refers to the verse (And wherever you may be, surely Allah is with you) [Al-Hadid 57/4].
Meaning: "This is a reference to the sacred hadith, 'I was a hidden treasure, and I loved being known.'"
Gaus: The term means refuge or seeking protection. In Sufism, the one sought for refuge is called a Ghaus when he is the Qutb. When Sufis are in distress and hardship:
1-The soul in the heart you made a home at last,
A ruin you made of my heart at last.
2-Having loosened that chain of madness,
You made me mad at last.
3-You made me intimate with heedless love,
Alien to reason at last.
4-I was a grain of nothingness beneath the dust,
A grain multiplied by a hundred at last.
5-From a grain you made a garden and orchard,
You turned the dust into palaces at last.
6-Having cut me off from all others,
You brought me to my beloved at last.
7-You poured the wine of unity into my soul,
You transformed my soul into a goblet at last.
😯 Fakîrullâh! You are the cupbearer of the rose garden, always,
You made my heart a tavern at last.
9-O Fakîrullâh! You made this slave of yours a wise lover at last.
And:
“And I completed my fast from the month of Ramadan, intending it, so forgive what I brought forth and what I left behind.”
Then, reciting “Lâ ilâha illallah” and following with
"Subhânallahi wa bi hamdihî, subhânallahi’l-azîm," he would perform the obligatory prayers of the morning prayer in full devotion with his family members and after the greeting, he would recite the supplication:
“O Aware One, O Knowing One, how wondrous is Your Divine nature!
"Allahumme leke sumtü wa bike âmentu wa aleyke tevekkeltu wa alâ rızkıke eftartu," (O God, I have fasted for You, and in You I believe, and upon You I rely, and with Your provision I have broken my fast.)
2-Love, as an attribute of companionship, became intimate with everyone. From atoms it was always a shining sun, how delightful.
After reciting "Allahümme lâ mânia limâ a’teyte velâ mu’tiye limâ mena’te vela râdde limâ kadayte vela yenfeu ze’l-ceddi minke’l-ceddü. Subhanallahi wa’l-hamdülillahi vela ilaha illallahü vallahü ekber vela havle velâ kuvvete illâ billâhi’l-aliyyi’l-azîm," he would recite the remembrances "subhânallah, al hamdu li'llah, Allahu akbar" thirty-three times with each knuckle of his right hand.
His voice was clear without a sound, his tongue was fluent, his words were true. He had a pleasant scent, white and strong teeth. His beard was full and white, not sparse. His neck and shoulders were graceful, his arms and hands slender. His palms were soft, and his fingers long, easily bent backward. His chest was broad and hairless. His abdomen was light, and his entire body was lean. His toes were long, and he was beautiful from head to toe. The Exalted God praised him and created him. He had opened places in the hearts of hundreds of thousands for him. May God grant him manifestations of grace, and may we also be benefited by his manifestations.
The exalted guide (Gavs-ı a’zam), reports the story of the well of Shiekh Ismail Tillovî Fakîrullâh (may Allah have mercy on him), his clear sainthood, his complete seclusion (uzlet-i külliyye) and his sacred power.
He would say "Muhammedün rasûlullah" and conclude with a recitation of the Fatiha.
“All praise is due to God in abundant, good, blessed praise. Neither concealed nor humiliated nor self-sufficient. Praise be to God who has fed us, sustained us, given us life, and made us among the Muslims, guided us, and His mercy and blessings are upon the feeder and the one being fed. And praise be to God, Lord of the worlds,” he would then wipe his hands on his face and honor that blessing.
After this, he would converse with his wife and children and act according to their desires, completing any deficiencies they pointed out in the management of the household, granting permission for whatever they requested, and covering up any faults with wisdom.
He would conclude with the supplication: “Allahumme rabbe hâzihi’d-da’veti’t-tâmme wa’s-salâti’l-kaime âti seyidinâ muhammedeni’l-vesîlete ve’l-fazîlete ve’d-derecete’r-rafîate ve’b-ashü makamen mahmûdeni’l-lezî waadtehû inneke lâ tühlifü’l-mîâd,” (O God, Lord of this complete invocation and the standing prayer, grant our master Muhammad the means of approach and excellence and the exalted rank, and place me in the praised position that You have promised. Indeed, You do not break a promise.)
4-As reality manifests in all things, so too to his friend. From the wind of Üveys, the fragrance of God has come.