BEŞİNCİ BAB · SEKİZİNCİ FASIL · Onuncu Madde
The Tenth Article
This details the grandeur of the Most Exalted Shaykh Ismail Tillovi, the Beloved of the Poor (Fakîrullâh) (may Allah be pleased with him), in every respect; his rectitude within the Sufi path, his leadership in truth, that everyone benefits from his aid and kindness, the duration of his life in the transient world, and the time of his departure to the hereafter.
O esteemed one! Know that the venerable soul of Fakîrullâh (may Allah be pleased with him) was from the realm of grace and had been nurtured in the abode of bestowal. His innate sainthood was a gift from Allah. The bliss inherent in his nature he possessed from his mother’s womb. Those who beheld him immediately felt affection for him, and their egos submitted to him. He was the beloved of kings and the sweetheart of all hearts. He was the master of those pursuing spiritual observation and discipline.
His blessed presence was the Ka'bah of the discerning. His gracious gate was the aim of humankind. All scholars and common folk who beheld him surrendered to his perfect sainthood. He was the sole saint of his age, the unique scholar of his time, a person of exalted worth. His noble name was renowned in neighboring lands and throughout Arabia. His beautiful reputation had reached from Istanbul to India, extending to Iran and Turan. Leading members of society eagerly sought his service with heartfelt approval and gladly accepted his friendship. Those who participated in his gatherings and served him found countless spiritual states and the highest perfections. They witnessed a light shining from his blessed head and chest like the sun. Those who beheld him for the first time loved him, even though they had not been informed of his special qualities beforehand. They attained what they took from him and perfected themselves through it. Those who inscribed the image of his blessed face in their memory enjoyed its sweetness. They entered the assembly of presence through his means, for he was an Imam on the path of Muhammad, a person of expansive generosity.
All the signs of a perfect guide were completely present in him. Allah’s grace was his companion. Maintaining moderation in every matter was his principle. Fellowship was his friend; a pure fragrance was his state. Wisdom was his guide, his intellectual advisor. Truthfulness was his banner, gentleness (kindness) his art. Revelation was his sustenance, observation his cure. Adherence to manners and compliance with the Sharia were his outward form; the immaculate secret was the manifestation of states upon truth. He was a mine of gnosis; his breast was expansive, his reputation great. The extraordinary states emanating from him were countless, and wondrous events abounded. He was the qutb of the saints of his time, perhaps the source of consolation for every afflicted person, a gavs. Indeed, in the realm of the heart, that flowing soul was the sultan among the saints of his era, possessing authority over everyone. He was a companion to lovers and a healer of the suffering of the distressed.
He was like a shining sun with the light of his face and the perfection of his state. Those with insight were amazed by his grandeur, just as the sultans of the world’s dominion – Sharif Masud of Mecca, the Sultan of India, the Ottoman sultan Mahmud – and all his many viziers and commanders in neighboring lands – sent him secret and open letters, offerings, and gifts; each desired to obtain his blessed prayers, his pleasure, and his support. The acceptance of his prayer and the delight of his favor were evident. His influence and honor were clear as sunlight. His gatherings with his friends were a blessing without indebtedness, and he bestowed generously upon the poor.
He would advise those who visited him, pleasing their hearts with praise and commendation, and to those unable to attend, he would express his affection and send abundant blessings. People and jinn alike showed him reverence and respect, submitting to his command and seeking his favor, for he was the guide of humankind and jinn and the shaykh of those devoted to gnosis. He was the most noble among the people of this world, the heir of Adam in sovereignty, and the trustee of Allah’s Beloved (Prophet Muhammad) (peace and blessings be upon him).
May Allah grant us benefit from his blessings. Amen.
The contents of the letter that Sharif Masud of Mecca sent to that Sultan of Hearts are as follows:
“Praise be to Allah who has made mirrors of their venerable faces reflect the splendor of grace in the hearts of the saints, and fashioned tablets bearing the ancient light of purity in their countenances. They are those for whom remembrance of Allah is evoked when they are seen. Salutations and peace be upon Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the most virtuous of those whose eyes have lifted the veils from the universe and to whom the secret of existence has been revealed.
The secret of Allah’s presence, permeating the cosmos, has been opened to the hearts of the saints. They see Him everywhere they look within creation. Now we say: Greetings, praise, heartfelt commendations, fragrant salutations, and laudatory praises befitting a generous soul, to our Shaykh, the guide of humankind and jinn, the light of humanity’s eye, the essence of humanity, the shadow of Allah in this world, the trustee of the esteemed Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the scholar who acts according to his knowledge, the virtuous, the perfect master, Gavs Fakîrullâh Tillovî (may Allah be pleased with him).”
The letter that Sultan Mahmud sent to that venerable person is as follows:
“Praise be to Allah who has opened the essence of the exalted truths that reason cannot grasp and comparison cannot measure to the hearts of the saints.
Those who love you and follow you have attained high stations that other people could not reach. Those who are near you are only the discerning, for those who know them know you, and those who find them effortlessly reach you. Surely one who finds them has attained salvation. One who accepts the friendship of one of them attains Allah. He enters the assembly of fellowship.”
Okay, here's the translation of the provided text, aiming for faithfulness and preservation of meaning within a classical Islamic/Sufi context:
"Our esteemed master, may blessings be upon him, attained knowledge of the secret of the verse ‘lamps and torches’ [Quran 24:35], became aware of the conditions of the realms of dominion and the unseen, and divine secrets were revealed to him. He severed all ties with anything other than God through realization of Him ( *‘arif-i billah*), thus attaining union with God. Our revered master, our guide, Poorullah, may his essence be sanctified, is he who has attained the culmination of being, whose every action and word calls people to God, the quintessence of forms and spirits."
"May God prolong his blessedness and preserve him. After that, it is related that when this immaculate soul descended to earth and reached perfection, becoming a knower of God, he became known among the people. Having attained divine grace, he beheld both worlds within the mirror of the heart. He forgot everyone and everything, knowing only his Lord and remaining in seclusion with Him. He turned away from the injustice and hardship of this world, inclining towards the realm of spiritual delight and bliss. He desired to drink the elixir of eternal union within the ocean of oneness, escaping the endless sorrow of this transient existence."
"Ultimately, he too experienced wondrous manifestations within this earthly abode, and his time came to depart for the afterlife. For him, it was exceedingly easy to migrate from this fleeting world to the realm of eternity, for he belonged to those who have attained immortality; in the sphere of non-existence, he had already died through willing submission. Perhaps only his purified spirit remained captive within the tomb."
"When our esteemed one surpassed eighty years and the Hijri year became 1147 [1734 CE], during the middle of the month of Shawwal, he withdrew into his inner ocean for a week. The people assumed that he had become gravely ill and beyond cure. On one Friday night, he emerged from the spiritual realm into which he had withdrawn, returning to this world of sensation. He summoned his children and grandchildren and enjoined them to pursue knowledge and remain upon righteousness. He acquitted everyone of their obligations and appointed his eldest son, Abdulqadir, as trustee of his tomb."
"[To those who were distraught and bewildered], he reminded them to recite the *Surah Yasin* and at that moment, a wondrous fragrance filled the room—as if censers of ambergris and musk had been burned. His children and grandchildren were overcome with grief and sorrow. Yet, for him, it was a night of joy and celebration."
"When the sound reached his ears: ‘And peace from the Lord Most Merciful’ [Quran 36:58], at that very moment he surrendered his soul to God, attaining what he desired, and his body ascended to His presence. His purified spirit departed for that realm of bliss, while his mortal frame remained behind, for he belonged to those who have attained peace, having abandoned the deceptive world and migrated to the abode of joy."
"His blessed children and grandchildren washed and shrouded him in secret during that very night, fulfilling his will. Immediately after the night, messengers were sent to the people of Siirt and surrounding villages—five or six villages—and they all arrived at dawn. A vast congregation gathered, and his son, Abdulqadir Effendi, led the funeral prayer. His tomb was dug near the tombs of our father, Osman Effendi, and Muhammad Sihrani Effendi. The villagers recited the Quran morning and evening for forty days over his grave. A beautifully decorated sarcophagus adorned with stars was built over his grave, and his date of death was inscribed upon it. Every week, two loaves of bread were distributed from his endowment to the people of that village. His luminous tomb is visited by believers who seek blessings through him."
"May his secrets be sanctified. May the *Fatiha* be recited for his soul."
**Nazm (Poem)**
1. "O master! From this prison, I have set out on a journey.
2. My heart and soul have traversed the constellations.
3. The soul has departed to its origin; I gazed in that direction.
4. Like a stream, I flowed onward, finding the ocean of unity.
5. I was filled with that wine and became delightfully intoxicated; I made the sea my abode.
6. From my heart, Your face shone brightly. Revolving with the moon, I beheld its beauty.
7. Within the soul is that beloved; the heart marvels at her loveliness. This is the way of the knower—to witness. I have attained a different delight.
8. That spiritual union—the soul found it delightful. The soul’s journey and pilgrimage, I considered them fear and trepidation.
9. May God fill the heart and soul with God; may they become intoxicated with that wine. May they find Him without veils; I have made my body a shield."
I hope this translation is satisfactory. Please let me know if you have any other requests!
May our affairs be aided by the grace of Allah.
Thereafter (we say) that mercy be upon our revered Shaykh, may his Lord, the Compassionate One, grant him peace. He is the Imam of the Sufi path, a guide to the Truth, and the possessor of the station of guidance. He arranges the affairs of all servants who turn towards Allah, calling people to God with his state and his words; he is the quintessence of forms and spirits.
[See: “Peace from your Lord, the Compassionate One, is upon them.” (Yasin, 36/58)]
[See also Surah An-Nur, 24/35]
The two young men mentioned here are the beloved grandsons of our Prophet, Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both).
He has known the secret of the verse concerning “vessels and lamps,” he is aware of the conditions of the realms of dominion and the unseen, the secrets of the holy and divine realms have been revealed to him, he is a knower of God who has severed all connection from everything except Him, thereby attaining union with Allah – our esteemed Shaykh, our master, the Poor-folk of Allah, may Allah perpetuate his manifestation and make it eternal.