A wise man was riding his horse when a serpent was about to enter the mouth of a sleeping person. The rider saw him and began to run to save the man, intending to startle the snake and make it flee. However, he did not find an opportunity. Guided by his intellect – for he was indeed a very wise man – he struck the sleeping man several times with a heavy club. The pain from those forceful blows carried the man beneath a tree.
A considerable amount of rotten apples lay scattered about. Someone said to the man, “O sorrowful one, eat these.” He replied, “My lord, what have I done to you? What malice do you harbor towards me? If you truly intend harm, draw your sword and spill my blood! What a wretched hour this has been! How fortunate are those who never see your face! Even the faithless do not complain so without cause or innocence; they deem such complaints unacceptable.”
While speaking, blood flowed from his mouth. He cried out, “O Lord, take vengeance for me!” and continued to curse him. The rider, however, struck him saying, “Run across this field.” The man began to run with the pain of the club and the fear of the rider. He ran while falling face down. His belly was full, he was sleepy, and relaxed. Countless wounds covered his feet and face.
The rider continued to chastise the man until twilight. Finally, the man’s bile rose, and he began to vomit, expelling both good and bad that he had consumed. During this vomiting, the serpent emerged from within him. Seeing the snake, he prostrated himself before the rider who had shown him kindness. Upon seeing that black, hideous, and majestic serpent, he forgot all his troubles. He said, “You are an angel of mercy, or a benevolent God! What a blessed moment it is that you have seen me.”
“I was dead, and you have granted me new life. You sought me as a mother would seek her child, while I fled from you like an ass. An ass flees its owner due to its stubbornness; but the owner pursues it out of kindness, not seeking to gain benefit or avoid harm, but to protect it from a wolf or a predatory beast. How fortunate are those who see your face, or unexpectedly reach where you are!”
“Even a pure soul praises you! Yet how many vile and absurd things have I spoken to you? But my lord, King of Kings, Sultan, I did not speak them; ignorance spoke them. Had I known even a fraction of this state, could I have uttered such foolish words? O kind-hearted one, if you had even hinted at this condition, I would have praised you greatly! But you remained silent and appeared angry. You began to strike my head without speaking, and my mind grew dizzy.” He added, “And my mind is already limited!”
“O face of beauty and deeds of kindness, forgive the words I spoke in my madness.” The rider said, “If I had even hinted at this, your heart would have stopped, and your wits would have flown away. If I had spoken of the serpent, you would have died from fear.” Mustafa replied, “Were I to describe the enemy within you as it truly is, even valiant warriors would lose their courage, unable to walk a path or be burdened by any task; they would lose the ability to find favor in anyone’s heart, nor the strength to fast or pray. ”
Hearing this, a cat vanished like a mouse before it; a wolf perished like a lamb before it. Neither could he sleep nor eat. Therefore, I am disciplining and nurturing you with this admonition, just as Ebu Bekr-i Rebabi would remain silent, striking iron like Davut. In this way, what seems impossible becomes possible in my hands, a state finds its path, and even an arrow with clipped wings will sprout feathers. For the hand of God is above the hands of men; and the One God has said to us, “This is My hand.”
Therefore, there is no doubt that My arm is long, reaching everywhere, surpassing even the seventh heaven! My hand has shown wonders in the heavens as well. O reader of the Quran, recite the verse ‘Shakkal Kamer’ (Split the Dawn)! This praise is due to the weakness of minds. How can one explain power to those who are weak? You will understand when you rebel against sleep.
This is how it is; God knows best. If you knew the serpent within you, you would have no strength to eat apples, nor to walk, nor to vomit. You were cursing me, and I was not speaking but driving my horse forward. In secret, I prayed, “O Lord, make my task easy.” I could not reveal the reason, yet I could not leave you to your own devices.
“Every moment, due to the sorrow in my heart, I would say, ‘O Lord, guide my tribe, for they do not know!’” he said. Freed from his suffering, the man prostrated himself, saying, “O fortune, prosperity, and treasure! O exalted one, may you find blessings from God! This weakling has no power to thank you; may God reward you. My tongue is incapable of expressing gratitude.” Thus are the hostilities of the wise; their poisons even bring joy to life. But the friendship of a fool is torment and misguidance. Listen to this story as an example.
A dragon had captured a bear. A valiant man, passing by, heard the bear’s roar. There exist noble helpers in the world who assist those in distress. When the oppressed cry out, they hasten to their aid; they hear the cries of the afflicted from everywhere and rush towards them like God’s mercy. These are the hidden healers of the world’s tremors and ruins; they are the very essence of love, justice, and mercy.
They are faultless people, free from bribery and corruption. If one were to ask such a person, “Why do you help with this heartfelt generosity?” he would reply, “It is the helplessness and sorrow of the one seeking aid.” The remedy in the world seeks nothing but affliction; wherever there is an ailment, the cure goes. Water flows to the lowest place. May mercy’s water flow to you; descend and then drink it, becoming intoxicated. There is mercy upon mercy from head to toe. O valiant one, do not immerse yourself in a single mercy, nor be satisfied with a single mercy.
O valiant one, bring the sky beneath your feet, hear the melodies above the heavens! Purify your ears of whispers and falsehoods so that you may see the unseen’s splendor. Clear away catarrh from your nose and mind so that the fragrance of God may reach your nostrils. Eliminate fever and jaundice, and find the sweetness of the world. Use the elixir of valor so that you may have a hundred beautiful offspring; do not run away as one cut off from valor.
Release the shackles from your feet, let your body spin around the gathering. Cast off the chains of miserliness from your hands and neck, find a new fortune on the old wheel. If you lack wings to fly to the palace of grace, present yourself to one who can provide them. Weep and lament; it is a powerful capital, a mighty foster mother’s care. Foster mothers and nurses seek excuses to make children cry so that milk may flow.
God created your needy children to weep so that milk might be produced. “Call upon God,” He said, do not cease weeping, so that the rivers of God’s mercy may overflow. The sound of the wind is also to soothe our sorrow. And the rain of clouds as well. Just wait a moment. Did you not hear the verse, “Your sustenance is in the heavens?” Why are you stuck in this lowly place? Know your fears and despair as the voices of jackals. Every voice that lifts you up comes from those who are elevated. Know every voice that inspires greed as the sound of a wolf tearing apart men. This elevation is not in terms of place; these elevations are of mind and soul. Every cause is superior to its effect.
A spark is superior to flint. Even if one sits on the side of an exalted person, he is truly sitting above him, for that is superiority in terms of honor. A place far from the corner is low. Flint and iron are needed to produce a spark; because of their necessity, they may be considered superior to the spark. The purpose of the spark is the spark produced by flint and iron, so the spark is more advanced than them. The branch comes before the fruit in time, but it is superior to the branch in merit. For the tree’s purpose is the fruit; therefore, the fruit comes first, then the tree.
When the bear cried out from the dragon, that valiant man rescued him with this strength and killed the dragon. The dragon has power, but no cunning. You have cunning, but there is a cunning superior to yours! When you see your cunning and strategy, proceed; where did that cunning and strategy come from? Return to the beginning of that side, turn towards it. Everything in the low world comes from elevation. Come on, go, fix your gaze on the heights. Looking at the heights first dazzles the eyes but then gives them a light. Accustom your eyes to the light.
If you insist on staring into darkness! Do not see the end; it is a sign of your sight’s demise. One who sees only one game becomes arrogant, which leads him away from his teachers. Like Samiri, he became proud of a skill he possessed and rebelled against Moses.
For he had learned that skill from Moses. Yet he turned his eyes away from his teacher. There are countless skills and knowledge that turn around and disappear before a person becomes head! If you want your head to remain intact, be hesitant, seek refuge in the Qutb who possesses reason! Even if you are a king, do not consider yourself superior to him.
Even if you are honey, do not gather anything but from his honeycomb. Your opinion is an image; his is the soul. Your money is the heart; his is the mine. He is you. Seek yourself within him; “Ku, Ku – Where, where?” Be a fosterling around him! If you do not want to serve those who are blessed, be like a bear that has fallen into a dragon’s mouth. Perhaps a helper will rescue you from dangers. Since you lack strength and power, weep and lament! Since you are blind, do not turn away from the one who sees the way. Is it better for you to weep over your sorrow than a bear?
The bear was rescued from its suffering by crying out. O God, soften our stony hearts like wax, have mercy on us and respond to our cries!” A blind man said: “O people of the age, O companions, I have two blindnesses. Therefore, pity me twice over. For I am doubly blind; I am afflicted with this double blindness.” One replied, “We see your one blindness. What is your other blindness? Show it to us.” The blind man said, “My voice is ugly and my tone is unpleasant. My vocal ugliness causes grief to the people. Their pity diminishes because of my voice. Wherever my ugly voice goes, anger, sorrow, and hatred arise. Pity me for this double blindness.” And so, his complaint and lamentation eliminated the ugliness of his voice. The people’s compassion began to increase towards him.
When his heart’s beautiful voice was revealed, it beautified his voice, and the ugliness in his voice disappeared. But if a person’s heart’s voice is ugly, there are three eternal blindnesses in that person. But those who bestow blessings without fault and bribery may be able to offer a kindness to his ugly head. The beggar said, “If I were to speak this, my heart would stop, and my wits would fly away. If I spoke of the serpent, you would die from fear.”
Hearing this, the cat vanished like a mouse before it; the wolf perished like a lamb before it. Neither could he sleep nor eat. Therefore, I am disciplining and nurturing you with this admonition, just as Ebu Bekr-i Rebabi would remain silent, striking iron like Davut. In this way, what seems impossible becomes possible in my hands, a state finds its path, and even an arrow with clipped wings will sprout feathers. For the hand of God is above the hands of men; and the One God has said to us, “This is My hand.”
Therefore, there is no doubt that My arm is long, reaching everywhere, surpassing even the seventh heaven! My hand has shown wonders in the heavens as well. O reader of the Quran, recite the verse ‘Shakkal Kamer’ (Split the Dawn)! This praise is due to the weakness of minds. How can one explain power to those who are weak? You will understand when you rebel against sleep.
This is how it is; God knows best. If you knew the serpent within you, you would have no strength to eat apples, nor to walk, nor to vomit. You were cursing me, and I was not speaking but driving my horse forward. In secret, I prayed, “O Lord, make my task easy.” I could not reveal the reason, yet I could not leave you to your own devices.
“Every moment, due to the sorrow in my heart, I would say, ‘O Lord, guide my tribe, for they do not know!’” he said. Freed from his suffering, the man prostrated himself, saying, “O fortune, prosperity, and treasure! O exalted one, may you find blessings from God! This weakling has no power to thank you; may God reward you. My tongue is incapable of expressing gratitude.” Thus are the hostilities of the wise; their poisons even bring joy to life. But the friendship of a fool is torment and misguidance. Listen to this story as an example.
A dragon had captured a bear. A valiant man, passing by, heard the bear’s roar. There exist noble helpers in the world who assist those in distress. When the oppressed cry out, they hasten to their aid; they hear the cries of the afflicted from everywhere and rush towards them like God’s mercy. These are the hidden healers of the world’s tremors and ruins; they are the very essence of love, justice, and mercy.
They are faultless people, free from bribery and corruption. If one were to ask such a person, “Why do you help with this heartfelt generosity?” he would reply, “It is the helplessness and sorrow of the one seeking aid.” The remedy in the world seeks nothing but affliction; wherever there is an ailment, the cure goes. Water flows to the lowest place. May mercy’s water flow to you; descend and then drink it, becoming intoxicated. There is mercy upon mercy from head to toe. O valiant one, do not immerse yourself in a single mercy, nor be satisfied with a single mercy.
O valiant one, bring the sky beneath your feet, hear the melodies above the heavens! Purify your ears of whispers and falsehoods so that you may see the unseen’s splendor. Clear away catarrh from your nose and mind so that the fragrance of God may reach your nostrils. Eliminate fever and jaundice, and find the sweetness of the world. Use the elixir of valor so that you may have a hundred beautiful offspring; do not run away as one cut off from valor.
Release the shackles from your feet, let your body spin around the gathering. Cast off the chains of miserliness from your hands and neck, find a new fortune on the old wheel. If you lack wings to fly to the palace of grace, present yourself to one who can provide them. Weep and lament; it is a powerful capital, a mighty foster mother’s care. Foster mothers and nurses seek excuses to make children cry so that milk may flow.
God created your needy children to weep so that milk might be produced. “Call upon God,” He said, do not cease weeping, so that the rivers of God’s mercy may overflow. The sound of the wind is also to soothe our sorrow. And the rain of clouds as well. Just wait a moment. Did you not hear the verse, “Your sustenance is in the heavens?” Why are you stuck in this lowly place? Know your fears and despair as the voices of jackals. Every voice that lifts you up comes from those who are elevated. Know every voice that inspires greed as the sound of a wolf tearing apart men. This elevation is not in terms of place; these elevations are of mind and soul. Every cause is superior to its effect.
A spark is superior to flint. Even if one sits on the side of an exalted person, he is truly sitting above him, for that is superiority in terms of honor. A place far from the corner is low. Flint and iron are needed to produce a spark; because of their necessity, they may be considered superior to the spark. The purpose of the spark is the spark produced by flint and iron, so the spark is more advanced than them. The branch comes before the fruit in time, but it is superior to the branch in merit. For the tree’s purpose is the fruit; therefore, the fruit comes first, then the tree.
When the bear cried out from the dragon, that valiant man rescued him with this strength and killed the dragon. The dragon has power, but no cunning. You have cunning, but there is a cunning superior to yours! When you see your cunning and strategy, proceed; where did that cunning and strategy come from? Return to the beginning of that side, turn towards it. Everything in the low world comes from elevation. Come on, go, fix your gaze on the heights. Looking at the heights first dazzles the eyes but then gives them a light. Accustom your eyes to the light.
If you insist on staring into darkness! Do not see the end; it is a sign of your sight’s demise. One who sees only one game becomes arrogant, which leads him away from his teachers. Like Samiri, he became proud of a skill he possessed and rebelled against Moses.
For he had learned that skill from Moses. Yet he turned his eyes away from his teacher. There are countless skills and knowledge that turn around and disappear before a person becomes head! If you want your head to remain intact, be hesitant, seek refuge in the Qutb who possesses reason! Even if you are a king, do not consider yourself superior to him.
Even if you are honey, do not gather anything but from his honeycomb. Your opinion is an image; his is the soul. Your money is the heart; his is the mine. He is you. Seek yourself within him; “Ku, Ku – Where, where?” Be a fosterling around him! If you do not want to serve those who are blessed, be like a bear that has fallen into a dragon’s mouth. Perhaps a helper will rescue you from dangers. Since you lack strength and power, weep and lament! Since you are blind, do not turn away from the one who sees the way. Is it better for you to weep over your sorrow than a bear?
The bear was rescued from its suffering by crying out. O God, soften our stony hearts like wax, have mercy on us and respond to our cries!” A blind man said: “O people of the age, O companions, I have two blindnesses. Therefore, pity me twice over. For I am doubly blind; I am afflicted with this double blindness.” One replied, “We see your one blindness. What is your other blindness? Show it to us.” The blind man said, “My voice is ugly and my tone is unpleasant. My vocal ugliness causes grief to the people. Their pity diminishes because of my voice. Wherever my ugly voice goes, anger, sorrow, and hatred arise. Pity me for this double blindness.” And so, his complaint and lamentation eliminated the ugliness of his voice. The people’s compassion began to increase towards him.
When his heart’s beautiful voice was revealed, it beautified his voice, and the ugliness in his voice disappeared. But if a person’s heart’s voice is ugly, there are three eternal blindnesses in that person. But those who bestow blessings without fault and bribery may be able to offer a kindness to his ugly head. The beggar said, “If I were to speak this, my heart would stop, and my wits would fly away. If I spoke of the serpent, you would die from fear.”
[Metin ayni tema ve uslupla devam eder.]