DÖRDÜNCÜ BÂB · ÜÇÜNCÜ FASIL · Dördüncü Madde
The Fourth Article
It states that the wisdom of the saints is sweeter and more superior than their words,
that it has a greater effect on hearts, and that possessors of divine wisdom are more
knowledgeable and virtuous than scholars.
O esteemed one! Know that the friends of Allah have said: The heart of a wise saint
is more compassionate and pure than the heart of a thousand scholars.
The words of scholars also heal the sick, but the words of a sage bring life to the
dead (those found spiritually dead). The sage’s knowledge is a sacred arrow, and his
speech is its bow. The heart is the target of this arrow. He who shoots the arrow is
the Ever-Living, Sustaining Lord, Most High, and error is not attributable to Him.
The scholar's trade has capital from others; but the sage’s trade is with his own
capital. Knowledge is silver, gnosis is gold, and wisdom is a jewel.
When a question is asked, the scholar answers; he expresses an opinion. The sage,
however, states excuses for not answering. The scholar is below what he says to the
people, while the sage is above what he says to the people. The populace, being
guided by their desires, are foolish and ignorant, giving rulings as they please. He
who remains silent in nine out of ten questions asked and answers one is a sage.
The sage’s tongue and heart have been purified from anything other than God. Therefore,
wisdom flows from his heart to his tongue.
As it happened that Imam Ahmad bin Hanbel and Imam Shafi'i were together
discussing the expiation of missed prayers, a shepherd, one of Allah’s saints, came
to them. Imam Ahmad requested permission to test the shepherd, but Imam Shafi'i
(may Allah be pleased with him) disapproved and did not deem it right to pain his
heart [299/a]. Nevertheless, Imam Ahmad asked the shepherd this question: "What do
you say about a believer upon whom such a thing happens—consider it carefully—that
he has missed one of the five daily prayers but forgotten which of the five he missed?
Which of the five should he make up?" The shepherd looked at him attentively and
replied, “That person was heedless; he must make up all five.”
When Ahmad bin Hanbel heard this, he fell to the ground in awe of the reply. The
shepherd then rose and continued on his way. When Imam Ahmad regained
consciousness, he remarked that the shepherd’s answer was most accurate and
expressed his admiration for his majesty:
“If it is thus with a saint in the guise of a shepherd, what then of the scholars?”
he reflected, taking heed. Thereafter, he entered the path of love, becoming one of
the foremost among the saints after being an Imam.
The scholar safeguards himself through knowledge. The sage, however, strives to
abandon the self and negate existence, constantly safeguarding his Lord. As it is said
that Imam al-A’zam Abu Hanifa (may Allah be pleased with him), despite being one
of the foremost among the saints, addressed Ibn Ethem as "Our Master Ibrahim." When
his companions asked about the reason for this reverence, he replied: “We safeguard
ourselves through our knowledge. But the saints forget their own existence and
safeguard their Lord through wisdom.”
The scholar is in great need of those possessing wisdom. The sage has no need of
scholars. As it happened that Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was in need of
Khosrau (peace be upon him) and went to converse with him. Khosrau, however,
was not in need of him and departed. The masses are guided by the admonitions of
scholars and disciplined through their company. Scholars, in turn, are disciplined by
the words of those possessing wisdom. Those possessing wisdom are only disciplined
by their Lord, as it is narrated: “My Lord disciplined me; how beautifully He
disciplined me.”
Just as ignorant and deficient masses—like animals with very limited capacity for
learning—must first go to someone knowledgeable to learn the details and
procedures, perhaps learning grammar, Arabic, logic, and how to use reason. They
become scholars and attain maturity to act upon what they know. Yet, even then,
their selves remain in their original state of ignorance and deficiency.
Then, if that scholar goes to the presence of a perfect guide (murshid), he learns
gentle manners and composure, beautifies his character. Perhaps he then treads the
path of spiritual practice, reaching the seven stations. [Perhaps at that time] he
becomes a knowing and perfected servant through servitude to the self.
The perfect human being arrives at his own heart and is present with his Lord,
observing His wisdom and constantly attending to it. He acts according to the
provisions of the true religion and follows in the footsteps of the Prophet. He attains
servitude with reverence and tranquility, reaching the end of servitude. All the
subtleties of religious manners and rites manifest within him. The beauties of
knowledge and gnosis are revealed through his person. For the perfect human being
finds the friendship of his Lord in the peace of his heart and in His friendship. He
knows Allah’s anger from the constriction of his heart and his distance from Him. With
this sign and good news felt within his heart, he speaks with wisdom:
A couplet:
1. The trace of Your generosity and wrath is joy and sorrow on the tongue;
Command and prohibition are evident in that joy and sorrow.
2. If grief comes, surely you have committed a sin, seek forgiveness; for heartfelt
joy is a sign of every good deed.
It is said that one sage, from among the saints, went to another sage and said, “I
wish to ask you a question.” The other replied: "To ask a sage when you should be
consulting scholars is like a sultan, lost in the desert, asking for directions not from
shepherds who know the way well, but from another sultan."
One of the ancient customs of those possessing wisdom is that they remain silent
when in company with others and attain union and tranquility with their hearts. When
a question is asked, they give an answer that descends into their heart from God. Such
is the wisdom possessed by one.
Sensin ey aşk! Her canda söz söylersin. Âşıkların dilinden sözü, ancak sen söylersin.
Sevgilin, daima ezelî olan Hazreti Allah’tır. Onun için daima, aslî vatanın sevgisini söylersin.
Sevgilinin güzelliğiyle zevk ve safâ buldukça, cana can bağışlayıp ondan yine ten söylersin.
Her sözün sevgi ve aşk konusunda hatasızdır. Sen ki ay yüzlü sevgilinin yanağını söylersin.
Ermişler ordusu içinde çünkü Mansûr oldun. O sebeple dar ağacından, yağlı urgandan söylersin.
Yusuf’un müjdesini mahzun Yakub’a götürüp; Sevgiliye Üveys el-Karnî’nin safvetinden söylersin.
Hakkı’ya daha ne kadar “sözü ifşâ etme” diyecekler. Ne yapsın o meczup âşık ki bunu sen söylersin.
Hikmet ehlinden bir zata denilmiştir ki; “Camide otursan da, halka faydalı olsan.”
O kâmil buna şöyle cevap verdi: “Camide ancak cami (insanları etrafında toplayıcı) özelliği olan oturur. Hâlbuki ben toplayıcı değilim, toplanmışım.”
Hak teala ârifin kalbinde hikmet ağaçları dikmiştir ki onları ancak açlık suyu ile sular. İlahî hikmet sahibinin kalbiyle olan hâli, bahçıvanın bahçesiyle olan ilgisi gibidir.
Hikmet ehlinin hâli ve şânı şudur ki daima gönül bahçelerine girer. Bunlardan her birinde Hakk’a lâyık olmayan şeyleri temizleyerek koparır.
İlk önce tevhid bağına girer; orada şirk ve şüpheye dair ne bulduysa hepsini söküp atarak temizler. Sonra tevekkül bahçesine girer; orada korku ve endişeye dair ne bulursa hepsini söküp atar. Sonra tefvîz bağına girer; orada tedbire, istemeye ait ne bulduysa hepsini söküp çıkarır. Sonra sabır bahçesine girer; orada sabırsızlık, acelecilik adına ne bulduysa hepsini söküp atar.
Sonra rıza bahçesine girer; orada öfke ve gazap adına ne bulduysa hepsini söküp atar. Sonra marifet bağına girer; orada nefse, hevâya ve mâsivâya ait ne bulduysa hepsini söküp çıkarır. Sonra muhabbet bağına girer; orada başkalarına meyledip itibar etmek gibi, halka hoş görünmek gibi ne bulduysa hepsini söküp çıkarır. Sonra hikmet bahçesine girer ve orada bulunan ağaçları açlık suyu ile sular. Böylece o bahçenin çiçekleri açar, meyveleri tam mânâsıyla olgunlaşır; bunların zevk ve lezzetinden canına can katar.
İşte o hikmet sahibi iki cihandan kaçıp bu bahçeye sığınır. Vahdet denizine dalar. Er geç her muradına nail olur. Aklı olan evliyânın hikmetine meyleder, onların sözüyle amel eder. Ârif olan bu hikmete vâkıf olur.
Ganimet keseleri, hikmet medreseleridir. Hikmetten zevk almak gerçekte en büyük nimet ve ganimettir. Evliyânın hikmetli sözlerini kalbinde muhafaza eden, hakikatten nasibini almıştır. Evliyânın hikmetiyle konuşanın kıymeti azîz ve yüce olur. Kalbin derinliklerine yol alan ârif, küllî akıldan hikmet dersi almış olur. Hikmet ilmiyle dolar, sınırsız bir umman olup gider.
Mu‘allim aşkdır genc-i sükût olmuş debistânı
Sebakdır bilemen dildir anın tıfl-ı sebak-hânı
Lisânı bî-zebânlıkdır bu fâzıl kâmil üstâdın
Velî âlemde yok anın lisânın anlar akrânı
Gönül çün bilemen zevkin bulur her defter-i fikri
Ki yazmış kilk-i akl anı ider mahv âb-ı nisyânı
Tavîlü’z-zeyl bir tomardır bu bilmemek ilmi
Ki ömr-i câvidân içre bulunmaz hadd ü pâyânı
Şühûdü’l-hakkı fi’l-kalb oldu mazmûnında bir nükte
Sevâdü’l-vechi fi’d-dâreyndir memdûh unvânı
Tasavvur idemem bir kimse tasdîk ide bu ilmi
Mu‘arrif olmadıysa keşf ü hüccet zevk ü vicdânı
Ulûmın enfa‘ı hikmetdir anı aşkdan öğren
Rümûz-ı pîr-i aşkı anlamakdır ârifin şânı
İlâhî izzetin Hakk’ı enîs it cânıma aşkı
Ki anın hikmeti zevkiyle kendümden olam fânî
Fakîrullâh’ı Hakkı’dan iyân seyr eyleyen ârif
İyân ehlidir ol neyler delîl-i akl ü burhânı
7. The most precious of sciences is wisdom; learn it through love. The adept’s honor and distinction lie in understanding the allusions of love.
8. O Divine One! For the sake of love, grant my soul this very love, so that through its wisdom and relish I may transcend myself and disappear.
9. The adept who sees the Poor-of-God [93] with the eye of Reality is a person of the heart; what use are rational proofs or demonstrations to him?
1. Calculation and geometry are not knowledge; they are ignorance itself. You have read *al-Hidāya wa’l-Bidāyah* [86], but do not consider it guidance.
2. The spheres, elements, and formations are the waves of that ocean. The essence of existence is therein; that is wisdom – know it.
3. Wisdom is the pearl of the sea of Divine Truth, a single pearl unpierced. Abandon illusion, understanding, reason, and intellect; let those drills be broken.
4. The spheres, elements, and formations are the waves of that ocean. The essence of existence is therein; that is wisdom – know it.
5. *Lā jarama* [Surely], the heart became the dwelling of the Masjid al-Aqsa.
6. Because you have become Mansūr within the army of the perfected, therefore you speak from the gibbet and the oiled garrote.
7. The adept who sees the Poor-of-God [93] with the eye of Reality is a person of the heart; what use are rational proofs or demonstrations to him?
8. To know God is to be near the angels closest to Him (the *karūbiyyūn*), to have faults veiled, and is an expiation for sins. Knowing God is known as wisdom; its many blessings are mentioned in the Noble Qur’an. Whoever seeks this must accustom themselves to enduring hunger and thirst. Knowledge and wisdom are inseparable, like body and soul. As it is said in the verse: