Even the Crescent of Ramadan Feels Different

Logbook (Seyir Defteri Radio Program) | Episode 34 | August 28, 2008

We must first note that the distinction, that we see between the material and the spiritual, does

not exist in reality; we sometimes speak of the material or sometimes the spiritual aspect of

things by way of explaining them. There is no absolute distinction between the material (madd)

and the spiritual (manaw), or between the inward (btn) and the outward (zhir); they are

there to help us explain things in more comprehensible ways. That which has no matter, has no

meaning [in this realm of ours], and that which has no meaning cannot have a material body. If

we undergo certain material changes during the month of Ramadan, from the order of our meals

to that of our work, this is a clear indication that spiritual changes take place as well. Or, the

material changes occur because spiritual changes occur. Have the zhir and the btin ever

contradicted each other? The former is what everybody can see, whereas one must become a

rijl1 in order to see the btin. In the blessed month of Ramadan, certain changes invariably

happen inwardly and outwardly, and, in the context of the world and our Islam; these changes

1 Rijl is the plural of the Arabic Word rajul, man. But based on a Quranic yah in Srah an-Nr, the word takes on more than a literal meaning, transcending the outward gender. It is, in this sense, a tasawwuf term that means a real servant (outwardly male or female), who is never distracted from Allahs presence and remembrance. This is called the station of rijl, and, although plural, it is sometimes used as singular. When it comes to the meaning of this word, Turul Efendim always says, Who is more of a rijl; our Mother Khadija or you and me; Rabiatul-Adawiya or you and me? Who? Being a real man, a rijl is not by organs...

Srah an-Nr, yt 36-37: (This Light of Allah illumines) such houses (mosques and centers) which Allah has ordained to exalt (i.e. enhance their esteem and honor) and remember His Name therein. (These are the houses) in

which (Allahs servants) glorify Him morning and evening. * (Blessed with this Light) are those servants [rijlun] of (Allah) whom neither trade nor sale diverts from the remembrance of Allah, and from establishing Prayer and paying

Zakat (the Alms-due. Even while performing their worldly duties) they keep fearing the Day when hearts and eyes

will (all) overturn (with terror).

are not limited to Muslim-majority countries, they happen all around the world, because this is

the month when the Holy Quran descended.

***

Those who know how to look with their inner eyes,

can see the difference between the crescent of the

other months and that of Ramadan. This cannot be

explained; those who experience know. The month of

Ramadan, in the words of our Beloved Master

(sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), is so blessed, that he

said, "If a believer rejoices over the coming of

Ramadan, feels pleased, paradise becomes his due."

In another narration of glad tidings, our Beloved Master said, "A fasting believer has two joyous

moments; one is at the moment of breaking the fast, the other is when he meets His Lord." At

the iftar table, if it is only the body that is delighted, then there is something missing in that fast.

One of the possible physical effects caused by fasting is foul breath. In a Hadith, our Beloved

Master says, "The odor of the breath of a fasting person is the best smell that reaches Allah." All

kinds of bad breath originate from eating unlawful things; if all of what you eat and consume is

lawful, then your breath doesn't smell even if you eat onion, but, because it is not possible for

everything we eat, consume, or do, to be lawful, some foul breath is unavoidable. The beauty of

the odor of that breath in the sight of Allah comes from this; as we wait at the iftar table, we

state with our body language, "O Lord! We don't touch these lawful foods, that You have

bestowed on us, for Your sake." We consider Allah's sake, not our nafs' sake.

***

Every sin that we commit grieves Allah. We just think about the reward and punishment of things.

One must reach the state of satisfaction and contentment of "I have done what my Beloved said,

and I didn't upset Him." The ultimate goal should not be rewards or avoiding punishments; they

are but encouraging or deterring divine procedures. A Muslim is refined and conscious. Heaven

and hell are two creatures of Allah; an rif doesn't run after creatures!

***

Aren't we the ummah of a Prophet, who said, "O Lord! We couldn't know You the way You

deserve to be known!" [m arafnka haqqa ma'rifatik] Who are some people to say that they

have become perfect in every aspect and that they should be followed by all? Everybody, without

an exception, goes after Muhammad Mustafa, beside whom there is no other to be followed.

One can follow somebody who shows him the way that will lead to Him, but not everybody

follows this particular guide... There is only one personage that all humanity must follow, and he

is Ahmed- Mahmud-u Muhammad Mustafa, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam... If we don't explain

these correctly, some people tend to deify their teachers, murshids, sheikhs etc... This is a very

dangerous state and in some cases there is nothing to do to save these people. The person

guiding you to the right path is very important to you, but he is not as important to other people

as he is to you, because people have all sorts of dispositions.

***

The sublime value of fasting mostly

comes from the fact that it is a

collective act of worship. The longest

act of worship observed by the most

people is fasting. Rites of worship are

not to be done individually, they are

supposed to be observed in

congregation. Salt is made in

congregation, yet there is permission

to make it individually.

***

A certain reward is more or less apparent for every act of worship; people can sense the good

states that will take them to some kind of reward. There was a dervish serving Hz. Mawln Rm

for his daily affairs. Hz. Pr is a very polite person, who heaps compliments on those around him

for the smallest things they do for him, yet he never thanks this particular dervish. This attracts

the attention of Sultan Walad [his son] and he asks Hz. Pr about the wisdom behind it: Hz. Pr

says, "There is a reward for every good deed, and when we mortals give rewards, thanks, or

compliments for such deeds, we have paid them as mortals in our own right. If I thank him, he

will have received his reward more or less; so I don't thank him on purpose so that Allah may

thank him on my behalf; His reward and thanks are eternal!" Because fasting is the longest

collective worship, Allah Most High says, I, Myself, will give its reward particularly."

***

It is established by Quranic statements that Allah's punishment is burning like fire. But if you, like

an inquisition priest, attempt to interpret this burning quality as tar or natural gas or as different

kinds of tortures, you have clearly not understood those yahs. We have a saying, "Fire has fallen

into my chest" or "My inside is burning" (to express a great distress, mostly related to the loss of

somebody very close to you.) Well, open up your chest to me so that I can see if there is fire in

there? May Allah protect everybody from that, but, especially when somebody loses a child

what kind of fire, what kind of burning is that? Also, is it possible to learn Islam from somebody

who explains the Sirat Bridge as a tightrope? These are all symbols to help explain these subtle

points; you cannot explain heaven and hell by taking these symbols literally. The net result of all

acts of worship is to be with Allah, to live with Him 24/7, not receiving rewards or warding off

punishments... One of the ways to achieve this unity is fasting.

***

As we tend to so often repeat, one cannot build rulings from

translated texts. It is high time we dropped the attitude of "Let

me read the Qur'an and the Hadith and learn my religion!"

You can learn your religion from somebody who acts on what

he knows, whose face and presence unmistakably remind you

of Allah and His Messenger, who is very gentle and

benevolent, but who warns people regarding Allah when

necessary; in brief, you can learn your religion from a real

human being. The way to learn is doing. All of the other

sciences apart from Ma'rifatullah are but instrumental

knowledges. Ma'rifah is [this also colloquially translates as "the trick

is..."] to know Allah with Allah.

***

Umrah during the month of Ramadan is the most important visit of the Ka'ba after Hajj. Our

Beloved Master informs us that serving food to a fasting person at their fast-breaking table is a

special state. Lavish and showy iftar organizations do not befit Muslims, but it is a fard ayn, on

the other hand, to accept invitations; we cannot solve anything by avoiding such iftar

organizations; "let me save myself, I don't care what others do!" is not a good Muslim attitude.

You can go to such fast-breaking dinners and caution people in a brotherly way against the

lavishness of such grand dinners; without breaking their hearts, without making them feel

themselves inferior to you, without confronting them with their mistakes.

***

These eyes have seen a man lighting his cigarette at an iftar table five minutes before the maghrib

azan. In Islamic Law, there is no punishment for not fasting, but there is a prescribed penalty for

making it apparent that you are not fasting. A Muslim does not have the right or authority to

punish another Muslim for not fasting, but there exists in Islamic Law a penalty for eating and

drinking publicly, which is an utterly rude and unrefined behavior.

***

Most people wrongly say [in Turkish] that they are "reviving" [ihya] the month of Ramadan; no;

whatever you do, you cannot revive Ramadan; quite the contrary, Ramadan revives you with its

arrival.

With the host of the program Sadettin Acar. The photos are from March 26, 2012.