Lecture D

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate

THE TYPES OF THE SOUL

We first divide the creatures into two groups.

I- The living beings of the realm of creation

This group includes the simple or composite creatures that are made of more than 100 elements. They are seen by physical eyes and by touching upon them one can feel their existence. These are divided into four sub-groups.

II- The living beings of the realm of haqqiyyah

These can not be seen by physical eyes because they are subtle creatures, but they are alive and in motion.

1- The subgroups of the realm of creation divided by the degree of evolution are as below:

1- The matters and solid spirit

Stone, soil, water, air, fire, all solid matters, the sun, the moon, the stars, all galactic systems.

2- The vegetable beings and vegetal spirit

Grass, vegetables, fruits, all trees, moss and the like.

3- Animal type beings and animal spirit.

All types of animals living on land, the fish, and bacterium and microbial creatures.

4- Humans and HUMAN SPIRIT

All beings mentioned above have life, death, continuation of existence, reproduction, liveliness, motion and act, hearing, speaking, will power, intellect and consciousness. These qualities are also the qualities of the spirit and the spirit has the favour of the POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES of Allah that prove the existence of Allah. Therefore, the four group of beings mentioned above have innumerable members and each of which has a soul. You can find the details in the section of the known realities of the soul in this book.

Every living being has a soul. However, the degree of manifestation and appearance is not the same. The lowest degree is the spirit of the solid matters and as known as “solid spirit”. Vegetal spirit is one degree advanced and exists above solid spirit. Animal Spirit is above the vegetal spirit. The most superior one, the most complete and perfect manifestation is human soul. The spirit appears at each being in the capacity and scope that enables them to do the acts and deeds as per their creation purpose in the divine order in the universe.

In reality, there is only one single SOUL. This is the soul of our prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and called the FATHER OF THE SOULS. It ramifies from the mentioned degree and is divided into all creatures of the realms of creation and haqqiyyah. Each living being is strengthened with spiritual powers in accordance with its scope, abilities and aptitudes. The movements of the living beings, their deeds, their nourishing, their reproduction, their sight, hearing and speaking, their comprehension and consciousness, in short their materialization of the duties given to them within divine order all happen with the soul and with the powers of the soul. The branching out of the soul does not annul the fact that it is single and very powerful. The sea is very large and powerful in the scale of the world. It evaporates and turns to clouds, then comes down as rain. As the wind pushes the cloud, it spreads around the world as rain drops. Water grants life to each creature that enjoys the water in proportion to its capacity and need. Then water re-evaporates, and then comes down to the ground again and flows to the sea through streams, rivers and the like. It left the sea as single drop, and turns back to the oneness again. The unity and ramification of the soul resembles to the water example given above.

As we can see the liveliness, motion and life in the plants, animals and humans, and the fact that these attributes halt when they die, thus the existence of the soul is determined definitely.

We said ‘determined’ consciously, because the attributes of life and death that we see are not the soul itself, but its effects. Effects designate the existence of the cause that drives them.

We can not see at first sight by our physical eyes the attributes of the SPIRIT such as living and liveliness in solid matters such as rocks, marble, iron, copper and the like matters and consequently INTELLECT AND REASONING may start thinking that they may not have spirits.

When the rocks that have been staying motionlessly in the same place for thousands of years are analyzed scientifically and in a detailed manner, it is observed that they are alive and they have some motion.

As per the findings of the current physics, astrology, technology (all science branches ending with -OLOGY), all FIXED matters are alive and in motion and each one of them is full of potential energy. As per the Sufism, they have the honour of the Power attribute of Allah and they prove the existence of Allah.

“The world in which we were born and grew up did not exist at all approximately 15 billion years ago. Out of this non-existence we do not know why, through a BIG BANG, all of a sudden, subatomic particles were created, atoms and molecules were formed instantly, the matter started to get formed… The idea of electrons, protons, neutrons, neutrinos and photons reacting with one another and thus the creation of atoms and matters is adopted by the scientific community. “

Taşkın Tuna- pp-14

When we look at inside of an atom, we face a more impressive example. The small particles called electrons revolve around the orbits of the nucleus.

Taşkın Tuna- pp-53

It is understood that the FIXED MATTERS that look motionless at first sight are actually in motion when we look at them by scientific view point and through the microscope-like equipments. They are in REACTION, CHANGE AND REVOLVING and they constitute the first nucleus of the humans that are created perfectly and in the most beautiful form. The order, measure, precaution, aesthetic and perfection in the human organism make it compulsory to accept that these attributes also exist in the FIRST essential SUBSTANCE of humans. The above mentioned attributes are the properties of the beings that have intellect and consciousness. Therefore, subatomic matters, molecules and cells also have consciousness. Intellect and consciousness is one of the seven attributes that are known as positive attributes and the totality of the seven attributes make up THE BEING THAT IS CALLED SPIRIT. The explanation given above tells us that solid matters, too, have a spirit.

A verse in the Qur’an -regarding all living beings having a spirit- says:

“There is nothing that does not exalt with His praise, but you do not understand their exaltation. Surely, He is Clement, Forgiving.” (17/44, surah the Night Journey)

“All that is in the heavens and earth exalt Him. He is the Almighty, the Wise.” (59/24, Surah the Gathering)

In the both of above verses and in some other verses with similar meaning, it is told us that all that is in the heavens and earth, everything exalt Him. Exalting means remembering and mentioning Allah with the expressions appropriate for his glory. It is saying he is exempt from all imperfections and has all attributes of perfection.

Mentioning is remembering, i.e. saying with the tongue. Tongue here is a translator. Translator only repeats what is said to him/her, it is not possible he/she can add something from himself/herself. Therefore, understanding and comprehending the glory of deity of Allah Taala is within the capacity of the INTELLECT and THOUGHT. Therefore, the proposition and judgment that say all things in the heaven and earth have the consciousness and mind for knowing the glory of Allah. As we pointed out repeatedly, INTELLECT, THOUGHT, and CONSCIOUSNESS are the faculties and powers of THE SOUL. As the solid matters such as stones, marble etc are among the things that are in the heavens and earth, it is compulsory to accept that they have a SPIRIT.

After the oneness degree, the existence (al wujud) deigns at THE DEGREE OF SOULS due to the knowledge of forms, at this degree each one of the knowledge of forms appears as a simple essence. … These are not bodily substances.

At this degree, each soul knows itself, its peer, and its origin the venerable Allah.

“(He said): 'Am I not your Lord.' They replied: 'We bear witness (that You are).” (7/172, Surah al A’raf)

A hadith says:

‘Spirits are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with, and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along with.’” (Ahmet Avni Konuk, the Summary of the Fususu’l Hikem (Fusus el-Hikem Serhi), Volume 1, Pages 24-25).

Acception of the Rububiyah attribute of Allah Taala is the highest degree of the intellect, just because it contains the meaning of the first ayah/verse of the Sura Al- Fatiha. Rabb (Allah Taala) is known by the conception of Rububiyah. The worlds of Creation and Haqqiyah were created from the name of Rabb el’alamin.

The creation aim of the human being is understood through the meaning and truth of an ayah:

“They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge you have been given nothing.'” (17/85, surah the Night Journey)

The knowledge of the worship is a fard (obligation) and practicing this obligation will be possible by means of the powers of the soul, Life, Knowledge, Will, Power, Hearing, Seeing and Speaking.

HUMAN SOUL- THE MATURE HUMAN

This subject is explained in details in the section of the mature human.

The soul is ONE in terms of its general structure. As the deceased Avni Ahmet Bey (may Allah exalt his mystery) states, it is the manifestation and deigning of the absolute self at the third degree. Another explanation of the same meaning, the occurrence of Allah Taala by turning from the degree of one Self into the degree of attribute. Transformation is the deigning from the first degree. When water is boiled, it turns into STEAM form. Its name, colour, shape and taste are different. It is turning of water into another degree. Then it becomes fog, and cloud, rain, snow and hail. This is the transformation of the same essence to various degrees. Those who do not know its origin, suppose each one is a different matter. Even though the physical eyes see it as different and the gustative faculty feels different tastes, THE ESSENCE IS ONE. The multiplicity at six degrees branches out from the same essence. You can compare the transformation of the water to the existence degrees of God. However, this should be kept in mind that the existence of God is exempt from any kinds of transformation, resemblance, comparison and expression. But it is needed to explain the concepts of DEGREE, MANIFESTATION AND DEIGNING.

C- LIFE AND ITS REALITY

In general

In the section of the reality of the soul, adequate information is given as the two are interrelated. Life means living and liveliness and is a faculty of the soul. It is a comprehensive attribute that combined other faculties in its subtle structure.

As all realms remember and exalt Allah with their individuals and parts, they are alive and HAYY. This is proved with noble hadith, verses from the Qur’an and also confirmed with technological knowledge of our time regarding the structure of the matter. In summary this is the reality of life.

The word ‘realm’ is used frequently. Its meanings are world, universe and creatures. Calling all creatures as a realm is due to their being a reason for knowing Allah.

(Abdullah Yegin, Y. Lugat, pp-22)

As Special- The bodily life of humans

Humans are the fruits of the tree of universe. Each three has its roots, trunk, branches, leaves and flowers. They all work together to ripen THE FRUIT AND SEED as per the order they have taken. Their living comes to an end at the time their fate tells so. Each being is BORN, GROWS UP AND DIES. Animals, too, carry out the verdict of the divine fate. Death is not annihilation for them. Their existence as plants or animals ceases, but they start a new life as insects, bugs, bacterium or microbial beings. In the solid, inorganic matters, atomic structure and life goes on.

The end of the vegetal life is the continuation of the atomic life. In humans’ bodily life, four degrees of spirits and lives coexist; atomic spirit and life, animal spirit and life. Human soul and life comprise these. Knowing the details requires expertise. Actually there is no need for that. Knowing the basics and general information would be adequate.

The material structure of humans is the same with the bodily structure of animals in general. There is no difference of essential nature. Only there is difference of degree. For example, brain activities, the division of the nutrients between various organs via blood circulation, the burning of calories of foods via the oxygen of the air and providing heat, the working of metabolism all are similar for humans and animal in general terms. However, these are more developed, wider, stronger and at higher level in humans.

D- THE TRUTH OF DEATH

THE EULOGY OF DEATH

O HUMAN BEING, WHY ARE YOU AFRAID OF DEATH

THOSE WITH FEAR OF DEATH SHOULD KNOW SEVEN THINGS

1-THE FIRST, HE DOES NOT KNOW NAFS, SUPPOSING IT AS BODY

I.E. HE SUPPOSES NAFS, TOO, DIES WHEN BODY DIES

2- THE SECOND IS IGNORANCE, HE DID NOT KNOW HIS ORIGIN

NAFS IS AN ESSENCE, EXEMPT FOM DEATH

3-The third is both the fear and a torture from his nafs,

the fact THAT HE committed bad deeds torments him.

4-The fourth fear is that he left his possessions behind in the world

he earned it in unlawfully, he did not KNOW IT is a snake and fire for him

5-The fifth fear is whether his will be ın Sijjeen or Illiyyoon

if his faith was perfect, it is the degree of Illiyyoon

if his faith was weak, his place will be Sijjeen

6-The sixth fear of his that he supposed the world permanent

But all worlds are temporary, only the God is immortal

7-The seventh is not a fear, he died before his real death

Sidki! do not afraid FROM death, tHE death is the bounty of Allah

however, one should die here and resurrect there

so that he can meet the prophets, talk to the SIDDIQS (TRUTHFULS)

he get light from the martyrs, and pleasure from the good people

All- Graceful, All-Graceful free us from the darkness of the nafs

Show us the true path, let us fly and see the permanent kingdom

This eulogy describes the reality of death perfectly. The fear of death is the biggest of the fears. If these seven things about death are known, the fear disappears and turns to a bounty. We will explain these fears as per the order in the eulogy.

1- He did not know his nafs (self)…?

2- He did not know his origin…?

There are detailed explanations about the essence and the origin of nafs in the related chapters. Let us repeat them in summary. The reality and initial source of the nafs is not a material thing out of the bodily structure. It is created out of the LIGHT of the self attributes of Allah which includes his Eternity and Everlastingness attributes, too. Probably it has been created billions of years ago, it went through from an epoch to another epoch and finally went to the degree of the world we live in and settled in humans. A verse in the surah al Baqarah “We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.” (2/156) points out this fact. As humans do not know or wrongfully know this issue, THIS IGNORANCE CAUSES THEM TO FEAR FROM THE DEATH.

3- The third reason for the fear of death is one’s not knowing the commands of the Qur’an or not practicing them in his / her life and consequently the bad deeds he/she committed against the Qur’anic teachings. Among these sins, the ones he/she committed knowingly, even considering the Qur’an as an enemy and live contrary to what the Qur’an says will cause grievous suffering him/her.

A car manufacturing factory publishes a booklet about the working system of the car. The booklet says what the buyer of the car should do and what he should not do.

The buyer may choose not read the instructions about the working system of the car, but at least he should learn this from expert people who apply what he knows. Otherwise, he may break the car while he tries to use it.

The creator of the order in the universe is Allah Taala who teaches us the working system of the universe through the Qur’anic instructions. Those who do not obey and apply the commands of the Qur’an, or those who do so but wrongfully will face the suffering and discontent as result of their deeds.

4- The fourth fear is that humans leave behind all his belongings, money and assets.

His relatives, friends and neighbors accompany him to the cemetery, put him into the grave and turn back to their houses. Only his deeds will stay with him. If we made his money unlawfully, this will turn into SNAKE AND FIRE and give him another kind of suffering.

5- His fifth fear is his not knowing whether he will go to the sijjeen or illiyyoon.

“7 No indeed, the Book of the immoral is in Sijjeen.

8 What could let you know what the Sijjeen is!

9 (It is) a marked Book.

10 Woe on that Day to those who belied it,” (Surah al Mutaffifin 7-10)

“18 But, the Book of the righteous is in the 'Illiyoon.

19 What could let you know what the 'Illiyoon is!

20 (It is) a marked Book,

21 witnessed by those who are near (to Allah).” (Surah al Mutaffiffin 18-21)

GOOD PEOPLE CERTAINLY WILL ENTER THE PARADISE. The attributes of those with mature faith, those with no faith, or those who do not know the principles of Amentu (the Islamic creed) or those who know them incomplete are specified clearly in the Qur’an, the instruction book of the order of the universe.

6- The sixth fear is due to his supposing the world as PERMANENT. This wrong information caused him to waste his most valuable riches, i.e. his capital of life, in pursuance of his bodily needs. All existences in the world will perish. Only the Face of Allah will abide forever.

7- The seventh degree is the degree at which the fear of death disappears and death turns to a BLESSING for human. While the six fears and misunderstandings mentioned above vanish, persons experience (feel inside) dying before their death as per the hadith MUTU KABLE ENTE MUTU (die before you die!) and this state leads them to have the best attitudes. The command of our prophet (peace be upon him) as “die before you die!” is not to destroy our bodily existence that continues to live with the effect and commands of the animal spirit. Possibly it is knowing and observing with eye of certainty the truths of our life- first in the grave, then other stations of the afterlife (resurrection in the grave, great crowd for last judgment, reckoning, the scale, the bridge, the hell and the paradise) after the life of our material structure- which is in the hands of animal spirit -ceases to exist (inevitable death).

One of the wise persons (may Allah exalt his mystery) said:

Those who achieved the mystery of death before death see the resurrection and the great crowd even before the trumpet is blown

Semseddin Sivasi

In 1965 we were performing the night worship in Ramadan in Istanbul in Suleymaniye Mosque. At 8th or 9th cycle of the salat, one of the saints was in spiritual ecstasy. After the prayer I asked what the reason was. He said the prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions passed through the sky over Istanbul.

The next day we were going towards Topkapi with the same person. While we passing by Edirnekapi city walls, we read a sign with an arrow to Topkapi direction saying “ELEKÇİ BABA = SIEVE FATHER. There were many sieves on his grave as small as the palm of the hand. I asked the old lady there what these sieves stand for. She said, this person is called sieve father and he is a saint. In his life, he used to say his visitors that he sifted them and explain whether they passed the sieve through or not. That is why he is known as SIEVE FATHER. My friend pointed out the grave with his hand. We recited the Qur’an. After the pray, he said ‘what the lady said is true, he sifted us, too’.

Being able to know what is going on in the graves and what is passing through the hearts: our aim with discovering what secrets and thoughts are passing through the heart of the seeker of the true path is to render them educational knowledge, teaching them that death is not annihilation, and educate them about the life in the afterlife and its stations via observation-based knowledge. The discovery was made by MEHMET AYHAN, a disciple of Hajji Bekir Effendi, who died in 1956 in Izmir (May Allah pleased by him).

In 1964, we were going to Konya with our spiritual master the venerable hajji Mehmet Ruhi to visit Mawlana. Our bus stopped in Karaman. Our sultan said that there was a masjid near the road and within that masjid existed the grave of the mother of the venerable Mawlana and we should have visited her. The grave was at left hand side of the rear of the masjid. Then we prayed. After the pray, the Effendi said to me ‘The lady mother has appeared and put her hand on her breast and the milk has started to gush out and she said she is offering us the milk with which she breastfed Mawlana”.

The travel was over and we were inside the tomb of Mawlana in Konya. After the pray, I am next to four graves called Horasan Soldiers near the road. Above the graves was some Arabic scripture as circles one within the other in a frame with glass. I tried to read them.

There are phrases like the realm of Humans, the physical realm, the realm of power, spiritual dominion etc. I could not understand what sufistic truths they stood for. I got a paper and a pen and wrote the ones I was able to read. There were some verses from the Qur’an, too. I left that place with the ardent desire to find out what it was about. I was in sort of spiritual ecstasy. Then I met our effendi and in a teashop we drank five o’clock tea. I read what was written in the paper and asked him. He did not reply there.

The next day we were in the Selimiye Mosque near the tomb after the Morning Prayer. Then we have sipped breakfast tea in the same tea shop. Effendi started to talk:

“I was in spiritual contact state after the prayer. The venerable Mawlana appeared and explained what you wrote and then asked about. I, myself, asked him the reason for the tallness of the caps of mawlavi dervishes.

Mawlana had died 700 years ago from this incident. But his face-to-face meeting with our effendi at the time (1964) shows with the eye certainty that death is only the soul’s leaving the body and it continues to live with human soul and ALL personality and INTELLECT at the time of death continue.

The skin is mortal, soul does not die, those who passes away do not return

Only the body dies, souls never die.

Yunus Emre

THE TRUTHS OF THE LIFE IN GRAVE

We are unable to get exact information about the situation the soul is in during the sleep, during the time of death and the life in the grave and the relation between the soul and nafs natiqah at these three times. For some reason Allah Taala gave us very little information about the soul. However, He did give some.

The verse says:

“When your Lord brought forth descendants from the loins of Adam's children, and made them testify concerning them (He said): 'Am I not your Lord.' They replied: 'We bear witness (that You are).' Lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: 'We had no knowledge of this,” (7/172, Surah al A’raf)

THE RELATION BETWEEN THE SOUL AND NAFS NATIQAH

The first encounter of the soul and NAFS starts with the addressing of 'Am I not your Lord. (He said): 'Am I not your Lord.' They replied: 'We bear witness (that You are). It must be the soul that answered to the question of ‘Am I not your Lord? as 'We bear witness (that You are)”, because this answer can be given only by a being with intellect and consciousness. The other faculties of the intellect and the soul have the ability to give this answer, since they are favoured by the positive attributes of Allah.

Nafs is one degree more condensed after the realm of spirits compared to the realm of dreams in sleep, the fourth degree. The information of how much deigning took place from the realm of spirits to the realm of dreams (in sleep) is known by Allah only. The realm of dreams is the realm of imagination; the figures seen in dreams are similar. The figures that exist materially in the conditions of the world look like the figures seen in dreams and imagination in the realm of dreams. During the makings of movies, the actors are there with their physical structure, but they appear in the screen as shadows or imaginary beings. These imaginative scenes prove that the soul and nafs are together.

A hadith of the prophet decrees as follows:

‘Spirits are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with (there is a harmony among them), and those whoM have hatred against THEM, they will not get along with (they disagree).’”

A.A. Konuk, Fusus Şerhi, (the Summary of the Fususu’l Hikem), Vol 1, pp 24-25

The properties of lining up or being together are something that those who have consciousness can do. Having a consciousness is one of the faculties of the soul and happens with the participation of the soul. Consequently the correctness of the proposition that NAFS and the SOUL exist together in the realm of dreams is understood. While explaining the 54 obligations (fard) that specify the basic tenets of Islamic faith; our author, our spiritual master the venerable Visali accepted as obligatory to affirm the ETERNAL VERDICT physically in the realm of dreams saying 'Am I not your Lord.' 'We bear witness (that You are). AMENTU (the Islamic creed) that specifies the basic principles of the Islamic faith contains the 54 obligations (fard). The perfect faith is only achieved like this. The classification of the 54 obligations that occur in the basic Islamic instructions books is produced by putting the principles of PRACTICE and THEOLOGY together. According to our perfect spiritual master who graduated from the Fatih Madrasahs and having expertise in the knowledge of external sciences, there are 54 obligations in the RELIGIOUS PRECEPTS science of Islam that analyzes the principles of FAITH and BELIEF, and the aforementioned section regarding the addressing of 'Am I not your Lord’ Is one of these mentioned obligations (fard). There are 32 more obligations regarding the PRACTICAL PERFORMANCE which will be classified in a separate section. One important point here is the addressing of 'Am I not your Lord’ took place in the realm of dreams. Affirming the eternal verdict physically does not mean affirmation by the three dimensional (width, length, depth) body, but by SUBTLE MATTER – that represents the image in the dream in sleep, i.e. the realm of dreams.

NAFS AND SOUL IN THE PYSICAL REALM (LIFE IN THE WORLD)

Nafs, being together with the soul in the realm of dreams as resembling the images in the dreams, steps in again directed toward the world, in other words, it sets out a travel towards the world. The first station it stops at is the fire, and then it is in the air for some time. Thus as per the divine program specifies, it stays for some predetermined time at each station it stops by, and it calls by the water, the soil, mines, plants and grasses and animals respectively and thus it completes its deigning, descending. Then it turns into animal food and then to sperm which sticks to the womb of the mother. After 9 months and 10 days passed it becomes a human. Niyazi Misri (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions these truths as a journey of his soul as creatures in nature (sun, cloud, rain, plant etc.) in his poem.

According to our venerable spiritual master, the time passed from the realm of dreams to be born as a human is 50 thousand years. Here the traveler is our nafs that is our essence and origin and that has been favoured by God’s positive attributes like eternity and everlastingness.

If one asks where the SOUL that they were together in the realm of dreams is? There is an indirect indication in the following hadith which was quoted from Abdullah Ibn-i Mas’ud.

The creation of one of you is like this: In the first FORTY DAYS the cells are added up in his mother’s womb. Then in the second forty days he becomes a leech-like structure=blood cloth (alaqah), then after another forty days he turns to be an embryonic lump (like a chewed substance) (mudghah). Then Allah sends down four angels who record his SUSTENANCE DURING HIS LIFETIME, HIS TIME OF DEATH, HIS DEEDS AND WHETHER HE WILL BE A WICKED OR UPRIGHT PERSON, and then they breathe into him of his spirit.

The Encyclopedia of Hadith, Vol 13, pp-360

The formation of the human in the womb of the mother is stated. According to the hadith above within 40 days the main lines of the organs appear, and then an angel was sent down who breathes into the human the SPIRIT. Therefore, it is understood that the SOUL is not around before (within preceding time span of) the passing of the SPERM to the womb.