SURAH AL-FALAQ
The previous week we began discussing a little bit on the Surah Al-Falaq, as we encountered the first part of the surah in which Allah Almighty anew with the same decree Kul – Say turns to the Prophet (PBUH) and in addition to us as well, it turns to each person who reads the Qur’an and establishes a direct link with it.
I am not sure whether I have mentioned it the previous times, but the crucial issue which has failed to be addressed by philosophers is the contact of the metaphysical with the physical. It is the matter on how to establish a relation with the beyond perception of senses, beyond the physical which we certainly cannot perceive through our senses, the matters within the physical, within nature.
The revelation is the establishment of the contact amid the creatures and the Creator. Man can experience metaphysics purely through the sacred dialogue, merely through the Noble Qur’an. Inasmuch within the definition of the Qur’an, when we define what the Qur’an actually is, amid all others things we say that it is Al mutaabbadu bi tilawatih, which means reading the Qur’an itself represents a particular ibadah / deity of Allah Almighty. For instance there are verses which speak on the matter of inherence, on the rights of inheritance; there are verses which speak on marriage, the marital status; there are verses which are greatly jurisdictional from the view point of the scripture, and yet at the end of these verses there is a last portion of the verse which reflects the spiritual dimension of the verse itself, in this last part it is said: these are examples for those persons who meditate; or as it is said, these are verses for those who think; or it is said: do not forget that Allah Almighty is sacred, blessed and the All-knowing. To a great extent the last part of the verses give the spiritual dimension to the verses, the scope of remembrance/ dhikr. When you will read the closing parts of the verses, observe and you will notice that the final parts of the verses, after the conversation of the entire verse might have been dedicated to this world, discusings matters of this world, the final portion results by conveying the spiritual link between the person reading and God.
Moreover in this surah we seek refuge, we seek protection from the Sustainer of the universe, of everything which exists, from Whom? Min sharri ma khalaq: from the evil, from everything which Allah Almighty has created.
Creation is an exclusive matter of God, nothing could be ascribed to creation but God. In essence God creates only what is good. The creation of the evil, again attains existence only from God, is thus created due to the inadequate contact of man with the given goods. Hence, despite man being the cause of the appearance of evil, we still seek refuge and protection in Allah Almighty from that evil.
Wa min sharri ghasikeen idha wakab: and I seek Your help from the evil of darkness when it has settled. There is one worldly philosophical movement which is known as, illumination or philosophy of light. In ancient times it was mostly advanced amid Persians. This was the situation before the arrival of Islam, but even afterwards within the philosophical movements, in the history of Islamic thought, we have two philosophical movements which have been most progressive among Muslims. First is peripateticism and second illuminist movement. Peripatetic is a Greek word which means walking, progression. It is pertaining to the Aristotelian teachings on thought, moreover amid the Muslims there is a group of philosophers who have followed the Aristotelian and Plato’s thought from the methodology of work point of view. Peritateticism is one technical characterization, for Aristotle has walked while he has taught in his academy, whereas his students had followed him from behind and from there this academy has received the name peripatetic. The Muslims have acknowledged this philosophical movement as meshaiyun,meaning those who walk. Moreover the philosophy of Aristotle from the doctrinal frame has nothing to do with walking, instead it is a philosophy characterized with the discourse features of the philosophical dispute on issues of ancient times and antiques. Do you know why I mentioned this? Since appointments of the name in most cases are technical rather than ideological. For instance even in the Islamic science we have a significant problem with designating the name of the science which issues matters dealing with defending the truths of faith, which in traditionalism is characterized as akaid, and now a group of scholars, with all due respect (Faqir does not have tendency to offend anyone, this has never happened, I have never offended anyone, but I want to transmit this merely as a phenomena, as a reality) are against this naming of the Islamic apologetics, of the science on defending the Islamic fundaments. They say this discipline is Teuhid-science on the oneness of God and they do not affirm rational arguments on the argumentation of God. Albeit both teuhid and akaid are technical names which do not have anything in common with the doctrine of science in linguistics.
Teuhid is one Akaid terming but not subject to the fact that it only discusses the oneness of God, yet moreover since in the early development there were only brochures on the matter of oneness and their written collections acknowledged as brochure of oneness / rislatu’t-teuhid, from there on even science in a particular period was acknowledged by this term. My point was to tell you that even peripatetic movement is the same.
The other group of philosophers are the illuminist philosophers, philosophers of enlighten or ishrakijjun. The illuminist philosophy among the Muslims has been transmitted from Persia and has been represented in the thought and ideology of Suhreverdit, Mulla Sadra Shirazi and so forth. The transmission of the methodology is neither problematic nor dangerous, since the Prophet (PBUH) says: “Seek knowledge even in China” China is mentioned not due to having a significant scientific development at that time, but since is known as the furthest country in the world. From the perspective of methodology, even today, we conduct the same approach. If we claim that Muslims scholars ought to not have adopted the Greek philosophical methodology, then we ought to also state that we ought not to adopt the contemporary methodology along with the contemporary manners of conduct at work as well.
The cultural and scientific inheritance is for the entire humankind, it does not belong neither to the Muslims nor to the non-Muslims. The scientific developments, let us say the period of the French Revolution and post the French Revolution, Humanism and Renaissance, more concretely the XVI, XVII, XVIII centuries are periods of the technological progressions in Europe. But what do you think? Do you believe this technological development in Europe fell from the sky, it suddenly began to progress, there was no platform whatsoever? Its platform stands in knowledge and science which has been cultivated in the universities of Andalusia, or the universities of Bagdad. The Muslims of the University of Bagdad and the University of Cordoba have also received this from the sky? No, instead they had also transmitted from some previous platforms, from ancient philosophy, from the Alexandrian school from the academy of Gundeshapur in Persia, whereas the latter received the knowledge from ancient Egypt.
The founder of the Greek philosophy, of the Greek philosophical mindset is Pythagoras; he is one mystic and his academy has been arranged by a mystical order. Even four – five generations post Pythagoras there has been no explanation regarding his philosophy, especially regarding his philosophy on music. As you know he is one of the most proclaimed precedent of music and mathematics. This is what I was intending to tell you, Pythagoras studied in Egypt and once he had returned from Egypt he wished to establish an academy (just like us now willing to represent an academy of Islamic thought, and this is our genuine purpose, the centric reasons to the lectures which we hold here is to establish an Islamic academy of thought which shall well-informed and up to date) and once he had returned to Greece he had thought on how to name his institute. He initially wanted to call it Sophia, and then said no, for we are not conducting Sophia, Sophia means wisdom, we are not conducting wisdom, since wisdom is sweet, in the content of wisdom there is aspired sorbet sweetness. Whereas we are far away from inspiration, thus we shall acknowledge it as Philosophia, meaning we shall be seekers, lovers of wisdom. Resultantly it is where the tradition of thought in ancient Greek has received this name.
I am not sure, but you might have thought on the thinker and the scholar? I say thinker from the perspective of an ideologue, a person who brings forth paths upon where he ought to walk. Anyone can become a scholar, anyone can memorize, can become a scholar, but not everyone can be a thinker. In order for knowledge to be transmitted to thought, to take place within an idea, it requires sweetness from inspiration and this is one very important matter. Pythagoras was convinced that this inspiration was a virtue of the Egyptians. The entire Egyptian Hermes Thoti inheritance, the Hermes inheritance, transmitted from ancient Egypt, is mainly a wisdom inheritance. In most cases surely that most of these matters appear foreign to us, since we have not had any contact with ancient traditions at school, in societal activities, or literature whereas for the west these topics are rather usual.
Hence, my point was to shed light that even the Greek philosophy, even though the west considers antiques for the fundaments of civilization, this is not correct, it has been adopted from the ancient traditions. It is not correct for a great portion of the achievements have been transmitted by the Egyptians, from the Indian culture, from the Chinese culture and so forth.
Even the philosophy of enlighten has been transmitted to Muslims from the Persians. Allah Almighty has mentioned darkness here. If we go through the comments of the Qur’an you shall notice that this refers to the darkness of night, for at night some dark obscene matters tend to take place. Malevolent people, mainly use the night in order to manifest their evil doing, night is one period when normal people rest and the outside scene is free for harm to be caused, thereupon in this context help, refuge, protection is sought from Allah Almighty from evil. Okay, but how is this help asked? Oftentimes this matter has been discussed. The conditions, first, must be fulfilled and only then we can seek refuge in Allah Almighty. The decree of religion is actual foremost important thing, and then we seek refuge from Allah Almighty. The period of the Muslim decadence is characterized as a period where people without accomplishing what is in their power, have relied on God. Such manner of conduct is not successful.
Whereas the opposite of this we have experienced in modernism. The contemporary times, in other words modernism, not postmodernism, is the period where without relying on God, only by entrusting on the physical conditions it is believed success could be attained. Inasmuch this manner of behavior and thinking has caused significant problems to the individual as well as the society.
Thereof the matter of praying, seeking refuge in Allah Almighty from darkness resembles the confide of the creature on the Creator from the evil which act suspiciously and in darkness, yet moreover it also resembles the seek for refuge from the absence of goodness, light. Thereupon with this verse we turn to God with prayers in order to protect us, our family and our society from the dearth of light, the good and the beautiful.
The Albanians, generally Albanians in all these regions, lack goodness and this lack of goodness leaves place for the eventuation of darkness. The world has never been justify without evil, there has always been evil in the world, evil has always been present, there have always been dark shades of silhouettes in society, everywhere in the world this took place, but goodness has never been absent. Allah Almighty in one verse of the Qur’an says: “Allah does not like the public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged. And ever is Allah Hearing and Knowing.” (Surah An-Nisa, verse: 148), which means that Allah Almighty does not prefer when people take evil for normal.
We have here a commodity which is halal (allowed) and haram (forbidden). Immediately without asking which one is halal or haram you take one. This shows that the understanding of haram is taken as normal, and this way of behavior is very dangerous. Qayamat it is, when evil is treated as a normal issue, then it should be clear that we are approaching Qayamat, the destruction of the world.
There is lack of graciousness among us currently, not there are no good people, not that there is not potential good, but there is lack of transmission and action of goodness. For the transmission of goodness two things are necessary. Nietzsche speaks on the ideal man, the supernatural man as he calls it; he says this man ought to have two important elements, even the Muslims ought to possess these two significant elements that is the reason why I mentioned it, man ought to be both Apollo and Dionis. Apollo is empire of wisdom in Greek mythology, whereas Dionis is the emperor of courageousness. Wisdom without courage is potentially good yet not functionally good, courageous without wisdom is evil. This is the situation among us momentarily. What should we do?
Professor Ismail Bardhi, one very acknowledged professor among us, one of the people whom I own a lot on this life, I am saying this in front of the camera in order for my words to be recorded and made available even post my death, a scholar who according to me is one of the best in the world, says a word which still utters to me: “Be careful not to lose the feeling of sacrifice since the contemporary times have lost the feeling of offering and sacrifice” the feeling of kurban. When this feeling is lost, then there is a problem.
The Muslim is never frightened from the challenges in life, because he has confidence in himself. The person who does not have any confidence in himself is scared from the challenges which life reveals. Not a single social phenomena, not a single social organization, cannot disrupt the Muslims, let me put it this way in the language of the people. He needs to believe in himself, to be strong and to participate in the entire challenges; this refers to the social occurrences.
The evil is organized yet this organized plan can be disrupted by a better plan, this is the rule. Thus, Wa min sharri gasikeen idha wakab, is one primordial prayer against the organization and representation of evil. Allah Almighty still knows better what meaning this beholds.
The Qur’an is universal, not only from the time lapse conception, but also from the embracement of space, it is fresh for each individual. For all of those who strive to be acquainted with themselves and the Creator through ibadah. If we wish to experience the spiritual peace, it is inevitable for us to stand facing the Creator.
Each one of us understands namaz differently, and experiences it differently. This is precisely the universality of religion, the universality of the contact with God is such; zakah, fasting, mercy, good deed doing, each one of us experiences it in a different way, but the crucial bridging point is that prayer and the position of standing before the Creator unites us with light and abandons the places where light is in scarcity. Prayer and remembrance of God moreover protect us from lethargy when evil reigns; lethargy, loitering, means to be passive and asleep, in delusion when evil has managed to reign. Such a situation is very dangerous for the future generations.
Some of you surely understand Turkish here. In one period in the course of the demonstrations in Turkey one slogan was used: “Susma, sustukça sira sana gelecek”- “Don’t be silent, for by being silent your turn will come”. This is the ending of those who shows lethargy towards the evil being practiced in society.
One time Sultan Suleyman had asked Beshiktasli Yahya Efendi “When will my empire be destroyed?” Beshiktashli Yahya Efendi is the sheihk of the Mawlawi Tariqah and one of the most significant scholars of his time, one acknowledged scholar of that time, a Sufi, a spiritual man of Sultan Suleyman. (The period of the Sultan Suleyman is the period of the reign of Tasawwuf in the Osman society. One of his siblings is also the founder of our tekkah Haribati Baba in Tetovo, Sersen Ali Baba, he is the brother of Mah-i Devran, Sultan Suleyman’s wife). Beshiklashli Yahya Efendi answers in a brief letter” Ne me lazım Sultanım” – What do I care for Sultan!!!” When Sultan Suleyman receives the letter he says: “Im sure my sheihk is mad at me that I didn’t go to ask him myself, but I send my courier” and he stands up takes his horse and goes to his shaykh himself. When he arrived in front of the takkah, he goes of the horse and walks on foot to his shaykh. This is the respect the empire ought to pay to wisdom.
In the west there is currently a phenomena of the transfer of the brain from one place onto another. Do you know why this takes place? Since the west respects knowledge, even the emperor respects it. This is precisely what Sultan Suleyman did, he did this not from fear of Beshiktasli Yahya Efendi, but rather because he respected knowledge and wisdom. He walks inside and says: “you are mad at me because I send my courier or what is the matter?” “No” says “I answered your letter, I am not mad at you at all.” “Yes” the Sultan says “then what do you mean, could explain what this means?” the shaykh answers: “When your people, something bad will happen to somebody from your people, I am trying to say that by what do I care about it I mean, if this doesn’t happen to me (the serpent who does not bite me, can live for 100 years, what do I care about, “ne me lazım” ) be aware that than the destruction of your empire has approached. Also when the sheep won’t be eaten by the wolf, but the farmer will steal them that is also when your empire shall perish.”
At these moments sheep are being stolen by its keepers, or in other words those who need to protect us, are the ones killing us, not only here, but generally in the world. The ones which we consider as leaders even in the Islamic world are the ones killing us. They transformed into “homo hominis lupus est” – “man for man has become wolf”
We here have the essence conveyed telling us why we pray to Allah Almighty, in order to protect us from the darkness of night both as a metaphor for darkness of night and moreover referring to reality.
I will say this last thing and I will stop here. The verses of the Qur’an contain two dimensions (at least two dimensions). One is the scriptural or real dimension, the literal one and second is the metaphorical language (the metaphorical dimension, this do keep in mind). The metaphorical dimension does not adulterate the value of the scriptural dimension of the Qur’an, let me give an example.
Let me stop at the illustration which I have above. I said that the darkness of the night is contained within the scriptural dimension, when night has arrived, burglars, the wrongdoers are out. This is scriptural, literal domain of the verse, whereas the metaphorical dimension infers that darkness of the night, is absence of light, absence of goodness and we can have other dedications here as well. Why did I encounter this? Since various comments on the Qur’anic phenomena are found. Muhammad Asad (we mentioned his book some time ago, if you recall the book by him is “The road to Mecca”, which I suggest you read, it is one very good book, a novel, a philosophical elaborative path, read in great delight, if of course you have the occasion to read it). For the dajjal he says: (you know that one of the signs of the qayamat is the arrival of Dajjal) that dajjal is television, for television is an eye which impishness on people, turns them towards it and abstains them from a great number of productive activities in this world; it is a statue a monument of procrastination. Imagine now here, if I prolong this lecture for one hour, you will begin to feel weary, but if we watched football, even if it had three sessions, you would watch it. As a result, television is very important if it is used as an element for the human multiple dimensional integration, whereas if it used for wasting time, it can be highly dangerous.
Let us go back to Asad’s saying. It does not necessarily mean that the metaphor of Muhammad Asad regarding dajjal is the Qur’anic message. The Qur’anic message is the dajjal, inasmuch the various metaphors which can be added are uncountable, but under one condition not to cross the physical reality.
Or Qayamat for instance, all the verses which speak on this significant event: qayamat, are also dedicated to small qayamats. The destruction of a family is one qayamat, and thus all the signs which are signs of the destruction of the world, cataclysms, moreover refer to the signs for the destruction of one family.
One of the small signs of qayamat is the excess of alcohol, profane lifestyle, excess of amorality, also valid for the catastrophe of the individual, the family and the society. The main purpose of communism was the destruction of the family, to kill courage, foremost that moral-ethical and later the social dimension.
Thank you on your attention.
