Related Papers
Lecture Series 2024 Humanity, Sufi Thought, and Healing
Lecture Series 2024 Humanity, Sufi Thought, and Healing
2024 •
Journal of the Institute for Sufi Studies
Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, with the support of Sufi Corner and Kerim Foundation, will organize a training program entitled “Humanity, Sufi Thought, and Healing Lecture Series” between 10-14 July 2024. The program will be held face-to-face at Üsküdar University. The languages of the program are English and Turkish.
I. Uluslararası Tasavvuf Araştırmaları Lisansüstü Öğrenci Sempozyumu
Hz. Peygamber Ahlâkının Bir Örneği Olarak: Semiha Cemâl Hanım’ın anlatımıyla Ken’ân Rifâî’nin Meşreb-i Şerifleri
2018 •
Arzu Eylul Yalcinkaya
“Finding Their Place: Sufism in Contested Religious Discourse in Afghanistan” - Üsküdar Üniversitesi - Istanbul - 1st International Sufi Studies Graduate Symposium
2018 •
Annika Schmeding
The Door of Mercy: Kenan Rifai and Sufism Today (International Symposium Proceedings, Volume 1)
2017 •
Nefes Yayıncılık A.Ş. Publishing, Ercan Alkan, Mohammed Rustom
İÇİNDEKİLER / CONTENTS • Carl W. ERNST - Preface • Mehmet DEMİRCİ - Kenan Rifai’s Life and Personality • Mustafa KARA - “The Wayfarer Desiring the Path of Truth”: Lessons from Kenan Rifai’s Poem • Osman Nuri KÜÇÜK - Kenan Rifai’s Understanding of Religion and Shari‛a • Hatice Dilek GÜLDÜTUNA - Kenan Rifai and Woman as the Mirror of God the Truth • Ercan ALKAN - An Evaluation of the book "Seyyid Ahmed er-Rifâî" in terms of the History of Sufi Literature • Semih CEYHAN - Ottoman Sheikh-Al-Islams Initiated to Kenan Rifai • James W. MORRIS - Kenan Rifai as Spiritual Teacher: Insights From His Lessons on Rumi’s Masnavi • Mohammed RUSTOM - Actionless Action • Bruce B. LAWRENCE - The Prophet’s Ascent: Sheikh Muzaffer, Ibn ‘Arabi and Kenan Rifai • Stephen HIRTENSTEIN - The School of Love and Knowledge: Reflections on Kenan Rifai (1867-1950) and Bülent Rauf (1911-1987) • Omid SAFI - Kenan Rifai: Timeless Sufi Teachings Made Timely for a Turbulent World • Carl W. ERNST - Kenan Rifai’s Teaching Method, and the Masnavi Commentary • Sachiko MURATA & William C. CHITTICK - The Importance of Sufism in Chinese Islam • Cemalnur SARGUT - Reading the Past, Present, and Future through the Lens of Kenan Rifai FROM THE BACK COVER TEXT One of the greatest Sufis of this age, in fact of the centuries, the sultan of the understanding of tawhid, a wayfarer on the path of the Prophet, a great perfected murshid, Kenan Rifai... If we are to listen to his understanding of the world in his words, “Just as there is no palm capable of holding an erupting - meaning exploding - volcano, so there is no power that can obstruct tasawwuf from spreading all around the globe.” CEMALNUR SARGUT ...These academic positions, named after this modern Sufi leader, are new initiatives in international education that aim to connect people and cultures in ways. In short, the legacy of Sufi ethics combined with the spirit of open inquiry in the modern university has the potential to open up new possibilities of community that are not constrained by narrow concepts of nationality, ethnicity, or religion. CARL ERNST ...Kenan Rifai’s Listen the “most significant contribution to understand the Masnavi to be published in the English language in over seventy years”, in other words since Nicholson’s majestic translation and commentary. This commentary is arguably the most relevant and helpful commentary on Rumi’s Masnavi available in English. OMID SAFI It is the task of the Kenan Rifai Chair in China to remind the Chinese world of the rich Islamic resources for understanding the human situation that are present in their own language. SACHIKO MURATA & WILLIAM C. CHITTICK ...Kenan Rifai wrote, said, related, and raised valuable people. This was his observable side. But while there might be signs of his spiritual personality and leaks from his internal world, knowing this side of him in the way it should be known would only be possible by being like him. MEHMET DEMIRCI
Journal of Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Theology
Tasavvufta Sembolizme Tipik Bir Örnek: Kenˊân Rifâî’nin ‟Rifâî Mihrâbı” Tasvîri/A Typical Example of Symbolism in Sufism: Kenan Rifai's "Rifai Mihrab" Depiction
2022 •
Hatice Dilek Güldütuna
It is known that Sūfīs often resort to symbols to bridge the abstract and ineffable meanings in the metaphysical realm to the mental level and the physical world. They use metaphors both for veiling and unveiling this invisible realm. Sheikh Ken'an Rifai's Rifā‛ī Miḥrāb depiction placed on the cover of his work Seyyid Ahmed er-Rifâî, the subject of this article, is a typical example of the symbolism in Sufism. Because the miḥrāb contains both the ṭarīqa elements called the dervish dowry and rich symbols about the degrees of the spiritual path and the nature of the Perfect human (al-insān al-kāmil). To better understand the truths expressed with symbols in the miḥrāb painting, the article titled "Commentary of the Miḥrāb and the Envelope" prepared by Kenan Rifai's successor Ziya Cemal was the first reference source for the interpretation of depiction. The depiction explains the meaning of the miḥrāb and the surrounding elements in the samā’ hall section of the lodges. It reveals that Aḥmad al-Rifāʿī has Ḳutb and Ghawth positions; it also tells that the Sūfī path and ṭarīqa aim to reach wisdom, perfection, and good morality (akhlāḳ) by the soul's (nafs) perfection. Through symbolic expression, it reveals the rank of people and the need for the guidance of a Perfect human being in this journey. Keywords: Sufism, Kenan Rifai, Rifā‛iyya, Miḥrāb, Symbol.
Sufiyye
Ken’ân Rifâî’de Dünya Algısı ve Dünya Hayatı’nın Önemi
2022 •
Hatice Dilek Güldütuna, Sibel Yel
The meaning of the world and the worldly life in Ken’an Rifai Ken’an Rifai (1869-1950), is one of the major sufi figures of the 20th century in the history of Turkish Sufism, who understands sufism (tasawwuf ) in its broadest meaning as oneness, that is, knowing, seeing and loving this world – which is laid before man as multiplicity- as one. We understand that Rifai, whom we have come across with many detailed explanations about the nature of the world and worldly life in his discourses and works, gives particular importance to worldly life as he sees it as the only opportunity for human maturity He accepts the realm of creation as an important level of existence and handles it mostly positively in terms of being the bearer of gnosis and humanity, and expresses many descriptions and metaphors about it from different aspects. To this end, this article focuses on Ken’an Rifai’s view of worldly life and the reasons behind the importance he places on it. The study examines Ken’an Rifai’s dis- courses, Mathnawi commentaries, as well as, his poems in order to understand his views about the world as a place of manifestation for the divine names. In his view, the world is the place of manifestation of divine names. It is the place where God’s love is experienced and divine knowledge is attained. In his perspective, heaven, hell, the right path (ṣirāṭ mustaḳīm), mīzān are all realities that can be comprehended in this world, and this world of multiplicity and trial is as much a place of the union as it is the place of education and training. He also believes that for those who recognize the names and attributes of God everywhere, this world is already a paradise and it is the perfect human being (al-insān al-kāmil) who teaches all these to people. Keywords: Ken’an Rifai, world (`ālam al-mulk wa’l-shahāda), wordly life, school of gnosis, pure heart (ḳalb salīm), knowledge, deed (‛amal), istiḳāma, perfect human being.
Doktora Tezi, Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi
Ken’ân Rifâî: Hayatı Eserleri ve Tasavvuf Anlayışı
2020 •
Arzu Eylul Yalcinkaya
Sheikh Ken’ân Rifâî, who outstands the unity and love in his Sufi views, draws a portrait of a Sufi that has a conscious personality and following a balanced and middle way. This state of balance makes itself felt in Rifâî’s understanding of religion and Sufism. Ken’ân Rifâî, a member of prominent and influential family, was born in Salonika, in 1867. During the Bulgarian ethnic rebellion against the Ottoman Empire, Ken’ân Rifâî moved to Istanbul with his family in 1876. Having graduated from Galatasaray High School, he worked for a short time at governmental offices of Sublime Porte. He then became a high-ranking administrator and teacher under the Ministry of Education. He was appointed in various cities of the Empire from Anatolia to the Balkans such as Balikesir, Adana, Bitola, Kosovo, and Trabzon. Ken’ân Rifâî received his Qadiri license from Sheikh Edhem Efendi and his Rifâî license from Sheikh Hamza Efendi. Upon his return to Istanbul, he built a Sufi lodge adjacent to his mansion and became an official sheikh registered in the Ottoman Council of the Sheikh in 1908. Ken’ân Rifâî continued to train his followers for seventeen years. With his written work and compositions, he had a significant contribution to the literature and culture of the Sufi tradition. He closed his lodge in 1925 with the Republican ban of Sufi orders without any opposition as he considered it as the will of God. Ken’ân Rifâî is an educator and sheikh of the 20th century. It is important to examine Rifâî's life and understanding of Sufism in order to better reflect on the Late Ottoman Sufi movements.
Şırnak Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi
A Late Ottoman Sheikh Ken’ân Rifâî: His Life, Works and Understanding of Sufism
2020 •
Arzu Eylul Yalcinkaya
Sheikh Ken’ân Rifâî, who outstands the unity and love in his Sufi views, draws a portrait of a Sufi that has a conscious personality and following a balanced and middle way. This state of balance makes itself felt in Rifâî’s understanding of religion and Sufism. In this article, I will examine the understanding of Sufism and life of Ken’ân Rifâî, one of the Late Ottoman Sufis and educators. Ken’ân Rifâî, a member of Plovdiv Dynasty, was born in Salonika, in 1867. During the Bulgarian ethnic rebellion against the Ottoman Empire, Ken’ân Rifâî moved to Istanbul with his family in 1876. Having graduated from Galatasaray High School, he worked for a short time at governmental offices of Sublime Porte. He then became a high-ranking administrator and teacher under the Ministry of Education. He was appointed in various cities of the Empire from Anatolia to the Balkans such as Balıkesir, Adana, Bitola, Kosovo, and Trabzon. Ken’ân Rifâî received his Qadiri license from Sheikh Ethem Efendi and his Rifâî license from Sheikh Hamza Efendi. Upon his return to Istanbul, he built a Sufi lodge adjacent to his mansion and became an official sheikh registered in the Ottoman Council of the Sheikh in 1908. Ken’ân Rifâî continued to train his followers for seventeen years. With his written work and compositions, he had a significant contribution to the literature and culture of the Sufi tradition. He closed his lodge in 1925 with the Republican ban of Sufi orders without any opposition as he considered it as the will of God. Ken’ân Rifâî is an educator and sheikh of the 20th century. It is important to examine Rifâî’s life and understanding of Sufism in order to better reflect on the Late Ottoman Sufi movements.
Niyâzî-i Mısrî Dîvânı’nda “Anlar Bizi” Redifli Gazelin İdrâk Yönünden İncelenmesi
2022 •
Hulya Tastekin
Journal of Islamic Review / İslam Tetkikleri Dergisi
From Learning Circles to Endowed Institutions: Zāwiyas of the Mosque of ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀs in the Ayyubid and Mamlūk Cairo
2023 •
Muhammet Enes Midilli
Zāwiya, as a polysemous term, refers to a Sufi institution, just as the concepts of khanqāh and ribāṭ (Sufi lodges). On the other hand, however, it also denotes more modest architectural and organizational institutions built in suburban areas. Nevertheless, the term zāwiya has also been employed in the Syro-Egyptian region for describing the institutions of the central mosques of cities, in which scholars and their lessons in religious disciplines were supported regularly by endowments. This article deals with the eight zāwiyas of the Mosque of ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀs in Cairo, and particularly the most significant of them, the Zāwiya of Imām al-Shāfi‘ī. By analyzing the narratives of two major khiṭaṭ (topographical urban history) works compiled by Ibn Duqmāq and al-Maqrīzī and comparing them with other chronicles and biographical dictionaries of the period, this article argues that the mosque-zāwiyas differed from the Sufi zāwiyas and that the zāwiyas, which formerly only denoted study circles held by scholars with their own initiatives in the mosques, turned into endowed, long-lasting, and prestigious institutions of learning with the proliferation of madrasas in Egypt during the 6th/12th century.
