THE SINLESS

As it is known, every scholar has interpreted religion according to himself. The problem is to choose the most proper one for the essence of religion. Religious interpretation of the Sufis is the most appropriate for Islam because Sufism is the teaching of the essence of religion. It is not interested in the exterior aspects, rules and canonical laws, shortly in details. Sufism tries to teach Allah, Nature, Man and the realities of them. The beauty, order and wisdom in nature are the reflections of Allah on the nature. Nature is the work of Allah and Man is the greatest work of Him, because he is consisted of a body and Spirit (Mind). He is the most superior of all the worlds because he is the synthesis of the inner and outer worlds. Sufis try to live this knowledge, order, wisdom and beauties in nature and see the physical and spiritual beauties in human and learn the realities of them.

Briefly, Sufism is the Knowledge of Allah, Wisdom and Love. Sufis know that Allah is the essence of Man (Human) and nature. This is infinite knowledge and wisdom. To know the Absolute Existence is to fall in love with this Absolute Beauty. Sufism does not deal with the Canonical Law and Jurisprudence. It does not care about the Catechism except enough knowledge for performing the worship. Shariat and Tariqat are not his aims, they are not essential but only the details, symbols and ways. A Sufi looks for Allah, who has encompassed both the Earth and the Heavens and who is the infinite knowledge, beauty and energy, in human and in his heart.

Again, a Sufi would like to learn wisdom and reality through deep contemplation and to love the Divine Beauty (the Absolute Beauty) through the beauties of human and nature, that is to say, he tries to acquire real love by spiritual love.

The result of this is good moral qualities and honesty that means to consider the benefits of the society more than his own benefits and to be realistic and sincere by abstracting completely from hypocrisy. It is to struggle against his own carnal self and desires but not of the others’, leaving all kinds of fights, arguments, mischief and intrigue. It is to be merciful, generous and pleased with the little in this life and also to oppose violence and terror.

A real Sufi is against formal Islam. He does not attach any importance to Madrasa, Tekke and Mascid (places of worship).He finds reality in himself and seeks Allah in his heart. His place of worship is his heart because the real tekke and mascid (mosque) is the Heart. The most important thing for the heart is the Remembrance (Ziqr) and the Love of Allah (the Remembrance of the heart and the love of the heart). This is not an external remembrance or physical love.

It is deep contemplation (thinking), remembrance (to remember Allah and never forget Him) and more importantly, to love God, the Perfect Man (Adam), who is the great and mysterious work of Him, his children and nature.

It is to become mature while being immature and to reach perfection. All the Sufis have explained it in this way. This humble servant (fakir) has already explained Sufism in details in the books we have written so far, such as: “Varlık (Existence)”, İslâm’da Mezhepler ve Yükseliş”, “Muhammed-İsa-Adem (Muhammad- Jesus-Adam)” and in others. Yunus Emre and Sayyid Ahmed er Rufai Hz. also summarized Sufism, which is a divine sea, as follows:

“Shariat and Tariqat is a way for the one who reaches them. Marifat (Wisdom) and Hakiqat (Reality) are in the heart”

(*) The Poet Neyzen Tevfik meant to say that the striking appearance of these rituals is ornamentation. However, he indicates that he is respectful to the real meanings of these places.

Sources: “Yunus Divanı”, “Onların Alemi” by Sayyid Ahmed er Rufai, 25^th hadith

The earth has become meaningful with human being since the first man until our time. Good man, bad man, ignorant man, wise man….. While these happened, the History of Humanity continued and it will continue as long as God permits.

Man is helpless or weak in the process of how he will draw seventy thousand curtains between himself and his Lord, who is his source. We cannot ignore this truth either. In other words, humanity wants to unite with his origin, with his sovereign whom he misses and for whom he composed hymns. However, he does not know the method or the way to do this.

Allah the Most High, who loves his servants very much and sends them to the world as “His caliph, His Deputy”, has brought up some “innocent people” who will teach other people the secrets of reaching (meeting) Himself, who will “train their Spirit” and meanwhile purify their self. Meanwhile they will make them taste attaining the absolute freedom by opening them up to eternity freeing them from their wild carnal desires. The Perfect Men, who were brought up, have brought up the next one and they have brought up the following ones. They are called as “the Perfect Men” under the names Apostle, Prophet, Saint, Messenger etc.

However, the Satan has an eternal function or duty: to be the enemy of man. Wherever and whenever there has been a Perfect Man, wild, cruel creatures that have taken the shape of men in cooperation with Satan have struggled against these innocent, pure Perfect Men:

Kabil against Habil, the Pharaoh against Hz. Moses, Nimrod against Hz. Abraham, Abu Sufyan against Hz. Muhammad, Muawiyah against Hz. Ali and the cursed Yazid against the Shah of the Martyrs: Imam Husayn.

The more interesting point of this matter is these opponents opposed to them either accepting themselves as a God or excluding Allah, the Sole God, from the Perfect Man completely. Allah the Most High said in the Glorious Koran: “Those who swear fealty to you, swears fealty to Me.” (Al-Fath, 10) However, they said: “Shall mortals be our guides, shall we obey “MAN” while there is Allah “and they become disbelievers.” (Teghabun, 6)

In the West, the Protestants; in the East, Wahhabis, who were under the influence of Ibni Taymiyya’s opinions, started to say that nobody can interfere between Man and God (even by means of Spirit).

In other words, they mean to say there is a road, a vehicle but no need for a driver; or there is flour, an oven but there is no need for a cook. No! No! Our first father the Prophet Adam (May peace be upon him!) taught human beings the way of meeting God as well as teaching them planting wheat, lighting a fire and carrying water. For, the first Perfect Man who came to the world was Adam.

If we accept the man as a being with only external organs, that is to say, a being that worships with only his hands and arms, then how will man pass to the next world, to the beyond from this physical world? How will he meet the Sovereign of the Worlds and His own sovereign as well? Therefore, there is a need for the Perfect Men who will enable the spiritual connection between himself and his Lord and meanwhile the matters concerning the order of the society and the happiness of the human beings. They are the Perfect Men who have the special qualities both of a Prophet; to arrange the Islamic Canonical Jurisprudence and the qualities of the Prophet-the Friend of God that help people to come together with “his origin” by means of Spirit.

Our dear Prophet and some of the former Prophets had served as a lawmaker and as a spiritual trainer.

When the History of Mankind is searched, we meet this striking reality: Human beings are always tried, tested by the Perfect Man. It is easy to accept Allah the Most High, who is the Lord of the Universe, because:

“All that is in heaven and earth gives glory to Him.” (Al-Jumah, 1/ Teghabun, 1)

However, it is difficult to accept the Adams of Allah. While gravity attracts man to itself, the people of Heavens attract him to God and to Divine World. Thus, man is in the struggle of between spirit and matter. He will either tend to metaphysical world- to infinity- or to matter by means of his excess desire to worldly things-to mortality-. He will be annihilated in one of them gradually.

When, especially, “the Chapter Anbiyah” is read carefully, Allah the Most High reproached and got angry with people and He even perished some places, as they had not respected His Messengers (Prophets). He wanted people to love and respect His Perfect Men (Hz. Abraham, Lot, Shuayb etc.) deeply.

As the sun rises and sets, the trees produce leaves and humanity continues with all the adventures, there will be the Guides for the True Guidance, a guide- a Perfect Man, whose inside is with the Truth and outside is with people, for the human beings in the past, today and future. The union of God and Man will continue from the first man until the last man. Nobody will prevent or hinder this. However, there will be some people who will object to it, will tell bad words and who will hang them and throw them into fire and who will flay, torture them to death because human is the source of Love and violence.

There will be some people who like the divine light and who get angry at it, although they benefit from it. The Perfect Men have always been in favor of Divine Light, and in the divine light and in the infinity of Divine Light.

And this has been the truth from Adam until Mahdi (May peace be upon them and upon the sinless Perfect Men who are among them!)

And this truth will never change. Therefore, this union between God and the Perfect Man and with immature Man will continue.

This valuable book that is presented to humanity by Holy and Wise person Kazım Yardımcı, who is our pride and the source of our opinions, is explaining this union that will continue for years.

“Peace be on the Apostles! Praise to God, Lord of the Universe.” (Saffat, 181,182)

We are going to state the opinions of the Religious Sects at the beginning of this subject:

1) The Externalists (Ibni Hazım and the supporters of Ibn Taymiyya-Wahhabis- who follow him): According to them, only Allah is sacred. Nobody else, including the Prophets, are not sacred. Therefore, nobody is innocent.

2) Ahl al Sunnat (Asharites and Maturidies): According to them, Allah and the Prophets are sacred. Therefore, only the Prophets are innocent and only the Prophets are innocent due to it. However, according to Asharites, The Sanctity (Divine Guidance) of Muhammad is still continuing.

There are Saints in other words, the Fiends of God. The miraculous influence or support of the Saints and their power of sanctity are true.

However, Shia knows Allah, the Prophets, Ahl al Bayt and also the 12 Imams and Sayyids (the descendants of the Prophet) sacred. They accept Ahl al Bayt and the 12 Imams innocent.

3) Salafiyya: They are the Friends of God and Sufis who accept the belief of Ahl al Bayt and of the Companions of the Prophet. Salafiyya (1) refuses the philosophical and theological belief. The philosophers such as Ibni Sina, Farabi, Kindi Ibn Rushd can be shown as examples to them.

5) Selefis: They are the people who do not accept Philosophers and Theologians and rationalism (consisting beliefs through reason).

Selefis, in other words, the Sufis who are the Saints-the Friends of God- know Allah as the Most Sacred and they know the Word of Allah, His Spirit and Angels “sacred” as well. Those who are innocent are the ones who are purified by Allah.

According to Sufis, the Holy Spirit and Angels are “sacred” and “innocent”.

(1) We have quoted the part about “Selefiyye” in A. Hamdi Akseki’s “İSLAM DİNİ- İtikad, İbadet ve Ahlak” exactly as it is: ‘Selefiyye: The Companions of the Prophet and the experts in the canon Law of Islam and the traditionalists who belonged to the religious sect of Tabiin are in the Religious Sect of Selefiyye.

Those who belong to Selefiyye Sect believe in Allah the Most High with the highest respect. They do not attempt to explain in details and they do not need to put forward ideas elaborately.

They accept exactly whatever the Glorious Koran said about the existence of Allah. Those who are in Selefiyye sect confirm the names and the attributes of Allah the Almighty as they came to them befitting Allah’s dignity. They also praise the laws of God externally befitting Allah’s dignity and they do not put a forced construction on the verses of the Koran concerning canon laws, they do not interpret them again.

The first Hanafis followed Salafiyya Religious Sect and those who came after them followed Maturidiyya Religious sect. Likewise, the first Shafiis and Malikis followed Selefiyye Sect and those who came after them followed Asharite Religious Sect. Most of those who belong to Hanbali Religious Sect are Selefis, there are some Asharites among them. (“İslam Dini-İtikat, İbadet, Ahlak” by A. Hamdi Akseki, p. 48 Ankara, 1983) See also “Islam Ansiklopedisi, the article about Selefiye”, “Müslümanlığın Temel Bilgileri” by Abdülkadir Karahan, p. 19, İstanbul-1986)

The spirit, the breath and the glance of the person who bears Holy Spirit is sacred. The innocent one is the sacred one. He is also Holy Spirit. It is the spiritual, divine breath and divine glance. The sacred person is the one who is purified from the dirt of the self.

The sacred Spirit is the purified spirit. The clean, pure, chaste and virtuous spirit is sacred.

Who are the pure, the purified people according to the Koran? Now we are going to answer this question:

First, it is Hz. Prophet of Allah (a.s.v.): His pure, divine spirit is the greatest spirit. It is the universal spirit. He is the Father of all the Spirits. He is the Divine Light (Nur) of Ahmed, is the divine light of Allah, who is the sole existence. It is the Divine Light of the sole and the holiest God. It is also the total, the whole of the divine words.

“In hüve illa vahyü’n yuha- His word is the word of Allah.” (Al-Najm, 4)

(2) “Ve kelimetullahi hiye’l ulya-The exalted word is the word of Allah only.” (Al-Tawba, 40)

“Kul nezellehu Ruh’ul Kudusi min Rabbike- Say: The Holy Spirit is coming down (descending) from your Lord.” (Al-Nahl, 102)

The first Spirit is the greatest, supreme Spirit, the Divine Light of Hz. Ahmed (a.s.), known as the “Reality of Muhammed”.

The hadith “When Adam was between mud and water, I was even then the Prophet” (3) is the proof of it.

“I have sent you forth but as a blessing to the worlds.” (Al-Anbiyah, 107)

“Were it not for you, O Muhammad, I would not have brought creatures into being.” (4)

The above Koran verse and the sacred hadiths confirm that he is “the first” and “the greatest” Divine Spirit.

He is Mustafa-the elect-. He was chosen. He is the Sun. He is the Sun of Reality. After him, the spirits of the earlier Prophets are sacred. They are the ones who are the bearers of the Holy Spirit.

And then, the pure spirits of the Ahl al Bayt (the Prophet’s immediate family):

“İnnema yüridüllahi liyüzhibe ankümürricse Ehl’el Beyt’i veyütehhirreküm tethira- Allah really wills to purify you Ahl al Bayt –to purify from the dirt of the self-.” (Ahzab, 33)

All of the Ahl al Sunnat and Shia have accepted that this verse is about our Masters Hz. Ali (k.v.), Hz. Fatima, Hz. Hasan and Hz. Husayn and they are our Sayyids.

“Ahl al Bayt are Hz. Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn.” (5)

This sacred hadiths was narrated by our pure Prophet’s pure wives, by Mother Ummu Salama and Mother Aisha.

According to the above hadith, the 12 Imams are pure because the Imamate they bear is the Divine Guidance and the Imamate of Muhammediye.

“I bear the Divine Guidance (Sanctity) of Allah and Ali bears my Divine guidance.” (7)

“Ali is with the Koran and the Koran is with Ali.” (11)

(7) The complete sacred hadiths is: He should accept and follow Abu Talib’s son Ali, who believes me and confirms me, as a “Friend, Guide”. For his sanctity is My sanctity and my sanctity is His sanctity.” From Ammar B. Yasir, Hz. Peygamberin Dilinden Dört Halifesi, trans. By A.F. Yavuz, Sönmez Publ. İst. 1981, p.278

(8) Hz. Peygamberin Dilinden Dört Halifesi, trans. By A. F. Yavuz p. 244, 247, 254

“Ali is the Friend of believers, the Sayyid of Muslims and the Imam of the Pious.” (14)

“Ali is the chief of Believers, however, the chief of the tyrant people is property.” (16)

The Ahl al Bayt of the Prophet is pure. They are great saints. This purity comes directly from Allah depending on the above verse. (18) Therefore, they are also pure like the former Prophets before our Prophet. The purified person is sacred and innocent.

“Ela inne evliyaalahi la haffün aleyhim velahüm yahzenun-Be awake! The Servants of God has nothing to fear or regret.” (Yunus, 62-63)

(12) From Ibn Omar; Thirmizi, Tac Transl., Bekir Sadak, vol.3, p. 264 From Abu Umame, Taberani

The spirits of Ahl al Bayt are holy Spirits and they are sacred like the spirits of the Prophets as they are purified God Himself. The Holy Spirit or the sacred Spirit is innocent and the people who bear this spirit are regarded “innocent “as well. For, the real innocent one is the Holy Spirit. They are called as the “Innocent ones-Mukaddeseler” in Islamic Literature.

Physical body is not sacred. Therefore, it cannot be innocent, sinless and faultless. The Spirit of Adam was sacred. It was pure and holy. What Angels prostrated before was not the physical body of Adam but the Holy Spirit, which is the divine breath of Allah, His decree, His word.

As the book continues, detailed explanations will be given about the Spirit of Allah, which is sacred, pure and innocent.

Who are the “Holy Ones” (those who are pure, virtuous and innocent” after the Prophet of Allah, the Prophets and Ahl al Bayt of Muhammad (a.s.v.)?

They are the Friends of God. The Friends of God are pious believers. Allah qualifies them as “those to the fore”:

“You have been divided into three multitudes: those on the right, those on the left and those to the fore. Those to the fore are the ones who approached Allah.” (Al-Vaqıa, 7-10)

Those on the left: They are disbelievers (they are the tyrant, the hypocrite and pervert ones and those whose hearts are hardened) (19)

(19) Our Shariat qualified polytheists, Sebeis, Jews, Christians and those whose hearts are hardened as non-Muslims. Non-Muslims are those who are not Muslims.

Those who are drawn near Allah: they are both the Friends of God during the former Prophets and the Friends of God from his friends at our Prophet’s time and from his community until the Resurrection Day.

“I can fit neither the earth nor the heavens but I am in the heart of my faithful servant.”(21)

“O the son of man! Whoever shows enmity towards my friend has started a war to Me.” (22)

“When I love a servant of mine, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he does work (strikes) and his foot with which he walks.” (23)

“I become his heart that he thinks with and his tongue that he speaks with.”

By the way, we would like to remind that the Leader of the Friends of God is Imam Ali (k.v.).

The Perfect Men who are reported with the verses about “those who are close to Allah” and who are from the Companions of our Prophet and from his People are the Friends of God, that is to say, they are our saintly Masters.

According to the message given by the above Chapter Vaqıa, there are three types of people:

(20) From Buhari and Muslim, Kudsi Hadisler, vol. 1, p. 172, Madve publ. 1991, İstanbul

(21) Kırk Hadis, Sadreddin Konevi,p.82 Transl. by Harun Ünal, Vahdet Publ. 1984, İstanbul, Ajluni, Keşfu’l Hafa, 2/195

(23) Buhari, Müsned, from Camiussağir: Kırk Hadis, Sadrettin Konevi, trans. by Harun Ünal Vahdet yayınları, 1984, İstanbul

As it is known, these verse and all the commandments of the Koran address the first believers during our Prophet’s time, in other words, to us and to all the people.

In another verse, it addresses directly to the first believers and to all the people of the Prophet Muhammad:

“Sümme evresne’l kitabellezinestefeyna min ibadina ve minhüm zalimun linefsihi ve minhüm müktesidin ve minhüm sabikun bi’l hayrati biiznillah-We have bestowed the Book on those of our Servants whom we have chosen. Some sin against their souls, some follow a middle course and some, by God’s leave, vie with each other in charitable works: This is the supreme virtue.” (Al-Fatir, 32)

This verse involves the Companions, the first Believers and all the Believers who will continue until the Resurrection day.

This verse also qualifies the People of Muhammad, Believers and Muslims, including the Honorable Companions, as the “heirs of the Koran and it classifies them into three groups.

1- Those who sin against their souls: They will commit evil, grave sins. That is to say, they will be evildoers.

2- Those who follow a middle course: Those who are of medium. They are between good deeds and bad deeds.

3- Sabiquns: They are the Honorable Companions and the Friends of God among the People of Muhammad. They are the ones who approached Allah. They are the intimate friends of Allah.

“İnnel müttakine fi Cennatin ve neherin fi mak’adi sıdkin inde Melikin muktedirin-The righteous shall dwell in gardens watered by running brooks, honorably seated in the presence of a Mighty King.” (Al-Qamar, 54-55)

Therefore, the present Muslims like the earlier Muslims are classified into three groups by Allah: Evildoers, those who follow a middle course and the Friends of God.

Then, both the earlier Muslims and present Muslims are of three groups. This is already like this in practice. This is the reality that we have read in history and that we live currently. This situation has always been like this and it does not change. It was so decreed. Allah has reported this in the Glorious Koran. We should not forget that that the first people who were addressed by the Koran were the first Muslims. In other words, they were the Companions of the Prophet (A.S.V.).

Thus, there were three kinds of Companions. Each Companion was not a Friend of God who was close to Allah.

The verse: “Be awake! There are the Friends of Allah…” (Yunus, 62-63) was revealed during the Companions’ time. It means that “there are Friends of God among you”. Otherwise, it would be revealed as “The Companions! You are all Friends of God”.

The Companions mean “Protectors”. In Turkish, it means the Companions-Friends- of Allah. It is used for the first Muslims.

When the meaning of “friend” is searched, it means that he is the person who support, back and defend you, your ideas and ideals. Then a real friend is your companion. He is the person who does not leave his friend in both hard days and good days, who fight in his way with his soul and property if necessary. He is the person who even dies for him. Real friendship requires these qualities.

In the commentaries of the Koran, “protector-sahip” is translated as “friend”. However, this is not an ordinary friendship. He is our protector, the one who cares us and protects us.

“Harisun aleyküm bi’lmü’minine Raufu’n Rahim-The Prophet Muhammad (a.s.v.) cares for you, he is the one who is benevolent and merciful to you.” (Al-Tawba-128)

He is our owner; guardian and great protector and the believers also stand as a protector to Him. They back him.

In this sense, all the Muslims are the Companions, friends and protectors of the Prophet (a.s.v.). They support him and his ideal and defend him and his religion and venture to die for the Prophet and his ideal.

The Glorious Koran qualifies Believers as the Companions. As for the situation of our dear Prophet, it qualifies Him as the “protector, the one who stands as a guardian of the Believers and also “the Compassionate and Merciful” for them.

The Glorious Koran also reports that “the Prophets are more favorable for believers” than they are.

“Ennebiyyü evla bi’lmümunine min enfüsihim veezvacuhu ümmehatahüm-The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they have on each other. His wives are their mothers.” (Al- Ahzab, 6)

Yes, he is more beneficial for us than we are and his wives are our mothers. The motherhood of his wives is not hereditary. It is not foster motherhood either. It is spiritual motherhood because God the Most High qualifies them as our “Mothers”. They are our mothers confirmed by the Koran verses.

Since, Allah the Almighty uses the word “mother” for the sacred, pure wives of the Prophet and since they had not married to other people they, as a matter of fact, had not married, they are definitely our Mothers.

Our Mothers passed away as a widow without having married to anybody else after the death of our Prophet (A.S.V.). For, believers are their sons and daughters. The “motherhood” here is not a hereditary motherhood as confirmed by the clear verse.

“Inneme’l Mü’minune ihvetün- Believers are a band of brothers.” (Al-Hujurat, 10)

The brotherhood in the above verse is not a hereditary brotherhood but a spiritual brotherhood. Therefore, the wives of our Prophet are our spiritual mothers. Since Allah directly used the statement “they are your mothers”, that is to say, the word “mother” is mentioned, Shariat had forbidden them to marry anybody else after the Prophet.

They are equalized with our physical mothers canonically as well as they are our spiritual mothers. They were forbidden to marry believers and believers were forbidden to marry them. It was like that in practice as well. However, in the origin of formation, they are our spiritual mothers. Then, our Prophet is also our Spiritual-Divine father but not hereditarily. This is already explained in Chapter Ahzab, 40):

This verse is in order to qualify the hereditary side. He is not the father of our physical bodies. The father of our bodies is the first man Adam (a.s.).

Therefore, our Prophet (A.S.V.) is more favorable for us than we are. He loves us, pities us, protects us intercedes us and he implores forgiveness from God for us. He is our spiritual-divine father and our owner. He is our Guide, our Friend, our master and our Imam. He is the one who purifies us, instructs us and train us. He is our divine Guide.

“Yüzekkiküm veyüallimükümu’l kitabe ve’l hikmete ve…-Your Apostle recites to you Our revelations and purifies you (purifies your spirit, your self and your thoughts), and instructs you in the Book (the revelation of Allah, the Word of Allah) and wisdom (prophecy).” (Al-Baqarah, 151)

Then, He both purifies us from our inner impurity and saves us from ignorance. He teaches us. He has pity on us and he wants us to be forgiven by imploring forgiveness from our Lord Allah.

“Falem ennehu la ilahe illallah vesteğfir lizenbike velil mü’minine ve’l mü’minat-O Muhammad! Know that there is no god but Allah. Implore Him to forgive your sins and to forgive the true believers, men and women.” (Muhammad, 19)

Thus, the Prophet (A.S.V.) knows Allah “One”, “the Peerless One” and he was made an intercessor for believers by Allah and He wanted him to implore forgiveness for the sins of believers. In this situation, the nonsense talks of perverts such as: “the Prophet and the Friends of God cannot help anybody and help is not required from anybody else except Allah” are all meaningless.

The sons of Jacob also required help from their father “to implore forgiveness for their sins from Allah” because of what they had done to Joseph. He also said “he would implore his Lord to forgive them”. (See Joseph, 97, 98)

“Rabbeneğfirli velivalideyye vel’I mü’minine yevme yekumu’l hisab-Forgive me my Lord (Allah)! Forgive my parents and all the faithful on the Reckoning Day.” (Abraham, 41)

Muslims repeat this prayer in every five ritual prayers. The pervert opinions such as “nobody can help each other and nobody can require help from anybody else” are wrong. The verse:

“İyyake nestain-You alone we turn for help” (Fatiha, 4) is misunderstood. In Chapter Fatiha, the verses: “You alone we worship and You alone we turn for help” mean that we do not worship stone idols and we do not require help from idols. For, the polytheists used to worship stone idols and required help from them.

When we study the difference between “nesir –the one who helps” and istiane-to ask for help” the following explanation is seen:

Allah the Most High said: “The idols which you deify besides Him are not able to do you a favor nor can they do any harm, then why do you call them? Oh, the heedless!” (Al-Isra, 56) (25) In the 4^th verse of Al-Fatiha, Allah does not use the name “nesir- the one who helps” which is derived from “nesren” but He used the name “Müstean- the One whose help is implored” which expresses “inayet-to do favour” in it. “İnayet- to do favor” and “İstiane-to ask his help” belong to God. Allah, who is God, does favor and helps His slaves.

However, the Koran always commands with the words “nesren, nesir, nasır, mansur” (26) that the Prophets, the Friends of God, the virtuous and rich people should help the poor. (27) He required that believers are the guardians of each other and they should help each other. (28). The Koran states that Angels implore forgiveness and help for believers and they pray for believers. Therefore, the divine beings also help people and they are helping actually.

“Your only protectors are God, His Apostle and the faithful” (Al-Maidah, 55) is very clear.

(25) There are many verses in the Glorious Koran concerning this. For example, “Velayestetiune lehüm “nesren” vela enfüsühüm yensurun-Will they worship those which can create nothing, but are themselves not created? They cannot help them, nor can they help themselves.” (Al-A’raf, 192)

(26) All of them are the derivations of the verb “help” in Arabic. The Imrans- 52 / Al-Saff-14 / Al-Baqhara-138 / Muhammad-7 and other verses.

(27) “Velmü’minune velmü’minatü ba’dühüm “evliyaü” ba’din-The true believers, both men and women, are friends to one another.” (Al-Tawbah, 71)

(28) Al-Ahzab: 34-56, Nahl-2, Fussilat- 31, Anfal-34, Al-Tawbah-26, Al-Fath-26

The verse “Those who follow others besides God” (Baqarah-257, Kahf-102) concerns polytheists because the polytheists made friends with stone idols as well as worshipping them and imploring their help. They were not Allah and the Friends of God whom Allah qualified as follows:

“Ela inne Evliyaallahi la havfün aleyhim velahüm yahzenun- Know that Allah has the Friends of God on the earth; they have nothing to fear or to regret. Those that have faith and keep evil shall rejoice both in this world and in the hereafter. (Yunus, 62-63-64)

The Friends-the saints- of God are the Friends of Allah and His Prophet. Those Saints believe in Him and they fear Allah one hundred per cent (completely) they are our most honorable superiors and they are our Guardians.

“İnne ekremeküm indillahi etkaküm- The noblest of you in God’s sight is he who fears Allah the most.” (Al-Hujurat, 13)

These personalities who were qualified with the above properties are our Friends, our Guardians and the Friends of Allah. The Friends of believers are the Friends of Allah and the Friends of the Prophet of Allah.

Those who are the foes of the Friends of Allah and who deny them are the enemies of Allah, and of the Prophet of Allah and of all the faithful. They are the people who deny Allah, the Prophet and the Koran.

What a pity that those denials are the ones who claim that they are the most protectors of the Koran same as Kharijities. La havle vela kuvvete illa billahi’l aliyyi’l azim…

We take refuge in Allah from those who claim that they believe the Truth but deny the Truth.

“None can intercede with God save him who has received His sanction.” (Al-Saba-23 / Ta Ha-109)

Then, Allah has some servants who can serve as an intercessor, helper and implorer.

In Chapter Zukhruf: “None can intercede for them save him who knows the truth and testifies to it.” (Al-Zukhruf, 86)

Here, the meaning of “who knows” is “the one who knows the truth and realities”. Therefore, the scholars who have seen the truth can intercede and help. They are the people who know “the Knowledge of Ledunni”.

This quality harms the person who has it. They are the ones who know Islamic Jurisprudence or Canon Law well. They are at different ranks changing from mullahs to professors. We can observe this in practice as well. He becomes a university lecturer or a professor of Islamic Canonical Law however; he does not give up drinking wine committing adultery and entertaining himself with half naked women. He spends all his time on the beach together with his wife, children and with his daughter in law and son. And this person educates the officials of Religion, muftis and preachers. Therefore, to know the Science of Shariat-Islamic Canonical Law- does not enable a person to be faithful or better.

The Science of Shariat, Islamic Law is the commandment of Allah. He who knows the commandment of Allah cannot know Allah Himself. If he knew, he would not commit the wicked deeds mentioned above.

This quality benefits the person who has it and those who listen to him. A person may be illiterate or half-literate but he may not have studied the Science of Shariat. However, this person knows “Men Araf…”

“Men arefe nefsehu kad arefe Rabbehu-He who knows himself knows his Lord.” (29)

He has learnt it by serving a Wise person who knows it. This knowledge is divine, spiritual knowledge and it is very beneficial and useful.

This is the most important quality. He is called as “a two-winged scholar”. He is useful both for himself and his society.

Such wise and saintly people who know both Allah and His commands are the martyrs and witnesses of Allah. They are the people mentioned in the above verse in Chapter Zukhruf as the witnesses of Allah and those who know Allah. They serve as intercessors for people. This is confirmed with the definite proof -Glorious Verses-.

Mawlana, “Fihi Mafih’ten Seçmeler”, prepared by A. Gölpınarlı, p. 93, 1989, Ankara

I have always been surprised to see the professor at instruction duty without a beard and mustache, not taking ablution and performing ritual prayer but spending his time at parties and on the beaches while his student whom he teaches Islamic Jurisprudence Law at the pulpit of a mosque preaching people and wearing a turban and beard. He seems to be a strong Muslim in the costume of the Prophet Enoch and very pious. Why does this happen?

If the Science of Islamic Canonical Law had given man faith and fear, the professors of this science would have been more religious and perform ritual prayers and take ablutions more and they would not have drunk whiskies.

Who are the scholars in Shariat or in other sciences? For instance: Is a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer, a Chemistry teacher, a Physics teacher a scholar? In other words, is a doctor, a scientist of Medicine, a lawyer a scientist of Law, a physics teacher a scientist of Physics? No!

They are a technician in these scientific branches. Likewise, a theologian, a mufti or a preacher who completes the School of Theology or an Islamic High Institute is not a scientist of Religion. He should at least be a university lecturer by having a doctorate in order to be regarded as a scientist. University lecturers in any scientific field take the first step to be a scientist. Professors are accepted as the scientist of that branch. He who does not study and pass doctorate examination and who is not even a lecturer or professor at least in one of the following branches of Religious Sciences:

Those who become a Mufti (official expounder of Islamic Law) or a preacher by graduating from these schools are a technician or a practitioner same as a doctor, a lawyer or Physics and Chemistry teachers.

However, they are known as great ulamas-theologians- in the towns of Anatolia. They are regarded as exceedingly learned people. More truly, our people are made to believe like this. (30)

The reality is: the sciences concerning Shariat, which are possible to be learnt by studying, do not give man Faith and Piety.

For, the science of Shariat can be learnt even by non-Muslims by studying. As a matter of fact, there are Shariat-Islamic law Professorships in Europe. Christians, Jews and even materialists can learn it. There are some people among Christian monks and Chief Rabbis who know Shariat Sciences as well as or more than Islamic mullahs.

Whomever Allah guides rightly becomes faithful and pious. If Allah wills, he may become an atheist, a hypocrite or a wrongdoer.

(30) I am presenting you the two quatrain of the Kaymakam (the head official of a district) Eshref hoping that you will say Eshref is telling the truth:

Allah guides whomever He wills into the true faith, whether or not he is illiterate or literate.

As a matter of fact, out of 10 thousand of our Prophet’s Companions, there were only 30-40 literate ones.

Those who know the Islamic Canon Law were not more than 20 according to Islamic Canon Law books. The other wise personalities had a great faith and piety as well as being literate.

Therefore, to know God and to know the commands of God (naturally in details) are different things.

Knowing the Truth and realities increases and strengthens the faith and makes that person pious. I think that it is time our people knew these realities:

One should not regard the costume of Muslim identity and the literate who have the exterior, canonical knowledge. He should seek the real faith, the real piety in wise and saintly personalities who know the real Knowledge of Truth. It is easy to know the commands of God. One can learn it by studying and everybody is able to learn it. A Muslim, a non-Muslim, a believer or a hypocrite can learn it. To know Arabic or Persian is not a science.

They are like a kind of studying a language or grammar just like learning English, French and German. Nowadays, the airhostesses on the planes who fly to Middle East know Arabic and Persian more than a mullah. One should not fall into the trap of those who speak in a language that you do not understand (like Arabic and Persian) and that pretend to be more scholar or scientist in religion. For centuries, the pure, naive Anatolian people have been made spelled by speaking in Arabic and Persian that they do not understand. It was a pity that this happened!

Now that it is time to wake up. Whichever mullah speaks more Arabic and Persian and dominates his speech with Arabic, he is a demagogue and in other words, he is the person who serves his cause by exciting people’s emotions.

He wants to amaze people and enchant them. He always looks for gain; he is a dangerous religious fanatic and a hypocrite. He is a Muslim of guise and language. He wants to make people formalist as himself. Formalism is but a kind of idolatry or paganism, which is contrary to the essence of Unity.

Moreover, such men always frighten people with the hell torture and the demons of the hell and by this way; they make religion get harder for people. In addition to this, he is in favor of violence. He speaks very angrily and he is very aggressive. He always shouts at the crowd and frighten them while preaching at the pulpit. He spreads violence and anger to his surrounding by being completely contrary to “Good manners of Muhammadi belief” (31) and “Rahmet’en li’l alemin”. (32)

Yes, our Superior, Exalted, Saintly, Holy Prophet (A.S.V.), who is a mercy for the worlds, is our divine father. A father stands as a protector or a patron of his son and his son also has a claim on his father.

The Exalted Prophet, who is the divine father, has been protecting the first Muslims and the following Muslims. (33)

The faithful Muslim communities, who are in the position of his descendants, also stand as a protector of Him. Therefore standing as a protector or claiming ownership is very important.

(31) “O Muhammad! Surely you are on a sublime nature (great, beautiful moral qualities!).” (The Imrans, 74) “I was sent to complete good morals.” Malik b. Enes, Muvatta, vol. 1, p.553, Istanbul-1982. From Abu Hurayra; Ahmed Hakim, Beyhaki, A person asked the Prophet of Allah (S.A.V.) “What is religion?” and the Prophet of Allah said: “It is good morals-manners-”. Ghazzali, İhya, III, 43 Kimyayı Saadet p. 393

(32) “We have sent you forth but as a blessing to the worlds.” (Al-Anbiyah, 107)

(33) There are about a hundred hadiths about the intercession of our Prophet and also there are many hadiths about the believers’ helping those that they love written in “Kudsi Hadisler” vol. 2, p. 607-714, Madve Publ. 1991-Istanbul. Sources: Buhari, Muslim, Nevevi, Nesai, Thirmizi, Ibn Mace. As the content of the book was not sufficient, we did not write them here. We advise those who are interested in them to search them.

For, as mentioned in the above glorious of the Koran (34), Allah the Most High qualified the heirs of the Koran in three groups. It should not be forgotten that the first people addressed by the Koran were the first believers, the Companions. It also involves the believers who will follow them afterwards.

a) Muqarrabuns - “Sabiquns”-: Those who were close to Allah among the former exalted personalities. They were faithful and blessed people. They are the saintly personalities among the Companions and the following believers.

When this verse was revealed, believers understood that there were “Friends of God” among them and they looked for them among themselves. Thus, there were Friends of God-Walis- among the first believers, though a few. For, Allah says in the Chapter Al-Waqiah about the Friends of God who were close to Him:

“Such are those that are brought near Allah. They are in the gardens of delight-Naim Paradise-: a whole multitude from the men of old, but only a few from the later generations.” (Al-Waqiah, 11-14)

b) Muqtesids: Those who follow a middle course-middle class-the believers who are not muqarrabuns. The believers among both the Companions and the believers who followed them. Believers were of three kinds during our Prophet’s time and after him: Muqarrabuns, Walis and the moderate believers who were not Walis.

Besides them, there have always been hypocrites among the Companions and among the believers who followed them. A hypocrite is a secret believer. They used to perform their ritual prayers behind the Prophet and always spend their times in the mosques. The hypocrites are somewhat dark people who love the world. They are mean, pitiless and never smile. A hypocrite is a real disbeliever. However, he hides himself in the garment of Islam. They are worse and more dangerous than disbelievers are because a disbeliever does not conceal himself. Therefore, it is easy for a Muslim to protect himself against him.

May Allah protect all of us against the wickedness of unbelievers and wickedness!

After having explained this classification and information in the light of the Koran, let us go back to the subject written at the beginning of the book and try to explain who “the innocent” are according to the Koran, with the permission of Allah.

In reality, the “holy” and the “innocent” one is the “pure”, “Holy” Spirit. Naturally, this spirit is the Greatest-Supreme- Spirit, which is the first and universal spirit. It is the “Reality of Muhammad”. The Spirit of Muhammad” is the Divine Light of Allah’s Person and of His attribute, who is the most holy Existence. It is the eternal decree, holy divine breath; divine Word and the Divine Light of Allah.

Spirit is Divine Light. It is the first Divine Light of the face of God. The Spirit breathed into Adam and his descendants was breathed from the Supreme Spirit, from the Spirit of Muhammad.

“Ve nefehtü fihi min Ruhi- I breathed into man from My spirit.” (Sad, 72)

As it is seen, He said “I breathed from My Spirit.” The spirit that He calls as “My Spirit” is the first and Supreme Spirit- “the Greatest Spirit”. It is the holy, exalted, purest, very glorious Spirit of Hz. Muhammad. (35)

Our dear Prophet Hz. Muhammad is like the Sun. the other spirits breathed from him are like the stars. The Angels created from the Divine Light of Spirit are also from the Holy World and they are innocent as they are pure and sacred. They are sinless.

In order to clarify this subject thoroughly, let us mention the qualities of the spirits breathed to the First Man and his descendants: his sons and to all humans:

Spirit is breathed only to human beings. Animals and plants do not have spirits. The liveliness in them is the reflection of the name “Hayy-the Ever Living One”. Each living being is alive with water. (36) It is biological liveliness. As a matter of fact, the liveliness of physical body is also biological.

(35) Our Dear Prophet said: “I was even then the Prophet when Adam was between the mud and water.”

(36) “Vecaalna minel mai külli şey’in hay- We made every living thing of water.” (Anbiyah, 30)

Spirit is the Divine Light that enables man with the qualities of knowledge, thinking (mind) and speaking. Knowledge and speech are the attributes of Allah. We are going to explain the adventure of spirit, the coming and the going of the spirits; in other words, how the spirits come to physical world (to the prison of the physical body) from the holy world, with the permission of Allah, how they become materialized and how some spirits ascend or rise and take their first sacred state. We are also going to explain the spiritual innocence of the Prophets and the Friends of God, who are close to Allah and who bear holy spirits and learn that the innocent are the Perfect Men who are the Prophets and the Friends of God, who bear holy spirits.

The persons who are close to Allah are the saintly Friends of God that exist both among the first Muslims (the Companions) and the later Muslims. May peace, content and mercy of Allah be upon them!

“There will always become auspicious men among this community that shall call for righteousness, enjoin justice and forbid evil. Such men will surely triumph.” (The Imrans, 104)

This verse reports that these sacred personalities will exist among both the Companions and following believers. As you see, “a pious community” is mentioned in this community. Community in community!

“By the help of the intercession of some people in my community, more people than in Beni Temim Tribe will enter Paradise.”

When the Companions heard this saying of the Prophet, they asked: “Are the upholders of this intercession apart from you? O! the Prophet of Allah!”

Abu Ubeyde b. Cerrah asked: “O the Prophet of Allah! We have become Muslims during your time and struggled for Islam together with you, can anybody that comes afterwards become more auspicious than us? His answer was: “Yes there can be. There will be a community that will come after you and will believe in me, though they had not seen me. They are more auspicious than you.” (38)

When Chapter Yunus, verses 62-64 (Allah has some Friends of God….) were revealed, they again asked the Prophet: “Who are these Friends of God mentioned here, O! The Prophet of Allah?” He said that when they are seen Allah is remembered, the people who see them remember Allah”. (39)

“Al-i Aba” are our superiors Hz. Ali, Hz. Fatima, Hz. Hasan and Hz. Husayn. These exalted Perfect Men were cleansed and purified by Allah as confirmed by the 33^rd verse of Chapter Ahzab, in our Holy Book the Glorious Koran. Allah had purified and blessed them. He who is purified from his self is holy.

Those who bear this Holy Spirit, the pure spirit are the Muqarrabuns- those who approached Allah- and Saints-the Friends of God-. Actually, Hz. Ali is the Leader of the Pious and the Leader of the Friends of God. He is the Commander of the Saints and the owner of the religious order-tariqat-. He is the “guardian”, “heir”, “door”, “brother” of our dear Prophet and he is “the Guardian of Muslims” and “the Master of Muslims”. (40)

(40) See “İslam’da Mezhepler ve Yükseliş-The Religious Sects in Islam and Ascension” by Kazim Yardımcı, p.130-131 İzmir-1988

One who is purified is holy. One who is holy is innocent. The real innocent one is the Holy Spirit and the pure self. This is accepted for both the Prophets and the Friends of God because the corps of Adam is physical or mortal. Therefore, the bodies of the Prophets and the Friends of God are also physical, mortal like all the human beings. Physical body is never like spirit. Its possibilities are restricted. Shortly, it is created and mortal so it can never be completely perfect.

Allah gave the body of Adam a corporal pleasure. He who understands can understand it.

There are no corporal pleasures for the Holy Spirit and Angels. Their pleasure is to observe the divine beauty and the love of the Most Holy Allah and His remembrance.

The Muqarrabuns and Saints among the Companions are the Friends of God and the pious ones. The Friends of God who approached Allah were Sahabis: They were in the Muhajirin and Ansar. The priority among them belongs to the family of Hashimid. Hz. Hamza, Hz. Abbas, Hz. Jafar Tayyar, Hz. Akil (The sons of Abu Talib), Hz. Abubaqir, Hz. Selman-ı Farisi, Hz. Ammar b. Yasir, Hz. Abuzar Ghaffari, Hz. Mikdad b. Esved, Ashara-i Mubashahara (The Ten People who were promised with the Heaven), Hz. Omar, Hz. Osman...

(41) “İnnema yüridullahu liyüzhibe ankümürricse Ehl el Beyt’I veyütehhireküm tethira- Allah has purified you of all the sin and cleansed you.” (Ahzab-33)

The Prophet of Allah said: Ahl al Bayt are Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn. They are my Ahl al Bayt- immediate family members-.