HADRAT ABDUL'AZIZ BEKKINE (Rh.A) (1895 - 1952) Dr. Abdullatif Duygulu [translated from the Turkish by Hasan Erkaya, 2003] a. His Childhood and Youth Hadrat Abdul'aziz Bekkine was born in a house in the Mercan section of Istanbul in the Hegira year 1313 (1895 CE). His father was Haris Effendi, son of Mehmed Molla, and his mother was Fatma Khanim. Haris Effendi was originally from Kazan (Russia); in the 1880s, he immigrated to Istanbul with his family and ran a business in Asmaalti section of the city, distributing cooking oil. Haris Effendi was among the respected persons of Kazan. He was known as Sultanoghlu (Sultanof). He had a large mansion of 25-30 rooms and large farmlands in Kazan. Most of the rooms were allocated for students who were attending school there. Before entering grade school, Abdul'aziz Effendi took Arabic and Qur'an lessons from the imam of Kaptan Pasha Mosque, Halil Effendi. Later he graduated from Daruttedris School. Abdul'aziz Khawaja Effendi's parents were citizens of Russia. They moved back to Kazan in 1909 because they did not like the treatment by the Ottoman government. After living in Kazan for some time with his parents, Abdul'aziz Effendi went to Bukhara. He attended school there for five years. After the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1917, the living conditions in Kazan became unbearable. The Bolsheviks were advancing to Kazan and Turkmenistan. Abdul'aziz Effendi's parents had already died in Kazan. He had 5 brothers and 11 sisters from two mothers. He decided to take his brothers and sisters to Istanbul. In 1918, they took the train to Baku. Then they went to Batum, and from there they took a Turkish ship to Istanbul. In Istanbul, Abdul'aziz Effendi started a business in Asmaalti with his brothers. Some time later, they closed the business and attended Çarsikapi Bayezid Madrasa. * * * Dr. Mazhar Özman quotes from Abdul'aziz Effendi: "I have never slept after early dawn since I was 5 or 6 years old. When I was 7-8 years old, I would get up early and listen to the birds in the trees in our yard. They would chirp and do dhikr saying 'Hoo... Hoo...' My father never asked me to do anything, nor would he allow me do anything. When I asked for work or when I went to him to help him, he would say, 'When I am alive, you take rest oh walî; you will work after I die." I used to get upset at this and complain to my mother. She would respond, 'Vermek isterse kuluna, getirir koyar yoluna -- If Almighty Allah wants to give something to His servant, He would place it on the servant�s way so that he gets it.' Later in life we tried hard, yet my mother's words always came true." (1) * * * His childhood was full of interesting revelations. He walked along the street with a strange gait. He would hold his hands on his back, bend forward as though he would fall, look at his feet and move side to side as he walked. He was asked why he walked this way. He explained: "When I was going through puberty, I wanted the neighbors to think that I was a mentally deficient person. I did not want to be noticed or given excessive attention. That is why I started walking that way." Abdul'aziz Effendi had some interesting experiences in his youth. He told about some of these experiences to his disciples: "After the Bolshevik Revolution, we were on our way to Istanbul. I was young. I had my brothers and sisters with me. We arrived in Baku. I left them in a hotel. I searched for a quiet place for worship. I found a cave in the hills around the town. I would go and meditate in that cave as long as we stayed in Baku. The last time I went to that cave, I found myself in a strange revelation. I felt that I was in the presence of Almighty Allah on His throne. I could watch the entire universe from there. When I remembered my brothers and sisters, I found myself in the cave." (2) * * * Abdul'aziz Effendi mentioned some events that took place in the ship on the way to Istanbul. During a discourse, he was asked: "Is there a way for the salvation of this country?" He responded with an anecdote: "When we were coming to Istanbul from Russia, we took a Turkish ship in Batum. Among the passengers, there was a poor old man who did not have a ticket. The conductor slapped the man so strong that he collapsed on the floor. The captain of the ship, an Italian man, witnessed the incident and called the poor old man to his room. He treated the man as his guest until we arrived in Istanbul. "You see, son, there is no salvation for this country until Islam and humanity is explained to and practiced by each and every citizen of this country." We believe that Abdul'aziz Effendi wanted to attract our attention to the fact that the Italian captain humanely treated the old passenger while a Muslim Turkish conductor lacked such conduct because he did not know true Islam and live it properly. That is why we had to teach our people Islam and how to practice it. (3) b. His Spiritual Progress Abdul'aziz Effendi had an unusual disposition and character. After returning to Istanbul from Kazan, he started to look for a perfect guide for spiritual training. He told his disciples about his search: "After I returned from Kazan to Istanbul, I believed that it was time for me to take the hand of a perfect guide. I knew that for spiritual yearning, one had to find a perfect guide and serve him. I had learnt that in my childhood. That is why I decided to visit famous shaikhs in Istanbul. "First of all, I visited a famous person in Eyup. I kissed his hand and sat across from him. He was in a state of muraqaba (observation of the heart). I, too, closed my eyes and tilted my head over my heart. I was shown that he had a banner on his chest: (Hàdhà abû zeheb) 'This is the father of gold.' I asked for permission to leave. "My second visit was to Küçük Huseyin Effendi who was a Naqshi shaikh, a deputy of Hajji Feyzullah Effendi. He was a short, gentle and elegant person. He was liked by everybody. The first time I saw him, he was sitting under a wall clock, his head tilted to his chest, in a state of contemplation. I sat across from him and closed my eyes. I tilted my head to my heart and waited in that position. Soon I heard him doing dhikr with the ticking of the clock. The clock above him was saying 'Allah Allah Allah...' I lifted my head and opened my eyes. He, too, opened his eyes and pointed me the clock: 'I guess you have noticed the dhikr of our dervish.' "I thought I could be his disciple. He said: 'Son, your kismet is not with us. Keep searching, you will find it. Since you have come to us, I would like to give you advice. Being a dervish is very delightful; you should become one. However, do not ask to be a spiritual guide, for it is a very difficult task.'" (4) Finally, Abdul'aziz Effendi was taken to Shaikh Mustafa Feyzî Effendi by his close friend Mehmed Zahid Effendi from the Çarsikapi Madrasa. Mustafa Feyzî Effendi was one of the deputies of Hadrat Ahmed Ziyauddîn Gumush-khanewi. He was the fourth postnishin in the Dargah. At that time, the Gumush-khanewi Dargah was across from the Governor's office, next to the Fatma Sultan Mosque. At the age of 23, Abdul'aziz Effendi took the hand of Mustafa Feyzî Effendi. He attended discourses and completed spiritual training under the supervision of Mustafa Feyzî Effendi and became one of his deputies at the age of 27. He was given the authority to guide people spiritually. He became the postnishin of the Gumush-khanewi Dargah after Hasib Effendi passed away in 1949. (5) Abdul'aziz Effendi was also given the authority to teach Ramuzul Ahadith book. Throughout his life, he taught thousands of students knowledge in physical and spiritual fields. He completed many times the reading of the entire Ramuzul Ahadith in his discourses. He also translated it into Turkish. First he served as an imam in a mosque in Beykoz. Then he was appointed to a mosque in Aksaray. He also served in the mosques Yazici Baba, Kefeli and finally Zeyrek Çivicizade Ummugulsum Mosque. He served in the Ummugulsum Mosque for thirteen years. After he returned from his second Pilgrimage, he got ill. He passed away at the age of 57, on Monday November 2, 1952. His grave is in Edirnekapi, Sakiz Agaci Sehitligi cemetery. (6) c. His Character Abdul'aziz Effendi had a large head, pointed chin, blue eyes, wheat colored face and light complexion. His beard was orange, long and sparse. Of medium height, he had strong biceps. He could easily put down a lamb, slaughter it and skin it. Often he would not get into any vehicle but would walk to his destination. Almighty Allah had granted him the intelligence of a genius. People who talked to him, no matter what profession and rank they had, would admit that they were amazed at his unique intelligence and knowledge. Once his friend from the Madrasa and spiritual path, Mehmed Zahid Kotku Effendi, spoke of him: "Aziz Effendi was distinguished for his high intelligence among the students in the Madrasa." His intelligence was manifested through his poetic speech and his detailed questions and answers. He was a living example of the hadith, "Behold the sagacity and intuition of the believer because he observes with the light of Allah." He had the ability to read the inner and outer character of any person. He could describe the character of a person whom he had never seen from the photograph only. One could not have enough of his discourses even if the person spent every hour of every day. After leaving, one would be so eager to be with him again. The discourses would start as a question-answer session, and everybody present would participate, regardless of his education level, economic rank or age. The concept of time would be lost during the discourses. Often the discourses would start after the Isha Prayer and could last until the morning. If a person saw the light of the discourse room on, he would not hesitate to join regardless of the time of the night. [The discourse room was on the premises of Ummugulsum Mosque and later demolished by the city.] The following two incidents demonstrate how sweet his discourses were. Dr. Nureddin Topçu was an Associate Professor of Philosophy. He had a Ph.D. from Paris. He would attend the discourses of Abdul'aziz Bekkine Effendi. One night when he and his friend Sirri Bey left the discourse room, it was around 3 o'clock in the morning. Right at the outside of the door, Nureddin Bey turned to Sirri Bey: "Sirri, would it be too impolite if we go back in the room?" The second example is from his first pilgrimage. Due to some regulations and bans, he had to travel on foot through the villages along the border. He would stay in these villages overnight and hold a discourse with the villagers. Many villagers would say that they wished they never met him because they did not have enough of him. On patience and perseverance he asked his disciples: "There will be a time that you will not have any scholars to consult. What virtue would you look for in a person whom you would like to consult?" Answers issued forth, but he was not content with them. He said: "Test the patience of the person. The only virtue free of pride is patience. Patience is the acceptance of a calamity the moment it arrives without any complaints whatsoever. If the person screams and complains first then accepts it, he will be an endurer--not a patient one. On the subject of trusting in Allah, he said: "When a person puts his trust in Allah, his worries about his future will be taken away." On the Muslim's view of life, he asked this question: "How would a Muslim view this life?" There were some responses, yet he answered the question: "When a Muslim looks at this life, he sees the hellfire behind the pleasures and comforts of this life, and the paradise behind the hardship and servitude. The eyes of the believers will not be caught by this life." Let us look at his words about nafs. Rifat Tandogan told his friends that after he met Abdul'aziz Effendi and started attending his discourses, he thought he had to make peace with his friends and relatives. He went to them and apologized for his faults. While he was seeking their blessing and consent, he thought that he was dishonoring his nafs. He asked Abdul'aziz Effendi, "Am I dishonoring my nafs?" Khawaja Effendi responded with a question: "Do your nafs have an honor?" Rifat Bey answered with a question, too: "Yes, my Khawaja; don't we have to izzet-i nafs (honor the greatness of the nafs)?" Khawaja Effendi explained: "How could the nafs have honor? Nafs is the animal in you, it does not have any honor. Only the qualifications have honor and dignity such as being a teacher, a father, a khawaja. Whoever has the quality, he has the honor." Khawaja Effendi was extremely generous materially. If necessary he would not mind giving away his entire salary of 30-40 Turkish liras at once. He would also give away his share of the income from his father's property. Abdul'aziz Effendi would not sleep much. His wife said: "I have never seen him sleeping at night during our married life of 18 years. He would spend his night in worship." Hasib Effendi, too, said once: "Aziz Effendi never sleeps at night. His business is with Allah." However, he would take a short nap (qaylula) before noon if had a chance. After he passed away, a famous personage commented about him: "Abdulaziz Effendi was so generous that he would not mind giving away his life." As a matter of fact, he dedicated his life for educating his students and the society. Day and night he worked for this cause; he tried his best to convey the message of Islam and Tasawwuf. (7) d) The Spiritual Character of Abdul'aziz Effendi Abdul'aziz Effendi was a perfect spiritual guide in whom the Jalâl (Almighty) attribute of Allah had manifested. He was generous and tolerant towards people. He would overlook the shortcomings of people. He described how the Jalâl attribute was manifested on him: "The Dargah of Gumush-khanewi is such a dargah that the residing shaikh has revelations from Almighty Allah. The Jalâl attribute was manifested on a shaikh, and the Jamâl (Beauty and Grace) attribute was manifested on the next shaikh. Ahmed Ziyauddîn Effendi had the Jalâl attribute, Hasan Hilmi Effendi had the Jamâl attribute. Then, Ismail Nejâti Effendi had Jalâl attribute, and Omar Ziyauddîn Effendi had Jamâl attribute. Mustafa Feyzî Effendi had the Jalâl attribute." (8) Such manifestations continued in an alternating manner. We believed that Hasib Effendi had the Jamâl attribute; Abdul'aziz Effendi, Jalâl; Mehmed Zahid Effendi, Jamâl, and Mahmud Es'ad Effendi, Jalâl. May Almighty Allah bless them all and benefit us from their intercession. While he was a student at the Medical College, Dr. Mazhar Özman asked Abdul'aziz Effendi about the difference between the Jalâl and Jamâl attributes. He was curious how different would be the treatment of a shaikh who has the Jalâl attribute from the treatment of a shaikh who has the Jamâl attribute. Abdul'aziz Effendi responded: "What do you think? Do you think that an internal medicine specialist has mercy for the patient and the surgeon does not?" (9) One afternoon, Nâil Sürel was with Abdul'aziz Effendi. Khawaja Effendi said, "Nâil, let us go and visit the wife of Mustafa Feyzî Effendi." She used to live in the Koca Mustafa Pasha section of Istanbul. We took the main street from Zeyrek. In the street the funeral of Fevzi Çakmak Pasha was taking place. Khawaja Effendi said, "Let's walk after the deceased for a while. It has rewards." We walked for a while and then we turned to Koca Mustafa Pasha direction. We arrived in her house on foot. The wife of Mustafa Feyzî Effendi, our respected Mother, complained that they could not conduct Khatme-i Khawajegan dhikr: "We have been followed [by the secret service.]" She added, "My Shaikh Hasan Hilmi used to say, 'Do not fear a person who fears Allah; fear a person who does not fear Allah.' For this reason we are a bit hesitant [in doing the Khatme-i Khawajegan]." Khawaja Effendi responded: "We fear neither the who fears Allah nor one who does not." Our respected Mother said, "Well, you are a man, and your spiritual degree is different." Nâil Bey was listening to the conversation in the room. They left. It was about time for the Asr prayer. It was not possible to reach the Ummugulsum mosque for the prayer. Khawaja Effendi left him saying, "One never knows how I will reach there." Later, Nâil Bey found out that Khawaja Effendi reached the Ummugulsum mosque in time for the prayer. Allah knows, it must have been the tayy-i mekân (miraculous travel from one place to another regardless of distance). (10) During one of the discourses, he mentioned the name of a person who had been the imam of the Mahmudpasha Mosque and a disciple of Hasan Hilmi Effendi (who was the residing shaikh of the Gumush-khanewi Dargah). Abdul'aziz Effendi told the following about him: "This person served Hasan Hilmi Effendi in the Dargah for a long time. While Shaikh Effendi was on his death bed, he called this man and asked: 'You have been in our service for so long. What would you like to request from us?' This person responded: 'Shaikh Effendi, please pray for me that I become very rich.'" Abdul'aziz Effendi raised his voice in disapproval: "Look at what he wants! Instead of asking for something for the hereafter, he wants to be rich in this world. He should have asked for true iman and the consent of Almighty Allah." As a matter of fact, that man became very rich; however, he died as a strange and poor person. (11) On a Sunday before the Asr prayer, Sirri Bey had a thought: "I wish I could feel what our Khawaja Effendi feels. I wish I had a state like him." He had no desire of being a shaikh, but he was curious: "I would like to experience it. Once I experience that state, I do not need to live longer a couple of days." With these thoughts he went to Abdul'aziz Effendi. He was reading a book. Sirri Bey kissed the hand of his Shaikh and sat down. Abdul'aziz Effendi turned to him: "I will tell you a story. Son, there was stranger visiting a tekke in Bukhâra. After some conversation, the shaikh of the tekke wanted to offer him balli-pacha (a meal made from lamb-feet and honey), which was the famous dish of Bukhâra at that time. There was other food in the tekke, but not balli-pacha. "A short while after this thought crossed the mind of the shaikh, one of the disciples, who had an open vision and was eligible to become a deputy, came in with a dish of balli-pacha and placed it before the shaikh and the guest. The Shaikh Effendi was quite pleased by the gesture of this disciple and decided to grant him whatever he wanted. "After the guest departed, he turned to the disciple: 'Son, tell me what you want from us?' The disciple responded: 'I want perfect iman and your prayers.' The shaikh insisted, 'Tell me what is in your heart.' The disciple did not want to reveal it, 'Effendi, you know what I want.' The Shaikh Effendi said: 'Let it out!' The disciple asked, 'Will you give me what I want?' "When the shaikh promised, the disciple told him what he wanted: 'Make me like yourself.' The shaikh said, 'You want something that is very difficult to endure. Since I promised, I will do what I can.' "He took the disciple into khalwet [retreat]. They fasted 40 days in khalwet. The other disciples served them meanwhile. When they emerged from the khalwet, everybody saw two shaikhs. They looked like identical twins. The disciples could not tell which one was their shaikh. Forty days passed and one of the shaikhs died. The other one said: 'O my disciples! The one who died was your friend. He asked me to make him like myself. I granted his wish, yet he could only endure it for forty days. His life was completed, too. Now, go and prepare for the funeral.'' After telling the story, Abdul'aziz Effendi looked at Sirri Bey, and said: "Son, do not want anything like that, for you will not endure it." (12) e. His Interpretation of Dreams Dr. Mazhar Özman related that Abdul'aziz Effendi was once talking about a friend. This friend used to dislike people who were clearly enemies of Allah. Once he told about his dream to Abdul'aziz Effendi: "In my dream, I was in a large mosque. In the mosque was our beloved Prophet sitting while his back was turned to me. He was in a large circle of people. On his right was Hadrat Abu Bakr; on his left, Hadrat Omar. There was an empty space next to Hadrat Abu Bakr. When I entered the mosque, the Prophet said: 'The son of such and such person has arrived.' He turned to Hadrat Abu Bakr: 'O Abu Bakr! The person who just arrived used to dislike the enemies of Allah. Take him to the circle.' They took me and had me sit in the empty space in the circle." Hearing about the dream, Abdul'aziz Effendi told the person, "You shall die soon. Go and get blessings of people and pay them if you owe them anything." A week later, the wife of that person came to Abdul'aziz Effendi: "My husband was in the room. He screamed 'Allah!'. When I entered the room, he was already dead." Khawaja Effendi told the disciples later on: "All his life this man told everybody 'Allah de dur' (keep saying Allah at all times). This time he himself said 'Allah' and stopped." (13) (De dur= keep saying; de, dur = say it and stop). Sirri Bey had a dream while Abdul'aziz Effendi was alive. In the dream, he was following Khawaja Effendi. Khawaja Effendi turned three corners. For each corner, he would look back and continue walking. After the third corner, Khawaja Effendi disappeared. He talked about this dream to Nureddin Bey and Jalâl Khawaja. Jalal Khawaja thought for a while and said: "That person is your spiritual guide. He will die after three time periods." He also told Abdul'aziz Effendi about his dream. Abdul'aziz Effendi said: "Son, there is not much time left for us to depart from this world. There are three time periods; I am not sure if it is three months or three years." As a matter of fact, he passed away three years after that dream. (14) f. Taqwa of Khawaja Effendi Abdul'aziz Khawaja Effendi had a great fear [or awe] of Allah, consciousness of Allah and adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet. The following event could describe him: One of his friends from the tekke visited him. After the Khatme-i Khawajagân, he said: "Effendi, I heard that there are some people around who could be the agents of the secret service. Could you give a break for the Khatme-i Khawajagan dhikr?" Abdulaziz Effendi Responded: "I never received an order in that direction." Then he added: "We fear from fearing. In fact, the strings are in Allah�s hands. If He wants it, you will stumble on the strings even if you take precautions." It is likely that he meant, "We fear from fearing anybody other than Allah." That was how he described the fear of Allah. (15) Abdulaziz Effendi told his disciples that he never had any tooth ache: "I have never had any tooth ache in my life up to this age. This is how it happened: I was ten or twelve years old. My father's shaikh and friend visited us in our house in Kazan, Russia. They were in the living room (guest room). They did not let me in the room, so I was listening to their conversation outside the door. My Father's shaikh said, 'One who recites three Ikhlâs and one Fâtihâ for the spirit of Hadrat Ways-al-Qarânî never suffers tooth ache.' Hearing that I immediately recited three Ikhlâs and one Fâtihâ for the spirit of Hadrat Ways-al-Qarânî. By the will of Allah, I have never suffered from tooth ache." This was quoted by Prof. Dr. Mazhar Özman. (16) Hajji Fuat Prinççi was one of the companions of Abdul'aziz Effendi during his second and last Pilgrimage in 1952. He told the following: "We were going to leave Mina for Arafat. A bus arrived to take us. We all got a seat in the bus. Abdul'aziz Effendi was in the first row, right side window seat. Our driver was a strange person; he had a beard and a turban. As soon as he got in the bus, he started inspecting the passengers by his looks. After he examined Abdul'aziz Effendi carefully, he said, 'Hâdhâ Hajji -- this is the real hajji.' Upon hearing that, Abdul'aziz Effendi got off the bus and walked to Arafat. I did not see him until we all returned to Makkah." (17) g. His Trust and Submission to Allah Abdul'aziz Effendi used to say, "At his first step of trust in Allah, a person is freed from worries about the future." Abdul'aziz Khawaja Effendi performed Hajj twice in his life. He was not married when he performed the first one in 1930. During those years, no passports were issued for the pilgrimage. Khawaja Effendi told his friends that he was leaving for the Hajj. He left without a passport. Later he told his disciples about his trip. He crossed the Syrian border on foot. He spent the night in a Syrian village. At first the villagers were cautious about him. After some conversation, they liked Abdul'aziz Effendi. He stayed in the village for five days. As he was leaving, all the villagers were in tears. They said, "We wish we had never met you [because it is so difficult to see you leaving]." Khawaja Effendi went to Jerusalem and then to Madina and Makka. Once he said: "I had a worry when I left for the pilgrimage. I was wondering if I could drink Zamzam water in plenty, for I had read in a hadith that the hypocrites could not drink it in plenty. At that time, the Zamzam water was taken out from the well with buckets. I went to the well of Zamzam. They filled a big bucket with Zamzam and handed it to me. I lifted it up and started drinking from it. I realized that I finished the whole bucket. I praised Allah for that. I was so happy [that I was not a hypocrite]." One of the physicians quoted Abdul'aziz Effendi: "If Almighty Allah whishes a person to be cured from an illness, even plain water could be his medicine. It is not a must for the sick to go to a doctor. In other words, if they do not go to a doctor, they would not be held responsible. However, if one goes to a qualified doctor, one would be proceeding to the cure. In that case, one has to follow the instruction of the physician; otherwise, one will be held responsible." According to Islam, qualifications are sought in medicine as well as in other fields. Abdul'aziz Effendi was asked by the same physician: "Should a Muslim woman go to a female physician or a male physician?" He responded, "If the qualifications are the same, then a female patient prefers the female doctor. If the male doctor has better qualifications, then she goes to the male doctor." At that time, Khawaja Effendi's 12-year-old son Mahmud was sick. He had high fever for several days. Abdul'aziz Effendi discussed the sickness with the medical student. There was Vedat Bey among the visitors. He said, "Allow me to take him to a doctor." Khawaja Effendi responded: "I want to take him to a doctor, but I feel embarrassed before Allah." Khawaja Effendi would not keep the zakât or contributions in his house when they were brought to him. He would give them to the needy right away. He would follow the Sunnah of the prophet in this aspect as in all aspects of his life. Once he told the following: "Yesterday I realized that there was no food in the house. I had no money to spend either. I turned to Allah: 'My Lord, give me now if you are going to grant me anything. I will not buy anything from the grocer to pay later.' At that moment my wife called me from upstairs: 'Khawaja Effendi, I found a 50 lira bill in the pocket of your jacket. Did you leave it there?' I responded, 'No, but you can spend it on needs.'" Once, the Ummugulsum mosque needed some repairs. The plaster on the ceiling was falling. One of the disciples suggested: "Effendi, shall we collect some money and repair the mosque?" Abdul'aziz Effendi responded: "Look, son! Shaikh [Mustafa Feyzî] Effendi used to say 'Money is fire, and Rufaîs mess with fire.' We have no business with money. You mind your business. A Muslim could step forward and have it fixed." Two weeks after this conversation, Fuat Bey, a physician for the city, stopped by and said: "Effendi, I have retired from my job and received a sum of money. If you allow me, I would like to have the mosque repaired with one half of the money and go for the Pilgrimage with the second half." Khawaja Effendi accepted the offer. While the mosque was repaired, Dr. Fuat Bey performed the pilgrimage. Abdul'aziz Effendi told Osman Çatakli: "Hajji Dr. Fuat Effendi returned from Hajj. Let's visit him." We visited him. A week later Osman Çatakli went to Abdul'aziz Effendi in the morning. He said, "Hajji Dr. Fuat Effendi passed away. Let's go and take care of his funeral." They attended the washing of the body, and went to the cemetery, too. Abdul'aziz Effendi and Osman Çatakli placed the deceased into the grave. After the burial, Abdul'aziz Effendi performed the ritual prayers. With all of this, Abdul'aziz Effendi demonstrated loyalty, trust in Allah, and submission to Allah. Among the disciples of Aziz Effendi, there was a rich lady. She told him once: "I have inherited so much property from my husband. I have no children or relatives. If you allow me, I would like to give you the three-story building in the neighborhood of the mosque, for your children may need it." Abdul'aziz Effendi responded: "We live in the premises of the mosque. We are not homeless. You give that building to a homeless family." That was another demonstration of Khawaja Effendi's trust in Allah and submission to him. (18) h. His Discourses Khawaja Effendi was very close to his congregation and disciples. Upon the request of some college students, he had written some articles for a column in Senirkent newspaper. These articles were brief but very meaningful. Some of the disciples wanted to have these articles printed as a booklet, yet the print shop lost them. In the last paragraph of one of the articles, Abdulaziz Effendi wrote: "In summary, we can say that serving people becomes an obligation for a person who realizes that he must worship Allah." Khawaja Effendi was a perfect servant for Allah, so he fulfilled his obligation by serving his congregation and disciples and educating them. Perhaps Almighty Allah had revealed that his life would be relatively short so that he worked day and night to fulfill that obligation. He was with his disciples all the time teaching them Ramuzul Ahadith and the spiritual manners. Abdul'aziz Khawaja Effendi preferred a question-answer method in teaching. He would ask a question and wait in patience for the responses from each and every one present. This method was also practiced by the great master Ahmed Ziyâuddîn Effendi and by the Prophet. There were days that his discourses would last 24 hours. Whenever there was light in the discourse room, anybody could ring the bell and join regardless of the time of the night or day. Sometimes, Abdul'aziz Effendi would lead the Khatme-i Khawajagân after the two thirds of the night. Some nights, close to dawn he would ask his disciples to worship individually. He would describe this to his disciples in a witty way: "The congregation is like a flock of ducks. As they run to the source of food, they move side to side as though saying 'all together, all together.' When they reach the food, they move their heads forward and backward as though saying 'everybody for himself, everybody for himself." The disciples would turn to the dhikr of Allah individually. Abdulaziz Effendi would recommend that his disciples stay away from people who are not in a tariqa. He was asked what was the wisdom behind that recommendation. He said: "There will be troubles accumulated by a person whose heart is not busy with Almighty Allah. These troubled would be transferred to those whose hearts are open. These troubles would keep them away from Allah for some time." He would say, "Establish friendship with those who remind you of Almighty Allah." Abdulaziz Effendi also described how the attitude towards this world should be: "Settle in this world as a guest. If you settle in this world as a host or a landlord, it will be difficult for you to depart. Approach people in a pleasant way." Abdulaziz Efendi was quite protective of his disciples. He would keep them away from other contacts. Only those who were fully trained were allowed other contacts. He would see them as honey bees: "The honey bees would get nectar from every flower, but they have to bring it to their own hives. If they go to other hives, they will be killed by the guards at the entrance." In addition to being a spiritual guide, Abdulaziz Effendi was like a father to his disciples. He was concerned with the material life of his students as well as their spiritual advancement. A group of friends -- five or six in number -- started attending the discourses in the house of a preacher, Seref Güzelyazici, once a week. They also started attending the discourses of Abdulaziz Effendi. Later on, what Seref Khawaja told them became confusing. In the last meeting he described to them the state of fenâfillâh (annihilation in Allah). It was unclear and very confusing. They met at the Ummugulsum Mosque for the Isha prayer. They were planning to go to Seref Khawaja after the prayer. When they were about to leave, Abdul'aziz Effendi asked them to come in. They said they were going to visit Seref Khawaja. Upon that Abdul'aziz Effendi raised his voice, "I told you to get in!" They entered the discourse room. After that incident, they could not dare to go to Seref Khawaja or anybody else. They realized that it was an important way to protect the student. In addition to his Discourses, Abdul'aziz Effendi would read from Ramuzul Ahadith. Monday and Thursday nights, he had hadith discourses at his house; Sundays after Isha, at the mosque. At night, he would read four to five pages of the book. He would give the meaning of the ahadith without elaboration on the meaning. He would complete reading this 562-page book in fifteen months. He was asked about the manners of sitting with a shaikh, talking to him and asking something from him. He said: "When a person sits in the presence of his shaikh, he should look at the floor or at his own heart and avoid looking into the eyes of his shaikh. Our great guide Ahmed Ziyâuddîn Effendi told his disciples 'Never ask anything from this world.'" He was also asked, "How would one pose a question to his shaikh--by words or by heart?" He responded, "I had asked the same question to Shaikh [Mustafa Feyzî] Effendi. He told me, 'Both are possible; we asked questions by heart.' I, too, asked my questions by heart." The disciples testified that they got answers for their questions that they asked by heart. Whenever Abdulaziz Effendi answered a question, he would start saying, "On this matter, Shaikh Effendi had said . . . " He would not say anything on his own. Once Abdul'aziz Effendi told his disciples: "There is only one straight line passing through two points. There is no second straight line like that. Man has to walk on this straight line from birth to death. This line is called sirat-al mustaqîm. It is the straight path that Almighty Allah described for the Muslims. Muslims should not deviate from this path." He paused for a short while and continued: "If a person deviates from this path with an angle at the starting point or at the middle, in time his deviation increases, and he cannot reach his intended destination. "This path is a one-way path; there is no return. Those who do not lose their direction will not come face to face in confrontation or disagreement. Some go ahead and others follow. If the ones ahead are strong, they will pull the ones who fall behind. If those who are coming after are strong, they will push the ones who are in front. Muslims who are on the straight path will never confront one another in disagreement. They stay united. The division among Muslims would be an indication that they have deviated from the straight path." (19) Prof. Osman Çatakli says once he laughed uncontrollably at a person who attended the discourse of Abdul'aziz Effendi. The man was insane and would utter strange and funny words. Abdul'aziz Effendi saw him laughing. When the strange man left, Aziz Effendi turned to Osman Çatakli: "Do you know how you looked when you laughed at that man? Imagine that you were carrying a heavy load on your back while climbing the hill of Zeyrek. The weight would make you sweat. Meanwhile you were laughing at the person who had no load on his back and was walking with you. Son, by the time the sane man is interrogated on the Day of Judgment, the insane man would be enjoying the garden in Paradise. One who is given the burden of sanity, intelligence and logic will not laugh at those who are insane, but worry about how he would carry his own burden." (20) During a discourse, Abdul'aziz Effendi said that a spiritual guide does not do things on his own, instead he gets the instructions from the sâdât (the preceding guides going all the way to the Prophet) that he represents: "One who sits in this post (i.e. one who is the shaikh of the Dargah) did not come here with his own will. I have nothing special of my own. I am a person who does what our sâdât orders. I am an instrument, not the hand." (21) Somebody asked Abdul'aziz Effendi a question about the state of jazba (rapture). He responded: "In our path, jazba is not a desirable state. It is an indication that a person in a state of rapture cannot put Almighty Allah in his heart. On this matter, Hadrat Shâh-i Naqshband Effendi asked a disciple to leave when he screamed 'Allah!' during the Khatme-i Khawajagân. He turned to his disciples and said: 'Only those who can fit Almighty Allah in their heart could attend our circle.'" Khawaja Effendi continued: "The state of jazba is subject to riyâ (conceit). A true state of jazba could be manifested in various forms. Once I was listening to the Qur'an being recited in the Bayazit Mosque. I was next to one of the pillars. All of a sudden the person sitting next to me got into jazba and hit his head to the pillar with all his strength. When he returned to normal state, he did not remember anything. There was no sign of the blow either. "I had witnessed another jazba state at the Galata Mawlawîkhânesi. One of the whirling dervishes would get into the sate of jazba and stay in the air one meter above the floor and whirl at the same time. I observed that two separate times." Abdul'aziz Effendi used to remind his disciples often that, while doing deeds, nothing else but the consent of Allah should be kept in mind. Once he gave an example from the practice of Ahmed Ziyauddîn Gumush-khanewi Effendi: "The Grand Shaikh [Ahmed Ziyauddîn Gumush-khanewi] Effendi used to do Khatme-i Khawajagân after the Isha prayer and offer the disciples a cup of tea afterwards. Once he told Hasan Hilmi Effendi (one of his deputies who was the first postnishin after him): 'From now on, stop serving tea after the Khatme-i Khawajagân.' A few days later, he told Hasan Hilmi Effendi, 'Do you know why I had the tea service stopped? It is winter time and dervishes are coming to the Dargah from long distances. They may have a thought that they will have a cup of tea after the dhikr. This thought will take them away from the consent of Allah. That is why I had the tea service stopped.'" (22) Khawaja Effendi described the influence of a spiritual guide on a disciple: "[Dervishes are like horses.] We put leashes on some horses and hold the leash tight. We remove the leashes for some. Since they are already trained, we direct them with gestures." (23) i. From Necdet Oral The Khatme-i Khawajagan in Hasib Effendi's house would not continue until the morning. He would observe the Sunnah attentively. As recommended by the Prophet, they would not stay up long after the Isha prayer. However, there would be long discourses late into the night in Aziz Effendi's house because this man�s life was growing short. He knew this fact. Hasib Effendi, too, knew that Aziz Effendi would have a short life. . . . In a discourse, he was asked: "Khawaja Effendi, may Almighty Allah give you long life. Yet we wonder what we will do or where we will go after you pass away?" He responded: "There is no reason to worry; there is Aziz. You can attend his discourses for a while." Later I heard from other people that he said, "One to come after Aziz will have a long life." . . . A person may be tested in various ways. On this subject, Aziz Effendi said: "A shaikh does not test a disciple, it would not be proper for him to do so. A shaikh would not say �I would like to have this man clean the toilets to see if he has any objections in his heart.� What if the person opposes? What if the person says something offensive to Islam? What if it leads him to disbelief? That would be an enormous burden in the hereafter. That is why a shaikh does not test the dervish. Yet tests will come, from almighty Allah." In Hasib Effendi�s house, Aziz Effendi would be his company. Before Hasib Effendi died, Aziz Effendi visited him every day with his brief case. They would study books such as Muhammadiya, Ahmadiya. It was not merely a series of study sessions; rather, it was a transfer of the stage and responsibilities. Once I went to visit Hasib Effendi when they were studying. Hasib Effendi was in a sitting position in bed, reading a book in Arabic out loud while Aziz Effendi was following him on another book. Every now and then he would ask what a particular phrase meant. Aziz Effendi turned to Hasib Effendi and asked: "Khawaja Effendi! After a shaikh dies, would his powers helping a disciple be reduced or diminished?" Hasib Effendi responded: "No, not at all. On the contrary, after a shaikh dies, his power for his disciples becomes sharper just like a sword taken out of its case." Aziz Effendi was a generous person despite his poor income. He would not accept anything from people. Yet he looked like he was a wealthy person. Each Khawaja Effendi was exemplary for us in their life styles. Aziz Effendi was the imam of Zeyrek Ummu Gulsum Mosque. I heard his salary was 19 liras. To feed his children, he bought a pair of goats. The goats multiplied in time. He, a beloved servant of Allah, would go to the green-grocery wholesale place after the day's bazaar was over, collect the leftover vegetables, and bring them home to feed the goats. I could not hold back the tears in my eyes when I heard him saying, "I collected each one of these leftovers by my very own hands." One of our friends, Osman Agabey, asked the son of Aziz Effendi: "Mahmud, is there anything you cannot forget about your father?" He responded: "Osman Abi, there are so many things I remember. However, there is one thing I never forget. After collecting the vegetable leftovers, he would put them in a big sack and carry it on his back. When he walked up the Zeyrek hill, one would think that his nose would touch the ground." One day a woman came to Aziz Effendi to request him pray for her sick son. She begged him to do so. He wanted to do it but changed his mind: "I am sorry, I cannot do that!" The woman left in disappointment. Later on Aziz Effendi told us: "If I tell them to pass under my beard, it would be a path. If I pray for somebody, then people would call me a breath-healer. If the child gets better by the grace of Allah, then I would be in trouble with the calamity of fame." . . . Somebody asked Aziz Effendi, "How should the dress of a Muslim woman appear?" He responded: "The dress of a Muslim woman should not attract attention but respect. It could be made of a loose head-scarf covering the majority of facial lines, a loose and long coat that would cover the body lines, thick socks, and a pair of flat shoes." Once I heard from Aziz Mahmud, who was a friend of Aziz Effendi and an imam of the Fatih Mosque: "I used to keep the books of the City Stock Farm. In the month of March, we had to balance the books and close the account for the year. I had trouble balancing the book. The director called me: 'If you cannot balance the book in two days, we both have to look for new jobs.' "I went to Aziz Effendi and stated the problem: 'There is a small difference in the balance. I cannot find the reason.' He asked me to bring the book. I went home and brought the book. Aziz Effendi was getting ready to make wudu'u while sitting on the floor. He asked me, 'Come, sit by me and turn the pages.' While he was sitting with his arms crossed on his chest, I kept turning the pages. At one page, he put his finger on a number and said: 'Look at this number carefully and close the book.' "I went home and searched the invoices to find the one related to the number pointed out by Aziz Effendi. I realized that I had recorded 69 as 96 by mistake. I corrected the mistake and balanced the book by the help of Aziz Effendi." (24) j. From Halil Necâti Effendi I would like to attempt to express some of my memories about our beloved and dear masters in the tariqa, in hopes of helping those who never met them to better know them. I also hope that it will be a good opportunity to remember them with mercy and kindness, and prayers. . . . Hasib Effendi, Abdulaziz Effendi and Mehmed Zahid Kotku Effendi attended the dargah of Mustafa Feyzi Effendi, who trained them in the tariqa. They were like three good brothers. After Mustafa Feyzi Effendi passed away, Hasib Effendi, oldest among the three, assumed the duty of guidance. He was a leading scholar, and continued to be the shaikh of the Gumush-khanewi Dargah until his death on May 15, 1949. Abdulaziz Bekkine Effendi then assumed guidance over the Dargah. He was the imam of Ummugulsum Mosque at the time. A friend of ours mentioned Abdulaziz Effendi and took us to him. That is how I met Abdulaziz Effendi and was initiated into the tariqa. I used to work with my brother-in-law. He told me that he could take care of the store by himself and I should look for a job to help the family. Upon hearing that, I went to Abdulaziz Effendi, explained the situation, and asked what I should do. He said, "Get ready for the exam to be qualified as a muedh-dhin." On his advice, I started preparing for the exam. Ali Riza Hakses became the Mufti of Istanbul and he arranged an exam. Among the participants, I had the highest score. At that time, the salary of a muedh-dhin was 60 liras while my rent for the house was 60 liras, too. I worried, "How is it possible to make a living like this?" Since this was the recommendation of Abdulaziz Effendi, I let go of the worry. After the exam, Ali Riza Hakses called me. He liked my exam paper and composition. He offered me a position in a Qur'an Course in the premises of the Mufti's Office as a clerk with a salary of 125 liras. I went to Abdulaziz Effendi and asked his recommendation. Upon his advise, I accepted the position and started working there. Later on, another position became available at the Mufti's office. One of my superiors insisted that I should apply for the position. Despite my objection that I was not qualified for the position, he made me sign the paperwork and had me called for an exam. I scored highest in this exam, too. I knew that these were the results of the prayers of Abdulaziz Effendi RhA. Abdulaziz Effendi carried out his guidance with extraordinary zeal and effor t as though he had to meet a deadline. He kept his door open day and night for the visitors and disciples. Finally he returned to his Lord. In his appearance, Abdulaziz Effendi reminded us of Hadrat Ali ibn-i Abu Talib. He had a strong body, wide chest, powerful arms and biceps, and an awesome face. His hair and beard were blond. Sometimes he displayed formidable, serious looks, but usually he was gentle, sweet and generous towards his guests. He enjoyed having participation from the audience during his discourses. There were times that the discourse would last till dawn: we would go home, make fresh wudu'u and go to the mosque for the Fajr prayer. There would not be any time for sleep. He was probably never seen eating a meal alone. We would be with him at the meal table. He was very humble and close to us. He considered us so much his brothers or children that he offered us food at the table with a spoon. This world and everything in it held no more value to him than the peel of an onion. He kept not one thing in excess in his house. As far as we know, he had a tight budget, yet he never made anybody feel that he was poor. There were times that he and his family would sleep hungry. Yet he would accept the hardship with pleasure and be happy and content at all times. His situation reminded us of the old stories regarding an indigent, an orphan and a prisoner of war coming to Hadrat Ali and asking for food. His clothing would be the same for summer and winter. He was not affected by cold or hot weather. He had many extraordinary characteristics and abilities. Although he was a scholar of religious studies, he had a deep knowledge of other fields, too. This fact was observed by many students and personages including Nureddin Topcu, authorities in their fields. Once Abdulaziz Effendi told me about Mehmed Zahid Kotku Effendi. I had not met him because he lived in Bursa. When he described some of his qualities, he referred to Mehmed Zahid Kotku Effendi as "an example of awliya." With the efforts of Mufti Ali Riza Hakses, Mehmed Zahid Kotku Effendi was appointed to Ummugulsum Mosque in January of 1953 to replace Abdulaziz Effendi who had passed away. With the grace of Allah, he filled up the spiritual gap left by the departure of Abdulaziz Effendi. Mehmed Zahid Kotku Effendi did not talk much; he looked extremely humble and simple. Some close associates of Abdulaziz Effendi, unfortunately, were disappointed. They could not accept a humble and simple person replacing their shaikh Abdulaziz Effendi. They could not see the hidden treasures in Mehmed Effendi. They acted in contradiction to the principle of loyalty and left the dargah, leaving us in sadness. We had affection towards Mehmed Zahid Kotku Effendi due to the information given to us by Abdulaziz Effendi and as indicated by the hadith "When Almighty Allah loves a person, he makes people love him, too." He assumed his spiritual guidance duty in the simple way. He lived Islam, and Almighty Allah instilled affection in people for him. It became apparent that he was a beloved servant of Allah. The number of visitors increased day by day, and he became renowned by almost all. With his exceptional qualities, he attracted interest and respect in the nation. With the initiatives of Lawyer Mazhar Sündüs Bey, Mehmed Zahid Kotku Effendi was appointed to Iskenderpasha Mosque in 1958. He served as the imam of this mosque until he departed from this world for his Lord on November 13, 1980. May the Prophet embrace him in Paradise. (25) NOTES (1) Prof. Osman Çatakli, Haci Hasib Efendi ve Haci Aziz Efendi,
Istanbul: 2000, p. 37.
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