Hz.Muhammed Denizci miydi? (Was Mohammed a Seaman? by Abdullah Aymaz)
“What most surprises the non-Muslims who study on Qur’an is that it appears to be much different than they expect. What they really expect is an old book written in Arabic deserts fourteen centuries ago. They assume that it is all about deserts and life of individuals and communities living in them”
Gary Miller
( TV Programmer)
While I was in Toronto, Canada, I happened to hear an interesting story on a convert. It was a story about a man who chose to be a Muslim. As a sailor, he had spent his whole life sailing in oceans.
One day, one of his close friends lent him a translation of Qur’an. Having no knowledge at all about Islam, he started to read it with great curiosity and finished it in a short time. The authenticity and vividness in description of sea-storms impressed him deeply. While giving the borrowed the book back to his friend, he asked:
- Would you tell me, if Mohammed was a sailor?
When his friend replied that Mohammed wasn’t a sailor and that he had spent his life in deserts, he became a Muslim without hesitating.
He himself had experienced many sea-storms while sailing in oceans and thus knew the psychology of a man in such circumstances. The Qur’anic words gave a perfect description of a storm in sea which made him think that Mohammed must have seen a sea-storm, because it looked impossible for someone to make such an authentic picture of a sea-storm without having witnessed one. Surah The Light in Qur’an describes the future state of unbelievers as below:
“The state of unbelievers is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: If a man stretches out his hands, he can hardly see it!”
At this point, I’d like to intervene and say that the above mention phrases have niceties that only scientists can understand, because Qur’an informs us of dark points a few hundred meters below the sea surface that even sunlight can not reach. Those points are so dark that one can hardly see one’s finger. At the end of Verse, Allah says:
“For any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light.”
Her 'olağan' olağanüstüdür (Every Ordinary is Extraordinary)
There are some dangerous classifications injected into our mind without our being aware of it. These discriminations that are thought us in childhood, particularly during the flurry of school period turn into handicaps that hinder us from making sound decisions in late period of our life.
For instance, modern science classifies living beings into two categories; primitive and advanced. Single-celled living beings and primitive, plants are one step ahead of them. Animals are more developed than both; whereas mankind is perfect. This classification is based entirely on revolutionary approach, given also the time dimension of the concept of primitive. The mind is unlikely to recognize that All-Perfect maker so long as it keeps in it this separation. Even if such a man believes in a creator, it shall not be anyone who creates everything in a perfect shape; on the contrary it shall be someone with shortcomings in his power and perfection, who create some perfect beings together with primitive ones. A man in such a condition shall eventually be obliged, either to have a weakness of faith or end up with a misconception of “double reality” which separates the areas of science and religion. For, if he is a believer of Lord’s power and perfection, he will have to face the dilemma that exists between the truths of revelation and the output of the revolutionary science.
Nevertheless, if mankind could question the prejudices imposed on him and ask the question whether a perfect man is able to perform the duty of primitive organism, then the mystery of revolutionary science will be unveiled in a minute.
Indeed, mankind has not the power to do what a primitive organism can do. For, neither is amoeba primitive, because it is one-celled, nor is it one celled because it is primitive In a universe where numerous tasks are allocated to beings, the task given to amoeba can only be achieved by a single cell organism. Everything is created in a state as to perform its duty in a most perfect manner, so that nothing can replace the other. For instance, a human is unlikely to carry out the duty of an amoeba, tree, a bird or a fly.
To sum up, discrimination between primitive-developed is the product of revolutionary approach aiming to discredit the perfection and the All-perfect and is entirely groundless.
Another discrimination of this kind that has built up even in lives of those who have no kinship with science is made between ordinary and extraordinary. In this sort of discrimination, thinks we see daily and events that take place frequently are regarded as ordinary; whereas those that happen rarely are called extraordinary.
For example, snow is an ordinary happening in winter, but extraordinary in summer. The yielding of apple of apple tree is ordinary, but if an orange tree yields apples, it is extraordinary. A speaking baby is ordinary, but a speaking dog is extraordinary. Giving milk is ordinary for a cow, but extraordinary for a rock. When a chicken emerges from an egg it is ordinary but when it comes out of a rock it is extraordinary.
However, the veil of ordinariness on things and events that we’ve been regarding as ordinary is half-opened; it becomes obvious that the ordinary is no ordinary at all.
Let’s take the example of snow. Isn’t it unusual that drops of water, comprised of one inflammable and one caustic element, become solid at a height of thousands of meters and fall down on earth? Is it at all usual that each one of the flakes of snow has a distinctive embroidement, although they each have a hexagonal shape? Is it possible to name this bewildering embroidement, this artistry and multitude ordinary?
The waking up of dry-bone tree in spring, the carrying up of water and minerals to surface from underground at just required quantities; the turning of blossoms with a wonderful artistry and beauty into a sweet and healing fruit in abundance with extreme easiness and artistry are all extraordinary.
The formation of refreshing and relieving fluid by the combination of two gases, the manufacture of white milk in the body of a cow at a place full of blood and manure, the execution today of yesterday’s baby the act of speaking which involves numerous neural cells, the formation of a living chicken within lifeless egg. Are not all those sufficiently extraordinary.
In short, if mankind can unveil the curtain of ordinariness, he will observe that there is no single thing in this world to be called ordinary. Everything in this world is unique and perfect in the sense that it performs task that entail extraordinary power, science, will, artistry and wisdom and cries out the name of All-Sovereign.
By Metin Karabaşoğlu
Kemiyet ve Keyfiyet (Quantity and Quality)
Quantity is far less important than quality
Letters
The approval (consent) of Allah can only be obtained by sincerity and not by the excessiveness of followers or greatness of achievements.
Flashes
Bediüzzaman (=glory of his time)
One single golden coin of dollar exceeds in value thousands of cents.
The manifestation of life and dignity of one single flower can not be found in billions of pieces of rocks.
Similarly, the state of liveliness in one animal surpasses that of the whole realm of vegetation.
When this is the case, even a single believer can not be compared with a world of infidels and unbelievers in terms of dignity and honor.
In the former example, qualification is represented by life (liveliness) and in the latter by ‘faith’.
There were times in the world when a prophet had only one or no follower. Even in such an age the owner of this universe, has given so many quantities the right to exist and didn’t destroy them just for the sake of one or two of his beloved servants.
Science too is a quality so scientist can not be compared with millions of uneducated. It’s the quality that counts, so the scientist will have the final say.
We act according to the principle. Do your duty and don’t interfere with the work of the Creator and do our best to convey the concept of faith to quantities. When it comes to Messengerhood we keep away from disputes on quantity and quality.
We can not know which one of the communities that will be acquainted with the realities of faith and Qur’an will beat the others in terms of qualifications.
We can’t overlook the heavenly message given by the sura(chapter) “Abese”(sura in which Allah warned Mohamed not to scold the blind man) and do our best to convey every individual the realities of Qur’an irrespective of his/her position abode, wealth and fame.
Let’s recall the master divine Bediüzzaman (=the glory of his time) who strived to save the faith of people, saying: “There is a catastrophic fire in front of me.” Those that are burning are all quantities. But if the fire can be put out many qualifications will emerge from those quantities.
They who are burning are the servants of Allah; they loose eternal happiness due to overindulgement in enjoyment, heedlessness and corruption.
It’s our primary responsibility to communicate to them the pillars of faith and Qur’an. And we shall do it solely for approval of Allah and not for a worldly or a heavenly fortune. But for all our good intentions, we may end up with a small number of people to guide. In such a case, we recall the saying: “the approval the Allah can only be obtained by sincerity and not by the excessiveness of the disciples or greatness of achievements” and render are services uninterruptedly. It would be a mistake to show interest to a few people and overlook our the others, because it is against the four pillars of Bediüzzaman, one of which is “compassion”.
Niçin Kuran Tercüme Edilemez (Why cannot Qur’an be Translated?)
The glorious Qur’an is not an ordinary book. It’s the work of the Creator and the word of the One who caused the existence of mankind and all the being.
Thus, His description will be unique and his words boundless. The integrity and inaccessibility is a very sensible and plausible feature of Him. No one, therefore, is able to interpret it perfectly. Nevertheless, explanations to meet the requirements of humanity can be made by in-depth revelations and comprehensive expositions. So literary translation differs widely from commentary and explanation.
I wish to draw your attention to the impossibility of transcribing even a single line of Qur’an into Turkish. Such an endeavor would be both unwise and illogical. For no word of Allah can be compared to a word of human. Thus a translation of that sort is unlikely to bear the divine meaning and the value of sacred phrases.
The following example may be useful to illustrate the matter.
In the second chapter (sûra) of the Qur’an, verse 3, the Al-mighty says:
-The believers give alms out of the sustenance we give them.
What you have understood from this translation is, that the believers should give alms out of the sustenance of Allah…Is that all? No, there is more to it than that. But for a better comprehension of the verse, you have to examine some other explanations too.
The above verse of only one line describes the five pillars of charity in a miraculous fashion.
1-Give alms, but don’t go so for as making yourself needy of charity. This conclusion comes from the word “min” (=from) meaning give some part of…
2-Give alms out of your own possession and not from those of others.
We infer this from the word “sustenance” meaning…out of the sustenance we’ve granted…
3-Don’t oppress the needy with your charity, that is to say don’t make him/her feel indebted to you,
This meaning can be derived from the phrase … out of what we have given…
4-Charity should be given to the one who will spend it for his/her necessary supplies and not for unlawful or unnecessary things.
We understand it from the phrase…Should spend it for his/her living…
5-Charity should be made for the sake of Allah, and not to satisfy the super ego.
We infer this from the sentence… “Give out of sustenance bestowed by Allah”…
In addition to above-mentioned, there are some other points like the following that are worth touching on.
Scientific knowledge, actions and (intellectual) words are charitable as well as property. The requirements of science should be cited whenever necessary. Verbal action should be displayed and words should be uttered that could be helpful to the poor.
I hereby quit writing about this subject and address those who claim that the Qur’an can be translated, in the following manner. Is it at all possible to translate a single line of divine word into Turkish by a single line of human word Certainly not?
To comprehend the meaning of Qur’an, one should at least go over the explanations and read books that are so comprehensive as to give the meaning of one line in several pages.
Ahmet ŞAHİN
Hikmetli Sözler (Words of Wisdom)
1. Allah’tan geldik ve tekrar O’na döneceğiz.
Verily we are Allah’s and unto him we shall return.
Quran
2. . Beni bir kez takdis edeni, Allah on kez takdis eder.
He who blesseses me once shall be ten times blessed by Allah
Prophet Muhammed
3. Kalbinde zerre kadar gurur olan Cennet’e giremez.
He who has an atom of pride in his heart will fail to enter paradise.
Prophet Mohammed
4. Allah, kullarına akıldan daha kıymetli bir şey vermemiştir. Divine Ali
Allah did not give His servants anything more to be esteemed than Intelligence.
5. İnsanların değeri, yaptıkları iyiliklerle ölçülür. Hz.Ali
Value of a man is measured by his good deeds. Divine Ali
6. Hal, geçmişi ve geleceği görmeye yarayan bir rasat kulesidir.
Present is an observatory to see past and future. A.Hamdi TANPINAR
7. Hayrın anahtarı şerden kaçınmaktır. Hz.Ali
The key to goodness is avoiding the evil. Divine Ali
8.Hayatın ne kadar kısa olduğunu anlamak için, insan çok yaşamalıdır.
One has to live a long life to see how short it is. ŞOPANAVIR (?)
9. Günahlar vicdanları paslandırır.
Sins rot(en) the soul. MEVLANA
10. Cennete gitmeden yolda neler var?
Do you know What are on the way to Paradise? KARACAOĞLAN
11. Akıl tamamlandığında söz noksanlaşır Hz.Ali
When the wisdom is completed, word is diminished. Divine Ali
12. Hayatın gayesi, hayatın kendisi değil ötesidir.
The purpose of life is not life itself, but the Hereafter. Selim GÜNDÜZALP
13. Hayatınızı kolaylaştırıyoruz diyenler, yaşamınızı zorlaştıranlardır.
They who claim to make your life easier,
are really the ones who make it harder.
Selim GÜNDÜZALP
14. Bütün kötülüklerin başı fena arkadaştır.
A bad friend is the most evil of all. İmam GAZÂLİ
15. Küçük insanların büyük gururları olur.
Little men have big prides. VOLTAİRE
16. Aç kalmak alçalmaktan hayırlıdır.
Hunger is better than cowardice. Divine Ali
17. Köşeyi döndüler ama Azrail ile beraber.
They turned around the corner
accompanied, however, by Azrael. Selim GÜNDÜZALP
18. Dış alemde tesadüf yoktur, tesadüf kafamızın içindedir.
There is no coincidence in outer world.
Coincidence is only in our imagination.
KAFKA
19. Sokaklar adam dolu, adamlar sokak dolu.
Streets are full of men and men full of streets. Selim GÜNDÜZALP
20. Yüksek tabakanın neyi yüksek?
What is high about high society? İsmet ÖZEL
21. Meyvelerin doğması için, bütün çiçekler solar.
All flowers get wilted so that the fruits come forth. GOETHE
22. İyiliklerin de ruhu vardır; ölmezler.
Good deeds have spirits so they don’t die. Selim GÜNDÜZALP
23. Tesadüf, inançsızların kadere taktığı isimdir.
Coincidence is the name given to destiny by unbelievers. Andre SUARES
24. Şiddet göstermeksizin kuvvetli, zayıflık belirtmeksizin yumuşak ol.
Be strong without displaying violence,
and be kind without showing weakness. Divine Ömer
25. Gurur başarının en büyük düşmanıdır.
Pride is the most enemy of success. Prof. A.Fuat BAŞGİL
26. Yol odur ki, Hakk’a vara.
The real path is the one that leads to Allah. Yunus EMRE
27. Başlangıç, sonuçların tecelli yeridir.
Kimin başlangıçı Allah ile olursa sonu da onunla olur.
Start is where the result is manifested. He who starts with
Allah ends up with Allah. Ataullah İSKENDERİ
28. her şeyi kaderiyle yarattık
We have created everything with its destiny.
Quran
29. Baki kalan bu alemde, hoş bir sada imiş.
What remains in this dome eternally is a sweet voice.
Fuzûli
30. Aman doktor, gülyüzlü deli aşığından memnun.
Beni tedavi etmekten vazgeç, bırak daha da hasta olayım
O doctor, the fairy-faced seems to like her crazy lover.
Give up trying to cure me, let me become yet more insane. Fuzûli
Kavramlar / Concepts
Subjugation of nafs :Nefsin zaptedilmesi.
Nafs own self / Selbst :Own inner being.
Kul :Servant (Not Slave)
İman: Faith
Distress: Dert, keder
Distressing: Acıklı.
Enumurate the
names of Allah: Allah’ın isimlerini saymak.
Mülkün sahibi: Absolute al-Malik, The Sovereign Lord.
Kusur: Shortcoming.
İtiqad: The belief, the faith.
Savior: Kurtarıcı, halaskar, İsa.
As-Salâm: Peace.
Selamet ve Emniyet :Safety and Security.
Nimet :Blessing:
Allah bestows his blessings
on His servants :Allah kullarına nimetlerini ihsan eder.
The Bestower :İhsan veren.
There is no limit
to His bounty :Cömertliğine sınır yoktur.
He dispenses His bounty
in this world to believers –
disbeleivers :Herkese cömertçe dağıtır.
Mohammed seal
of prophethood :Son Peygamber .
Rızq :Sustenance
Abundance of sustenance.
Repent , repentance :Tövbe.
Rectify :Islah etmek.
Veil :Örtmek (Cover Up).
Veil the sins :Günahları örtmek.
Day of Judgement :Mahkeme günü, Mahkeme-i Kübra.
Day of Insurrection : Kıyamet Günü.
Transient :Fani, geçici.
Baki :Ever-lasting.
The All-Seeing One (Basir)
The All-Hearing One (Sami)
Al-Adl :The Just One.
The Arbitrator- The judge
Wicked :Günahkar.
Piet/Piety : Dindar, Sofu, Takva
Predestiny :Kader.
Injustice and inequity :Adaletsiz ve haksız.
Al-Khabir : The All Cognizant One = The Omniscient: her şeyden haberdar olan
Al-Jalil : The Sublime One
Polytheist : Çoktanrıcılık
He showers (bestows) blessings to his servants : Nimetlerini kullarına yağdırır.
Gift : Nimet Love is a gift of God. It is the road which leads to God and on which there is no distinction between prince and pauper (fakir)
Eloquent : Hatip
Suffering : Çile
Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala (SWT) : God is purified of having partners or a son
Sallallahu 'alaihi wa salam (SAW) : May the blessings and the peace of God be upon him.
Sigh (for) : İç çekmek , hasret çekmek, ah çekmek
Kindle : Tutuşturmak, yakmak, alevlendirmek, aydınlatmak
Righteousness and Piety : Doğruluk ve Takva
Plague Epidemic : Salgın hastalık
Unsubstantiated Rumours : Mesnetsiz Dedikodular
Life Partner : Hayat Arkadaşı
Spiritual Delights : Ruhani Zevkler
Wield the Sword : Kılıç Kuşanma
Evil Creatures : Şer Yaratıklar
To Take Negative/Positive Attitude :
Women Ensure The Continuance of the Race
Let our Life be Sacrified
Black-eyed Beauty : Kara gözlü güzel
Grief, Sarrow : Keder
Idol : Put
“Should Fortune Bestow On Me Wealth and Worldly Goods
I would not be glad
Were it to free me from all wealth and worldly goods
I would not be sad”
Contentment (Quana’t) : Kanaat
Looking for Faults in Others instead of One’s Self :
Baki is Fuzuli’s Contemporary : Baki, Fuzuli’nin Çağdaşıdır.
Friends are heedless, spheres are ruthless, Fortune is inconstant quite:
Dostlar tabansız, felek amansız, Talih oldukça kararsız
Woes are many, friends not any, strong the foe, and weak my plight:
Kederler çok, dostlar hiç yok, düşman güçlü, ve benim halim kötü
My unostentatious being doesn’t comment respect:
Benim gösterişsiz varlığım saygı uyandırmıyor.
“My beloved has made me weary of myself ; has not she too become weary?
My sighs have scared the heavens; will not the candle of my desire now shine “
Yarim beni kendimden usandırdı da; kendisi de usanmadı mı?
Çığlıklarım gökleri korkuttu; ihtirasımın ışığı artık yanmayacak mı?
Ascetic : Zahit, withdraws from the world’s affairs and devotes himself to prayer and wins the respect of people
Obedient : İtaatkar
Beware of worldly ambitions and be content with your lot. A man is naturally disposed
towards pleasure. He wishes to be free from all restraints. Their disagreement finally results in
concorde
