SPENDING IN CHARITY AND ITS INNER PEACE

SPENDING IN CHARITY AND ITS INNER PEACE

    Friday, September 14, 2012   No comments

by Professor Dr: Hayati AYDIN*

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on which benefits can be gained in the way of the communal and individual social assistance.

Islam makes the community as a virtuous community that is its men's duty to compete in good and charity they do not compete in earning property.

The only thing that religion wants to be a believer to behave according to conscience of responsibility. This is the clearest word that qualifies Muslim in the Qur'an. According to this, behaving conscientiously is a part of the conscience of responsibility and Qur'an wants to make it. So behaving according to God's order is very important in the context of soul calm. Social assistance is a very important part of this responsibility. Social assistance becomes a source of happiness and spiritual calmnes in individual and social ways both.

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SPENDING IN CHARITY AND ITS INNER PEACE

We should not forget that the legislation of the Qur'an corresponds to the true requirements of man's nature, and to make guidance for him in all his socially acts as well as spiritual affairs. In this context, as Izutsu points out, the Quran gives an outstanding emphasis to justice and love in social life. He says that piety, in reality, cannot be piety unless it manifests itself in various actions motivated by the will to practice justice and love towards others. ¹ 

The only thing that religion wants is to be a believer and to behave according to conscience of responsibility. This is the clearest word that qualifies Muslim in the Qur'an. According to this, behaving conscientiously is a part of the conscience of responsibility and Qur'an wants to make it. So behaving according to God's order is very important in the context of soul calm. 

Islam makes the community as virtuous community that is its men's duty to compete in good and charity they do not compete in earning property. This phenomenon can be seen in Prophet Muhammad's community. The people of this community spend their life and property for men's happiness. Spend their life on valuable activities. This behaviour is the common behaviour of celestial religions.

“And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord: "O my Lord! leave me not without offspring, though thou art the best of inheritors. So We listened to him: and We granted him Yahya: We cured his wife's (Barrenness) for him. These (three) were ever quick in emulation in good works; they used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us” (Al Anbiyâ, 21/89 -90)

As seen in the verses, it is said that the follower of celestial revelations were men who race in good deeds with one another. Especially for the apostles there was practically no difference between an idea and its spiritual application: They did not separate theory from realization.²

For example the Qur'an praised some men from the people of the Book for their good activities:

“Not all of them are alike: Of the People of the Book are a portion that stand (For the right): They rehearse the Signs of God all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in God and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: They are in the ranks of the righteous” ( Ali- İmrân, 3 / 113 -114)

These two verses explain men to be in compete in favour and for this reason this has been praised by the God.

For example, Islam encourages humans to compete in goodness and charity, and not to compete in prosperity. This gives man very beautiful psychological feeling and good mood.

“ Those who believe and do right, have happiness, and an excellent resting place” (Ar-Ra'd, 13/ 29)

“Oh, verily, they who are close to the God-no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve: they who have attained to faith and have always been conscious of Him. For them there is the glad tiding (of happiness) in the life of this world and in the life to come; (and since) nothing could ever alter (the outcome of) God's promises, this, this is the triumph supreme ”(Yunus, 10/ 62-64)

Except Hereafter as well there are beauty, something good news and bearer for believer and good makers. There is a pleasure and brilliance of eyes for those who believe and do right. Fahkr al-Din Al-Razi says for interpretation of this verse that there is a lot of receive all the beauty. Every taste and pleasure comes in this statement. In every state and work the best thing being for them.³ Are only these? These are not only things. There is another beauty: Excellent resting place after death.

Islam impulses man to goodness. The name of goodness is Birr in the Qur'anic terminology.  This concept has been translated in English as “piety righteousness” “kindness”. Izutsu says that this word (Birr) is a comprehensive name for all actions (as explained in the verse of Bakarah, 2/ 177) motivated by love and righteousness, and stimulated by religious experience of “fear”.⁴ For this reason Birr is including all of goodness. Prophet Muhammad(p.u.h.) has said that the spiritual dimension of this word that “by favour of goodness, one can get imminent peace and calmness but sin brings about psychological tightness”.⁵ In addition sin causes disturbance of human desires and creates hesitation at heart means that there can be troubles in one's psychological mood because of sin. As a word 'Birr' is drived from 'Barr' that means broadness in actions of goodness. From this relation, it can be said that in this context 'Birr' is broadness of heart in Islamic literature.⁶

“Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions”(An-Nahl,16/ 97)

In the verse it is understood that one part of the verse belongs to the world life and the other part belongs to Hereafter life.  The God rewards the believer and the maker of righteous by beauty of life in the world and grant reward to them on their actions according to the best of their actions.

In Quran the good and beauty life is a happy life for the people who agree the revelation given to Prophet Muhammad (p.u.h.) according to Ibn Abbas⁷Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya says in the Tibbu Al-Qulub the God makes happy the people who acts goodness and makes miserable the people who acts bad behaviour. ⁸He makes these explanations according to the interpretation of Tâ-Hâ, 124; An'am, 127. These verses show us that the owner of goodness has good psychological condition and the owner of badness has bad psychological condition. This is the evident of goodnesses' that they are the source of good psychological feelings.

According to Islam scholars, there is an affect of actions on the heart, positively and negatively.⁹ We can find this reality in Qur'an concepts and their etymologies, Same of them have powerful references on the man's soul direction.

Islam adopted a considerable number of words which used in Jahiliyya (Age of Ignorance) with modification and succeeded in making out of them high moral concepts into new code of Islamic ethic and law. For example the most important words laden with negative and positive concepts  in the Qur'an are “Zulm” and “Adl”.

The meaning of zulm is to put a thing in a wrong place which is not its own place. This occurs because of deficiency or excessiveness.¹⁰ Adl is the opposite of this meaning. Namely Adl is to put a thing on its own place.

In Islamic tradition, each sin is a cruelty for human self. Therefore each individual who commits a sin s/he behaves in an unjust way for herself. On the contrary, s/he harms self-confidence.¹¹ “What they spend in the life of this world is like a frosty wind which smites and destroys the crops of a people who had wronged them by own. God did not wrong them, they wronged themselves”(Al-'Imran, 2/ 117) Sins seize both health and truth, so this brings about illness and destruction of heart according to Islamic scholars.¹²

Therefore, as Ibn Taymiyyah said that cruelty (zulm) is the illness of heart. Justice (adl) is the health and truth of heart. Moreover, just is to be moderate. To be moderate means truth of heart. That is why, in each sin, one destroys him/herself. Corruption is the opposition to just. Truth of heart is at just, but trouble of heart is at corruption.¹³

“Those who deny Our revelations are deaf, dumb, and lost in the dark…” (Al-An'am, 6/ 39)

One who is sick cannot get favour of foods that are essential for life during this illness. Influence of sins in heart is as mood of illness in body. Medicine of these illnesses is to abandon those sins. ¹⁴ Also past generations (Salaf) said that the good behaviour brings up light of heart, power of body, shining of face, wealth of benefits and love inside heart of people. ¹⁵

It was stated in the section of Prayer that The Qur'an calls Islamic religion a Natural Religion. Zulm is an unjust behaviour which is the opposite of Islamic principles and naturally contradicts nature. Adl is a just behaviour which is in harmony with nature. For this reason, unjust acts contradict man's nature and naturally man's heart distressed by this action.

Blessing is just the blessing of heart. Which distress is greater than fear, sorrow, sadness, trouble in heart, being far away from God and next world life, concerning one to other being than God or giving up to believe in God faithfully? Everyone who is concerned with a being other than God and loving other beings as God is in a great sorrow from the point of a believer. For each individual who loves existence other than God, there are troubles waiting for them, which give one great sorrow three times in this world. The first one is the pain that belongs to process of reaching this situation. Second is that one suffers from fear of losing or lack of this issue when s/he gets this thing and blame of people or rejecting him/herself because of this point of view. Third is the increase of this sorrow when s/he loses this blessing.¹⁶

One from the concept of Birr is Tax / Zakah (Alms). The Zakah prescription is necessary for every rich man. 'Zakah' is the most important thing in the spending in charity. 'Zakah' is an action of Birr (Goodness) (look. Bakarah, 2 / 177 as a meaning in dictionary is 'goodness in benefits'. In other words,'Zaka'sh-Shey'u' means “Nama fi As-Salah / incrase in benefits”. ¹⁷ The entitling of zakah as zakah is because of its including of hope blessing and cleaning of self. ¹⁸ Because, the Qur'an isolates the illnesses that cause harmful effects for human will to remove the defects of heart and will. As the body returns to its natural mood, heart and will return to human nature coming from birth. Heart is nourished by faith and the Qur'an is nourished by maturation activities.¹⁹

Islam commands to the rich legal alms / poor tax (to give one fortieth and one tenth from their property) for the poor too. This purifies giver's soul as he relieved  the poor.

“Accept the offerings they make from their wealth in order to cleanse and purify them for progress…”  (At-Taubah, 9/103)

“Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification”(Al-Layl, 92/18)

As seen in these verses the Qur'an orders the rich to give the poor their lot. This help gives the person an inner peace and satisfaction. The time of Qur'an's talking about spiritual fact to be understood in the best way uses the method of representation and impression (intensify) in generally (look, Bakarah, 2/ 17, 261, 264, 265).²⁰ As well as for showing the soul calmness of alms-giver and the soul's trouble of miser using the example of two persons who is wearing a tight iron cloaks on them from their breasts to their collarbones.Al-Jawziyya, Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawabu Al-Kafi li Man Saala an Dawâi  As-Shafi, (Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyâi Ulûm, 1990).p.117; Kamil, Umar,Abdullah,  At-Tasavvuf Beyna Al-Ifrat wa At-Tafrit, (Beirut: 2001).p. 63

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (p.u.h.) has said, "The example of a miser and an alms-giver is like the example of two persons wearing iron cloaks." Allah's Apostle also said, "The example of an alms-giver and a miser is like the example of two persons who have two iron cloaks on them from their breasts to their collar bones, and when the alms-giver wants to give in charity, the cloak becomes capacious till it covers his whole body to such an extent that it hides his fingertips and covers his footprints (obliterates his tracks). And when the miser wants to spend, it (the iron cloak) sticks and every ring gets stuck to its place and he tries to widen it, but it did not become wide”²¹

In the Hadith the soul calmness of alms-giver is represented with cloak's capaciousness and the soul's trouble of miser is represented with iron cloak's constriction.

Without a doubt, heart's blessed income is the income of body. Alms end up sins as in the opposition of water and fire, keeps heart from dangers. In other words, its income can be conceived as cleaning of heart from sins. ²² “Accept the offerings (Sadqah) they make from their wealth in order to cleanse (Tathir) and purify (Tezkiya) them from progress, and invoke blessings upon them. Your blessings will surely bring them peace, for God hears all and knows everything” (At-Taubah, 9/103)

In fact the name of Sadaqah is coming from Sidq (accuracy). Because, giving sadaqah is an evidence of iman's accuracy.²³ For this reason, the Prophet (p.u.h.) refused to accept it from all whose behaviour had made it obvious that were hypocrites.²⁴ Sadaqah primarily denotes the tax called Zakah(the purifying does) incumbent on every Muslim enjoying a certain minimum of property or income. Secondary, as Muhammad Asad pointed out, this comprises everything that a believer freely gives to another person, out of love or compassion, as well as what he is morally or legally obliged to give, without expecting any worldly return.²⁵ Like this âyath,  all  uses  Tathir and Tezkiyya that are used in the context of Sadaqah in the Qur'an come to the meaning of spiritual cleans and purify of sins. ²⁶

As a result, Islam encourages humans to compete in goodness and charity, and not to compete in prosperity. If man behave according to Islamic orders in this issue this gives him very beautiful psychological feeling and good mood.

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BIBLIYOGRAPHY

Abu Abdillah Muhammad b. Ahmad, Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jâmi lî-Ahkâm al-Qur'ân, (Beirut: Dâr Al-Kütub Al-İlmiyye, 1988).

Abu Dawud, Sunan, (İstanbul: Çağrı publishing house, 1992).

Abu Talib Muhammad b. Ali b. Atiyya, Al- Makki, Qutu Al-Qulub fi Muamalati al-Mahbub, (Maktabatu Al-Mustafa Al-Halabi, 1961).

Al-Raghib al-Isfahani,  Abul-Qasim Husayn ibn Muhammad Al- Mufradat fi Gharib al-Qur'ân, (Beirut: Dâr al-Ma'rifa).

Al-Raghib, Al- Isfahanî, Abul-Qasim Husayn b. Muhammad, Az-Zari'a ilâ Makarimi As-Sharia, (Beirut-Lubnan: Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyya, 1980).

Ash-Shawkan', Muhammad b. Ali, Al-Fath Al-Qadir Al-Jami' fi Ar-Rivayah wa Dirayah min 'Ilmi At-Tafshir, (Egypt: Mustafa Al-Babi Al-Halabî, 1964).

Ayub b. Musa, Abu Al-Baqa', Al-Kulliyat Mu'camu fi al-Mustalahat wa al-Furuk al-Lugawi, (Beirut: Muassatu Ar-Risala).

Darimî, Sunan, (İstanbul: Çağrı publishing house, 1992).

Fakhr al-Din, al-Razi, Al-Tafsir al-Kabir, (Tahran: Dâr Al-Kütub Al-İlm,).

Ibn Kathir, Ismail, Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Karim, (Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyai At-Turas Al-Arabi, 1969).

Ibn Maca, Sunan, (İstanbul: Çağrı publishing house, 1992).

Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawzaiyya, Al-Jawabu Al-Kafi li Man Saala an Dawâi  As-Shafi, (Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyâi Ulûm, 1990).

Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawzaiyya, Tibb Al-Qulub, (Jidde: 1983).

Ibn Taymiyyah, Ahmad, Majmu' Fatawa, (Riyad: 1381).

Muslim, Sahih, (İstanbul: Çağrı publishing house, 1992).

Nasaî, Sunan, (İstanbul: Çağrı publishing house, 1992).

Toshihiko, Izutsu, The Structure of The Ethical Terms in The Qur'an, (Tokyo: Keio University, 1959).

Umar Abdullah, Kamil, At-Tasavvuf Beyna Al-Ifrat wa At-Tafrit, (Beirut: 2001).

Whaitall, Perry, A Treasury of Traditional Wisdom (From Schoun: Perspectives spiritualise,, London, George Allen and Unwin LTD, 1971).

¹* At Divinity Faculty of Yuzuncu Yil University VAN / TURKEY

  Toshihiko, Izutsu,  The Structure of the ethical terms in the Qur'an, (Tokyo: Keio University, 1959),   p. 210

² Whitall, Perry,  A Treasury of traditional wisdom (From Schoun: Perspectives spiritualise, p. 170), (London, George Allen and Unwin LTD, 1971),  p. 499

³ Razi, Fakhr al-Din, Al-Tafsir al-kabir, (Tahran: Dâr al-kütub Al-İlm), 17: 41

⁴  Izutsu, Ibid, p. 212

⁵  Darimî,  Buyu, 3, I. 642; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Sunan,   4: 194; 228

⁶ Al- Isfahanî, Raghib, Az-Zari'a ilâ makarimi as-sharia, (Beirut-Lubnan: Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyya, 1980),  p. 127

⁷ Ibn Kathir, Ismail, Tafsiru al-Quran al-karim, (Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyai At-Turas Al-Arabi, 1969), 2: 585; Al-Jawziyya, Ibn Qayyim, bb Al-Qulub, (Jidde: 1983). p. 145

⁸  Al-Jawziyya, Ibn Qayyim, Tibb Al-Qulub, (Jidde: 1983).p. 146

⁹  Al- Makki,  Abu Talib Muhammad b. Ali b. Atiyya, Qutu Al-Qulub fi muamalati al-mahbub, (Maktabatu Al-Mustafa Al-Halabi, 1961), 1: 230: Ibn Taymiyyah, Ahmad, Majmu' fatawa, (Riyad, 1381), 10:  98; Al-Jawziyya, Tibb al-qulub, p. 133

¹⁰  Al-Isfahanî, Al- Müfradât, p.  315; Ayub b. Musa, Abu Al-Baqa', Al-Kulliyat mu'camu fi al-mustalahat wa al-furuk al-lugawi, (Beirut: Muassatu Ar-Risala, p. 594); Al-Jurjanî, Sharif Ali b. Muhammad, At-Ta'rifat, p. 144; Izutsu, Ibid, p. 152

¹¹  Ibn Taymiyyah, Ahmad, Majmu' Fatawa, (Riyad: 1381), 10: 98, 100

¹²  Al-Jawziyya, Al-Jawabu al-kafi, p.117; Kamil Umar, Abdullah,  At-Tasavvuf Beyna Al-Ifrat wa At-Tafrit, (Beirut: 2001), p. 63; Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibid, 10:  98-101

¹³ Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibid, 10: 98, 100

¹⁴ Al-Jawziyya, Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawabu Al-Kafi li Man Saala an Dawâi  As-Shafi, (Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyâi Ulûm, 1990).p.117; Kamil, Umar, Ibid, p. 63; Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibid, 10: 98-101

¹⁵  Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibid, 10: 98

¹⁶  Al-Jawziyya, Al-Jawabu Al-Kafi, .p.117; Kamil, Umar, Ibid, .p. 63

¹⁷ Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibid, 10: 96

¹⁸ Isfahani, Ibid, p. 213

¹⁹  Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibid, 10: 96

²⁰  I want to give another example except for the text about the Quran's usage: the method of representation and impression for psychological phenomenon. In Al-Balad's surah the Quran to overcome niggardliness nature makes a link with climbing a steep mountain: “But he could not scale the step ascent. How will you comprehend what the ascent is? To free a neck or to feed in times of famine. The orphan near in relationship, or the poor in distress; and to be of those who believe, and urge upon one another to persevere, and urge upon each other to be kind. They are the people of the right hand (will succeed)” (Al-Balad,  90/ 11-18)

So with this example the Quran shows us how hard is to defeat niggardliness which is a psychological reality.  

²¹Bukhari, Zakah 28; Jihad wa sayr, 89; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, 2: 256; www.sacred_texts.com/isl/bukhari/bh2/bh2_524.htm

²² Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibid, 10: 96

²³ Qurtubî,  Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmad, Al-Jâmi lî-ahkâm al-Qur'ân, (Beirut: Dâr Al-Kütub Al-İlmiyye, 1988), 8:  157; ash- Şawkanî,   Muhammad b. Ali, Al-Fath Al-Qadir Al-Jami' fi Ar-Rivayah wa Dirayah min 'Ilmi At-Tafshir, (Egypt: Mustafa Al-Babi Al-Halabî, 1964)., 2: 399

²⁴  Asad, Ibid, p. 279-280

²⁵  Look. Asad, Muhammad, The Message of the Qur'an, (England: The Book Foundation, 2003).p. 269, 280

²⁶  Look. Isfahanî, Ibid, p. 214, 308

FATIH AND INNER PEACE

FATIH AND INNER PEACE

    Friday, September 14, 2012   No comments

Professor Dr: Hayati AYDIN*

ABSTRACT

This article emphasises that faith provides a internal peace and calmness in the believers' spıritual world. The word iman already expresses reliance and composure. The article, analyzes the the effect of belief in internal world according to verses and commentaries which made by intellectuals of İslam. It is touched on in some places that depression as a result of incredulity in their spıritual worlds.

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Faith changed the course of history. It is the biggest elixir and source of power which removes mountains from their own places, supports base for going into dangers fearlessly.

Faith is very important thing in Islam, too. We say, as Izutsu's point out:  “Belief is the real fountain-head of all Islamic virtues; it creates them all, and no virtue is thinkable in Islam, which is not based on the sincere faith in God and His revelations” ¹

The word of believing in Islam is entitled as Iman. This concept derives from e-m-n origin. E-m-n is soul's confidence and disappearance of fear.²This is Iman's Becoming (Sayrurat) meaning as “Âslama”. With this dimension to say “Âslama” means “Sare zâ silmin”, that is to say to find confidence and to reach safety.³ So with this dimension to say “Âmana means “Sare zâ amnin” namely to find soul's confidence and safety. For this reason,Zamakhshari refers to on Arabian saying “Ma Amantu an acida sahabatan” (I didn't find a companion), namely I didn't trust (a companion) and they (Arabians) by the word of Âmana aims confidence and serenity.⁴ We can find this meaning in those verses:

“It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with wrong-that are (truly) in security, for they are on (right) guidance” (Al-An'am, 6 / 82)

“Those who disbelieve and obstruct (others) from the way of God will have wasted their deeds. But Those who believe and do right, and believe what has been revealed to Muhammad, which is the truth from their Lord, will have their faults condoned by Him and set their hearts (Bal) fully serenity and presence. That is because those who refuse to believe only follow what is false; but those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. That is how God gives men perception of wisdom” (Muhammad, 47/ 1-3)

According to some commentators in the last verse, “Bal” is the meaning of condition and situation⁵ but according to others this concept is coming to the meaning of condition, the easy of life or the meaning of mind, intention, heart, heart's thought, reminiscence⁶ or the wideness of soul.⁷  This second meaning is the best meaning on the concept according to the Qur'an's holistic background. So, in my opinion, the meaning of “Wa aslaha balahum” is God sets believers' hearts fully serenity and presence or gives to them soul's wideness.

Contrary to confidence of faith,  absence this issue brings about distrustfulness, narrowness of soul and psychological troubles. This is obviously psychological instability. This presence is only been overcame by believing and doing good actions.  The Qur'an says:

 “What do those who seek after evil ways think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous deeds-that equal will be their life and their death? Ill is the judgement that they make” (Al-Jathiyah, 45/21)

Muhammad Asad also says that the reference to the intrinsic difference between these two categories with regard to “their life and their death” points not only to the moral quality of their worldly existence, but also to the inner peace and tranquillity. That with which a true believer faces life's tribulations and the moment of death, and on the other hand, to the nagging anxiety which too often accompanies spiritual nihilism, and the “fear of the unknown” at the time of dying.⁸ The Qur'an says that in the other verse: “… He who follows My Guidance will not go astray, and neither will he be unhappy” (Tâ-Hâ, 20 / 122)

How do this presence and serenity occur? What is the reason underlying this? I want to give an example in the context of verses:

“There is no calamity that befalls the earth or your own selves but in accordance with the law (of causation) before We make it evident. This is indeed how the law of God works inevitably. Lest you grieve for what you missed, or rejoice at what you received…” (Al-Hadîd, 57/ 22-23)

This verse shows us that all of the events occur according to a destiny. Thus, the knowledge that whatever has happened had to happen- and could not, have not happened- because, obviously, it had been willed by God in accordance with His unfathomable plan, ought to enable a true believer to react with conscious equanimity to whatever good or ill comes to him. ⁹   Zamakshari says in this verse of Qur'an that when you know everything existed by means of human destiny that is under the control of God, sadness about your losses, and happiness about your benefits are decreased. Since, if one who definitely knows s/he may lose incomes, there will not be any unbearable sadness. This is because s/he arranges his/her desires according to this situation. For instance, if one who knows some good deeds are reached in any condition, s/he will not be spoiled from the reason of benefits s/he got. ¹⁰ Thus the Quran says that

“No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah -He will guide his heart…” (At-Tağâbun, 64/ 11)

Said Nursi says that belief in God bears the seed of what is in effect a Tuba-Tree of Paradise, while unbelief conceals the seed of a Zakkum-Tree of Hell.¹¹ The nature of disbelief makes known Hell. Yes, just as if the true nature of belief was to be embodied, it could take on the form of a private paradise with its pleasures, and in this respect gives secret news of Paradise; So, disbelief, and especially absolute disbelief, and dissembling, and apostasy, are the cause of such dark and awful pains and spiritual torment that if they were to be embodied, they would become a private Hell for an apostate, and in this way tell of the greater Hell in concealed manner. The tiny truths in the seed-bed of this world produce shoots in the hereafter. Thus, this poisonous seed indicates that particular tree of Zaqqum:

“I am its origin. For the unfortunate who bears me in his heart, my fruit is a private sample of that Zaqqum-tree.”¹²

Just as some psychiatrists say that the stress of the men of this century indeed comes from unbelieving. ¹³

“We shall invest whosoever works for good, whether man or woman, with a pleasant life and reward them in accordance with the best of what they have done” (An-Nahl, 16/97)

Commentator Fahkr ad-din ar-Razi interprets this verse in terms of faith, serenity and presence. He states that the believer (in God) believes that his bread comes according to God's plan, and believes the God is most benevolent and make goodness lonely. Therefore s/he agrees the judgement of God on the subject.

Again the believer thinks various disasters and troubles and knows those mishaps happen according to the wish of God and agrees with this. They do not overestimate them in their hearts and minds are not influenced by then.¹⁴ About the interpretation of the verses Hasan Al-Basri says that the meaning of the verse is this: We will make taste of obedience to the obedient.¹⁵ This comment if held as base it is understood that there is beautiful life for believers and those who act in accordance with their belief.

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya claims that obedience to God inside human heart is the great castle of God keeping individuals from punishments of world and next world. One who goes out of this castle is surrounded by fears. If one who obeys God can get away from these fears and get secured. If one who is rebellious will keep fears instead of security. Those who are afraid of God will be sure of everything about world and those who are not will be afraid of everything. ¹⁶

The mankind is weak. His disasters and troubles are many; his needs and loves are unlimited; the bearing of his life is very hard. If he does not trust in his God he attracts troubles, his heart remains in torment and those troubles overwhelm him.

“As for life if it is a without belief, or because of rebelliousness belief is ineffective, it will produce pains, sorrows and grief far exceeding the superficial, fleeting enjoyment it brings. Because, since, contrary to the animals, man possesses a mind and he thinks, he is connected to both the present time, and to the past and the future. He can obtain both pain and pleasure from them. Whereas, since the animals do not think, the sarrows arising from the past and the fears and anxieties arising from the future do not spoil their plesure of the present. Especially if the pleasure is illicit; then it is like an altogether poisononous honey.

thousands of grief's sorrow man, those drag him into anxious that he can't get any pleasure from his enjoyment, as there are intelligence and thought in man contrast to animal. Thus, man with present relates to past and future. The fears that coming from past and future affects his present enjoyments and pleasures and make him anxious and destroy him'.¹⁷ This is true observation. Since reason is rather effective on man from instincts, animals are rather fortunate to enjoy the taste of life more than us. Because, animals have not a logic. Just as Kant says those in this context: In a being (man) which has reason and a will, if the proper object of nature was its conservation, its welfare, in a word, its happiness, then nature would have hit upon a very bad arrangement in selecting the reason of the creature to carry out this purpose. For all actions which the creature has to perform with a view to this purpose, and the whole rule of its conduct, would be far more surely prescribed to it by instinct. In fact, we find that the more cultivated reason applies itself with deliberate purpose to the enjoyment of life satisfaction. And from this circumstance there arises in many, if they are candid enough to confess it, a certain degree of mythology, that is, hatred of reason.¹⁸

According to commentator Said Nursi the belief gives their owner such high performance. He says

 “One who recognises Him (the God) and obeys Him is fortunate even if he is in prison. While one who forgets Him is wretched and a prisoner even if he resides in a palace” ¹⁹Al-Qardawi too says similar word: “Believing in God gives sakina (calmness) and it turned a hut to a palace but those deprived of sakina a palace is turned to a hut”²⁰

For this reason, living according to faith is a source of beauty. So the Qur'an says:

“But for him who lived in awe of sublimit of his Lord, there will be two gardens” (Ar-Rahmân, 55/ 46)

According to some commentators, these two gardens are destined respectively for men and jinn. According to some, for each believer, one of them is for their body pleasures, other one is for their spiritual pleasures and delights.

However in some interpreters' opinion the one of the two gardens is the life of a Muslim that alive in this world in this verse. Namely according to this life of a Muslim is going in paradisiacal feeling in this world.²¹  For this reason, Ibn Taymiyah says that in fact, the blessing and taste, joy and mature could only be achieved by recognizing of Allah, and loving Him. According to him, real happiness would only be possible by being close to Allah, and meeting Him. Here this is the paradise in the world. One who does not enter this first paradise (that in this world) can not enter the second one (the Hereafter). ²²

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya in the interpretation of this verse: “The pious will surely be in heaven, the wicked certainly in hell” (Al-Infitar, 82/13-14)says: Don't suppose that the verse belong to the next world (hereafter). In the reality these persons in three phases (Dunya, Berzah and next world) are in God's blessings and the others are in hell. Which taste and blessing are better than happiness of heart, peace of soul, grasping the existence of God, loving Him and acceptance of God's will , human destiny and living according to these? (Tabaraka and Taala). In fact the art of living is the peace of heart, isn't it? For this reason, God has presented Hz. Abraham as an ideal believer of God over his character that is emphasised by peace of soul in the Qur'an. ²³ “And Abraham indeed was of his inducement, when he came to his Lord with a heart complainant” (As-Saffat, 37/ 83-84)

Prophet Muhammad (p.u.h.) said “There is a piece of flesh inside man's body. When it is purified, the whole body remains impure. That piece is the heart (qalb)”²⁴ This hadith shows us that when the inner world of man is peaceful and away from worry this condition spread over the entire of body.

Here the most profound influence of religion, in the heart of  human is such an elicitation  happiness.

Said Nursi says “If the light of thought is not illuminated with the light of the heart and blended with it, it is darkness and breeds tyranny. If the white of the eye, which resembles day, was not together with its black pupil, which resembles night, the eye would not be the eye; it would be unseeing. Similarly, if the black core of the heart is not present in white thought, it lacks insight” ²⁵

This situation brings about intrinsic faith' constructs calmness and peace inside heart. Nevertheless, İbrahim b. Ethem says that “if kings and sultans know this psychological beauty surrounding us, they will absolutely wage war by their swords to get this kind of mood”. ²⁶ So when Prophet Muhammad (p.u.h.) wrote a letter to Heraclius this crucial statement was written:

“Feinnî ad'uke bidiayeti'l-Islam. Aslim taslim (I invite you to be Muslim. Be Muslim find peace of mind.)” ²⁷

It is understood that  the darkness of the heart is the source of spiritual distress, while belief is its elixir.

In conclusion, human is the weakest being in organics. Additionally, life has a lot of burdens, afflictions and troubles. If people don't take refuge in iman's castle this troubles, burdens and afflictions would mislead them and it barriers to take pleasures from their possesions. However faith takes rola as a good shield in this subject. 

BIBLIYOGRAPHY

Abd Ar-Rahim, Muhammad, Tafsir Al-Hasan Al-Basri, (Dar Al-Hadis).

Abu Abdillah Muhammad b. Ahmad, Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jâmi lî-Ahkâm al-Qur'ân, (Beirut: Dâr Al-Kütub Al-İlmiyye, 1988).

Abu Al-Qasim Abd al-karim, Al- Qushayri,  Tafshir Al-Kushayri, (Beirut: Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyya).

Ahmed b. Hanbel, Sunan, (İstanbul: Çağrı publishing house, 1992)

Al-Raghib al-Isfahani,  Abul-Qasim Husayn ibn Muhammad Al- Mufradat fi Gharib al-Qur'ân, (Beirut: Dâr al-Ma'rifa).

Ash-Shawkan', Muhammad b. Ali, Al-Fath Al-Qadir Al-Jami' fi Ar-Rivayah wa Dirayah min 'Ilmi At-Tafshir, (Egypt: Mustafa Al-Babi Al-Halabî, 1964).

Baydawî, Abdullah b. Umar, Anvarü Al-Tenzil wa Asrarü Al-Te'wil (Min Khashiyeti Shaikhzâde) (İstanbul: Hakikat publishing house, 1991.

Fakhr al-Din, al-Razi, Al-Tafsir al-Kabir, (Tahran: Dâr Al-Kütub Al-İlm,).

Hamidullah, Muhammad, Al-Vesaiku As-Siyasiyye, (Beirut: Daru Al-Nefâis, 1985).

Hamidullah, Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam (Translated to Turkish language by: Salih Tuğ, 4. edt., İstanbul: İrfan Yayınevi, 1980).

Ibn Maca, Sunan, (İstanbul: Çağrı publishing house, 1992).

Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawzaiyya, Al-Jawabu Al-Kafi li Man Saala an Dawâi  As-Shafi, (Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyâi Ulûm, 1990).

Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawzaiyya, Tibb Al-Qulub, (Jidde: 1983).

Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawzaiyya, Ad-Dâ'u wa Ad-Dawâu, (Damascus: Dar al-Qalem, 2001).

Immanuel, Kant, Fundemental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals (Translated by. T. K. Abbott, Edited by. Prometheus Books, 1988).

Jung, C.G., Psychology and Religion West and East, (Was translated to English language  by R. F. C. Hull), (Pantheon Books).

Mahmud b. 'Umar, al- Zamakhshari, Al-Kashshâf 'an Haqâ'iq al-Tanzîl wa 'Uyun al- Aqâwil fi Wujuh' al-Ta'wil, (Dâr Al-Kitab Al-Arabî, 1987).

Maḥmūd b. ʻAbd Allāh, al-Ālūsī, Ruh Al-Ma'âni fî at-Tafsir al-Qur'ân al-Azîm wa al- Sab' al-Mathânî, (Beirut: Dar Al-Fikr, 1987).

Muhammad b. Ya'kub, al- Firuzabadi, Tartib al-Qamus al-Muhit,alâ Tarikat Al-Misbah Al-Munir wa Asasi Al-Blaga, (Isa Al-Babi Al-Halabi).

Muhammad, Asad, The Message of the Qur'an, (England: The Book Foundation, 2003).

Muslim, Sahih, (İstanbul: Çağrı publishing house, 1992).

Penrica B.A., John, Dictinary and Glossary the Qur'an, Curzon Press, 1976.

Robert, Frager, Heart, Self and Soul / Kalp, Nafs wa Ruh (Translated to Turkish Language by Ibrahim Kapaklikaya), (Gelenek publishing house, 2003).

Sad al-Din Masud b. Umar ibn Abd Allah, al-Taftazani,  Tadrij al-Adani Sharh Al-Zanjani, (İstanbul: Salah Bilici publishing house).

Said, Nursi, Mektubat / Letters (translated to English language  by: Sukran Vahide), (Istanbul: Sozler Nesriyat, 2001).

Siad, Nursi,  Sozler, (Istanbul: Söz Basım yayın publishing house,  2004).

Tabari, Abu Ja'fer Muhammad b. Jerir, The History of Al-Tabarî / Târih Al-Umam wa Al-Mülûk,  (Beirut: 1407).

Toshihiko, Izutsu, The Structure of The Ethical Terms in The Qur'an, (Tokyo: Keio University, 1959).

Umar Abdullah, Kamil, At-Tasavvuf Beyna Al-Ifrat wa At-Tafrit, (Beirut: 2001).

Yusuf, Al-Qardawî, Al-Iman wa Al-Hayat, (Beirut: Muassasatu Ar-Risala, 1991).

Yusuf, al-Qardawi, Yusuf, Al-Hasâisu al-Amma li Al-Islam, (Maktabatu Vahba).

¹* At Divinity Faculty of Yuzuncu Yil University VAN / TURKEY

  Toshihiko, Izutsu,  The Structure of the ethical terms in the Qur'an, (Tokyo: Keio University, 1959),   p. 173

² Al-Raghib al-Isfahani,  Abul-Qasim Husayn ibn Muhammad Al- Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'ân, (Beirut: Dâr al-Ma'rifa), p. 239

³ Look. Sad al-Din Masud ibn Umar ibn Abd Allah, al-Taftazani,  Tadrij al-adani sharh al-zanjani, (İstanbul: Salah Bilici publishing house), p. 24; Al-Isfahanî, Ibid, p. 239

⁴ Mahmud b. 'Umar, al- Zamakhshari, Al-Kashshâf 'an haqâ'iq al-tanzîl wa 'uyun al- aqâwil fi wujuh' al-ta'wil, (Beirut: Dâr al-kitab al-Arabi, 1987), 1: 37; Baydawî, Abdullah b. Umar, Anvarü al-tenzil wa asrarü al-te'wil (Min Khashiyeti Shaikhzâde) (İstanbul: Hakikat publishing house, 1991), 1: 84

⁵ Zamakhshari,  Ibid, 4: 215; Baydawi,  Ibid, 4: 248

⁶  Muhammad b. Ya'kub, al- Firuzabadi, Tartib al-qamus al-muhit, alâ tarikat al-misbah al-munir wa asasi al-balaga, (Isa Al-Babi Al-Halabi), 1: 344;  Maḥmūd b.ʻAbd Allāh, al-Ālūsī, Ruh al-ma'âni fî at-tafsir al-Qur'ân al-azîm wa al- sab' al-mathânî, (Beirut: Dar Al-Fikr, 1987), 28: 38; Ash-Shawkan', Muhammad b. Ali, Al-fath al-qadir al-jami' fi ar-rivayah wa dirayah min 'ilmi at-tafsir, (Egypt: Mustafa Al-Babi Al-Halabî, 1964), 5: 30; Penrica B.A., John, Dictinary and glossary the Qur'an, (Curzon Press, 1976), p. 20; Al -Isfahanî, Al- Müfradât, p. 67

⁷ Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmad, Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jâmi lî-ahkâm al-Qur'ân, (Beirut: Dâr Al-Kütub Al-İlmiyye, 1988), 16: 149

⁸ Asad, Muhammad, The Message of the Qur'an, (England: The Book Foundation, 2003)., p. 768

⁹ Look. Asad, Ibid, p. 840; After Uhud war the hypocrites of Madina had said:  “If we had any power of decision, we would not have left so many dead behind”. When Muslims got defeat and had been killed 70 men from them, this verse revealed: “Say (unto them): “Even if you had remained in your homes, those [of you] whose death had been ordained would indeed have gone forth to the place where they were destined to lie down” (Âli Imrân, 3/ 154) This implies that all of event becomes according a destiny.

¹⁰ Zamakhshari,  Ibid, 4: 479-480

¹¹ Siad, Nursi,  Sozler, (İstanbul: Sözler publishing house, 2004), p.  43

¹²  Siad, Nursi, Sualar, (İstanbul: Sözler publishing house, 2004), p. 304

¹³  For example Jung says that “Among all my patients in the second half of life-that is to say, over thirty five-there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life. It is safe to say that every one of them fell ill because he had lost what the living religious of every age have given to their followers, and none of them has been really healed who did not regain his religious outlook.” Look. Jung, C.G., Psychology and Religion West and East, (Translated by R. F. C. Hull), (Pantheon Books), p. 334; Robert, Frager,  Heart, Self and soul / Kalp, nafs wa ruh (Was translated to Turkish Language by Ibrahim Kapaklikaya), (Gelenek publishing house, 2003) , p. 87

After those experiences he decide on the religious approach to life is closely relate to psychological health. Mystical belief systems were important expressions of human ideals and aspirations. He says “For me, religious experience is real, is true. I have found that through such religious experiences the soul may be “saved,” its integration hastened, and spiritual equilibrium established” . Frager, Ibid, p. 87

¹⁴  Fakhr al-Din, al-Razi, Al-Tafsir al-kabir, (Tahran: Dâr al-kütub Al-İlm), 7: 268

¹⁵ Abd Ar-Rahim, Muhammad, Tafshir al-Hasan al-Basri, (Dar al-hadis), 2:74

¹⁶  Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawziyya, Al-Jawab al-al-kafi, (Beirut: Dar al-Ihya al-Ulum),  p.116-117

¹⁷  Look. Nursî, Sözler, p. 131; Said, Nursi, The Words (Translated by. Sukran Vahide), (İstanbul: Sozler Publishing house, 2004), p. 158

¹⁸  Immanuel, Kant, Fundemental principles of the metaphysic of morals (Was translated by. T. K. Abbott), (Was edited by. Prometheus Books, 1988), p. 19

¹⁹  Nursî, Sözler,  p. 145

²⁰  Al-Qardawi, Yusuf, Al-Iman wa al-hayat, p.75

²¹ Abu Al-Qasim Abd al-karim, Al- Qushayri, Tafshir al-Kushayri, (Beirut: Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyya), 3: 269; Muhammad Hamdi, Yazır, Ibid, p.  275

²²  Al-Jawziyya, Ibn Qayyim, Tibb Al-Qulub, (Jidde: 1983).p. 53

²³ Al-Jawziyya, Ibn Qayyim, Ad-Dâ'u wa Ad-Dawâu, (Damascus: Dar al-Qalem, 2001)., p. 165; Al-Jawziyya, Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawabu Al-Kafi li man saala an dawâi  As-shafi, (Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyâi Ulûm, 1990), p. 116 -117

²⁴  Bukhari, Iman, 39;  Muslim, Musâkat, 107; Ibn Maca, Fitan, 14; Darimi, Buyu', 1; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, 4: 55

²⁵  Said, Nursi, Mektubat / Letters (translation by: Sukran Vahide), (Sozler Publishing house, 2001), p. 443

²⁶   Al-Jawziyya, Ibn Qayyim, Al-Jawabu Al-Kafi li Man Saala an Dawâi  As-Shafi, (Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyâi Ulûm, 1990).p.117; Kamil, Umar Abdullah,At-Tasavvuf beyna al-ifrat wa at-tafrit, (Beirut:  2001), p. 63; Al-Qardawî, Yusuf, Al-Iman wa al-hayat, p. 73;  al-Qardawi, Yusuf, Al-Hasâisu al-amma li al-Islam, (Maktabatu Vahba, 1989), p. 23

²⁷ Tabari, Abu Ja'fer Muhammad b. Jerir, The History of al-Tabarî / Târih al-umam wa al-mülûk,  (Beirut, 1407), 1: 130; Muhammad,  Hamidullah, Al-Vesaiku As-Siyasiyye, (Beirut: Dar al-nefâis, 1985), p. 109; Muhammad,  Hamidullah,  The prophet of Islam ( Was translated to Turkish language by: Salih Tuğ), 4. edt., (İstanbul: İrfan Publishing house, 1980), 1: 361

SUPPLICATION, PRAYER AND THEIR INNER PEACE

SUPPLICATION, PRAYER AND THEIR INNER PEACE

    Friday, September 14, 2012   No comments

Prof.Dr. Hayati Aydin

ABSTRACT

The article emphasizes two important worship of Islam. Namely focuses on  two different size of Prayer: The Supplication (Du'a)and Prayer (Salat)  word.

 The Supplication in Islamic tradition means a person's giving his whole self to God and present his physical and spiritual needs to him. Salat (Prayer) is communication between the temporal and spiritual domains. İn fact prayers are as regulators and equaliser systems on personality and character. In the context of worshipping, if prayers done according to consciousness they help improve man both inside and outside. As man consciously during worshipping God feels that he is in front of God, He feels that all of time he is in front of God and his control regulates his behaviours.

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SUPPLICATION, PRAYER AND THEIR INNER PEACE

In the Arabic language Salat (worship) means to the meaning of supplication (dua) (Al-Isfahani, Undated, p. 285; At-Tahanawi, 1998, 3: 76; Al-Qurtubi, 1988, 8: 159)^. For example to say “Sallaytu alayhi” is coming to the meaning of “ I supplicated to the God for Him”(Muslim, Siyam, 159; Adbu Dawud, Sawm, 74, 75 Ati'ma, 1;Timizi, Sawm, 63; Nasai, Siyam, 51, Ibn Maca, Siyam, 47; Darimi, Sawm, 31; Malik, Hacc, 137; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 3: 242, 477, 489, 507, 5: 29; Reshit Riza, Undated, 2: 25). Just as in some verses, Salat expression is used as Dua. For example,” Invoke blessings (Salli) upon them. Your blessing (Salat) will surely bring them peace” (At-Tauba, 9 / 103). “God and His angels shower their blessings (Yusallune) to the Prophet .O believers you should also send your blessings (Sallu) on him” (33/ 56).

But generally Salat is used for worshipping. Raghib al-Isfahani says that the entitling of Salt as Salat is because its origin and supplication and the entitling of it as Salat is similar to entitling of anything by some-parts which itself includes (Al-Isfahani, Undated, p. 285).

For this reason Salat statement includes The supplication (du'a) and salat (prayer) together. 

These two elements correspond to different needs of human soul.

2.1. The Supplication (Du'a): In dictionaries, Dua (Prayer) comes closer to the meaning of calling, wishing and crying for help but in Islamic tradition it means a person's giving his whole self to God and present his physical and spiritual needs to him.

Du'a is the personal expression of one's individual desires, needs and anxieties.

“Take (O Muhammad), from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allah's blessings] upon them. Indeed, your prayers are reassurance for them. And Allah is Heraing and Knowing” ( 9/103)

In fact the main purpose of Dua (prayer) is to be in the meaning of supplying the needs of people for God and to make supplication to God.  Then we can say Dua (prayer) is a dialogue with God. The need of prayer is a natural one.  “Psychologically speaking, prayer is instinctive in terms of in its origin. Prayer as a means of spiritual illumination is a normal vital act by which the little island of our personality suddenly discovers its situation in a larger whole of life.”(Iqbal, 1982, p. 85)

Generally, according to Muslim psychologists, prayers are as regulators and equaliser systems on personality and character. In the context of worshipping, if they (prayers) done according to consciousness they help improve man both inside and outside. As man consciously during worshipping God feels that he is in front of God, He feels that all of time he is in front of God and His control regulates his behaviours.  Here! In the context of worships supplication help man to overcome his difficulties and this psychological effect gives a result in man's sincerity of worshipping (Koc, 2004, 10: 118-119; Najati, 1997, pp. 284-285).

Additionally, especially the supplication has very important effect on soul's presence. According to Thomas Hyslop: The great West Riding Asylum in England the best sleep-producing agent is prayer which his practice has. He says that “I say this, purely as a medical man. The exercise of prayer, in those who habitually exert it, must be regarded by us doctors as the most adequate and normal of all the pacifiers of the mind and calmer of the nerves.” (James, 1962, p. 235).

A worshiper takes refuge behind God's shelter during his worshipping.  This provides a support to our spiritual side. Just as Alexis Carrel about supplication that there is a power in the supplication. Even though we do not want but this occurs. For this reason, we should leave children alone and give the opportunity of listening themselves(Carrel, 1988, p. 111).

William James says that “for most of us, a world with no such inner refuge when the outer social self failed and dropped from us would be the abyss of horror. I say “for most of us”, because it is probable that individuals differ a good deal in the degree in which they are haunted by this sense of an ideal spectator. It is a much more essential part of the consciousness of some men than of others. Those who have the most of it are possibly the most religious men. But I am sure that even those who say they are altogether without it deceive themselves, and really have it in some degree.”(Iqbal, 1982, p. 85)

These explanations indicate that the supplication has a great impact on the occurrence of spiritual presence.

  2.2. Prayer (Salat): Islamic faith includes Salat (prayer; dhikr), which is one the beautiful direction of Islam. Salat is considered the most important dhikr (The remembrance of God) in Islamic tradition.

Prayer is communication between the temporal and spiritual domains. In its most exterior usage, the word implies petition of the individual before the Creator (Perry, 1971, p. 520). By the dhikr man cleans his soul's dirt and purges his negative elements. For this reason, by dhikr man gradually goes away from his troubles and the illness of soul. “ That prayer has great power which a person makes with all his might. It makes a sour heart sweet, a sad heart merry, a poor heart rich, a foolish heart wise, a timid heart brave, a sick heart well, a blind heart full of sight, a cold heart ardent. It draws down the great God into the little heart, it drives the hungry soul up into the fullness of God, it brings together two lowers. God and the soul in a wondrous place where they speak much of love” (Perry, 1971, p. 521). Especially dhikr is recognised by all Sufis as the most direct means of alleviating the illness of soul (Lumbard, 1999, p. 259).

  The God emphasises the fact in those verses:

“Who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest! Those who believe and do right: Joy is for them, and bliss the journey's end” (Ar-Ra'd, 13/ 28-29)

This verse is proving us that the remembrance of God gives man rest and soul presence. Because, by dhikr man comes to the close of divine existence and participate to the divine unity. Anyway Islam itself is the religion of nature. God says in the Qur'an:

““So set your whole being upon the Religion as one of pure faith. This is the original pattern belonging to God upon which He has originated humankind. …” ( Ar-Rûm, 30/30)

As nature shows an incline to the behaviour that accord to  it. The nature of human has been patterned by God on the Fitratallah (God's own nature). For this reason to make dhikr is to act according to the nature; this calms down man in the context of soul. 

The Qur'an calls Islam as Al-Din Al-Qayyim (the right religion, natural religion). according to the above verse. In this point to be a Muslim is to be in behaviours according to nature. Contrary behaviour to Islam is a contradiction with nature.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna) says that the more one's nature is close to moderate, the better he becomes suitable to get virtue level intelligently and practically (Ibn Sina, 1952, p. 198). In this viewpoint since Islam is the religion of nature, it makes man's nature moderate in giving man the best nature opportunity in the progress of him. In my opinion, this view makes sense in that the past generation who assimilated faith they progressed in short time in virtues and knowledge.  Because, the religion of Islam brought what reinforces to fitrat.

Ghazali says that all of organs enjoy the actswhich is consistent with their nature. Eye enjoys looking at the beautiful landscape; aural enjoys hearing the nice voices. Likewise heart has been created for Allah and enjoys Allah (Ghazali, Undated, p. 138).  

According to Sufism (mysticism of the Islam) when a man makes dhikr he reaches in peace, comes to presence, be in rest and returns to the fitratallah wherein upholds the trust and thus fulfils its covenant, for by the light of the dhikr it sees the true relation between the servant and his Lord (Lumbard, p. 258).

The virtues of dhikr are numerously to be described. For example, one is this according to Said Nursi:

“Everyone wants a solace and seeks a pleasure in order to be saved a little from the upheavals of life and its heavy burdens, and to take a breather; everyone searches out something familiar and friendly to banish the loneliness. The social gatherings in civilized life afford a temporary, but heedless and drunken familiarity, intimacy, and solace for one or two out of ten people. However, eighty per cent live solitary lives in mountains or valleys, or are driven to distant places in search of a livelihood, or due to agencies like calamities and old age which make them think of the hereafter, they are deprived of the sociableness of man's groups and societies. The situation affords them no familiarity, friendliness, or consolation.

And so, the true solace and intimacy and sweet pleasure of such a person is, being turned to his heart in those distant places and desolate mountains and distressing valleys, to work it by means of the remembrance of God and reflective thought. Saying: “Allah!”, it is to become familiar with Him with his heart, and through that familiarity to think of the things around him, which were regarding him savagely, as smiling on him familiarly, and saying: “My Creator, Whom I am recollecting, has innumerable servants here in my place of solitude, just as He has everywhere. I am not alone; loneliness has no meaning.” Through his belief, he receives pleasure from that familiarity. He understands the meaning of the happiness of life, and offers thanks to God”(Nursi, 2001, p. 519).

As told above Salat (Prayer) is the biggest dhikr. For this reason, Islam gives man a beautiful psychological state by its prayer ritual. If a man performs prayer (salat), he will feel beauty in his soul after prayer. His soul can not take shelter his boundary after prayer. This âyath explains this reality:

“Those who believe and find peace in their hearts from the contemplation of God: Surely there is peace of heart in the contemplation of God” (Ra'd, 13/28)

The hearts of those who believe are described in this verse as finding a calm, sweet rest in remembrance of God. Hearts get peace, get calm and break from their sorrow by God. Because the beginning and the end finishes in God and all of causes are based on God. The possible chain of existence cuts to God. God is who there is nobody above Him and has nothing further from Him, because Allah is who, far from the end and the quantity both in existence and in conscience, has nothing forward from him that the heartily movement can be further than Him.

Since the biggest dhikr is prayer (salat). As we pointed out in our article (Islam: The relion of peace in Sime journal) the prayer transmits man's soul to quit. Owing to the prayer's this peculiarity Prophet Muhammad (p.u.h.) was saying to Bilal¹ on the time of the canonical call to prayer Azan “(O Bilal ) stand up make quit us by azan” (Abu Davud, Adab, 4985, 4986; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 5: 364)

Prayer calms down people's soul, because (a) the prayer contacts to the person into the divine world, as he comes to the presence and experience his ascension (Miraj) gets the name as ascent (Miraj) of the believer (Mumin); (b) in prayer one contacts to the God and participate to His divine unity. For example when a person performs prayer as if he speaks with the God in Al-Fatihah:

“All praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. Most beneficent, ever-merciful. King of the Day of Judgement. You alone we worship, and to you alone turn for help. Guide us (O Lord) to the path that is straight, The path of those You have blessed, not of those who have earned Your anger, nor those who have gone astray”(1 / 1-7)

Ibn Atâ'illâh says that prayer is a cleansing for hearts from the stain of iniquities, and an opening to the door of the mysteries. Prayer is the place of confidence and the wellspring of intimacies; It widens the scope of the mysteries, and shines on the rays of the luminaries. Especially, night prayer is very much effective for soul.

“Surely in the watches of the night the soul is most receptive and words more telling” (73/6)

Since Al-Muzzammil sura's eighth âyath says that “Recite the name of your Trainer...” (73 / 8) in the verse the word “trainer” means educator that shows the night prayer that raise the man to spiritual degrees and in this (way), the role of the God's training to man will be grand.

According to Fahkr al-Din Al-Razi, when the heart of man observes the physical world he feels himself in sorrow and grief and in hard tendency about getting it. But when he thinks of God he feels a great calmness with the help of the light given by God( Ar-Razi, Undated, 7: 40). However the psychiatrists and psychoanalysts can not understand this spiritual position. Since psychiatrists and psychoanalysts are interested only in clinical circumstance, they did not see the person's spiritual depth that can be caught in worship.

Especially the night prayer makes powerful performance of man's soul. According to Fahkr al-Din Al-Razi, man gets some mystery things along night waking up. He says such: When man at night dark at his home makes worship and dihkr surely he isn't busy with anything. In this time, heart goes towards mental thoughts and divine ideas, sometimes bright and spiritual conquests, sometimes happiness and shudder that get from contact to divine world or bright ideas ( Ar-Razi, Undated, 10: 685).

In just the same way al-Kindi says: The soul substance of man is as the substance of God in power. When a man isolates oneself from lust and taste of word it pierces through the truth of things. If after this, it look after the truth of things and search it, this transmit to the soul's clean and it's polished; then emerge the truth of things as image of things appear in mirror (Najati, 1993, p. 30).

Some Modern Western scholars are thinking like al-Kindi.  For example, Jung in his famous theory of type, classified sensation and intuition together as ways of gathering information, as distinct from ways of making decision. Sensation refers to a focus on direct sense experience, perception of details, and concrete fact: what one can see, touch, and smell. Sensing types tend to respond to the immediate situation and deal effectively with all sorts of crises and emergencies. Intuition is a way of comprehending sensory information in terms of possibilities, past experience, future goals, and unconscious process. Strongly intuitive people add meaning to their perceptions so rapidly that they often cannot separate their interpretations from the raw sensory data. Intuitives integrate new information quickly, automatically relating past experience and relevant information to immediate experience. Because it often includes unconscious material, intuitive thinking appears to proceed by leaps and bounds. Jung has called the least developed function in each individual the inferior function. It is the least conscious and the most primitive, or undifferentiated. For some people it can represent a seemingly demonic influence, because they have so little understanding of or control over it. Since it is less consciously developed, the inferior function may also serve as a way into the unconscious.Jung has said that it is through our inferior function, that is least developed in us, that we see God. By struggling with and confronting inner obstacles, we can come closer to the divine (www.itp.edu/about/carl_Jung; Frager, 2003, p. 65).

As seen, Jung's thought is like Al-Kindi on this subject. Even though psychologists don't agree on this kind of information² I believe as Al-Kindi too. In old times, I removed myself from badness and gossip etc. For a long time, I saw hundreds of true dreams in the night. This fact manifests that maybe psychologists could not recognize the soul sufficient. Because the soul is a very mysterious and intangable existence. No one can tell that people who see the future events in their dreams gain this kind of quality by working, but it is certainly the pleasure of Allah. They are some senses, depending upon some senses, perceived from the divine world.

Believers accept that man can build up a connection with the other world and the cosmos. The Qur'an says: “…I have breathed into him (Adam) of My sprit…”(Al-Hıcr/, 15/29; Sâd, 38/72). But unfortunately we lost our souls as Jung's point out: “The marvellous development of science and techniques is counterbalanced by an appalling lack of wisdom and introspection” (Jung, Undated, p. 17).

 Even though as those rituals convey some wind of celestial religion, in my opinion, those are some destroyed rituals, suits to the characteristic of Far East countries. In almost every culture there are prayers, but they differ from each other. In terms of this subject, as meditation and Yoga rituals do not reach the hillside of prayer (salat), they can not connect the man to the cosmos and the other world, and can not convey the man to a horizon. But the prayer raises the man to divine world.³

Man's soul is a transparent essence and has transcendence direction. This fact has been emphasized by psychologists densely by Abraham Maslow's Transpersonal Psychology and Ken Wilber (Boorstein, Undated, X-XI; Frager, Undated, p. 464).

Muhammad Iqbal says those about the subject:

“The 'Heart' is a kind of inner intuition or insight which, in the beautiful words of Rumi, feeds on the rays of the sun and brings us into contact with aspects of Reality other than those open to sense-perception. The total -Reality, which enters our awareness and appears on interpretation as an empirical fact, has other ways of invading our consciousness and offers further opportunities of interpretation. The revealed and mystic literature of mankind bears ample testimony to the fact that religious experience has been too enduring and dominant in the history of mankind to be rejected as mere illusion. The facts of religious experience one  facts among other fact of human experience and, in the capacity of yielding knowledge by interpretation one fact is as good as another (Iqbal, 1982, pp. 37-38, 40). We are not yet in possession of a really effective scientific method to analyse the contents of non-rational modes of consciousness(Iqbal, 1982, p. 17).

Purification of the outer organs accompanied inner purification. When we think of lemon, how our mount be comes watery; so there is a correlation between body and soul.  For this reason, who seek the nearness of God always trays to remain pure both outwardly and inwardly. the Qur'an says: “Prayer prevents transgression of passions and the grave sins”(29/45) As, when a man stands in front of God five times in every day and has its consciousness, he can't courage to do wrongdoing. By praying, the intimate God-man relationship is deepened and make man a person who spiritually strengthened. So it would appear that one of the important roles of Islamic prayer is to act for a protection against the defilement and contamination that affect man's life. When a man lives his life with consciousness of his link with the Lord, he acquires an inward disposition to absorb God's Attributes and obtains the capacity to resist evil (Allahbakhsh, Undated, p. 134 ). As prayer is the means of progress towards God, it is also a means of making us obey God's orders and preventing us from doing that which God has prohibited and forbidden. When a person performs ablution, thinking of all the sins committed by him through his different organs, and goes on praying to God as a penitent asking for His forgiveness and mercy, his sins are forgiven, and hands and face are illumined (Ashraf, Undated, pp. 112, 118 ).

Conclusion

As a result according to Quran  the remembrance of God gives man rest and soul presence. Since Salat is considered the most important dhikr (The remembrance of God) in Islamic tradition by the Supplication (Du'a) and Prayer (Salat)   man comes to the close of divine existence and participate to the divine unity. This enables him largely psychological serenity and peace of mind.