The “In Memory of Meşkûre Sargut” program held in Üsküdar

Organized for the 11th time this year through the collaboration of Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, Kerim Foundation, and TÜRKKAD, the “In Memory of Meşkûre Sargut” program was held under the theme “Love of the Murshid.” Within the scope of the program, a panel addressed the human spiritual journey and the concept of love from Sufi perspectives under the guidance of people of the heart. State Artist and Instructor at the Institute for Sufi Studies Ahmet Özhan emphasized that love is the essence of existence and an inclination rooted in the Divine source. In this context, worldly life was evaluated as a process of remembrance and spiritual ascent.

The program, held at Üsküdar University Main Campus Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall, opened with a speech by Üsküdar University Rector’s Advisor Cemalnur Sargut, followed by a panel on the theme of the day. The keynote speech was delivered by State Artist and Instructor at the Institute for Sufi Studies Ahmet Özhan.

Speeches were delivered on the theme of the day

The panel organized as part of the commemoration program featured institute students and alumni Ayfer Özada, Emine Timur, Nazlı Kayahan, and Şehvar Tükek. The panel was moderated by Asst. Prof. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, Deputy Director of the Institute for Sufi Studies.

During the panel, discussions focused on the human spiritual journey under the guidance of people of the heart. The concept of love was defined as the true essence of existence and the fundamental principle of creation beyond ego driven inclinations. The speakers emphasized that the human being is the point of manifestation of Divine perfection and the purest mirror of this Divine inclination. They also evaluated worldly life as a process of descent and ascent realized through remembrance. Asst. Prof. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar read examples from the life of the Prophet from Meşkûre Sargut’s letters and spoke about the place of love in the human journey toward perfection.

Later, Instructor Ahmet Özhan shared his reflections on the theme “Love of the Murshid.”

Instructor Ahmet Özhan: “The essence of existence is love”

Emphasizing that the core of existence is love, Ahmet Özhan began his speech by saying, “In the Divine will of Almighty God, who created the worlds with the desire to be known and loved, Love resides at the center, highlighted and enthroned. There is no doubt that the essence of existence is Love. Since it is extremely saddening to define certain ego based inclinations as Love when the true Love exists, I felt compelled to attempt a definition of Love.”

“Love is inherent in the essence of almighty God”

Stating that love as a Divine inclination takes its source from the Divine Essence, Özhan said, “Love is, first and foremost, inherent in the Essence of Almighty God and from there it spreads to all existence. As stated in a sacred hadith, ‘I was a hidden treasure and I loved to be known. Therefore I created creation so that they might know Me.’ The expression ‘I loved’ in the hadith emphasizes that love and affection are attributes belonging to the Divine Essence. This is the origin and principle of love according to the friends of God. This principle connects knowledge and existence, gnosis and love.”

“The human being is the purest mirror of that inclination of love”

Drawing attention to the fact that the human being is the most comprehensive point of manifestation of Divine perfection, Özhan stated, “The chain of coming into existence reaches its perfection with the manifestation of the human being. Created with the secret of ‘We taught Adam the names,’ it is said that in the human being the perfection of Almighty God is manifested in a holistic manner. The values and qualities that humans carry in potential emerge here as a capacity to fulfill the Divine will. The principle we call love is the fundamental inclination behind this manifestation, and the human being is the purest mirror of that inclination.”

“Love is remembrance”

Describing worldly life as a journey of remembrance and spiritual ascent, Özhan said, “Although the descent from the level of the Essence to the world is a form of descent, the story does not end there. The spiritual journey that begins in the realm of witnessing is followed by an ascent through the arc of return. This is the human being remembering during ascent what was forgotten during descent, and once again embracing the testimony of unity within existence. In this sense, love is remembrance. However, reaching this awareness requires a serious test, because while the ego pulls the human being toward desires and corporeality, love calls the human being not to possess but to become.”

“Piercing the cocoon is the first movement toward truth”

Explaining the discipline of the ego and the journey toward truth through the example of a silkworm’s cocoon, Özhan concluded his speech by saying, “We can understand the crossing of a difficult threshold through the example of the cocoon. If the caterpillar, through its effort, tears its garment and brings forth its wings to fly, that is love. A person who remains within the cocoon of the ego imagines they are content there, yet piercing the cocoon is the first movement toward walking toward truth. With the capacity of comprehension, the human being has the ability to pierce the cocoon and ascend to their own horizon. The essential matter is to actualize this potential.”

At the end of the program, Üsküdar University Rector’s Advisor Cemalnur Sargut presented a gift to Instructor Ahmet Özhan.