The topic "Sufism as a Quality Control Tool" was discussed

The conference titled "Sufism as a Quality Control Tool", featuring Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç as the speaker, Director General of the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), was held at the Ibn Sina Auditorium of the NP Health Campus.

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "There are common grounds between the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and the teachings of Sufism. The United Nations has discovered Sufism."

Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç: "Although there might not seem to be an initial connection between Sufism and the economic term 'quality,' if we build the right bridges, we can recognize their links. In this regard, we are receiving encouraging feedback from the interdisciplinary work carried out at Üsküdar University Institute for the Sufi Studies."

Advisor to the Rector Cemalnur Sargut stated, "Here we are even working on teaching ethics to artificial intelligence. This demonstrates the advanced level of interdisciplinary work centered on Sufi thought being conducted at the Institute."

Üsküdar University’s Sufi Studies Institute hosted a significant conference that brought together the modern world’s pursuit of quality with the profound perspective of Sufism. The conference titled "Sufism as a Quality Control Tool" was held at the Ibn Sina Auditorium of the NP Health Campus, with Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Director General of IRCICA and faculty member of Üsküdar University Üsküdar University for Sufi Studies, participating as the speaker.

The event marked the first in a new series of Quality Commission Activities launched by the Institute.

Prof. Tarhan: "More than half of the United Nations’ labels originate from Sufism..."

Delivering the opening speech, President of Üsküdar University, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, described the university’s ranking as first among foundation universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings as a "meaningful coincidence," coinciding with the timing of this conference. Prof. Tarhan said, "This achievement is a fruit of our university’s vision and efforts. When we examine the situation, we see that more than half of the United Nations’ labels are drawn from Sufism and Eastern wisdom. The United Nations has discovered Sufism."

The common ground between the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the teachings of Sufism...

Prof. Tarhan outlined the shared values as follows: "SDG 1 and 2 are labels that aim to end poverty and hunger. We rank third in both of these labels. These goals aim to establish dignified living conditions. What does Sufism teach us here? ‘Love the created for the sake of the Creator.’ In other words, love the created, but do not sever the bond with the Creator. When you love in this way, you give more meaning to what you love, you try not to hurt it, and you build a connection. Helping the oppressed, the needy, and the poor is seen as an act of worship. Think about it, the goal of ending hunger can be achieved if a person engages in social responsibility projects with the feeling of worship. The reward system in the human brain operates on the basis of benefit. To activate this system, a person needs a reward that extends beyond death, not a temporary worldly reward. This is how our brain works."

We call the concept of 'ihsan' a form of silent benevolence...

Prof. Tarhan stated that when a person contemplates the reward of paradise by bonding with God, it becomes a motivating factor. "This is a motivational technique, not selfishness or opportunism. It is acting in accordance with human nature. The desire for reward is a biological vulnerability of the human being. Instead of opposing it, Sufism redirects it positively. That is what the concept of 'ihsan' in Sufism is related to. We call the concept of 'ihsan' a form of silent benevolence," he said.

Sufism regards justice as an attribute of God

Pointing to the SDG 16 label on peace and justice, Prof. Tarhan said, "SDG advocates the rule of law and the elimination of discrimination. Sufism also considers justice as one of the attributes of God and teaches that the strong should not oppress the weak. At the core of Islam, there is no room for injustice, even with good intentions." Referring to the SDG 13 to 15 labels about respect for nature, Prof. Tarhan said, "While the United Nations targets climate action and the protection of life, Sufism considers the earth as 'mother' and the tree as 'charity.' The saying 'Even if the Day of Judgment comes, plant a tree' is the foundation of this philosophy. The awareness that everything is a trust rejects wastefulness and excessive consumption."

Sufism says, 'Knowledge is the path that brings a person closer to himself and to God'

Emphasizing SDG 4 on quality education, Prof. Tarhan stated, "SDG defends the right to quality education. Sufism says, 'Knowledge is the path that brings a person closer to himself and to God.' The spiritual struggle of our era is a bloodless jihad conducted through knowledge." Recalling the SDG 5 label on gender equality, Prof. Tarhan said, "While the United Nations aims to empower women, Sufism highlights female mystics like Rabia al-Adawiyya and presents the goal of becoming the 'perfect human' as independent of gender. The measure of reaching the Truth is piety, not gender."

The cure for narcissism is virtue ethics

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that the aim of the Institute for Sufi Studies is to teach virtue ethics and said, “It is necessary to teach this to engineers, to physicians, to everyone. Everyone needs it. Humanity has begun to feel an increasing need for virtue ethics.”

Prof. Tarhan stated that the modern world is facing a global epidemic of narcissism and continued: “The cure for narcissism is virtue ethics. The globalization of Sufism, which teaches virtue ethics, is the remedy for this. That is why it is needed more than ever. When you combine it with science, it becomes easier for people to believe in and practice it. Scientific soundness convinces people. This is why we are trying to present Sufism with scientific grounding.

In leadership psychology, we use a criterion to distinguish between true and false leaders. If a leader binds their followers (this can be parents, corporations, or a spiritual guide) to themselves, they are on the path of falsehood. However, if the leader binds them to a cause, an idea, an ideal, or to God, then that is a true leader. Therefore, it is important to adopt a leadership style that binds people to vision and ideals, rather than to individuals. The system should function even without a specific person.

All of these Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) labels point to the globalization of virtue ethics. This is also found in our Anatolian wisdom and in the Qur'an. The path to this can be said to be through the teachings of Sufism.”

Sargut: “Loving God means liberation from the bondage of the ego”

Advisor to the Rector of Üsküdar University, Cemalnur Sargut, began her speech with a definition of Sufism she learned from her mother: “When I asked my mother as a child ‘What is Sufism?’ she replied, ‘It is feeling a sense of relief in the heart during times of distress and calamity.’ I wondered how that could be, and that is when I met God, whom I did not yet know. Loving God means being freed from ego-driven enslavements such as jealousy and excessive attachment.”

Sargut stated that the Sufi Studies Institute, established through the visionary leadership of Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, is the realization of a dream. “Now engineers, architects, doctors, and people from all disciplines are taking action here to learn ethics,” she said.

We are even working to teach ethics to artificial intelligence

Sargut emphasized that Sufism is never against science; on the contrary, it aims to embrace science and infuse it with the highest ethics. “Here, ethics-based studies are being conducted that also include artificial intelligence,” she added.

Prof. Kılıç: “God almighty says, i created you in the best form”

In his conference titled “Sufism as a Quality Control Tool,” Prof. Mahmut Erol Kılıç stated that the primary source from which Sufism draws is the same as that of Islam: the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad. “God Almighty says, ‘I created you in the most excellent form,’” he said. Prof. Kılıç explained that in Sufism, the process of human perfection is achieved through education and training. “However, this education is not cumulative like in modern educational philosophy. Because the person already carries within their nature the knowledge necessary for reaching perfection. What needs to be done is only a reminder. That knowledge already exists within them,” he said.

One of the fundamental concepts in sufism Is ‘ikhlas’ (sincerity)

Prof. Kılıç emphasized that Sufism is not merely an individual path of spirituality: “Firstly, there is the importance of intention. One of the most fundamental concepts in Sufism is ‘ikhlas,’ which means sincerity and genuineness. From the perspective of work ethics, the sincerity and purity of a person’s intention in their work is extremely important. Even in quality control processes, this can be implicitly questioned by asking, ‘Is the person’s intention pure?’ Secondly, there is the matter of internal auditing, that is, self-questioning. In Sufism, this is called ‘muraqaba.’ It means being able to say, ‘Am I doing what is right?’ In fact, this accounting should be done daily. One should ask oneself, ‘Did I do something wrong today? Did I hurt someone?’ In this sense, the self-evaluation process in Sufism and modern quality control overlap. Moreover, there is the process of purification in Sufism, called ‘tazkiyah.’ It consists of three stages: evacuation (takhliyah), purification (tazkiyah), and clarification (tasfiyah). There is also a spiritual state in Sufism called ‘ihsan.’”

Sufism’s concept of justice and altruism

Prof. Kılıç noted other important concepts from Sufism: “For example, the concept of ‘justice’—being fair. Acting justly in the workplace, collaborating harmoniously with colleagues, and creating synergy are all connected to this. To establish such an environment, qualities such as ‘altruism’—giving from oneself, thinking of others, offering generosity—are needed. These positive and constructive characteristics of Sufism may also be useful to others. Because altruism, or making sacrifices for others, only finds meaning if the other party approaches with the same intention. I give from myself, and the other gives from themselves to me; thus a balanced and beautiful relationship emerges. Another important concept in Sufism is ‘contentment.’ A lifestyle is proposed that involves being satisfied with little, eating less, speaking less, and sleeping less.”

Yoga and meditation are religious rituals

Prof. Kılıç stated that practices like yoga and meditation originate from Eastern religions, especially Hinduism: “The Prophet has a hadith stating that 160,000 prophets were sent to Earth. In the Qur'an, if we include Lokman as a prophet, we know only 28 prophets by name. There is a great gap between 160,000 and 28. This shows that there may have been thousands of unnamed prophets who came and went. Therefore, we should not confine ourselves to a narrow frame. For example, Lao Tzu, Buddha, Confucius—why could they not have been prophets? Indeed, some Islamic scholars like Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi have regarded these names as prophets. Within the revelations brought to these prophets, the worship practices of their religions were also included. For instance, yoga is considered equivalent to prayer in those religions. There are different levels in yoga. The highest forms, like Hatha Yoga, are entirely metaphysical. These practices correspond to the spiritual practices in Sufism that aim to reach the station of the ‘perfect self’ (nafs al-kamila). The lower-level yoga practices focus on breathing and bodily control. These may be considered as forms of meditation with physical and biological effects. However, it must be remembered that yoga and meditation are not merely physical or mental practices; they are also religious rituals and religious acts.”

The essence of Far Eastern Martial arts lies in rituals performed in temples

Prof. Mahmut Erol Kılıç stated that Far Eastern martial arts do not essentially carry a philosophy of competition such as defeating an opponent, killing an enemy, or prevailing over someone. Instead, these practices are entirely aimed at purifying the ego. He said, “The practices of the Far East are, in fact, not sports but rituals performed in temples. In our own chivalry philosophy, such as in the training of futuwwa youth and the Alp-Eren tradition, similar exercises of strength and discipline were taught to young people. However, once these teachings arrived in the West, they lost their original meaning and were transformed.”

“It is essential that those on the sufi path be especially attentive and conscious”

Prof. Kılıç explained that the ideal of Sufism, which develops a “good person,” a “perfect person,” a “peaceful person” who is in harmony with themselves, society, and nature, should not become a model that some groups desire to possess or exploit. He continued, “A true Sufi must also be aware of this. They must be able to ask themselves the following question: ‘Who is trying to benefit from me, from my model of goodness and peace?’ This aspect of the matter is extremely important. On this topic, there are striking texts written by certain Buddhist and Taoist writers and philosophers in China. They have stated the following: ‘The West appropriated our value system and made it its own. Therefore, we must also remain vigilant.’ It is especially necessary for those who follow the path of Sufism to be even more careful and conscious.”

“A sufi is tolerant of everyone, but not naive”

Prof. Kılıç mentioned that there are some international organizations that have invested significantly in Sufism, and that certain global powers once supported the idea of a “tolerant Islam.” He said, “Today, those same powers are trying to invest in Sufism. They say, ‘We must turn toward the Sufis.’ Let me be clear: I receive invitations from many international institutions and organizations. I sometimes attend these events. They think they can easily use us. But when their intentions are obvious, I am able to say a clear and firm ‘No.’ In some cases, the intentions are more implicit, and in those situations, it is essential to remain alert. Because a Sufi is tolerant of everyone, but not naive. A Sufi does not oppress anyone, nor can they be a tool of oppression. If someone continues to carry out acts of oppression; for example, if innocent people are being massacred in Gaza, and then that same person organizes a ‘Sufism symposium’ in Tel Aviv, we cannot find that credible.”

One of the core missions of the institute is to serve society

Asst. Prof. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, Deputy Director of the Institute for Sufi Studies, stated that one of the most fundamental missions of the institute is to serve society. She said, “Sufism holds a unique position because it represents not only a scientific field but also an ethical, spiritual, and cultural dimension. The Institute for Sufi Studies continues its development efforts with the support of the Üsküdar University Quality Control Student Club, using surveys and other tools. All our efforts are guided by the principle ‘Service to the people is service to the Truth.’”

A group photo was taken at the well-attended conference. A commemorative plaque was presented to Prof. Mahmut Erol Kılıç by Prof. Nevzat Tarhan and Cemalnur Sargut.

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)