SAFİYÜDDİN ARDEBİLİ
One of the great saints. His name is Ishak bin Jibreel bin Abu Bakr. He was born in Ardabil in 1252 (H.650). It is said that his father was the son of Hoca Kamaleddin Arabshah. Although his lineage is traced back to Hazrat Ali, there is no reference. His nickname is Safiyyüddin, his nickname is Ardabili.
Safi al-Din Ardabili lost his father at a young age. He had learned religious knowledge at a young age. He was always doing good deeds and was very diligent in observing the commands and prohibitions of Allah. He went to the Shiraz region upon seeing a beautiful dream. He wanted to receive knowledge and spiritual enlightenment from Najib al-Din Bergash, the student of Najib al-Din Suhrawardi. However, that blessed person had passed away in 1279 (678 AH). In Najib al-Din Bergash’s place were great people like Rukn al-Din Baydawi and Emir Abdullah. He entered their service and stayed there for a while. Upon Emir Abdullah’s sign, he went to the Geylan region to benefit from the ascetic Ibrahim Geylani. No one knew the ascetic Ibrahim Jilani. Safiyyuddin Ardabili wandered in deserts and desolate places for four years to find him. He suffered a lot of hardship and asceticism.
One of Safiyuddin Ardebili’s relatives had gone to the region of Geylan for trade. He stopped by a place called Heylekıran in the region of Geylan. Sheikh Zahid Geylani was with his son there at that time. After his relative sold his goods, he went to the company of Sheikh Zahid Geylani. When he saw the students there whose clothes were clean, whose faces were luminous, and who were busy with dhikr and worship, he was very pleased. He repented in the presence of Sheikh Zahid Geylani and became his student. When he returned to his hometown after a while, Safiyuddin Ardebili noticed the change in him and asked, “What is this situation?” He said, “I became a student of Sheikh Zahid Jilani.” Hearing these words, Safi al-Din Ardabili suddenly changed. Hearing these words, he said; “Have you seen Sheikh Zahid?” he asked. “Yes.” When he told the qualities he had heard about him from Emir Abdullah, his relatives said to all of them; “Yes like that.” He gave the answer. Thereupon, Safiyyüddin Ardabili set out immediately with great enthusiasm and desire.
When Safi al-Din Ardabili arrived, Sheikh Zahid Jilani said; “Oh Ardabili! Why have you come?” When he asked, “I am a student.” Safiyyuddin Ardabili said, “To repent and become a student.” Sheikh Zahid Geylani said, “Welcome,” and accepted him as a student. He turned to his students there and said, “This young man is the one I mentioned earlier. He had been wandering around Ardabil for four years, trying to find us.” he said. Then Sheikh Zahid Ardabili ordered one of his students to take him to a special seclusion place and make a place for him. Safi al-Din Ardabili began to be occupied with special duties there. During this time, he attained many things. However, he was hesitant about whether the states he attained were divine or satanic. He explained this situation to Sheikh Zahid Geylani in a suitable manner. Sheikh Zahid Geylani explained these difficulties one by one. Safi al-Din Ardabili understood from these explanations that the states he attained were good and correct.
After Safiyyuddin Ardabili reached high degrees in Sufism, his teacher gave him permission to tell people the right path and to make them attain the consent of Allah. At that time, a congregation came from a place called Maragha. They invited Sheikh Zahid Jilani to their hometown to tell people the right path. Zahid Jilani told them: “I am sending Safiyyuddin Ardabili in my place for this job.” He said. Thereupon Safiyyuddin Ardabili said; When he asked, “Sir! How can I do this job? Where is me? Where is educating people?”, his teacher said, “Safiyyuddin! This is the divine command. You must go there.” Safiyyuddin Ardabili said, “I don’t know anything. There are scholars there. How can we talk to them?” Zâhid Geylanî said, “Don’t worry, the field is yours. We need to be here. But your situation is not like that. When you get there, accept the people’s invitations. Advise them. Allah Almighty has given you this rank and position.” he commanded.
Safiyyüddin Ardebili set out upon the order of his teacher. In the meantime, he stopped by his hometown of Ardebil. There they told him: “There is a person named Mawlana Shamsuddin in Birnik, which is on your route. His corruption is very famous. For this reason, no one wants to go there because of his stubbornness and corruption. He also speaks ill of the people of Sufism. The most appropriate thing is for you not to stop by the village of Birnik. Because that person is not someone to be seen or talked to.” Thereupon, Safiyyüddin Ardebili said; “If I can’t open the way in the first mansion, how can I open the way in the other places I go?” He set out towards the village of Birnik. When he arrived there, he went to the mosque. In the meantime, Mevlana Shamsuddin also came to the mosque. But he did not greet him. He went to the mihrab and prayed two rakats. Then he turned to Safiyyuddin Ardabili. He asked some questions and listened to the answers. The answers he received pleased him very much and affected him. He showed politeness, modesty and respect towards Safiyyuddin Ardabili. He explained to him the states of the path of Sufism. When Mevlana Shamsuddin heard these, he repented for his previous words. The hypocrisy and opposition in his heart left and he developed love for the path of Sufism and its great people. He progressed on the path of Sufism and became the owner of high states and miracles.
Safi al-Din Ardabili continued on his way by telling people the right path. In the places he went, he saw that some people had fallen into the swamp of misguidance and ignorance, immersed in the desires and wishes of their souls, some of them had said that they were the students of some great people but had deviated from the right path they had shown, they were lost in the swamp of misguidance, they were wandering around in confusion, men and women who claimed to be on the path of Sufism but sat in confusion, lifted the curtain of privacy and respect, they thought that misguidance and bid’ah were dervishship and sunnah, men and women danced after listening to the odes they said to each other, they prostrated to each other, their external and internal beings were corrupt. In the face of this situation, he began to discipline them with sweet words, sometimes with harshness and sometimes with good words and behavior. He showed them the right path. Many people gave up their corrupt ways and repented through him.
When Safi al-Din Ardabili returned after completing the task given by his teacher, his teacher’s love and trust in him increased even more. Meanwhile, some envious people said to Zâhid Geylani; They complained, “Safiyyuddin is acting as a sheikh. He is giving repentance and dhikr.” Ascetic Geylani asked him, “They say such and such things about you. What do you think?” He replied, “Yes, it is true, sir. However, I am doing these things with the permission you have given me.” Ascetic Geylani then said, “Yes, we have given you permission. There is no difference between you and us. This rank is a blessing from Allah Almighty to you.” he commanded.
When the ascetic Ibrahim Geylani passed away, his caliph Safiyyuddin Ardabil settled in his hometown of Ardabil. He trained many students. He became famous in Azerbaijan, the Caucasus and Anatolia. Ilkhanid rulers Oljaitu Hudabende and Abu Said Bahadir Khan, Ilkhanid lord Emir Choban, and the vizier and historian Rashiduddin were among his students. Safiyyuddin Ardabil would always give advice to people. He would speak in a soft voice. His long speeches would not bother anyone. Thousands of dead hearts were revived by his conversations. He would look after the poor and the helpless.
He was a person whose prayers were accepted. The sick would find healing through his prayers. Safiyyuddin Ardabilî was invited to the newly founded city of Sultaniyya by Ilhan Olcaytu Hüdabende. However, he apologized by saying that he was old. He left his son Sadruddin in his place and went on the pilgrimage. He died in Ardabil in 1334 (735 AH) on his return from the pilgrimage. He was buried in his tomb in Ardabil.
Safiyyuddin Ardebili worked throughout his life to serve the religion of Allah and to teach people the true path of the pious Salaf. His students spread to the east and west and spread his blessed path. His son Sadreddin and grandson Alaeddin Ali are famous among his students. Abu Hamid Aksarayî, or Somuncu Baba, spread the blessings and prosperity he received from Alaeddin Ali in Anatolia. Nu’man (or Hacı Bayram-ı Veli), one of Somuncu Baba’s students, is the most important representative of Safiyyuddin Ardebili’s path in Anatolia.
While one of his students, Mevlana Behâüddin, was studying in his youth, he made friends with those who were against the people of Sufism and because of their influence, his belief and faith towards the people of Sufism was not good. He did not believe that they followed the Sunnah of the Prophet. Once, he saw the following in his dream: Sufi people had gathered around a pool in a garden. Meanwhile, suddenly a voice was heard saying, “Our master the Messenger of Allah is coming.” Everyone got ready to welcome our master the Prophet. Mevlana Behâüddin found an opportunity and approached the Prophet and said, He said, “O Messenger of Allah! I have had a doubt inside me for years. Which of these various people you see is on the truth? Each of them has come in a different form, appearance and dress. We cannot distinguish which of them is on the truth.” Our Prophet examined all the groups present there. In the meantime, he saw Safiyyuddin Ardabili and some of his students. He turned his blessed face to Mawlana Bahauddin and said, “These are on the truth, the Sunnah and the Sharia.” He said. When he heard these from our Prophet, his belief about the people of Sufism improved. The next day, he immediately repented and became one of the leading students of Safiyyüddin Ardabili.
One of his students, Muhammad Daruri, was returning home from visiting his teacher. He lost his way somewhere. He kept wandering around to find his way. He became very tired and did not have the strength to walk anymore. In the meantime, he asked for help from his teacher. At that moment, he saw his teacher Safiyyuddin Ardabili in front of him. He said to him, “Do not be afraid, sit down.” He sat down. When the time for prayer came, he looked for water to perform ablution. But he could not find it. While he was tired and exhausted, he saw his teacher again. “O Muhammad! There is a fountain down there. Get up and perform ablution from there!” He performed ablution from the fountain in the mentioned place and performed his prayer. After the prayer, two horsemen came to him and took him wherever he wanted.
Safiyyuddin Ardabili said:
It is obligatory to abandon the forbidden. It is sunnah to abandon the doubtful. This is called piety. Asceticism is to be content with a little of the lawful. Wara is to use the permissible things as much as is needed. This is the apparent asceticism. There is also spiritual asceticism. It is to abandon the love of the world, to purify the heart from the love of the world, and to be busy with the hereafter.
He who eats everything, talks everything. He who talks everything, does everything. He who does everything, goes to Hell.
If a misfortune befalls a person, he should be grateful. Patience and gratitude are signs of a person’s perfection. Faith is in two parts. Half is patience, half is gratitude.
THE MIRACLE AND ITS STORIES
LET HIM PRAY FOR YOU
One of his students named Izzeddin had an eye injury when he was little. No treatment or medicine was of any use. He became blind and lost hope of ever regaining his sight. His relatives were saddened by this situation. Finally, on Friday night he had a dream. In his dream, everywhere was bright. There was a large crowd. Meanwhile, he saw a very imposing person. He asked who he was. Someone said; He said, “The Messenger of Allah is our master.” He went and fell at his blessed feet and kissed them. Then he begged, “Help me, O Messenger of Allah! Pray for me so that I can see.” Thereupon, our Prophet said,Don’t be sad. Go to Safiyyuddin Ardabili for your eye to get better. Let him pray for you. You will be cured with his prayers,” he said. When he received this good news from our Prophet, he was very happy and woke up with joy. He gave this good news to his relatives. They all took him to Safiyyuddin Ardabili, happily. When his loving gaze fell on his eyes, his eyes opened immediately. He began to see. There was no trace of the disease in his eyes. He became one of Safiyyuddin Ardabili’s students.
WHAT IS THE REASON?
Sheikh Saduddin was on the coast of Basra. He saw a ship approaching the shore. At that moment, he saw someone who was obviously a merchant taking out a valuable chest on his head. He was taking great care of that chest. He guessed that there was something valuable in it. For this reason, he wanted to buy it from the merchant. He asked the merchant, “What is in that chest that you are carrying so carefully on your head?” When he said, “There is a gift belonging to Sheikh Safi al-Din in it,” he asked the reason for bringing a gift. The merchant explained as follows: While we were going with this ship, the sea suddenly rose. The ship sank, and was about to sink. At that moment, I asked Safi al-Din Ardabili for help with all my heart. Suddenly, I saw Safi al-Din in front of me. He pulled the ship with his blessed hand and brought it safely to the shore. “That’s why I vowed to give this chest and its contents to him as a gift. That’s why I value the chest so much,” he said.
RESOURCES
1) Risale-i Eşrefzâde Şirvânî; p.66
2) Kâmus-ül-A’lâm; c.4, s.2961
3) Complete Catechism of Eternal Happiness; (49th Edition) p.1137
4) The Companions of the Prophet (6th Edition) p.389
5) Encyclopedia of Islamic Scholars; v.11, p.9
6) Safvet-us-Safa, Suleymani Library, Hagia Sophia Section, No: 3099, Hekimoğlu Ali Section, No: 775
7) Lemezat
Bir yanıt bırakın