“Comprehensive Study of Sufism: Through Metaphysics, Literature, Music and Rituals”
The project “Comprehensive Study of Sufism: Through Metaphysics, Literature, Music and Rituals”, in partnership with Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, and under the direction of the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies ASAFAS, Kyoto University, has been supported as of 2021 by The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) organization. Project Coordinator, Kyoto University, ASAFAS Kyoto Kenan Rifai Center for Sufi Studies Director is Prof. Yasushi Tonaga. The project is planned as a 6-year study and the project budget is 19.600.000 JPY (1.525.000 TL). There is no financial demand from our University as a project partner, and academic support is planned within the scope of our Institute.
Proje Ekibi Yasushi Tonaga
Yütürücü Kurum Kyoto Üniversitesi
Proje Yürütücüsü Yasushi Tonaga
Masayuki Akahori
Manami Suzuki
Proje Ortağı Kuruluş T.C. Üsküdar Üniversitesi Tasavvuf Araştırmaları Enstitüsü
Kururm Temsilcisi Elif Erhan
Emine Yeniterzi
Dilek Güldütuna
Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar
Reşat Öngören
Arzu Eylül Yalçınkaya
Omneya Ayad
Comprehensive Study of Sufism: Through Metaphysics, Literature, Music and Rituals
About the contributions of the faculty of the Institute for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar University:
Draft Schedule for March 22, 2022-2024
The Mavlavi rituals’ aim is to design and guide the wayfarers’ inner (batin) and outer (zahir) experiences. They provide the foundation for the life style and worldview of Mavlavis.
Mavlavi rituals are imbued with very dense symbolism. Particularly the sama’ ceremony which was organized by Sultan Valad, the son of Mevlana, is considered as the representation of the galaxies and therefore both macro-cosmos and micro-cosmos can be found in the rituals of the Mavlavi Sufi order.
Mavlaviyya impacted the Ottoman Sufi thought strongly, based on the principle of the Divine Love.
Mavlavi training can be found even in the daily language, word choices are very good examples, i.e. Mavlavis usually say certain idioms “waking up the lights” instead of “opening lights”, or “letting lights to rest” instead of “closing lights”, etc. They even kiss their water cups in order to show their appreciation and respect to the vessels, which are in their services.
These principles shaped Ottoman civilization, especially through institutions and their functions in society. Shaping human and humans’ role in society is inherent to Sufi thought and Mavlavi metaphysics. This is summarized in the maxim “serving people is to serve God”.
Mavlaviyya, emergence and resources
Geography of Mavlaviyya and Spread of Mavlaviyya
Spiritual Training in the Mavlaviyya
Mavlavi Architecture –Mavlavi Dargahs (lodges)
Whirling Ceremony
Mavlavi Music
Calligraphy in Mavlaviyya and Mavlavi Calligraphers
Painting in Mavlaviyya and Mavlavi Painters
Mavlavi Clothing
Mavlavi Literature—Mavlavi Poets, Sources of Mavlavi Literature
Masnavi and the Place of Masnavi in Sufi Tradition
Masnavi Commentaries
Stories in the Masnavi
Teachings and Concepts in the Masnavi (human, love, patience, repentance, etc.)
Metaphysics of Mevlana: Divine Love
Mevlana’s understanding of tasavvuf is based firmly in Divine Love. According to him, love is the source, impulse and aim of all divine and mortal actions. A human beginning on the path of haqiqa, progressing on that path and eventually joining Haqq is only possible through love. In the history of Sufism, Ahmed Gazzali (d. 520/1126) was the first to comprehensively take up the matter of divine love, followed by figures such as Aynü’l-kudat Hemedânî, Senâî-yi Gaznevî, Ruzbihân-ı Baklî, Ferîdüddin Attar, İbnü’l-Fârız until eventually reaching Mevlana. The translations and commentaries done on the Masnavi greatly influenced Ottoman Sufi thought; this understanding continues today.
Goal of Sufism is training human.
With this goal, rituals that teach the beautiful conduct of the Prophet, unity, love, aesthetics, ilm (knowledge), etc. became an important part of life in the lodges.
Arts and aesthetics effects on human psychology (both for materialistic and spiritual feelings of human beings),
Connections to different areas of arts such as music, poetry, dance, and clothing,
A space where the conduct of the order must be applied such as relations with the murshid (teacher), relations between the disciples (dervishes), hierarchy within the order, participant observers, outside listeners, the social aspect.
The functions of the space of the lodges in society (training, school, recollection, sama [whirling], architecture),
A space for and use of accoutrements of the order; prayer rugs, prayer beads, dervish trousseau: clothing, flags (sancaklar), musical instruments (bendir, halile, teber, topuz).
The depth of symbolism to each of these directly connects tasavvuf and symbolism.
Comparative research on Shintoism, Buddhism, and Islam in terms of Mavlavi metaphysics. There might be common points about reaching the pure heart, worldview, and rituals.
Comparatively study the spiritual themes in Shikibu’s “The Tale of Genji” and “The Thousand and One Nights” and identify whether there are certain influences and intertextual characteristics between these two important pieces of world literature.
Comparatively study the concept of Indra’s Net in “Avamtasaka Sutra” and how this concept has similar reflections in the Sufi tradition, such as “Wahdat al-wujud” (Unity of existence).
Comparatively study the classical Japanese dance-drama “Noh Theater” with Ottoman traditional shadow play “Karagöz and Hacivat”.
