An Organization Camouflaged by Sufi Culture During the Early Republican Period: Ömer Fevzi Mardin's Ömeriyya Sect

Sevda Aktulga Gürbüz

Makale detayları

An Organization Camouflaged by Sufi Culture During the Early Republican Period: Ömer Fevzi Mardin's Ömeriyya Sect

Yazarlar:

Sevda Aktulga Gürbüz

Yayıncı:

Harran University

Ana Başlıklar:

Tasavvuf

Dergi:

Harran İlahiyat Dergisi Issue 50, pp.198-221

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001303764

pISSN:

2791-6812

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Ömer Fevzi Mardin is the founder of Ömeriyya, a branch of the ʿArūsī Salāmī Sect in Turkey. This study provides an overview of Ömer Fevzi Mardins ṣūfī views, as well as the activities of the Ömeriyya Sect. Acting with the ideal of modernization and revolutions, Ömer Fevzi Mardin, one of the founding members of the Republic of Turkey, gained ground in some peoples lives as a socio-cultural reality. It should be noted that among the founding powers, who were aware of the influence of religion, there were views that adopted a mystical understanding that was open to interpretation outside the established methods to build a new social structure. To establish the ideology that would create and sustain a modern nation, the followers of this movement aimed to establish a modern sect as they supported a new interpretation of the bond of religion, which tightly held the society together. Being one of these followers, Ömer Fevzi Mardin served as a commander in several wars, including the Tripoli War, and he also performed administrative duties. Mardin was a member of a renowned and enlightened family that was known as the Mardinizades. They had Qādirī and Naqshī authorization ʾijāzah and led a ṣūfī life. While he was on duty in Libya, he got affiliated with Sheikh ʿAbd al-Salām al-Asmar, who was known in the Ottoman Empire by the name Şebenderzâde Ahmed Hilmi. He was the Pīr al-Thānī of ʿArūsīyya, one of the branches of the Shādheliyya Order in North Africa. Mardin founded the Ömeriyya branch of the ʿArūsī Salāmī Sect after the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. He published works in line with the religious philosophy adopted by the official ideology in Turkey. The present study discusses Ömer Fevzi Mardins views on sufism based on his works. These views apparently advocated the establishment of the intended religious, political and cultural atmosphere in the Republic of Turkey. For instance, he claimed that sufism should be reinterpreted in accordance with the spirit of the period to ensure peace and order in the secular Republic of Turkey. He stated that the best way to solve the problems of modern people and to ensure brotherhood was a ṣūfī order centred on human love, and he attempted to explain ṣūfī concepts through the lens of social change. However, he was accused of supporting his thoughts with passages from Judaism and Christianity, which are distorted, altered and converted religions, as he regarded religions as a means for ensuring peoples salvation. He was also accused of attending masonry meetings that were known as the Association of Spiritual Endowment, participating in interfaith dialogue activities, issuing fatwas permitting to recite Mawlid for non-Muslims, treating the Americans that lost their lives in the Korean War as martyrs and being an advocate of spiritualism. Nevertheless, as Mardin adopted the ideological and intellectual views parallel to those held by the building blocks of the Republic, he hardly experienced the harsh interventions against the ṣūfīs of the period. Yet, the religious community criticized him for adopting these views. The present study is critically important as it provides an example of significant deviation from customary ṣūfī life in the Republican Period, particularly that of Ömer Fevzi Mardin. It would be more appropriate to call Mardin a thinker who based his philosophy on anthropocentrism and humanism, rather than call him the respected ṣūfī or sheikh of the Omariyyas sect, who interpreted sufism in a unique way. Presenting Mardins ideas on sufism, regarded as a Republican project, is quite significant in that these ideas not only reveal how his diverge from the classical ṣūfī views but also make it easier to comprehend the ideology of the Republic.

 Ömer Fevzi Mardin is the founder of Ömeriyya, a branch of the ʿArūsī Salāmī Sect in Turkey. This study provides an overview of Ömer Fevzi Mardins ṣūfī views, as well as the activities of the Ömeriyya Sect. Acting with the ideal of modernization and revolutions, Ömer Fevzi Mardin, one of the founding members of the Republic of Turkey, gained ground in some peoples lives as a socio-cultural reality. It should be noted that among the founding powers, who were aware of the influence of religion, there were views that adopted a mystical understanding that was open to interpretation outside the established methods to build a new social structure. To establish the ideology that would create and sustain a modern nation, the followers of this movement aimed to establish a modern sect as they supported a new interpretation of the bond of religion, which tightly held the society together. Being one of these followers, Ömer Fevzi Mardin served as a commander in several wars, including the Tripoli War, and he also performed administrative duties. Mardin was a member of a renowned and enlightened family that was known as the Mardinizades. They had Qādirī and Naqshī authorization ʾijāzah and led a ṣūfī life. While he was on duty in Libya, he got affiliated with Sheikh ʿAbd al-Salām al-Asmar, who was known in the Ottoman Empire by the name Şebenderzâde Ahmed Hilmi. He was the Pīr al-Thānī of ʿArūsīyya, one of the branches of the Shādheliyya Order in North Africa. Mardin founded the Ömeriyya branch of the ʿArūsī Salāmī Sect after the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. He published works in line with the religious philosophy adopted by the official ideology in Turkey. The present study discusses Ömer Fevzi Mardins views on sufism based on his works. These views apparently advocated the establishment of the intended religious, political and cultural atmosphere in the Republic of Turkey. For instance, he claimed that sufism should be reinterpreted in accordance with the spirit of the period to ensure peace and order in the secular Republic of Turkey. He stated that the best way to solve the problems of modern people and to ensure brotherhood was a ṣūfī order centred on human love, and he attempted to explain ṣūfī concepts through the lens of social change. However, he was accused of supporting his thoughts with passages from Judaism and Christianity, which are distorted, altered and converted religions, as he regarded religions as a means for ensuring peoples salvation. He was also accused of attending masonry meetings that were known as the Association of Spiritual Endowment, participating in interfaith dialogue activities, issuing fatwas permitting to recite Mawlid for non-Muslims, treating the Americans that lost their lives in the Korean War as martyrs and being an advocate of spiritualism. Nevertheless, as Mardin adopted the ideological and intellectual views parallel to those held by the building blocks of the Republic, he hardly experienced the harsh interventions against the ṣūfīs of the period. Yet, the religious community criticized him for adopting these views. The present study is critically important as it provides an example of significant deviation from customary ṣūfī life in the Republican Period, particularly that of Ömer Fevzi Mardin. It would be more appropriate to call Mardin a thinker who based his philosophy on anthropocentrism and humanism, rather than call him the respected ṣūfī or sheikh of the Omariyyas sect, who interpreted sufism in a unique way. Presenting Mardins ideas on sufism, regarded as a Republican project, is quite significant in that these ideas not only reveal how his diverge from the classical ṣūfī views but also make it easier to comprehend the ideology of the Republic.

 Ömer Fevzi Mardin is the founder of Ömeriyya, a branch of the ʿArūsī Salāmī Sect in Turkey. This study provides an overview of Ömer Fevzi Mardins ṣūfī views, as well as the activities of the Ömeriyya Sect. Acting with the ideal of modernization and revolutions, Ömer Fevzi Mardin, one of the founding members of the Republic of Turkey, gained ground in some peoples lives as a socio-cultural reality. It should be noted that among the founding powers, who were aware of the influence of religion, there were views that adopted a mystical understanding that was open to interpretation outside the established methods to build a new social structure. To establish the ideology that would create and sustain a modern nation, the followers of this movement aimed to establish a modern sect as they supported a new interpretation of the bond of religion, which tightly held the society together. Being one of these followers, Ömer Fevzi Mardin served as a commander in several wars, including the Tripoli War, and he also performed administrative duties. Mardin was a member of a renowned and enlightened family that was known as the Mardinizades. They had Qādirī and Naqshī authorization ʾijāzah and led a ṣūfī life. While he was on duty in Libya, he got affiliated with Sheikh ʿAbd al-Salām al-Asmar, who was known in the Ottoman Empire by the name Şebenderzâde Ahmed Hilmi. He was the Pīr al-Thānī of ʿArūsīyya, one of the branches of the Shādheliyya Order in North Africa. Mardin founded the Ömeriyya branch of the ʿArūsī Salāmī Sect after the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. He published works in line with the religious philosophy adopted by the official ideology in Turkey. The present study discusses Ömer Fevzi Mardins views on sufism based on his works. These views apparently advocated the establishment of the intended religious, political and cultural atmosphere in the Republic of Turkey. For instance, he claimed that sufism should be reinterpreted in accordance with the spirit of the period to ensure peace and order in the secular Republic of Turkey. He stated that the best way to solve the problems of modern people and to ensure brotherhood was a ṣūfī order centred on human love, and he attempted to explain ṣūfī concepts through the lens of social change. However, he was accused of supporting his thoughts with passages from Judaism and Christianity, which are distorted, altered and converted religions, as he regarded religions as a means for ensuring peoples salvation. He was also accused of attending masonry meetings that were known as the Association of Spiritual Endowment, participating in interfaith dialogue activities, issuing fatwas permitting to recite Mawlid for non-Muslims, treating the Americans that lost their lives in the Korean War as martyrs and being an advocate of spiritualism. Nevertheless, as Mardin adopted the ideological and intellectual views parallel to those held by the building blocks of the Republic, he hardly experienced the harsh interventions against the ṣūfīs of the period. Yet, the religious community criticized him for adopting these views. The present study is critically important as it provides an example of significant deviation from customary ṣūfī life in the Republican Period, particularly that of Ömer Fevzi Mardin. It would be more appropriate to call Mardin a thinker who based his philosophy on anthropocentrism and humanism, rather than call him the respected ṣūfī or sheikh of the Omariyyas sect, who interpreted sufism in a unique way. Presenting Mardins ideas on sufism, regarded as a Republican project, is quite significant in that these ideas not only reveal how his diverge from the classical ṣūfī views but also make it easier to comprehend the ideology of the Republic.

 Bu çalışma, Türkiyede Arûsî Selâmî Tarîkatının Ömeriyye Kolunun kurucusu Ömer Fevzi Mardinin tasavvufî görüşleri ile Ömeriyye kolunun faaliyetlerini kapsamaktadır. Modernleşme ve devrimleri yerleştirme ülküsüyle hareket eden Cumhuriyet Türkiyesinin kurucu üyelerinden biri olan Ömer Fevzi Mardinin görüşleri sosyo-kültürel bir realite olarak bir kısım insanın hayatında yer edinmiştir. Belirtmek gerekir ki dinin etkisinin farkında olan kurucu erkler içerisinde, yeni bir toplumsal yapı oluşturmak için yerleşik usullerin dışında yoruma açık bir tasavvufî anlayışı benimseyen görüşler ortaya atılmıştır. Çağdaş bir ulusu yaratacak ve yaşatacak ideolojiyi elde edebilmek için toplumu en güçlü şekilde ayakta tutan din bağına yeni bir yorumun gerekli olduğunu düşünen bu anlayış müntesiplerinin hedefi, uygarlığın tarîkatını kurmak olmuştur. Bu müntesiplerden biri Ömer Fevzi Mardin; Osmanlı Devletinin son dönemlerinde Trablusgarb Savaşı başta olmak üzere birçok savaşta komutanlık yapmanın yanında idari görevlerde de bulunmuştur. Mardin; Kâdirî ve Nakşî icâzetlerine sahip Mardinîzâdeler olarak bilinen ünlü ve entelektüel ailenin mensubu olarak tasavvufî hayata yönelmiştir. Libya görevinde iken Şehbenderzâde Ahmet Hilmi tarafından Osmanlı Devletinde tanınan ve Şâzeliyye Tarîkatının Kuzey Afrikadaki kollarından biri olan Arûsiyyenin Pîr-i Sânisi olan Şeyh Abdusselâm el-Esmere üveysilik yoluyla intisab etmiştir. Türkiye Cumhuriyeti kurulduktan sonra Arûsî Selâmî Tarîkatının Ömeriyye kolunu kuran Mardin, resmi ideolojinin benimsediği din anlayışına uygun eserler neşretmiştir. Çalışmamızın kapsamını Ömer Fevzi Mardinin eserleri çerçevesinde tasavvufa dair görüşleri oluşturmaktadır. Bu görüşler, Cumhuriyet Türkiyesine hâkim kılınmak istenen dinî, siyasî ve kültürel atmosferin yerleşmesine destek verir mahiyettedir. Nitekim Mardin, tasavvufun zamanın rûhuna uygun laik Türkiye Cumhuriyetinde barış ve düzeni sağlayacak tarzda yeniden yorumlanması gerektiğini iddia etmiştir. Çağdaş insanın çözüm beklediği sorunları çözmenin ve kardeşçe yaşamanın yolunun insan sevgisine dayalı bir tasavvufî nizamla sağlanabileceğini belirterek tasavvufî kavramları toplumsal değişimle izah etmeye çalışmıştır. Bununla beraber kendisine yöneltilen suçlamalarda görüleceği üzere dinleri insanları kurtuluşa ulaştırma aracı olarak gördüğü için tahrif, tebdil ve tağyire uğrayan Yahudilik ve Hıristiyanlık pasajlarıyla düşüncelerini desteklemiştir. Diğer suçlamalar ise Manevî Cihazlanma Derneği adıyla bilinen masonluk toplantılarına katılması, Dinler arası diyalog faaliyetlerinin içerisinde yer alması, gayr-i müslimler adına mevlit okumanın caiz olabileceği yönünde fetvalar vermesi, Kore savaşına katılan Amerikalıları şehit sayması ve ispritizmayı savunan bir tavır içerisinde olmasıdır. Ancak dinî camiada eleştirilen Mardinin Cumhuriyetin kurucu unsurlarının düşüncüleriyle uygun ideolojik ve düşünsel anlayışı benimsemesi, devrin sûfîlerinin maruz bırakıldığı sert müdahalelere yol açmamıştır. Çalışmamız Ömer Fevzi Mardin özelinde Cumhuriyet Döneminde tasavvufî hayatın seyrinde sapmanın bir örneği olarak önem arz etmektedir. Ömeriyyenin tarîkat şeyhliğini yapan, mürîdlerince itibar gören ve tasavvufu kendince yorumlayan Mardini sûfî, şeyh şeklinde adlandırmak yerine insan merkezci ve hümanizmi esas alan bir düşünür olarak görmek daha yerinde olacaktır. Bir Cumhuriyet projesi olduğu görülen Mardinin tasavvufa dair fikirlerini sunmak, hem klasik sûfî anlayışla farkını ortaya koyması hem de bir devrin ideolojisini anlamayı kolaylaştırması açısından önem arz etmektedir.

Makale detayları

An Organization Camouflaged by Sufi Culture During the Early Republican Period: Ömer Fevzi Mardin's Ömeriyya Sect

Yazarlar:

Sevda Aktulga Gürbüz

Yayıncı:

Harran University

Ana Başlıklar:

Tasavvuf

Dergi:

Harran İlahiyat Dergisi Issue 50, pp.198-221

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001303764

pISSN:

2791-6812

Sufism

Republican Period

Ömer Fevzi Mardin

ʿArūsī Salāmī SectTasavvuf

Cumhuriyet Dönemi

Ömer Fevzi Mardin

Ârusi Selâmi Tarîkatı

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Sevda Aktulga Gürbüz

Yayıncı: Harran University

Ana Başlıklar: Tasavvuf

Dergi: Harran İlahiyat Dergisi Issue 50, pp.198-221

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 12/2023

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001303764

pISSN: 2791-6812

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Sevda Aktulga Gürbüz

Yayıncı:

Harran University

Ana Başlıklar:

Tasavvuf

Dergi:

Harran İlahiyat Dergisi Issue 50, pp.198-221

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001303764

pISSN:

2791-6812