Mahmud Baba´s wedding night

Lets begin the Word with bismillah, Allah’s name what a beautiful shelter

His blessings is not limited with any measure or calculation, most loving, forgiving God he is.

There was a man. Born in Argentina, passing through Judaism, Christianity, and Budism, fall in love with his Master. In 1997 got the name Mahmud, left everything behind.

When he could not find enough ropes in Argentina, connecting to the islam judgement and morality, reaching one Allah who is Ehad and Samed, he found the solution coming to Istanbul. He hold the hand and skirt of Hz. Muhibbi, became a devoted servant of Hz. Pir, and that was when kibrit-i ahmer ignited him.

This sacred fire that turns copper bodies into gold, forced him to come to Istanbul every year, every opportunity. This man used to walk in the streets, market places, mosques, cafes just to breath the same air, as Mecnun used to walk in the streets of Leyla.

Without a benefit, just to stay in Istanbul 14 hours arrival and 14 hours departure more, he used to fly with Turkish Airlines from Buenos Aires. Not because he actually need anything, he used to shop from the market place for plentyness, and greet people he did not know as a proof of his love.

He was sitting in the tekke where he has been showed for hours, listening the conversations of a foreign language. Some times he had surprised that he actually was understanding. But most surprising thing was, even he was coming to tekke once a year at least 3 days of gathering, with large body of Mahmud,  no one was noticing him.

Even himself was saying jungle, Mahmud was feeling like in the desert when he had been back. He was accused with being crazy, but he did not care. His friends, family cut the affair. When he became brighter with the Nur of the tevhid, and sparkle in his heart blazed, Mahmud met with new people, bring them also to Istanbul together.

How can we understand the situation of a society with 50 muslims in Cuma prayer, and may be 500 muslims in feasts? Eventually the hyenas of the desert repeled Mahmud. Some of the became enemy, some of them just ignored him. He understood the lesson, being consentful and saying “eyvallah” with these incidents.

Large bodies always have large hearts. When Mahmud hugs, he was hugging wih his large heart.  He used to say in every message, letter “big hug” in the end. When he has been asked, he was saying “ I learned to hug big, after learning to say eyvallah”.

Who can feel, what Mahmud felt and lived deep down in his heart? Who can know that?  For this reason, he began to write books of an imaginary character Siraj baba, telling some times his expreriences, some times his guides and sheiks stories. He had defined these books as a service and dedicated himself writing the stories when taking himself, his nefs out of every thing. When he was asked, he was saying :"I am just trying to be nothing". 

On the 19. Year, Mahmud had come to Istanbul again, to ascend his love, kiss his sheiks hand, and touching his face to the door step of his Pir. He had landed with the same flight, settled in the same hotel room. Day after, he got out from the hotel, began his duty “walking in the Leyla streets.” In Sehremini, tramway road, Mahmud stopped.

On 20 Cemaziye’l Evvel 1437, the same month February of many other our beloveds had passed, on 29 th the order arrived Mahmud “ Ircıi, come back”. Big lover, did not missed the opportunity and gave his relic obeying the order. First Aliyye was crying near by, then doctor, then nurse, then those who helped him coming to hospital, then hotel manager, than ihwan brothers and sisters. Is not it a bounty of Allah, that his family was last crying ones because of the time difference.

Dervishes gave the news to his sheikh, counciled him, asking his pray and permission. They had shared the duties as well as their grieves. First they took him to clean up for a last wudu’, read usul near by, garnish him with prays. Then brought him to the door of his Pir, lay down to door step. Put on his “dallı arakiye” on his head, left him alone with his pir in seclusion.

Sheikh hazret let all ihwan know about the situation of Mahmud, after the meshk in his sohbet. All ihwan became witness to the love, muhabbet of Mahmud by this way.

When Pir door opened and Mahmud taken from his seclusion, it was smelling so beautiful. Hafız Mustafa Efendi read his Sala, what a Sala, even the cats were crying. Peace and decency covered Karagumruk, where crowd and rush never lack.

They prayed the Sala of Mahmud, is not it the bounty of Allah, in the same mosque where his Pirs sala was prayed. Garnish him with hatims, prays, again and again. Probably they could not find some other Cargo company, so his funureal had sent back to his home with Turkish airlines again.

The day after Mahmud’s funureal arrived his home, his gifts for dervishes had arrived tekke. It was understood that he brought many gifts to his ihvan brothers, but delivering them could be done on gathering night Thursday.

After his sala pray, Zakirbası of Asitane Ahmet efendi summerized the feelings of dervishes “ we became speechless and wordless” adding “ now we are not able to talk about this, but someone should write this happening.” To accomplish his older brother words, became a duty for another poor servant.

We will not be able to know Mahmud’s own story before his books of Siraj baba translated. If you ask me, he would tell any thing that a tale paladin would tell. His excellency was a “love paladin” that we used to read in the books and listen in the sohbets, we found him late, lost him early.

Mahmud, means, too much praised, magnified. This pen, can not praise such a man, what ever it writes. Our suppliance for the big lover of Argentina is, may people who read this story  say amin to  our dua with reading Fatiha; in the presence of his Rab, holding his Pirs skirt, may Hz. Resulullah (sav) ,his namesaker, praise and magnifies him.

The poor servant’s suppliance for the ones who read this story, may all of us reconsider who is pir, who is sheikh, who is dervish, how we can love. And all of us may have a share from Mahmuds love muhabbet and prosperity.

Amin.

Mahmud Baba

“Şeb-i Arus”, means " Wedding Night " , the day of his death.

Mahmud Baba "Şeb-i Arus"

Bismillah ile başlayalım kelama, Allah adı ne güzel sığınaktır

Nimetleri gelmez ölçü ile hesaba, çok seven bağışlayan bir Rab’dır.

Bir adam varmış, Arjantin’de doğmuş, Hristiyanlık, Musevilik, Budistlik içinden geçip Mevla’sına âşık olmuş, 1997 de Mahmud adını almış, geri kalan nesi varsa bırakmış bu adam. 

İslam ahkâmını ve ahlakını almaya, Ehad ve Samed olan Allah’a varmaya Arjantin’den bulabileceği ipler yetmeyince çareyi İstanbul’a gelmekte bulmuş. Muhibbi hazretlerinin elinden eteğinden tutmuş, Hz. Pir’e bende olmuş, işte o vakit kibrit-i ahmer onu tutuşturmuş. 

Bakır bünyesini altına çeviren bu kutlu ateş, onu her sene, her bulduğu fırsatta tekrar İstanbul’a getirmiş. Leyla’nın sokağında dolanan Mecnun gibi, sokaklarında, çarşılarında, camilerinde lokantalarında sırf havasını solurum diye karış karış gezermiş bu adam. 

Buenos aires’ten İstanbul’a Türk hava yolları ile uçuyormuş fiyatına bakmaksızın, 14 saat gidiş 14 saat dönüş fazladan İstanbul’da olabilmek için. İhtiyacı olduğundan değil, sırf bereket olsun diye alışveriş eder, muhabbeti izhar olsun diye selamlaşırmış insanlarla. 

Tekkede saatlerce kendisine gösterilen yere oturur, hiç bilmediği lisanla konuşulanları dinlermiş, bazen anladığına kendisi de şaşarmış. Esas şaşılacak şey ise, yılda bir kere gelip en çok 3 gün ayin gecesine katılabilmesine rağmen, kocaman cüssesiyle Mahmud kimsenin dikkatini çekmezmiş. 

Kendisi cangıl dese de, memleketine döndüğünde çöle düşmüş gibi oluyormuş Mahmud. Deli demişler, aldırmamış. Ailesinden, arkadaşlarından selam vereni kalmamış. Tevhidin nuruyla nurlandıkça, içindeki ateş harlandıkça yeni insanlarla tanışmaya onları da beraber İstanbul’a getirmeye başlamış Mahmud. 

Cuma cemaati 50 müslüman, bayramda anca 500 müslüman olan cemiyetin halini biz nasıl anlayalım, bu sefer çölün sırtlanları kovalamış Mahmudu. Düşmanlık eden de olmuş, dışlayan da. Eyvallah demeyi, razı olmayı böyle böyle anlamış. 

İri cüsselerde büyük yürekler olur. Mahmud sarılınca kocaman yüreğiyle sarılırmış. Mesajında, mektubunda hep “big hug” dermiş. Soruldukta dermiş ki, kocaman sarılmayı, eyvallah demeyi öğrendikten sonra öğrendim. 

İçinde, ta derununda kim bilir neler yaşamış Mahmud. Bunu kim bilebilir ki? Bu sebepten yazmaya başlamış. Kitapta Sirac baba diye hayali bir karakterin ağzından kah kendi yaşadıklarını, kah rehberlerinin şeyhlerinin sözlerini kendi dilinde derlemiş. Nefsini aradan çıkararak bildiklerini yazmayı kendine hizmet bellemiş. Sorana “trying to be nothing, hiç olmaya çalışıyorum” demiş.

Şeyhinin eteğine yüz sürüp aşkını ziyadelemek, ihvana hizmet etmek için 19. Senesinde tekrar İstanbul’a gelmiş Mahmud. Aynı uçakla inmiş, aynı otelde aynı odaya yerleşmiş. Ertesi gün öğlene doğru otelden çıkıp Leyla’nın sokaklarını arşınlama işine başlamış. Şehremini’nde tramvay caddesinde durmuş Mahmud. 

20 Cemaziye’l-evvel 1437’de, nice sevdiklerimizin göçtükleri Şubat ayının 29’unda “ircıi, geri dön” emri erişmiş Mahmuda. Koca aşık fırsatı kaçırır mı, veri vermiş emanetini. İlk yanındaki Aliyye ağlamış, sonra doktor, sonra hasta bakıcı, sonra hastaneye getiren diğer insanlar, sonra otel müdürü, sonra ihvan kardeşleri. İhsan bu ya, saat farkından dolayı en son ailesine sıra gelmiş. 

Dervişler haber vermişler şeyhine, usulünü danışmışlar, destur istemişler, duasını almışlar. İşleri de bölüşmüşler acılarını da. Önce götürüp paklamışlar, başında usul okumuşlar, dualarla süslemişler. Sonra Pirinin kapısına getirmişler, eşiğine yatırmışlar. Dallı arakıyesini başına giydirmişler, gece halvete bırakmışlar. 

Şeyh hazretleri Mahmud’un halinden haber vermiş ihvana meşkten sonra sohbetinde. Şahit olmuş böylelikle bütün dervişan Mahmud’un muhabbetine. 

Pir kapısı açılıp Mahmud halvetten çıkarılınca mis gibi kokuyormuş ortalık. Bir sala okumuş Hafız Mustafa efendi, ama ne sala, kedileri bile ağlatmış. Harala gürele eksik olmayan Karagümrük muhitine uhulet ve suhulet gelmiş. 

Namazını kılmışlar Mahmud’un, ihsan bu ya, Pirinin de namazının kılındığı Canfeda hatun camiinde. Tekrar tekrar hatimler, dualar hediye etmiş iyice süslemişler. Başka kargo şirketi bulamamış olacaklar ki, cenazesini Türk hava yolları ile memleketine göndermişler. 

Mahmud’un cenazesi memleketine vardığının ertesi hediyeleri de tekkenin dervişanına varmış. Meğer bir sürü hediye getirmiş fakat bunları dağıtmak ancak ayin gecesi Perşembe’de nasip olmuş.

Cenazesinden sonra asitanenin zakirbaşı Ahmet efendi dervişanın halini “lâl olduk” diye özetleyivermiş. Şimdi konuşamıyoruz fakat bu olayı yazmak gerek diye de eklemiş. Büyüğünün nutkunu haklamak da bir fakire düşmüş.

Mahmud’un kendi hikayesini, Sirac baba kitapları tercüme edilmeden bilemeyeceğiz. Bana sorarsanız masal kahramanı gibi bir adam ne anlatırsa onları anlatmıştır. Menkıbelerde okuduğumuz, sohbetlerde dinlemeye alışık olduğumuz bir aşk kahramanı imiş hazret geç bulup tez yitirdiğimiz.

Mahmud, çok övülmüş demeye gelir. Bu kalem ne yazsa onun gibi adamı övemez. Arjantinli koca aşık için niyazımız odur ki, bu satırları okuyanlar bir Fatiha okuyarak Rabbinin huzurunda, Pirinin eteğinde, adaşı Resul-u Ali-Şan efendimiz hazretlerinin övmesine mazhar olması duasına amin desinler. 

Bu yazıyı okuyanlar için fakirin niyazı odur ki, Pir kimdir, şeyh kimdir, derviş kimdir, nasıl sevilir, Mahmud’un muhabbetinden, feyzinden hissemend olsunlar.

Amin.

Mahmud Baba

Último sohbet de Mahmud Baba

Bismillah…

Algunos están en la hilera del Profeta (swas); otros estarán dos filas o 10 filas más atrás o más adelante. Lo que importa es estar; no dónde. Pero al cuerpo, al nafs, sí le importa. Debemos separar nuestra alma del cuerpo. Es difícil mantenerse en el alma, y no pensar con el cuerpo. Pero hay que intentarlo.

En un posteo reciente en Facebook, estaban haciendo un Dikhr en una mezquita, dirigido por Muzafer Baba. Y allí estaban todos. Los Kadir, los Jerrahi, los Naqshbandi, etc. Incluso personas que no quieren o no pueden ir más al dergah, estaban allí. En esa mezquita, estaban todas las almas juntas. No importa lo que hacían. El dikhr quizás no era como lo conocíamos nosotros, ya que estaban quietos, pero estaban todos. Qué lejos estamos de eso…

Hay que aprender el manejo de las diferencias. Hacer lo que corresponde. Si el otro tiene falta, no puedo juntarme porque yo intento llevar algo ordenado, coherente. Tampoco es personal. Una cosa es una diferencia, y otra es que el otro cometa faltas.

Las diferencias no importan. En Estambul manejan esto diferente. Aquí se toma personal.

Aquí hay tres lugares distintos. ¿Quién está equivocado?

Cuando seguimos las instrucciones de Efendi, nos encontramos con alguien que dijo: “el Sheikh soy yo y los sueños me los dicen a mí.”

Y si nosotros hacemos dikhr, ellos no vienen, y si ellos lo hacen, no vamos nosotros.

Cuando uno quiere conectarse con ellos se encuentra con otra onda diferente pese a que dicen “Allah”. O eres de aquí o de allá.

No es nada personal, simplemente no nos juntamos.

Ellos están donde están, están con un Sheikh y están bien. Lo mismo los otros. Pero no pertenecemos allí, no tenemos su enseñanza. Estamos todos en donde corresponde.

Algunos creen que son algo, y está bien. Otros usan Photoshop y se triplican en número, y pelean a ver quién tiene más seguidores, y está bien para ellos. Cada uno está bien. La vida te enseña eso y esto que tenemos es un grupo pequeño. Todos somos cercanos por eso. Lo correcto o incorrecto es más notorio. Si fuésemos 50 habría 10 más cercanos y los demás no. Y no está mal eso. El tema es no tomarlo personal.

Un turco decía: “Pido perdón por la pequeña rebeldía.” Porque el pequeño soy yo, por la tontera de ser rebelde.

La función de darse cuenta es increíble. De esas cosas hay que darse cuenta. Lo demás no sirve mucho. Hay que tener conceptos claros como ese de la pequeña rebeldía. Sino, el ego se nos desvía. Estar en este grupo tiene su costo. El que quiere lo paga y el que no, no entra. No somos un grupo exclusivo, y no nos importan las fotos tampoco. Pero sí hay que tener actitudes con coherencia. Si no nos importa es en ambas direcciones. Ni lejanía, ni cercanía. Eso es un regalo.

Ibrahim Baba me dijo: “Sean nada”. Tan diferente su mensaje... Si decimos “Allah”, no hay problema. Pero para ciertas cosas no puedes estar.

Hay que aceptar más; lo que haya. Ojo con esas pequeñas rebeldías. Inshallah tengamos tranquilidad interna para ver lo que estamos haciendo, sino sólo terminaremos a los golpes. 

Todo parte de la falta de consciencia. Uno ve al otro que es malo. ¿Y uno? ¿Tu propio nafs? ¿La sombra de tu ego?

Un Sheikh juntó a dos partes que se criticaban unos a otros, y les dijo: “yo no soy quién para catalogar y decir que llevo a los buenos, porque a mitad de camino pueden cambiar.”

Con los malos hay que tener más recaudos, y con los buenos ya nos conocemos y tenemos otros recaudos.

El camino es llevar hacia Dios. Buenos y malos porque uno nunca sabe.

¿A quién no podemos llevar? Al que cree que no puede ser llevado. El que no quiere ser llevado, que camine con sus pies en la dirección que quiera. Pero no debe haber algo personal.

The last sohbet of Mahmud Baba

Bismillah…

Some people are on Prophet Muhammad (swas)’s row; others will be two rows behind, or 10 rows behind, or a bit forward. The important thing is to be. It doesn’t matter where. But to the body, the nafs, it does matter. We must separate our soul from our body. It’s difficult to keep within the soul, and not to think with our bodies. But we have to try.

In a recent post on Facebook, there was a video where a zikr was being held at a mosque, and it was commanded by Muzafer Baba. Everybody was there, all together. Kadirs, Jerrahis, Naqshbandis, etc. Even people who don’t want to or can’t be at the tekke, they were there. In that mosque, all the souls were together. It didn’t matter what they were doing. Zikr perhaps wasn’t as we know it, because they were staying still, but nevertheless they were all together. How far are we from that…

We have to learn how to handle differences. We have to do what we must do. If the other person commits a foul, I can’t be close to that person because I intend to carry some order in my life, to be coherent. It’s not personal. One thing is to have differences, and a whole different thing is the person committing fouls.

Differences don’t matter. In Istanbul, they handle this in a different way. Here, we take it personal.

We have here three different places. Who’s wrong?

When we followed Efendi’s instructions, we’ve found with someone who said: “I’m the Sheikh and all dreams come to me.”

And if we perform zikr, they don’t come, and if they do, we don’t go.

When you want to connect with them there’s a different vibe, even though they say “Allah”. You are from here, or from there. It’s not personal. We just don’t get together.

They are where they are, they have their Sheikh and that’s fine. Same with the others. But we don’t belong there, we don’t have their teachings. We are where we belong.

Some people think they are somebody, and that’s fine. Some others use photoshop and triple their number, and fight over who has more followers, and that’s fine for them. Everyone is fine. Life teaches that, and what we have is a small group. We are all close because of that. Right and wrong is more notorius. If there were 50 of us, there would be 10 closer than the rest. And that’s not bad. We just don’t have to make it personal.

A turkish man wrote recently: “I ask for forgiveness for my little rebellion.” Because I’m the little one, for the silliness of being a rebel.  

The function of awareness is amazing. We have to notice and be aware of those things. Everything else doesn’t matter that much.  We must have clear concepts like that one of “little rebellion”. Otherwise, the ego will deviate. To be in this group has its cost. Whoever wants to pay it, will do, and the one who doesn’t, won’t be in it. We are not an exclusive group; we don’t care about pictures either. But we must have attitudes in coherence. If we don’t care, it’s both ways. Nor afar, nor close. That’s a gif.

Ibrahim Baba told me: “Be nothing”. His message is so different… If we say “Allah”, there is no problem. But for certain things you can’t be in.

We have to accept more; whatever there is. Watch out with those little rebellions. InshaAllah we have the inner peace to see what we are doing, otherwise we will end up fighting each other.

Everything starts with lack of consciousness. You see the other as “bad”. What about your own self? Your own nafs? The shadow of your ego?

A Sheikh got together two different parts that were criticizing each other, and he told them: “I’m not someone to catalogue and say that I will take and lead only the good ones, because half way they might change.”

With the bad people you have to be more careful, and with the good ones, we already know each other, and we have different precautions.

The path is to lead towards God. Good and bad equally, because you never know.

Who can we not take? The one who thinks can’t be taken. The one who doesn’t want to be taken, he can walk with his feet in any direction he wants. But it must not be taken personal.