Ibrahim Hakki Erzurumi (18 May 1703 – 22 June 1780), a popular Turkish

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

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of the

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from

Erzurum Erzurum (; ) is a List of cities in Turkey, city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. It is the site of an ...

in eastern

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who was a

polymath A polymath or polyhistor is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. Polymaths often prefer a specific context in which to explain their knowledge, ...

, mystic, poet, author, astronomer, physicist, physician, psychologist, sociologist, philosopher, Hanafi Maturidi Islamic scholar and encyclopedist.

Life and Works

Having lost his mother and later his father at an early age, Ibrahim Hakkı was raised by his uncle who educated him for a while. He met the Ottoman Sultan Mahmut I at

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in 1747. He returned to Erzurum, and was continuously interested in religious and scientific matters. Having written 15 books in the ''manzum'' and regular styles and a great number in Turkish, Arabic, and Persian languages, amongst Ibrahim Hakki's most important works are the ''Divan'' and ''Marifetname''. In 1756 he published '' Marifetnâme'' (''Book of Gnosis''), a compilation and commentary on astronomy, mathematics, anatomy, psychology, philosophy, and Islamic mysticism. It is famous for containing the first treatment of post- Copernican astronomy by a Muslim scholar ('' 'ālim''). ''Marifetname'' contains tasawwuf knowledge along with a wide range of general scientific and encyclopedic knowledge. Completed in 1757, the book was written in the language of the layman. According to the author, it was compiled from 400 books. ''Marifetname'' is a first in the explanation of observational astronomy of the

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by a scholar in a book. An English translation was published in 2010. He died and was buried in Tillo of Siirt Province.

Theology

Core to Erzurumi's philosophy is that self-examination is absolutely necessary as part of the process of discovering God: He is widely quoted for saying, "If we take one step towards Allah, He will come running to meet us," which is derived from a hadith qudsi. His most popular poem, which was composed into a religious hymn, is ''Hak Şerleri Hayr Eyler'', The Truth (God) Makes Evils Turn Out Good.

Notes

* Hadith Qudsi 15. On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, who said that the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: Allah the Almighty said: "I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed." Narrated by al-Bukhari,

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

References

External links

İbrahim Hakkı Erzurumi
(in Turkish) * https://plus.google.com/collection/YNLbsB {{DEFAULTSORT:Erzurumi, Ibrahim Hakki Encyclopedists from the Ottoman Empire 18th-century scientists from the Ottoman Empire Philosophers from the Ottoman Empire Astronomers from the Ottoman Empire Sufi saints from the Ottoman Empire Islamic mysticism Islamic philosophers 1703 births 1780 deaths 18th-century astronomers Hanafis Maturidis 18th-century physicians from the Ottoman Empire Mathematicians from the Ottoman Empire