|
 It
was after my first article for
derKi.com
that among the many positive reviews I received, there was one mail from a
friend and another from a member of our mail group. These two affected me the
most. They said: “We have discovered another aspect of you. We have
witnessed another direction in Frequency. Yet we would rather you had started
with an article on the UNIfying and humanistic aspects of the Beloved Yunus.”
These words made me wonder whether my first article should have been “Yunus
Emre’s Humanism”. And hence the theme of my second article had been set.
My interest in Yunus Emre and his poetry goes back only two years. In an
exhibition organized by my company I met a loved friend, and admirer of
Yunus. Following this meeting I set up a mail group at Yahoo groups called
“Bir Garip Yunus”. In the group we shared Yunus Emre, his poetry philosophy
and such topics as Beloved Friends and mystics. We also shared poetry that
rose from our hearts. And we continue sharing... like Yunus, in the light of
Yunus’s humanism laden with all embracing love, we continue our journey.
Undoubtedly Yunus Emre is the greatest humanist of all times. Viewing the
concept with the Ancient Age humanistic thought, we see that the philosophers
of the time made man the centre and the measure for all; saw all men as
related both to nature and to each other. They exalted virtuous life.
Furthermore they believed man could find God through love. These thoughts
however are an accumulation of the thoughts of the philosophers up to the Neo
Platonists. Yunus’s philosophy on the other hand is both more systematic and
comprehensive.
Yunus’ humanism is original. Undoubtedly there are many philosophies that
trust, glorify man, that make love the reasons for man’s existence. Ever
since mythology such thoughts continue to add new light and beauty to a
colorful and already beautiful painting.
Yunus’s humanism is more productive and manifold when compared with his
contemporaries. Renaissance Humanism enlightens man’s position on earth.
This is a man who in his everyday life is concrete, real, with feelings and
creativity of his own, and his own self.
Yunus’s humanism has a systematic structure with depth and is broad in scope.
Like all mystics he knows the Quaran with its internal and external meaning.
He knows Islam classics, legends and Indian, Persian and Greek mythology. He
makes use of this in his poetry. He uses the Syllabic and aruz* meters
expertly. He states that he has had a medrese training; he attends
Mevlana’s discussions and learns from him.
 Yunus’s
thoughts are a conceptual whole. Man’s existence, his position related to
God, the unity of man-universe-God; his life on earth as a virtuous man, the
universality of love, the unity of 72 nations; all these are in harmony with
each other. Yunus is no different from other philosophers who have set up a
system. Yunus’s system is as comprehensive and as consistent as that of
Plato.
Yunus’s verse is laden with philosophical explanations, yet is it easily
comprehended. Yunus expresses thoughts which are hard to comprehend and which
would take long explanations in a flutter. And in his expression there is
simplicity and beauty.
Maybe this is the characteristic which distinguishes Yunus from other
mystics. Using the fluency and the striking effect of poetry Yunus summarizes
in short what Mevlana says;
“I took shape in flesh and bones
And came into sight as Yunus”...
Yunus is an ardent observer of the mystic tradition. He is the
continuation of the O Cüneyd-iBađdadi, Hallac-i Mansur, Ibn Arabi, and Mevlana
and Haci Bektash tradition. It would be a mistake to assume that he was
close to either Mevlana or to Haci Bektaţ; both of whom were his
contemporaries. He matured in the spheres of both mystics. It is
possible to strengthen this inference by citing the similarities in the
teachings and sayings of the three great mystics.
Furthermore it would be misleading to place Mevlana as closer to the public
and Haci Bektaţ as being closer to the Palace. Yunus, Mevlana and Haci
Bektaţ; these three great wise men; these three streams have all sprung from
the same mountain and have flown to the same seas. Where they come from and
where they have reached is One. This holds true for all mystics.
No matter where or when they have lived, they have all talked the same
language, stemming from the same soul.
Yunus’s humanism has developed with the social and political conditions of his
time. The turbulent times starting with the Seljuck Emperor Giyasettin II’s
defeat to the Mongols lasted all through his life of 82 years. Invasions,
lootings, internal conflicts, lies, backbiting, hunger and the heavy taxes had
depressed the masses. Yunus’ love of his mankind, his glorification of
virtuous behavior, and his plea for unity gains a different outlook in such an
environment.
 Yunus
is not only a mystic struggling to reach God. He opposes injustice, tyranny
and lies. He has always stood next to the right and the just. He wouldn’t
have been such a favorite with the people had he not been so. He wouldn’t
have been the symbol of virtue, love and peace throughout centuries. Had he
not been a poet of the people he would have long been forgotten. Yunus’s
humanism is foremost a reaction to his time. This fact however cannot
overshadow his being universal.
Yunus’s man is both a simple man in practical life and also an ideal model;
the perfect man. One can only mature, see reality and enter the path of love
together with the perfect man. The Renaissance humanism isn’t as tolerant to
all men, religions, languages as is Yunus. This humanism with its stress on
individualism could not reach the universal measures.
Yunus, changed man from a poor slave worshipping god because of his fear of
Him to an honorable man. Before the creation of universe, before life, man as
a soul or as a designed image was with God. He will once again be with God
after passing through the earth-the bridge. He will be with The Beloved. And
thus Yunus places man laden with eternal Godly qualities in the highest and
the most respected position in the universe.
No humanist has ever exalted man as has Yunus.
Yunus has all the riches that can make him a guide to contemporary humanists.
Yunus’s love embracing all universe throws light to all men even today.
Bibliography : Huseyin Bal – “Yunus Emre ve Humanizm”
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