Ahmed Hulusi

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Ahmed Hulusi (born 1945 in Istanbul, Turkey) is an Islamic author from Turkey, whose works focus on philosophical and religious ideas.

Contents

Biography

He was born on 21 January 1945 in Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul, and was named Ahmed, meaning ‘highly praised’, by his mother and Hulusi, meaning ‘sincere’, by his father. He spent the first 18 years of his life not following any particular religion, believing only in ‘a Creator’. Since every time he inquired about religion, he was told “do not question, just do as you are told”, he lived a seemingly ‘irreligious’ life. Three days after his father's death, on 10 September 1963, unable to refuse his mother's wish, he attended Friday prayer, where he felt an inspiration and desire to understand religion. That same day he decided to always maintain a state of ritual purity by performing ablution and committed to performing the prescribed daily prayers (salat).

He commenced his religious education by studying the eleven volumes of Sahih al-Bukhari and the whole of the Al-Kutub al-Sittah, two collections of Sunni hadiths published by the Turkish Directorate for Religious Affairs, and a translation of the Quran by Elmalılı, one of Turkey's most eminent Quranic scholars. He then spent two years undertaking in-depth studies of the modern sciences. This was then followed by an interval of intensive spiritual diets and retreats, leading him in 1965 to write his first book, Revelations (Tecelliyat). This book is particularly significant for him, as it is an amalgamation of his unique ideas and theological viewpoints at the age of 21. Also in 1965, he journeyed alone to Mecca to fulfill his pilgrimage (hajj).

Ahmed Hulusi bases his understanding of religion on the system and order denoted in the Quran by the One named Allah and has committed himself to “reading” reality as disclosed by Muhammad. Hulusi focuses on the underlying unity of everything and the oneness of existence, which he refers to as Allah. He stresses understanding the spirit of the Qur'an and the Sunnah rather than taking them out of context. He shares all of his perspectives through his writings on his website. Having studied preeminent collections of Islamic law and evaluated the works of many renowned Sufi saints ( wali ) and scholars, he synthesizes his findings with scientific truths and presents them as an integrated system of reality.

In order to refrain from self-promotion, he has not put his surname on any of the books he has written over the last 40 years. He does not claim to be a guru or a teacher to anybody; he chooses to have very little contact with people. He was forced to put his photo in his books after a few impostors started claiming to be Ahmed Hulusi.

He has never been a member of any political, social, religious organization, foundation, or establishment. He has spent his life as a journalist researching Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, and the modern sciences.

Due to the 28 February 1997 ‘postmodern coup’ in Turkey, Ahmed Hulusi and his wife, Cemile, moved to London, where they lived for a year, before settling in the US, where they reside currently.

Perspective on Islam

He considers his teachings a spiritual understanding of Islam in a modern context. Based on Muhammad's teachings and eminent Sufi authors like Abdul Karim Jili, Abdul-Qadir Gilani, Muhyiddin ibn-Arabi, Imami Ghazali, and İbrahim Hakkı Erzurumi, he denies the idea of a deity/god to worship, claiming there is no separate external god, there is only the One, referred to as Allah in the Qur'an. His principle has always been, “Do not be a blind follower of anyone. In the light of Muhammad’s teachings, choose and walk your own path in life independently.” He recommends that people re-evaluate the original teachings of Muhammad and the Quran in the light of science, without depending on any intermediary forces. Every individual has the right, indeed, is obliged, to directly interact with the teachings of the universal system through Muhammad and shape their lives accordingly.

Due to the nature of the universal system revealed to Muhammad, jobs and positions of a religious nature are illegitimate. The only person one must follow is Muhammad. Because of this, Ahmed Hulusi does not encourage anyone to become his ‘follower’. He prefers to live a relatively reclusive life in his small town and advises people to question his teachings and to do their own research. He says, “Don’t believe me; find and verify the truth for yourself.”

Publications

Books

Videos

Ahmed Hulusi's channel on YouTube

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sufism</span> Body of mystical practice within Islam

Sufism, also known as Tasawwuf, is a mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic purification, spirituality, ritualism, asceticism, and esotericism. It has been variously defined as "Islamic mysticism", "the mystical expression of Islamic faith", "the inward dimension of Islam", "the phenomenon of mysticism within Islam", the "main manifestation and the most important and central crystallization" of mystical practice in Islam, and "the interiorization and intensification of Islamic faith and practice".

In Islam, sunnah, also spelled sunna, are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed on to the next generations. According to classical Islamic theories, the sunnah are documented by hadith, and alongside the Quran are the divine revelation (wahy) delivered through Muhammad that make up the primary sources of Islamic law and belief/theology. Differing from Sunni classical Islamic theories are those of Shia Muslims, who hold that Imams interpret the sunnah, and Sufi who hold that Muhammad transmitted the values of sunnah "through a series of Sufi teachers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quran</span> Central religious text of Islam

The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters which consist of individual verses. Besides its religious significance, it is widely regarded as the finest work in Arabic literature, and has significantly influenced the Arabic language.

The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Islamic and associated cultural traditions, which are expressed as words in Arabic or Persian language. The main purpose of this list is to disambiguate multiple spellings, to make note of spellings no longer in use for these concepts, to define the concept in one or two lines, to make it easy for one to find and pin down specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of Islam all in one place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dargah</span> Grave shrine

A dargah is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervish. Sufis often visit the shrine for ziyarat, a term associated with religious visitation and pilgrimages. Dargahs are often associated with Sufi eating and meeting rooms and hostels, called khanqah or hospices. They usually include a mosque, meeting rooms, Islamic religious schools (madrassas), residences for a teacher or caretaker, hospitals, and other buildings for community purposes.

Al-Ikhlāṣ, also known as the Declaration of God's Unity and al-Tawhid, is the 112th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran.

<i>Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya</i>

Al-Barāhīn al-Ahmadīyyah 'alā Haqīqatu Kitāb Allāh al-Qur'ān wa'n-Nabūwwatu al-Muhammadīyyah is a five-part book written by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. The first two parts were published in 1880 CE, the third volume was published in 1882, the fourth volume in 1884 and the fifth volume in 1905. In writing the book, Ghulam Ahmad sought to rejuvenate Islam by arguing for the validity of its principles and vindicating its teachings in response to Christian and Hindu polemics against Islam as well as atheistic philosophies. In this context, a significant portion of the subject matter of the book is dedicated to the defence of Islam as a whole against the criticism of Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam that was raised in the 18th and 19th centuries predominantly by Christian missionaries and Hindu revivalists.

Iman in Islamic theology denotes a believer's recognition of faith and deeds in the religious aspects of Islam. Its most simple definition is the belief in the six articles of faith, known as arkān al-īmān.

Al-Muʼminun is the 23rd chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an with 118 verses (āyāt). Regarding the timing and contextual background of the supposed revelation, it is an earlier "Meccan surah", which means it is believed to have been revealed before the migration of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina (Hijra).

Al-Maʻārij is the seventieth chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an, with 44 verses (āyāt). The Surah takes its name from the word dhil Ma'arij in the third ayah. The word appears twice in the Quran. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, an Indian Islamic scholar, introduces the surah as “... another Islamic eschatology Surah closely connected in subject matter with the last one. Patience and the mystery of Time will show the ways that climb the Heaven. Sin and Goodness must each eventually come to its own.” It is narrated from the Prophet that whoever recites Surah al-Ma'ārij, Allah will give him the rewards of those who keep their trusts and promises and those who observe upon performing their daily prayers.[6]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhikr</span> Remembrance of God in Islam

Dhikr is a form of Islamic worship in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited for the purpose of remembering God. It plays a central role in Sufism, and each Sufi order typically adopts a specific dhikr, accompanied by specific posture, breathing, and movement. In Sufism, dhikr refers to both the act of this remembrance as well as the prayers used in these acts of remembrance. Dhikr usually includes the names of God or supplication from the Quran or hadith. It may be counted with either one's fingers or prayer beads, and may be performed alone or with a collective group. A person who recites dhikr is called a dhākir.

Dawah is the act of inviting people to Islam. The plural is daʿwāt (دَعْوات) or daʿawāt (دَعَوات).

Tawba is the Islamic concept of repenting to God due to performing any sins and misdeeds. It is a direct matter between a person and God, so there is no intercession. There is no original sin in Islam. It is the act of leaving what God has prohibited and returning to what he has commanded. The word denotes the act of being repentant for one's misdeeds, atoning for those misdeeds, and having a strong determination to forsake those misdeeds. If someone sins against another person, restitution is required.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nūr (Islam)</span> Metaphysical light in Islamic tradition

Nūr is a term in Islamic context referring to the "cold light of the night" or "heatless light" i.e. the light of the moon. This light is used as a symbol for "God's guidance" and "knowledge", a symbol of mercy in contrast to Nar, which refers to the diurnal solar "hot light" i.e. fire. In the Quran, God is stated to be "the light (Nūr) of the heavens and the earth". Many classical commentators on the Quran compare this to God illuminating the world with understanding, not taken literally. The first and foremost to representatively stand to the concept of nūr muḥammadī being the quintessence of everything was Sayyid Abdul Qadir Gilani, who described this idea in his book Sirr ul Asrar. This concept was then preached by his disciples. One of Sayyid Abdul Qadir Gilani's disciples was the Andalusian scholar Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi, who categorized nūr into different levels of understanding from the most profound to the most mundane. Shias believe nūr, in the sense of inner esoteric understanding, is inherited through the Imams, who in turn communicate it to the people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God in Islam</span>

In Islam, Allah is seen as the creator and sustainer of the universe, who lives eternally and will eventually resurrect all humans. God is conceived as a perfect, singular, immortal, omnipotent, and omniscient god, completely infinite in all of his attributes. Islam further emphasizes that God is most merciful. The Islamic concept of God is variously described as monotheistic, panentheistic, and monistic.

Humour in Islam refers to the act of doing things that are considered humorous under the guidelines set by the Quran and the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Quranism is an Islamic movement that holds the belief that the Quran is the only valid source of religious belief, guidance and law in Islam. Quranists believe that the Quran is clear, complete, and that it can be fully understood without recourse to the hadith and sunnah. Therefore, they use the Quran itself to interpret the Quran, an exegetical principle known as tafsir al-Qur'an bi al-Qur'an.

Islamic teachings on humanity and human welfare have been codified in its central religious book known as the Quran, which the Muslims believe was revealed by God for the humankind. These teachings have often been exemplified by Islamic prophet Muhammad as displayed in his sayings and practices. To the Muslims, Islam is what the Quran has instructed to do and how Muhammad has put them into practice. Thus, the understanding of any Islamic topic generally rely on these two.

In Islam, morality in the sense of "non practical guidelines" or "specific norms or codes of behavior" for good doing, are primarily based on the Quran and the Hadith – the central religious texts of Islam – and also mostly "commonly known moral virtues" whose major points "most religions largely agree on". They include kindness, charity, forgiveness, honesty, patience, justice, respecting parents and elders, keeping promises, and controlling one's anger, love of God and those God loves, love of his messenger (Muhammad) and of believers.

In Islam, the Arabic language is the liturgical language and it is given more importance than any other language, because it is the language of Qur'an and Hadith, which is the main religious sources of Islam, which is called Quranic Arabic.

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