Bitig Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi

Abstract

People have adopted various moral principles throughout the ages. Depending on the conditions of the era in which we live, some of these principles have been brought to the fore in various schools. This study will focus on the principles prioritized by the Mevlevi school. The Mevlevi Order, which was formed from the ideas of Mevlana, existed for many years after taking on the structure of a religious order. Many artists who were affiliated with Mevlevi Order produced works within the framework of the principles of the order and brought some of these principles to the forefront according to their own perception of the world. İbrahim Şâhidî from Mugla, one of the poets of the 16th century classical Turkish literature, is one of the names who became a member of the Mevlevi Order and rose to the rank of sheikh of the Mevlevi Order. When the life of Şâhidî is examined, it is possible to say that he was a dede who was the sheikh of a lodge, an educator with his works and the mission of the lodge he was the sheikh of in Mugla, and a guide with his legendary personality and the attitude he adopted in his poems. In other words, it is possible to say that Şâhidî developed various characteristics in educating and guiding the people around him. It is possible to see this aspect in his poems in the Turkish Divan. He adopted Mevlana’s ideas in approaching poetry and used poetry mostly not for the purpose of showing art but as a means to convey his ideas to his interlocutor. Indeed, it is possible to see that in the anthologies that mention Şâhidî, his poetry is not highlighted. In this context, Şâhidî has highlighted topics such as love of Allah and the prophet, devotion to Mevlana, and the virtues that should be seen in a good person/servant in his poems in his Turkish Divan. Of course, while doing this, he has also captured beautiful and effective expressions and has managed to say couplets that have become concise sayings by appealing to the people’s wisdom and have been remembered. The messages that Şâhidî gave to his interlocutors through his own life and perception of the world through poetry can be identified in his Turkish Divan. These messages are answers to the questions of how to become a Mevlevi? and what should a Mevlevi avoid? -in Şâhidî style. It is also possible to read these answers as answers to questions such as how to be a good Muslim/servant? what should a good Muslim/servant avoid? etc. In the light of this information, the moral principles in Şâhidî’s Turkish Divan will be read within the framework of Mevlevi Order and the messages that Şâhidî and the mindset he created wanted to give to the readers will be discussed. Throughout the article, Mustafa Çıpan’s master’s thesis prepared in 1985, which can be found in the bibliography, will be used in the quotations from the Turkish Divan.