Turcology Research

Abstract

The concept of substance has been a subject of philosophy since the Ancient Greek period. Aristotle's ideas, thoroughly detailed in Categories, are based on the principle that substance is never found in a subject. According to Aristotle, the most distinctive feature of substance, which serves as the fundamental category upon which all accidents are imposed, is that it remains the same, even while accepting opposing accidents. In contrast to the concept of substance in Ancient Greek thought, Islamic theologians proposed that substance and accident, which occupy space and are susceptible to motion and stillness, are contingent. Although substance is considered an essence, when all accidents are removed, the substance also ceases to exist.
Nef‘î's odes are among the most important sources through which we can examine the poet's art. The poet often uses the concept of jawhar (essence) in his qasidas and explores it in various ways. In the poems he presents to high-ranking officials, Nef‘î turns jawhar into a political idea, using it to describe the abilities and character of the person he praises. This article aims to answer questions such as: What does jawhar mean for Nef‘î when referring to the praised person? What qualities should members of the ruling class have? And what does the poet expect from state officials? For Nef‘î, the jawhar of the ruler and the grand vizier represents their intelligence and natural ability to govern. He believes that a ruler should have a pure nature and sees the ruler as the life source of the universe’s essence and as a reflection of divine truth. Because of this, Nef‘î describes the ruler as complete, wise, generous, and ideal. He considers the sultan to be the Mirror of God (Mir’ât-ı Hudâ) and believes the sultan shows the highest level of talent for leadership. Therefore, the ruler should establish the best order in the state and aim to ensure the happiness of the people. Emphasizing the ruler’s absolute authority, Nef‘î refers to him as the “shadow of God” (zıllullah).
Beyond political identities, the poet expresses that the sheikh al-Islam possesses a purified substance, and in his ode to Mevlânâ, Nef‘î describes Mevlânâ as the light of the substance of the Prophet. This article examines Nef‘î’s approach to the philosophical concept of substance and the unique meanings he attributes to it within the framework of political thought and the praised one’s aptitude.