Refi Cevad Ulunay'ın Bir Başka Âlem Romanında Tasavvufî Söylem, Mevlevilik ve Manevî Olgunlaşma

Mahmut Refi Cevad Ulunay, who is primarily known as a journalist and critic, generally had his literary side in the background. The author has six novels. Bir Başka Âlem, published by Ulunay in 1964, is one of them. In the novel Bir Başka Âlem, the protagonist Murat participated in World War I and was captured as a prisoner. Exiled to India by the British, Murat decides to travel around India instead of returning to Istanbul immediately after being released. Known as a 'mystical man,' people introduces him to various sheikhs. Murat becomes a disciple of a sheikh named Zindabad in India. Sheikh Zindabad is a recluse, but he emphasizes that Murat should return to social life and that his spiritual maturation will be achieved through fulfilling his duties to society. Upon this, Murat returns to Istanbul. He meets a merchant named Hacı Gaffar in Istanbul and learns that they are both devoted to the same sheikh. With Hacı Gaffar’s help, Murat establishes a farm and lives there for years. When he receives an invitation from his sheikh, he leaves everything behind and sets off on the road once again. In the novel, many aspects of Sufism are discussed in Murat’s dialogues with Sheikh Zindabad and Hacı Gaffar. Mevlevi Sufism is not explicitly mentioned, and Mevlânâ Jalaluddin Rumi’s name is referenced only once; however, both the structure of the novel and the ideas expressed in it indicate that the Sufi perspective presented aligns with Mevlevi teachings. The novel's composition resembles that of Rumi’s Masnavi. The novel begins with a conversation between a donkey and an ox. Then, the main story unfolds, telling the tale of Murat, the owner of the farm. The novel concludes with another conversation between these animals. This framing narrative technique resembles that of the Masnavi. The inclusion of stories in the novel also evokes the Masnavi. The important representatives of the concept of wahdat al-wujud, which is one of the central themes in the novel are Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi and Mevlânâ Rumi. Mevlânâ rejected the idea of withdrawing into seclusion (halvet) without doing any work. In the novel we are examining, Sheikh Zindabad’s telling Murat to return to Istanbul, work as an ordinary man, and continue his social life is on the same line as Mevlânâ's views on this matter. Additionally, Sheikh Zindabad's emphasis on nature is similar to Mevlânâ's approach to nature. The discussions on love in the novel are also parallel to Mevlânâ's ideas. Ulunay is a descendant of Mevlânâ on his mother's side. The author has expressed his views on Sufism and Mevlevi tradition through the novel. In the novel Bir Başka Âlem, Mevlevi tradition is portrayed as a path that leads to spiritual advancement and maturation. In this study, the Sufi concepts addressed in Bir Başka Âlem, such as wahdat al-wujud, kasrat, insan-ı kamil, mysticism, seyr-i sülük, retreat, and love, will be discussed from a Mevlevi perspective.