In a full‑length interview, Ayberk Efendi shared his reflections on the signs that may herald the Day of Judgment and on how they connect with the legacy of the Ottoman Empire. Drawing on the teachings of great Awliyā such as Ibn ʿArabī and Sheikh Nazım Adil al‑Haqqānī, he offered a perspective that is both historically grounded and spiritually urgent.
The Timeline That Stirs Concern
Ayberk Efendi explained that several prophetic traditions speak of an accelerated unfolding of the end times in our era. He highlighted a hadith which mentions that when the world has endured 52 years after a series of specific signs, the final hour may come. While the exact chronology remains a matter of interpretation, he urged listeners not to dismiss it as mere speculation, but to look mindfully at today’s moral and spiritual climate, rising materialism, social fragmentation and ecological distress, as possible markers matching the traditional descriptions.
Ottoman Heritage as a Spiritual Compass
Ayberk Efendi then linked these signs to the spiritual role of the Ottoman tradition. He recalled how the New Ottoman Movement, inspired by a dream vision received by Sheikh Nazım Efendi, was founded in 1990 as a living embodiment of divine mercy and “Allah’s revenge” against moral decay. This revival, he argued, is not nostalgic nationalism but an active call to restore the ethics, solidarity and mystical practice that once flourished under the empire.
Referring to figures such as Sarı Saltuk Baba, a revered saint whose lineage traces back to Hacı Ahmet Yesevi, he emphasised that the Ottoman spiritual legacy offers a roadmap for preparation: inner purification, regular remembrance (dhikr) and adherence to the moral teachings of the Awliyā, which strengthen individuals and communities against the chaos foretold in the end‑time narratives.
Practical Steps for Spiritual Readiness
Ayberk Efendi gave concrete guidance:
- Renew daily zikr and prayer: constant remembrance aligns the heart with the divine presence and steadies us amid uncertainty.
- Study classical Sufi texts: the works of Ibn ʿArabī and Sheikh Nazım show how inner transformation mirrors outer events.
- Engage in communal service: charity (sadaka) and shared worship embody the Ottoman principle of serving humanity as a form of worship.
Preparation, he reminded us, is less about predicting dates than about cultivating a resilient, compassionate spirit that can meet any trial with grace.
If you would like to explore these teachings further or join a community devoted to the spiritual heritage of the Ottomans, you are invited to become a member of the Royal Ottoman Society: royalottomans.com/membership.
