In a sohbet on 14 December 2019 at the Royal Ottoman Society headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Ayberk Efendi explored what it truly means to be “together with the one we love.” The phrase can be taken literally, as if physical closeness were enough – but the deepest companionship, he reminded us, is a matter of heart, soul and consciousness.
The prophetic narration “a person is together with what he loves” is not an instruction to walk side by side constantly or to keep endless eye contact. Such closeness soon turns into separation; even two days together can become distance after a while. The saying points instead to a spiritual union beyond time and space.
This union, Ayberk Efendi explained, is realised when our hearts are always present with Allah, His Messenger and the true spiritual guides (our “şeyh”). He quoted his teachers: even if one were speaking in ten languages to ten different listeners at once, the heart would remain anchored in the Divine alone. The heart must not be bound to worldly attachments – wealth, relationships or status – for once it is tied elsewhere, Allah’s hand withdraws.
The sohbet also cleared up a common misunderstanding about loving “the beloved.” In Sufi terms the only true Beloved is Allah, followed by His Prophet and then the authentic teachers who have been given permission to guide. Love that ignores this order does not fulfil the prophetic promise and can even lead to spiritual neglect. Those who forget it, Ayberk Efendi warned, risk becoming “ungrateful servants,” a state that may invite divine displeasure.
Finally, he urged us to take an inner inventory each day: Whom did we think of? What occupied our heart? At the moment of death, whatever fills the heart becomes the company with which one departs. Constant remembrance (dhikr) of Allah and love for His Messenger are therefore essential for a soul that wishes to return to its source.
If you feel called to deepen this inner connection, join our live meetings, where seekers gather for collective dhikr and teachings and can take Bayʿah. Learn more and register here: https://royalottomans.com/live-meetings
May your heart always be united with the One who is the true source of love and peace.
