On the blessed night of Miraç, Ayberk Efendi gave a sohbet that presented the Ascension as a series of meetings: first with the heart, then with fellow seekers, and finally with the Divine Beloved. Drawing on the Qurʾan, the prophetic tradition and Ottoman spiritual heritage, he reminded us that the miracle of Miraç unfolds through love, reconciliation and sincere prayer.
Ayberk Efendi described Miraç as “the meeting with the beloved” – the Prophet’s ascent as a reunion with a dear companion rather than a solitary flight. Before we can behold the Divine, we must first become friends to those around us: neighbours, brothers, even those with whom we are in conflict. Only on this foundation does the soul rise through the stations of Mescid-i Aksa, Mescid-i Aksay and finally the heavenly realm.
A central theme was inner peace before prayer. Ayberk Efendi warned against entering the prayer while still carrying resentment from a recent argument: like a warrior stepping onto the field with a heart burning in anger, such a person finds the ascent blocked. The remedy is to meet every person with an olive branch (zeytin dalı), with sweets and kindness, as one greets a beloved guest.
The Prophet called prayer our Miraç. The heavenly journey remains a mystery, but we have a daily means of ascent: the prayer. By first mending our relationships, then making ablution with humility, and finally standing before Allah with a heart free of grudges, we can taste something of that journey on earth.
Ayberk Efendi also spoke of the Qurʾanic warnings against coming before Allah with kul hakkı – unsettled rights owed to other people. On the night of Miraç, he said, Allah asks each soul what it brings: peace or lingering enmity. Whoever comes bearing hatred is stopped. Those who persist in discord, the tradition warns, may face a fire of their own making – the inner torment that blocks spiritual progress.
His closing counsel was practical: cultivate sincere friendships, settle disputes quickly, and let every kindness be a step toward the heavenly meeting.
May our hearts be softened, our relationships healed and our prayers become a true Miraç. More reflections on Miraç and other Sufi teachings are in the Royal Ottoman Society Library.
