In this heartfelt Friday exhortation, Ayberk Efendi reminds us that genuine obedience belongs solely to Allah—the One who alone deserves our total devotion. He warns against bending our wills for fleeting worldly gains, even when those gains appear necessary for survival.
Ayberk Efendi points out the danger of serving any power that offers “three‑penny” benefits—political positions, social prestige, or material comforts—while pretending to be loyal to God. Such compromise, he says, is not true servitude; it is merely flattery, deceit, and self‑subjugation to forces that have no claim on our souls.
The core of his teaching is simple yet profound: All creation was made to worship Allah, and only the worship of the Truth sustains us. Prophets and saints never placed themselves under anyone’s command; they served the Divine Reality alone. When a person bows before a worldly master, he does not merely obey a human; he submits his heart to an illusion that ultimately leads to disgrace, loss of honor, and spiritual ruin.
Ayberk Efendi illustrates this with vivid imagery—serving in kitchens, cleaning toilets, or washing dishes for those who claim authority. While such service may be necessary in the material world, it becomes a spiritual trap when the intention is to gain favor from anyone other than Allah. In that case, the servant loses his dignity and invites divine rebuke.
He emphasizes that obstinance and rebellion belong to Satan’s realm, not to the Divine. To argue or resist God’s command is meaningless; true obedience flows naturally from recognizing our identity as “kul” (servant). The very name “kul” carries the purpose of worship, and any attempt to refuse this purpose contradicts our created nature.
Finally, Ayberk Efendi calls us to stand upright in honor, dignity, and humility, bending only before that which is truly worthy—the Almighty. When we place ourselves under the authority of God’s friends, we become examples for others; when we submit to false powers, we merely reinforce the darkness that seeks to dominate our hearts.
May this reminder inspire us to examine where we direct our loyalty each day and to return, with sincerity, to the only One whose command is worthy of our whole being.
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May Allah grant us steadfastness in true obedience.
