On an evening in March 2016 the members of the Royal Ottoman Society gathered in the theatre in Ludwigshafen for a special sohbet presented by Ayberk Efendi. Many had travelled far, and they arrived with smiles that lit up the hall.
The central theme of the evening was that the mission of Sufism is love – love for humanity and for every creature fashioned by the Creator. True devotion begins with seeing the world as a garden full of signs of divine beauty. From tiny insects to towering trees, every being carries a spark of the Almighty’s mercy and invites us to cherish rather than dominate.
A simple story illustrated this respect for creation. A young girl wished to keep a chameleon as a pet, enchanted by its changing colours and rotating eyes. When she learned that it would have to be fed live cockroaches, she decided against bringing the animal home. Every creature has its own purpose and natural habitat; our role is to honour that place and let each being thrive where it belongs.
The sohbet then turned inward, to how love changes over a lifetime. In youth it can feel like walking on clouds – intense and seemingly endless. As responsibilities accumulate, the clouds give way to the solid ground of daily life, with its worries about work, family and the future. Rather than a loss, this is an invitation to dig deeper into the heart. Beneath worldly concerns lies a “drop” of Sufi love that, once uncovered, radiates outward and reconnects us with the Creator’s boundless love.
From this followed practical guidance:
- Awareness: notice when life’s pressures pull you away from spiritual reflection.
- Digging deep: intentionally seek the hidden love within and let it surface like a spring.
- Radiance: let that inner light reach your family, neighbours and community.
The sohbet closed by recalling Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi, whose ecstatic dance shows how love can lift the soul beyond ordinary concerns into communion with the Divine. Titles, professions and cultural labels are only accessories; what truly matters is the love within every heart.
We invite all seekers moved by this message to deepen their practice with us. Our live meetings bring us together for Bayʿah, study and shared remembrance.
