WHEAT OR BLESSINGS (HIMMA)?
(Yunus Emre, A Sufi master of “Love”)
Yunus Emre’s spiritual guide was seen to him in his dream seven times. A companionship begins in the dream. Yunus has no idea what this means until the year of famine comes. Yunus goes to the lodge of Haji Bektash Walî at the suggestion of his companions and asks for wheat. Haji Bektash Walî certainly knows that the calamity (famine) is a call from God.
“And do they not see that they are tried once or twice a year? Yet they do not repent (turn to God) nor do they remember (repeatedly mention) God.” (AT-TAWBAH 126-Holy Quran)
He says to Yunus: “Do you want blessings (himma) or wheat?” In other words: “Do you want God or the world?” Yunus asks for the wheat and sets out on the road with the wheat loaded on his donkey. On the way, he thinks to himself, “This beloved servant of God, this generous person, made me an offer; blessing (himma) or wheat? What was this blessing (himma)?” He turns back and asks, “What is blessing (himma), my Master?” Haji Bektash Walî replies, “Himma guides you, and you guide your children.” Upon hearing this, Yunus gives up the wheat: “Since himma (blessing) is something beyond wheat, wheat can be bought with himma, but wheat cannot buy himma, then I definitely want himma (blessing).”
Then Haji Bektash Walî, by asking God silently, and then replies, “Your key is not with me anymore, it is with Tapduk Emre.”
Upon reaching his spiritual guide, Yunus realizes that Tapduk Emre is the one he has seen in his dreams seven times, and he is overwhelmed with tears. He repents in front of Tapduk Emre and takes his allegiance from him. Thus begins our Yunus’s journey. We see that the dominant element in Yunus is love, affection, and the wish to reach God.
Your love stole me away
I need you, only you
I am burning all the time
I need you, just you
Neither am I happy to the wealth
Nor do I feel sad about the poverty
I am diverting myself with your love
I need you, only you
Yunus Emre
What is HIMMA (BLESSING)?
Himma (Blessing) is a magnificent gift from God Almighty. Only those who can evaluate it in the form and measure that God has commanded can truly experience it.
Abrahamic religions are all about surrendering to God: the surrender of the spirit, physical body, soul, and will to God. In such a design, we see that there is a means between the people and the goal they will reach. This is the spiritual guide.
The helping light, and the material and spiritual blessings of God, which take a person from their starting point, elevate them, and after reaching God, help them mature in degrees of perfection; all come through the channel of the spiritual guide.
When a person repents to the spiritual guide, all their sins are turned into good deeds; this is the first fruit of spiritual support (himma). The moment the spirit of the imam of the time (holy spirit) reaches above their head, “faith” is inscribed into the heart of the person’s soul; this is the second fruit of spiritual support.
“I am the way and the truth and the life; No one comes to God unless I become a means.” (John 14:6-Holy Bible)
“You will not find a people who believe in God and the Last Day (who desire to reach God before death) loving those who oppose God and His Messenger, even if they are their fathers, their sons, their brothers, or their clan. Indeed, it is they whose hearts God has inscribed with" faith. And He supported them with a spirit from Himself (the spirit of the imam of the time (holy spirit) settles upon them). And He will admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide eternally. God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. Indeed, they are the supporters of God. Verily, the supporters of God are the ones who attain success.” (Mujadila-22-Holy Quran)
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:26,27-Holy Bible)