TAYY AL-MAKÂN OF THE SPIRIT

Allah Almighty, as a gift to the one who reaches the post of salâh (righteousness), sends the person’s own spirit above their head. This spirit is like a kind of aircraft, which the intellect can always command. The intellect that governs the spirit can instantly direct it wherever it wishes.

The difference between the spirit's tayy al-makân and the soul's tayy al-makân is that the spirit can immediately appear in physical form wherever it goes. While a person is visible here in their physical body, their spirit can appear elsewhere— for example, at Hajj—simultaneously in a physical form.

If at that moment a person’s physical body is asleep, the intellect governs the spirit, and awliyâ (saint) of Allah Almighty is aware of the spirit’s tayy al-makân. If the person is awake and the intellect governs the physical body, then it is Allah’s Sunnatullah (divine law) that directs the spirit. The one who governs this tayy al-makân is not actually the one experiencing it. If Allah wills, He can, by commanding the person’s spirit through His Sunnatullah, send it elsewhere at any time to demonstrate something to another being.

For many awliyâ, there are reports of such occurrences. For example, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi was reportedly seen physically both in Konya and at Hajj on the same day.

The appearance of Sheikh Somuncu Baba simultaneously at three gates during the opening of the Grand Mosque is also an example of the spirit’s tayy al-makân.

Emir Sultan, son-in-law of Sultan Bayezid I, received an order from Allah when he was about to inaugurate the Grand Mosque. Allah said: “You will not do the opening, Somuncu Baba will do it.” Somuncu Baba comes and makes the opening and talks with those present. Everyone admires the conversation of Somuncu Baba. They invite him to their homes. Somuncu Baba accepted more than one invitation that night.

There are three doors to the Grand Mosque. Those who enter the Grand Mosque through one door in the morning prayer say, “Last night, Somuncu Baba was with us.” Those at the other door also say, “Somuncu Baba was with us.” When those at the third door also say, “Somuncu Baba was with us,” Somuncu Baba enters through all three doors simultaneously at once. And when the secret is revealed, Somuncu Baba is never seen there again.

Those to whom Allah grants the spirit’s tayy al-makân are the ones who possess these secrets. Allah has bestowed many of these blessings upon His friends. It is absolutely impossible for anyone on the dark (zulmânî) path to perform the spirit’s tayy al-makân.

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