Abstract:

Wondering how the universe with all its elements came into being and producing various theories with this curiosity are issues that are as old as human history. The theory of Sudûr, which took its place among the creation theories in the Hellenistic period, is a theory developed by Plotinos, the founder of the Neo-Platonic movement. According to Plotinos, the universe is formed by the overflow of Nous (Intelligence) from God, which is the source of existence, and formed by gradual downward concretizing and forming various layers. This theory, put forward by Plotinus, was adopted by medieval Islamic philosophers and the theory of Sudûr was transferred to Islamic philosophy. Although it has undergone some changes at this stage, the theory of Sudûr shows itself in the thought systems of Fârâbî and Ibn Sînâ, as Plotinos argued, with the overflow of Reason from God. However, Sühreverdî adds a new dimension to the theory by asserting that the element overflowing from God is not Reason, but Nûr, in the theory of Sudûr, which he uses while creating his own cosmogonic thoughts. The thought of Nûr overflowing from God influences the thoughts of Ibn Arabî, who left his mark on the history of sufism, especially with the doctrine of Vahdat-i Wujud. The theory of Sudûr, which is also reflected in Divan poetry through the sufism system, continues its existence in Turkish poetry for centuries as the indispensable creation theory of classical poetry. Thus, with the Tanzimat, it manages to take a place as a traditional approach in Turkish poetry, which turns its direction towards the West and assumes a new identity. In fact, Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan, one of the Tanzimat poets, carries the theory of Sudûr to his poems, claiming that the element overflowing from God is not Reason or Light, but Time, and he takes theology to a completely different dimension.