Ken‘ān Rifā‘ī and the Dynamics of Late Ottoman Sufi Poetry: Continuity, Innovation, and Intellectual Engagement

Abstract

This article examines the poetry of Ken‘ān Rifā‘ī (1867-1950), a late Ottoman sufi bureaucrat, poet, and musician. It explores Rifā‘ī’s contributions to Turkish Sufi poetry, focusing on his role as a bridge between the Ottoman Sufi tradition and the intellectual world of the late Ottoman period. In his work, İlâhiyât-ı Ken‘ân, Rifā‘ī reinterprets traditional Sufi themes such as divine love, dervishhood, and the unity of being during the socio-political transformations of the Tanzimat and Constitutional eras, developing a voice, unique to his time. His poetry skillfully combines Sufi metaphysical concepts with contemporary issues like homeland, freedom, and progress, offering meaningful responses to changing social realities while preserving the spiritual essence of Ottoman Sufi thought. This study conducts a detailed textual analysis of İlâhiyât-ı Ken‘ân, positioning Rifā‘ī’s works within their historical and socio-political contexts and highlighting his ability to engage tradition while addressing the needs of his era. Rifā‘ī emerges not only as a guardian of Sufi ideals but also as a significant cultural figure, adapting and integrating these ideals into the contemporary realities of his time.

Keywords

• turkish sufi poetry
• late ottoman period
• sufism
• ken‘ān rifā‘ī