The life, works, and sufi views of Hasan Lütfi Şuşud

Sufism is a discipline that aims at the spiritual purification of the seeker (sālik) and his closeness to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). One of these paths, the Melāmī tradition, advocates a life free from ostentation. Hasan Lütfi Şuşud (d. 1988) is among the third-period representatives of the Melāmī tradition. His thought, while preserving the fundamental principles of classical Melāmīsm, also contains original approaches shaped by the social and cultural conditions of his time. Therefore, this thesis examines the life, works, and Sufi views of Hasan Lütfi Şuşud. First, Şuşud's biography, the environment in which he was raised, his Sufi training, and the spiritual figures who influenced him are analyzed. Then, his written works are examined in detail, and a content analysis is conducted on the concepts and themes he addressed in these works. In this process, in addition to Şuşud's own works, existing biographical and academic studies about him are reviewed, and a comprehensive literature evaluation is carried out. The research adopts the document analysis method, and the meanings Şuşud attributed to Sufi concepts are evaluated comparatively with the definitions of earlier Sufi figures. As a result of this comparison, the points at which these concepts show similarities and the aspects in which they differ are identified. The findings reveal that Hasan Lütfi Şuşud's understanding of Sufism largely overlaps with the classical Melāmī perspective. However, it has also been determined that, particularly on fundamental issues such as the concept of waḥdat al-wujūd (unity of being) and al-insān al-kāmil (the perfected human), his views parallel those of Muḥyiddīn Ibn al- 'Arabī (d. 638/1240). In addition, it is observed that Şuşud's definitions, which prioritize the stages of Sufism, lend originality to his thought.