Nothingness (Self-Annihilation) in Mawlana Rumi’s Metaphysics

Organised by Yunus Emre Enstitüsü – London, The Realization of Nothingness (Self-Annihilation) in Mawlana Rumi’s Metaphysics with Prof. Bilal Kuşpınar will take place on Saturday, 15 November 2025, at 1:00 PM, as part of the HİÇ: In Pursuit of Nothingness exhibition programme.

In this lecture, Prof. Bilal Kuşpınar, Professor of Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism at Necmettin Erbakan University, examines the ontological, psychological and spiritual dimensions of hiçlik—nothingness—within the metaphysical thought of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi. Drawing on the Masnavi and broader Sufi philosophy, Prof. Kuşpınar reflects on how Rumi’s vision of Divine Love and self-effacement or self-annihilation offers a substantial understanding of Being and leads to spiritual transformation. His talk situates Rumi’s conceptions of fanāʾ (annihilation) and baqāʾ (subsistence) within the continuum of Islamic mystical philosophy, highlighting how these ideas illuminate the path from multiplicity to the Sea of Divine Unity.

Prof. Kuşpınar is a distinguished scholar of Islamic philosophy and mysticism. He received his PhD from McGill University and has taught and lectured widely across Türkiye, North America, and Europe. His research focuses on the intellectual history of the Islamic world, with particular emphasis on the philosophical and mystical traditions that flourished in the Ottoman and Persianate contexts. Known for bridging rigorous scholarship with spiritual insight, he has authored numerous studies on Islamic metaphysics, logic, and the philosophical legacy of Rumi.

Moderated by Nagihan Seymour, artist and curator of the HİÇ exhibition, the discussion offers a rare opportunity to engage with Rumi’s teachings through the lens of philosophy, metaphysics, and lived spirituality—revealing how his message of humility and transformation continues to resonate in the modern age.

📩 Questions? Email: londra@yee.org.tr

By aligning with the HİÇ: In Pursuit of Nothingness exhibition, this lecture contributes to the month-long exploration of absence, silence, and transcendence. Together, they invite audiences to contemplate how the state of hiçlik—to become nothing—is in truth a return to the boundless fullness of being.