PHENOMENOLOGICAL FEATURES OF COGNITION IN THE TEACHINGS OF KHOJA AHMED YASAWI
Keywords:
Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, phenomenology, phenomenological cognition, Sufism, Diwan-i Hikmet, spiritual experience, hal, sacredness, hierotopy, hierophanyAbstract
This article examines the distinctive features of phenomenological cognition in the legacy of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. The aim of the study is to analyze Yasawi’s spiritual and philosophical worldview from the perspectives of phenomenology and the phenomenology of religion, with particular attention to the categories of inner spiritual experience, hal, the sacred person, sacred time, and sacred space reflected in his hikmats. The study employs historical-comparative and textual analysis. The main sources include Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s Diwan-i Hikmet, historical and religious studies devoted to his legacy, and scholarly works by Kazakhstani and international researchers. The findings demonstrate that phenomenological cognition in Yasawi’s legacy is based primarily not on external theoretical knowledge, but on inner spiritual experience, the perception of truth through the “eye of the heart,” and spiritual purification. The concept of hal is examined as a specific form of the direct experience of truth, while the hikmats are analyzed as spiritual testimonies reflecting various inner states of the human being. In addition, the city of Turkistan, the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, and the Great Khilvet associated with Yasawi’s life and spiritual activity are examined within the category of sacred space. The findings make it possible to consider Yasawi’s legacy not only as a religious and literary heritage, but also as a spiritual and philosophical phenomenon aimed at understanding the inner world of the human being, spiritual experience, and existence.
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