(A Philosophical and Sufi Approach)

I am not a reflection in the mirror, nor a silhouette shaped by others’ eyes.

I am a traveler who refuses to get lost in the crowd of egos,

one who overflows from the self in search of the self.

I do not seek my existence in the approval of others.

For I know: to be deemed “important” is often to be enslaved by others’ desires.

I choose to be the sovereign of my inner world;

if I have a throne, it lies deep within my heart,

and if I possess anything, it is my conscience.

I live in peace with my inner self.

I do not stain my hands—for the filth of the hand eventually soils the heart.

Yes, I could harm—but I choose not to.

For willpower is not only about choosing, but also about renouncing.

A person’s nobility lies not in their power,

but in the mercy of not using it.

As for hypocrisy…

It is the most cunning mask of the ego.

I wear masks only at masquerade balls—

never in daily life.

To hide behind appearances is to veil the light of truth.

But I, I seek not to be a veil, but a mirror to the Divine light.

Gossip, slander, innuendo…

These are subtle poisons that contaminate the heart.

And the purity of the heart matters more than any form.

I love words only when they nourish truth.

Silence, too, is a language—sometimes it draws one closer to the Truth than any word.

If I speak, every letter must first be weighed in my heart.

Sufism teaches: “Die before you die.”

I walk this path, fading a little more each day,

purifying myself along the way.

To be Zekai is more than to bear a name;

it is to bear a stance.

I am Zekai—neither fully here nor entirely absent;

a traveler suspended between becoming and longing,

between a quietude and a cry.

Who am I?

I am one who is not ashamed to be himself;

who counts living untainted as an honor;

a voice that abandons the false in search of the real.

A heart content with simply being itself,

yet drawing a quiet pride from that very contentment.

Who Am I? / Who is Zekai?

(With the Morality of Topçu, the Love of Mevlana, and the Sacrifice of Hallaj)

I am neither one who falls in order to rise,

nor one who stands only by holding onto applause.

I am simply a traveler who considers walking the right path a virtue,

trusting not in his steps but in his conscience.

Society offers being “important” as a form of salvation.

Yet I, like Nurettin Topçu, rebel not for gain but for truth.

For truth is preserved not only through silence,

but by remaining uncorrupted.

Even when I must use my hands,

I see keeping them clean not as a burden, but a duty.

I belong to a heart that detests intrigue and secret agendas.

As Topçu says:

“Morality is the truth that breaks forth from the depths of the individual.”

My truth lies in causing no harm;

in limiting my power through mercy.

For the lust for power strips man of his humanity.

And I, I want to remain human.

Mevlana says:

“Love does not make you lose your mind—it brings true reason.”

I am one who seeks to enlighten reason through love.

I wear masks only at masquerade balls—

because I seek essence, not appearance.

I do not seek to be seen,

but to listen to the voice of the unseen.

To me, love is not merely affection—it is burning.

Perhaps not a rapture strong enough to cry “I am the Truth” like Hallaj,

but enough surrender to say:

“I am mortal, He alone is eternal.”

I am one who knows that one cannot reach the Divine

without first burning away the self.

Slander, innuendo, gossip…

These are the dirty shadows of unclean speech.

As Topçu says:

“Every lie is a whip across the soul.”

I do not speak unless my words are weighed on the scale of my heart.

If I speak, every word must be born within.

For a word not born of the heart is mere sound—not truth.

Who am I?

I am Zekai.

Not merely a simple name,

but a march that carries the pain, the love, and the rebellion of this land.

I am a form of existence seeking itself

through Topçu’s morality, Mevlana’s love, and Hallaj’s spirit of sacrifice.

I carry a will that knows the virtue of seeming unimportant,

and the taint that comes with appearing important.

To be Zekai

is to side with truth even at the cost of loneliness,

to follow the path within rather than get lost in the crowd.

Who am I?

I am one who resists through silence,

purifies through love,

and is reborn into himself

by dying a little more each day

in pursuit of truth.