The Role of Sayyid Burhaniddin Termizi in Seljuk Literature

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the life, scholarly and spiritual activities, and irfan (mystical) heritage of Sayyid Burhanuddin Muhaqqiq Tirmidhi, a great Sufi master, a prominent representative of Sufi doctrine, and one of the leading figures of the Mawarannahr Sufi school. It examines his position within the Sufi tradition and highlights the wide influence of his spiritually rich legacy, rooted in moral and spiritual education, not only across Central Asia but also throughout various regions of the Islamic world, particularly Anatolia. The article pays special attention to the direct and indirect influence of Sayyid Burhanuddin Tirmidhi on the personality and intellectual legacy of two eminent Anatolian figures, Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi and Sultan Walad. In particular, it demonstrates how Tirmidhi’s spiritual guidance, method of irshad (spiritual instruction), and Sufi teachings are clearly reflected in Rumi’s Masnavi-yi Ma'navi and Fihi Ma Fihi, as well as in Sultan Walad’s mystical works Waladnama, Rubabnama, and Maarif. The study analyzes the shared themes and conceptual harmony concerning the master-disciple relationship, the methodological foundations of Sufi education, purification of the heart, and the pursuit of spiritual perfection. Another significant aspect of the article is the comparative textual and mystical analysis of the two works entitled Maarif, authored by Sayyid Burhanuddin Tirmidhi and Sultan Walad. The research compares their thematic scope, literary and stylistic characteristics, lexical and phraseological structures, mystical symbolism, and ideas related to spiritual and moral education. As a result, the methodological similarities and distinctive features of the works of these two thinkers are identified and discussed