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メイン An Introduction to Said Nursi
An Introduction to Said Nursi
Ian S. Markham, Suendam Birinci
Contemporary Islamic thinkers are often studied sociologically rather than as theologians. There are many accessible introductions to Christian theologians, but very few such studies of Islamic thinkers. This book, and this series, seeks to change this situation: offering new introductions to influential Islamic thinkers and engaging, at the level of ideas, with the rich depths of contemporary Islamic theology. This book introduces to the English-speaking world the leading modern Islamic thinker Said Nursi (1878-1960) - who has some nine million followers in modern day Turkey and around the world. After an opening chapter that provides an overview of his life, the next four chapters outline the theology of Nursi on God, the Qur'an, the West and Politics. The final section provides an invaluable resource of readings from Nursi's most important writings. Providing an introduction to a major form of Islam which is committed to non-violence, dialogue and constructive relationships with the West, this is the first student textbook to introduce a contemporary Islamic theologian in a systematic way.
出版社: Ashgate
Islam In Modern Turkey: An Intellectual Biography Of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi
Sukran Vahide, Ibrahim M. Abu-Rabi
Lectures in Game Theory for Computer Scientists
Krzysztof R. Apt, Erich Grädel
Physics of Radio-Frequency Plasmas
Pascal Chabert, Nicholas Braithwaite
Life, Thought, and Writings
Ian S. Markham and Suendam Birinci Pirim
To the precious memory of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi in the 51st
anniversary year of his death
Life, Thought and Writings
Ian Markham and Suendam Birinci pirim
© Ian S. Markham and Suendam Birinci Pirim 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Ian S. Markham and Suendam Birinci Pirim have asserted their right under the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the authors of this work.
Ashgate Publishing Limited
Ashgate Publishing Company
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Markham, Ian S.
An introduction to Said Nursi : life, thought and writings
1. Nursi, Said, 1873–1960. 2. Islam–Doctrines.
I. Title II. Birinci Pirim, Suendam.
297.2'092–dc22
An introduction to Said Nursi : life, thought and writings / Ian S. Markham and Suendam
Birinci Pirim.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4094-0769-0 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4094-0771-3 (pbk. :
alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4094-0770-6 (ebook) 1. Nursi, Said, 1873–1960. 2. Nurculuk.
I. Birinci Pirim, Suendam. II. Title.
BP253.Z8N8765 2010
297.8'3—dc22
ISBN 978-1-4094-0769-0 (hbk)II
ISBN 978-1-4094-0771-3 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4094-0770-6 (ebk)
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Life and Times of Said Nursi (1878–1960)
Anatolia during Nursi's Early Years
Nursi's Childhood and Early Adolescence
Revolutionary Ideas and Activism
Moving from the Periphery to the Center
Post World War I
Transformation: From Old Said to New Said and
Composition of the Risale-i Nur
Said Nursi's Legacy: The Risale-i Nur and the Nur Community
What makes Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and the
Risale-i Nur important?
The Concepts of God and the Qur'an
Concept of God in Islam
The Qur'an
Nursi on God
Nursi on Creation and the Role of Human Beings
Nursi on Vicegerency and the Trust
Nursi on Reflective Thought
Said Nursi and Spirituality
Sufism in the Risale-i Nur
Nursi's Approach to Disagreement and Pluralism
The Traditional Options: Theocracy or Secularism
Grounded Pluralism
Summary
Extracts from the writings of Said Nursi
Part 1 Belief
Extract One: Difference between Believer and Non-Believer
Extract Two: The Four Channels
Extract Three: The Universe as a Book
Extract Four: The Supreme Sign
Extract Five: God's Unity
Extract Six: God has no Partner
Extract Seven: Divine Oneness and Works
Extract Eight: There is no god but God
Part 2		 Prophethood
Extract One: Need for Prophets
Extract Two: Foundation of Prophethood
Extract Three: Muhammad the Prophet
Extract Four: Revelation and Philosophy
Extract Five: Humanity, Particles, and the Divine
Part 3		 Life after Death and Resurrection
Extract One: The Tenth Word
Extract Two: Benefits of Resurrection
Extract Three: The Concept of Bodily Resurrection
Extract Four: Creation and resurrection
Extract Five: Divine Name of Ever-Living
Extract Six: Death as "Bounty" and the Timing of the
Last Judgement
Extract Seven: Divine Unity and Humanity
Part 4		 Justice and Worship
Extract One: Centrality of the Divine Name
Extract Two: Human Tendencies That Need Justice
Extract Three: The Nature and Purpose of the Worship of God
Extract Four: The Importance of Daily Prayer
Extract Five: The Damascus Sermon
Further Readings
Glossary
Index
Collaborating on this book has been important and precious work. In an age
when Islam is so frequently misunderstood, it is essential that the insights of
distinguished Islamic scholars are made accessible. We appreciate very much our
time together at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut. This is an institution that has
pioneered the importance of the Christian–Muslim dialogue for decades. To our
friends, colleagues (both on the Faculty and on the Staff), we are deeply grateful.
We are grateful to Sarah Lloyd, the Commissioning Editor for Ashgate. She
has recognized the importance of this moment—the need for accessible texts
that explain in a systematic way the insights of Islamic scholars. Her care with
this project is much appreciated. As the book moved into production, Nick Wain
provided an outstanding service to the authors.
We are grateful to those who helped us with the glossary, especially Lynn
Campbell, Whitney Kirby, and Audrey O'Brien. Christine Faulstich did a
wonderful job on the index and Christine Peel read the proofs carefully. Katie
Glover and Catric Whaley helped organize the project.
We are grateful to our respective life partners—Harun and Lesley. For your
love and support, we are forever grateful.
The editors are grateful for the following permissions: Şükran Vahide for the
translations of the Risale-i Nur; Ashgate Publishing for permission to use sections
from Ian Markham, Engaging Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, (Ashgate 2009).
Suendam Birinci Pirim and Ian Markham
This page has been left blank intentionally
There are very few books on Islamic thinkers. With Christian theologians, there are
companions, encyclopedias, dictionaries, introductions, textbooks, and surveys.
There are accessible introductions to the thought of such theologians as Karl Barth
and Paul Tillich. But when it comes to Islam, there is virtually nothing. With the
exception of some good work on classical thinkers (for example, Al-Ghazali),
contemporary Islamic thinkers are treated sociologically rather than as theologians.
A book on Muhammad Iqbal is more likely to focus on his contribution to the
emergence of Pakistan than his highly innovative account of God. This needs to
change; we need to start engaging at the level of ideas with the rich depths of
contemporary Islamic theology.
This book is written for the student in the academy. We are interested in the
student in "Introduction to Islam" course that wants to understand the worldview
of a distinguished and hugely influential Islamic thinker. We want to see courses
emerge that compare and contrast Muslim and Christian theologians. This is a
book that is intended to be accessible and, at the same time, demanding. It is
accessible because the opening chapters ease the reader into the context of our
thinker and provide an accessible overview of the theology. It is demanding
because then the reader is invited into the primary text. To look closely at the
challenge of interpretation and to enjoy exploring the nuance and detail embedded
in the extracts. At moments when the text is difficult, the reader is invited to turn
to the end of the book and use the glossary. And at the end of every chapter, there
are study questions to orientate and reflect on the material.
This book is an exploration of the thought of Bediuzzaman (this means
"Wonder of the Age") Said Nursi (1878–1960). His thought has birthed a major
worldwide Islamic movement of approximately 6 million followers. While the
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (a group committed to the realization of a Muslim
State, which observes sharia) is numerically small yet has spawned a vast
literature, the Nur community (the community formed out of Nursi's thought) has
produced a vast movement, which has had virtually no attention. We list under the
further reading sections all the books that have been written on Nursi available in
English. One of our tasks in this book is to start correcting the imbalance: instead
of focusing on small Muslim movements, let us start taking more interest in the
mainstream ones.
While the need to understand the inspiration behind a major Muslim movement
may be our place to start, there are many other reasons for this book on Said Nursi.
The first is that he is a remarkably compelling thinker and writer. The underlying
project is renewal. At a time when a modern Turkey is emerging that can compete
effectively in twentieth century Europe, Nursi sees the danger. Islam is being
associated with the "old" and "irrelevant". He is determined to illustrate that this is
not the case. He illustrates that Islam, properly understood, is compatible with the
best that modernity brings. One can be a Muslim and an advocate for technology
and science; one can be a Muslim and operate effectively in a secular state; and
one can be a Muslim and commit to peaceful co-existence with those who disagree
with Islam. Furthermore the arguments for these positions are all found in the
Qur'an. The embrace of science, pluralism, and dialogue are not, for Nursi, a
betrayal of the teaching of the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad. Instead this
constructive attitude to modernity is directly derived from these Muslim sources.
The second reason is that Nursi is a writer who wants to reconnect human life with
God and eternity. There is a deep piety in his writing. Any person of faith coming
to his major work the Risale-i Nur (the Treatise of Light) cannot help admire
the passion and manifest love for God pulsating through the text. Nursi writes
movingly about seeing God in the creation; he is a spiritually sensitive thinker.
This is an invitation to those interested in interfaith dialogue to move beyond
the "sociology" of dialogue to a real engagement with the other. The dialogue
movement tends to avoid doctrinal differences. Instead we are told that the task of
dialogue is simply to listen not to judge. This is an invitation to think of dialogue
differently: let us "cross over" and seek to understand the thought of the other
from the inside. Let us read the primary sources and understand the worldview. To
make this possible, a Christian priest and professor has teamed up with a doctoral
candidate and member of the Nur community to write this book. We wanted to
model what we are after. Every sentence of this book is shared. We wanted to offer
a compelling, accurate, portrait of this remarkable mind. This is our shared goal.
Having done the exercise, we then have our own positions, which naturally are
different from each other. However, we are both deeply committed to the exercise.
We need to enter into each other's worlds much more effectively. We need to be
able to give an account of what each other thinks, which is fair, accurate, and
respectful. This approach to interfaith dialogue is both more interesting and more
productive.
We are now at the point where the journey should begin. We start by placing
Said Nursi in context. We start with his remarkable life — a soldier, prisoner,
political commentator, scholar of the Qur'an, and leader. It is to his life that we
turn next.
Life and Times of Said Nursi (1878–1960)
"I consider Said Nursi's thought to be one of the foremost assemblages of important
ideas among Islamic thinkers. It is not simply Nursi's intellectualism and piety that
touch the reader, but the deep human respect inherent in his ideas."
Known through his vibrant legacy in Turkey and in the Middle East, not much
attention has been paid to Said Nursi and his ideas in the West. His name has
only recently started to appear in books dedicated to modern Islamic thought and
Muslim intellectuals. One major reason for the growing interest toward Nursi
and his teachings in the West is due to his faith-based understanding of Islam
and his insistence on keeping Islam distinct from politics. Nursi was deeply
concerned with the challenges facing humanity, believers, and the Muslim ummah
in particular. He had a faith-centered understanding of Islam, not a state-centered
one. Consequently, he did not see the solution in establishing an Islamic state, a
position advocated by many of his contemporaries. Even though he was often
misunderstood in Turkey, he never lost hope or fell into despair in his loneliness,
and continued to spell out what he thought to be right and beneficial for all. At
times, he turned toward the future, addressing upcoming generations in his work
and writings.
Having lived through one of the most significant periods in recent history,
Nursi witnessed and participated in key events that affected the world. These
include two World Wars, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire which gave birth
to the secular Republic of Turkey, the continuing colonization of Muslim lands,
the partition of the Muslim world after gaining independence through nationalist
ideologies, the emergence of major ideologies such as communism and capitalism,
and major movements like atheism, materialism, and anarchism. People, cultures,
religion, science; in short, the entire globe was re-shaped during the years covering
Nursi's life span.
Nursi was born in 1878 in a small village called Nurs in the city of Bitlis
located in southeastern Anatolia. He grew up and received his education around
districts considered periphery to the Ottoman Empire. In his youth, he effectively
Şerif Mardin, "Reflections on Said Nursi's Life and Thought" in Ibrahim M. AbuRabi, Islam at the Crossroads: On the Life and Thought of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, (New
York: State University of New York Press, 2003), 45.
Biographies of Said Nursi may refer to several different dates regarding his birth
year, which was reported according to official calendars used by the Ottoman Empire; Rumi
1290 and Hijri 1293. Differences occur while converting these dates to a Gregorian calendar
moved to the center of the empire and became an intellect not only contributing
to but shaping the agenda of Turkey. It is a remarkable life. Before proceeding
toward details of his life, it will be helpful to look at his environment in order to
locate Nursi in the world of his times and gain a better insight to his theology and
Anatolia during Nursi's Early Years
The geography and political landscape of the globe in the nineteenth century
was different from what it is today. Nursi was born in the lands of the Ottoman
Empire, and grew into his youth through the last decades of this old domain. His
environment was predominantly composed of Sunni Muslims, most of whom
were ethnically Kurdish.
Established to realize a long held dream of uniting Turks under the same
flag, the Ottoman Empire maintained its rule for over six centuries from 1299 to
1923. Its lands spread from Asia Minor to the Middle East, Northern Africa, and
Southeastern Europe. It operated through a state system with different provinces
composed of people from different religions and races. The empire was located in
the center of three continents and bridged different cultures and religions. Istanbul,
historically known as Constantinople, was the capital of the empire for about five
centuries. The city continues to be the most dynamic metropolitan area of modern
day Turkey, continuing to reflect the diversity of the nation and its population.
Even though a leading motivation for the establishment of the empire was
the unification of Turks, Ottoman was known as the greatest empire of Islamic
civilization. After an overwhelming majority of Turks accepted Islam starting
from the eighth century on, religious fellowship was regarded as higher than
any ethnic bond. The concept of ummah in Islam, referring to the community of
Muslims, includes all races and ethnicities as equal creation of God announcing
that the most honored in the sight of God is the most righteous (Q, 49:13). In light
of this teaching, the Prophet of Islam stated in his last sermon that no race could
be superior over the other since all humankind is created from the same couple,
Adam and Eve.
date. Based on a profound research, 1878 will be referred as his birth year throughout the
book. Said Nursi, Tarihçe-i Hayatı, (Istanbul: Söz Press, 2009), 959-960.
Qur'an, 49:13 "O humankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and
a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye
may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most
righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)."
"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab is not superior over a non Arab nor
a non Arab is superior over an Arab; also a white is not superior over a black nor a black
is superior over a white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a
brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall
The Ottoman Empire is almost synonymous with the notion of Muslim
caliphate, which is known as the dominion of the Caliph. In the Sunni tradition, this
was a title given to Muslim leaders mostly concerned with political leadership and
state affairs. Caliphs would be supervised by sheikh al-Islam, a leading religious
scholar given the highest authority of legislation and guidance. According to Shi'a
Islam, spiritual and political leadership is united in the same leader, or Imam. From
the sixteenth century on, Ottoman Sultan's received the title of Caliph as leaders
of the Muslim ummah. The empire was a monarchic dynasty and the same system
was applied throughout the years of caliphate.
Similar to a living organism, this great empire had its establishment, expansion,
and decline periods. Its most remarkable years are regarded as the fifteenth to
seventeenth centuries. In contrast to the darkness of the Western Middle Ages,
arts and sciences were flourishing in the Ottoman lands. Mathematics, astronomy,
geography, navigation, philosophy, mysticism, visual arts such as calligraphy,
miniatures, and illumination, music and literature were among the leading fields
of productivity. One visible legacy of Ottoman is the fascinating architecture,
most notably visible in mosques and bazaars, such as the Blue Mosque and the
Grand Bazaar.
The nineteenth century marked the decline and eventual downfall of the
Ottoman Empire. Modernization and reform within the empire began in the first 40
years of this century. This was followed by a period called Tanzimat (1839–1876),
known as a time of reorganization or reforms. Moving away from monarchy, under
Meşrutiyet, Constitutional Monarchy, the establishment of a parliament restricted
the Sultan's absolute power. While people, particularly the educated, were ready
and eager for this shift, a major concern was the representation of all ethnicities
and religions in the parliament.
Islamic unity was the building block of the Ottoman Empire and kept it
empowered until the strong force of nationalism, which was mostly advocated
by the Western educated intelligentsia, confronted the empire. The nineteenth
century elite were mostly educated in Paris where nationalism was a major trend.
It was a period when remedies to heal the falling empire were being sought.
More importantly, it was not a single dynasty or nation being affected, but a
representation of the unity of Islam and its fall would give birth to many more
problems. The early version of nationalism promoted by the Young Turks was
Ottomanism similar to current day "American identity" claimed by the citizens
of the United States. It was promoted as the ideology of the First Constitutional
Era (1876–1877). However, it did not survive long as wars within the empire and
around the world were waged to preserve national identities. Although Islam and
be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and
willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves."
"1001 Inventions" is a project supported with a book and mobile exhibitions aiming
to reintroduce Muslim discoveries impacting today's world. More information could be
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Ottomanism were the strongest currents at the time, the Second Constitutional Era
(1909–1922) was the period when Turkish nationalism and Turkification became
trendy, leading the country toward becoming a national republic.
The early twentieth century saw the beginning of wars and the fall of the
empire. Nursi witnessed all these transformations in the last phase of the Ottoman
rule as an adolescent and youth during the decline, and an adult throughout the
descent of the empire and Caliphate. Throughout this period, Nursi's primary
aim was preserving the integrity of Islam. Even though earlier he believed that
unity could be achieved through Ottoman identity, as events moved on, he moved
toward a pan-Islamic outlook. a pan-Islamic outlook. While pan-Islam would
support political and social unity of all Muslim states, Nursi's support was towards
spiritual and economical unity of the Muslim world. He wrote and gave sermons
about uniting features of Islam and potential dangers of nationalism, materialism,
and philosophy contradicting to teachings of the Qur'an. Among the popular trends
of the time, Ottomanism, nationalism, and Islamic unity, Nursi was an advocate
of Islamic unity.
After World War I and the Independence War, a new secular republic was
established in 1923 over the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. Its founder, Mustafa
Kemal, was among the supporters of nationalism. He named the country Türkiye,
the land of Turks. From the nineteenth century on, such monolithic nationalism
has never been fully accepted or appreciated by the country's ethnically diverse
population. Despite the regard of the populace, nationalism has been instituted and
enforced by the state since the formation of modern Turkey.
Turkey's population still protects the richness of its ethnic diversity including
Turkic, Kurd, Arab, Assyrian, Circassian, Laz, and others. The county's 99 percent
Muslim population hosts a variety of practices varying from religious movements
to Sufi orders. While the country's regime is strictly secular, a significant orthodox
presence of religious practice continues to take place, often triggering debates
and research in regards to the existence of religious communities and practices in
secular systems.
Nursi's Childhood and Early Adolescence
Going back to the late nineteenth century, the years of Nursi's infancy, a major war
broke out between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in 1877–1878, known as "The
93 War." The empire lost its provinces in Europe and part of the Balkans and was
faced with a dramatic decline in economic activity. The migration and relocation
of communities from lost provinces increased economic hardship and the empire
struggled to maintain stability. This was the environment that shaped Nursi's
Orthodox will be used as an appositive term referring to practicing individuals and
communities.
childhood. As the fourth child born to a family of seven children, his humble home
did not escape the growing problems of the empire.
Nursi's father Mirza and mother Nuriye were practicing Muslims known
for carefully preserving their piety. His remarkable memory, bright intelligence,
and brave personality intrigued his family and village community. Nursi wanted
to study and teach like his elder brother Abdullah, who was among Nursi's first
instructors.
Nursi was going to be his last name , used following the establishment of the
Turkish republic, declaring his affiliation to the village of his birth. The word nur,
an Arabic noun meaning light, is used in modern day Turkish. This word would
come to hold great significance in Said's life. Nursi's village , a little hamlet of 20
houses, was Nurs, accordingly his official last name was Nursi, and his mother's
name was Nuriye, meaning woman of light. Mentioning several other instances
that the word nur came across his life, Nursi notes that the Divine Name an-Nūr,
The Light, was the one which provided him guidance through troubles he faced
regarding understanding divine truths. He also noted that a Qur'anic verse known
as 'the nur verse' of the chapter an-Nūr occupied his thought, enlightened his
mind and heart the first. Most importantly his life's major work was entitled the
Risale-i Nur, the Treatise of Light; its followers are called Nurcu, advocates of
light; and the community founded on his teachings, despite being fragmented, is
known as the Nur community.
Nursi received his education in the eastern provinces of Turkey. He started his
medrese,10 religious school, education when he was about ten years old, leaving
his home for the first time. Nursi's commitment to knowledge and scholarship, led
him to travel to the leading medāris, plural for medrese. He continued to study with
different ulemā, scholars, so that he might benefit from the different perspectives
and expertise. Nursi had a remarkable capacity for learning. He managed to
appreciate and understand the distinctive approach of a particular medrese, within
weeks or months of staying there. His gift for learning and capacity for retaining
detailed knowledge caught the attention of many. the attention of many. Following
his pursuit, Nursi moved on searching new venues for learning.
One dominant feature of Nursi's character was apparent from his early years;
parrhesia, speaking candidly. He was always willing to offer his views and
challenge a perceived injustice. There were occasions when he challenged older
students or corrected scholars. This behavior carried into his later life; leading
Nure or Nura according to one of his biographers. (Şükran Vahide, Islam in Modern
Turkey: An Intellectual Biography of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, (New York: SUNY Press,
2005), 3).
Qur'an: 24:35.
Said Nursi, Barla Lahikası, (Istanbul: Söz Press, 2006), 383.
Arabic transliteration of the word could be found as madrasah. In order to be
consistent with the original references, Turkish transliteration of the word will be used.
Nursi to defy injustices and develop a keen understanding of justice based on the
Qur'an.
His travels around the medāris continued for about five years and left Nursi
unsatisfied with his experience. He did not fit in the education system of the time,
and was disappointed with not finding the type of quality and attentive education
he sought. He turned back to his village Nurs. In despair, he saw a vision of the
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) in his dream. Kissing the Prophet's
hands to show his respect, Nursi asked for ilm, knowledge. The Prophet answered
"Knowledge of the Qur'an will be given you on the condition you ask no questions
of any of my community".11 Filled with the spiritual empowerment of this dream,
Nursi was back on track to pursue education.
Nursi was settled and content with the medrese in Bayezit, in Erzurum where
he received his education from Shaykh Muhammad Celali and was given icazet,
an authorization diploma, earning the title of Molla. He is reported to be fourteen
or fifteen years old at the time. The form of education by then was studying with
distinguished scholars until reaching a satisfactory level deserving of receiving
a diploma. Under this open system of education, mollas could start their own
schools, providing a formal education to any interested student.
Revolutionary Ideas and Activism
Nursi received his diploma in three months, accomplishing the equivalent of what
could take up to 15 years of studying. He was able to do this by skipping large
chunks of the syllabi and following his own course. Along with the books and
material presented to him in three months at this medrese, Nursi had already read
and memorized an astonishing body of work, including many books considered
the building blocks of Islamic theology and philosophy. He was distinguished as
having an unusual photographic memory, which allowed him to remember many
things he saw only once. One of his biographers, Şükran Vahide notes:
During his time in Bayezit, Said completed the entire course of study then current
in medreses. The works studied were heavily annotated with commentaries,
commentaries on commentaries, and even commentaries on those commentaries
and further explanations, so that to complete the course under normal conditions
took the average student fifteen to twenty years. The method was to completely
master one book and one subject before passing onto the next.12
In 1891, when he was 15 years old, fully accredited as a molla, and freshly
graduated, Nursi started his own medrese in Mardin, a city in southeast Anatolia.
Şükran Vahide, Islam in Modern Turkey: An Intellectual Biography of Bediuzzaman
Said Nursi, (New York: SUNY Press, 2005), 9.
Vahide, Islam in Modern Turkey, 10.
He was dynamic and engaged with his students both in and out of the classroom.
Beyond their normal curriculum, Nursi and his students took part in hiking,
wrestling, and a number of other sports and games.
Nursi traveled around eastern districts, including the cities Bitlis, Siirt, Mardin,
Van, and Erzurum. His fame was spreading around eastern provinces and he
came to be known as a remarkably clever young scholar. As word of him spread,
Nursi was invited by scholars to meet and be tested via debates. He engaged in
conversations with ulemā; rapidly, he was recognized as a scholar who not only
had thoughtful answers, but also could illuminate and contribute to contemporary
Amazed with this sharp young mind, Molla Fethullah of Siirt gave him the
title Bediüzzaman, nonpareil or wonder of the age resembling his cleverness
to Bediuzzaman Hamadānī (968–1008). As Nursi continued to attract popular
attention, governors of eastern provinces decided to protect and support him. In
1895, when he was 19 years old, Nursi was invited to reside at a regional governor's
residence in Bitlis.
During his stay in Bitlis, Nursi met with regional governors and other politicians.
Through these engagements, he developed an interest in questions about society,
politics, and economics.
In 1897, Nursi was invited to Van by Hasan Pasha. He stayed 10 years in
Van, first resided with Hasan Pasha for a year, then continued his residence for
9 more years forming a close relationship with the newly appointed governor of
the time, Tahir Pasha. Nursi and Tahir Pasha formed a friendship based on mutual
respect, whereby Nursi's endeavors in learning and teaching were supported by
Tahir Pasha, who in turn received guidance and counseling from him.
His stay and companionship with Tahir Pasha helped Nursi relate with the
world at large. He followed newspapers regularly, learning more about the events
in the capital of the empire, Istanbul, and the conditions of the world. His biography
reports of news he read in these years that significantly shaped Nursi's aims and
sharpened his dedication and commitment to serve the Qur'an. In 1898, Tahir
Pasha, shared with Nursi a quote in a newspaper from the British secretary for the
colonies stating, "So long as the Muslims have the Qur'an, we shall be unable to
dominate them. We must either take it from them, or make them lose their love of
it." As a response Nursi asserts, "I shall prove and demonstrate to the world that
the Qur'an is an undying, inextinguishable Sun!".13
A noteworthy development during Nursi's stay in Van came from his access
to Tahir Pasha's library, where he studied sciences. He studied math, physics,
astronomy, chemistry, biology and geology, and gained depth into history and
philosophy. He wrote a book on math, which was destroyed by a fire in the
governor's residence prior to its publishing. He also wrote commentaries on
The intellectual image of nineteenth century Ottoman depicts a clear division
among the educated class, educated class, reflected as a polarization of ideas.
Of the many types of schools built by Sultan Abdulhamid all over the empire,
some attempted to provide training in both modern sciences and religious subject.
However, due to a deep social cleavage, only a small minority benefited from
these schools. Education was mostly given through given through dual institutions;
mekteb and medrese. The system offered by the former was western oriented, with
a focus on a positivist approach to sciences, whereas the latter instituted a classical
Islamic education. Nursi received and completed a medrese education excelling
to its highest ranks, yet continued to improve himself in the sciences of the time.
He often expressed his frustration toward traditional religious scholars, whose
discussions could not provide solutions to the major problems of the time. For
Nursi, religion did not consist solely of faith matters; instead, he argued that due
to its comprehensive nature, religion was connected with sociology, politics, and
economics.
During this time there was no system of education in the country offering both
scientific and religious training. Indeed, Mekātib and medāris, as the places of
popular education of the time, seemed to carry pride in their separate curricula,
each being critical of the other. Nursi was deeply troubled with this schism. While
developing his knowledge in these two essential areas, he formed his ideal system
of education. Rooted as a teaching scholar in the field of religion Nursi composed
a proposal for a university to be established in eastern Anatolia offering a joint
education in religion and the sciences.
The religious sciences are the light of the conscience and the modern sciences
(lit. "the sciences of civilization") are the light of the reason; the truth becomes
manifest through the combining of the two. The students' endeavor will take
flight on these two wings. When they are separated it gives rise to bigotry in the
one, and wiles and skepticism in the other.14
Moving from the Periphery to the Center
In 1907, Nursi traveled to Istanbul to present his proposal for a university to
the empire's Sultan. His petition was presented to the Palace. As the outcome
Nursi was going to praise the Sultan's efforts while noting their inapplicability.
The university he proposed would offer joint studies of science and religion. He
named it Medresetü'z Zehrā, to be a sister university to the Azhar University in
Cairo.15 Another intention he had was also to engage with a broader spectrum of
Said Nursi, Münāzarāt in Bediüzzaman Said Nursi'nin İlk Dönem Eserleri,
(Istanbul: Söz Press, 2007), 508. As translated by Şükran Vahide in Islam in Modern
Turkey, 45-56.
Nursi, Münāzarāt, 507.
scholars, intellectuals, and politicians there. Istanbul was the heart of Ottoman
intelligentsia, the center of the Muslim world, and an important axis in the world's
power balance.
Concerned with the growing gap between mekteb and medrese scholars and
students, Nursi wanted to share his apprehension and warn against the dangers of
such a split among the educated of the nation. According to his proposal, all students
would have to study both science and religion; it could either be a major in science
with a minor in religion or the other way round. The goal was interdisciplinary
study, with graduates literate in both realms. The location of the proposed university
was also important. Nursi suggested eastern Anatolia, with two major campuses in
two important cities. He wanted to connect the distant communities of the empire
to the center. Rebellions were growing in every corner of the empire and for Nursi
the solution was to provide an enriched education for all.
After being hosted as a guest of Ferik Ahmed Pasha, Nursi rented a room in
Şekerci Han, in the Fatih district. The building was a large commercial center
providing hostel services used frequently by the scholars and thinkers of the time.
This residence marked Şekerci Han as a center for intellectuals of Istanbul. Not
having adopted western clothing, which was the trend of the time, coming from
the east in traditional clothing Nursi provoked some curiosity. He hung a sign on
his door stating, "Here all questions are answered, all problems are solved, but no
questions are asked" with the intent to attract attention to the problems of the time,
specifically of the backward eastern provinces, and promote occasions to meet and
engage with scholars.16 He was eager to explore the possibility of collaboration
with the hope of healing the problems of a much wounded nation and the Muslim
Achieving this goal, shortly after his arrival Nursi was engaged with Istanbul's
ulemā. At the time, Shaykh Muhammad Bakhīt, a grand mufti, interpreter and
expert of Islamic law, of Egypt and a leading member of the Muslim world's
recognized al-Azhar University, was in Istanbul. Shaykh Bakhīt posed a question
asking young thinker's view on "freedom and the Ottoman state, and European
civilization." He responded that the Ottoman was pregnant with Europe, and
Europe with Ottoman. And one day each would deliver the birth of what they
carry. Upon this answer, confirming Nursi's title Bediuzzaman, Shaykh Bakhīt
said that he had similar opinions, "[b]ut only Bediuzzaman could express it so
succinctly and eloquently".17
Van's governor Tahir Pasha wrote a letter to Sultan Abdulhamid informing him
of Nursi's coming and his high reputation among eastern provinces. Nursi applied
for an appointment to meet the Sultan; however, his bold confidence as an eastern
scholar coming to the center of the empire to propose a new program on education
was not taken well. He was sent to a mental hospital for presenting "this much
courage" which was not found to be "conformable with sanity" by the officials.
Ibid., 39-41.
Nursi was cleared by a doctor who was left in amazement with his "intelligence
and knowledge, courage and bravery." The doctor concluded that the accusation
of insanity was due to Nursi's courageous and frank behavior not matching "the
refined manners of the age".18 The ruling was not open to being criticized or
challenged, especially by someone coming from its distant periphery.
Nursi found himself in the center of the pre-Second Constitutional Era arguments.
Though he was closely engaged in educational and cultural endeavors, Nursi was
following the challenges faced by the Empire and the Muslim world. He took to
writing. As well as writing many articles, he delivered public speeches to inform
people. He strongly rejected any form of despotism, was a staunch supporter of
freedom, constitutionalism, and a participatory regime, what would later be called
democracy. Advocating constitutionalism, Nursi provided an Islamic justification
for it. And as constitutionalism mutated into a call for democracy, Nursi supported
this call and described himself as a religious republican. In this context, republic
implies the election of the representatives by the people and the importance of the
freedom of expression.
As a devoted religious scholar, with a striking charisma, Nursi was in favour
of freedom and constitutionalism leaving some surprised. His fondness of freedom
was at a level that he said, "I can live without bread, but I can't live without
freedom."19 Nursi took a stand against violent rebellions and played a significant
role in stopping some internal conflicts in the empire. His biography notes numerous
accounts of these efforts. In 1910, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi traveled to the eastern
provinces to meet with local leaders about the conditions of the time, answering
their questions about new freedom movements, and informing them of benefits of
freedom and constitutional regime versus monarchy. Actually, and importantly,
his concern was with 'the common man', in this case the Kurdish tribesmen. His
work Münāzarāt is composed of these exchanges. Some questions and hesitations
about the constitutional era were concerned with the involvement of non-Muslims
as leaders and representatives in the parliament. When he was asked about how
Armenians could be the head of an official district or governor, Nursi replied that
as watchmakers, machine repairmen, or janitors they provided a service to people,
which is what he saw as the true purpose of government.20
In 1911, Nursi went to Damascus in response to an invitation from the area's
religious authorities. He was asked to offer a sermon in the historical Umayyad
Mosque. Nursi presented a more elaborate picture of the Muslim world and
condition in relation to the west. He identified six severe ailments that marred
this condition and offered six remedies for their healing. The sermon was well
received and immediately published as the Damascus Sermon. To this day, it is
regarded as a helpful source and receives much attention both from the Muslim
world and abroad.
Said Nursi, Emirdağ Lahikası, (Istanbul: Söz Press, 2006), 41.
Nursi, Münāzarat, 507.
Moving toward the epicenter of the events and the empire, in 1911 Bediuzzaman
was invited to attend Sultan Reshad's Rumeli trip as the official representative of
the eastern provinces. He was also given the aid and promise for his university
project in eastern Anatolia. Its construction started, but was interrupted by the
First World War. Nursi assembled a defense team of his students and volunteers
in protection of the eastern provinces. He served as the general of this volunteers'
regiment which was attached to the army as a militia force. It was composed of
approximately 5,000 members. He continued teaching his students at any possible
occasion and started writing an exegesis Ishārāt-al Ī'jāz, Signs of Miraculousness,
Post World War I
In 1915, Bediuzzaman was taken captive by Russians after being wounded in
Bitlis And was sent to Kostroma camp for prisoners of war. After spending about
20 months there, he escaped through St. Petersburg. He traveled through Poland,
Germany, and Bulgaria spending some months in these European countries, once
again improving his knowledge. He returned to Istanbul in 1918.
Nursi's return to Istanbul was met with a "hero's welcome" that echoed in the
empire's capital and districts. He was chosen to be a member of a new initiation
named Dārü'l-Hikmet'il-Islāmiye, a learned council or Islamic academy seeking
solutions of growing problems of the ummah.21 He completed Ishārāt-al Ī'jāz,
Signs of Miraculousness and composed several other books namely Tülūāt,
Sünūhāt, Lemaāt, and İşārāt during his service at Dārü'l-Hikmet between the
years 1918 and 1922.
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was deeply troubled by the British occupation of
Istanbul, as he witnessed the reoccupation in March, 1920. He invited the people
of Istanbul to unite and resist against the occupation. He also became a strong
supporter of the independence movements in Anatolia known as Kuva-yi Milliye.
He published a pamphlet entitled Hutūvāt-ı Sitte against British occupation aiming
to inform people of its dangers not only in regard to Ottoman provinces, but also
toward the unity of Islam. He opposed the shaykh al-Islam's fatwa, legislation
justifying the occupation and issued a statement against it calling for resistance.
Shaykh al-Islam held the official highest rank of opinion in the Sunni world,
comparable to the archbishop in the Anglican Church; Nursi's attitude posed a
significant challenge.
It was not surprising that the newly instituted parliament in Ankara started
taking an interest in Nursi. Nursi was opposed to the occupation of Istanbul and
encouraging a movement of national independence. He was invited to Ankara in
1922 where he spent eight months which was going to be the dawn of a remarkable
change in his life.
Vahide, Islam in Modern Turkey, 133.
Transformation: From Old Said to New Said and Composition of the Risalei Nur
Nursi supported the constitutionally formed republic from the beginning. However,
he was disappointed with the way the republic was evolving in Ankara. Refusing to be
affiliated with the politics of the time, he declined the positions he was offered, such
as being a member of the parliament, the chief religious official of eastern provinces
(şark umûmi vâizliği), and membership in the religious affairs department of the
government. Seeing dangers surrounding this new formation, he issued 10 articles as
a warning to members of parliament in 1923, reminding them of the causes that had
required the nation to enter into wars and the sacrifices that people made. He felt that
these issues were not being taken seriously by the slowly developing government.
He was critical of the lack of religious piety among the parliamentarians. Nursi
turned back to Van, to his medrese with an intention to teach. However, his life was
about to face a dramatic shift that would change everything. The newly founded
government was disappointed in Nursi's decision not to support the new regime; and
the government feared Nursi's charisma and influence. Keeping him suppressed and
under tight control seemed a safe and legitimate solution.
In 1925, around the age of 50 and suffering from chronic illnesses from his
days of World War I and captivity in Russia, Nursi was sent into exile in western
Anatolia. He was accused of supporting a rebellion in the eastern provinces. This
was the beginning of many misconceptions and misunderstandings about his work
and ideas leading to 35 years of exile and imprisonment that would dominate
the rest of his life. These years of being cast out and in custody were intended to
isolate Said from society.
He was deported to little villages where the occupants were forbidden to speak
to him or offer any help. Even though he was careful with his food, his biography
accounts that he was poisoned 19 times; each time he became ill. Due to his age
and other illnesses, he continued to get sick often and kept a light diet consisting
of a simple soup and a small amount of bread.
Since the time of his return from Russia, Said was going through a transition
period toward a more settled phase in his life. He began referring to himself as
New Said after 1926, when he started to write the Risale-i Nur. Retrospectively, he
referred to himself in his earlier days as Old Said. This marked the transition from
his enthusiastic years actively involved with social and political events. Through
reflections from his works like Qatre, Zerre, and later Mesnevī-i Nuriye, it can be
traced that the New Said had emerged in Istanbul, in 1920 and 1921s. He wrote
Mesnevī-i Nuriye in Arabic in 1922 to 1923. He later referred to this book as the
seed of the Risale-i Nur. It is important to note that Nursi's transition from Old to
New Said was not a rupture; rather it could be understood as a passage from the
restlessness of rivers to the stillness of oceans.
In 1925, after staying for 20 days in Istanbul, he was sent to Burdur, a small town
in southwestern Anatolia. Burdur was a location of exile where Nursi resided for 7
months. During his stay, he wrote Nurun İlk Kapısı, The First Door to Light.
In 1926, Nursi was sent to Isparta, a small city in the east of Burdur. He was
located in the city center and started to engage with people and teach. He was
deported again within 20 days, this time to one of the littlest villages of the district
named Barla, where he started to write the major work of his life, the Risale-i Nur,
the Treatise of Light. Nursi lived in Barla for nine years composing most of the
Risale during this time.
Barla was an isolated village with no connecting roads. Transportation was
mainly by boats and animals. Nursi was under tight custody and was banned from
even speaking with the few villagers residing in this secluded remote place. A few
people attempting to talk him were warned. He was about 50 years old and was
going through maybe the most significant transformation in his life. He was left
with no book other than the Qur'an he carried. Even though most were scared
of its consequences, one by one people started to interact with him. Villagers,
farmers, and shepherds would learn matters of faith and religion from him. When
Nursi started to write, they were eager to assist him in his efforts.
Their help came in the form of transcribing text and later multiplying it by
hand. Nursi would edit any initial transcripts before the process of multiplication.
He would go through each written copy for editing after their completion. Since
it was restricted by the government to even talk with him, this process was done
in remote areas outdoors and in homes behind curtains. Nursi was not allowed to
be given nor sold paper or ink. Later this embargo was applied to anyone related
to him. Publishing any of his writings was not even an option to be explored
due to such restrictions. It was a period when religious education had faded and
independent efforts were banned by government. The demand from local people
toward these hand written pieces on faith, morality, and religious practices was
growing. Soon the town turned to a school with its men, women, and children
reading from and transcribing or copying the Risale.
In 1934, Nursi was taken from Barla back to Isparta. He was accused of starting
a subversive organization intent on challenging the government. In 1935, he was
sentenced to one year in prison in Eskişehir with 120 of his students where they
were kept under harsh conditions.
In 1936 he was exiled to Kastamonu, a city located in central northern Anatolia,
where he spent about seven and a half years. He continued to exchange letters with
his students. These letters were collected and later published as Lahika. Āyet-ül
Kübrā, The Supreme Sign, was also written during his stay in Kastamonu. It was
also within this period that the Risale became known throughout communities and
was recorded by pen within multiple districts.
In 1943, Nursi was taken to Ankara, deported back to Isparta and was imprisoned
for a year in Denizli with 126 students. The Fruits of Belief was written during this
period of exile.
In a court in Denizli, the Risale was analyzed in its entirety by a group of
experts who approved that they were focused on faith matters and did not include
anything challenging toward the regime. In 1944 the court ruled in favor of Nursi,
his students, and 130 pieces of the Risale.
The little hope for freedom that the court's decision brought would not
last. Nursi was exiled to Emirdağ, Afyon in 1944 where he continued to write.
Though he and his writings were legally available, Nursi was banned from going
to the mosque. Even his attire was held against him. The new secular regime's
revolutions included changing the alphabet and style of dress, both of which were
Westernized. The traditional turban was banned and Western hats were legally
required to be worn. Constantly harassed, even by his security guards, to adopt the
new way of dress and abandon his own, Nursi notes the psychological pressure of
this particular exile.
In 1948, he and 80 of his students were sentenced to imprisonment in Afyon
for 20 months. The court in Afyon claimed to not accept the decision of the Denizli
court which was in favor of Nursi, his books, and students. Prison conditions were
severe. He was slightly over 70 years and was sick at this time and Afyon's harsh
winters worsened his condition. Nursi was placed in a cell in the cold winter with
no heating, no bathroom, and in total isolation. Nursi recalls his imprisonment in
Afyon as the toughest of his experiences, equaling one day's pressure to a month's
hardship in the Denizli prison.
Political developments within the Republic at this time played a part in Nursi's
work and the way he was received. The Republic existed as a one party government
from its establishment in 1923 until 1946 and parliament consisted of only the
members of the Republican party. After its shift to a multiple party representation,
the Democrat party won the elections in 1950. As one of their earliest actions, they
published a general amnesty freeing thinkers of the time. Nursi benefited from
this amnesty and some of restrictions on him were lifted. Most importantly, the
Risale started to be printed in publishing houses and be sent all around the nation
and some important centers around the world such as the Vatican. In 1951, Nursi
received a thank you letter from the Vatican as a response to the section of the
Risale that the Vatican recieved.
Even though the Risale was analyzed and considered non-subversive by the
Denizli court in 1944, prejudiced, baseless, and unjust accusations continued for
eight more years. Nursi and his works were fully acquitted by Afyon court in 1956.
Nursi called this as "the Risale-i Nur's 'festival'." Even after this date, he was not
left alone by security officials of the country.
Nursi remained committed to social justice, but at the same time insisted that
his students must not use violence. Nursi, himself, modeled appropriate behavior:
even though he had to cope with 35 years of hardship, there is no record that he
ever behaved inappropriately towards his accusers. He was invited by the scholars
around the Muslim world to reside in their countries as he faced ongoing injustice
and his message was suppressed. Nursi responded to them kindly, declining their
invitations and insisted on staying in Turkey.
In 1960, he asked his students to take him to Urfa, a city in southeast Turkey
affiliated with the Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him). He chose this location to
spend the last days of his life. Nursi was ill, and his stay in Urfa was not long. On
March 23, he passed away. His funeral was a major event. The military government
that came to rule via coup after his death still considered him a threat and his
corpse was removed from his grave and relocated to an undisclosed location. His
body was at rest in Urfa for only 111 days. The empty tomb still lies in the dergah,
shrine, of Abraham in Urfa.
Said Nursi's Legacy: The Risale-i Nur and the Nur Community
While his empty tomb still lies in the shrine of Abraham in Urfa, Nursi lives on
in the minds and hearts of those, who read the Risale-i Nur. Many are influenced
by his life, thoughts, and writings. A newspaper article published at the time of
his death noted that students of Nursi were more than one and a half million
(Akşam, 24.03.1960). Arguably the number of his followers today is more than
6 million.22 As a recently emerging formation, about half a century old, the Nur
community continues to grow. There have been no specific studies dedicated to the
statistical data on the community, perhaps due to its expansion in many different
parts of the world and difficulty in collecting concrete statistics. One thing can
be confidently noted that the community is visibly enlarging on local and global
scales as Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and the Risale-i Nur collection are attracting
attention both in various parts of the Muslim world and the West.
The Nur community is a text-based formation with a strong emphasis on
community. Nursi advised his students to construct study circles to read, learn,
and have discussions of the Risale. Simultaneous to the composition stage of the
Risale, numerous study circles and discussion groups were formed by scribes,
readers, and students of this text. This community was organically established as
followers of Nursi continued to multiply manuscripts by handwriting and sharing
them with people in their families and neighborhoods. These circle or discussion
group meetings continue to be held, mostly in homes or locations called dershane,
study-homes that often serve as student housing dedicated to the study of the
Risale. Dershanes can be found in Turkey or elsewhere around the world where
followers of the community live. Bringing people from different professions and
backgrounds together, a typical community is composed of men and women of
every age, including elderly and children, all of whom actively participate in
various ways.
The Nur community gained its identity and was shaped through correspondences
between Nursi and his students as well as exchanges among his students. Of the 15
volumes of the Risale-i Nur, three consist of selected letters from these exchanges.
Named as Lāhikalar, appendixes, these writings serve as a guide to the community
and are used to this day. Letters included in these Lāhikalar are often written
in question and answer format and deal with various topics from theological
conversations to jurisprudential matters, mostly on topics regarding ways to
M. Hakan Yavuz, Islamic Political Identity in Turkey, (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2003), 11.
strengthen faith. Central to the Risale is the theme of transforming imitative belief
to a conscious and verified belief, righteousness, preserving a pious life, ethics
and social relationships, methods of serving the religion, intellectual and spiritual
struggle, and politics.
The development and distribution of this way of thinking and its implication
for matters of faith continued with the emergence of various publishing houses,
organizations, foundations, educational institutions, press and media, publications
and journals, and academic studies. These developments included the translation
of the Risale-i Nur collection. Starting with Arabic and English translations in
1990s, the majority of the text has been translated into more than 35 languages
including most European and Asian languages, and African dialects.
The Risale encourages critical thinking and fosters variations in thought.
This feature of the text and teachings of the Risale is both characteristic of and
conducive to a community that is not monolithic. The community has about 10
fragmentations. Partitioning happened through a divergence of ideas around
participation in social arenas, that is, political involvement, the use and mission
of media organs, prioritizing areas of service, and similar concerns. Each of these
matters was rooted in a particular understanding of the text leading toward different
stances and nuanced practices. Of the main fragmentations, most of these groups
support one another through collaborative projects and attend events organized by
one another. A major example of this is international symposiums on Bediuzzaman
Said Nursi held in Istanbul, where thousands of Nurcus from most groups attend.
The largest partition of the community is the Gülen group named after its
founder Fethullah Gülen (b.1941). With education as its primary goal, the group
has established approximately 200 schools around the world. This branch also
stands out as having the most media outlets, including television channels, a
newspaper, several journals and publishing companies, along with other non-profit
and profit oriented organizations such as hospitals.
What makes Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and the Risale-i Nur important?
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was a Muslim theologian who wrote a thematic
commentary of the Qur'an. This characteristic of his exegesis, the Risale-i Nur,
is unique compared to traditional commentaries of the Qur'an which interpret the
verses of the text according to the order in which they appear. This makes the
Risale more accessible to people who are not students or scholars of religion,
who can still follow the exegete's arguments and grasp the topics being discussed.
For Muslim scholars and students of religion, this provides a contemporary and
fresh outlook to the scripture. For non-Muslims, this exegesis provides an insight
into different themes of Islamic scripture, providing a thematically organized
presentation of the way these topics are addressed throughout the Qur'anic text.
Concepts of belief and God, scripture, revelation, purpose of life and creation,
life after death, human responsibility and accountability, justice and worship are
among the themes to be found in the Risale.
Nursi believed that the exegesis of the Risale should reflect this tone of the
Qur'an, emphasizing the universality of the message and language of the scripture.
If the audience of the Qur'an is all conscious creation, for Nursi, a commentary of
this scripture should reflect this inclusivity by addressing not only Muslims, but all
believing and non-believing individuals.
Having the Qur'an as the source and the teacher, Nursi was highly concerned
about reflecting the scripture's characteristics fairly by staying honest to its nature.
He noted that although the scripture deals with many different topics, there are
four major themes within the Qur'an that serve as an undertone to all other topics
addressed by the text. These are tawhid, oneness of God, prophethood, afterlife,
and the significance of justice and worship. The main themes in the Risale are in
accordance with these four concepts. A strong emphasis is placed on faith, ways to
obtain knowledge of God, the purpose of creation, and humankind's responsibility
in relation to this cosmic purpose. Nursi repeatedly challenges views describing
the condition of human beings as coincidental, unattended or neglected. He defines
creation and the universe as a book, like the Qur'an, teaching us of our Creator.
Another important feature making Said Nursi's Risale pertinent for today's
reader is its reflection of the life he lived, from the challenges he faced to the
interactions he had with people of different faiths. Readers of the Risale, no matter
the generational gap between themselves and Nursi, may find elements of his
experience that they can relate to or may have shared.
Having struggled to observe a devout life while experiencing a harsh application
of secularism targeting any form of religious expression, Said Nursi asserted that a
true practice of secularism should protect freedom of conscience and one's right to
practice religion freely. He was a dedicated advocate of positive action and strongly
challenged the use of violence. By encouraging constructive behavior, Bediuzzaman
Said Nursi interpreted jihad as spiritual struggle or struggle with words.
Nursi's interactions with both religious and secular conservatives, Muslims of
various schools of thought, believers of other faiths, and those who make no claim
to faith are reflected in his writings. His openness to various ways of thinking and
believing characterizes the Risale and demonstrates his support for freedom of
speech, freedom of conscience, and preserving the dignity of humanity and their
1. What were the important factors that shaped the worldview of Bediuzzaman
Said Nursi?
2. What is the Nur community? Identify some of the main subgroups?
3. How does the approach of Said Nursi compare to the approaches taken by
other major twentieth-century thinkers?
The Concepts of God and the Qur'an
In this chapter, we shall explore the concepts of God and the Qur'an, which are
central to an Islamic worldview. Due to the confines of space, the discussion of
these major themes, about which Said Nursi had much to say in his voluminous
corpus, is difficult. However, we shall provide an overview of both the picture of
God in Islam and the text on which that picture is based.
Islam is a monotheistic religion with a great emphasis on tawhid, oneness and unity
of God whose divine nature is considered beyond the comprehension of individual
or collective human understanding. God communicates through messengers and
prophets, revealing through them books that serve as guides. Gaining knowledge
of the Divine is not only possible through channels that God reveals, but also
through sound reasoning.
A key component of knowledge of the Divine nature is the Names. A Qur'anic
verse states "To Him belong the most Beautiful Names," revealing that a way to
know God is through His names and attributes. An understanding of this verse is
that Names of God are infinitely many visibly and invisibly filling the earth and
the heavens. The 99 oft referred Divine Names are mentioned in an authentic
Hadith. Another source is Jawshan al-Kabīr, a supplication of the Prophet that
holds a significant importance in Nursi's understanding of the Divine names, in
which God is exalted with a 1,001 names. All attributes and actions belonging to
God are united in One Unique and Supreme Being, Eternal and Absolute; whom
all creatures need, while God needs no one.
The following extract illustrates an example of Nursi's interpretation of the
Divine Names:
A sultan has different titles in the spheres of his government, and different
styles and attributes among the classes of his subjects, and different names and
signs in the levels of his rule, for example, Just Judge in the judiciary, Sultan
in the civil service, Commander-in-Chief in the army, and Caliph in the learned
establishment. If, making an analogy with these, you know the rest of his names
Islamic theology considers God's Supreme Being beyond gender. Though Arabic,
the language of the main sources of Islam, has gendered pronouns, the belief system does
not resemble God to any creation nor affiliates with any gender.
Qur'an, 20:8.
and titles, you will understand that a single sultan may possess a thousand names
and titles in the spheres of his rule and levels of government. It is as if, through
his corporate personality and telephone, the ruler is present and knowing in every
sphere; and through his laws and regulations and representatives, sees and is seen;
and behind the veil in every degree, disposes and sees, governs and observes
through his decree, knowledge, and power.
It is exactly the same for the Sustainer of All the Worlds, Who is the Ruler of
Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity; in the degrees of His dominicality He has attributes
and designations which are all different but which look to each other; and in the
spheres of His Godhead He has names and marks which are all different but which
are one within the other; and in His magnificent activities He has representations
and appellations which are all different but which resemble each other; and in the
disposals of His power He has titles which are all different but which hint of one
another; and in the manifestations of His attributes He has sacred appearances
which are all different but which show one another; and in the displays of His
acts He has wise disposals which are of numerous sorts but which complete one
another; and in His multicoloured art and varieties of creatures, He has splendid
aspects of dominicality which are all different but which look to one another. And
together with this, in every world, in every realm of beings, the title of one of the
Most Beautiful Names is manifested. In each sphere one Name is dominant and
the other Names are subordinate to it, rather, they are there on account of it.
Among the many names are Allah, the Almighty, Rahmān and Rahīm, The
Most Gracious and Merciful, Ahad, Samad, the Eternally Besought, Alīm, the
All-Knowing, Hakīm, the All-Wise, Khaliq, the Creator, Ghafūr, the Forgiver,
Rabb, the Sustainer, Razzāq, the Provider, Jalīl the Sublime, Nūr, the Light, Bāqī,
the Everlasting, and so on. In a section explaining to whom humans offer their
worship and supplication, Nursi states:
the only True Object of Worship will be One in Whose hand are the reins of all
things, with Whom are the treasuries of all things, Who sees all things, and is
present everywhere, who is beyond space, exempt from impotence, free of fault,
and far above all defect; an All-Powerful One of Glory [Qadīr-i Dhul Jalāl], an
All-Compassionate One of Beauty, [Rahīm –i Dhul Jamāl], an All-Wise One of
Perfection [Hakīm-i Dhul Kamāl].
A central element of Islamic theology that must be stressed is the love of God.
This love is reciprocal between God and creation and is manifested throughout
all that exists. One of the "beautiful names" of God is al-Wadūd, the Loving One,
who loves His creation. This name implies that God created the entire cosmos in
Said Nursi, 'Twenty-Fourth Word, First Branch' in The Words, 341–342. <http://
www.erisale.com/index.jsp?locale=en#content.en.201.341 >
Said Nursi, The Words, (Söz Press, 2009), 328. Available online at http://www.
erisale.com/index.jsp?locale=en.
a loving manner. Through this insight, a believer recognizes an intimate bond of
love between the Creator and creation, and among all creation for they exist by the
will of the Beloved.
Reflecting on this name, Nursi concludes that all of creation is bound to one
another with this Divine love. Regarding cosmic rules and laws of physics, he
describes the force of mass attraction as a visible manifestation of Divine love.
Describing that gravity is embedded in everything, from atoms to stars, as a
signature-like law of God, a force that keeps the cosmos bound to one another
and in order. Everything in creation, he says, is "adorned and decked out from top
to bottom with purposes and instances of wisdom, and you know that the earth
revolves and is turned like an ecstatic Mevlevi [whirling dervish] in perfect order
within most exalted aims." Understanding and explaining the nature of the Divine
and the Divine's relationship to humanity continue to be vital tasks not only for
theologians, but also for believers of various traditions.
The Qur'an, the holy scripture of Islam, is the primary source of the religion.
There has been a strong agreement among Muslims on the Qur'an's unique
ontological status; it is believed to be the very Words of God. The Qur'an is
regarded as God-speech; a channel of God's revealing Himself to humanity. It
was revealed to Prophet Muhammad within the course of 23 years signifying the
gradual transformation of a society and marking the duration of his prophecy. Its
revelation began in ad/ce 610, when the Prophet was at the age of 40, and had
made a trip to cave Hira on the al-Nur Mountain located in the east of Makkah; a
place he would often go for contemplation.
Contrary to widespread early Orientalist notions that the Qur'an was authored
by Prophet Muhammad, falsely considered divine as Jesus is in Christianity;
Muslims accept the Qur'an as the greatest miracle given to Prophet Muhammad
and regard him as fully human. Muslims regard Prophet Muhammad as the noblest
of human beings, a messenger and teacher of Divine Signs that are revealed both in
the Qur'an and universe. His sayings and deeds, Hadith, secondary to the Qur'an,
are among the foundational sources of the religion.
A distinctive feature of the Qur'an is its method of preservation. Muslims hold
an opinion that the message has been preserved as it was revealed and since the time
of its revelation it has been preserved without change. So, the Muslim belief is that
the Qur'an consists of the revealed words of God that are not authored, but only
transcribed by humans. Due to this firm belief, the Qur'an is well respected and
has an authoritative position in the lives of Muslims. While there are noteworthy
similarities among the message of the Qur'an, Torah, and the Bible (such as the
notions of faith, the Creator God, who communicates through messengers, belief
Nursi, The Words, 184.
in afterlife, call for righteousness, and so on), a major difference is found regarding
the methods of the books' preservation.
It is important to briefly mention the meaning of the terms revelation and
inspiration according to Islam for each term holds specific meanings. Revelation is
sent by God explicitly to prophets through the angel Gabriel, the "angel of revelation."
Inspiration is considered as a general communication of God with His creation.
From dreams to scientific discoveries, wise actions to art works, any knowledge is
understood to be rooted in Divine inspiration. Mentioning the difference between the
two, Nursi considers revelation as "elevated, universal, and sacred" and inspiration
more specific to a person and as very "insignificant" in comparison to revelation.
Also, he claims that to "suppose inspiration to be like Revelation, and of similar kind
to Revelation" would lead one to "fall into an abyss."
Among the themes the Qur'an mentions are creation, revelation, afterlife,
human soul, and society. As mentioned, four major topics could be noted as tawhid,
Divine unity, and belief in God; prophethood, signifying the special way of God's
communication with His creation through revelation; afterlife, as reminder of
accountability and living a responsible life; justice and worship, as a main purpose
of creation of humankind and conscious beings. All beings are created in the wisest
and most just state with an intendedmapurpose. Part of the conscious beings'
responsibility is understood to recognize the functions, in a way specific worship of
every kind, and offer them to the Creator in the form of their prescribed worship.
Beyond considering it as "both a book of invocation, and a book of prayer, and
a book of summons," Nursi defines the Qur'an as:
both a book of wisdom and law, and a book of prayer and worship, and a book of
command and summons, and a book of invocation and Divine knowledge.
Miraculousness of the Qur'an is often emphasized in the Risale-i Nur. One of
the early books of the collection Signs of Miraculousness is dedicated to "the
inimitability of the Qur'an's conciseness" as is the Twenty-Fifth Word on "The
Miraculousness of the Qur'an." It is "the treasury of miracles and supreme miracle,"
Nursi says, that "proves the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) together with
Divine unity so decisively that it leaves no need for further proof."
Furthermore, he notes:
If you look at the Qur'an with the eyes of a sound heart, you will see that its
six aspects are so brilliant and transparent that no darkness, no misguidance, no
doubt or suspicion, no trickery could enter it or find a fissure through which to
Said Nursi, The Letters, (Söz Press, 2009), 520. Available online at http://www.
erisale.com/index.jsp?locale=en
Ibid., 250.
enter and violate its purity. For above it is the stamp of miraculousness; beneath
it, proof and evidence; behind it, its point of support, pure dominical revelation;
before it, the happiness of this world and the next; on its right, questioning the
reason and ensuring its confirmation; on its left, calling on the conscience to
witness and securing its submission; within it is self-evidently the pure guidance
of the Most Merciful; its outside observedly consists of the lights of belief;
and its fruits, with all certainty the purified and veracious scholars and saints,
who are adorned with all the human perfections and attainments. If you fasten
your ear to the breast of that tongue of the Unseen, you will hear from afar a
most familiar and convincing, an infinitely serious and elevated heavenly voice
equipped with proof which repeats "There is no god but God." It states this so
certainly it is at the degree of "absolute certainty", and illuminates you with a
"knowledge of certainty" resembling "vision of certainty."10
Nursi on God
It is important to emphasize that Said Nursi was deeply committed to Islam and its
main sources, the Qur'an and Hadith. As the previous chapter mentioned, belief
is foundational to his work, the Risale-i Nur. Having witnessed major changes
reshaping the world, Nursi foresaw possible threats to the religion. In the face of
attempts to distort or harm the foundation of religion, he aimed to preserve it by
revitalizing an outlook closely linked with reason and logic. He concluded that
many problems of the time were due to weakness of belief in the pillars of faith.
Diagnosing the illness of the age as weakness of belief, he dedicated his writings
and endeavors to the cause of strengthening faith.11 A significant aim for Nursi
was transforming cultural and implicit belief into a conscious and justified belief.
He saw that cultural and implicit belief was too weak to stand before the doubtinducing questions of the time that could be resisted only with a faith sustained by
reasonable proofs.
Nursi specified "three great and universal things which make known" God to
human beings; the universe, the Prophet, and the Qur'an.12 On one account he adds
a fourth, namely conscience.13 Focused on these channels, the primary purpose of
his writings is to cultivate faith and prove its vitality for human happiness both for
the worldly life and in the hereafter.
Nursi states that each of these channels manifests the Necessarily Existent God,
His Divine art and actions in different ways. Every reflection is a manifestation
of God's Divine names through which the Almighty is known to His conscious
creation. Multiplicity of reflections of the Divine names does not contradict with
Said Nursi, Kastamonu Lahikası, (Istanbul: Söz Press, 2006), 133.
The Words, Nineteenth Word, p. 243.
Mesnevi-i Nuriye, Nokta, p. 208–215.
the concept of tawhid, Divine unity. Tawhid, "the mighty truth of Divine unity"14
as Nursi refers to it, has an immense emphasis in the Risale-i Nur as one of the four
major themes of the Qur'an:
The Oneness of the Divine Essence together with the universality of the Divine acts,
the Unity of Almighty God's person together with His unassisted comprehensive
dominicality, His Singleness together with His unshared all-embracing disposal,
His being beyond space and yet present everywhere, His infinite exaltedness
together with being close to all things, and His being One and yet Himself holding
all matters in His hand, are among the truths of the Qur'an.15
Oneness and unity are two indissoluble aspects of understanding God and
accordingly the Divine names. An important component deserving attention is
the absoluteness of Divine oneness which does not accept any fragmentation.
Elaborating on this Nursi states:
the Most Pure and Holy One is without like, Necessarily Existent, utterly remote
from matter, and beyond space; His fragmentation and division is impossible in
every respect as is any sort of change or alteration; His being needy or impotent
is beyond the bounds of possibility.16
For Nursi, these two concepts are understood with the help of one another. For
example "the meaning of Divine Oneness" unfolds "within the light of Divine
Unity."17 With an acknowledgement that it can be an overwhelming task to grasp
the meaning of these concepts, he offers an illustration of the sun and its reflections
on any thing that has a reflective surface.
In order not to overwhelm minds by Divine Unity, which is apparent in
the boundless multiplicity of creatures, the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition
constantly points out the manifestation of Divine Oneness within Divine Unity.
For example, the sun encompasses numberless things with its light. In order to
consider the sun itself in the totality of its light, a most extensive conceptual ability
and comprehensive view is necessary. So, lest the sun itself be forgotten, it is
displayed in every shining object by means of its reflection. And in accordance
with the capacity of each, all shining objects display the sun's qualities, such as
its light and heat, together with the manifestation of its essence. And just as in
accordance with their capacities, all lustrous objects show the sun together with
all its attributes, so too do the sun's qualities, like its light and heat and the seven
colors in its light, all encompass all the things facing it.
Said Nursi, The Flashes, (Söz Press, 2009), 437. Available online at http://www.
The Flashes, 18.
In the same way, And God's is the highest similitude18 -but let there be no
mistake in the comparison-just as Divine Oneness and Eternal Besoughtedness
have a manifestation together with all the Divine Names in everything, in animate
creatures in particular, and especially in man's mirror-like essence, so too through
Divine Unity does each of the Divine Names connected to beings encompass all
beings. Thus, lest minds become overwhelmed by Divine Unity and hearts forget
the Most Pure and Holy Essence, the Qur'an constantly puts before the eyes the
Stamp of Divine Oneness within Divine Unity.19
The sun allegory is repeatedly used in the Risale-i Nur to exemplify Divine
Unity and Oneness. Nursi mentions that every part of creation has their share
according to their given ability to mirror the various manifestations of the Divine
Names and accordingly a range of degrees occur in mirroring. He writes:
The sun has manifestations from a fragment of glass, to a droplet of water, a
pool, the ocean, and the moon to the planets. Each contains the sun's reflection
and image in accordance with its capacity, and knows its limits. In accordance
with its capacity, a drop of water says: "There is a reflection of the sun on me."
But it cannot say: "I am a mirror like the ocean." … Each of the Divine Names
has manifestations like a sun, from the heart to the Divine Throne. The heart too
is a Throne, but it cannot say: "I too am like the Divine Throne."20
Nursi asserts that there is "a sign of oneness, a stamp of unity" which could be
seen over the universe and everything in it. "For while being the same, certain
things are all-encompassing. And while being numerous, some display a unity or
similarity, since they resemble one another and are found everywhere. As for unity,
it shows One of Unity. That means that its maker, owner, lord, and fashioner has to
be one and the same."21 Pondering on the topic, he expands it with an illustration
of the signs of Divine oneness:
[God] placed many stamps of oneness on all species and numerous seals of unity
on all universals, as well as the various stamps of unity on the world as a whole.
Of those many seals and stamps, we shall point out one on the page of the face
of the earth in the springtime. It is like this:
The Pre-Eternal Inscriber's raising to life in the spring and summer at least three
hundred thousand species of plants and animals with complete distinction and
differentiation and total order and separation amid infinite intermingling and
confusion, is a stamp of Divine unity as clear and brilliant as the spring itself.
Yes, anyone with an iota of consciousness will understand that to create with
Qur'an, 16:60.
Nursi, The Words, 19–20.
Nursi, The Flashes, 180–181.
perfect order while raising to life of the dead earth in the spring, three hundred
thousand samples of the resurrection of the dead, and to write without fault,
error, mistake or deficiency, in most well-balanced, well-proportioned, wellordered, and perfect fashion the individual members of three hundred thousand
different species one within the other on the face of the earth, is a seal particular
to an All-Glorious One, an All-Powerful One of Perfection, an All-Wise One
of Beauty, possessing infinite power, all-encompassing knowledge, and a will
capable of governing the whole universe.22
Nursi on Creation and the Role of Human Beings
Throughout the Risale-i Nur is the Qur'anic notion that God created everything
with a purpose. Based on this belief, God charged human beings with certain duties,
placed them on the transient earth for a trial and examination, and gave them
faculties to discover His attributes that are manifested throughout the universe
in various forms. The highest aim for humanity is to complete their faith with
knowledge and love of God. As Nursi states:
Be certain of this, that the highest aim of creation and its most important result
are belief in God. The most exalted rank in humanity and its highest degree
are the knowledge of God contained within belief in God. The most radiant
happiness and sweetest bounty for jinn and human beings are the love of God
contained within the knowledge of God. And the purest joy for the human spirit
and the sheerest delight for man's heart are the rapture of the spirit contained
within the love of God. Indeed, all true happiness, pure joy, sweet bounties, and
untroubled pleasure lie in knowledge of God and love of God; they cannot exist
without them.23
Through Divine revelation the wisdom behind the creation of the universe
and human beings is learned. Based on a Qur'anic verse, Nursi concludes that
humankind is a responsible agent of God.24 In relation to "the most beautiful
names" of God, which stands out as a central theme of the Risale-i Nur, Nursi
expands on the humans role and the purpose of creation.
The creation narrative is mentioned several times in the Qur'an, symbolizing
the significance of the relationship between humanity and the Creator. These
narrations depict in detail the awe-inspiring cosmic event of creation.
One narrative of creation describes God appearing before a great assembly
of angels to announce that He is "about to place a vicegerent in the earth!"25 As
Nursi, The Words, 307–308.
Nursi, Letters, 262.
Qur'an, 2:30.
the verse unfolds, humans learn that the purpose of their creation is to exist as
vicegerents of God on earth, to be in relation with the rest of creation as a caretaker.
Other passages describe the creation of humans from clay and make mention of
the knowledge and skills humans have been equipped with for fulfilling the role
of vicegerency.
The creation of humans is distinct in relation to other forms of creation, whereby
their fitrah, innate nature, has been endowed with God's spirit. As the verse follows,
God creates a mortal of clay and states "When I have shaped him, and breathed into
him of My spirit."26 To be filled with Divine spirit signifies reflecting the attributes
of God.27 The Qur'an emphasizes that along with manifesting the attributes of God,
humans have been granted knowledge from God, symbolized by the teaching of
Adam at the time of his creation; "He taught Adam the names, all of them."28
Knowledge of "the Divine names," Nursi notes, is the "greatest miracle in
the question of the supreme vicegerency." He further elaborates that while every
Prophets' miracles are related to "a particular human wonder," Adam's miracle
stands out as the one impacting "all human attainment and progress, and humanity's
final goals." The comprehensiveness of this knowledge, passed on through Adam,
mirrors his position as the forefather of all humankind and all the Prophets.29 The
name Adam refers not only to the first human being, but also to all of humankind.
With the breath of the Divine flowing through their souls and having been granted
access to the knowledge of God's nature, human beings have been prepared for
taking up the role of vicegerency on earth. These Qur'anic accounts of the manner
in which humans were created and granted certain gifts from their Creator set the
foreground for a better understanding of the role of vicegerency in Nursi's thought.
Nursi on Vicegerency and the Trust
A central idea of Nursi's description of human beings is that they are "the choice
result of the universe and the most important creature in the view of the Creator."30
A human, he states is "the summary and result of the universe, and God's vicegerent
on earth, and its delicate fruit."31 Nursi relates the position of vicegerency, with
the acceptance of the Trust,32 which exalts human beings to an elevated rank over
This account of creation is understood in relation to the concept of humans being created
in the image of God; a concept that is not mentioned in the Qur'an, but in Hadith Qudsi.
Said Nursi, The Damascus Sermon, Translated by Şükran Vahide, 2nd ed. (Istanbul:
Sozler Publication, 1996), 43.
The Qur'anic verse about the offering of the Supreme Trust is as follows: "We did
indeed offer the Trust to the heavens, and the earth, and the mountains; but they refused
the rest of creation and charges them with the duty of caretaker of other beings in
the universe.33
Interpreting vicegerency and Trust oftentimes revolves around worldly
dominion and political leadership. Particularly, since the fall of the last caliphate,
numerous works have been produced solely focusing on a state-related analysis
of the topic. It cannot go unnoticed that despite witnessing the major changes of
the twentieth century, Nursi preferred to explain these two concepts from a more
spiritual and moral perspective, revolving around love and responsibility; which
have been overshadowed by state-associated interpretations.
The Risale-i Nur, illustrates the importance of a faith-based approach to
concepts of vicegerency and Trust, expanding on the meaning of vicegerency and
how this significant role is developed and nurtured, particularly in response to the
human ego or self.
In his explanation of the Supreme Trust, Nursi describes the human "I" or ego,
as an element of the Trust which is "the key" to the treasure of Divine Names.
Nursi refers to a famous Hadith where God states that He was a hidden treasure and
wanted to be known, therefore He created the world.34 In relation to this Hadith,
"the names" taught to Adam are referred to as the knowledge given to humanity of
Divine attributes. This act of teaching is God revealing Himself to creation so that
He may be known and loved. This Divine knowledge, Nursi notes, is both the seed
and culmination of all knowledge.35
Among the many descriptions of human beings, Nursi notes that, human
being "is such an antique work of art of Almighty God. He is a most subtle and
graceful miracle of His power whom He created to manifest all his Names and
their inscriptions, in the form of a miniature specimen of the universe."36
God equipped human beings with an "I" as Trust, "which comprises indications
and samples that show and cause to recognize the truths of the attributes and functions
of His dominicality."37 Nursi introduces the "I" as "a unit of measurement" with
which "the attributes of dominicality and functions of Divinity might be known."
Nursi pays great attention to this "unit of measurement," describing it as
imaginary, lacking concrete subsistence like the "hypothetical lines in geometry."38
It is a component, offering a glimpse of understanding of the unbounded and
immeasurable Divine attributes. The Just God granted humans with indications and
evidences of Divine attributes, opening windows of knowledge to them to know
and discover their Creator. Unless humans were provided skills of comprehension,
to undertake it being afraid thereof. But man assumed it; indeed, he is most unjust, most
foolish" (Qur'an, 33:72).
Nursi, The Damascus Sermon, 42.
speech, seeing, hearing, and all capacities for understanding, it would not be possible
for them to grasp Divine attributes and the ways they operate in the cosmos.
The "I," helps human beings "draw a hypothetical and imaginary limit." In
Nursi's words, the "I,"
imagines in itself a fictitious dominicality, ownership, power, and knowledge: it
draws a line. By doing this it places an imaginary limit on the all-encompassing
attributes, saying, "Up to here, mine, after that, His;" it makes a division. With
the tiny units of measurement in itself, it slowly understands the true nature of
the attributes.39
When God granted self-knowledge as a component of measurement, Nursi
describes that it served as a key to unlock the hidden treasure of the knowledge of
the Divine names. Expanding on "I" as the unit of understanding God's immense
attributes, Nursi gives examples of a person's insight:
"Like I am the owner of this house, so too is the Creator the owner of the
universe." And with its partial knowledge, it may understand His knowledge,
and with its small amount of acquired art, it may understand the originative
art of the Glorious Maker. For example, the "I" says: "As I made this house
and arranged it, so someone must have made the universe and arranged it," and
so on. Thousands of mysterious states, attributes, and perceptions which make
known and show to a degree all the Divine attributes and functions are contained
with the "I". That is to say, the "I" is mirror-like, and, like a unit of measurement
and tool for discovery, it has an indicative meaning; having no meaning in itself,
it shows the meaning of others.40
Humans are nourished by the light of God's attributes; they carry manifestations
of Divine names, and reflect them back to the rest of creation. While Nursi sees
these manifestations as a Trust of God which is a tool for unfolding the mystery
of the Divine knowledge, he warns that if the "I" abandons its imaginary state
and assumes a reality to itself, claiming ownership of Divine reflections, it would
betray the Trust.41 Nursi keenly declares that the unique capacity and abilities
endowed to human beings through their innate nature is nothing but manifestations
of the attributes of their Creator. Including humans, the entire creation serves as a
constant mirror of these attributes. However, it is only humankind that is able and
expected to read and understand these reflections, and respond accordingly.
An important aspect of vicegerency is evident in the constant reminders
within the Qur'an and Hadith about weakness, forgetfulness, and vulnerability
of human beings. Nursi calls readers attention to this weakness, mentioned in
the continuation of the Qur'anic creation scene, where Adam is lured by Satan's
deception.42 Wisdom of the Book reminds believers that while the vicegerents of
the Divine are exalted above the rest of creation, human beings are in constant
need of guarding themselves against any misguidance and neglect of their role.
Nursi proclaims human beings ought to study Divine names continuously and take
them as their guidance in progressing toward pleasing their creator.43
In discussing the "delicate senses" and "sensitive faculties" humans have
been created with, Nursi speaks of them in relation to two main goals set for
humanity. First, that they would use these faculties to give thanks and worship
God in a comprehensive way; with knowledge, awareness, and appreciation of
His numerous and diverse bounties. Second, that they would employ these senses
and faculties to witness the manifestations of God's attributes and believe in them,
responding to God's desire to make Himself known to humankind. Humanity's
perfection can be achieved only through these aims. Through their attainment
Nursi writes, "insan [human being] becomes a true human being."44
To be a true human being is to have faith; to come to know the Divine through His
attributes, and worship God; adoring the Almighty through acts of love, such as prayer.
The Qur'an declares that human beings are created for the worship of God alone.
Nursi understood that being an adorer of God, is the foundation and completion of
human vicegerency. Knowledge of Divine attributes, he concludes, is the vital element
in the journey of human beings toward becoming a perfect adorer of their Creator.
Nursi on Reflective Thought
In Islam, worship is not only understood in its formal forms of prescribed prayers,
fasting, or giving charity. Pondering on God's creation and the channels of His
revelations, pursuing knowledge to gain better insights of His names, and having
reflective thought about his creation are all considered within the range of worship.
As Nursi calls it that would be "worship in the form of reflection."45 Relating the
importance of contemplation to the very sources of the religion, Nursi states:
[M]y heart combined with my mind and urged me to the way of reflective thought
which the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition commands with such verses as,
That you may consider.(2:219; 2:266) * Perchance they may reflect.(7:176, and
so on) * Do they not reflect in their own minds, did God create the heavens and
the earth?(30:8) * There are signs for those who consider.(13:3, and so on)
The Hadith the meaning of which is "An hour's reflective thought is better than
a year's [supererogatory] worship"1 states that on occasion an hour's reflection
may be equivalent to a year's worship. It also offers powerful encouragement for
reflective thought.46
Before taking a closer look at some of the examples of the reflective thought Nursi
illustrated in the Risale-i Nur, we will pause to review the functions of the channels
revealing God mentioned above. Prophet Muhammad is a needed teacher of the two
books, the Qur'an and the book of the universe. Through his teachings, he solves and
expounds the strange riddle of the mystery of the world's creation; he discovers and
solves the abstruse talisman which is the mystery of the universe; and he provides
convincing and satisfying answers to the three awesome and difficult questions that
are asked of all beings and have always bewildered and occupied minds: "Where do
you come from? What are you doing here? What is your destination?"47
Questions such as these trigger critical thinking of nature of humankind and
their role are examples of ideas leading toward reflective thought.
Nursi does not consider these channels as independent from one another, rather
he deems them to be closely linked to one another coming from the same source
and reflecting the same meanings in different ways. Each one helps increase the
insight of the others. Mentioning the book of the universe, a key concept in the
Risale-i Nur, he names it as the "embodied Qur'an." It is the Qur'an that is looked
at, felt, and experienced. Each book is written by the same author, reflecting His
eternal and everlasting attributes. While the universe is a manifestation of His
attribute al-qudrah, power, reflecting that He is the One who is able to do what He
wills as He wills; the Qur'an along with the Torah and the Bible is a manifestation
of His attribute al-kalam, speech, meaning that the Creator communicates with
His creation in the ways they are capable of comprehending. Mentioning the
relationship of the Qur'an and the book of the universe, Nursi writes:
And, for example, take a book in every line of which a whole book is finely
written, and in every word of which a sura [chapter] of the Qur'an is inscribed
with a fine pen. Being most meaningful with all of its matters corroborating
one another, and a wondrous collection showing its writer and author to be
extraordinarily skilful and capable, it undoubtedly shows its writer and author
together with all his perfections and arts as clearly as daylight, and makes him
known. It makes him appreciated with phrases like, "What wonders God has
willed!" and, "Blessed be God!" Just the same is the mighty book of the universe;
we see with our eyes a pen at work which writes on the face of the earth, which is
a single of its pages, and on the spring, which is a single folio, the three hundred
thousand plant and animal species, which are like three hundred thousand different
books, all together, one within the other, without fault or error, without mixing
Nursi, The Flashes, 378.
them up or confusing them, perfectly and with complete order, and sometimes
writes an ode in a word like a tree, and the complete index of a book in a point
like a seed. However much vaster and more perfect and meaningful than the book
in the example mentioned above is this compendium of the universe and mighty
embodied Qur'an of the world, which is infinitely full of meaning and in every
word of which are numerous instances of wisdom, to that degree —in accordance
with the extensive measure and far-seeing vision of the natural science that you
study and the sciences of reading and writing that you have practised at school—
it makes known the Inscriber and Author of the book of the universe together with
His infinite perfections. Proclaiming "God is Most Great!," it makes Him known.
Uttering words like "Glory be to God!", it describes Him. Uttering praises like
"All praise be to God!," it makes Him loved.48
Contemplation and reflective thought are important steps leading one toward the
attainment to a state of constantly observing and experiencing Divine presence.
Nursi writes about two aspects of worship noting that "One is worship and
contemplation in the absence of the Object of Worship. The other is worship and
supplication in His presence and addressing Him directly."
Reflective thought for him is an important access guiding a believer to pass
"from the work to the producer of the work" and enabling a worshipper to witness
that "an All-Beauteous Maker wants to make himself known and acquainted through
the miracles of His own art" and to respond "with knowledge and belief."49
There are two important concepts involved with the model Nursi developed a
model for reflective thought, suggesting that the book of the universe be r