Nursi's Discourse on Belief in Allah

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T H ~MUSLIMWORLD Vol. LXXXIX, NO.3-4 Tuly-October, 1999

BEDIUZZAMAN SAID NURSISDISCOURSE ON BELIEF IN ALLAH:A STUDY OF TEXTS FROMRisale-i Nur COLLECTIONDiscussion about belief in AllahfGod occupies a pivotal place in hu-

man discourse. A survey of contemporary discussion on this topic in ourage of triumphant claims from the realms of both science and religionconfirms that the debate continues. It occupies a fundamental and foun-dational position in shaping the worldviews of humanity at any given pointin history.2 It is a discourse whose contours change with the passage oftime and increase in information and knowledge, but whose function inanchoring and shaping the life of the majority of humanity cannot be un-derestimated. This paper approaches the topic from the point of view ofthe contemporary state of Muslim discussion about the interrelation be-tween religious belief and social change.

Said Nursis (1876-1960) discourse on Quranic concepts such as beliefin God as contained in his magnum opus, the Rlj.a/e-iNur(The Epistle ofLight) c~ ll ec ti on ,~is a unique contribution to the corpus of Islamic discur-sive thought in the contemporary age. This comprehensive work reflects

Syed Muhammad Naquib aldttas, P/oegomcna to the Metaphysics of /sfam (KualaLumpur: ISTAC, 1995); Richard C. Martin and Mark R. Woodward with Dwi S . Atmaja, DehndersofReason h /slam Mu/az&m h-omMedevaf Schoof to Modem Symbo/(Oxford: OneworldPublications, 1997); Eugene G. dAqui li and Andrew B. Newburg, The NeuropsychologicalBasis of Religions, Or Why God Wont Go Away, Zygonvol. 33 no. 2 @me 1998): 187-201;Henry Simoni, Divine Passibility and the Problem of Radical Particularity: Does God Feel OurPain, Rehgious St ud es vo l no. 33 (1997): 327-47; David Swinburne, The Emktence of God(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991); Reynolds Price, Let ter to a Man h the fi ke (New York:Scribner, 1999); Winifred Gallagher, Workihg OR God (New York: Random House, 1999);Edward 0. Wilson, ConsiXence: The Unity ofKnow/edgeRandom House, 1999); Keith Ward,God Chance andNecessity (Oxford : Oneworld Publications, 1996); Keith Ward, God Fa2handtheNewM2Zennhm: ChnstimBekef% anAgeofScyence (Oxford: Oneworld Publications,1999); Ludovic Kennedy, A f f h theMRd A Parewe]! to Cod (London: Hodder, 1999); VictorCosculluela, Death and God: The Case of Richard Swinburne, Rehgious Studiez vol no. 33(1997): 293-302; Mikael Stenmark, An Unfinished Debate: What are the Aims of Religion andScience, ZY~OR,vol. 32 no.4 (December 1997): 491-5t4.

Karen Armstrong, A History ofGod: the 4000year quest offudaikm, ChnkihiQ. and//am (New York : A. A. Knopf, 1993).Available in English translations under following titles: Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, TheWords On the Nature and Purposes of Man, LAe and A// ThIhgs trans. Sukran Vahide

(Istanbul: Sozler Ne riyat A ., 1992); Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, The Ffashes CoJection trans.Sukran Vahide (Istanbul: Sozler Ne riyat A ., 1995); Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, The Rays Cohectlontrans. Sukran Vahide (Istanbul: Sozler Ne riyat A., 1998).

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IMTIYAZ YUSUF 337a range of intellectual approaches to Islam, including the literal, the ratio-nal, and the mystical.

The Rikafe-iNursmethod of understanding the meaning of the mes-sage of the Quran touches upon the major themes of the Quran and fo-cuses on contemporary issues facing Muslims such as Islam and science,education, democracy, modernity, religious tolerance and other relevantconcerns. Historically, the typical fikafe-1Nur style of Islamic thinkingcould only have emerged in Turkey, given the Muslim encounter therewith modernity and the West. To understand the RXde--INu/, therefore,requires detailed historical knowledge about Islamic revivalism since the17th century and the emergence of modern Turkey. Only then can a readercomprehend the attempt of the Rikafe-iNur to put to rest continuingphilosophical dilemmas about the relation between revelation, reason andmystery in Islam. Grasping the intellectual dimension of Said Nursisthought is an exacting task.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursis deep and sound reflections on the Quranicthemes collected in the fi2afe-iNur provide the contemporary Muslimwith new and dynamic insights into the mine of Quranic knowledge. The130 sections of the work offer readers a sense of Quranic relevance inthis age of advanced science and technology, with its dominant material-istic perspective on life. The discourses of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi arean exegesis, explanation, explication and interpretation of the message ofthe Quran in the face of philosophical, intellectual and social challengesfacing that currently face humanity in general and the Muslim communityin our extremely complex age.4

This paper is a preliminary attempt to study, reflect and benefit fromSaid Nursis deep and sound philosophical exposition on the question ofbelief in God and its impact on the lives of believing Muslims. The firstsection places the thought of Said Nursi within the tradition of Islamicthought in modern times. Section two treats Said Nursis discourse on theQuranic meaning of belief in God.

The Place of Said Nursi Within Islamic ThoughtSaid Nursi, a religious intellectual, delved deep into the meaning of

the Quran, arguing for its relevance to the questions about faith put forthby modern history, science, rationalism and political ideology to the Turk-ish mdfetand the Muslim ummah. His significant contribution to Islamicthought is less well known in the Muslim world, both because of the gen-

For biographies of Said Nursi in English, see Sukran Vahide, Beduzzaman Sakf Numi(Istanbul: Sozler Publications, 1992) and Hamid AIgar, Said Nursi and the Ri>ah-~.NurinZs/amic Perspectives Studes IR honour ofSayyid A h / A /aMawdud;Khurshid Ahmad andZafar Ishaq Ansari (eds.) (Leicester: The Islamic Foundation, 1979) 313-33.


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338 THE MUSLIM WORLDera1 tendency to categorize him as a mystic and because of the largelypolitical orientation of contemporary Islamic thought, a classification intowhich he does not fit neatly.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, like his predecessors Ahmad Sirhindi (1564-1624)5 and Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1817-1898)6 of India, called for a newkahm (Islamic scholasticism) that would address the modern faith-ques-tions arising out of encounters with modernity and the West.7 He heldthat Islamic scholasticism needed to be revitalised through the study ofphilosophy, physical and mathematical sciences. In this way, it would beable to successfully rebut the attacks levied against the Quran by thematerialists and the atheists. For Said Nursi, there was no contradictionbetween Quran, reason and science. The conflict lies between the kindof materialist philosophy that leads to atheism, and the religious world-view of the Quran that asserts and confirms the existence of God. Hence,the Rikde-iNuraims at renewing and strengthening of belief and faith inGod. Said Nursi urged a new methodology in.Quranic exegesis, one thatwould benefit from the advancements in the fields of secular knowledgeso that the ummahcould withstand the challenges of materialism and philo-sophical alienation from the Quran.

Said Nursi lived in an age when the philosophical and practical as-pects of modern science, technology and related materialism were threat-ening the very disappearance of the Quran in Turkey and the larger Muslimworld. He committed himself to defending the Quran against the conten-tions of its discreditors, such as the then British Secretary for the Colo-nies, Mr. Gladstone. He declared, I shall prove and demonstrate to theworld that the Quran is an undying, inextinguishable Sun!8 Henceforth,he devoted his life to the service of the Quran, defending Muslim beliefand the tenets of Islam, which had come under severe attack in Turkey.

The reflections and thought of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi on the Quranplay an important role in validating the truth and relevance of the Quranicmessage for Muslims.

The relationship between the Quran and Risahe-iNur has been de-scribed as that of the moon to the sun . . . its aim (being) the demonstra-tion of the i)kzof the Q ~ r a n . ~The Risahe-iNurexpounds on the finer

The Oxhrd Encyc/opeda of the Modern lsamk Wor/d S.V. *Ahmad Sirhindi byFrancis Robin. For study about the influence of Ahmad Sirhindi on Said Nursi via MevlanaHalid representing modernNak bendactivism in Turkey, see Serif Mardin, Reh&un andSocia/ ChqKeh hh7h Turkey (Albany,NY : State University of New York Press, 1989), 57-60. The Oxhrd Encyc/opedk offheA4odern fs/5micWor/d S.V. Sayyid Ahmad Khan byHafeez Malik.

Algar, 320.Nursi, The Rays Co//ecfion,678.Algar, 326.*


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IMTIYAZ YUSUF 339points of the Qurans miraculousness to strengthen belief in God. It hasenabled Turkish and now non-Turkish Muslims to draw deep lessons fromthe message of the Quran, strengthening their loyalty to in thisage of conflicting and confusing idealogies and viewpoints. In the case ofmodern Turkey, this author contends that the pages of Rkale-i-Nurpre-vented the disappearance of the Quran from Turkish life and thought,thus helping preserve the states Islamic identity. It also serves as an in-spiring model for Muslims in other parts of the world facing similar ten-sions between the scientific demands of the modern age, with itsmaterialism/ consumerism, and traditional Islam.

The Rikale-iNur serves for many as an impersonal teacher of andguide to the Quran.

. . . it is designed to lead Muslims from belief by imitation to beliefthrough investigation and to lead unbelievers from worship of theself to worship of Alah. l 1

In style, it constitutes a dramatic shift from the former teachedmasterbased format of Islamic learning found in the Sufi tradition. The Rikale-iNuris not a political document and its students constitute not a politicalsociety but a circle of people concerned about belief and life in the here-after. l2

The words of the Ri2ale-iNurare said to be like windows opening thevarious meanings of the Quran. Said Nursi commented that the word ofthe Risale-i*Nu&will bring to belief those without belief , strengthen thebelief of those whose belief is weak, make certain the belief of those whosebelief is strong but imitative, give greater breadth to the belief of thosewhose belief is certain, lead to progress in knowledge of God . . . 13 Hence,the Rika1e-i.Nurserves as an anchor for religious belief while expandingthe horizons of the believer so that helshe can grasp the deeper meaningof the Quran with an increase in knowledge and certainty of conviction.

Cognizant of the modern philosophical trends in Europe and theirspreading influence on Turkey, Said Nursi highlighted what he saw asthe shortcomings of philosophical sciences in seeking the truth. Thoughhe avoided using philosophical arguments, he believed that Islam as areligion and worldview cannot be understood or explained as has tradi-tionally been done, merely by using declarative statements. Rather, it needs

lo Algar, 327.l1 Colin Turner, The R1sde-iNUKA Revolution of Belief, in Pane/ f The Ideas of

Beduzzaman SaidNursi ~h the Tbhtieth Year 5k-e bJk Death and tbeJ? P/ace /i, /s/amkThough4 trans. Sukran Vahide (Istanbul: Sozler Ne riyat A . , 1993),159.l2 Nursi, The Rays Co/!ecfion,302,308.l3 Nursi, The WordsOn /beNaiure andPurposesofMan, LJX?andA// TbJhg$723.


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340 THE MUSLIM WORLDconvincing arguments to validate its integrity. l4 Said Nursis meditationson the Quran as penned in Rikde-iNurare an attempt at this task. Nursiremarked that the glasses of philosophy make everything look dark, uglyand frightening, while the glasses of belief in God make everything ap-pear transparent, clear and luminous. The worldview one adopts bychoosing between these two perspectives makes all the difference in oneslife, attitude and behavior.

Going further than simply calling for using the tools of modern sci-ence and rationalism, as had been done by the Islamic Modernists, l6Said Nursi addressed the subject of the relation between Islam as a reli-gion and science at an elemental level. In other words, he engaged inphilosophical hermeneutics17 of the Quran for the purpose of delineat-ing the relationship between nature, human beings and the Creator. Hisaim was both to overcome a distance and to use distanciation as boththe obstacle and the instrument in order to reenact the initial event ofdiscourse in a new event of discourse that will claim to be both faithfuland creative.18 Thus, in the thought of Said Nursi, we do not noticewhat has come to be viewed as the sharp differentiation between phi-losophy and theology,where the former represents alienated human-ity and the latter literalist commitment to the texts. Rather, he attemptedto combine them.

The style of Said Nursis discourse is narrative and analytical, withSaid himself serving as a kind of counselor (counseiYe4. Serif Mardin de-scribes it as having a magnetic effect. Its convoluted style and the im-port of what often amounts simply to ungrammatical phrases is difficult tounderstand . . . Be this as it may, the allusive, and superficially obscure,style of the sage, has had an undeniable power in winning our disciples.. . . Here, symbols and metaphors appear much more charged with inde-scribable meaning than in the discursive-learned tradition. 19

From the perspective of history and philosophy of religion, in Ri3ale-iNur, Said Nursi engaged epistemological problems about God, religionand society. In attempting to prove the validity of belief in the existenceof God, he presented what can be categorized as experiential arguments

l4 Serif Mardin, Rehgion andSockf Change /n Mbdern Turkej 173.l6 Fazlur Rahman, h/am andModern/$ (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1982).

Also, Fazlur Rahman, IslamicModernism: Its Scope, Method and Alternatives, hfernaatlbnalfoufndofMXAd.?e Gas/ S/u&esl (1970): 317-33.l7 A hermeneutical philosophy, . .. will try to get as close as possible to the most o/lg..;7.ruexpressions of a community of faith, to those expressions through which the members of thiscommunity have interpreted their experience for the sake of themselves or fo r others sake.Paul Ricouer, fi&nkg /he Sacred(Minneapo1is:Augsburg Fortress,1995),36.

Nursi, The Rays Coflechon,648.

Ibd , 38.l9 Mardin, 177.


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IMTIYAZ YUSUF 341for the existence of God. In this sense, Said Nursi has contributed to therevival of the learned Islamic tradition in modern times. With his deepknowledge of the Quran and hadiih,he explicated the correlation betweenrevelation and reason. In so doing, he succeeds in satisfying the intellec-tual thirst of contemporary generations of Muslims yearning for an intel-lectually erudite understanding of the Quran and Islam.

Said Nursi was much ahead of his time in envisioning the coming fu-ture of religious uncertainty, which would weaken the roots of faith in theexistence of God among Muslims. He did not stand by simply as a witnessto this occurence, but engaged in a deep Quranic discourse so that therewould not come an age in which there are Muslims but no Quran. TheRJkale-iNuris a living testimony of this effort at linking the human beingwith the Quran and God, for the essential addressee of the Quran is thehuman being in time, society and history.

And if all the trees on earth were pens and the Ocean (were ink),with seven Oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not theWords of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted inpower, full of Wisdom. (Quran 3197)

Said Nursis Discourse on Belief in GodIn modern times, belief in God has come under strong attack by ideas

such as the Death of God and Humanism, which replace the central-ity of God with that of man and material. Faith today is subject to thedictates of reason. A s Wilfred Cantwell Smith puts it, Reason here isseen as the ultimate principle of the universe; also as the central and crown-ing principle of the human. Reason is the mediator between what othersmight call the human and the divine; we participate in the divine insofaras our ideas are true- and more actively, our behavior rational.20 Thishas resulted in the invention of dual-natured religious belief, that is, faiththrough the tradition from Palestine /readAbrahamii,9 and faith throughthe tradition from Greece in Western culture.21The result is loss of faith/belief in God22 and, consequently, a crisis in education and civilizationthat force us to reexamine the function of religion.23

2o Wilfred Cantwell Smith,Afudern GI/&w~/ion a Curripxa/~vePerspecfive (Albany,NY:21 /bid, 43.22 fb/Z23 /bid, 45, 48.

State University of New York Press,1997),40.


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342 THE MUSLIM WORLDIn the case of the Muslim world, the challenges of modernity to reli-

gious tradition have led to the rise of religious movements that seek toaddress questions of faith through politicized interpretations of religion.But faith based on such a designed religious scheme cannot persist forlong. It will eventually give rise to the question, what is Islam, politicaltheology or moralistic mon~theism?~~It is in these contexts that werecognize the importance and relevance of the ~5 aae- i~ursd iscourseonreligious themes such as belief in God.

Said Nursi devoted his life to the preservation and strengthening ofbelief in God, which is at the core of religion. For Said Nursi, faith cannotbe faqhiAi (imitative), but must be a reflective activity always requiringfresh contemplation. He had witnessed the severe attack on Islamic beliefin his country and the Muslim world in the guise of modernization, whosephilosophical base was rooted in humanistic and materialist approachesanchored in Darwinism. For Said Nursi, the greatest danger facing Mus-lim belief in God comes not from the disbelievers in God but from thenaturalistic science and philosophy being spread in the Muslim world bythose who work in disguise to sow doubts about faith.25

The philosophical and physical attack on religious belief at the begin-ning of the modern era in Turkey was aimed at changing the minds and theway of life of the Turkish people. But Said Nursi was confident that faith isa bounty created and bestowed by God on humans which no human effortcan block or wrest away.26 He believed religious disposition is a naturaldimension of human personality. While he was in exile, it was the strengthof his religious belief that assured him of the certainty of faith and of beingdestined for an everlasting world of perpetual happiness.27

Those unto whom men said: Lo! the people have gathered againstyou, therefore fear them. (The threat of danger) but increased thefaith of them and they cried:Allah is sufficient fo r us!Most Excellentis He in Whom we trust! (Quran3:173)

For Said Nursi, ihan (belief in God) does not end at the utterance ofthe declaration of faith, viz., La 17aha iflaAIah, Rather, the journey forthe strengthening of faith and knowledge begins at the time of ones decla-ration of faith in Islam. It sets the believer on the path to witness thebeneficence of the Creator as exhibited in the order and harmony, beautyand equilibrium, justice and mercy in the universe around us. Said Nursis

24 Rahman, /dam, 32.25 Nursi, The Flashes Co//cc/fon,143.26 fbid,30.27 /bid,75.


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IMTIYAZ YUSUF 343goal was is to make Muslims into convinced believers whose faith is basedon certainty through knowledge rather than mere imitation. Belief setshuman beings on the path of knowledge, inspiring them to learn aboutand view the universe as a book of wisdom.28 It establishes a life-longrelationship between God and the creature.

Thus, every negating aspect of Islamic belief contained in the wordZdis a gateway to the positive truth which is seen by removing the veilcovering it. 29 Believers should undertake to bring about the realization ofbelief through reflective thought and knowledge and not only engage inits imitation. 30

In other words, every fruit is a seal of unity that makes known theWriter and Maker of the earth, its tree, and of the book of the uni-verse, its garden; it demonstrates His uni ty, and shows to the num-ber of fruits, the seal affixed to the decree of unity.31

Abandoning belief in unity has led to belief in limitless and endlessmultiplicity. The materialists are thus incapable of understanding the sourceof origin and manifestation which is Divine creativity.32 Serving beliefand the Quran through good deeds is the duty of a believer.33 A Muslimtherefore dedicates hidher life in the service of belief and the Quran.True belief lies in the recognition that the human being is the servant ofGod, the compassionate creator. Thus, belief should be followed by per-forming good deeds and trying to model ones life according to the prin-ciples of the Q ~ r a n : ~ ~

(We take our) color from Allah, and who is better than Allah at color-ing. We are His worshippers. (Quran2138)In contrast, unbelief severs the relationship between man and God, plung-ing the human being into darkness without spiritual richness, like a lus-terless diamond. 35

The Second and Eighth Words of the R~kale - iNur~~explain Nursisview of the way in which belief in God impacts human life, thought andbehavior. He begins the short discourse in the Second Word by proclaim-ing the Unseeness of God, saying that happiness and bounty is to be found

f b d ,87.29 / . id, 127.30 fbid,188.31 fbi2,197.32 fbkf.,443.33 fb12,213.34 Nursi, The Words On the Nature and P u p s e s ofMan, LiX?andA// Things 319-20.35 f b d ,320.36 /bid,27-28, 45-50 respectively.


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344 THE MUSLIM WORLDin a Muslims belief in God. In this Word, Said addresses the topic athand from the perspective of Muslim identity. He narrates a story abouttwo men setting out on a journey with the same purpose of business andpleasure. Both choose different ways to reach their goal, one the selfishway and the other the godly one. Nursi comments that the selfish wayconsists of conceit, arrogance, self-centeredness, making oneself cynical,pessimistic and distrustful of others, resulting in a gloomy worldview.37For such a person, everyone is an enemy and life is a torment. One looksonly from within, perceiving the world only in physicallmaterial and car-nal terms. Said comments that, unbelief conceals the seed of a Zaqqum-Tree of Hell. r38

Zaqqum is a symbolic reference to hell in the Quran which symbol-izes the fact that the otherworldly sufferings which the Quran describesas hell are but the fruit -i.e. organic consequence-of ones evil deedsdone on earth. 39

The godly and devout person, on the other hand, views the world in afriendly and trusting way. For them, life is a joy. The world seems over-flowing with rapture and happiness. 40 That persons worldview is basedon the Quranic principle of Allah is Great and There is no god butGod. As a happy person, they see themseIves as fortunate and are alwaysthankful to God for the profitable business they make. Thus, belief inGod and acting accordingly bring about contentment and felicity. At theend of the Second Word, Said Nursi comments that, safety and securityare only found in Islam and belief. In which case, we should continuallysay, Praise be to Allah for the religion of Islam and perfect belief.41Belief in existence of God results in living a blessed life..

Said Nursi remarks that our view of the world is determined by faithor lack of it. Unbelief in God results in a gloomy outlook toward oneselfand the world. Thus, the ugliness within is reflected on the outer worldso that you imagined laughter to be weeping, and the discharge of dutiesto be sack and pillage.42 The way out of this human tragedy is by coming

37 Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, From tbe RisahiNcir Tbe WordsOn /be Nature andPqmses3a lbid, 28.ofMan, Li72 andA/ / Thing4 27.

Verily the tree of Zaqqum (Treeof Hell) (Quran44:43)Ye will surely taste of the Tree of Zaqqcnn (Quran 56:52)Is it ye who grow the tree which feeds the fire, or do W e grow it? (Quran56:72)

39 Muhammad Asad, Tbe Messageofthe Q~iran(Gibraltar: Dar al-Andalus, 1980),690.40 Asad, 690.41 Nursi, From /he f?Jka/e-iNufTbe Words On /be Nature anoPurposcs ofMan, LJ%and

A// Thing4 28.42 fbd,28.


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IMTIYAZ YUSUF 345to the realization that illusion and misconceptions obstruct acknowledg-ing and submitting to the experiential proof of the existence of God. Thechoice is between peace and contentment with a friendly view of the world,or an unhappy state of bewilderment, perplexity and confusion.

In the Eighth Word, which is a longer discourse, Said Nursi adopts adifferent approach from that in the Second Word. Here he elucidates thesubject from the perspective of human identity and its relation and re-sponse to the question of belief in God. He elaborates the necessity ofestablishing a connection between world, man and God. Belief in God, hesays, is based on conviction, and following religion solves the mystery oflife and the world. It releases modern, materialist-centered humanity fromthe shackles of seeing life as a prison. Release from darkness and attain-ment of freedom is contained in the belief that there is a God and in theprinciple, There is no god but God.g43

In his symbolic-narrative style, Said Nursi relates the account of twobrothers on a journey who, upon approaching a fork in the road, are in-formed that, On the road to the right, one is compelled to comply withlaw and order, but within that hardship is security and happiness . . . onthe left-hand road there is freedom and no restraint, but with its freedomlies danger and wretchedness. Now, the choice is yours!144 Here, Saidalludes to the fact that integration of personality and happiness is found inthe belief in the existence of God. This requires complying with rules andcommands while non-belief in the existence of God lays no restraint.The path to security and happiness does not involve chance and luckbut a rational reflection on the part of a thinking human being. It requiresplacing trust in the existence of an Unseen God, which constitutes themost difficult intellectual challenge for the materialistic person. The Quranstates it directly: I put my trust in Allah, . . . (Quran 11:56)

Placing trust in God leads to personal integration, contentment, confi-dence, peace and security. The failure to believe in God, on the otherhand, is the result of lack of thought and foolishness (and) not . .. bychance.45It leads to misery and unhappiness, living in a state in whichone neither dies nor lives.46 Either of these choices involves doing spe-cific things. Nursi gives a symbolic description of the challenges, tests andhardships faced in both pathdways.

The believer, out of his God-consciousness, chooses the good and moralway. His worldview and thoughts are good and he reflects on the goodside of things. Happiness comes from the belief in the existence of unseen

43 fbid,45.I b Z45 /bib!, 46.46 Ibh!


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346 THE MUSLIM WORLDGod who is the hidden ruler-watching, testing and impelling the hu-man being.47 Belief in God makes the difference; it leads to peace andintegrity of life, thought and behavior. When based on understanding andconviction, it strengthens the inner being and keeps the doubting mindfrom succumbing to unbelief, as in the case of Job, who was physicallysick but spiritually strong. The world is a place that tests the mettle offaith and builds belief though service and worship. Hardships such asmisfortune and sickness, therefore, do not diminish belief, but ratherstrengthen the faith of a convinced believer. 48 Similarly, rememberingthat death is imminent increases belief.

Satans whisperings of doubt do not constitute un-belief, though manyare beguiled into thinking them to be real. Disbelief in the face of evi-dence is a crime against oneself.49 Said Nursi asserts that belief cannot beturned into unbelief so easily unless it becomes a reality. One of the es-tablished principles of religion is that something which is of itself pos-sible is not opposed to the certainty of afforded by knowledge.50 In otherwords, doubts are a mirror of the imagination having no reality, just as themirror image of a snake cannot bite but only frighten. In the same way,the prized possession of belief is cast into doubt by the whisperings ofSatan, to which men fall prey, leading to despair and anguish. In the faceof such a recurring situation, only the strength of belief based on the in-contestable matters of the Quran and the practices of the Prophet canserve as a believers fortress.51Strengthening of belief is the key to happiness and is of more valuethan experiencing hundreds of illuminations and spiritual delights. Be-lief in the divine unity of God transforms human personality from despairand despondency to happiness both in this world and the next. It assurespersonal integrity, composure and being at peace with oneself, reflectingthe flashes of that sacred beauty. 52 Said Nursi says:

0my soul! And 0 you who are listening to this story together withmy soul! If you do not want to be the unfortunate brother and want

47

484950

5152

/ b J / b l , 47.With Him are the keys of the Unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. Heknoweth whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf doth fall but withHis knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, noranything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a Record clear (tothose who can read). (Quran6 :59)

Nursi, TheF/ashcs Colecfion,222-23./bid, 114.lbid, 109./bid. 110.Nursi, TheflaysCo//ecfion,16.


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IMTIYAZ YUSUF 347to be the fortunate one, listen to the Quran, and obey its decrees,and adhere to them, and act according to them.If you have understood the truths in this comparison, you will beable to make them correspond to the truths of religion, the world,man, and belief in God. I shall say the important ones, then youdeduce the finer points yourself.So , look!Of the two brothers, one is a believing spirit and a righteousheart. The other is an unbelieving spirit and depraved heart. And ofthe two roads, the one to the right is the way of the Quran and beliefin God, while the left is the road to rebellion and denial. The gardenon the road is mans fleeting social life in human society and humancivilization where good and evil, and things good and bad and cleanand dirty, are found side by side. The sensible person is he who actsaccording to the rule: Take what is pleasant and clear, and leavewhat is distressing and turbid.53

Proof of the existence of God is present all around us; decipheringthem leads to unveiling the wisdom in creation which is solved throughthe mystery of belief.54 Perceiving the world through the lens of beliefin God will change our perception of the world, the meaning and missionof our lives. Said remarked, the evil-commanding soul of th e first brotherhas prepared a sort of hell for him, while th e good intention, good will,good character and good thoughts of the other have allowed him to re-ceive great bounty and happiness, and a shining virtue and prosperity. 55Th e goal of the fellowship of Rzsde-zNuris to serve the Quran. SaidNursi remarked that he is not a Sufi seeking annihilation in the Shaykhbut in th e Quran as a way to reinforce sincerity and belief in Islam.56He had dedicated his life even while in exile in the town of Isparta tostrengthening the religious belief of th e people so that they would achievehappiness in this life and the next.

Said Nursi stressed that belief in God has to be built on experientialproof. It is a proof which does not merely argue or make claims, but isinvitational in approach. It is a realistic and powerful argument based onobservation.

Witnessing the attacks on religious belief, Said devoted his life toworking to strengthen belief in God and the Quran in post-Ottoman Tur-key. This could best be done through living simply and avoiding publicattention. He was not spared criticism and persecution. As he remarkedwhile in prison, 0 you whose view is restricted to the life of this world!

53 Z6id,49.54 Zbh!55 [bid,48.56 Nursi, The flsshes CoJectibn,216.


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348 THE MUSLIM WORLDI have not meddled in any way in your world, nor have I had anything todo with your principles, nor, as is testified to by my life during thesenine years of captivity, have I had any intention or desire to meddle inthe world again. So according to what law have you inflicted all this sur-veillance and oppression on me as though I am an old oppressor who wasever ready to seize an opportunity and supported the idea of tyranny anddespotism? . . . It is only I who am sick of the ill-treatment I have hadmeted out to me so far; if they knew of it, all mankind would be dis-gusted, and even the universe!57

Finally, Nursi said the Quran and its principle of belief in the exist-ence of God, is a door which opens from the prison of this world onto thefields of immortality, from the arena of examination onto the gardens ofParadise, and from the hardships of life onto the Mercy of the All-MercifulOne . . . It is an invitation to the meadows of Paradise from the prison ofthis world, and a time to receive the wage bestowed out of the generosityof the Most Merciful and Compassionate. . . 5 8Conclusion

The R&le-iNuris an excellent treatise on the Quran, its meaningand its importance for the contemporary age. The relevance of Rkme-zNurlies in the way it addresses questions and issues relating to life andliving in modern times. From the perspective of inter-textuality, the &sale-i N u r i s a whole, erudite and sophisticated text reflecting a sincere andprofound attempt by an Islamic and religiously oriented mind at under-standing and unraveling the relevance of religious belief in the age of fastmaterialism.

In fisafe-iNuq Said Nursi undertook the difficult and complex task ofunveiling the message of the Quran and enlightening us about its useful-ness for humanity. Through the use of his unique philosophical herme-neutics, he is able to show the relationship between revelation, thoughtand experience. Further study of the text of Rikale-INuris needed so thatwe can appreciate its profundity and relevance. Humanity is grapplingwith the meaning of life in our fast paced world, trying to understand therelation between man, world and God. The &kale-iNurprovides the keyand shows the path to personal integration, happiness and humility beforethe Almighty God.

Deciphering the profundity of Said Nursis thought as represented inthe &isale-i Nurcan be a difficult intellectual task. But the rewards it

57 I&?!, 227.58 IhZ , 50.


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IMTIYAZ YUSUF 349offers by clarifying pertinent issues of life, thought and behavior are enoughto encourage one to undertake further study of this important Islamic textof our age. The relevance of the Rikale-iNurto Turkey can be extended toMuslim communities around the world.

Its focus on the themes of interrelating Islam and social change offersnew insights into understanding the meaning and validity of the Quran.Further study will help us to respond creatively to the new challengesfaced by Muslim societies in the areas of knowledge and leadership, aswell as in dealing increasing social probIems such as the breakdown offamilies, addiction to drugs and violence. The Rzhle-iNuris an importantlamppost illuminating the human quest for understanding the existence ofGod, the relationship between faith and the intellectual and scientific ad-vancement of humanity, achieving contentment, success, and integrity.College ofIsfamicStudiesPrince ofSongkla Unikersi2yPaffzniThaiYand

IMTIYAZYUSUF

Documents

Nursi's Discourse on Belief in Allah