Prisoners, especially those who are young, need the Risale-i Nur as much as they need bread. Young people, following their blind emotions and desires, prefer an ounce of immediate pleasure to tons of future pleasure. However, an hour of dissolute pleasure may result in life’s enjoyment being utterly destroyed, due to the distress caused by the fear of prison and the fear of one’s enemies.

Muslim youths must act heroically and benefit from the “Fruits of Belief” and the “Guide for Youth” of the Risale-i Nur so that they will not destroy their future in this world, their pleasant lives, their happiness in the hereafter, and their eternal lives. Abuse and dissoluteness will cause them to end up in hospitals, and their excesses will land them in prison. In their old age, they will weep copiously with a thousand regrets.

Young prisoners who spend one hour a day performing the five obligatory prayers, who repent their mistakes, and abstain from other harmful sins will gain a great benefit now and in the afterlife. The Qur’an has promised this. If they practice moderation and obedience, showing their gratitude for the pleasant, delightful bounty of youth, this bounty will increase, become eternal, and be a pleasure. Of course, not doing so will lead to the opposite result, which will harm everyone, including themselves.

If they have been imprisoned unjustly, each hour spent performing the obligatory prayers will be the equivalent of a day’s worship, and they will be like pious hermits. If they are poor, elderly, and sick, and want to learn the truth, each hour will become the equivalent of twenty hours’ worship, and prison will become like a rest-house, a place of love, training, and education. Prison will offer them some protection from sin, and they may actually receive a full education there. When released, they will be penitent, proven by trial, well-behaved, and of benefit to the nation. In fact, the Denizli (1) prisoners became so extraordinarily well-behaved after studying the Risale-i Nur for only a short time that some of those concerned said: “Studying the Risale-i Nur for fifteen weeks is more effective at reforming them than putting them in prison for fifteen years.”

I am 75 years old, and I know that life’s happiness is to be found only in belief and in the truths of belief. O you unfortunate prisoners! Since your world is weeping and your life is bitter, strive so that your hereafter will not also weep, and so that your eternal life will smile and be sweet! Benefit from prison! Just as an hour’s watch sometimes may be equivalent to a year’s worship under severe conditions, each hour spent in worship becomes the equivalent of many hours, thereby transforming hardship into mercy.

In His Name, be He glorified!

My dear and loyal brothers!

I will set out three points for the prisoners and for those who help them and faithfully supervise their diet, which is provided from outside the prison.

First Point: Each day spent in prison may equal as much as ten days’ worship, and, with regards to the fruit of this time, may transform those transient hours into enduring hours. But to realize this gain, you must perform the obligatory prayers, repent for your mistake, and offer thanks in patience.

Second Point:Always be patient, for just as the end of pleasure brings pain, the end of pain brings pleasure. Live in the present, for remembering past pleasures and worrying about the future brings pain. Displaying any type of impatience, and ignoring one’s faults, as if you are complaining about God, is most foolish. So long as you remain patient, your distress is reduced by ten to one. I discovered this great truth through personal experience, and encourage you to adopt the same attitude.

Third Point:There is great gain in meeting the prisoners’ physical and spiritual needs. Feeding them is like an act of charity, and is recorded in your book of good deeds. If they are old, ill, poor, or strangers, the reward is increased manifold. To obtain this high profit, perform the obligatory prayers for God’s sake; hasten to help them with sincerity, compassion, and joy; and do not make them feel under obligation.

In His Name, be He glorified!

And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise.

My friends in prison and brothers in religion!

It occurred to me to explain a truth to you which will save you from both worldly torment and the torment of the hereafter. It is as follows: If you murder someone, you might feel a moment of pleasure, but then you will have to contend with long-lasting distress, prison, fear of retaliation by your victim’s family and relatives, and anxiety. The only way out of this is reconciliation, which the Qur’an demands.

Looking at it in Islamic terms, the victim’s time to die had come, and the murderer was simply the means of executing God’s decree. Without reconciliation, both sides perpetually suffer the torments of fear and revenge. This is why Islam commands that “one believer should not be angry with another believer for more than three days.” (2) If the murder was not the result of a vindictive grudge and enmity, and a two-faced trouble-maker instigated the discord, make peace quickly. Otherwise, that minor disaster becomes a large one, and continues. If they make peace and the murderer repents and prays continuously for the victim, both sides gain much and become like brothers.

This happened in Denizli Prison, where all the prisoners eventually became brothers through the lessons of the Risale-i Nur. This caused us to be set free, and even the irreligious and ungodly said: “Masha’llah! Barakallah!” I have seen a hundred men suffer inconvenience because of one man and be deprived of their exercises. Sincere believers of sound conscience will not cause others to suffer for some minor error or benefit. If they do, they should repent immediately.

In His Name, be He glorified!

My loyal new brothers and old prisoners!

In respect of Divine Favor, you are an important cause for our entering here. The Risale-i Nur can save you from the distress of prison and from much worldly harm, needless grief, and sorrow, and secure a pleasing Hereafter for you.

Be brothers to one another. Do not attack each other. Appreciate those who guard you, for they suffer much trouble. And so, new friends, who are by nature bold and courageous, with great moral courage, say to the group:

“If not knives, but rifles and revolvers were given us, and the order to fire as well, we would not hurt our friends. Through the Qur’an’s guidance and command, belief, Islamic brotherhood, and our interests, we forgive them and to try not to offend them, even if formerly there were many reasons for our enmity and hostility.” Transform this prison into an auspicious place of study.

Footnotes

1. A city in Turkey
2. Muslim, Birr, 25.

Reference

• The Words (Sozler Publ., trans. Sukran Vahide) / Thirteenth Word – Second Station- A Footnote to the Second Station of the Thirteenth Word

(By M.Fethullah GULEN…)

In our contemporary world, our self and our ego have become unbridled, insolent arrogant and inflated, as if the ego knows everything. This becomes apparent when we look at such phrases as “self-respect” and “I did.” Developing one’s personality, character, and abilites is necessary. However, if the achievement of such a goal involves the spoiling of the self, throwing an individual into the turbulence of ego, it is better to avoid such exercises, for adding this to the limited possibilities and abilities of one’s self, when added to one’s weak will-power, makes everything more difficult . Those who say “I” in everything they do put their ego at the center and take it as their essence. Thus, all accomplishments and good works only feed the ego. If such ego-centered and self-trusting people stumble and slip, they lose their hope and can find nothing on which they can hold, and so cannot stand up again.

Actually, without falling into such an abyss, individuals can be very productive. First of all, they have to trust the One Who created them. They just need to use the abilities that the Creator has given them, and then ascribe the resulting accomplishments not to themselves, but to the Owner of those abilities. They strongly believe that success comes from the Creator’s, the most powerful, hand. They take this faith with them when they are walking toward the target, and after every accomplishment and bounty give thanks to the real Owner of Everything. Acting in such a way is like an invitation for their Creator to send other bounties.

When compared with those individuals who trust in their egos, those who trust in the Creator are more motivated and encounter less stress when accomplishing great tasks. Believers have the power, which comes from their inner faith and trust in the Source’s power; they have the wealth, knowing that they are fed from the Creator’s treasure of mercy and love; and they have the courage to challenge the whole world, yet remain devoted to the truth of “faith is the light and power, and the person who obtains real faith can challenge the whole world” and “there is no power except the power of the Creator.” Both of these truths are the source of their power.

Certainly, if people place their trust in the One Who is Trustworthy and then strive to better themselves, acquire wisdom, fulfill their duties, and turn accomplishments into opportunities to give thanks to their Creator, they will achieve a very high level of performance and reach goals that those who trust only in themselves have never and can never reach. Every achievement causes such ego-less people to enter a new realm of thanksgiving and protects them from falling into the morass of the ego. They follow the same path as many others, but walk upon it without falling, or pursue the middle way of accepting the ego’s defeat.

Reflections on Self-Improvement

(By Fatih Ferda…)

Introduction

Self-improvement is a mysterious expression, one that sounds impressive, like “human resources”. It is both fashionable and modern. Many people are asking: “What is the aim of self-improvement: improving your self, starting a personal quest for peace, or adhering to the Qur’an’s teachings and taking refuge in God?”

People do not try to improve themselves for the sake of improvement alone; improvement should be purposeful and in accord with our character. Given that there are many characters, there are many ways of improvement and perfection. Maybe the ways to the truth are as many as the heartbeats of creatures, a different recipe for everyone. One of them, at least for Muslims, is Said Nursi’s Risale-i Nur collection.

Not everybody has been enchanted by self-improvement. In fact, some people are completely against it, for self-improvement has a deceptive side. For example, it gives you the feeling that you can do everything. It flatters the ego and makes you say: “Actually, if I tried a little harder, I would become an Einstein.” Many people have become addicted to such books in order to improve themselves, such as the overweight couch potatoes who fall asleep with “Wake up the Giant in You” on their laps. We must beware of the addictive side of this prevalent understanding and self-improvement concept. Obviously, an understanding of improvement that is not all-embracing does not have much to offer.

Take Einstein, Edison, or any other successful person. Which one of them used a self-improvement book for success? Except for one or two, the only success that such writers have obtained is that of writing about success. Self-improvement, now so fashionable, also has a considerable commercial side. There is self-improvement in the essence of religion, but not as we currently understand it. Each member of humanity, who was created in “the best of shapes,” strives to live on the levels of the heart and soul, away from the prison of the human ego. They try to improve their heart and mind within life and without excluding it. Our understanding of self-improvement is that people work to improve their material and spiritual sides in accordance and in balance with their characters.

Self-improvement is not always benign

Capitalism is successful because it assimilates and makes its opponents adapt, keeping them within the system. Nobody tells Muslims not to pray, but they are offered thousands of other choices. Muslims think that they will have no time for praying with other things to do. The West’s strategies of control and assimilation do not depend upon oppression and deprivation, but upon making people believe that they are free or at liberty to transgress the limits set by God. In other words, westerners are trying to assimilate Muslims into western cultures – a “westernization of Muslims”. At this point, we come across an incorrect understanding of Islam that is redefined into a dual worldview. This process results in Muslims becoming westernized, but also in the West becoming Islamized. If we Muslims remain ignorant of the dangers inherent in this process, and do not take due precautions or adhere to our faith clearly and properly, we face the danger of westernization.

The “New Age” movement

The so-called New Age movement is the harvesting of ancient far eastern cultures. The main reason it is attractive is western civilization’s quest for some kind of a spiritual life, which it has neglected, and its presentation in a consumable form … not a philosophy or a worldview, but just a strategy or an object of consumption.

In its most comprehensive meaning, New Age is the totality of systems covering every kind of knowledge (e.g., astrology and tarot), belief (e.g., Buddhism and Sufism), art figures (e.g., totems), physical exercise (e.g., yoga), spiritual experience (e.g., astral projection and meditation), and music (e.g., world music and Sufi music) about life’s spiritual/metaphysical side. Western culture, which already has exploited and consumed the Third World’s natural resources, is now exploiting its spiritual/cultural resources without fully understanding them, and thereby distorting them and spreading misconceptions.

At this point, such openings are no more than a passing interest. That is why Sufism, rather than Islam, is popular in the West. Within the West’s consumption perspective, ideas and beliefs are just products in the supermarket. Buy whichever one you fancy and as much as you want, and then consume it. The capitalist West is open to any type of experience, just as long as it does not affect anyone’s comfort level. Whether it is Buddhism or Sufism does not matter. If these people feel sure that Islam will not disturb their comfort, they will have no problem with it.

There are some grains of truth in the New Age and the self-improvement movements, such as emphasizing the significance of one’s spiritual side. However, those beliefs that have some authenticity in their roots are being made into models for the New Age. At this point, the beliefs of various cultures are blended together and the end product is a culture without a base. Some grains of truth found in this culture can dazzle us and cause our viewpoint to go astray. In fact, the New Age is simply imposing on us the mistaken idea that we do not need religion to find happiness and peace in this world. New Age culture, which leaves the spiritual/metaphysical dimension to a gutted mysticism, highlights the importance of self-improvement when it comes to the physical dimension. Here, if we present the relation clearly, the New Age movement is blending these cultures in a self-improvement understanding unique to itself. Thus, the understanding of self-improvement being formed within this culture threatens Muslims.

Two different ways

There are two paths and two different ways of looking at events: philosophy and Prophethood. The path of philosophy says that self-improvement is possible by existing on one’s own and for one’s self, thereby adopting a Pharaoh-like attitude. Its followers say: “I exist for myself and am the owner of myself.” They adopt an unwarranted degree of pride, but are easily scared by such news as a comet passing by the Earth. In the path of Prophethood, however, perfection and improvement are possible through the realization of one’s impotence and helplessness and, as a result, the choice of God as the only Supporter. Its followers know that they are overwhelmed by reality and thus are impotent and that their faith, which causes them to rely totally on God, enables them to challenge the universe. The Creator, the universe, humanity, and society all have different approaches to social life. The resulting behavior, systems, lifestyles, and thoughts generated by these differences are also completely different. One of them yields a Tuba tree (Heaven); the other yields a Zaqqum tree (Hell). Philosophy says: “The ultimate goal of a person’s perfection is to adhere to the Creator’s position,” while the Prophethood says: “The Almighty is the true owner of everything.” Followers are aware of their impotence and thus rely totally upon God.

Common points and deceptive aspects

Representatives of these two paths have some points in common in their thoughts and lifestyles, rights and wrongs. Yet for the most part their presence can be misleading for us. When we consider the Prophetic saying of “He whose two days are equal (He who makes no progress) is in loss,” we see the Divine perspective that regards the human as the most honorable creature. It sees each person as a being who comes from the mother’s womb, proceeds toward the resurrection, and bears the responsibility that even the mountains would not accept. Thus, it instills great significance into human beings, as well as into other creatures.

On the other hand, many self-improvement books tell you to “grind the axe,” an expression meaning that you should renew yourself. This expression seems to be quite parallel with your beliefs, and so you read the rest of the book eagerly, falling for that expression. You savor the pleasure of having your beliefs confirmed, of looking at life through a new paradigm. Meanwhile, a process of which you are unaware begins. As you read the book, incorrect ideas, along with a bit of truth, enter your mind, for it is wide open. More importantly, despite having something in common with what you already believe, that pleasant expression is based upon a different basis: that of philosophy, which says: “I am my own master; the world exists on its own.” Thus it guides you to a one-sided, perhaps a capitalist, kind of improvement. Even if the principle set forth is the same, the examples, behaviors, and attitudes are totally different.

People should try to renew themselves. However, renewal has an ambigious meaning; it can be understood as a person’s physical renewal of his or her image, or as the making of daily spiritual discoveries. When renewal is mentioned, one understanding is rediscovering beings and events every day, reading, setting sail to new horizons, and describing it accordingly. The other understanding is status, money, and reaching knowledge (but only knowledge that can be transformed into money), and is described accordingly. Those in the first category try to reach the target by using the power granted to them in return for their awareness of their impotence; those in the second category try to reach the target for themselves and by believing in themselves. Therefore, there are great differences between seemingly similar approaches.

If your ideas are not based upon a firm infrastructure, what you learn will be unsound and therefore damaging to your heart and soul. For example, both Buddhism and Islam talk about love and tolerance. But as they are fed from very different sources, they counsel tolerance for different reasons and so take you to different destinations. As we see: “There can be some grains of truth in every false cause.” The presence of a minor truth should not make us believe so navely. Hence, we must know the difference between the path of philosophy and that of the Prophethood. If we have a proper understanding of the Creator and the universe, humanity and society, we will recognize the possible damage by filtering what we read and perceive. However, if we have not discovered ourselves and the true meaning of existence, we will be prone to the damaging influences of both eastern and western philosophy.

Holistic improvement and the perfect person

Our perspective is to take humanity as a whole and offer a balanced line of improvement. The worldview underlying this path is that the body and soul, matter and spirit, the physical world and the metaphysical world are so closely integrated that they cannot be separated from each other. We see the physical and metaphysical worlds not as mutually exclusive, but as two different faces of the same world. Thus, far from being irrelevant to each other, they have a mutual relationship. The West’s dualistic Cartesian understanding divides the world into two and claims that each one has it own set of rules. Islam, however, proclaims that these two worlds (e.g., physics and metaphysics, body and soul, matter and spirit) are not separate; rather, they are closely integrated with each other. Thus, since there is no conflict between the rules of this world and the metaphysical world, for they complete each other, perfecting the human being means improving the individual’s material and metaphysical aspects.

If you take the position that “matter and metaphysics are separate” as a starting point and educate people accordingly, certain problems inevitably arise, for the material and spiritual worlds are not separate. Rather, they are like two sides of the same coin. If we take them separately, as is the case in the West, we would conclude that “Divine books appeal to spirituality, but this world has different rules.” Even if we do not say so openly, our behavior will reflect this. Unfortunately, we are slaves of Cartesian logic, of dualism. We face excesses, deficiencies, and false notions in our lives, for we make this discrimination without being aware of it.

The current understanding of self-perfection focuses only on the spiritual side of life, thereby undermining the material side. On the other hand, some self-improvement approaches consider only the material side. Focusing on only one aspect of a person’s life means that such techniques are deficient; being based upon far-eastern religions and philosophies means that they are of no use to Muslims, for they are not rooted in Islam. Unfortunately, most of the time we fluctuate between excess and deficiency, thereby showing just how alienated we are from our values.

The Path of Truth

Islam is a religion for all humanity, its Prophet is the last Prophet, and the Qur’an is the final Divinely Revealed Book. Therefore, the Islamic perspective embraces all of humanity and considers all human faculties. Such a path teaches us the necessity of reviving our self-discipline, the spiritual soundness of the Sufi lodges and knowledge of the Islamic academy, as well as the necessity in recognizing the individual’s mental, physical, and emotional dimensions. We must practice a balanced self-improvement, based upon the material and spiritual worlds, self-perfection, and our own values, for both worlds are related to each other, as are self-improvement and individual progress. Each of these two paths affects and completes the other and reflects each other’s beauties.

Saving ourselves from dualism depends upon correcting our perspectives. We should pay attention to the relationship of the Creator-human-universe. Our principle should not be to abandon it; rather, it should be a principle like the staff of Moses, bringing out water from every rock that we strike. We must be active in every aspect of life in order to reveal our differences.

If one does not have this viewpoint, one of the two aspects is ignored. The person either develops only partially or in an undesirable way. We, the Prophet’s community, are the real inheritors of Earth, for he said: “He whose two days are equal is in loss.” Therefore we must improve ourselves. However, our understanding of self-improvement differs markedly from the one that is prevalent today. We do not accept today’s understanding of self-improvement, for it ignores human nature and is based upon the Darwinian theory of “the survival of the fittest.”

We understand improvement to mean educating ourselves in life and striving for individual perfection by working on our heart (and soul). We must become successful business people, scientists, teachers, and parents who possess an inner depth in their personal lives. The improvement of our material world and the perfection of our spiritual world must support one another. Improvement should lean on spiritual perfection, so that a positive transformation will take place. Our perspective is based upon improving our spiritual and material faculties by employing the principles of absolute impotence, absolute ardor, and absolute thanksgiving before the Lord. If we do not build up this understanding, we lean toward abuse and misguidance.

Conclusion

Given all of the above, different approaches must be seriously considered, and personal instead of generalized strategies must be devised. Hundreds of self-improvement books are available, but they deal only with one dimension of human life. Thus, those who are attracted to them have certain characters. If the individual is not considered as a whole, he or she will be condemned to remaining a half-person who will raise more half-people and work with other half-people.

The Pitfalls of Self-Improvement

(By Ahmet Ertugrul…)

NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), also known as brain-learning programming, is a very common self-improvement field. Self-improvement activities have become more widespread in recent years, and have resulted in an explosion of courses, seminars, and certificate programs for those who are interested. However, the whole arena of self-improvement contains information that only confuses and misinforms some people

.

NLP actually means neuro-language programming. This method, invented by Richard Bandler and John Grinder and based upon the principles of psychotherapy and rhetoric, has been developed further by experts in psychotherapy, psychology, anthropology, and the like.

Joseph Connor and Ian Mc Dermott, both NLP experts, provide the following information in their The Principles of NLP: “The word neuro is related to the mind and how we regulate our mental life. The word linguistic is about how we use language and how language affects us, and programming explains repeated patterns of behavior and the motives of our actions. In this respect, NLP studies relations; in other words, it is about our thoughts, conversations, and behavior, which connect us to other people, the world, and the spiritual dimension.” (1)

Self-improvement techniques

According to NLP’s principles, human behavior is purposeful. A person’s body acts in accordance with his or her mind. NLP experts emphasize the importance of belief in our behavior and seek answers to various questions, most of which can be answered directly by religion. Even in NLP books, which contain useful and positive advice, the source of information is confined to philosophical or personal comments. Such subjects as anxiety, suspicion, fear, success, problem-solving, attitude, and behavior are evaluated subjectively. It could be said that people’s wishes, demands, and objectives are, in a way, abused. The methods used to obtain success, as well as the basic principles laid out, sometimes can conflict with religious principles or even misguide or deceive people. Such expressions as “Your mind is a source of unlimited power” and “There is an unlimited source of power inside you” can be counted among these.

In addition, these books give advice on such subjects as “the power of praying” or “the benefits of belief in health” without any religious content or reference.(2) Actual religious belief or prayer is not part of these activities, for NLP is only a path to partial self-improvement. Self-improvement covers a wide range of activities, from the art of meeting people to living healthily, from nutrition to studying, and from happiness to the effective use of time. In self-improvement books, authors tell us about how they used to be failures without talent or success, and then how they obtained happiness with the help of these books. They quote those who attended the seminars. Such books as The Legend of Kentucky Fried Chicken, which traces Colonel Harlan Sanders’ story, and those about Abraham Lincoln and other famous people, analyze their life stories.

In self-improvement books, experts make up their own numerical or symbolical theories, such as the rule of the 7As, the rule of the 5Ds, the rule of the 3 principles, the rule of the 8 abilities, the 5 keys to success, and so on. We do not claim that all of these books are completely futile, harmful, or devoid of any scientific value. A few good points can be found in any book. Like everything else, what really matters is the nature of these books as a whole. Furthermore, we also should mention that such practices as narrating fictional processes as real, correlating these processes with irrelevant issues, personalizing and nationalizing problems that emerged in different arenas and different circumstances, are in no way correct.

Another point to consider is that such books shift and direct the reader to another domain.

The propoganda of eastern beliefs through self-improvement

Some self-improvement books present completely personal, philosophical, or subjective sources of information, along with a new danger as well. There are people who try to manipulate such books to their best advantage, as well as publishers, whose names recall Indian, Chinese, or other eastern cultures and who have used belief systems associated with Taoism, Buddhism, or Hinduism to do just that. In many western countries, especially America, meditation sessions are held in luxurious hotels. Proclamations are made that exercise relieves not only the body but also the soul, and therefore the seminar leaders recommend such sitting positions known in Buddhist teachings as sukhasana, siddhasana, or padmasaya.(3) Buddhist-based views are scattered throughout the presentation or disguised so as not to alert anybody, and then are offered as novel ideas and concepts to be heard for the first time. For instance, some books refer to common sense as buddhi and introduce suffering within the meaning of dukka. Even in an innocent-looking book which discusses “the power of now,” a Buddhist doctrine correlating happiness to suffering, is imposed.(4)

Another important point to be made here is that Sufism, which offers the true secret of humanity’s real peace and happiness, is identified with Buddhism and Hinduism, whereas Buddhist or Hindu attitudes and philosophies are presented as prescriptions. Some groups introduce the Dalai Lama of Tibet as the world’s greatest spiritual leader and claim that Buddhist meditation is the only path to happiness. Many self-improvement books, which are widespread in this society, approach such basic concepts as soul, self, love, beauty, and eternity from Buddhist, Manichaean, Hindu, Taoist, and even Shamanist points of view. Such an approach confuses people who do not have a solid religious background.

Usually, ideas and superstitions that contradict Islam and other monotheistic religions appear in books containing Buddhist, Hindu, and Taoist teachings, as well as those of the Dalai Lama, all of which are written to spread eastern belief systems. It is a pity that these works confuse people when it comes to God, the Prophets, angels, the Hereafter, death, and similar concepts. Some people think that these books emphasize spirituality as opposed to materialism, just as some movies do, based in the Christian mysticism of Europe’s Middle Ages, with magic and myths, for these have points in common and parallel purposes with Asian creeds. Those who attend meditation sessions in fancy hotels attribute divinity to a man by prostrating before him, and fall for such non-monotheistic beliefs as reincarnation.

First, people were deprived of their spiritual needs, and then were deceived into believing that science and scientific concepts could satisfy all of their wants, in an attempt to replace these needs.

When all of this turned out to be a delusion, they were offered other delusions in the name of satisfying their souls and spiritual feelings. At all costs, they are kept away from Islam, which stands before all humanity as the sole alternative. The underlying purposes of such publications and activities, along with their desires and plans, is an attempt to take advantage of the deficiencies brought about by spiritual isolation. However, those beliefs or ideas that separate people from their Creator or deny the reality of their absolute dependence upon Him directly contradict human nature. Worldviews that burden people with loads that they are not meant to bear and cannot bear, by assuming that they can achieve everything, only deepen their unhappiness. By placing more demands and requirements upon them, they can never become truly happy. As in the past, such a function was given to science and people were deceived into believing that science would solve every problem. We face a similar phenomenon, one with the same purpose, today.

Conclusion

The unhappy people of today, while searching for the sources that will make them happy, pursue everything that is presented as a solution. On the other hand, some groups take advantage of the individuals’ ignorance of the subject and expose those people who are looking for correct information to a flood of misinformation. Those who impose superstitious views and rituals, which claim to have everything that a person needs, reject all religious beliefs and presumptions. They keep on confusing “the lonely person” with ever-increasing greed.

Above all, the most important thing to do is to supply people with those moral and spiritual values that they so desperately need within the basic Islamic framework. Developing such studies and presenting them as an alternative search, and taking its logic and schematic structure from the right basics, will reinforce the people’s self-confidence. Spending time with phony and misleading spiritual “treasures,” instead of the real treasure within the base of our own house, gains us nothing.

Footnotes

1 Joseph O’Connor and Ian McDermott, The Principles of NLP, trans. Demet Uyar Ezerler

(Istanbul: Sistem Publ., 2001), xiii.

2 Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking, trans. Sahin Cuceloglu (Istanbul: Sistem Publ., 1998).

3 Henry Brunel, La mathode du chat, trans. Birsel Uzam (Istanbul: Civiyazilari Publ., 2001), 105.

4 Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now, trans. Semra Ayanba (Istanbul: Akasa Publ., 2001).

As love is an innate need, we love delicious foods and fruits; our parents, spouse, children, friends, and companions; pious people, Prophets, and saints; life and youth; the season of spring, beautiful things, and the world. When all of these things and people either abandon us, due to their absence, whether temporary or permanent, or cause us to suffer, due to their own sufferings (e.g., illness, death, old age) that touch our hearts, we cannot help but ask: “Since I cannot stop myself from loving them, can I love them in a way that will not cause me any pain?” Is there a recipe for painless love?

By means of the will, love’s face may turn from one object of love to another. For example, when a beloved displays some ugliness or shows that he or she is a veil or mirror to another beloved, who is truly worthy of love, then love’s face may be turned from the metaphorical beloved to the true beloved.

Recipe for painless love

Love may cause pain due to one’s separation from the beloved, the beloved’s decline, or the beloved’s lack of response. In order to experience painless love, then, the subject of our love must be everlasting, immune to decline, and sure to respond. Only God, Who is eternal and everlasting, does not decline, and always answers our love for Him, has these attributes.

Therefore, the recipe for painless love is to dedicate our true love to God and to love everything for His sake. It is unreasonable to expect a person not to love that which he or she loves. But it is possible to love them for God Almighty’s sake and in the name of His Love? Let’s consider some examples:

Love of delicious food

The love of delicious food and luscious fruit can be changed to a love for God’s sake by seeing them as the bounties of God Almighty, the All-Merciful and Compassionate One. In this way, our love for them becomes a love of His Names, the All-Merciful and the Bestower of Bounties. Moreover, it takes on the meaning of thanks. Such love seeks gain contentedly within the sphere what is permissible, thereby showing that it is both for the sake of the instinctual soul and in the name of the All-Merciful One. It is to enjoy something thoughtfully and with gratitude.

Love of parents

Love and respect for one’s parents, for the sake of the Divine Wisdom and Mercy that compassionately entrusted you to them and caused them to bring you up with tender care, pertain to God Almighty’s love. The sign that this love, respect, and compassion are for God’s sake is that when they are old, useless, and troublesome, we become even more loving, kind, and compassionate toward them. The Qur’anic verse: Your Lord has enjoined you to worship none but Him, and to show kindness to your parents. Should one of them, or both, attain to old age in your care, never say to them a single word of contempt, nor rebuke them, but speak to them kind words (17:23), exemplifies this attitude. Being kind to parents also is mentioned in Qur’an 2:83, 2:215, 4:36, 6:151, 17:23-24, 19:14, 19:32, 29:8, 31:14, 46:15, and 71:28.

God’s Unity and not associating any partners with Him is the Qur’an’s most important message. Yet in the Qur’an 2:83, 6:151, 17:23, 31:14, treating one’s parents with kindness is ordered right after this most important principle. This demonstrates how important our parents’ rights are, and how ugly it would be to show any ingratitude to them.

Parents deserve their children’s utmost love and compassion. A father desires that his children, more than anyone else, be much better than himself. Furthermore, the children cannot claim any rights over their father. In other words, there is no inherent cause for dispute between parents and children, for disputes arise from envy and jealousy, neither of which the father feels toward his children. Or they arise from an abuse of rights, and the children are not in a position to claim any rights against their father. If a father does not fulfill his responsibilities or if he abuses his children it may not be reasonable to expect the children to be respectful of his behavior. But this does not necessitate rebellion in other affairs nor does it justify showing disrespect. Under such circumstances, the children can still obey their father in manners approved by God and pray for him.

Even more importantly, the mother deserves the highest degree of everyone’s love and respect. In an authenticated prophetic tradition, Prophet Muhammad says: “Paradise lies beneath the feet of mothers” (Ahmad, Nasai). It is also reported in the prophetic tradition that a man came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?’ The Prophet said: ‘Your mother.’ The man said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: ‘Then your mother.’ The man further asked, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: ‘Then your mother.’ The man asked again, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: ‘Then your father.’ (Bukhari, Muslim).

Love of children

The love and protection of children with complete compassion and tenderness pertain to God when we see them as gifts of the All-Compassionate and Generous One. The sign indicating that this love is for Almighty God’s sake is the display of patience and thankfulness when they die, rather than crying out in despair. It is to say: “He/she was a lovable little person created and owned by my Creator, Who entrusted him/her to my supervision. Now that His wisdom requires it to be thus, He has taken him/her from me … to a better place. If I had one apparent share in that little person, 1,000 true shares belonged to his/her Creator.” It is to submit by saying: “All authority is with God.”

Love of friends

As for friends and acquaintances, if they are friends of God Almighty due to their belief and good works, according to the meaning of “love for God’s sake,” that love also pertains to God.

Love of spouse

Love between spouses is for God’s sake when it is not conditioned on transient attributes. A husband loves and cherishes his wife as a companionable and gracious gift of Divine Mercy. He does not fasten his love to her physical beauty, which swiftly fades. Rather, a woman’s most attractive and agreeable beauty is her fine character, which accompanies her unique delicacy and refinement.

Her most precious and sweet beauty is her earnest, sincere, sublime, and luminous compassion. This beautiful tenderness and fine character continues and increases until the end of her life. Moreover, that weak and delicate person’s rights of respect are protected by that love. Otherwise, she will lose her rights when her superficial beauty fades, a time when she most needs them.

Similarly, a wife loves her husband not for his looks, strength, or wealth, as these are only transient things. Instead she loves him as her everlasting companion in the garden of Paradise, and as a compassionate partner in this world who sacrifices his time, energy, and wealth for his family’s well-being.

Love of pious people

Our love of the Prophets and saints as God Almighty’s most esteemed servants is for His sake and in His Name, and not for their persons. In this form, it pertains to Him. Such love, if not done for God’s sake, may cause us to turn them into idols.

Love of life and youth

Our love of life is for God’s sake when we love and preserve life as the most precious wealth and capital that will gain us a happy eternal life. We see life as a comprehensive treasury yielding eternal perfections, something that Almighty God has given to us and to all humanity. When we employ our time, which is what life is made of, in His service, our love of life pertains to the True Object of Worship. Similarly, our love of youth becomes a painless love when we see it as a fine, sweet, and beautiful bounty of Almighty God and put it to proper use in God’s guidance.

Love of the spring and this world

Our love of the spring turns into a love of His Names when we love it thoughtfully as being the page of the subtlest and most beautiful inscriptions of Almighty God’s luminous Names. In this perspective, we see the spring as the most finely adorned and glittering exhibition of the All-Wise Maker’s supreme art. Similarly, our love of this world can be for God’s sake when we love it as the tillage for the Hereafter, as a mirror of the Divine Names, and a missive of God Almighty. We see it as a temporary guesthouse in which we train our souls to reach spiritual heights by struggling against the carnal self’s evil commands.

In short, loving for God’s sake requires that we love this world and its inhabitants as indicating, like words, a meaning beyond themselves, rather than loving them just for themselves. When we see a beautiful member of creation we say: “How beautifully it has been made” instead of “How beautiful it is.”

True love for God’s sake does not give any opportunity for other loves to enter one’s inner heart, because the inner heart is the mirror of God, the Eternally Besought One, and pertains only to Him. This love is crystallized in the following prayer: “O God, grant us love for You, and love for that which will draw us closer to You.”

When it assumes this form, each type of love enumerated above gives a painless pleasure, and, in one respect, leads to an unending union. Moreover, all of them increase our love of God. Due to their connection with the Eternal One, these forms of love are feelings of gratitude and a source of pure pleasure and joy.

The parable of the apple

To understand the difference between loving something for its own sake, as opposed to loving it for its giver’s sake, consider the following parable: If a mighty king were to give you an apple, there would be two types of love for that apple and two types of pleasure in it. First, you would love the apple because it is beautiful and delicious. The pleasure associated with this love is specific to, and is concerned only with the existence of, the apple. This love does not concern the king. Those who feel this kind of love, who eat the apple in the king’s presence, love the apple itself and their own souls rather than the king. The king is not pleased with the type of love that nourishes the instinctual soul; in fact, he detests it. Moreover, the pleasure that the apple gives is very limited and passes quickly. After it has been eaten, only the regret of its departure remains.

The second type of love, however, acknowledges the king’s favor. Those who consider the apple to be something precious, as if it were the sample and embodiment of a royal favor, show their love for their king. Moreover, the pleasure in that fruit, which is a sort of container for the favor, is far greater than the pleasure obtained from 1,000 apples. This pleasure, then, is the essence of thankfulness, and this love is a respectful love for the king.

Conclusion

If we love all bounties and fruits for themselves and delight in them only for the material pleasures that they yield, our love is merely love of self. Also, such pleasures are transient and bring pain. But if they are loved as favors proceeding from God’s Mercy and as fruits of His Munificence, then they always remind us of their source.

When the pleasure is obtained from them with a good appetite, appreciating the degree of kindness in that Divine Munificence and Favor, then it has both the meaning of gratitude and is a pain-free pleasure. The taste of the fruit may vanish, but the Giver of the gift of fruit is eternal. The beloved may die, but the Creator and the Sustainer of every being is eternally alive. The apparent beauty may decay, but the Source of true beauty is not subject to decay.

The recipe for painless love, then, is to direct our love away from transient things and toward the Eternal One, and to love everything else in His sake. The thirteenth-century Turkish mystic poet Yunus Emre expressed this paradigm concisely in his poem: “We love the creation because of the Creator.”

References

‘ Ali, A. Y. An English Interpretation of the Holy Qur’an with Full Arabic Text. Kazi Publications: 1995.

‘ Emre, Y., K. Helminski, R. Algan, E. Helminski trans. The Drop That Became the Sea: Lyric Poems of Yunus Emre. Shambhala Publications: 1999.

‘ Khan, M., trans. Sahih Al-Bukhari: The Translation of the Meanings. Darussalam Publishers: 1997.

‘ Siddiqi, A. H., trans. Sahih Muslim. Kitab Bhavan: 2000.

‘ Harf Information Technology. Hadith Encyclopedia. Egypt: 1996.

‘ Nursi, S. “The 32nd Word,” The Words. Kaynak A.S.: 1997.

Unfortunately, most of the time it is too late. Sometimes I try to take a closer interest in the ones we save, trying to find out what solution they expected suicide to provide and the underlying reasons for their attempt.

Being an emergency room doctor and seeing many suicide cases has enabled me to look into this issue’s metaphysical dimension. A healthy society is composed of individuals who are physically and spiritually healthy. The ever-increasing spiritual absence and economic problems faced by our society have a negative influence upon the psychology of both the society and the individual. People are on the verge of explosion, because they have been weakened in their attempt to solve life’s problems. This is especially true for those who have weak personalities, who find no support from their families or environment, and who try to solve everything on their own but cannot do so. Sometimes, the resulting depression leads them to attempt suicide.

Why people commit suicide?

The psychological problems that people cope with are encountered by our society and also comprise a critical issue facing the world as a whole. In 2001, the World Health Organization reported that one-fourth of the world’s population suffers from psychological problems. According to data collected from 185 countries, depressive disorders are regarded as the fourth major cause of disease. The same study reported that every year, 1 million people commit suicide and 10-20 million more attempt suicide.

Research reveals that fatal suicide is more common among single and unemployed men aged between 30-40 and those who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or depression. On the other hand, suicide attempts are more common among single, unemployed women under 30 and people suffering from depression. Most of these people attempt to commit suicide again, often with fatal results.

There are several apparent reasons for attempting suicide: various disabilities, suffering from a major disease (e.g., cancer, ulcers, cardio-vascular diseases, epilepsy) and such risk factors as tough life-conditions, which engender feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. The underlying factor is accepted to be the absence of faith in fate and the Day of Judgment. Oblivious of the world’s being a place of testing, they panic because of the emerging risk of losing their accustomed comforts and pleasures. They lack such essential knowledge as God being the All-Just and the All-Compassionate, as well as the significance of patience. In addition, they sever all bonds linking them to life. In such cases, the lack of an environment with a rich culture of conscience and heart which provides the best companionship is one of the biggest misfortunes.

The presence of family members who attempted suicide also may generate a tendency toward suicide, though the data on this is not quite clear.

The Journal of the American Medical Association, in its March 2002 issue, pointed out that suicide cases among American young people have increased markedly in recent years. Suicide is said to be the second highest cause of death among college students, the third among people between aged 14-24, and the sixth among children aged 5-14. The same study says that from the 1950s onwards, suicide rates have tripled among males aged 15-24 and more than doubled among women.

Suicidal people often exhibit the following symptoms: altered eating and sleeping habits, aloofness from family and friends, lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities, the use of alcohol and drugs, hopelessness, feelings of guilt, complaints of being tired and uneasy, absentmindedness, failure, and the entrusting of valued objects to others. Those who see such symptoms in others should treat these people carefully, take a close interest in them, and share their worries, for some young people with suicidal tendencies might have treatable disorders (e.g., depression or drug abuse). 

Medicine and children

While there are many ways to commit suicide, the most common seen by emergency personnel is overdosing on a particular medicine or drug. Of course not all such cases are suicide attempts, but overdosing in order to commit suicide figures in a majority of them. This indicates the importance that must be given to this matter.

Surprisingly, in some places children under five comprise nearly half of all overdose victims. The primary reason for this figure is momentary parental neglect. We know that young children are prone to eat unpleasant-tasting things with a rotten smell and appearance. Another factor is the incorrect behavior of adults who take their medicine in front of children, for children just imitate what adults do. The family’s children are fascinated when elderly people spread out their medicine and tell them: “These pink pills are for high blood pressure, these white pills are for rheumatism, and the green ones are for my stomach.” The following answer, given by children who have become ill because of taking such medicines, proves that adults need to be more aware of how their children view medicine. They should think about how to answer such questions as: “My grandparents take the same medicines, so why aren’t you angry with them as well?”

The relation between taking medicine and adult suicide rates

The most frequent cause for adult suicide is overdosing on certain medicines. Mortality rates are 5-8 percent, due to reaching the hospital too late, the lack of antidotes, and being unable to make an early diagnosis.

The troubles arising within both our personal and our natural environments from such overdoses are shaking our society’s basic structure. This situation is an obstacle to solving the problems of people living in spiritual depression.

While we need a world-wide spiritual cooperation to solve this problem, only medical doctors are making any effort in this area, mainly by asking: “Can I at least save this young person who has just been brought in?” The first thing to do in such cases is to provide medical assistance. On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that medical emergency services cannot provide ultimate success. What we really need to do is to eliminate the root causes of why people attempt suicide.

This duty falls upon the shoulders of the government, people of religion, and psychologists. People who are physically and spiritually healthy also can help. For a society to be healthy, everybody must strive to prevent negative and harmful things happening to others. This approach must be based upon brotherhood and sisterhood.

People must be motivated to love and care about each other, listen to others’ worries, and guide each other to healthy thoughts. This way, they will not feel lonely and will be able to find people to support them in times of trouble. As a result of this concern, suicidal people tend to change their minds and have healthy thoughts.

In the Qur’an, God Almighty says: Do not take life, which Allah has made sacred (17:33). Prof. Suat Yildirim comments that “the person himself/herself is also included in the Divine Prohibition against killing.” Therefore, practicing Muslims do not contemplate suicide. However, the regret and shame following such attempts highlight the need to help those who do attempt suicide, instead of just blaming or criticizing them.

If Destiny has given us the duty to help those who come to the emergency room as a result of an overdose, we should try to fulfill this duty in the best way possible. As for those entrusted with educating people and guiding society, they should work hard to make sure that young people, who could be the future, never have to be brought to hospital on a stretcher because of an overdose.

References

– www.un.org.tr/who/who.htm

– www.toxnet.nlm.nih.gov

– Heckman JD, Rosenthal RE, Worsing RA, McFee AS. Zehirlenmeler, sokmalar ve isiriklar (poisonings, stings and bites) .

– Hasta ve Yaralilarin Acil Bakimi ve Nakledilmesi (emergency care for the sick and the injured) Copyright@ 1987 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons – trans. Nasetti Ltd 1991:27;284-301.

– Pirkis J, Burgess P. Suicide and recency of health care contacts. A systematic review. Br J Psychiatry. 1998:173:462-474.

– Murphy GE. Why women are less likely than men to commit suicide. Comp Psychiatry. 1998:39:165-175.

– Hawton K. Assesment of suicide risk. Br J Psychiatry 1987:150:145-153.

– Stevens LM. Ergenlik Caginda Intihar (suicide at adolescence). Ed. Glass RM. JAMA. Mart 2002. 15(3); 146. 

Water, an indispensable part of our lives, forms 70% of the world, 65-70% of the human body, 85% of our brain, 20% of our bones, and 5-10% of dry seeds. Nearly 40 kgs of a person weighing 65 kgs is water. Moreover, the molecular structure of water is unique, for it differs from other liquids. If we study its structure, we conclude that it is flammable or supportive of fire. In a water molecule, a a flammable gas (H+) and a gas supportive of fire (O-) are found together. Within the cradle of water, these “children of fire,” have apparently “forgotten” how to burn and be burned, and so they became a source of “coolness and safety” (Qur’an 21:69).

Scientists tell us that all objects falling from a certain height accelerate toward the ground. However, a raindrop is an exception. If water acted in accordance with this principle, it would pierce everything it touched, just like a bullet. However, raindrops descend at a constant speed, as if they had parachutes. They touch the wing of a butterfly with great delicacy and land on a violet’s petal without harming it. In other words, rain becomes a Divine Mercy.

Let’s take a brief look at water, considering its benefits to our body and the amount we should drink.

The functions of water in our body

We cannot even count all of the benefits of water to the human body. The following are only some of its foremost functions: It controls bodily heat, helps excrete toxic substances via perspiration and urination, carries the substances in our blood, regulates the blood’s acid-base balance, enables cells to absorb food by dissolving it (water is the best solvent), makes germination possible through humidity, and regulates the concentration inside the cell in order to maintain substance exchange.

How much water should we drink?

On average, people lose 2.5 liters, 10 glasses of water a day through perspiration, respiration, urination, and defecation. We lose it even when we breathe. All of this lost water has to be replaced, especially in the case of infants, who should never be deprived of water, and the elderly.

We do not meet all of our needs with water. We satisfy our need with other drinks and food as well, and yet water is the best substance with which to quench one’s thirst. No drink can substitute it. For one to be healthy and the kidneys and lungs to function normally, one should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. As drinks with caffeine and alcohol increase urination and water loss, we should not choose them instead of water when we are thirsty.

Are there any exceptions? Of course there are… For example, if you have kidney stones, drinking 10 or more glasses a day is recommended. When the weather is hot, humid, or cold, one’s need for water increases, just as when we are at a high altitude or engage in physical exercise. Plenty of water must be consumed in such circumstances.

What sort of water should we drink?

According to Ibrahim Hakki of Erzurum, river water is healthier than well water. In fact it is the best type of water, especially if the river runs through a clean and uncontaminated environment, and down from a spring located above it. Abundant water that runs forcefully is the best type of water. But finding clean rivers is becoming increasingly harder, due to widespread pollution. Artesian well water has a high pH degree owing to its stagnancy. Underground water has a high pH degree in general, and water in caves and wells has an even higher pH degree. On the other hand, spring water is light and delightful to drink.

When should we drink water?

Drinking water two or three hours after a meal is a good, healthy practice. According to some scholars, drinking water during a meal prompts disease. But if you have heartburn, you should drink water during and after the meal, for it increases your appetite. You should not drink water, especially cold water, when you are hungry or sweaty, after having a bath, taking laxatives, or eating fruit, for doing so will make you even thirstier. If you are patient, your thirst will fade away spontaneously. Drinking water while sitting is recommended.

Regulating the amount of water

The hypothalamus, located near the brain, regulates the amount of water in a person’s body. The ADH (vasopressin) hormone secreted by the epiphysis maintains the amount of water in our body. The slightest change in pressure and volume is detected by pressure-sensitive osmotic receptors, which are located in our heart as well, and baro-receptors (pressure-sensitive receptors) located in our veins. These receptors detect any changes in water pressure and volume, and then inform the brain of this unbalance. The ADH hormone, secreted from the back part of the epiphysis causes the kidneys to reabsorb water and thus reduce excretion.

What does drinking large amounts of water indicate?

In general, there is no problem if we drink a lot of water. Excessive thirst and excessive urination may be a sign of diabetes, as well as an indication of diabetes inspidus. Diabetes metillus (common diabetes) is related to the insulin hormone. Diabetes inspidus, however, results from an ADH hormone deficiency, thereby causing an imbalance of water in our body. Therefore, it is a good idea to consult a doctor if we experience excessive thirst or urination. Being thirsty while exercising is not a good sign, for researchers say that we should supply the water that we need before engaging in exercise or hard work. Usually, the body does not need much water for the first hour. But while exercising, one should drink water once every 20 minutes.

Qur’anic verses dealing with water

As the Qur’an mentions everything that is important for humanity and to human life, it contains some verses about water. A few of these are given here:

– He will then loose the heavens upon you in torrents. (71:11)

– And brought down from the rain-clouds abundant water. (78:14)

– Have you not seen that Allah drives the clouds, then brings them together, then piles them into a heap, from which you can see rain coming? He brings mountains of hail from the sky, with which He smites whomever He pleases and diverts it from whomever He pleases. The gleam of its lightning almost blinds the eyes. (24:43)

– Or have you seen the water that you drink? Have you brought it down from the clouds or did We send it down? Had we wished, We would have made it bitter; if only you would give thanks. (56:68-70)

References

– www.mayohealth.org

– Ibrahim Hakki, Marifetname (Bedir Publ.).

– R. Murray, Harper’s Biochemistry.

– Senai Demirci, Dar Kapidan Gecmek.

In the two Texas counties of Tarrant and Dallas, there are over 200,000 Muslims from all around the world. Some are Arabs, but only one in five of all Muslims is from the Middle East. Many are from Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh (the three largest Muslim countries in the world), and India. Others come from Africa and Europe, and many thousands are African Americans. All large cities of Texas have mosques and Muslim community centers; even rural Texas has increasing numbers of Muslim inhabitants. Our dialogue can begin here – with neighbors in our own community.

In the spring of 2002, a class of more than 30 students at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University devoted a semester to studying Islam and Christian-Muslim relations. Under the guidance of their professors, one a Christian and one a Muslim, they listened to visiting speakers, attended services in local mosques, and spoke with Muslims from many walks of life. As a culmination of this transformative experience, the class formulated a set of guidelines on Christian-Muslim dialogue, which they now offer to members of churches located in the Metroplex and throughout Texas. It is their prayer that through dialogue, Christians and Muslims everywhere will affirm together a wider vision of community and a shared resolve that religion must never be an instrument of hatred and division.

Principles of Christian-Muslim dialogue

1. Dialogue invites us to come together as people, not as belief systems. It acknowledges that each religious tradition is pluralistic within itself, and realizes that each dialogue partner speaks from a particular religious perspective that cannot – and does not – represent all adherents of that faith. Dialogue also recognizes that each participant is located within a particular cultural, political, and economic perspective and inevitably brings particular loyalties, commitments, and preconceptions to the relationship. Through dialogue, we get to know one another as individuals.

2. Dialogue, which is characterized by courtesy and respect, is most productive when its participants are considerate, open-minded, and genuine in their desire to learn from the other partners. Each tradition’s scripture, beliefs, and practices deserve our respect for having brought countless diverse people into a relationship with God.

3. Dialogue is enhanced if participants have engaged in a preliminary investigation of the other faith tradition, as well as in an informed and self-critical reflection upon their own faith identity. We must come prepared to the best of our ability, for dialogue enjoins us to listen with and speak from the heart as much as the head, to be open, vulnerable, honest, and sensitive to feelings of frustration or offense.

4. Dialogue enables us to confront inherited preconceptions. It asks us to remember that Christians and Muslims share a history of both fruitful exchange and peace as well as of misunderstanding and fierce conflict. In dialogue, we are mindful that ambiguous situations sometimes can be misinterpreted or misrepresented. Dialogue deliberately seeks to identify and dispel common stereotypes and inherited misconceptions based on misinformation.

5. Dialogue recognizes that in order to reach a clear understanding, we must pay attention to vocabulary. Some words have specialized meaning within a religious system; the meaning of others varies over time or within certain contexts or between cultures. Dialogue entails a careful clarification of our use of language.

6. Dialogue asks us first to understand, and only then to be understood. In dialogue, we listen in order to understand the other’s point of view and seek to understand each person as they understand themselves. We seek to understand each religious system “from within” or on its own terms, while temporarily setting aside our own critical presuppositions.

7. Dialogue is enhanced by each participant’s strong faith convictions. In a context of courteous listening and mutual trust, we can offer an authentic expression of our own personal faith. Dialogue involves a humble and sincere exchange of information about each participant’s faith journey and sustaining religious tradition.

8. Dialogue seeks to share, challenge, and be challenged. Insisting one’s own religious tradition’s superiority inevitably undermines productive dialogue. We can be truly respectful of the integrity of our dialogue partner’s religious identity only if we avoid all attempts at proselytizing.

9. Dialogue can occur on many levels besides that of theological discussion. For example, it is enriched through interactions of friendship and hospitality, working together in community projects and celebrations, and making common cause to solve social problems. Dialogue is most vital and effective when we pray together, open our homes to each other, and actually share our lives together.

10. Dialogue should be transformative, opening the windows of the mind and spirit to a broader vision of God’s presence in the world.

Dialogue in practice

Here are some practical suggestions for interfaith dialogue meetings.

1. Fair and thoughtful planning, done together and well in advance, can help ensure that both Christians and Muslims feel comfortable and welcome at meetings. A skillful and knowledgeable moderator, as well as a neutral environment, may smooth initial encounters, for it is important to encourage real discussion and interaction among participants. Dialogue is enriched by wide-ranging participation, including persons of various ages, socioeconomic levels, types of spirituality, and cultures.

2. Anticipating that we will encounter both similarities and differences, dialogue recognizes that mutual acceptance and understanding, not absolute agreement, is the main goal. Initially, dialogue should focus on common features and similarities, without minimizing differences, while working to build the trust that will allow candid discussion of those differences. Issues for early discussions might include the five pillars of Islam and their Christian counterparts or concerns related to social justice, ecology, or the challenges of secularism. A host of other issues will raise themselves in the early meetings.

3. We should have realistic expectations about our meetings. Dialogue is a long-term and ongoing process of building community, not a few shared encounters. Still, the journey can be taken only one step at a time. All participants should be encouraged to make an active and steadfast commitment to walking together toward understanding and peace. 

Globalization or Westernization?

As the mere terminology surrounding the debate has led to a considerable amount of confusion and misunderstanding, we need to define our terms. Globalization is the spread and exchange of people, goods, and ideas across the globe. Characteristically, it is directly associated with change, or transformation, modernity, and an increasingly interdependent relationship between different regions of the world. “Globalization is an aspect of human life that has always been there since the beginning of humanity. It corresponds with the natural human instinct and man’s tendency towards being a ‘social animal.’ It is the tendency with which God has created man to live on exchanging his sources and experiences with others around him, in order to achieve and realize the best chances of life.” (1)

However, globalization is frequently associated with the liberal classical economic theory, and since the mid-1970s with neo-liberalism, which has its roots in the classical economic theory. More specifically, globalization is considered a reflection of the classical economic theory’s principle of comparative advantage, which promotes an open economic system and free trade in order to achieve and realize the best chances of life.

Although the process of globalization has been linked with concepts of comparative advantage, free trade, and open economy, its origins can be traced to a time long before such ideas appeared. In order to develop a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the so called “Islam-globalization” debate, it is critical to distinguish between the process of globalization in its original sense and such relatively more contemporary processes, like Westernization, that are masked as globalization and yet are fundamentally different.

“Globalization targets the narrowing of the gaps separating different communities. This is done by exchanging benefits in all aspects of life — economic, social, scientific, and political governance. That is, they exchange information, understand each other’s values and codes of ethics and build a common ground.” (2) In contrast, Westernization does not consider such an understanding or building of such common ground to be worthwhile enterprises. Globalization is a process in which “the whole world becomes like a small village, where the less advanced communities can develop their capacities” and that “tends to be a two-way street process, which makes it possible for each community to take as well as to give.” (3) Westernization, on the other hand, tends to be a one-way street, meaning that one region attempts to dominate and control other regions in the name of globalization. Moreover, while globalization occurs through the free will of different communities, Westernization is characteristically imposed upon other regions.

Islam’s role

Having clarified the difference between globalization and Westernization, the Islam-globalization debate can be assessed more accurately. Islam is not anti-globalization (or modernity, which is considered to be a by-product of globalization) in its original sense, but Muslims do have a problem with Westernization. “Although Westernization of society is condemned, modernization as such is not. Science and technology are accepted, but they are to be subordinated to Islamic belief and values in order to guard against the Westernization and secularization of Muslim society.” (4) Based upon historical precedence and contemporary evidence, Islam clearly embraces globalization in its original form, which is based upon free-will and not upon the aggressive imposition of the West upon the East.

First of all, it is important to note that Islam orders people to cooperate, to be helpful to one another according to goodness and piety, and not to be helpful in evil and malice (Qur’an 5:2). This principle is fully endorsed by Prophet Muhammad on the local level, regardless if your neighbor is a Muslim or not. Surely this principle can be extended into the international level, where a neighboring country can be defined as any country that has normal economic and political relations with the Islamic world.(5)

Other factors illustrate Islam’s acceptance and predominant role in the process of globalization. “For several centuries, Arabic was the world’s leading language in sciences. Muslims made important advances in mathematics, astronomy and medicine — a legacy from which European scholars derived great benefit,” and which led to the Renaissance. (6) Globalization is not only a Western phenomenon, for “the agents of globalization are neither European nor exclusively Western, nor are they necessarily linked to Western dominance. Indeed, Europe would have been a lot poorer — economically, culturally, and scientifically — had it resisted the globalization of mathematics, science, and technology [from the East]…”(7)

We have to differentiate between the gifts of globalization and the products of Westernization. More specifically, the Islam-globalization debate in itself is built upon a number of mistaken diagnoses that misconstrue Islam’s place in the globalized world — one that has been quite productive in the past and has the potential to be productive in the future. The misguided assumption that Islam opposes globalization and modernization is dangerous, because it could potentially result in the loss of Islam’s significant contributions to the rest of the world.

Muslim attitudes toward Westernization

The Muslim world’s reaction to Westernization, and the West’s emergence as the dominant force transforming the world, must be assessed. “It is similar to the emergence of the Arab Muslims as a major world power in the seventh and eighth centuries…”(8) It is important to note that “the Muslim weakness at the end of the eighteenth century coincided with the rise of an entirely different type of civilization in the West, and this time the Muslim world would find it far more difficult to meet the challenge.”(9) In the past, Muslim communities were able to revitalize Islam’s role and power in the world. However, the impact of Westernization was an unprecedented experience that significantly challenged Islam and created a bi-polar dichotomy that separated the West from the rest — and specifically from Islam.

From a historical perspective, Westernization minimized Islam’s role and made it dependent upon the Western way of doing things. “The Islamic world has been convulsed by the modernization process. Instead of being one of the leaders of world civilization, Islamdom was quickly and permanently reduced to a dependent bloc by European powers.”(10) As a result, resentment toward the West emerged. Muslims questioned whether they would have to accept Western-style modernization or be deemed as being anti-globalization. “From this point, a growing number of Muslims would wrestle with these questions, and their attempts to put Muslim history back on the straight path would sometimes appear desperate and even despairing. The suicide bomber — an almost unparalleled phenomenon in Islamic history — shows that some Muslims are convinced that they are pitted against hopeless odds.”(11)

The emergence and rise of extremism can be directly attributed to the resulting resentment toward the Western style of globalization — a one-way process that does not strive to create a common ground between the West and other regions, and hence the desire and perceived need to pursue religious revivalism. However, we should realize that violence and extremism are not exclusively Islamic phenomena. “The Western media often gives the impression that the embattled and occasionally violent form of religiosity known as fundamentalism is a purely Islamic phenomenon. This is not the case. Fundamentalism is a global fact and has surfaced in every major faith in response to the problems of our modernity.”(12)

“For Islamic society, the underlying concerns regarding globalization are: how to protect a unique heritage in the face of global pressure; to uphold religious traditions; to preserve linguistic purity; to defend social institutions; and ultimately, to maintain a viable identity in the midst of a rapidly changing global environment.”(13) According to Islam, complete submission to God is the first and foremost priority for all Muslims. Anything that undermines Islamic principles is considered a threat to Islam’s longevity and power in the world. More importantly, we should be aware of the fact that despite the Islam-West bi-polarization, Islam is rapidly becoming a global phenomenon that transcends the boundaries that once separated the West from the rest.

Global Islam: The growing phenomenon and implications for the future

Islam is the second largest religion and the fastest growing religion in the world. Islam began to spread in Arabia around the year 610 A.D. when Prophet Muhammad began receiving revelations from God through Archangel Gabriel, sharing with others what he had been told. Today, Islam is a global phenomenon represented by Muslims across the world. “Fifteen million Muslims reside in Europe, and seven to eight million in the United States. There are now about a thousand mosques each in Germany and France, and five hundred in the United Kingdom.”(14) One factor that may explain the rapid spread of Islam is the process of globalization itself.

Islam’s future depends upon its ability to wed Western-style modernism with Islamic principles, or, in other words, whether it can develop an Islamic-style modernism. The challenge is to engage in modernity without sacrificing Muslim values or undermining Islamic principles. “As we are only slowly realizing, Islam is truly a world religion, increasingly visible in Europe and the United States as well as Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.”(15) It is significant for the future of Islam that “the capitals and major cities of Islam are not only Cairo, Istanbul, Mecca, but equally Paris, London, New York.”(16)

Given that Islam has become a global phenomenon, it is increasingly important that its principles are respected and not made irrelevant in the modern world. “All religious people in any age have to make their traditions address the challenge of their particular modernity…”(17) Rather than provoking the bi-polarization of the world, separating Islamic values from Western values, the goal of globalization is to develop an understanding of each other’s values and codes of ethics and to establish a common ground. Establishing a common ground is vital for ensuring the progress of globalization and allowing the world to reach its full potential. Modernization and globalization need to respect the identities of all regions and respect religion as a natural necessity for humanity.

Conclusion

The struggle for religion to remain relevant in the world is common to all religions at some point in history. Much of the literature surrounding the current Islam-globalization debate provides an inadequate and fragmented view of religion’s role in the process of globalization. Secularization, which is promoted in the current forms of globalization, is a new concept. In fact, based upon historical precedence, religion has played a key role in contributing to globalization and, more specifically, Islam has had a predominant role. The challenge for the future of a globalized world, and not just for Islam, is to be helpful to one another according to goodness and piety, and not to be helpful in evil and malice (Qur’an 5:2).

This article is available in Romanian in the following link: http://webhostinggeeks.com/science/article-fountainmagazine-rm

Footnotes

1. www.IslamOnline.com.
2. www.IslamOnline.com.
3. www.IslamOnline.com.
4. John Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, 3d ed. (Oxford University Press, 1998), 165.
5. Choudhury, www.Islamic-finance.net.
6. Hardy, http://news.bbc.co.uk.
7. Sen, www.prospect.org.
8. Karen Armstrong, Islam: A Short History, (Modern Library: 2002), 141.
9. Ibid., 138.
10. Ibid.,
11. 146.
12. Ibid., 153.
13. Ibid., 164.
14. Dr. Ahmed Kamal Aboulmagd, The Middle East Times,
15. Armstrong, Islam, 176.
16. Esposito, Islam, xvi.
17. Ibid, 203.
18. Armstrong, Islam, 164.

At a time when there is a vast interest in acquiring an accurate knowledge of Islam, this book is a welcome addition. What better way to learn of a religious tradition than having one who knows it intimately write about it? For decades, non-Muslims have been “informed” about Islam by non-Muslim Orientalists, ideologues who opposed it for various reasons, atheists, sociologists, Christian and other missionaries, and many similar people. All of them had just one overall view of Islam in common: It was outdated and therefore either in need of being reformed — and of course only they could do the job properly — or it should be thrown into the dustbin of history and replaced with modernity, science, secularism, or just about anything else.

This book refutes all such claims by revealing the underlying essence of Islam’s beliefs and rituals. The author’s obvious piety and profound knowledge immediately sets this book apart from similar works. After reading and pondering upon its five chapters: “The Meaning of Religion and a General Outline of Islam,” Essentials of the Islamic Faith,” “The Pillars of Islam and a Muslim’s Daily Life,” “Islamic Morality,” and “Other Aspects of Islam”-no one can say that Islam is no more than a religion of outdated beliefs and empty ritual formalism that keeps its practitioners backward, passive, superstitious, and ignorant.

Non-Muslims, as well as “cultural” Muslims, will find chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 especially useful, for in them the author expounds upon the foundations of Islam and how they are similar to and differ from their Jewish and Christian counterparts. We learn how Muslims perceive God, spiritual beings, Divine Destiny (often misunderstood as predestination and the consequent lack of choice and free will), the Resurrection and the Afterlife, eschatology, the role of Jesus in the final days, death and the spirit after death, and other related topics. Also examined in detail is the Prophet’s life and why Muslims consider him the best of humanity and their guide on the path of perfection in all spheres, as well as various social aspects: social life, administration, human rights, why Islam is spreading, and what we may expect in the future.

For Muslims, chapter 3 is the most beneficial, for it deals with the underlying and subtle meanings behind such well-known ritual practices as personal purity, performing the prescribed prayers (salat), fasting during the month of Ramadan, giving the prescribed alms (zakat), and making the pilgrimage to Makka. Issues related to the Muslim’s personal life also are analyzed, among them marriage and family life, lawful (halal) and forbidden (haram) activities in one’s social as well as professional life, and prayers. Especially helpful are the various prayers to be made on certain occasions.

Chapter 3 follows the traditional manuals long known to observant Muslims. But this one is different, for instead of just explaining what to do, the author explains why our Creator places such importance upon such attitudes and rituals, as well as what attitude that we should adopt toward Him as a result.

This book should be in the personal library of everyone who is looking for a comprehensive account of what Islam offers to humanity. It will be of great help to practising Muslims, for it provides a much deeper understanding of Islamic rituals and terminology, why humanity was created, and the exact nature of each person’s relationship with his or her Creator. After reading it, no longer will Muslims be content with their usual rote recitation of the Qur’an and participation in Islam’s sacred rituals. May this book find a wide audience, and may its readers seek to re-establish contact with their Creator.

A: In classical Islamic terminology, pluralism means to perceive details in different ways while remaining true to the origin and truth, to understand God’s Will in matters related to us in a way that is worthy of Him, and to have different thoughts and ideas.

There are many ways to God, for how one reaches Him depends upon one’s environment, culture, the degree to which His Most Beautiful Names have been manifested, plus many other factors. Thus, we can say that the appearance of different groups and orders has always been a normal development.

For example, Ali Ibn Abu Talib’s (r.a) approach in, by which he expressed his inherent character, cannot be compared to that of Abu Bakr’s (r.a), just as the characters of Umar Ibn Khattab (r.a) and Abu Dharr (r.a) were very different from each other. For example, they both had the same bravery and courage, but Umar Ibn Khattab (r.a) had a perfect understanding of state and administrative matters, as well as organizational skills, whereas Abu Dharr (r.a) was more of a loner.

Given this, we can say that such pluralism existed even at the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), a time when the Muslims were a perfectly unified community. Thus, such a condition is acceptable. In fact, we can say that unifying the different ways leading to God is against natural law, for people are created with different natures and so cannot think in the same way.

Those who want to make different characters the same cannot understand this fine point, for they cannot understand the inner realities of human behavior and, as a result, do not see people’s inherent abilities. Since God implanted different abilities so that each person would function according to His Wisdom, there has to be pluralism, which is just another word for having different ways of expressing the same reality. The difference in abilities manifested itself as different schools of Islamic jurisprudence, namely, Hanafi, Shafi`i, Maliki, Hanbali, Evzai, Sevri, and Zuhri.

Different systems have existed since the Qur’an’s revelation, and all have served the people’s souls, senses, hearts, and consciences. Other great examples of the differences in ability are Sufyan-i Sevri, Ibrahim ibn A`tham, Beyazid-Bistami, Junayd al-Baghdadi, Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, Sheikh Naqshband, Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, and Imam Rabbani.

In other words, as long as the world exists, the different methods and characters of expressing Islam will also exist. Although the means may be different, a unity in aim and purpose can always be brought about. Although the languages may differ, the truth they explain is one and the same. As the Arab poet says: Our explanations are many and complicated, but Your Beauty is one. They all point to Your Beauty.

Now, we can discuss certain factors necessary for unity and collaboration in terms of true Islamic thought.

Unification, agreement, and managing the different aproaches and characters can take place only at the level of feelings, thought, and mind. At the level of feelings, this can help different groups come together, even if only on a superficial level. However, as people usually continuously develop in thought and soul, such a fragile feeling of unity may not be enough. Therefore, people can become unified on the level of subjective motives (i.e., unity of feelings), and, when this is not enough, on the basis of thought and reason.

Only in this way can the community of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, regain its rightful place among humanity. To realize this lofty goal, Muslims have to do several things. First, we must applaud all services in the way of the Truth, instead of just those with which we agree. We must say: One who mentions my Lord’s name and praises and respects my Prophet is my brother and sister, and accept the others.

It does not matter which way we are following, for our God, book (the Qur’an), Prophet, qiblah (prayer direction), path, and thus our method, are one and the same. Our unity must not be subjective (based upon feelings), but objective (based upon thought and reason).

Secondly, we must never force someone to follow our own way. The way of the Qur’an is to show tolerance and acceptance to everyone. Those who behave with tolerance and gentleness have solved a potential future problem. Pluralism allows everyone to serve the Qur’an and Islam in his or her own way and thereby accomplish various important matters, such as those related to the society or the economy. This was the practice under the Abbasids, with a few exceptions, and we should follow it. We must measure using the criteria of the Ahl al-Sunnah (the followers of the Prophet), discard that which should be discarded, keep that which should be kept, design a new world with new syntheses, and try to be the founders and pioneers of a new world.

For example, two groups that are not part of the Ahl al-Sunnah, the Mu`tazilah and the Jabariyah, always opposed each other. The first group believed in total human agency, while the second group believed in the total lack of human agency. Given these beliefs, their ways of understanding human willpower and choice, as well as God’s creation, were exact opposites. Today, many rationalists think like the Mu`tazilah.

However, the Ahl al-Sunnah took a seed of truth from each group and produced a synthesis. They told the Mu`tazilah that each person has a choice, as revealed in there is nothing for people except what they strive for with their own effort (54:39) and If the Lord of all worlds does not will, you cannot will (81:29). They told the Jabariyah that their view was like kicking a person into the ocean and then saying: Don’t get wet! Thus, the synthesis that they developed was that God’s Will is an important principle that must not be forgotten. Your own will has such a small sphere of administration that its existence and non-existence are almost the same. However, it does exist and is the basis for sin or merit, punishment or reward.

Yes, all issues and principles in Islam are true, real, correct, and just. In every way, Islam is a collection of unifying principles. Each different way and thought contains a seed of truth. Given this, we cannot ignore the different details created by God and the reality of the inherent way of creation. We cannot mix the water coming from different pools and form an imaginary single water way. Everyone can demonstrate the truth of the Qur’an and Islam in their own field, and so should not be preoccupied with others.

Even if we cannot unify ourselves, at least we should not disagree with one another. We must learn to praise or applaud every Muslim and support everyone who says Allah or God. By His Will, and with this intention, true unity will come about in a short time.

Therefore, we must work within the Islamic world with its understanding of faith; its own acceptance and interpretation of Islam; its consciousness of the good; its zeal and yearning for spiritual ecstasy; its reason, logic, mode and system of thinking; its style of expressing and communicating itself; and its own institutions, which will lead to a comprehensive renewal. The fundamentals of our spiritual life, religious thought and imagination are responsible for our past success. Religion gives meaning to humanity and the universe, explains us to ourselves, and embraces and influences every aspect of our individual and collective life.

The axis of all believers’ acts is worship, which is directed toward the Hereafter and seeking God’s good pleasure. There is no “this world/that world” or “mind/heart” dichotomy, for the believers’ emotions and reason are united and their understanding does not ignore their inspiration. So in their mental world, experience stretches up to the mind and knowledge is a high bastion, reinforced with understanding, wisdom, and intuition. Their understanding contains no gap.

Religion does not contradict science and reason and cannot be blamed for clashes among social sections. Such conflicts arise from ignorance, ambition, or vested interests. Clashes between religious people occur because they do not have the same degree of belief and so cannot preserve sincerity or overcome their feelings. Indeed, such conflicts can be avoided only by establishing religion and its institutions in our daily life so that it becomes our society’s life-blood.

The Islamic community needs to be revived by combining serious efforts to preserve Islam’s original principles with the Qur’an’s extensiveness and universality, so that it meets the needs of all people in all times and places, and so that it embraces all facets of life. Islamic history has recorded many renewals, reforms, and revivals. Legal schools represented new developments in jurisprudence and law, Sufi orders turned paths to the heart and the soul into broad highways, and our schools and colleges sought to make sense of the universe and its inhabitants. This latest renewal and revival must combine all of these, for without turning to certainty in faith, sincerity in deeds, and excellence in thought and feeling, it will not occur.

All acts of worship should be performed completely and as outlined in the Qur’an and Sunna. Words should be the means of prayer, and soul and sincerity are essential; the Sunna should be the guide and consciousness a necessity. Only God should be the goal, for if these acts are not performed as required, how are they different from comparable mundane activities?

Somehow, we must mobilize ourselves to raise the physicians of the soul and essential reality who can fill this vacuum in us, eradicate our weaknesses, rescue us from being slaves to our body and carnal desires, and direct us to a level of life in the heart and the soul. We need physicians of spirit and essence, spirit, and reality, physicians whose hearts are open to all fields of knowledge and all spiritual inspirations and Divine blessings. In short, we need whole comprehensive minds.

Such people must be in constant contact and interaction with the atoms, molecules, and particles of the people, just as the mind is in constant contact with the body. They will embrace everyone. By conveying the messages of their soul to all and elevating them to the level of people who have knowledge, skills, and genius for the future, they will present them for the common good and society’s benefit. They will purify everyone of the foulness of the age and guide them toward human perfection.

Moreover, they will transform the media into the voice and breath of social and religious life, and use it to teach the owners of the darkest feelings, thoughts, and voices how to become human. And they will save our educational and training institutions by once again making them open and responsive to the requirements of the present, reorder and organize them according to historical perspectives, and raise them, through the use of styles, methodologies, and planning of a high standard, to a higher level.

Thus we will rise as a society from the misery of rigid and empty formalism to true scientific understanding; from dignifying diverse vile and disgraceful works with the title of “art” to true art and aesthetics; from customs, addictions, and obsessions of unknown origin to the consciousness of a morality based on history and religion; from the snares of various gnawing thoughts in our hearts to the oneness of service, submission, consciousness, and resignation.

Capitalism, communism, socialism, the hybrids of social democracy, and liberalism have nothing new to offer. Our world is open to the new world order. It might even be our renaissance. This revival will make our world of thinking and feeling, and also our understanding of art and aesthetics, gain a heretofore unknown depth and variety. We will find our own aesthetic pleasures, reach our own music, and discover our own romanticism. In short, we will secure our people’s future.

Our flag will be effort and dynamism; our source of strength will be our consciousness of faith and truth. We will no longer have to look for handouts, for we will regain our honor and remain honorable only by holding fast to our own values and surrendering wholeheartedly to God.

Toward Our Own World

Many eras and lands have seen movements that claimed to be reformations and reconstructions. Such claims have always been controversial. One domain is now ripe for a genuine reformation that will embrace all creation: the Muslim world.

Once, almost all of the natural and religious sciences, from Sufism to logic, as well as from urban planning to aesthetics, were embodied in geniuses who studied phenomena in minute detail. Such names are too many to mention here. By mobilizing all of our brilliant minds and souls, Muslims may soon realize a second or third renaissance. Yes, we will start by recognizing Islam’s soul and essence, spirit and reality, and reach toward the re-interpretation of existence, from the boundless Divine climates of Sufism to universal metaphysics; from Islamic self-accounting and self-control to the vigilance, circumspection, and self-possession that make humanity gain value; from the cities and urbanization, in which our inner world takes repose and breathes, to the aesthetics that will be the property of all; from the art that embroiders the soul and essence, spirit, and reality everywhere and seeks infinity in all that it embroiders, to the true pleasures of an aesthetic, which becomes more and more other-worldly and refined, and integrates with the beyond. By all of these means, we can open a new chapter.

Our spiritual life has been to a large part extinguished for many years; our religious world has become dysfunctional; our hearts’ tongues have been tied as people have forgotten intense, ecstatic love and spiritual ecstasy; we have transformed all minds that read and think into minds devoted to a hard positivism; bigotry has been built instead of firmness of character, strength of religion, and perseverance in truth. Even in asking for the Hereafter and Paradise, petitioners have in mind some continuation of this world’s ordinary happiness. It is therefore impossible to open a new chapter without ripping such misdirected, deep-rooted thoughts and considerations out of ourselves.

This does not mean that the foulness that has sullied our souls for centuries cannot be eradicated. However, as this foulness caused us to fall, we must get rid of it before we can make any progress. For example, we must abandon our greed, laziness, ambition for fame, selfishness and worldly-mindedness, and replace these with the spirit of contentedness, willpower and courage, modesty and humility, altruism and spirituality, piety and godliness, all of which are the essence and truth of Islam.

Fortunately, we have such heroes among us, and the renewal and change that they will bring about will be shaped by the Qur’an and tempered by human nature. Both its enemies and the masses will be unable to prevent it, for history proves that only a few individual geniuses bring about a renaissance. Such people, who have emerged with a complete spiritual awareness in almost every age, established schools of law and schools of thought, both of which breathed the spirit of reconstruction and reform into the masses. Their successors followed them and their thoughts, as did the masses that sheltered in their enlightened climate. Such great guides became the people’s life-blood and soul, and lived with them like a spirit. In their absence, society and the people declined.

Now, as the days turn to spring and dawn chases dawn, we are becoming hopeful and expectant, praying to our Lord: “Grant us willpower supported by your Will, which will be the foundation of our souls. Make our hearts blossom as the flowers in Paradise, and make our souls reach the secrets of the innermost part of Your Divinity. Show our people the ways to revival in the Muhammadi line.” To ask for and expect this is both our right and duty, the natural consequence of our faith. However, we must refer frequently to our glorious past and take shelter in the values that made it magnificent. This is the way that other civilizations renewed themselves.

As long as we can recover our thoughts, feelings, methodology, and philosophy, it will be enough to bring them together to find our heavenly and immortal style. Thus, we should first re-examine all of the roads that we will take, and then repair and reinforce them. We must cultivate the inspiration and fruitfulness of religious longing and desire, firmness, gravity, sobriety, and wisdom in our reasoning and logic; stability and humanity, with the freedom to be ourselves; philosophical depth, refinement, and contemplative abstraction in our arts and philosophy. All of these should be logical at their core and inspired by revelation.

God’s good pleasure is the ultimate goal. The soul is before and ahead of the body. The self is an essential dynamism that will ignite the consciousness of duty under the heart’s rule. The love of humanity and country is an indispensable passion, and the duty to be moral is a vital provision for the journey. We must adhere to the Qur’an, and recognize humanity’s character and real human values as significant sources of power. Goals and objectives must be just, fair, and sacred, and the ways leading to them must be indicated by the Qur’an and the Sunna.