Of course you have been watching movies for years. Maybe you have subscribed to various cable or satellite channels so that you can watch even more movies. So, how many of them had the qualities mentioned above? How many of them, produced with enormous budgets and large casts and over-promoted, can you watch without finally becoming bored ? How many of them can fill you with indescribable emotions and make you resolve to follow in the footsteps of those characters?

One such movie is the masterpiece The Message. How many times have you seen it? I am sure that some of you have watched it ten, fifteen, or even more times. This would not surprise me at all, for we do not get weary of reading the Qur’an, which God revealed to humanity as the source of guidance and peace. Likewise, the lives and struggles of those who tried to live according to the Quranic teachings do not tire us. On the contrary, The Message refreshes your spirit each time you watch it.

There are two versions of this movie. The Message, directed by Moustapha Akhad and produced in the U.S., attracted attention due to the participation of some famous actors and actresses, among them Anthony Quinn, who “lives” the role he plays, Hamza, the Prophet’s uncle. Irene Papas, who played Abu Sufyan’s wife Hind, made this woman a prominent character, although historically Hind did not have an important part in the story.

The other film, the Arab made al-Risala, which has almost the same scenario, was watched mostly in Arab countries. Its most distinguishing feature is that the Qur’anic verses are recited in their original form (instead of in translation). This movie did not attract as much attention, because there were no movie stars in the leading roles. Nevertheless, the characters are portrayed quite successfully.

In both movies, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is not shown. Rather, he is symbolized through the staff he carries, the camel he rides, or the people who talk with him. Both scenarios begin by depicting the “Era of Ignorance” period in Arabia. Makka’s social structure and its culture are shown in some detail: the prevailing tyranny and injustice, the hundreds of deities being worshipped and the sacrifices offered to them, the annual fairs, and other activities are presented. This was the milieu into which the Prophet was born. His world was one in which poetry and rhetoric was favored, women and slaves were not regarded as human, where might was right, and where thousands of people died in blood feuds. In short, there was no one to stand up as a living monument of faith or courage or to speak up for the truth.

We read about the Prophet’s life or learn about it from the people around us. But how many times have we contemplated his struggles and difficulties in order to understand him better? These works fulfill an important duty in terms of informing those who do not have the time for such contemplation about the lives of these ascetic people, by taking them to the Makka of that time.

The revelation’s beginning is portrayed by reciting the first verses in the darkness of the Hira cave. First, the Prophet invites those who are close to him to Islam. Everything is done in great secrecy. The setting is the house of Ibn Arqam (where the early Muslims gathered) and the new converts devote themselves to this cause there. When there are 40 of them, the period of public preaching begins. Then we see another touching scene: the Muslim community is walking toward the Ka’ba with the Messenger in the middle. They are met with stones, spittle, clubs, and insults. One of the most spectacular scenes is close at hand: Hamza, whom the Messenger later nicknamed “the lion of God,” rescues these people, who could have been killed on the spot due to the provocations of Abu Jahl. He rides through the crowd and, to everyone’s surprise, dismounts and hits Abu Jahl with his bow. As a result of beginning to preach in public, the poor and weak Muslims are subjected to violence at the hands of the Makkan polytheists. The audience sees Bilal and Ammar ibn Yasar being tormented and tortured.

One of the most emotive scenes is the discussion held before King Negus between the first Muslims and the Makkan polytheists who followed them there. The Prophet, describing Negus as a just ruler, told the persecuted Muslims to take refuge in his land. So, Amr ibn al- ‘As, at that time a polytheist, was sent to bring them back and was given many gifts to bestow upon Negus. The king listens to their conversation for a long time, and for a moment thinks about handing them over, but decides to protect them after Ja‘far ibn Abu Talib recites the Quranic verses about Mary. These scenes are significant in that they show how the Christians of that time and area viewed Islam.

After a while, the Prophet and many Muslims emigrate to Madina. Another well-known scene is when the Messenger and Abu Bakr enter Madina. When the people, who have been waiting for days on the rooftops and in the trees, begin singing the hymn Talaal Badru to welcome him enthusiastically, a scene is created to touch the heart of all that witness it. And Madina’s Muslims, who beg the Makkan immigrants to stay with them, as well as the heartfelt embraces that are the product of the affiliation felt between the two groups, fill our hearts with emotion and our eyes with longed-for sights.

The following scenes depict the wars between the Muslims and the polytheists. Both movies give a detailed depiction of the battles of Badr and Uhud. The war tactics practiced around the wells of Badr and Mount Uhud are presented as comprehensively as possible. The peace of Hudaybiyah is pictured, but not focused on much. After the polytheists break the treaty, the Muslims, now more powerful than before, led by the Messenger and his followers, march upon Makka. Campfires are lit around Makka to intimidate the polytheists, Abu Sufyan tries to make peace and then coverts to Islam, we see the Prophet’s entrance to the city and witness him heading toward the Ka’ba…

Here come the scenes that fill you with emotion and move you so much. The Makkan exiles are once again walking along the streets of their hometown. Some embrace their relatives, kiss the ground, or similar actions. But the Prophet, who missed God’s House more than anything else, enters the Ka’ba … and we go inside with him. He uses his staff to topple the idols that have darkened the soul of humanity one by one, for they are nothing but stones and wood. We become so absorbed that, for a moment, we forget that we are watching a movie and wish that the camera would move a little so that we could see his blessed hand holding the staff, as well as his holy face. Bilal stands upon the Kab‘a’s roof and calls the faithful to prayer, just as the Prophet has told him to do. This call rings out in Makka … bliss fills the hearts, tears fill the eyes.

Then comes the final scene: the Farewell Sermon. One hundred thousand people fill the Uranah valley of Mount Arafat, and all eyes and ears turn upon him. At the end of this sermon, after he hears his community bear witness that he has fulfilled his duty, he says: “O God, Bear witness!” three times.

We see three blessed riders in the desert, representing the thousands of companions who went out into the world to invite people to Islam. After a certain point they separate, saying farewell to each other. Perhaps never to return, they are setting off for lands that are completely unknown to them in order to obey the Messenger’s command to tell others about Islam. Then the calls to prayer begin, one after another, recited in different tones, from mosques of different architectural styles, located in different lands.

This is how the movie ends , but you just keep sitting in front of the screen for a while. Though your eyes are still on the screen, fixed absently, your mind is there, far away in the deserts of Madina, thinking about the exalted guide who reminded people of their humanity, about the world which had been oblivious of humanity. Your soul is striving to follow on his path, and you leave your seat in a completely different mood.

The Second Fruit of the Fifth Branch

soul! Worship is not the introduction to additional rewards, but the result of previous bounties. Yes, we have received our wages, and are accordingly charged with the duties of service and worship. Because, O soul!, since the All-Glorious Creator, Who clothed you in existence which is pure good, has given you a stomach and appetite, through His Name of Provider, He has placed before you all foods on a table of bounties. Then, since He has given you a life decked out with senses, life too requires sustenance like a stomach; all your senses, like eyes and ears are like hands before which He has placed a table of bounties as broad as the earth. Then, because He has given you humanity, which requires many immaterial foods and bounties, He has laid out before that stomach of humanity, in so far as the hand of the mind can reach, an extensive table of bounties as broad as the worlds of both the inner and outer dimensions of things. Then, since He has given you Islam and belief, which require infinite bounties and are nourished through countless fruits of mercy and are supreme humanity, He has opened up before you a table of bounties, pleasure, and happiness which includes the sphere of contingency together with the sphere of His sacred Names and attributes. Then, through giving you love, which is a light of belief, He has bestowed on you an endless table of bounties, happiness, and pleasure. That is to say, with regard to your corporeality you are an insignificant, weak, impotent, lowly, restricted, limited particular, but through His favour, it is as if you have risen from being an insignificant particular to being a universal, luminous whole. For by giving you life, He has raised you from particularity to a sort of universality; and by giving you humanity, to true universality; and by bestowing Islam on you, to an exalted, luminous universality; and by giving you knowledge and love of Him, He has elevated you to an all-encompassing light.

O soul! You have received this wage, and you are charged with the pleasurable, bountiful, easy, and light duty of worship. But you are lazy in this too. If you perform it half-heartedly, it is as though the former wages are insufficient for you and you are overbearingly wanting greater things. Also, you are complaining: Why was my prayer not accepted? But your right is not complaint, it is supplication. Through His pure grace and munificence, Almighty God bestows Paradise and eternal happiness. So seek refuge in His mercy and munificence constantly. Trust in Him and heed this decree:

Say: In the bounty of God, and His mercy -in that let them rejoice; that is better than the [wealth] they hoard.¹

If you say: How can I respond to these countless, universal bounties with my limited and partial thanks?

The Answer: With a universal intention and boundless belief… For example, a man enters a king’s presence with a gift worth little, and he sees that other gifts worth millions have arrived from acceptable people, and have been lined up there. It occurs to him: My present is nothing. What shall I do? Then he says suddenly: My Lord! I offer you all these valuable gifts in my name. For you are worthy of them. If I had the power, I would have given you gifts equal to them. Thus, the king, who has need of nothing and accepts his subjects’ gifts as a sign of their loyalty and respect, accepts that wretched man’s universal intention and wish, and the worthiness of his elevated belief as though it was the greatest gift.

In exactly the same way, while performing the five daily prayers an impotent servant of Almighty God declares: Salutations be to God! That is, I offer You on my own account all the gifts of worship all creatures offer you through their lives. If I had been able, I would have offered You as many salutations as them, for You are worthy of them, and worthy of more besides. Such an intention and belief comprise extensive universal thanks. The seeds and grains of plants are their intentions.

And for example, the melon utters a thousand intentions in its heart in the form of the nuclei of its seeds: O my Creator! I want to proclaim the embroideries of Your Most Beautiful Names in many places on the earth. Since Almighty God knows how future things will come about, He accepts their intention as actual worship. The rule, A believer’s intention is better than his actions² alludes to this mystery. The wisdom in offering glorifications in also infinite numbers is understood from this mystery. For instance:

Glory and praise be unto You to the number of Your creatures, that may be as pleasing to You as the extent of Your Throne and the ink of Your words, and we glorify You with all the glorifications of Your prophets and saints and angels.³

Just as an officer presents all the duties of his soldiers to the king in his own name, so man, who acts as officer to other creatures, commands the animals and plants, has the capacity to be God’s vicegerent over the beings of the earth, and in his own world considers himself to represent everyone, declares:

You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek help.⁴

He offers the worship and seeking of help of all creation to the All-Glorious True Object of Worship in his own name. He also says:

O God! Grant blessings to Muhammad to the number of the particles in existence and all their compounds!

He offers benedictions for the Prophet (pbuh) in the name of everything. Because everything is connected with the Muhammadan Light. Thus, you may understand the wisdom in the countless numbers mentioned in the glorifications and benedictions for the Prophet (pbuh).

Footnotes

1. The Qur’an (10:58)
2. al-Manawi, al-Fayd al-Qadir, vi, 291, No: 9295.
3. Muslim, Dhikr, 79; Tirmidhi, Da’wat, 103; Nasa’i, Sahw, 94; Musnad, i, 258, 353.
4. The Qur’an, 1:4.

In this month ‘The gates of heaven open, the gates of Hell are locked and the devils are chained.’¹During the daytime, fasting and abstinence bring a person closer to God. The evenings are illuminated by prayers. This spiritual enlightenment deepens during the last ten days of Ramadan through supererogatory prayers and abstinence. This spiritual depth is reflected in the community through almsgiving and by helping the poor and the needy.

Fasting during Ramadan cleanses one from earlier sins. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said ‘Five (daily) prayers and from one Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer, and from Ramadan to Ramadan are expiatious for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins.’²Human nature is susceptible to making mistakes and to committing sins. Our Compassionate Creator gives us numerous opportunities to cleanse our sins; we can do this every day by performing the prescribed prayers and every year by making the most out of the month of Ramadan.

A path of nearness to God goes through the month of Ramadan. Fasting during the daytime, breaking the fast after sunset, prayers at night, and the night meal before dawn are all on this path, a path that every soul should follow. The following verse from the Qur’an affirms this meaning: ‘And when My servants ask you about Me, say: ‘I am near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls; so they should answer My call and believe in Me, that they may be rightly guided.’ (2: 186)

This month gives us the opportunity to cleanse ourselves for the Ramadan celebration at the end of the month. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) notes that ‘Whoever observes Ramadan well, expecting the reward from God, his past sins are forgiven.’³One who reaches the month of Ramadan but does not take advantage of this opportunity has lost a great amount.

We would like to talk about Ramadan in more detail.

A. FASTING

The Arabic word for fasting, ‘sawm’, means abstinence from what is desired by the carnal self, be it uttering a single word. The word ‘fast’ in the following verse has such a meaning: ‘I have vowed to the Merciful to fast (19: 26)

Based on the Quranic verses and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), fasting involves abstinence from the greatest human desires, eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse; such abstinence is done with the intention of pleasing God. In other words, it is the worship by abstinence from these desires, from dawn until dusk.

The Gate To Heaven

God ordered us to fast and chose the month of Ramadan for this purpose. Believers fast during this month and do not eat, drink, or have sexual relationships from dawn to dusk. They act with the awareness of fulfilling one of the five pillars of Islam. Sometimes their mouths smell due to hunger. They seek to qualify for the status described in the hadith ‘the breath of one observing fast is sweeter to God than the fragrance of musk.’⁴The faithful acknowledge their servanthood to the Creator and aspire for the ‘Rayyan’ gate to heaven related in the following hadith ‘In Paradise there is a gate which is called Rayyan through which only the observers of fast would enter on the Day on Resurrection. None else would enter along with them. It would be proclaimed: Where are the observers of fast that they should be admitted into it? And when the last of them would enter, it would be closed and no one would enter it.’⁵

They find hope in the hadith ‘He who observes the fast for a day in the way of God, God would remove, because of this day, his face farther from the Fire (of Hell) to the extent of seventy years’ distance.’⁶

They heed Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) advice to Abu Umamah ‘I recommend fasting to you, since there is nothing like it’⁷and live according to the purpose of their creation. They wake up for the night meal in the expectation of God’s blessings, they look forward to breaking their fast in the hope that their souls will be saved from Hell, and their hearts are filled with peace and happiness as they comtemplate their rewards in the hereafter. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) states the following: ‘There are two (occasions) of joy for the observer of the fast. He feels joy when he breaks the fast and he is happy when he meets God.’⁸This joy in the hereafter could be due to the rewards of fasting or it may simply be the peace felt from pleasing God.

Fasting Develops Self-Control

Fasting is one way God cultivates us, as reported in the verse ‘We will certainly test you with some fear and hunger, and with some loss of property and lives and crops. Announce the good news to those who endure patiently.’ (2: 155), saving us from hunger in the hereafter and earning us rewards for our patience. The fast in Ramadan is instrumental for controlling the self and its desires. Jews and Christians fast as well, although the forms and time periods differ.

‘Fasting is a shield.’⁹Fasting helps control the mundane desires of the carnal self. It thereby protects the individual from wrongdoing and extreme indulgence. A person can resist temptations and greed and understand the real and lofty pleasures of life through this connection with God. Indeed, what makes us valuable and different is our ability to control our desires and thoughts.

First of all, fasting first helps normalize temptations and desires. The individual becomes essentially ‘free’ from these desires as they are followed now as a choice, no longer as an uncontrollable obligation. This can be observed in the lives of people who fast and those who do not. People who do not fast generally have less self-control and they become the plaything of their desires and temptations, making mistakes and committing sins. However, people who have developed self-control through fasting are more able to use their reason and to avoid temptations and desires that might lead them into sin.

One who has never fasted cannot know patience and cannot know how to employ his carnal self (nefs) in normal, legitimate ways. Above all, if one who lives an affluent life never fasts, they will become a slave of their carnal desires; they will not be able to distinguish between what is allowed and forbidden. Their conscience may warn them against disgraceful actions, but they will continue to act in an incorrect manner. At most, they treat their ego unjustly; they ruin themselves, going against their own intelligence, logic, religion and wisdom.

In order to mention the protective side of fasting, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: ‘0 young men, those among you who can support a wife should marry, for it restrains eyes from casting (evil glances). and preserves one from immorality; but those who cannot should devote themselves to fasting for it is a means of controlling sexual desire.’10

God accepts good deeds performed only for Him at ten times their value. Sometimes such deeds can be accepted at seven hundred times their value. Fasting is an exceptional worship. The reward of fasting belongs to God. The people who are fasting control themselves, they do not satisfy even their essential needs. Such people abandon all desires, keeping only a desire for God. God then says: ‘Every act of the son of Adam is for him, except the fasting which is (exclusively) for Me, and I will reward him for it.’¹¹and He appreciates this abstention.

To earn God’s love and to obtain his consent, fasting will deepen one, creating a special place for one’s perfection. While the carnal self desires everything, without thinking about it being allowed or forbidden, fasting believers keep themselves away from even legitimate desires. To gain the level of heart and spirit they put barriers up against their animal desires. To detach from the material world they stay hungry. Their hunger and the progress of becoming detached from bodily things are done only for God. While believers fulfill their obligations to attain God’s consent, they cause the other parts of their body to fast in order to increase the positive effect that fasting has. Things that must be done at times other than Ramadan, for example, keeping one’s eyes, hands, tongue and other parts of the body under control, must be continued during Ramadan. There is an inverse relationship between eating and carnal desires. If one has fulfilled his physical appetite, then the carnal appetite comes to the fore. Inversely, if one’s stomach is empty then his other bodily desires will be satisfied. That is why eating less is suggested as a method for someone who leads with the body, but who desires for the spirit to dominate.

The following event¹²related to the subject is very meaningful: ‘God Almighty said to the carnal self: ‘Who am I and who are you?’ The self replied: ‘I am myself and You are Yourself.’ So He punished it and cast it into Hell, then asked it again. Again it replied: ‘I am myself and You are Yourself.’ However He punished it, it did not give up its egoism. Finally He punished it with hunger. That is, He left it hungry. Then again He asked it: ‘Who am I and who are you?’ And the soul replied: ‘You are my Compassionate Sustainer and I am your impotent slave.’ ‘

The believer who fasts is aware of this reality and accepts Ramadan and fasting in Ramadan as a godsend. There is the giving of alms (zakat) in everything. The zakat of the body is fasting. In Ramadan the body is purified from questionable foods. During the days and nights of Ramadan, believers make progress, and attain a higher spiritual rank with the help of God. Believers would like to be able to maintain this level after Ramadan. In order to maintain such a level, a believer has to become self-righteous. A believer must fear the loss of this level, and thus worship more. Worshipping brings a believer closer to God. As one becomes closer to God, one is able to awaken others into becoming a person of worship. A believer lives their entire life with the desire to be a good person and to help others to be good. A life circle that starts with fasting changes such a person to an ideal person. Truly, fasting has such a power.

The Relation Between Fasting and God’s Self Sufficiency

Even if it is only temporary, fasting is a way which helps discern the meaning of ‘God’s Self Sufficiency’. God is ‘The Self Sufficient One’ (Samad). He does not need anything, He never eats or drinks, throughout time and throughout space. God is He on Whom all depend. Believers leave the material world by fasting, leave behind even the necessities of life. By acting in such a manner, as if they do not need anything, and as if they were angels, they educate themselves in the manner of God and become closer to God. This attitude is the resonance of the true care and mercy, acting like a receiver to the breeze that comes from the world of care and mercy at the same frequency.

The Relation of Fasting and Thanksgiving

In the Qur’an it states, ‘He gives you all you ask Him for. And were you to count God’s favors you will never be able to exhaust them.’ (14: 34)

Fasting helps us to see the true face of favors, the value of which we are unaware. The fasting believer is a person who lives in poverty amongst riches. He is hungry and keeps himself from eating until iftar, yet there is food in the home. The believer understands that one drop of water or one crumb of bread is a bounty. Ones who only give thanks for occasional ‘extra’ blessings realize that even the things they take for granted, like bread and water, are great blessings in reality.

Fasting is a form of prayer that helps us to understand what true thanksgiving to God is.

Another concern about thanksgiving and fasting is that if a believer experiences deprivation, even if it is only temporarily, they will then know what deprivation is. This is not knowledge, rather it is a deep interpretation. One who fasts will desire to help the poor. The wealthy believer, after giving thanks, will share his wealth with love and mercy. Fasting is a form of social worship, even if it appears to be an individual worship.

Another practical benefit of fasting concerns health. Fasting is often suggested as a form of protection from illnesses. Overeating is an invitation to many illnesses. Fasting is an asceticism of the spirit and a diet of the body. The soul takes advantage of the empty stomach and makes itself open to development. When a fasting believer is able to fast with his whole body, then the soul lives true asceticism. Eating less helps to talk less and sleep less. If a believer can complete the Dhikr (Remembrance of God) then they are able to leave the material world.

Believers are aware of all these benefits that are provided by fasting. That is why they fast before the month of Ramadan, during the months of Rajab and Shaban. After Ramadan, during the month of Shawwal, they fast for six days; this is considered as having the same reward as fasting for a whole year. This period is called ‘ayyamul ‘biyz’ the 13th,’14th,’ and 15th days in a lunar calendar month. The days of ashura and the arafa are also good opportunities for fasting. In addition, to fast on Mondays and Thursdays is sunna.

B. THE NIGHT OF QADR (Power)

The most important and blessed night within the year is the Night of Qadr (Power). God chose the month of Ramadan for believers to fast and He gave much importance to this night. In the Qur’an, the the Night of Qadr is mentioned, being given utmost importance.

On the Night of Qadr, the single most important event in human history unfolded. The Glorious Qur’an was preserved in ‘the Preserved Tablet’, and the Archangel Gabriel descended with the blessed book to reveal it upon the command of God to His Messenger (pbuh). On this night, the doors of the heavens opened and the revelation descended. So valuable is this Night of Qadr that a special sura has been devoted to it in the Qur’an; it is a night that is better than a thousand months. Gabriel descended many times to earth in order to convey a message to the prophets, but on the Night of Qadr Gabriel, the other angels and God’s mercy poured down to earth for the sake of the Qur’an.

The Night of Qadr is important for us; if this night is spent in prayers and supplications all past sins and mistakes will be forgiven. ‘Whoever stands in prayer during Laylat-ul- Qadr, with faith and being hopeful of God’s reward, will have his former sins forgiven.’¹³

The night of Qadr has meanings, such as the night of power, decree, majesty and honor. The Divine Decrees are issued on this night, the appointed time of everything is fixed and the blessings are apportioned. It is such a great and honored night that its blessings are more than that of a thousand months.

The Night of Qadr is such an important night that there is a special sura devoted to it in the Qur’an:

‘We have sent it (the Qur’an) down on the Night of Qadr.

If only you knew what is the Night of Qadr.

The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months.

The angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) descend thereon by the leave of their Lord with every command.

It is peace, till the break of dawn.’ (97; 1-6)

1. We have sent it down on the Night of Qadr:

In the first verse, God the Most High, states that the Qur’an was sent down on the Night of Qadr. Indeed the word “Qur’an” is not used in the first verse; instead a pronoun is used. With the sentence ‘We have sent it down’, God indicates both the greatness of He Who sent it and He shows the great honor of that which was sent. The Qur’an is so great and honorable that it is obvious that God has sent it and of course the night on which it was sent must therefore be an important night. The complete Qur’an was sent down from ‘The Preserved Tablet’ on this night to the ‘The House of Glory’ in the lowest heaven, from whence it was revealed piecemeal to the Prophet (pbuh), according to events which took place during his life, over a period of twenty-three years.

2. If only you knew what is the Night of Qadr:

In this verse God makes clear the greatness of the night of Al-Qadr, the night on which He chose to send down the Noble Qur’an. The night of Qadr is such an important night, yet if God had left us alone and had not informed us of its importance we would not have understood the value of this night.

3. The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months:

The number a thousand might not mean the exact number of months, or it might in fact mean exactly 83 years. The good deeds performed on this night, the fasting on this night and the standing in prayer on this night are all better than the good deeds, prayers and fasting of a thousand months. The rewards of all these are countless. Only God knows how much reward will be given to those who spend the night in prayer. This is a very large blessing for the followers of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

It is reported that the Prophet (pbuh) was shown the people who had lived in ancient times; it seemed as if the lifespan of those in his community were shorter, thus making it not possible for them to accomplish the same amount of deeds as those who had come before, as they had lived longer lives. Thus, God gave Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the night of Qadr, which is better than a thousand months. This also shows us that a span of 80 years for the people of today is quite a long time.

4-6. The angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) descend thereon by the leave of their Lord with every command. It is peace, till the break of dawn:

The word ‘spirit’ has been interpreted as signifying the Archangel Gabriel. On this night the Archangel Gabriel and innumerable other angels descended with innumerable blessings and mercy. Their descent occured several times, not only once, and this was repeated by other groups of angels who continued to descend until the dawn.

The words “by the Lord’s permission” show the importance of the angels’ descent and their tasks.

The Prophet’s (pbuh) advice, found in different hadiths, suggests that one should search for the Night of Qadr in the last 10 days of Ramadan, especially on odd numbered days.

God’s mercy and peace surrounds believers until dawn. The angels pray for the believers and send salutations of peace to those who are occupied in prayer until dawn. The morning of the night is also full of goodness and it is serene, tranquil and peaceful. A good example of this is the victory of Badr, which took place during the life of the Prophet (pbuh) in the second year of emigration from Makka to Madina.

C. ITIKAF (WITHDRAWING FOR PRAYER)

The meaning of ‘itikaf’ is to continue to do something. In religious terminology it means to stay in (or to withdraw/retract to) a mosque or a similar temple for the purpose of continuous prayer.

When one participates in itikaf, one strives to prepare his heart so that he can ‘let God in’.

In another way, itikaf is to continuously and persistently knock on God’s door saying, ‘please open Your door to me, too’, ‘I won’t leave Your doorstep until You forgive me’, ‘hold the hand that I stretch out to You and don’t let go’, and ‘do not reject me (and leave me with empty hands)’. Truly, the believers who observe the month of Ramadan have already spent the day fasting, therefore withdrawing from worldly deeds. In addition to this, the believers completely give themselves up to prayer and reflection. The believers recite the Holy Qur’an, pray, and keep busy with Dhikr (the mentioning of God and His names). They read books on God (the Face of Truth, the Ultimate Truth) and extend the horizons of their wisdom. At night, they perform the special prayers, the tarawih prayers. Also, they pass the time before dawn with another special prayer, the tahajjud prayer. The believers attract God’s mercy with prayers that ask for forgiveness. Moreover, the believers eat less, sleep less, speak less, and do not deal with worldly deeds. During these holy days and nights they completely focus on the feeling of unity with God (The Truth). They try to stay alert for the gentle inspiration that may come from God. From this perspective, it would be correct to say that the believers that have withdrawn (to itikaf) are people who have stationed themselves to witness the appearances of the Lord.

God Almighty, with His infinite mercy, will not reject the believers who have turned to Him with a sincere heart and who persist in staying on His doorstep; He even hears the ant and does not deny its requests.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) organized his work accordingly during the last 10 days (the last third) of Ramadan, and withdrew (itikaf) every year, spending those days worshipping God in seclusion. Traditionally, he would increase the amount of worship to God during the month of Ramadan relative to that in other months. He increased his proximity to God within the month of Ramadan. The Prophet would share his efforts to worship with his wives and would also ask them to also occupy themselves with the worship of God.

Believers who are serious in their intention to follow the Prophet’s tradition can put their hand on God’s door. They can lay their faces on God’s doorstep and during this holy period of time they will be in search of the Lord’s mercy.

D. ALMS OF FITR (ISLAMIC CHARITY)

The monetary worship or charity that is carried out during the month of Ramadan is called Alms (Islamic charity) of Fitr. Worship, such as fasting, reciting the Quran, performing the tarawih prayer, searching for the Night of Qadr and the assessment of this are carried out physically. Alms of Fitr must be delivered to the needy during this month and it must be in monetary form. It is also more virtuous to give the zakat (the annual Islamic tax) during this month, but this is not obligatory. Zakat can be paid at other times. However, the giving of the Alms of Fitr is limited to the month of Ramadan. Although the giving of Fitr is required after sunrise on the first day of ‘Eid (the holiday after Ramadan) it is preferable to give it before this time, so that the needy can enjoy the ‘Eid, having fulfilled their needs.

Fitr is an Arabic word that means to end fasting. The word ‘iftar’ comes from the same root. Fitr also means ‘natural’ (fitrat), in which case the deeper meaning becomes to thank God for having given us the ability to believe in Him, for allowing us to reach the month of Ramadan, for having helped us complete the fasting and the prayers, and for having given us a body to worship Him with. Again, if we derive the meaning from the word ‘fitrat’ we can say that the alm of Fitr is the physical alm.

In terminology the fitr alm is defined as: ‘The alm that is required to be paid by each Muslim who has reached the end of Ramadan and has at least a small (nisab) amount of goods superfluous to his/her personal/basic needs.’ This definition is the one followed by the Hanafi sect. In the Shafii, Maliki and Hanbali sects there is no requirement to have a nisab amount. It is obligatory to give the alm of fitr in all four sects.

The requirement of fitr has been fixed according to the following narration of Abdullah b. Umar (from the Prophet’s hadith): ‘The Prophet (pbuh) has ordered all Muslims, man or woman, free or enslaved, to give fitr equal to one measure of barley or dates.’

What the Alm of Fitr Brings

Fasting believers understand the situation of the poor in their heart when they feel the hunger and understand the condition of people who can barely find a morsel of food. This feeling triggers the desire to help such people. Similarly, the believers prepare for the Eid Holiday by buying themselves and their children nice clothes, and sweet things and chocolates to serve visitors. While doing these things, the alm of fitr is standing in front of them. The believers have already understood the condition of the poor during the Ramadan, sometimes feeling hunger, sometimes feeling thirst, yet nonetheless not indulging in eating during the day.

E. TARAWIH PRAYER

Believers wake up before dawn in order to start their day with the night meal. They fast until evening, when they break their fast. They recite the Qur’an during the day and during the night, or they listen to a recitation of it; this is called a ‘muqabala’. They also perform a prayer at night time that follows the isha prayer. This night prayer is called the ‘tarawih’ prayer.

The word tarawih is the plural of the word ‘tarwiha’, which means comforting and restful. Originally the sitting position that is adopted following every two or four units of this prayer was called the tarwiha. Later on, the plural form of this word, tarawih, became the name of the prayer performed at night during the month of Ramadan.¹⁴The tarawih prayer is only offered during the month of Ramadan following the isha prayer.

It is a muakkad sunna to perform the tarawih prayer. The Messenger of God (pbuh) recommended offering prayers at night during the month of Ramadan. Two examples are given here: ‘Whoever offers the night prayer during the month of Ramadan, believing in and expecting rewards from God, his former sins are forgiven.’¹⁵‘God has made it obligatory (fard) on you to fast during the month of Ramadan. And I made it sunna on you to stand up offering prayers during the night in the month of Ramadan. Whoever fasts with ikhlas (with sincerity; only for the sake of God), believing in and expecting rewards from God, and offers the night prayer, he will be as clean of his sins as he was on the day he was born.’16

Scholars have agreed that what is meant by ‘the night prayer’ in these hadiths is the tarawih prayer.

Besides recommending such prayers, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself led his companions a few times in the tarawih prayer. He later discontinued leading the tarawih prayer, so as to not make it obligatory. Any worship routinely practiced by the Prophet (pbuh) could become obligatory. God Almighty gave this right to His Messenger (pbuh). In other words, the worship of the believers was shaped according to the worship of God’s Messenger (pbuh). God determined the obligatory worship for Muslims according to the Prophet’s (pbuh) practices. In fact, the time of the Prophet (pbuh) was a period of ‘tasri’. That is, the rules were being determined during this period.

In the narration of Aisha (pbuh), God’s Messenger (pbuh) performed the tarawih prayer in the mosque with his companions for two or three nights. Because of the enthusiasm of the companions for this prayer, the following nights, after leading the isha prayer he left for his room immediately, and did not come back to the mosque for the tarawih prayer. Some people waited for him. Some people even coughed on purpose to wake him up, thinking that he may have fallen asleep. The Prophet (pbuh) addressed the people who had been waiting the next morning when he came to the mosque for the fajr prayer: ‘I realize your enthusiasm for this prayer. There was nothing to prevent me leading the prayer either. Rather, I was concerned that it may become obligatory on you. If it becomes obligatory on you, you would not be able to carry it out.’17

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) always fulfilled duties of Islam to perfection in his own life-time. He would offer prayers at night, standing until his feet become swollen. He would join the fasts without breaking his fast or without eating the night meal; this is the so called ‘sawm-i wisal’. But he would not ask the same from his companions, instead he recommended them to be moderate. He was so thoughtful and merciful to his people. When he had to choose between two alternatives for his people, he would prefer the easy option. He did the same concerning the tarawih prayer; he showed his compassion and mercy by not coming out to the mosque to lead the tarawih prayer.

One night during Ramadan Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) came to the mosque; he saw some people praying and he asked: ‘What are these people doing?’ The people accompanying him answered: ‘O Messenger of God, these are people who do not know all the Qur’an by heart and Ubay b. Ka’b is leading the prayer for them.’ Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was pleased with this answer and ‘What they are doing is very good; it’s very proper’ he said.18

When Umar Ibn Khattab was Caliph, he ordered Ubay b. Kab to lead a twenty unit prayer for tarawih.¹⁹By so doing, Umar Ibn Khattab accomplished something that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had wished for and had encouraged. At this time, the period of ‘tasri’ was over, the doors of the heavens were closed and it was no longer possible for any kind of worship to become obligatory. In this way, the wish of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was brought about and the tarawih prayer took its place in the observance of Ramadan during the nights as an important worship and a strong sunna act.

In fact, there were many respected companions, such as Uthman, Ali, Talha, Zubayr, Muaz, Abdullah b. Masud and Abdullah b. Abbas among the people who were praying behind the leadership of Ubay b. Kab in the tarawih prayers. They supported Umar’s decision and did not object to him leading. Instead they prayed for him: ‘Umar Ibn Khattab has enlightened our mosques, may God enlighten his grave.’20

During the month of Ramadan, one approaches closer to God by fasting during the day. The tarawih prayer enlightens the night. It helps start a spiritual preparation for the following day. Believers intend to spend the next day in the same way. Intentions and performances fill the days and the nights of Ramadan. As a response to the mercy of God falling on them as rain, believers fully observe this month by worshipping God; in this way they fulfill the wishes of God and at the same time, they walk towards their purpose of creation, they become worthy of paradise. 

F. CONCLUSION

God Almighty, who constantly creates occasions for believers to seek out his forgiveness, offers Ramadan as an invaluable opportunity and urges them to take advantage of it. He forgives those who successfully can do this. For those who cannot afford the level of performance Ramadan requires for a whole month, He further includes a chance to partake in the blessings within the last ten days of Ramadan. These are the days of itikaf for believers, a time to devote most of their time to constant worship and reflection. One who is able to do this is most likely to be forgiven by the end of the month of Ramadan due to his/her opportunity to observe the Night of Qadr. For those who cannot do this either, it is recommended that they look for the Night of Qadr in the odd numbered nights within the days of itikaf, such as the 23rd, 25th, and the 27th. God will forgive the previous sins of those who fully observe the Night of Qadr.

The month of Ramadan is a blissful month during which God Almighty pours down His blessings upon His creatures.

The truth is we do not need to wait for Ramadan in order to gain the blessings of God Almighty. One can search for avenues to forgiveness by making the most of Fridays. Daily prayers, by themselves, are grounds for forgiveness of small sins, as mentioned above. In fact, when one third of every night is over, God virtually calls out from the skies: ‘Are there not any who pray to me, let me accept their prayers; are there not any who ask for something, let me grant them what they ask for; are there not any who ask for forgiveness, let me forgive their sins.’

May God include us among those who make the most the month of Ramadan and earn His forgiveness. Amen.

Footnotes

1 Bukhari, Sawm 5; Muslim, Siyam 1

2 Bukhari, Muslim,

3 Bukhari, Salat al-Tarawih 1, Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin 174

4 Bukhari, Sawm 2, 9, Libas 78; Muslim, Siyam 164

5 Bukhari, Sawm 4; Muslim, Siyam 166

6 Muslim, Sawm, 2572

7 Nasai, Siyam 43

8 Riyad-us-Saliheen 2566

9 Riyad-us-Saliheen 2565

10 Bukhari, Sawm 10; Muslim, Nikah 1

11 Riyad-us-Saliheen 1215

12 Muzakki’n Nufus

13 Riyad-us-Saliheen, 1189

14 Ibn Manzur, Lisanu’l-Arab, rvh mad.

15 Bukhari, Salatu’t-Tarawih, 1; Muslim, Salatu’l- Musafirin, 174.

16 Nasai, Qiyam, 40; Ibn Mace, Iqama, 173.

17 Bukhari, Salatu’t-Tarawih, 2; Muslim, Salatu’l- Musafirin, 178.

18 Tahanawi, I’lau’s- Sunan, 7/59-60.

19 Mewsili, El-Ihtiyar, 1/68-69.

20 Ibrahim Halebi, Multeka, 119.

The end of those who witnessed a miracle and did not believe, even though they had asked for the miracle to be performed, was always disappointment; they experienced one disaster after another. While mentioning former prophets and tribes, the Quran gives many examples of this. Expressed differently, a miracle is an important test by which golden spirits are purified of dust, earth and mud.

However, a miracle has never occurred in such a way that a persons free-will was by force taken from them nor has anyone ever been forced to believe. It has always been desired that the people who encountered the miracle should use their own free-will to evaluate the miraculous event and to arrive at their own conclusion; in religion, responsibility only appears when connected with intelligence and free-will. When these do not exist, as with other creatures, then there can be no responsibility for our actions. Looking at the matter from a different angle, were a miracle to occur as clearly, for example, as if God exists were to be written in the stars above, human will would be totally nullified. In this situation, the difference in quality between the people who are like diamonds and the people who are like coal would not be apparent, and humans would become travellers on a mandatory path, as are all other creatures.

Thus, we can say that the first goal of miracles is to provide a tangible proof when inviting people to faith, giving them something to accept and believe in or to reject and continue in their disbelief, according to their free will. But there is more to miracles than this; with miracles God indicates the limits of knowledge and technology that mankind can eventually attain. The difference between a miracle and technological/scientific advances is that while the prophets are able to perform miracles without tools or technology, ordinary people can succeed in similar acts only with the help of the material and technology that they have produced.

Common Features of Prophets

Every chosen person who was sent with a sacred duty, such as saving mankind from darkness and introducing them to the light, was supported with phenomena like miracles and was given a message for the people to whom the miracle was addressed. Many hearts have surrendered to the enlightened atmosphere of faith, yet many others have died in the arms of eternal deprivation only because they refused to believe in such an important blessing.

Addressing human intelligence and will, the Quran frequently mentions many miracles performed by the prophets. While it would not be possible to mention them all in one article, I would like to relate some of them in order to give an idea about some of these miracles, and then go on to discuss the main topic of the miracles of Jesus.

Generally, miracles occur and finish at the time they are performed, but some miracles which were given to the final prophet, like the miracle of the Quran, continue to be miraculous. In the environment in which it was revealed, the word had a special sovereignty of eloquence, and in this respect the Quran is a miracle sent in a way that has never been equaled.

Each prophet was sent miracles in line with the skills of the people of his era. As magic was of great importance at the time of Moses, his miracles usually took on the form of removing the things the sorcerors had created and by displaying greater skills. Due to the popularity of medicine at the time of Jesus, his miracles were usually related to knowledge in medicine. Thus, the prophets established an important superiority over those whom they were addressing, and by speaking a language that could be understood, they were able to draw attention to themselves and to make their voices heard more easily.

When miracles are viewed from the perspective of pushing back the boundaries of science and technology, Solomons riding on the wind and covering the distance it would take one month to travel in the time between morning and evening demonstrated that great distances could be traversed using the wind. Looking at this miracle with hindsight, we can see that it showed us that humans would be able to utilize the blessing of the wind, and we could even say that it indicated that in the future we would be able to harness it with craft (for example planes, rockets and other means of transport) and, consequently, would be able to travel long distances in a short time. At the same time, Moses bringing forth water by hitting his rod on the ground shows that man can reach many of the treasures that God has hidden for him underground. The main message behind all of these miracles encourages humans to learn from the practical examples of the prophets and to produce results by evaluating our heritage of knowledge and by using our intelligence.

The revelations that God sent were not aimed at only one target; rather the words were loaded with multiple meanings. Accordingly, every event in His statements has many aspects and it is necessary for other people to notice these and present them. The main goal of divine declarations is for the people living today to decipher the language of the miracles and to know how to use their message for the sake of science and technology.

The goal in front of people today is to understand what these miracles mean for today and to utilize this information for progress and development.

The Miracles of Jesus

Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet and, according to Quranic teaching, he has a special place before God. He is one of the five greatest prophets called masters of determination. If we evaluate him in regard to the geography and the ethnic, social and political structure in which he lived and the people to whom he was sent, we see that he faced people who gave precedence to materialism, who did not believe in anything but what they could see and who were persistent, stubborn and intractable in their tribal ideas. Such conditions demonstrate his greatness. The people naturally expected a miracle. In fact, more than expected, the Quran reveals their desires and mentions how they put pressure on Jesus to perform a miracle. When looked at from this perspective, there are many extraordinary events that he accomplished. Among his major miracles we can mention raising the dead, healing blindness and leprosy, blowing life into a bird made from clay, giving news of what happened in peoples houses and bringing down a banquet from the sky.

Miracles before Apostleship

Actually Jesus life is almost a miracle from beginning to end: his being born from a pure spirit like Mary, who had devoted herself to the temple; coming into physical existence as a spirit from God, even though he had no father; speaking in the cradle; and rising to the heavens from among the people. Moreover, the good tidings that he would be a prophet were given before he was born, and his name was given by God, also before he was born. However, because these oc-curred before his duty as messenger began, they are considered to be outside the realm of miracles in the general meaning and they are seen rather as signs emphasizing his place and importance before God. For whatever reason, the end result is that an extraordinary event occurred that would not have been possible under ordinary circumstances. This necessitates attention being focused on Jesus in a different way.

His conception and birth represent a first in human history. Creating Adam without a mother and father, God, in time, created Jesus without a father as well and showed this change in his creation as a sign to all mankind. The Quranic verse related to this draws attention to his creation: Jesus in Gods Sight is like Adam: created him from dust, then He said to him: Be, and there he was. (This is) the truth from your Lord; so do not be not be one of the doubters. (3/59, 60) This verse explains that when Gods power is a matter of consideration, other causes are silent and the pen of power prevails. For this reason, one of Jesus names in the Quran is ruhullah (spirit of God).

Almost as soon as he was born, when people began to accuse Mary, Jesus spoke and exonerated his pure mother, Mary; while he was still in the cradle the duty of prophethood that would later be given to him by his Lord was outlined. In the verse that gives the good news of Jesus birth, it is stated, He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity, and he shall be (of the company) of the righteous. (3/46) His speech is given as follows: He said: I am indeed a servant of God: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; and He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; (He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; so peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)! (19/30, 31, 32, 33)

Stating, Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute (19/34), the Quran has the final say on the debates regarding Jesus. It both emphasizes his mothers innocence and indicates that Jesus, who was then still a baby, would be a prophet in the future, inviting people to salvation.

If we look at the heart of the matter, for a society of people who did not understand anything but materialism and were closed to spirituality, Jesus conception as the spirit of God and the extraordinary events surrounding his birth must have been the first shock in the name of divine truth to which they would be called in the future. Today, just as great shocks are needed in the treatment of certain illnesses, extraordinary events are needed sometimes in order for society to be freed from bigotry and for general convictions to be turned in the desired direction. Thus, the atmosphere was softened in preparation for the miracles that Jesus would perform later in his mission, and a kind of foundation was prepared for Gods wishes to be comprehended by society.

Miracles After Apostleship

Of course, Jesus miracles were not limited to his birth. On the contrary, after having started his life with a great miracle, Jesus went on to perform many miracles in support of his prophethood. Some of the miracles that were given to his prophethood are mentioned in the Quran as follows, when the angels are talking to Mary about Jesus: And God will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel, and (appoint him) an apostle to the Children of Israel, (with this message): I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Gods leave: and I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Gods leave; and declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe; (I have come to you) to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was (before) forbidden to you; I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. So fear God, and obey me. It is God who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is a way that is straight. (3/48, 49, 50, 51) As can be understood, these words belong to the angels and were said before the events occurred. While describing Jesus position, they mention the miracles that will occur through him and give passages from dialogue between him and the tribe.

In addition to emphasizing the same topic, another verse relates what happened to Jesus from the first day: Then will God say: O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel. And behold! Thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it, and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! Thou bringest forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the Clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: This is nothing but evident magic. (5/113)

Another of Jesus miracles is the feast that was provided when his people wanted to eat food from heaven. This event is related in the Quran in a sura entitled Al-Maidah:

Behold! The Disciples said: O Jesus the son of Mary! Can thy Lord send down to us a Table set (with viands) from heaven? Said Jesus: Fear God, if ye have faith. They said: We only wish to eat thereof and satisfy our hearts, and to know that thou hast indeed told us the truth; and that we ourselves may be witnesses to the miracle.’ Said Jesus the son of Mary: ‘ God our Lord! Send us from heaven a Table set (with viands), that there may be for us — for the first and the last of us ” a solemn festival and a Sign from Thee; and provide for our sustenance, for Thou art the best Sustainer (of our needs). God said: I will send it down unto you: but if any of you after that resisteth faith, I will punish him as I have not inflicted on any one among all the peoples. (5/115, 116, 117, 118)

Jesus was made superior from the beginning with extraordinary acts and strengthened by God with these miracles. In the following verse, God indicates that it is time for the people to recognize the values Jesus has brought and to surrender to them: We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of Apostles; We gave Jesus the son of Mary clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you an Apostle with what ye yourselves desire not, ye are puffed up with pride? ” Some ye called imposters, and others ye slay! 92/87) It is implied here that every command supported by God requires absolute obedience and, at the same time, that we must not stray form the divine path because of doubts raised by our egos and Satan.

Generally there have always been those who prefer to take a reactionary attitude towards all the prophets and to remain closed to new things. Such travellers on the path of darkness label every extraordinary miracle they see as magic. They did not think any differently about Jesus or the events that occurred than they did to any other previous miracles. Jesus reply to this was no different from that of the former prophets. With the satisfaction of performing his duty without fault, Jesus said, as every prophet before him had:

God is truly your Lord and my Lord; so worship Him. That is a straight path. (19/36) Saying this, he left everyone alone to follow their will. This was necessary, as after this, those who wanted to come would; they would be able to find the right path and gain salvation, while those who prefer the darkness will be sacrificed to their own egos.

It is possible to summarize Jesus miracles as follows, according to the way in which they appear in the Quran:

1- Raising the dead.

2- Breathing life into a bird made from clay.

3- Making the blind see.

4- Curing leprosy.

5- Giving news of what was going on inside houses.

6- Being strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

7- Bringing down a banquet from the heavens.

The first thing that strikes one about all of these is that most of Jesus miracles were related to the field of medicine. During his time there were important developments in this area and people were frequently confronted with these. For this reason, his miracles of healing, which cured many problems that were not curable at that time, gained the attention of medical authorities, especially since he had not been educated in this field and had no equipment. They agreed that his results had to have been accomplished with divine assistance.

As we have discussed here, miracles not only contain certain messages for those witnessing the event, but they also demonstrate many things to those who come after. When looked at from this perspective, God is saying many things to the people of today through the miracles performed by Jesus. At first glance, the most obvious message is that it is possible for many things that we perceive as inanimate to be animated by giving them energy; problems with sight and every kind of skin disease can be cured, even if we have not yet found the cure today. All of these are important matters that medicine should be addressing today; there is a cure for every illness. One of the most important duties of experts in the medical field is to find cures from the pharmacy of the universe.

If we look at the banquet that came from the heavens and the way in which the people benefited from the divine blessings in this feast, we can understand that there are many blessings hidden in the heavens, and that it is the duty of man, who has been blessed with intelligence and judgement, to fully investigate these. If we can knock on the doors of mercy in the language of science and technology in the light of this miracle of Jesus, it may be possible for man to reach many feasts full of blessings beyond this world.

Jesus Departure

Like his birth, Jesus departure from mankind was another miracle. God did not leave Jesus in the hands of those who wanted to kill him and, in the words of the Quran, he was raised to the heavens with another miracle, being taken from among mankind to a different plane of life. According to the Quran, that they said (in boast), We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of God “but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay God raised him up unto Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise. (4/157, 158)

This detail can be found in another verse explaining this matter: Behold! God said: O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return to me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute. As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help. (3/55, 56)

As can be seen, Jesus life, which was full of miracles, changed dimension with yet another miracle, and he was honored with immortality. Moreover, some narrations regarding his return close to the time of Doomsday to call people to the truth once more are proof that these kinds of miracles will continue in the future.

The End of Time and Jesus

Almost all religions mention a final savior in the future who will turn mankind to the true path once again. There are some narrations in the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that Jesus will come again at the end of time and eliminate the idea of atheism. Commenting on these narrations and stating that they are absolutely authentic, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi said, Only a wondrous and miraculous person with an esteemed following will be able to kill and change the calling of the Antichrist who will protect himself with acts of magic, magnetism and spiritualism and enchant everyone. That person is Jesus.

The second coming of Jesus is, of course, within the realm of possibility, when Gods power is taken into consideration, but it should not be forgotten that these kinds of narrations can be metaphorical as well; what may be being implied here is that the idea of atheism will be eliminated and that a victory of faith will be experienced. In this way the path of Jesus and the path of the Spirit of Truth will be united and humanity, once again knowing goodness, beauty, peace and contentment, will live a life imbued with faith.

It is true that prophets are like children of the same mother. All their values are shared ones; their Lord is one; their guidance is one; their aim is one. The world is in need, more than ever, of their message, a message that is to be presented by people whose goal is faith.

Reference

See Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Words, 20th Word, Second Station.

Behold! The angels said: O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to God. (Quran 3/45)

Explaining that life is not just one dimensional, Bediuzzaman says that, just as religious martyrs continue to live on another plane of life, Hzr, Elijah, Enoch and Jesus are also on a different plane, and he discusses questions concerning the second coming of Jesus. See Bediuzzaman, Letters, First Letter.

The Antichrist means one who shows falsehood as the truth and the truth as falsehood. There are narrations that a perverted meaning of the idea of faith will be active at the end of time. In this respect, it can mean the person or persons opposed to faith and those who act in accordance with the perverted meaning of faith. When the matter of Jesus killing the Antichrist is looked at in this respect, it can be understood that Jesus, representing faith, will eliminate the Antichrist, representing falsehood, and thoughts belonging to him from society. On a plane where there are no physical bodies, this event can be seen as both sides representing a spiritual personality, thus it can be evaluated within a faith-falsehood framework.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Rays, Fifth Ray, Second Station, 13th Point.

One night, when sleeping, a man heard sounds on his roof. There were loud footsteps and he wondered what could be happening. He shouted out the window, Who is it? Is there a genie on my roof? An extraordinary, mysterious man looked into the window from above and said, We are going around by night, searching.

What are you searching for? the man asked.

Camels, he replied.

You must be joking! he exclaimed. Youre looking for camels on my roof?!

Thats right, camels. Just as you seek God on His throne. Is this so very different?

It was this and no more.

No one saw the man on the roof again.

He vanished like a genie in flight.

But did he not make his point about the madness of man,

That a camel which flies is no crazier than he

Who seeks God on the throne of delight?

Silence lies in the ocean,

While words flow through the river.

The ocean waits for you, do not wait for the river.

Look to the ocean and watch its message,

It will come, it will come

Death Makes Everybody Equal

A solitary dervish had taken up his station in the corner of a desert, when a king passed by. Inasmuch as contentment is the enjoyment of a kingdom, the dervish did not raise his head, nor show the king the least attention and, inasmuch as sovereignty is regal pomp, the king took offense, and said: “The tribe of ragged mendicants resemble brute beasts, and have neither grace nor good manners.” The vizier stepped up to the dervish, and said: “O generous man! The sovereign of this land has passed by you; why did you not do him homage, and discharge the duty of obeisance?” He answered and said, “Speak to your sovereign, saying: Expect service from that person who will court your favor; let him moreover know that the purpose of kings is the protection of the people; it is not the purpose of the people to be the subjects of kings. It is for their benefit that the kings glory is exalted, yet the king is but the shepherd of the poor. The sheep are not intended for the service of the shepherd, but the shepherd is

appointed to tend the sheep. Today you may observe one man proud from prosperity, another with a heart sore from adversity; have patience for a few days ’till the dust of the grave can consume the brain of that vain and foolish head. When the record of destiny comes into effect, the distinction of liege and subject disappears. Were a person to turn up the dust of the deceased, he could not distinguish that of the rich man from the poor.”

These words made a strong impression upon the king; he said, “Ask me for something.” The wise man replied, “What I desire is that you will not trouble me again!” The king said, “Favor me with a piece of advice.” He answered, “Now that the good things in life are in your hands, attend to them; wealth and dominion are passing from one hand into another.” 

The Unjust do not Remain Unpunished

A story is told of a profiteer who bought firewood from the poor at a low price, and sold it to the rich at a profit. A good and holy man went up to him and said, “You are a snake, which bites everybody it sees, or an owl, which digs up and fouls the place where it nests. Although your injustice may pass unpunished among us, it cannot escape God, the knower of secrets. Be not unjust with the people of this earth, so that their complaints may not rise up to heaven.” They say the unjust man was offended at these words, turned his face away from the holy man, and showed him no civility. But then, as it is expressed in the Qur’an: He, the glorified God, overtook him amidst his sins. One night, a spark from his kitchen fire flew onto a stack of wood, and caused a fire that burnt up all his belongings, laying him up in bed, tormenting him with the ashes of Hell. The good and holy man happened to be passing and saw that the profiteer was remarking to his friends, “I do not understand how this fire fell upon my dwelling.” The good man said, “It was from the smoke of the hearts of the poor! Guard against the smoke of the sore-afflicted heart, for a sore hidden away will at last gather to a head. Give no heart pain so long as you can avoid it, for one sigh may set the whole world into flames.”

It is said that the following inscription was engraved upon Kai-Khosraus* crown: “For how many years, and for what a continuance of ages, shall mankind walk over my head on this earth? As the kingdom came to me, from hand to hand, so it shall pass into the hands of others.”

* Kai Khosrau was one of the Seljuk Sultans of Anatolia, 1192-1196.

In this ever changing environment, managing resources has not only become very important, but it has also changed over recent decades.

The main concern is limited resources vs. unlimited needs; this has been the dilemma of people throughout history. Some societies thought that they had found the answer by trying to limit needs and wants, while some other societies promoted needs and wants, motivating people to work harder to satisfy the same. However, questions, such as How to decrease the cost of production? How to increase productivity? and What is the best method for motivating people? remained important through the last century.

These are the very same questions for which the business world is trying to find the answers.

The efficient management of resources is very important. The management of manpower plays a critical role in the satisfactory completion of this task. To maximize the use of all resources one must also maximize the use of human resources.

A New Approach: Coaching vs. Managing.

In recent decades, we have seen a new approach, the use and effectiveness of which has been increasing in management; COACHING. More organizations have become interested in coaching their employees rather than managing them.

Managers manage numbers, goals, objectives and activities for results.

Coaches develop others to reach higher levels of contribution, personal attainment, and success.

Managers ensure there is a place to work, a procedure to follow, and a system for monitoring business.

Coaches, on the other hand, build high-performance teams by focusing on interpersonal relationships with employees and guiding them to achieve their dreams and aspirations. Everything else is trivia that should be delegated to someone else or relegated to after-hours. A leader or coach makes the relationship with their employees the first priority.

Management today recognizes the need to have a winning organization; it must be more knowledgeable and competent in dealing with and developing people.

Traditional management methods, which are organization-centered, although they have served business well and have accomplished a great deal, are now being challenged by the needs of the employees and customers. In dealing with these new challenges, most managers find that they are at the limits of their current skills. A changing business environment requires us to continuously improve our approach to management. Now is certainly the time for a new methodology which incorporates many of the approaches used by successful managers. That is the fundamental change.

The process of evolution is at the base of the need to develop a management competency in dealing with and developing people. The belief that all employees are self- motivated and that the manager’s role is simply to direct the activities of their subordinates through intimidation or any other method, assumes a results orientation with little regard for the means. In such a system, the employees generally have little opportunity to provide input to the process, and management becomes a numbers game, with little or no attention being paid to developing skills or people.

Because it is people who make things happen, and because we are dealing with a more enlightened and demanding work force, blind submission to direction is no longer feasible. We all want and expect a clear communication of roles, responsibilities and resources, and we expect to be evaluated as we perform our assigned tasks. We have to understand the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and how we are perceived by the people we are leading. We have to develop a competence and consistency in dealing with the people who are reporting to us. Indeed, we have to develop multiple skills, combining the sensitivity of a leader who is viewed as a capable and involved person with those of a trainer who provides the subordinate with skills enhancement and a defined pay off.

The new approach is employee-oriented rather than organization-oriented.

High Trust Leadership: High trust equals high performance.

Today’s younger generation, as well as many of the older generation, are assuming different interests which change the desired expectations and outcomes of their lives. We need to tune into these changes and be aware of the fact that unless we present a work environment that aligns with these expectations, we may not be able to keep our better employees. Without competent players, exemplary results become significantly more difficult to attain.

There is a pervasive and accelerating transition from the long term relationship between the employer and the employee, which represented the norm in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Quality of life, family and independence have become the priorities for the worker in the twenty-first century. Management must be aware of these needs and it has to address the means by which the organization and managers meet them.

Each of us can remember a number of instances when we asked someone to explain or show us how to do something. Whether riding a bike, shooting a basketball or solving a difficult puzzle, there was a moment when we asked for help. Yet, after we asked for help, we were impatient with the helper or coach and wanted to get back to hands-on as rapidly as possible. Your team members are no different. They want to put their spin on the advice or the directions. The easier the manager makes it for team members to set the rules on how and when they are coached, the more likely it is that they will develop the discipline to find the information themselves and make their own decisions. An integral part of coaching is teaching and reinforcing. Whether it is sports or business, winning and losing do not depend on trick plays or new systems. The information your competition has is the same as yours. So what are you going to use to win? It comes down to motivating people to work and to prepare to play as a team. In a word, it is COACHING.

Six Essential Skills;

There are six essential management skills, or personalities, that are needed in order to optimize our efforts to become an effective coach.

1- Relationship builder: Get to know your team well and as individuals. Make sure you understand them, their values, their personal goals, and their objectives.

2- Team builder: In understanding each member of the team it becomes imperative that the manager develops the skills to link and blend these individuals into a coordinated, cooperative, and cohesive team in order to address the common goals and objectives of all.

3- Planner: An effective manager must also be a planner. Your team will look to you for direction, strategies, improvement processes, etc. They will expect guidance in managing their time and activities. It is essential that you have the necessary background, knowledge and skills to define and establish well thought-out road maps and game plans for your team.

4- Interactive Communicator: The essential key to acheiving this skill and the foundation for successful interactions is effective and active listening. Acquiring and sharing know-ledge and information is an integral part of the business world.

5- Organizer: A manager must also be an effective organizer. Organization is essentially preparing a framework for getting the job done properly, effectively, and efficiently.

6- Experience gatherer: Finally managers need to focus on the need to become experience gatherers. Managers must continue to expand their knowledge and their skill base and share that growth with their team members. To be a good manager, you must be a good leader and a great coach first.

The importance of coaching is that the scope of opportunity and success expands significantly as the manager’s skill dimensions increase. Therefore, the more effectively the managers incorporate each management dimension into their management process, the more likely it is that they will be able to attain results that are otherwise perceived as unattainable.

Leadership Qualities;

– Challenging the process: thinking out of the box.

– Setting the example: Do what you want your team to do, lead by example.

– Recognizing and rewarding value: Look for the right things that team members do and reward them; do not look to catch mistakes.

– Enabling others to succeed and attain goals: Make it the team’s own goal that they will accomplish.

– Establishing and sharing your vision: Give the team a road map and future hopes and dreams to catch hold to.

– Maintaining your commitments: Never break a promise and ensure that the goals and objectives are clearly communicated.

The organizations which employ more effective coaches to lead their work force will have the upper hand in the competitive business world, and will be a center for attracting better people. Since everyone likes to be on a winning team, it is critical for organizations which want to maximize their resources, lower their operation costs, reduce their turnover and increase loyalty to build teams to win. I hope to see every organization building their own winning team and getting ahead of the game.

Pre-school children and reading

Reading books to little children is one of the best ways of spending time with them. What we tell them at this period has a greater influence on them, because this is the period when their personalities are developing. It is a very remarkable fact that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) counseled Muslims to whisper the adhan and iqama in a baby’s ear as soon as he/she was born; from this we can infer that we should start talking to our child from the very first day. Today, researchers who study child development have reached the same conclusion.

As soon as our baby can differentiate colors and shapes, we can begin to communicate with him/her using books. A picture will catch a child’s attention. It is better to explain something to a child with a picture or a photograph, for it is recognized that learning is more effective with visual support. Our child will be interested in books at an early age if we show them the pictures in a book and talk about them. Such a practice is useful in terms of language development and establishing a dialogue between parents and their children, as well as making children feel that their parents love them. A further benefit in introducing books to children at an early age is that it raises their interest in books. In time, books become their close friends and reading becomes a need for them. As Victor Hugo stated, the need to read is like gunpowder, once it is ignited it does not die out.

During the pre-school period, if the parents read books to their children everyday, their child’s vocabulary will become enriched and their ability to think will improve along with their intellectual progress. In this way, children will learn to listen and to speak. They will grow up as individuals who love reading. They often ask questions when a story is being read, for children learn by asking. They should be given logical and satisfactory answers. Their questions should never be ignored or undermined. They should never be misinformed. Children are never bored by listening to the same stories over and over. This helps them to become familiar with the vocabulary and facilitates absorbing the message given in the book.

What is the benefit of books?

Books are the most important means of educating children. We transfer our culture to new generations via books. Books improve language use and teach about life. Children can get to know people through books and evaluate them. Within the plots of novels and stories, children come to recognize human behavior. Starting from this point, they learn what kind of people should be considered as friends and what type of behavior is to be avoided.

A child who reads about the problems in life and the ways to cope with these knows what to do when he/she encounters similar problems in real life. Books teach children to use their imagination and to love people, nature and living things. Books raise interest in inventions and technology. They teach about man’s place and his duty in the universe. The stories children read teach them that they should not step on ants, destroy bird-nests, that they should not let animals starve and so on. They make children feel in their consciences that lying, stealing, and fighting are all wrong. Children internalize values, such as being kind to people, helping them without expecting anything in return, courage, determination, modesty, being resolute and striving for success when identifying themselves with the heroes in the books they read.

Books are a means of entertainment as well. Riddles, puzzles, mind games and anecdotes contribute to the mental development of children and help them enjoy themselves.

The reason for reading:

Reading is related to the way we perceive the world and our perspective of life, universe and our self-opinion. Reading is the outcome of the urge to discover new things and our desire, as a human being to understand ourselves, the reason of our existence, our Creator and the mysteries of the universe. This must be the reason why the first order of the Qur’an is Read. People can achieve these only by reading.

How can we motivate children toward books and reading?

There is no magical way to make children love reading. Nevertheless, we can try different ways to approach this problem. We have already mentioned some methods that can be used with pre-school children. We can apply different methods for older children.

First of all, if the adults at home constantly read and share their opinions with each other about the themes or characters in the books they are reading, the children will develop an interest in reading. Reading starts with the family. Even a little child who cannot read or write, holds a book, turns its pages, looks at its pictures, asks questions about it and in the end, reading becomes as natural for him/her as eating and drinking. In short, if reading has a place in our own life, our children will read too.

We should not just present books as a means of transferring information. We should emphasize the entertaining and attractive sides of books also. Children should be made to meet books as if they were meeting a friend. Illustrated story books, novels, books of riddles, puzzles and anecdotes are usually more interesting for children. Such books warm children to reading.

We should read together with our child. Children love this. We should alter the tone of our voice when we read what different characters are saying, trying to animate the story. If the parent is the only one reading, it will be boring for the child. Sometimes the child should read to his/her parents. Some parents habitually read stories to their children before they go to sleep. This is a good method that can be used in most families.

Children should be taken to book fairs and bookshops, they should be given time to take a look at the books. They should be allowed to choose some of the books they are to read. We should be careful about choosing books suitable to their age. A book should have interesting illustrations and should be written in a language that is grammatically accurate, yet interesting.

In conclusion, if we choose the right ways, any child can love reading. However, we cannot make a child read a book by force. Even if we cannot help the children to love books, then at least we should not make them hate books. Once a person hates books, it is very difficult for them to warm to them again.

A: Before discussing the equality of men and women, we should first look more closely at the meaning of “equal” and “equality.”

“Equal” means that there is no difference between things, that they have the same nature, quality, value and dimension. On the other hand, “equality” means that there is no discrimination between people in terms of rights.

Having established these definitions of “equal and “equality,” then how are we to view women in relation to men?

a) Difference in Nature

God has created everything in the universe in pairs. It is impossible to say that one of these pairs is equal to the other in all respects. “And of everything we have created pairs that you may reflect.” (Az-Zariyat, 51/49).

From atoms to plants, and from these to the male and female of animals and human beings, everything has been created in pairs and each member of the pair is in need of the other. Positives are in need of negatives, electrons are in need of protons, night is in need of day, summer is in need of winter, the surface of the earth is in need of the sky, men are in need of women and vice versa. In addition, there are probably other pairs that we may not know of yet, but we will learn about these with the development of science and technology.

Just as God has created the electron in relation to the proton, the negative in relation to the positive, and the female seed in relation to the male seed, God has created women and men, and He has formed a unity between these couples. But just as positive and negative are not equal, nor are the electron and proton equal, women are not equal to men. This is an unchanging rule of the nature of creation. Moreover, other than God, Who is One, everything else is deficient and insignificant and cannot continue its existence by itself. So, men and women, who are imcomplete by themselves, will come together to form a union, and it is this union that is the essence of the whole.

Therefore, women and men are not equal, but they complete each other. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), in one of his hadith says: “Women are (the other) half of men.”

The word for “other half”-sakik-in this hadith means a piece of a whole divided into two through the middle. This means that each piece that is forming the whole is the sakik of the other. Thus, according to this hadith, women and men are equal halves as human beings. But they are never the same as the other; that is, their natural, spiritual and psychological structures are different. As a woman can never be equal to a man according to his physical and spiritual structure, a man can never be equal to a women according to the same aspects. Neither are men biologically superior, nor are women inferior to men. As human beings cannot really change the difference between the sexes, both believers and nonbelievers should give up their dreams of bein equal and should accept women and men as they are.

In addition, we cannot even claim that individuals of the same sex are totally equal to one another. Trying to verify this would be to attempt to change the rules of creation; such efforts are useless. Here we should mention that the difference in the creation of women should not lead men to feel superior. On the contrary, God states, “And Who made (things) according to a measure, then guided rightly” (Al-Ala 87/3). He is the One who creates women and men in the best pattern of creation and He is the One Who teaches them how to improve themselves. He is the One Who makes them complementary to one another and the protector and guardian for one another.

b) Differences in Duty

As is clear from the above explanations, just as women and men cannot be equal in their nature, nor can they be equal in duty. If you expect a woman to perform the same duties as a man, you will in fact be oppressing her. It is obvious that women are different from men physically, biologically and spiritually. It is therefore only normal that, arising from this difference in their natures, that there should be a difference in duties. For instance, men are stronger than women. In this respect, it is very difficult for a woman to do some of the work that a man does. This is not to be seen as an inadequacy of women. Women are generally more merciful, compassionate, intuitive and emotional when compared to men. In this respect, men cannot be compared to women in any way. Both sexes are equipped according to the necessities of their duties; this is the true justice. Therefore, instead of studying men and women as if they were on equal terms, we should evaluate women and men separately and according to their own particular natures.

Women have certain rights and duties based on the nature of their creation, and if women make use of these qualities they will then be able to obtain better results.

New generations are brought into this world by women and are brought up by them. Humanity gains good individuals through their efforts. It is a great kindness and wisdom of God that women have been equipped with such compassion when we consider that they are in charge of bringing up children. In this respect, among all the members of the family, women deserve the greatest respect. They are the educators, teachers, and the source of the family’s endurance and the peace of the home. Men are reassured by them. Children grow up under their compassionate wing, and are raised with healthy emotions, compassion, and strong values. If the mother lives a chaste life, then the children will be saved from degeneration, and a community formed of these children will be saved from oppression.

When we compare all the things that humans provide women with in the name of equality with those favors that God the Almighty provides, the former will be very small in comparison. Moreover, all the rights granted to women and all the effort expended on behalf of their gaining “equal rights” is as ridiculous as if we were to give a copper medal to someone whose chest was already covered in gold medals.

God has given everyone their own nature. With the granting of this nature he did not make anyone coarse or foolish. If he had granted any superflurous duties to people, then this would have been no more than an injustice or an act of oppression.

The tasks or duties that women do should be suited to their physical, psychological and spiritual nature. Offering a woman a job that she cannot handle, or employing her in a job that is not in her nature to accomplish, has nothing to do with equality or treating a woman as an equal; this is not a humanitarian approach. On the contrary, such behavior is little more than the forceful seizure of the majority of her rights.

A hadith of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), expresses the subject in a beautiful and elegant manner: “They had put a cow to yoke. It turned and said to its master: I have not been created for such jobs.” Rather, it is the ox that was created for such jobs.

In conclusion, everything has been created for a reason. For true justice to prevail, every creature should be employed according to its capabilities and according to the reason for its creation.

In fact, the days of Ramadan are the center of attention, the sum of our spiritual joys, the stage for excitement, the helix of the divine light of progress and the sphere of opportunity and a prize that encourages the growth of all human characteristics all over the world; this is most especially so in Muslim countries and among Muslims.

Occurring in a totally unconventional manner during the night, and with a special brightness during the day, the days of Ramadan pass, communicating a speical aura to the hearts, reuniting those parts of society that have fallen out of touch with one another; opening the way for all those in solitude to congregate, eliminating their severence from society. It is a banquet of emotions and ideas for everyone in varying dimensions, and reminds us all, one more time, about life.

Ramadan, above all, is the month of the Qur’an; in this regard even the ones who have distanced themselves from the Qur’an throughout the year, those who are parched with a burning thirst, find themselves in this light, in this radiating ambience. These days replenish the valleys of the psyches which have almost dried out with the spirit, meaning and mystery that the Qur’an has showered on people distanced from the Qur’an; it converts the complete heart into a flower garden and elates these people with the joy of existence. They, on the other hand, sense and receive the entire cosmos by and through the Qur’an, developing wings with the emotions and thoughts that are communicated, appreciating that the whole creation process is manifested in the Qur’an, and are meek in astonishment and reverence. They sometimes breathe through their tears, unburden with their tears, having a sense that the veils that come between have been removed, feel that they are closer to God than even the closest ones, and find themselves almost in an abundance of joy.

As a matter of fact, the divine contents of the Qur’an can be totally penetrated solely by those who cannot only hear the sound of the entire cosmos, but who are also attuned to the melody of the human soul; a melody composed of fear and hope, worry and joy, dolor and cheer, all at the same time. The souls beyond time, those who can listen to the Qur’an as if it has been sent just for them, can experience the flavor of paradisical fruits, the colors and beauty and the panoramic falls of the gardens and bays of Paradise, and become enthusiastic and energized. In the philosophy and life of these people, metaphysics completes physics; meaning becomes the true content and significance of the matter, and everything that has had its value concealed up to date becomes visible. Again, an imaginary mystery is sensed on the countenances of these people, as if a secret intuition and an extraordinary comprehension has been inspired by their receptiveness to the infinite sphere of the Divine Names and Attributes; a maturity, a satisfaction, a purity, a sincerity imbued by the piety of days fully engaged with the Qur’an; a delicacy, an attraction and a benevolence cherished by the golden enthusiasm of faith all pour in through these portals.
In no month other than the “Qur’an oriented” Ramadan are the nights and days differentiated by different illuminations; the nights are luminous, the days are enlightened.

Once again in Ramadan one can observe, perceive and discern the Qur’an and its celestial origin from beyond the heavens, with its aura of divine manifestations, and its significance that is scattered throughout the cosmos, with its love for God and the traces of it glowing so clearly on the countenances of the believers. Indeed during Ramadan, the originality of the Qur’an shines in every glowing face; in faces that have been shaped by the entire web of fate, in eyes that disseminate the inner profundity of the entire meaning. Male-female, old-young, rich-poor, learned-illiterate, almost all walks of life are affected by Ramadan during this blessed period of time, as far as the schemes of life are concerned, and they breathe the impressive demeanor that comes within Ramadan…

Again, within Ramadan, every single soul becomes purified from all his/her spiritual errors in an unprecedented dimension, and they reflect the light that comes from beyond the heavens; this is, of course, reflected in accordance with his/her aptitude and ability. As a result he/she gains a place in Paradise. This month grants such an abundance and prolificacy that almost everyone that shelters in its shadow can benefit from its wealth and riches and attain the spiritual sultanate; all believers who normally are differentiated from one another in many aspects become completely metamorphosized in its luminous climate; they are able to transform and reach somewhere that is blessed, in relation to their states.
The excellent and divine light of Ramadan – with the meaningful grandeur of the cosmos reflected in the eyes capable of receiving this light, and by shedding a prism on the servants of God – Ramadan is able to diffuse onto the people in different walks of life, to penetrate into their hearts in a profound manner with its unique taste, ambiance, spirit and significance, so that even the most obstinate ones will not be able to resist it and will surrender.

During the whole of Ramadan, the nights enfold everything in their mysteries; mysteries so intimate and amiable, the days which embrace one’s emotions and thoughts with an unaccustomed pleasure are so warm and soft, the faces in faith are so affectionate and informed, the sounds that summon one to God are so caring, and above all, the total meaning of these are so touching that the ones who can open their hearts to this month of mercy, even temporarily, welcome the happiness of heaven after they have unburdened themselves of their worries and sorrows, one by one.

A Heavenly Month

We, in Ramadan, can almost view the panorama from beyond this world and listen to the melody of Firdaws. An integrated faith of the religion of the hearts; in fact, a life led in belief, an appreciation of the divine meaning, blessed affection and spiritual gratification are also considered to be among the essential elements of this melody. Those who can color their lives with these components shall find themselves experiencing an abundance of delight and enthusiasm beyond which it is impossible to imagine. In other words, such blessings could be seen to be God’s rewards, granted in advance to those who are inclining towards Him with all their hearts, or a feeling of the nucleus of Paradise placed in the essence of faith. As for the genuine pleasure-without-sorrow and unending happiness, these do not belong to this mortal world; they will be offered as God’s holy gift to the souls who are able to reach the final stop with a heart assured of its fate, in another realm.

Conceiving the whole globe as a grand mosque, the Ka’ba as the mihrab (pulpit), the Prophet’s tomb (Al Rawdatu’l Mutahharah) as the minbar (altar), and all of those who pray as the congregation of this vast temple, every single soul can taste the joy of praying with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) standing in front of them.

Again during Ramadan, each action and behavior that is carried out at the times of sahur, iftar and tarawih (special meals and pra-yers) these periods considered to be the harbor and stairs used to approach and reach God – become so mysterious that the heavens and the lights of the realms beyond the heavens almost seem to be poured down on our heads, and they whisper to us magical poems alongside our praise and gratitude to God; as affectionate and warm as the lullabies composed in the very hearts of our mothers, and as profound and respectful as the glorification of angels..!

An exceptional mildness and warmth embraces our conscience as we comprehend Ramadan in its original profundity and become one with Ramadan in all ways of life… a sweet breeze of emotions blows here and there… and it, like a familiar breath, reveals numerous occasions of love and reunion!
Throughout Ramadan a sacred excitement, that never fully ceases, can be sensed in the air; every single moment – from the legendary fascination of the nights to the mysterious minutes before dawn, from the course of days blessed by Ramadan, to the colors of the Ramadan dawn with its heavenly inspiration; a different flood of emotions prevail every moment. The dawn, with its mysterious and confidential aura, points us to particular bays where our wishes and needs shall be met, and it whispers the paths that we should follow to reach there. Days come with a breeze – a breeze that is lively most of the time, lively, yet so benign, polyphonic and warmhearted at the same time – the days embrace us, making us perceive them through the delight that originates in our prayer and worship, that we practice at least five times a day. The days then leave, along with their divinely arrayed colors, pouring their final smiles down on us, with a promise that the episode not yet completed will be fulfilled. The evenings, on the other hand, loom on the horizon, always with the promise of a splendid feast; they make themselves felt through a series of bustling occasions that are related to the time, they appeal to both our bodies and souls; they surround us with the excitement of both iftar and tarawih, they hint to us that we are standing at the front door of a secret realm, they make our souls appreciate the bliss of living in a Muslim way, inspiring our hearts with their sparks of love and passion for holy reunion.

In the same way, the nights stand on the horizon enveloped in a mystery of silence; they whisper to us of a private meeting with the Absolute Beloved; they lead us to transcendental ways of life and present compositions of paradisical melodies for those who are capable of hearing them. The nights keep on revealing things, no matter if we can comprehend them or not. Like circles joining one another, these mysterious utterences sometimes turn out to be such impressive orations that all, except the totally blind and deaf, hold their tongues and stand in astonishment while listening to these sermons that consist of neither letters nor words.

As our feelings and thoughts change and become more profound during Ramadan, Ramadan, too, puts forward extraordinary meanings and original ideas, these are parallel to our aspirations and dreams. They are directly proportioned to the profundity of our ideas; they create such an eloquent speech that these orations cannot be found in the works of the greatest speakers, writers, thinkers or philosophers. To penetrate into the subtlety of these profound and loaded utterances, however, the necessity to comprehend the very language of Islam becomes evident. If we can understand this language concisely, Ramadan – with its days and nights, with its fasting and tarawih – will permeate our hearts and our essence so effectively that we will never desire to leave such a world; a world woven with emotion, conscience and imagination.
Even if we were to be deprived, literally, of the luminous climate of such a Ramadan, we could picture the vicinities of the mosques with their gleaming lamps that in a way recall the heavens, the faces of Muslims, with their saint-like glow, that fill the mosques, their hearts resounding in sincerity, and their pulses beating with excitement. Imagining these people affected by Ramadan, their faces shaped by trust, the warmhearted glances that they freely throw on all, the smiles they shower on the way, their warm and open hearts, their feeling of benevolence and their Muslim demeanor we could share their perception and portray myself as a guest of their sahur or a participant at their iftar meal. We also could discern the intentions of these virtous people – they are going to the mosques in great enthusiasm to worship, and they bend their bodies double in the psychology of service – and we could perceive that aura which has been completely blessed with all its riches.
Ramadan, with its own original tone, its light and mystery, makes all of us appreciate the spiritual riches hidden within ourselves, and feeds our starving hearts with heavenly gifts, gifts that stand open at all times, even to the darkest souls, and it continues to cool our souls through the heavenly breezes and removes all the hatred in our hearts with its blessed atmosphere. Even if those who are full of hatred, those who cannot stand the reality of Islam, who swear at the divine light, who set war on tolerance, love and dialogue remain unmoved.

We, as a matter of fact, contrive to grasp Ramadan with all our hearts and our essence; it then offers us love, interest and excitement in its most affectionate, sensitive and profound moments. That is, by granting us hope and ambition enough to satisfy our hearts, it makes all the sad faces smile.

Therefore, we would never wish for Ramadan to leave us, in spite of this, it goes. It leaves like a guest; it has arrived and spent a pleasant time with us, staying for a while. As with everything, it comes one by one, it goes on in the same way… and then the ’Eid comes to us as the royal heir of the full harvest of this magnificient month.

(Ibrahim Abu-Rabi)

During the nineteenth century, Turkey underwent an unprecedented process of modernisation and secularisation at an accelerated rate. This was not witnessed in any other part of the Muslim world. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Ottoman capital, Istanbul, had become a bustling laboratory for the ‘westernisation experiment’. How Islam kept on pulsating under the external pressures and encroachment of the Western powers, and among the colossal debris left by the crumbling Empire is an issue that many have grappled with. Cantwell Smith, Bernard Lewis, Niyazi Berkes, and Fazlur Rahman, to name a few examples, have all revisited Turkey in an attempt to throw light on this issue, but none actually investigated the ‘Nur Movement’, or glanced at its founder, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1875- 1960) in their accounts. An oversight perhaps, but a very a significant one indeed: to try to explain the position of Islam in today’s Turkey and to speculate about its prospects tomorrow without taking account of Nursi’s oeuvre and actions necessitates that the task will be incomplete and difficult. No doubt, Serif Mardin’s “Religion and Social Change in Modern Turkey” is the first work in a direction that seriously takes notice of Said Nursi and adds him to the equation. Mardin’s work, as its title suggests, “approached Nursi’s work from the point of view of the sociology of religion”. Its purpose is to elucidate, “How Nursi’s ideas formed against the backdrop of the economic, social, and political conditions of his times.” In “Islam at the Crossroads”, no less than nineteen scholars from Islamic, as well as from western academia, have gathered to discuss the thought, life and times of Bediuzzaman (the non-pareil of his times). In this enterprise, the variety of the contributions produces a multi-faceted approach, which can only be welcomed considering the enigmatic, ambiguous, and nuanced character of Nursi and his times. Indeed, “Islam at the Crossroads” may be seen to be the most significant complement to Mardin’s groundbreaking work. “Glory be to Him who is hidden due to his sheer apparence.”

The study of the life and testaments of Said Nursi leads to diverse questions and paradoxes. In what way did the historical context influence his thoughts? How did his views radically shift following the war to end all wars? What is the relationship between his dictated writings, the enlightenment philosophies of Europe, and the various streams of Muslim thought? What drives the popularity of his collected works? How did external imprisonments, exile and loneliness become for him a home, a freedom?

A significant figure who stands at the crossroads of 20th century history and the geography of empires, at the modern crisis of philosophy and faith, Said Nursi cannot help but provoke a variety of reactions. So it is that this book brings together a range of perspectives – from the historians and biographers, to the philosophers and activists, to the followers and translators.

The editor, Ibrahim M Abu-Rabi`, provides a context for reading the Risale-i Nur. He draws in the threads of Nursi’s self-perception, the deep-rooted nationalist movement in Turkey, and the Sufi traditions that informed Nursi’s early education. He notes the theme of exile, prompting an association with the exodus movement to Madina that began the first Muslim community, and reminds us that Nursi’s exile was forced on him. And he surveys the ideas that Nursi draws from saints, such as Ghazali and Sirhindi. The scholarly authors of these articles, as already mentioned, come from both Muslim and Western perspectives, which creates some striking contrasts.

Taha ‘Abdel Rahman’s article aims at clarification, with a distinction between philosophy and wisdom. Nursi views the former as processing the strange, the ‘extra- ordinary’ and as being anomalous until there are no answers left of consequence. ‘Abdel Rahman argues that instead, Nursi’s thinking is characterized by wonder and a sense of the miraculous in the midst of the ‘customary’. This is not so much a suspension-of-disbelief, but an attitude which seeks purpose in its questions. So it is that ‘Abdel Rahman connects Said Nursi to Immanuel Kant, both of them upsetting the assumptions about the relationship between philosophy and wisdom. But where Kant reaches the Enlightenment conclusion that “the pure concepts of the understanding never admit of a transcendental, but only of an empirical use”, Nursi finds that wisdom has no purpose unless it leads one to the transcendent. Philosophical reason becomes the servant of wisdom, and the ‘will to meaning’ takes over the ‘will to power’ of a turbulent Europe, in which wisdom had been trodden beneath the feet of a selfish, calculating and controlling reason. For Nursi, then, everything becomes a ‘proof’, not as a gratuitous and philosophical argument, but as a sign of the Creator – whether it be the person of the prophets, the rightness of the cosmos, the witness of the book, or the consciousness of human nature. It is not that this multi-faceted universe is an analogy to the Qur’anic text; but in a deep sense, it actually is the recitation of God’s words.