Not accepting marriage as an institution, Karmatis named forbidden acts as being “fine arts.” They treated women as collective property and led the youth astray through prostitution, the legitimization of drinking wine and alcoholic drinks, and made every kind of indulgence lawful. In short, enslaved by their carnal desires and aspirations the Karmatis designed a religion of their own; they labeled anyone who did not follow their way as being “hell-bound,” and thus managed to fabricate disunity for a long time. In one sense, they can be seen to be the anarchists or nihilists of their time.

Modern Kharijites

The Kharijites were another heterodox faction which blamed Caliph ‘Ali, first for conceding to arbitration and accepting the treaty at the Battle of Siffin and second for not handing over the caliphate to Muawiya and thus being guilty of a “grievous sin.” They declared all others who did not think likewise-including the Companions of the Prophet-infidels. Although they apparently believed in Islam, their vision was narrow and deprived of sound thinking. Action always took precedence over knowledge and learning for them; they were subsequently dragged into bigotry, hostility, and intolerance, getting mired in harshness, violence, and crudity. They were distracted by their slogans and action, which they had turned into a religion shaped by their rioting and restless character. They were motivated, not by knowledge, but by slogans, enthusiasm, and reactionary mood. Perhaps they read the Qur’an time after time, but it was a literal reading and they always opposed any interpretation other than theirs. They regarded those who thought otherwise as infidels whom were to be obliterated; they were cruel and tyrannical without a single drop of mercy.

Today, we have seen some people who behave like modern Karmatis and Kharijites, obstructing endeavors for dialogue and understanding, disrupting the dreams of peace and friendship. They too call themselves Muslims; yet, they have attacked the religion from some esoteric approach, replacing it instead with their own passions and thrills. Some others, entrapped in bigotry, have construed the literal meaning of the Qur’an and the hadith as the only primary essentials, sharpening their blades of hatred and hostility against other Muslims. A subgroup within them has adopted a deep esoteric understanding, considering themselves as having attained a transcendental existence, and look down on other Muslims. Still others, however, have blindly adhered to overt divine commandments (nass) with no effort whatsoever to use their mind to interpret them. They have been deprived of any proper techniques of teaching faith or of understanding others; they have no code of conduct, good morals, or respect. What all of these people have done was to start the fire of disunity and to fan the movement of tolerance.

These two groups were later joined by a third: anarchist souls. The Karmati zeal and the Kharijite restlessness pushed some Muslims into the web of terrorists, causing them to be involved with chaos, threatening and even murdering people. Whatever the motive was, be it national or religious, some imprudent individuals were manipulated by some dark power sources. They were denied the slightest share of religion by their actions; yet they committed murders on behalf of it, and handed over their trump card to those who were already standing opposed to religion.

Anarchists, Murderers of Innocents!

Anarchists legitimized the actions of some tyrants against Muslims. They came into being as rebels against the state, and they refused to recognize democracy or the secular system. The natural outcome of such a situation was that the state used it as an excuse to suppress such insurgences. In the meantime, obscure suspicions were construed as actual incidents and many innocent people were hurt on the false grounds that “there is a possibility that they may be dangerous.” In Islam there are no suicide bombers. All throughout history Islam has never issued permission to the murder of innocent people; this is out of the question. However, as a consequence of the actions of some people, people similar to the Karmatis and Kharijites, who have been deceived or manipulated by drugs or in some other way, many other innocents have been defamed, and pristine face of Islam has been tarnished. Muslims, the representatives of submission to God and security, have been depicted as potential terrorists.

Two factors can be listed which aggravate the issue: the first is the fury, coercion, and determination of the tyrants; the second is the actions and conduct of some imprudent people which substantiate the cause of the tyrants.

Throughout the process, the greatest harmed have been those in the middle, those in doubt and hesitation. They have observed what has been going on, and seeing in the front those anarchist souls, nihilists, and a few Karmatis and Kharijites, they thought “they have done far too much, they deserve punishment.” In this way, they have endorsed the coercive operations of the tyrants, perceiving them as being carried out in defense of the system. Moreover, those in the administration either then deliberately overlooked all that was happening, or were incapable of comprehending the true extent of things. Those people who hesitated in the middle were overwhelmed by their doubts and consented to the deterioration of the atmosphere of tolerance and to the hands that had been extended for peace being pulled back.

It is also important to note that it is always easier to inflict damage; damage can be influential, even if it is apparently small in size or carried out by only a few. Destruction is easy. Libeling, lying, slandering can always be done very easily by a few hired writers. Many people, as well as many institutions, have been defamed in this way. They have even organized slander campaigns concealed by the so-called “freedom of press.” These campaigns were always brought to a court of law to be refuted and compensated; however, these trials lasted months and a verdict was reached at a much later date. The evil intentions had already been fulfilled, leaving behind tainted images in some minds.

A small marginal minority which was unsatisfied with everything was behind all this wickedness. They believed in a kind of caste system in which they formed the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth of Divine Existence, whereas the rest of the people were made the fingernails, or in the words of Necip Fazil, they were simply pariahs. If something good were to take place, it was surely accomplished only by them; if any achievement were made, it was certainly them who were to be associated with it. How is it possible that religious people are first to be remembered when dialogue and tolerance are mentioned? How can it be that Muslims are in the forefront of education? This is not possible, it should be these others who are being appreciated for these activities, as they form the eyes and ears, not those whose essence is fingernail. You may call them a marginal group or an oligarchic minority, these arrogant people damaged extensively the peaceful aura that could have surrounded us; what they did was destructive.

Attacking Dialogue

Karmati zeal, Kharijite thought, and the anarchist mood have been seen in the past, and they can reappear at any time. As long as people of faith can recover and have an opportunity to express themselves, take a stand in favor of dialogue and understanding, voice peace everywhere and to everyone, surely there will be some others who will be disturbed by them. Perhaps we should ask them this question: “People of faith act upon certain principles and their numbers constantly grow as they are welcomed by everyone; why don’t you use your own arguments of unbelief so that you may grow in number too? You are not appreciated by the society. You have to reach such a level that you are countable, inspire confidence, and become beloved so that you may be welcomed.”

I would prefer not to have mentioned these three groups of evil people, especially as we are experiencing the blissful month of Ramadan. The mention of evil blockades mercy; thus, talking about these people breathing evil may prevent the divine mercy pouring down upon us these days. To ensure that these blessings are continued perhaps we should always speak about the good-doers and take action for the good. I was inspired by the recent fast-breaking dinners of representatives of many different thoughts dedicated to tolerance, each holding each other’s hand, exchanging glances; no more are their looks of “the other.” I wish some people had not sabotaged such activities in the past, that they did not take on hostility and could embrace these gatherings with good intentions; I wish they could at least respond to those hands extended for peace, by holding out an olive branch.

Everyone shows their true character. We are also supposed to continue showing our true character. Our path is that on which we are inspired with faith in God and on which we take positive action. Our duty is to invite others for “conversations about the Beloved for another hour,” as the Companions would do, and in that way to reinforce our faith and to enthusiastically walk, making the truths of belief accessible to others . . . it does not matter what some other people say or do.

You can send your questions:

Questions@fountainmagazine.com

The book first presents us with an overall view of the condition of the Muslim world, and we see that wherever Muslims are to be found, there exists a paradox. On the one hand, there is depression, weakness, and the people are approaching the edge of the abyss through ignorance and superstition; on the other, people in general are more inclined to turn to God and they struggle for revival almost everywhere . . . Everywhere you can see people who are thirsty for the peace and security promised by Islam. The depression, which the author terms “days of decline,” has been the constantly bleeding wound of the Muslim world for the past few centuries.

Muslims, who had once turned the world into “a dimension of Paradise,” sacrificed the religion, their real source of power, to this world and lost the perfect balance they had established between the universe, humanity, and life. In this way, they rejected the heritage of a thousand years, and tried to replace it with new, but weak, building blocks incompatible with the primordial nature of humanity. However, it is a reality that in spite of all the traumas, depressions, and storms of the days of decline, the idea of a revival has always remained in wait in some remote corner for the day when it will prevail.

For the sake of a revival, in other words, for the sake of repairing the shaken Muslim logic, of compensating for deviations, and of establishing a new and healthy life, the entire Muslim world needs to go through a “resurrection.” This revival is one that will protect the origin of the religion within the width and universality promised by the flexible principles of Islam, a revival that will meet the needs of all classes of people and embrace all aspects of life in every time and in every place.

Gulen points out that humanity, life, and the universe should be approached from an Islamic perspective, and that it is an obligation of the Muslim societies that have pushed aside Islamic logic, thought, and concepts to be encouraged toward a renewal in all its depths.

Those who undertake this heavy responsibility and who help to realize a universal change should be a new type of people. The author refers to them as “the inheritors of the Earth,” and he describes them as people who reflect the spirit of the Prophet and Qur’anic morals.

In a way, The Statue of Our Souls describes and analyzes this renaissance that has already begun. This renaissance is a process that can be realized when an entire nation returns to its own spiritual roots. Our nation, which has experienced several revivals, can prevent sicknesses like “passion, laziness, fame-seeking, selfishness, worldliness, narrow-mindedness, the use of brute force” with exalted human values like “contentedness, courage, modesty, altruism, knowledge and virtue, and the ability to think universally”; it is then that we can say a Qur’an-oriented change back to our primordial nature will have been realized.

This resurrection, or great renaissance, is to be realized by the members of the nation who will partake of the same reviving spirit completely. In this way, our nation will take hold of its long-lost trust again, and aim to make the world a paradise-like place. The Statue of Our Souls analyzes the sociological and historical obstacles that stand before the re-construction of the Muslim world. Gulen, however, never loses trust in the nation which bears the fire of a revival deep inside and he feels connected to them through an eternal hope.

It can be seen, in fact, that the central theme of this collection of Gulen’s writings is an exhortation to a determined self-improvement in his followers and amongst Muslims generally. Muslims must strive to become worthy of the promise made to us. He alludes repeatedly to God’s promise to the faithful:

Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (Given to Moses): “My servants, the righteous, shall inherit the earth.” (Anbiya 21:105)

Gulen echoes the great teacher Rumi in telling us not to ignore the doctrine of causes, not to sit around heedlessly waiting for God’s favor, but rather to exert ourselves endlessly in order to transform this broken world into the world of peace and justice, in accordance with the Will of God. Again like Rumi, he points out that it is in this, our willing submission to the Will of God that the only true freedom is found, that paradoxically it is this submission, and only this submission which can free us from slavery to meaningless and ultimately destructive whim, fancy, folly and temptation. He indicates the path to freedom and eternal life, sometimes by giving us quite simple and direct instructions which can be applied in the worldly contexts in which we find ourselves, sometimes by ornate descriptions of the spiritual delights to be found on the path and at the destination, and he urges us again and again that we should, of our own free will, follow that straight path.

Gulen’s work is a constant exhortation to greater effort, greater knowledge, greater self-control and restraint. He reminds us that these are the qualities for which God will reward us. He reminds us of the value of patience and of how many times in the pages of the Qur’an we are urged to be patient and endure. He does not advocate and has never advocated the use of violence to attain political ends. “The days of getting things done by brute force are over,” he tells us. “In today’s enlightened world the only way to get others to accept your ideas is by persuasion and convincing argument. Those who use brute force to reach their goals are intellectually bankrupt.” He is not an “externalist,” one who thinks that Islam can be imposed on others from without by the forceful application of shari‘a. He wants the renewal of society to start from within the heart. While acknowledging the importance of law and order in society, he does not believe that virtue can be instilled by force nor that the virtuous society is built by repression. Far from it, he protests wherever freedom is restricted unnecessarily. Gulen adheres to the Qur’anic injunction that the different tribes and nations which were all made by God should learn from each other and hence does not reject all the technical, political and cultural aspects of Western modernity, such as democracy, parliamentarianism, and scientific education. Rather he advises giving such institutions an Islamic dimension and in this way avoiding both the negative effects of a wholly secularist ideology and the stagnation and fossilization of a religious society which cannot adapt to its environment.

In Gulen’s eyes and in his life Islam is not the fragile, fossilized museum relic which modern secularists would like it to be. For him and for the many who agree with him it is not only vital and alive but our only way, our true connection with the Real, with the True, with the Source of our life. As such the injunctions of God in the Qur’an and Sunna and in the cosmos must be re-examined, rebuilt, restored in every age in the light of advancing knowledge and changing states. His jihad is not the dark sinful despair and desperate struggle of extremism which sees itself as pitted against a too mighty enemy but effort along with the calm confidence of faith, the optimism of one who believes that God has placed in human hearts the desire for goodness and wholeness, and endowed them with understanding, and the belief that the Muslim’s task is to draw this out gently and bring it to bloom.

A major concept that occurs as a theme throughout the book is Gulen’s understanding of “nation.” Although this concept refers particularly to the Muslim world and the Turkish nation in the context of their roles in shaping human history, as major players and representatives of global peace, there is certainly more to it than just the concept of one particular nation, especially when we look with Gulen’s vision and his ideal of dialogue and tolerance. In this book, Gulen addresses globally valid solutions for freedom and an honorable stand which any suppressed community could resort to. The motivating ethos behind Gulen’s career as clearly manifested in numerous dialogue activities and education initiatives is one of a worldwide peace which will be accomplished by the participation of all nations. Gulen’s definition of nation does not comprise one race; Anatolia throughout history has always been a land of diverse ethnic groups, which form one united nation today. Exempt from any chauvinist characteristic, he addresses the colorful mosaic of Anatolia, which is like a crucible for peoples that have come from Central Asia, the Balkans, and Mesopotamia.

Finally, as one of the most significant thinkers and activists of Turkey, indeed of the modern Muslim world, Gulen has concerned himself throughout his life’s work with finding and enacting solutions for the tremendous sense of strain, alienation, weakness, defeat, and disintegration felt in the Muslim world since the fall of the Ottoman State at the beginning of the twentieth century. Unlike many other Muslim leaders, however, he neither denies reality and turns his back on modernity, nor does he fall into bitterness, incomprehension and fury, but rather he exhorts Muslims to educate themselves, control themselves and use their own resources to regain and restore their culture, their identity and the observance of their religion. His is essentially a message of peace and hope, a message that is best conveyed in The Statue of Our Souls.

The Statue of Our Souls: Revival in Islamic Thought and Activism
M. Fethullah Gulen
1932099875
Paperback / 172 pp.
July 2005 / The Light, Inc.

Time is adorned with the colors of divinity; people become more sociable, as if they were the peaceful residents of the world-to-come, and they are able to attain a profound awareness. Everyone hears an otherworldly poem, both from within themselves and from the hearts of all existence, and they travel at the sunrise and sunset of many fantasies and memories, expectations, and dreams. With associations that are sometimes sad and at other times joyful, the blessed three months remind us of the longing for a lost paradise and embrace us with a thrilling hope that we will be able to find it again. Memories and associations in these days, every minute of which is filled with bliss, happiness, motivation, and action, transform our feelings into a silent poem and our lives into mystical exquisiteness.

This illuminated time of the year presents various delights and spiritual pleasures to those who can appreciate its worth and value, and restores heavenly times as hearts are enlightened with spirituality, as the streets and minarets are adorned with the brightest of lamps, and faces glow with charm and elegance. The colorful lights of this time shine at various wave lengths, the comforting atmosphere of its delicate breeze echoes manifestations of the present time and enchants all in its direction, permeating those of us who have reached an understanding of the belief, Islam, the mosque, and the prayer, preparing us for knowledge and love of God, and spiritual pleasures.

As we live through this golden phase of the time each year, we feel as if we are once again experiencing those pleasant and joyful heavenly days, which are true life itself. Once again, spring pervades the vision of our hearts and life pours out from every location; the countryside flourishes, verdant and cheerful with a multitude of colors, flowers dance and nightingales sing . . . and our emotions burn as if enflamed by roses and tulips. The prevalent ambiance inspires us with a promise of happiness and whispers to us about these unique and exclusive emotions. Even those ill-fated individuals whose lives are locked up in cynicism and gloom benefit from this divine celebration. The days strike those hours of prayer like a plectrum on the wires of the hearts, playing the real meaning of life. A poem starts as the call to prayer is heard in as much purity as in the singing of birds and in the joy of children . . . a poem of prayers as impressive as the beauty of heaven and as complete and mature as a heart which is in love with that beauty . . . a poem of feelings overflows our bosom with praise and reflection in a mode where we are both an addressee and an addresser to God at one and the same time. And then the veils on the face of existence are removed; we are blessed with special peaceful moments of satisfaction of being near to God. Five times a day we tour around a spiral of light, go through times of heavenly ascension, and dream of being a perfected human. 

The Four Holy Nights

Raghaib, Mi‘raj, Bara’a, and Qadr

The calendar may indicate the beginning of Rajab as being on a different day each year, but the blessed three months actually start on the first Thursday evening of Rajab, with a most-welcomed divine grace. Raghaib, the Most Desired, is the first night that stimulates our feelings, preparing them for holier days to come.2 Almost three weeks later, Mi‘raj, the Night of Ascension, comes along, as the creak of the heavenly doors opening wide is heard and the divine breezes for those determined souls can be felt. Bara’a, the Night of Salvation (or Record), calls out to the enthused and watchful ones with good tidings of salvation. And finally the Qadr, the Night of Power, embraces us with forgiveness, mercy, and a blissful prosperity that is beyond imagination and which can only be obtained after an effort of a thousand months.

Days and nights continue one after the other, spreading out a sweet and tempting tenderness for believing hearts. Each day comes along with a brightness and dynamism and pours down on us abundant blessings. After the sun sets at the end of the day, a fantastic morning follows . . . a new, quiet morning with every kind of beauty, a morning that weaves original motifs in the hearts of the wise.

RAJAB

Those of us who are on full alert with prayers, supplications, and glorifications within the month of Rajab, attain a pure pleasure of a wonderful spectacle. Everyone speaks in an elevated manner and style; a majestic look, awe for the divine, and the joy of hope is on our faces. Communication between each and every individual is established through the medium of the heart, improper behavior decreases, and people unload all their worldly burdens and rise to spiritual joy as if on an Ascension. The splendor overflowing from their souls and the colorful refinement on their faces reach such lofty levels that they can soften even the most hardened of hearts and extract elegance from them.

Nights evolve into a mystical form and inspire brilliant thoughts as Rajab begins. Each moment becomes a gateway to the divine and infuses us with hope and heavenly fancies, appealing to our desire for the infinite. Our silent feelings are awakened and remarkable thoughts of happiness are voiced in an extraordinary expression.

SHA’BAN

Sha’ban, or “Shahrullah al-Muazzam” (The Great Month), as it is frequently called, is felt with a pleasure suffused into the entire existence and our inner selves. Our hearts incline toward a hope, an expectation, and joyful beauty. Sha’ban is like a magical tune that captivates those who seek shelter across the horizons of mercy, like a mother hugging her child in a most compassionate manner. During this month it is as if time has been shattered and our feelings welcome blessings from worlds unbounded by time. In the course of the illuminated moments and profound perception of Rajab, everyone goes through a reality; it is as if they were to take one step further they would be elevated up to Heaven on a magical stair. And these moments introduce us to the exhibition of our hidden desires that pertain to infinite existence.

RAMADAN

Ramadan appears on the horizon with its unique warmth and charm; our conscience becomes vigilant and awake. Crowds pour into the mosques and from thereon walk toward Our Lord. Ramadan strengthens spiritual connections and other-worldly desires. Believing hearts acquire greater enthusiasm with love and yearning. Ramadan is the most illuminated, intense, effective, and pleasant of times; it is the most significant dynamism of our religious life. The entire city becomes a residence of the other world . . . the breaths of the minarets echo in the hearts with a Qur’anic lament. Mosques glow with light and resonate with the prayers of worshippers. The joy and contentment of turning to God is felt everywhere. Praying hearts rise aloft, sharing with others all their beauty, and declaring their love in utmost privacy. They consider every night a shab-i arus3 (wedding night), as if commanded “Prepare for the union!”

Every sound during Ramadan resonates with a promise of a new start, just as every breath gives us a glimpse of a hope for salvation. Iftar dinners (breaking the fast) appear on our horizon with implications for the “grand meeting,” while whispering some secrets into our soul. Tarawih prayers (a sunna-an act conducted or recommended by the Prophet-prayer peculiar to Ramadan, observed at night) are each a pledge for our “realm of hope.” Nights open their harem gates like a coy bride and pour into our soul blessings that glow in lights of every hue. Dawns come along, echoing the high pitch of the ferry’s horn, or the sweeping by of a jet, or the blast of a rocket, and bring the good tidings of a night journey on the path to a reunion with the Friend. And finally, a long day embraces us with the first hours of this sweetest encounter in excitement, but cautious; exhilarated, but full of hope.

Life is so profound and meaningful during Ramadan that every word uttered and every sound heard is like a composition gushing out from its very core; exposed to the most fantastic tunes our feelings undergo refinement. The soul blooms in Ramadan, and dormant feelings embedded deep-within awake as we stroll around the most enchanting and wonderful dreams, filled to the bone with zeal and a yearning for ecstasy, filled with a need for reunion, and infusing us with the joy of true life.

Having achieved the attainment of the Ramadan provisions in full, everyone reaches a level of perception where they can see that the end of this illuminated, but slightly veiled, road upon which we are traveling opens to an eternal serenity for which they have always longed; here awaits much beyond what they have been granted here. They turn to Him with all their being. At each dawn and evening they sense a new gate of reunion opening, as well as the need and hope for a loftier and captivating meeting which is merely two steps ahead. They are filled with homesickness and loneliness, on the one hand, and with expectations and dreams on the other; they are enwrapped in a greater magic and drawn into the profundity of true love. They become intoxicated as they start feeling the love . . . the love around which every phenomenon in the infinite space takes place, as it does in the infinity of their hearts. Male and female, old and young, rich and poor, every individual experiences an important time of preparation in Ramadan; each in accordance with their level of perception, and from then on it is as if they are walking toward God on a road that has no end. 

Notes

1. The lunar calendar used by Muslims. The emigration of Prophet Muhammad from Makka to Madina in 622 AD marks the beginning of this calendar.
2. Raghaib is celebrated on the night preceding the first Friday of Rajab.
3. A metaphor by Rumi, portraying death as union with God, the most beloved. 

“He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinate, yet capricious and vacillating, … His mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was no longer Gage.”(3)

The damage to his frontal lobes caused Gage to behave like an ill-tempered child.

Another source of information on brain function is derived from the follow-up studies of patients who have had a portion of the brain removed. Frontal lobotomy is the term used for the surgical removal of the frontal lobe in patients with emotional disorders.(4) It may be difficult today to imagine that an invasive procedure like destroying a large portion of the brain can be employed as a therapeutic approach. Yet, in 1949 the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Dr. Egas Moniz for his development of the frontal lobotomy technique. (Strange enough, Moniz himself was shot in the spine and partially paralyzed by a lobotomized patient.) Tens of thousands of people were lobotomized following World War II.

A variety of techniques were used to produce lesions on the frontal lobes. In the techniques shown in Figure 2, a knife was inserted through the thin bone at the top of the orbit of the eye. The handle was then swung medially and laterally to destroy the frontal brain areas. Thousands of people were lobotomized with this technique, sometimes called “ice pick psychosurgery.” This operation benefited patients with a number of psychological disorders and provided them with relief from anxiety and a means of escape from thoughts that were unendurable. Although frontal lobotomy did not significantly alter the patient’s IQ or memory functions, some other profound side effects emerged.

The information presented above exemplify the two main sources of information for our understanding of brain function; accidents that lesion the brain, as in the case of Phineas Gage, and surgical interventions on patients with various psychological disorders or epilepsy. In both cases, certain brain functions become impaired and thereby provide evidence as to which brain functions the destroyed areas are involved with. It is now believed by neuroscientists that although there are only one or two types of information that each brain center is specialized to process, there is extensive communication and information sharing between these areas. The frontal lobe is one of the integrative areas where neural information from many other centers converges. It is a highly developed area where an advanced level of information processing takes place. In light of the scientific data presented above, one cannot help but think that the wisdom that lies behind a number of verses in the Holy Qur’an that refer to the forehead and forelock may be related to the function of the frontal portion of the brain in decision making and its function in the formation of ethical values. In the Qur’an, God says: 

Let him beware! If he desist not, We will drag him by the forelock, a lying, sinful forelock. (Alaq 96:15-16)

The Arabic word nasiyah here can also be translated as forehead or face. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, who translates this word as forelock, in his comments on these verses says that the forelock is located on the forehead, and is thus symbolic of the summit and crown of the human power or dignity. To be dragged by this is to suffer the greatest humiliation.(5)

We also find a reference in the Qur’an to the sinners being seized by their nawasi, the plural of forelock:

(For) the sinners will be known by their marks: and they will be seized by their forelocks (nawasi) and their feet. (Rahman 55:41)

Another reference in the Qur’an is found where the forehead (jabha) is mentioned as a body part that will be punished:

On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads (jabha), their flanks, and their backs. “This is the (treasure) which you buried for yourselves. Taste, then, the (treasures) you buried!” (Tawba 9:35)

Here the Arabic word jabha literally means the forehead of a person.

Can these verses be indicating the importance of the frontal area of the brain in decision-making and the formation of ethical values? The decision-making that we call “freewill” raises the human being above all other beings and puts on their shoulders the “trust” of their Creator. This is the “trust” by which the human being becomes responsible for understanding the divine purpose in life and conducting their life accordingly as a dignified vicegerent of his Lord on Earth. It is also very interesting to note that the frontal lobes are much smaller in other animals that are lower in the phylogenetic scale. It is the human being that has the largest frontal lobes, larger even than that of the great apes. The Author of the Book knows best, yet, it is the responsibility of humanity, as those who have been bestowed with intelligence and reason, to contemplate and reflect . . . 

References

1. Harlow, J.,M., “Passage of an iron rod through the head,” Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, (1848) 39:389-393.
2. Harlow, J.,M., “Recovery from the passage of an iron bar through the head,” Publication of Massachusetts Medical Society, (1868) 2:329-347.
3. Damasio, H., Grabowski, T., Frank, R., Galaburda, A.,M., Damasio, A.,R., “The return of Phineas Gage: clues about the brain from the skull of a famous patient,” Science, (1994) 264:1102-1105, pp. 339-340.
4. Bear, M., F., Connors, B., W., Paradiso, M., A., “Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain,” second edition, Lippincott Williams&Wilkins, Baltimore, Maryland: 2001.
5. Yusuf Ali, A., The Meaning of The Holy Qur’an, Tenth edition, Amana Publications, Maryland: 1999. 

The apple

Most people think of an apple as a perfect example of beauty, joy, and health. Indeed, the apple is endowed with a shape that is appealing to the human eye, a beautiful range of colors, a pleasant taste and a long list of health benefits for humans. These , (1) containing two types of fibers that work in tandem to lower blood cholesterol levels, (2) helping to prevent heart disease, (3) cancer-protective activity, (4) helping remove toxic substances, such as lead and mercury from the blood, and (5) helping to reduce the risk of kidney stones. A major survey published in the May 2004 issue of the Nutrition Journal provided a review of 85 studies and identified a number of health benefits of apples, including the ability to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma, and type II diabetes when compared to other fruits and vegetables. In addition, eating apples has also been associated with increased lung function and increased weight loss.1

Now consider all these benefits and look at how we get apples. An apple tree knows nothing about humans. An apple knows nothing about the human visual system, tastes, or body functions. How is it then that an apple is so appealing and beneficial for humans?

Honey

Honey is one of the substances produced by honeybees. In addition to being a nutritive sweetener, medical research has also found that the unique composition of honey makes it useful as an antimicrobial agent and antioxidant. These effects are due to a substance called “propolis,” which the honeybees make by combining tree sap with their own secretions. They use propolis as an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal substance to protect the honeycomb. It has been found that propolis contains well-researched anti-cancer substances, such as caffeic acid methyl caffeate, phenylethyl caffeate, and phenylethyl dimethylcaffeate. Daily consumption of honey raises the levels of protective antioxidant compounds in the blood level in humans, according to research presented at the 227th meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim, CA, March 28, 2004.2 Furthermore, researchers have discovered that these substances in propolis prevent colon cancer in animals.3 New studies are also looking into honey as an agent for increasing athletic performance and as a wound-healing agent. Honey has been a popular traditional remedy for many medical conditions.

Now consider these benefits of honey and how we obtain honey: Honeybees know nothing about humans. In fact, if they are agitated, they may sting humans and sometimes cause their death. The honey they make, however, has so many healing benefits that honey has been used in many foods, herbal supplements and, beauty products. The same question comes to mind: How did this come to be?

Milk

Milk is produced by mammals. In particular, cows, sheep, and goats produce milk that is consumed in many cultures.

Cow’s milk, for example, and the dairy products derived from it, promote strong bones by being a very good source of vitamin D and calcium, and a good source of vitamin K-three nutrients essential to bone health. Calcium has long been recognized for its role in building healthy bones. This is not the only benefit of calcium, however. Recent studies have shown other benefits such as helping protect colon cells from cancer-causing chemicals, helping prevent the bone loss that can occur as a result of menopause or certain conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and helping to prevent migraine headaches in those who suffer from them.

Other essential nutrients in milk include iodine, a mineral essential for thyroid function, riboflavin and vitamin B12, which are necessary for cardiovascular health and energy production, vitamin A, a critical nutrient for immune function, and potassium, a nutrient important for cardiovascular health.4 Researchers have found that a beneficial fatty acid called CLA inhibited several types of cancer in mice. Test tube studies also indicated that this compound kills human skin cancer, colorectal cancer and breast-cancer cells. There are other indications of benefits of CLA, such as helping lower cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis.(5)

The cow, the sheep, and the goat know nothing about humans. They do not know how our body functions or what our sense of taste is. Yet, the milk they produce serves as a tasty and healthy food. The same question arises: How did this come to be?

Humans also produce other nutritious foods from milk, such as cheese and yogurt. Yogurt is particularly interesting because it is made with the help of beneficial bacteria called L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus. Everyone has bacteria inside their bodies; especially in the stomach and intestines where food is broken up and digested. Eating yogurt encourages the beneficial types of bacteria to multiply in your digestive track, helping protect the system against harmful microorganisms that cause stomach upsets and infection. Some people cannot drink milk due to lactose intolerance, yet they can consume yogurt. The emerging health benefits of yogurt include boosting the immune system, lowering serum cholesterol, and helping in the prevention and management of certain cancers. In addition, yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, potassium, vitamins B12, and riboflavin.

Now let us turn to the two perspectives that explain, or attempt to explain, how these health-giving substances reach us: The “bounty” perspective and the “chance” perspective. Let us explore these two perspectives in more detail. First, the bounty perspective.

The bounty perspective

The bounty perspective suggests that the delicious and beneficial foods we enjoy in this world are bounties of a God with infinite knowledge and wisdom.(6, 7) God knows us because He has created us. He knows what benefits us and what harms us. He loves us and He wants to show us His love through signs. The bounties, which include foods among others, are designed to benefit us and appeal to us. In return for these bounties, He expects us to recognize Him as our Lord, our Creator, and Sustainer. He expects us to feel thankful to Him and to express our thanks through worship.

The basis for the bounty perspective can be found in the scriptures of the Abrahamic religions, Judaism and Christianity, as well as in the Qur’an. The first example is from the Bible: Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if received with thanksgiving (1 Tim. 4). Another example, from David’s Psalms as they appear in the Bible states: Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Psalms, 100). A striking example from the works of St. Paul is the following:

And so He gathered together a people for Himself, and fostered them with many liberal distributions of His bounty, and, after so often finding them most ungrateful, ever exhorted them to repentance and sent out the voices of the universal company of the prophets to prophesy.

The sixth chapter of the Qur’an is entitled “Cattle,” and mentions some benefits of domesticated animals, as well as dispersing some myths and false beliefs about them:

And of cattle (He created) beasts of burden and those which are fit for slaughter only; eat of what God has given you and do not follow the footsteps of the Satan; surely he is your manifest enemy. (An’am 6:142)

The following Qur’anic verses mention cattle and milk explicitly:

And God has sent down water from the cloud and therewith given life to the earth after its death; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who would listen. And most surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle; We give you to drink of what is in their bellies-from between the feces and the blood-pure milk, easy and agreeable to swallow for those who drink. And of the fruits of the palms and the grapes-you obtain from them intoxication and goodly provision; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who ponder. (Nahl 16:65-67)

In the following verse, the honeybee is mentioned by name, as well as the various semi-liquid substances that they produce, including honey:

And your Lord revealed to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build: Then eat of all the fruits and walk in the ways of your Lord submissively. There comes forth from within it a beverage of many colors, in which there is healing for men; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect. (Nahl 16:68-69)

The chance perspective

The chance perspective is based on Darwin’s theory of evolution, where there is no place for a merciful God.9, 10 It attributes the phenomenon of these health-giving foods to chance working with natural selection over time. It asserts that early humans or their supposed ancestors have experienced a random mutation (a change in the genetic code), which caused some of them to like apples. Those who liked apples ate them and benefited in turn. These benefits have given them a competitive advantage over others who did not like apples. Those who liked apples were able to survive better under difficult circumstances and produced more offspring than others. Through many generations, those humans who did not like apples have disappeared and today almost all humans enjoy and benefit from apples.

Consequences

The consequences of the two perspectives are completely different. If all health-giving natural products are loved for themselves, if they are thoughtlessly delighted in only for the material pleasures that they yield, that love is merely the love of self. Also, those pleasures are transient and bring pain. People with this perspective are likely to be selfish, stingy, and wasteful. But, if they are loved as favors proceeding from Almighty God’s mercy and as fruits of His munificence, and if pleasure is obtained from them with good judgment by appreciating the degree of kindness in that munificence and favor, then this is both gratitude and is a pain-free pleasure. People with this perspective are likely to be thankful, prudent, and caring for those who are in need.

To better understand the difference in the nature and consequences of these two perspectives let us consider the following parable 11:

If a mighty king were to bestow a gift on you, such as an apple, there would be two joys in that apple for you. The first of these is that the apple would be loved because it is an apple, and there would be a pleasure peculiar to and to the extent of the apple. This love does not concern the king. A person, who puts the apple to his mouth and eats it in the king’s presence, without offering his appreciation to the king, loves the apple itself and his own soul rather than the king. The king is likely not to be pleased with this person’s attitude, despite the fact that he enjoys the apple. Moreover, the pleasure that the apple gives is very limited and passes quickly. After the apple is eaten it is gone, only regret remains.

As for the second kind of joy, it is for the royal favor that is demonstrated by means of the apple. One who holds the apple precious, as if it were the sample and embodiment of a royal favor, shows that he loves his king. Moreover, the pleasure in that fruit, which is a sort of container for the favor, is such that it is far greater than the pleasure obtained from a thousand apples. This pleasure, then, is the essence of thankfulness. This love is a respectful love for the king.

Conclusion

We have presented two explanations for the phenomenon of the presence of health-giving foods in nature and for the abundance of appealing and beneficial food on Earth, such as apples, honey, and milk that are produced by plants and animals that know nothing about humans. The bounty explanation asserts that these are the bounties of a Merciful and Infinitely-Wise Creator who expects us to recognize these as bounties and be thankful to Him. The chance perspective attributes this situation to random mutations and natural selection working over time. Because God works through laws in this world, we cannot see His hand of mercy in action with the eyes in our heads. However, can we see signs of this mercy with the eyes in our heart? This is a challenge for the inquisitive mind.

That is God, your Lord, there is no god but He; the Creator of all things, therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things. Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision; and He is the Knower of subtleties, the Aware. Indeed there have come to you clear proofs from your Lord; whoever will therefore see, it is for his own soul and whoever will be blind, it shall be against himself and I am not a keeper over you. (An’am 6:102-104) 

References

1. Mateljan, George, Healthier Eating Guide and Cookbook, Health Valley Foods, 1987.
2. Mateljan, George, “The World’s Healthiest Foods,” on the web at http://www.whfoods.com/.
3. Mateljan, Healthier Eating Guide and Cookbook.
4. Mateljan, “The World’s Healthiest Foods.”
5. ibid.
6. Nursi, S., The Words, Kaynak A.S., Izmir, Turkey, 1997.
7. Abdel Haleem, M.A.S., (trans.), “Chance or Creation,” original attributed to al-Jahiz (AD 776-869), Garnet Publishing, Berkshire, UK, 1995.
8. Pao, D., “Thanksgiving: An Investigation of a Pauline Theme,” New Studies in Biblical Theology 13, Apollos-Intervarsity Press, 2002.
9. Darwin, C., Charles Darwin’s Letters: A Selection 1825-1859, Cambridge University Press, NY, 1996.
10. Boyd, R., How Human Evolved, W.W. Norton & Co., 2002.
11. Nursi, The Words. 

It is the collaborative work of the mind and heart that will yield the desired spiritual and behavioral education of gifted people. But, how is it possible to satisfy the mind and the heart both at the same time? Traditionally, the heart is associated with religion and the mind is associated with science. So, cooperation between the mind and heart means cooperation between science and religion. Unfortunately, some religious subjects that solely depend on acceptance rather than investigation have been overemphasized during the course of many centuries for various reasons. As a result of this overemphasis and other incentives, Western society has broken the ties between science and religion, leading to an unbalanced relation between the mind and heart. In this imbalance, the mind is united with the ego and oppresses the heart; hearts are suffocated in the name of rationalism, and science is used as a means to deny religion.

It is true that religion is a way that eventually recourses to submission and acceptance rather than questioning. However, a correct perception of religion will never contradict the requirements of the mind, because of the fact that both religion and the mind originate from God. Therefore, a true religion will accept information about the universe that is arrived at by intellectual questioning as a way of acquiring knowledge of God; this consequently links the mind to the heart. A true religion will feed the heart in such a way that the love that sparks therein will give momentum to the investigations of the mind, enabling greater knowledge of God to be acquired, which will in turn increase the love of God and thus, link the heart to mind. It is the lack of this true cyclic relationship between the mind and the heart that has yielded uncontrolled, uneducated, self-idolized minds that boost the ego, creating a vicious circle in which the ego propels the mind. Therefore, the question is “how is one to achieve a unity between the mind and heart so that the education of gifted people yields humble servants to the community and to God?”

The solution to this problem lies partially in what can be called “ego education.” Although it may sound new, this concept is deeply rooted in Muslim cultures, and is called “adab.” In the context of this article, adab can be briefly described as knowing the ideal function and limits of the ego in order to be a good servant of God and a faithful member of society. Adab is traditionally learned from people who are already practicing it. This is referred to as education through the language of disposition (hal). Therefore, teachers who are already adorned with adab are needed to educate the egos of gifted people. It can be easily understood from a short reflection that the prophets and the saints throughout history and the sages in different cultures are those who represent the mission of ego education at different levels. For Muslims, adab is primarily learned from Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who is the person that practiced and taught the way that leads to the point where the mind and heart are united under submission to God. Even according to the eyes of an outside viewer, Prophet Muhammad was an excellent and a distinguished person as a teacher, as a leader, as a servant of God, as a family man, as a commander, as a strategist . . . a person who came up with a totally new understanding of life and religion. In our context, we can take this as a model where a new approach to religion can be seen as an innovation introduced by a gifted person. Based on this model, it can be said that by learning the good behavior of Prophet Muhammad, who was a gifted person in many aspects, a method can be developed for the education of the ego of gifted people. Here, some of the conclusions from such an analysis are presented.

Ownership of the innovation

Although it is Prophet Muhammad who announced and taught Islam, it is God who taught him the religion and sent the Qur’an. Therefore, it is the Prophet who is the fountain through which the water of Islam flows, but the Prophet himself is neither the owner nor the originator of Islam. Similarly, any invention, be it a theory or a machine or a social system or a strategy, is only owned, originated, and inspired by God. The inventor is only the fountain through which God sends the innovation(1) as a blessing to humanity.

This point is important in many aspects. In terms of society, this way of consideration prevents the idolization of certain people and opens the door of thanksgiving and praise of God. For the inventor, it saves them from becoming an arrogant person and also leads them to thanksgiving and praising God. From another aspect, an invention is a gift from God to the inventor and society. Therefore, especially for the inventor, who, in this case, plays a role similar to that of a mother, this gift quickly leads to love of God.

Innovation as a unit of comparison

One of the purposes for the creation of the ego and the apparent potential it is given is that the individual can use these as a unit of comparison to learn about his Creator.(2) In other words, it is to humbly say “how beautifully created am I and how beautiful is my Creator” instead of arrogantly saying “how beautiful am I.” In a hadith, Prophet Muhammad is related as saying, “My Lord educated me, and how beautifully He has educated me.”(3) In the original text of this saying, the word adab is used for education. Based on this model, both being gifted in any area and the innovation that follows this potential are great units of comparison. A person who is gifted in any area can see God as the ultimate source of his own talents and as the omnipresent Lord who exercises His attributes in the universe on all scales.

Superiority versus neediness

Without the appropriate ego education, it is dangerously easy for a gifted person to indulge in the conviction that they can do things better than others and that they, not someone else, can invent something because they are superior to others. Such a conviction is powered by the ego and is also at the same time a means of feedback for further strengthening the ego in a vicious cycle. A gifted person can very easily fall into the deep and dark pit of arrogance with such thoughts, and will suffer in their social life due to this conviction.

An educated ego, on the other hand, knows that it owns nothing and it has no real creative power. It knows that it can only receive good things from its Creator.(4) What falls to its lot is only awareness of its poverty and neediness and praying to the Almighty for the satisfaction of its needs. This way of understanding leads to the result that it is the inventor who is needy of the invention, because of the way they have been created, because of the potential they have; in other words because of the “hunger” they have been given.(5) These needs can only be met by God, Who is the All-Rich, the All-Beneficent. Contemplation and experimenting in several ways must be considered both as conscious prayers and awareness of the neediness to reach the result of an effort.

Prior to the start of the prophethood, Prophet Muhammad used to seclude himself in a cave on a nearby mountain and contemplate the problems of society, the oppression, the unfortunate state of the women, the absurdity of the idolatry . . . Distressed by these factors, he wished for a salvation that would extinguish the fire within him and eventually deliver society from its wretchedness. This was the way in which the Prophet felt his neediness, and God replied to his conscious and unconscious prayers by choosing him as His Messenger.

So, what is so important about being gifted?

The special thing about being gifted is that the gifted person’s prayers are answered quickly in the way in which they are gifted. This is why certain people can do something or learn things very quickly and others cannot. A parallel to this is the acceptance of the prayers of the saints and the prophets. According to the Risale-i Nur, the prayers made in the language of natural need, innate potential, and in intense difficulty are quickly accepted and responded to(6) and such is the case with gifted people. The potential of the gifted person builds the foundation for the acceptance of their prayers, which are made in the language of their neediness in order to fulfill and develop their potential.

Servanthood as a gift

Every person is a creation of God on which different combinations of His names are manifested. This means that every person has a different and unique gift from others. In daily life, we usually recognize gifts of the people who achieve outstanding things. However, every person can realize the particular gifts given to them. The best of these gifts is the belief and love of God. Every person is given a potential to discover the existence of God and a potential to make an acquaintance with God that leads to His love. For every single human being, this discovery is unique; it is a discovery that nobody else can make for another. 

References

1. Nursi, S., The Words, Kaynak A.S., Izmir, 1997, First Word, pp. 4-5.
2. ibid, Thirtieth Word, pp. 228-229.
3. Al-Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa, 1/72.
4. Nursi, S., The Words, Thirtieth Word, pp. 229-230.
5. ibid, Eighteenth Word, pp. 296.
6. ibid, Twenty-third Word, pp. 412-415. 

Global traffickers in humans bring people from underdeveloped or developing countries, enticing them with the promise of work or a better life, to developed countries, where there is an immense demand for labor. These people are forced to work painstakingly long shifts at unskilled and demeaning jobs; for example, men are forced to do dangerous tasks that require physical strength, often working without any safety precautions. Minors are forced to work in less labor-intensive jobs, but again for extremely long hours without any proper training. Women are forced to work in socially degrading and debasing jobs, which in some areas are no different from slavery, and the worst, they are used in prostitution.

Nowadays there is a global sector abusing minors and women for these vicious purposes. On the other hand, the acquisition of the global dimensions of TH can be seen to be an outcome of poverty and the misery that results from the poor socio-economical situation of third world countries. Most international trafficking in humans is from poor countries to developed countries. It has also been witnessed that this problem is aggravated by the peculiar traits of prosperous societies.

What is Trafficking in Humans?

In most countries where TH is committed, there are no conceptual or legal precautions taken to protect against such abuses. Within the classical conception, TH is usually defined as the abuse of people in actual physical slavery. Yet today, since the problem has become so widespread as to be global, and as TH is committed for the sake of contemptible purposes, this narrow-scoped definition is no longer sufficient. Thus, the United Nations felt the need to define TH in a broader context.(1)

The ultimate goal of TH is to force people to work in oppressive and exploitative situations in a way that will benefit the organized human traffickers. These conditions include the coercion of men to work in the most menial and labor-intensive jobs, women and girls to partake in debasing activities, servanthood, counterfeit marriages and adoptions, even prostitution, with secret contracts that are in no way legal, forcing them to work under harsh conditions.(2)

The Factors that Nourish TH

For the most part, human traffickers utilize new technological tools of transportation, communication, and media to accomplish their goals. The Internet is a commonly used tool. Some matchmaking companies in developed countries work outside of legal boundaries. Not only do they put ads in the national newspapers, they also put the c.v. and photographs of women and girls who are willing to marry rich men onto the Internet.(3)

This evil marketing approach illegally prospers under the guise of matchmaking and is generally ignored by the countries from where it originates. This, in part, stems from the mutual benefit of the involved parties (for example, bribing officials while transporting people across borders.)(4)

TH is also related to what is called “pleasure tourism.” Third world countries that depend heavily on tourism revenue tend to neglect the conditions that contribute to such problems. For example, Kenya has overlooked TH in order to support tourism. In order to please the increasing number of tourists, women are even brought from neighboring countries, like Uganda.(5)

Undoubtedly, the International Development Banks as well as multinational financial institutions are also responsible for TH by supporting the countries involved and ignoring the socio-ethic consequences. Among developed countries, according to Focus, the Germany is the country most involved in tourism for base purposes. Between 200,000 and 400,000 Germans travel to Far Eastern countries, mostly Thailand and the Philippines, for this purpose each year. In Thailand, among the 1.5 million women employed in such demeaning jobs as prostitution, 800,000 of them are minors. In the Philippines, the minors involved number between 30 and 60,000. In such countries, diseases like AIDS are widespread. For instance 80% of women working in such forms of employment in Thailand are infected with HIV. According to data from the World Health Organization, there will be over 40 million AIDS patients in a couple of years.(6) Lately, there have been reports that after the Tsunami in the Far East, TH has increased in the victimized regions where children now have even less protection.

The multinational organized crime groups who commit TH usually employ two methods. One is to bring women and minors who are already in an abusive situation to developed countries. The other is to promise good wages, work conditions, and prospects to desperately poor people and then to force them to undertake unthinkable actions. For example, as the demand in the evil practice of TH for prostitution increasingly turns to younger and younger girls, due to concerns about AIDS, the second form of TH is frequently committed. As a result, there is an increasing demand for foreign women and girls in developed societies, where marriage has become something to be put off, or perhaps altogether avoided.(7) According to UN data, one million minors are traded in the global TH market.(8)

Although TH is one of the most heinous crimes and something that requires serious punishment, the victims of TH face many discouraging impediments if they try to seek their rights. Most of the time, suspects manage to get away with a very light punishment, if any, as the victims cannot prove their case. Thus, although the judicial system protects women in theory, in practice TH is easier to commit than most people think and remains unpunished. It would be useful to give the example of a trial that lasted eleven months here. At the end of the trial, which was brought to court by Thai women who were promised work in pubs as waitresses in Germany, the criminals were found guilty of “encouraging prostitution” rather than TH; the former carries a much lighter punishment. In the hearings, the women said that they were forced to marry German nationals in Denmark so that they could enter Germany legally and attain a work permit. But later, they were forced to engage in prostitution “to pay for the expenses.”(9) The abuse of women sometimes can be hidden behind a legal disguise. For example, in Berlin a female computer programmer had been laid off from work, and was on unemployment benefit. When a brothel owner saw her c.v. on a database of job seekers and offered her a position, she refused on moral grounds. The government then threatened to cut her unemployment benefits, as she had refused a job. Surprisingly, brothels were legalized two years ago in Germany, and now are considered to be just “another workplace.”(10)

Final Remarks

The people who are forced to work underground or in demeaning jobs know neither the language nor the laws of the country to which they have been brought with fake documents. As the dependents or guardians of these people are paid in advance, it is even more difficult for these people to return to their families as long as their financial dependence continues. On the other hand, if they notify the authorities, they will face deportation and be arrested, as they are not legally residing in that country.

TH can be said to be modern slavery from the perspective of the methods used, the purposes it serves, and the exertion of physical and psychological oppression on the victims. Hence, it is necessary to protect people who are victims of TH wherever they live through the law, and to severely punish the human traffickers. 

References

1. The declaration of UN-General Secretary about “Trafficking in Women and Girls,” number A/50/369. date:08/24/1995.
2. The decision of UN-General Committee, number: 49/166, date:12/23/1994.
3. Bundesministerium fur Familie, Senioren, Frauen, und Jugend (BMFJ) (Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women, and Youth). Materialen zur Frauenpolitik (Materials of Women Politics). Nr.63. Bonn 1997. p.20.
4. Marjan, Wiyers and Lin Lap, Chew; Trafficking in Women; Forced Labor and Slavery-Like Practices in Marriage, Domestic Labor and Prostitution, Utrecht. 1996, p45.
5. BMFJ, same issue.
6. Focus, Nr. 2; 1995. pp 111-114.
7. Licia, Brussa. Survey of Prostitution, Migration and Traffic in Women: History and Current Situation; EU, EG/Prost (91) 2; p.42.
8. Der Spiegel. Nr. 35, 1996, p.31.
9. Elvira, Niesner et al. A woman’s Dignity is Inviolable: A Trial on Trafficking in Women, Forschungsprojekt im Auftrag des BMFJ (Research Project on behalf of BMFJ); Frankfurter Institut fur Frauendforschung (Frankfurt Institute for Women Research). Frankfurt; 1991.
10. The world at a glance…The Week, volume 5, issue 196, February 25, 2005. 

Nephrology is the study of the kidneys, the essential organ of excretion, and elements related to it. If due observation and research are thoroughly carried out on every part of the human metropolis, when the integrated hierarchical mechanisms are analyzed, it can be seen that numerous events are constantly taking place; these can open new doors to various sciences and offer us new horizons of reflection on the Divine Wisdom. In this way, these events are an interpretation of the saying “If all the seas were to be made up of ink, and all the trees were pens, they would still not be able to write down the knowledge of God,” which points to the existence of an Omnipotent Being with infinite knowledge.

One of these constant activities in our body is the excretion system which works like a well-regulated clock. In the body of a healthy adult, the bladder, after an accumulation of urine that has been filtered through the kidneys, resembles a balloon that has been inflated. The bladder enlarges according with the amount of urine that has been filtered by the kidneys. The autonomous nervous system has a significant role in the wonderful functioning of this urine storage mechanism. If we assume that an average adult urinates 5-6 times a day, we can say that the average time adults spend for urination is about 5 minutes daily. The autonomous system of a baby however, is not properly developed and has a very limited capacity of urine storage. Therefore, the bladder of a baby is frequently emptied. As for newborn babies, the number of times that they empty their bladder can be as much as 20-25 times a day. In this way, both the urine that comes from the kidneys flows to the bladder freely, and the urination channels are automatically cleaned.

In order to allow the urine flowing from the kidneys to the bladder to pass freely through the small tubes that measure between 3-7 mm (the urethra) the inner pressure in the bladder needs to be kept at low levels. This is realized in the body of a baby by the frequent emptying of the bladder, until the autonomous nervous system has properly developed. After the sixth month, the autonomous nervous system develops, the urine storing capacity of the bladder increases, and the number of urination times decreases. As the child grows, the ability to store urine and to excrete it at the proper time and place is completed in a gradual process. Being only one of the hundreds of wonders in the human metropolis, this balance is maintained as a clear reflection of Divine Mercy.

Cooperation in the urinary tract

There is a fascinating cooperation between the departments of this metropolis. The urine that is excreted by the kidneys does an excellent job of cleaning all along the urinary tract, like a river cleaning the stones over which it passes. This cleaning includes not only any microorganisms, but also any gravel which might form in the urination channels. Research has proved that when bacteria are injected into the bladders of healthy people no infection is developed in the urinary tract, since the pressure of their urine excretion drives the bacteria away. The protection of the kidneys by both the expansion of the flexible bladder wall and the decrease in the pressure inside the bladder is a good example of the cooperation between the kidneys and the bladder. If the pressure was not able to be decreased by such flexibility, the kidneys could not function under the resulting high pressure. The smooth functioning of the kidneys is maintained through urine excretion in suitable amounts and at a suitable pressure. Taking all this for granted, one usually comes to realize what a blessing the excretion system is only when there is a problem.

The urination of a baby in the womb

The placenta has the duty of being the main regulator of the feeding and excretion systems of a fetus. The kidneys of a fetus also play significant roles. For instance, they balance acidity through liquid electrolytes, carry out the functions of hormone production, and growth. From the fourth month on, the fetus begins to produce urine and the bladder is filled and emptied every 30-60 minutes. The urine inside the bladder is emptied into the amniotic fluid which surrounds the fetus like a protective pad. The duty of the amniotic fluid includes protecting the fetus against the changes in the mother’s body temperature, providing space for normal development, providing suitable conditions for food and oxygen supply, and protecting the baby against any possible blows that the mother’s belly might be exposed to. The amniotic fluid in which a baby is placed is a liquid similar to urine, and it is produced for the comfort of this new guest to our world.

The formation of urine

The blood, which is charged with transmitting nutrients and oxygen even to the remotest parts of the body, brings the toxic disposal our body has produced due to various causes on its way back to the kidneys. The blood, which bears the responsibility of maintaining the health of metropolis of the body, is continuously filtered when it reaches the kidneys. In the kidneys, the waste material is so delicately separated that it as if the kidneys know “which substance is needed in what amounts,” without meticulous calculation and infinite knowledge. Artificial kidneys supported by latest technology (like modern devices of dialysis) are never a substitute for a real kidney. A healthy kidney, which is made to serve under the veil of causes created by the Owner of infinite knowledge and power, does its duty with divine guidance. It sends what is to be disposed of to the bladder in the form of urine.

The substances urine contains are used when diagnosing illnesses, for they possess different qualities. The color, smell, and density of the urine and the substances it contains give us various clues about the health of that person. Deviations in the sensitive balance established in the excretion system are considered to be a sign of something gone wrong in the human metropolis. In other words, a urine analysis is an important indication of health, for many factors, such as our lifestyle, our eating habits, disease, and the medicines we use can effect changes on the consistency and composition of the urine (figure 1-3). The urine of a healthy person is yellow and clear. This color is derived from the urochrome pigment along with urobilin and uroerythrin. Colorless urine can be seen if there has been recent fluid consumption, or the use of diuretics, or disorders such as different types of diabetes (diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipitus, etc). The color of urine can fluctuate between yellow and clear within the day (for example, 1-2 hours after a meal it can be clear, whereas it can turn to dark orange due when one has been making heavy effort). Beetroot, artificial colorings and some drugs can turn the urine red. When the complaints of a patient are taken together with a medical examination and lab analyses, urine samples which are colored red-brown, blue-grey, milky-white or which are cloudy may all be symptoms of disease.

As we learn new things about urine we will hopefully attain a deeper comprehension of the infinite divine blessings that have been bestowed upon us, offering thanks to our Creator from new perspectives. 

In our essay, we will briefly introduce Wach’s basic understanding of each of the four concepts, namely teacher, student, master, and disciple, and then elaborate, examining in detail some of the perspectives. At the same time, we will try to look at some different aspects of the subject upon which Joachim Wach did not focus.

According to Wach, the teacher is the possessor of certain crafts, for example, knowledge in a certain subject or of a skill, and he teaches what he knows or possesses to his students. Therefore, he it is not his person itself that is respected by the student, rather it is his knowledge or skill. On the other hand, the very character and participation of the master are crucial in the learning process; therefore, it is not his knowledge or skill that is admired and esteemed by the disciple, but rather his very essence and individuality. Consequently, while the teacher is considered as a replaceable object in the educational process, the master is regarded as an essential component.

The teacher provides only knowledge, ability, or a definite subject matter, and his merit consists in his willingness to give freely. On the other hand, to give is also a kind of merit for the master, but he gives something different to his disciples from what the teacher gives to his students. The master gives himself to his disciples and consumes himself. However, the teacher lives for a certain task and gives a certain craft; consequently, he is consumed by his task.

The student respects the teacher as a body of knowledge and the teacher-student relationship exists in the common interest that is the subject matter. The disciple is interested in the personality of the master rather than his knowledge. For that reason, the master-disciple relationship survives in different interests; that is to say, while the master’s interest is the student himself, the student’s concern is the master’s very existence. On that ground, the master and disciple have an irreplaceable value for one another, while in the teacher-student relationship, both components are replaceable.

When the student opens himself to the teacher, he makes himself dear, and his value depends on his success or failure in the subject. The sharpness and intelligence of the student stimulates the praise of the teacher. On the other hand, for the master, the sharp eye or the intellect of the disciple makes no difference. Moreover, being a disciple is not based on personal worth, but is rather a relationship in which a fellowship of destiny is predominant.

After introducing the main nuances of the teacher-student and the master-disciple relationships, as Wach perceives them, let us elaborate on some points that are given only a brief mention in Wach’s paper.

One of the points that Wach explores concerning comparison between teacher and master is time. Wach asserts that the teacher is worried about time, especially its passing, while the master’s concern focuses on the moment. The teacher has much to teach and wants to have completed his task at the end of the course. He wants his students to graduate so that they can go out and teach what they have been taught. However, the master has no concern about when his disciples will complete his course, because the right time for the matriculation of the disciple cannot be determined in advance. In other words, the right time can be at any moment. Consequently, each moment is a treasure for both the master and the disciple in this learning process; the right knowledge or the gnosis-in the Sufi sense-can be given and obtained at any moment.

Moreover, the teacher teaches a certain type of knowledge or skill; therefore, his course must end at a certain time period. However, the master teaches of himself and provides knowledge of life; therefore, this teaching phase may last for a life time.

Approached from a different angle, time is a valuable concept in the teacher-student relationship only when the teacher teaches, as this relationship is based on teaching and learning. On the other hand, time is a valuable component in the master-disciple relationship, because even the master’s silence or a look can be a great method of teaching. In other words, the master-disciple relationship is not based solely on certain actions.

When we look at the issue from the perspective of the student and the disciple, we can determine that students plan that they will give a certain time period to their teacher, but the disciples are ready to sacrifice their whole life to their master. The students are worried about the passing of the time; this is not a fault. Yet, the disciples do not worry about time; if they do worry, it means that they feel a great need to spend much time with their master.

Another issue that Wach raises in his paper is about the future of students and disciples. He asserts that the student will become a teacher, but the disciple will never become a master. Wach states that as the master’s existence is irreplaceable, the disciple can never take the place of his master. On the other hand, the teacher is not unique; therefore, the student can replace him. Agreeing with Wach about this specific idea, we also would like to say that although the disciple cannot replace his master, he certainly can become a master and there are many examples of this in the history of the master-disciple relationship. For instance, one of the famous Sufi masters, Abdussalam b. Mashish, had only one disciple during his whole life, Shazili, through whom he gained fame. This was because Shazili, after his master Ibn Mashish, also became a great master and founded the Shazili Sufi order. As the example shows, the disciple can never be his master, but he can be a master who carries on the tradition.

One of the distinctions between discipleship and studentship that Wach makes is that while discipleship drives the disciples to envy and jealousy, studentship is usually a base for mutual love. This stems from the fact that in the master-disciple relationship, the master’s very existence is the sole interest of all the disciples; therefore, they are unable to share him. On the other hand, in the teacher-student relationship, the common interest of the students is the subject matter; therefore, students usually do not experience any problem in terms of sharing. Agreeing with these contentions of Wach, we also would like to add that although discipleship usually becomes a base for jealousy, the masters do not desire that their disciples feel jealousy towards each other.

One of the great masters was Said Nursi, who lived in Turkey and died in 1960. He had a very different approach to the disciple-master relationship. Nursi’s significance rests in the very core of his teachings. In his teaching, he creates a completely new concept called fana fi’l-ikhwan and according to this concept, disciples must annihilate themselves in their fellow disciples instead of annihilating themselves in the character of the master. This mutual annihilation that occurs between disciples is called tafani and both these concepts, fana fi’l-ikhwan and tafani are fundamental in the teachings of Nursi.

One of the points that Wach should have dealt with more clearly in his paper is the emotional nature of the master-disciple relationship. For us, the master-student relationship is a relationship of compassion-love. As Wach points out, the master’s very concern is humanity; it is through his sacred knowledge that the master can perceive the ability of humanity to live cheerfully and painlessly. Therefore, the master willingly takes on the role of savior and bravely says ‘Yes’ to his destiny. His soul is willing to be sacrificed. Apparently, the main emotion that rests in the soul that accepts sacrifice is compassion; the master’s group of disciples is a small sample of humanity, so therefore, the master is always compassionate to his disciples. He cares for them deeply; lives and dies for them. On the other hand, the disciple returns this compassion with his deep love.

To elaborate on the compassion of the master, we can say that the master’s compassion toward his disciples, thereby, toward humanity, contains three main emotions: protection, endurance, and sacrifice. The relationship of the master to his disciples is like that of a mother to her children. Therefore, the master is always worried about the security of his disciples. The security that we talk about here is generally not a physical one. Since the master is aware that the life of humanity is generally cheerful and painless, he wants to protect his disciples from this type of life style. The master knows and deeply believes that such an easy life is a dead and void life.

The master’s heart burns to protect his disciples, in particular the young disciples who are usually not aware of the great dangers that await them. It is due to this unawareness that they are sometimes unable to display obedience to the advice of the master. When this happens, the master’s position becomes a very heavy burden to bear, but his compassion towards the disciples provides for him the endurance that he needs.

The last main nuance of the master’s compassion is his saying “Yes” to his destiny. As soon as the master obtains his sacred knowledge, he becomes aware of his sacrificial destiny. He knows that his task is very difficult and this task may even drive him to his death. There is no other choice for him but to say “Yes” to his death. He is able to do this because of his incomprehensible compassion. At this point, although Wach sees death as the greatest sacrifice of the master, we disagree; perceiving rather that living for the sake of humanity and enduring the difficulties of the task is a greater sacrifice for the master than the acceptance of death. The difficulties that the master accepts and bears throughout his life are heavier than death itself. It is for this reason that Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi and many others call death Shab-i Arus, “the wedding night.” It is on this night that the lover meets his beloved and the master meets his Lord; for the master, death is the end of suffering.

While the master’s compassion contains protection, endurance, and sacrifice, the love of the disciples contains respect and obedience. The following quote from Ibn Arabi symbolizes the respect of the disciples toward their master: “When I would sit before him [Abu Ya’qub al-Qumi] or before others of my Shaykhs, I would tremble like a leaf in the wind, my voice would become weak and my limbs would shake.” The respect that the disciples display for their master stems from their deep love. The other main reflection of that deep love is obedience. Although the disciples are aware of the benefits of obeying their master, these benefits are not the main reason for their obedience. Rather, such obedience arises out of their love.

Regarding this obedience, in Sufism the disciple is considered to be as a corpse in the hands of the person washing the body in preparation for burial.

In conclusion, the subject that Wach deals with in his paper is a complicated subject, and there may well be many other aspects that need to be discussed, yet it should be stated that Wach seems to have accomplished much in this field. A university professor, Wach, if not a master, certainly stands at the boundary between the realms of the master and the teacher realms.

The modern age has made people so preoccupied with worldly affairs that for a long time people have been deprived of the joy of being in the presence of our Lord. Bediuzzaman felt this honor of celestial presence before God throughout his life, and no prayer was deprived of its share of divine serenity.

Assignment to read the whole Qur’an everyday

Bediuzzaman would assign every one of his students who resided in towns or villages near Isparta to read a certain part of the Qur’an; thus, with the participation of all the students, many hatims (reading of the entire Qur’an) were completed every day. Bediuzzaman would read the hatim prayer on behalf of every participant and would devote it to the blessed souls of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, his family, his Companions, all believers, and students of the Risale-i Nur.(1)

Additionally, at the beginning of each of the blessed months, Bediuzzaman would issue a letter of celebration, which also served as a means of maintaining communication with his students. An excerpt from one follows:

My esteemed and loyal brothers,

First of all we celebrate your Blessed Three Months and the most precious holy nights therein. May God Almighty reward all your nights to the worth of a Raghaib or a Qadr.

We pray that your night of Bara’a, the forthcoming Ramadan, and the night of Qadr be more rewarding than a thousand months, and be recorded thereby in your “book of deeds.”

Likewise, we celebrate your night of Mi‘raj and we beg that your prayers on that night will be accepted by the divine Mercy-we hope the fact that it rained the day before and the day after this night in this region is a sign for the future manifestation of universal mercy.

My esteemed and loyal brothers,

We celebrate your blessed Ramadan with all our soul and existence. May God Almighty bless the night of Qadr for all of you with more rewards than a thousand months. And may He grant you a lifetime of eighty years, which will be most appreciated for each of you. 

Ramadan nights

Bediuzzaman’s life of worship was transformed into strict discipline during Ramadan. Bayram Yuksel, one of his most loyal students, reports that Bediuzzaman would not sleep on the blessed nights, and most particularly in the second half of Ramadan. He used to check on his students at night and spill water on their faces to keep them awake; he made sure they stood vigilant in prayer.(2) He constantly reminded them of the authenticated hadith that the night of Qadr was to be searched for in the second half of Ramadan, and especially in the last ten days.

Bediuzzaman engaged in supplications and remembrance, and read a part of the Qur’an every day. He paid his sadaqa al-fitr (charity of the fast-breaking) to his students and asked them to collect the same charity among themselves.

He indicated the lofty mission of his students in one of his letters on the occasion of the Three Holy Months:

In His name, glory be to Him,

There is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise.

My esteemed and loyal brothers,

This summer season is also a time of unawareness, a chaotic time of chasing after livelihood, (as well as) a most rewarding time of prayer in the Blessed Three Months, and also a time of diplomatic storms not caused by weapons; if this is not resisted by powerful fortitude and determination in the holy mission, a sort of laziness, a loss of zeal, a state of languor is likely to set in, to the disfavor of the Risale-i Nur service.

My dear brothers, know for certain that the mission that the Risale-i Nur and its students are engaged in is far greater than all the great issues that are on the surface of the Earth. Therefore, do not lose your zeal for your eternal duty by focusing on worldly issues that may arouse your curiosity. (3)

In another letter, Bediuzzaman speaks about the spiritual atmosphere of the Blessed Three Months:

When the weather is unfavorable, it has a bad influence; likewise when the spiritual atmosphere is corrupt, every individual is influenced to the degree of his or her capacity and skills. The blissful atmosphere of the Blessed Three Months and the month of Muharram (the first month in the Islamic calendar) is purified, beautified, and can resist horrendous misfortune and storms, with the considerable inclination, efforts, and illumination of all believers who are involved in the profitable pursuit of earning the Hereafter. Everyone benefits from these circumstances to his or her respective level. But, after the Blessed Three Months depart, the exhibition and market for the Hereafter trade changes, and the exhibition of the world starts. Most effort undergoes a transformation. The smoke of the debris poisoning the air spoils the spiritual atmosphere; everyone is poisoned to the degree of his or her level. (4) 

References

1. Sahiner, Necmettin, Son Sahitler (The Last Witnesses), Nesil Yayinlari, Istanbul: 2005.
2. Akar, Mehmet, Secdede Bir Omur (A Lifetime in Prayer), Sahdamar Yayinlari, Istanbul: 2005
3. Emirdag Lahikasi (Letters from Emirdag), Letter No: 21.
4. Kastamonu Lahikasi (Letters from Kastamonu), Letter No: 40.