A More Human Way to Train AI

Xiang, A., Andrews, J.T.A., Bourke, R.L. et al. Fair human-centric image dataset for ethical AI benchmarking. Nature, November 2025

A new study introduces FHIBE, the Fair Human-Centric Image Benchmark, the first large-scale, publicly available image dataset designed with ethical AI development in mind. Unlike most existing computer-vision datasets, which are often scraped from the internet without consent, FHIBE contains more than 10,000 images from nearly 2,000 volunteers across 81 countries, all collected with informed consent, privacy protection, and fair compensation.

FHIBE stands out for its global diversity and its exceptionally rich, self-reported demographic details, including age, pronouns, ancestry, and skin tone. Each image is also paired with detailed pixel-level annotations, environmental conditions, and camera metadata. This makes FHIBE the most comprehensive tool to date for evaluating bias in human-focused AI systems—from face detection and pose estimation to visual question answering.

When researchers tested popular computer-vision models on FHIBE, they uncovered both well-known and newly identified biases. For example, models tended to perform better on younger, lighter-skinned individuals and struggled with older adults, darker skin tones, baldness, and even hairstyle variability. These insights show why ethically sourced, diverse datasets are essential: they allow scientists to detect subtle biases that would otherwise remain hidden. FHIBE not only raises the bar for fairness benchmarks but also offers a practical roadmap for how to responsibly build the next generation of AI datasets.

A New Way to Sense Smell—Without Smelling at All

Halina B. Stanley et al. Substitution of human olfaction by the trigeminal system. Sci. Adv., November 2025

Scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind device that helps people who have lost their sense of smell “sense” odors again, without actually restoring real smell. The device works by pairing an electronic nose (a sensor that detects odor molecules in the air) with a tiny electrical stimulator placed inside the nose.

Instead of activating the damaged olfactory system, the device stimulates the trigeminal nerve, another nerve inside the nose that normally senses tingling, irritation, or temperature from things like menthol or chili peppers. The question was: Can the brain learn to use these trigeminal signals as a substitute for smell?

Across four experiments with over 60 volunteers (including people with complete and partial smell loss), the researchers found that participants could reliably detect when an odor was present based on the electrical stimulation pattern. Some could also tell the difference between different stimulation patterns, though this was harder and improved when participants were trained first. The ability to detect the signal did not depend on having a working sense of smell, meaning even anosmic individuals could use the system.

The device does not recreate real smells. But it shows, for the first time, that it may be possible to give patients a practical way to recognize odor categories, like food vs. danger odors, through another nerve pathway. This could be an early step toward a future “smell prosthesis” for people living with permanent smell loss.

Can Positive Memories Help Heal the Brain?

Steve Ramirez. Memories change. But can we change them on purpose? Science Friday, November 2025.

Neuroscientist Dr. Steve Ramirez explains that memories are not fixed snapshots of the past; they are dynamic reconstructions that change slightly each time we recall them. Instead of functioning like recordings, memories behave more like malleable building blocks, which the brain continually updates. This flexibility may even help us imagine the future by combining elements of past experiences.

New research shows that scientists can activate specific memories in mice by stimulating the exact brain cells involved in those experiences. In mice that show depression-like behavior, artificially turning on their positive memories can lift their mood and reduce symptoms, sometimes even long-term. This suggests that memory manipulation could one day support new treatments for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Humans already experience a natural form of this effect. Simply recalling a joyful or painful memory can change our biology within seconds, altering mood, heart rate, stress hormones, and attention. This natural responsiveness points to the possibility of developing therapies that intentionally harness positive memories.

Future treatments could also target traumatic memories. Instead of erasing them, scientists may be able to reduce their emotional weight, offering new hope for people living with PTSD while preserving the factual memory.

Looking ahead, the field is moving toward a deeper map of memory in the brain, identifying the specific cells involved in certain memories and finding ways to support or restore them. Such work could eventually help treat memory loss in disorders like Alzheimer’s.

A very important principle to uphold is to view everything in a positive light, as long as it does not contradict the spirit of faith. It is also essential to evaluate such efforts fairly and, wherever possible, express appreciation and support. Even in cases where events could be interpreted negatively, one should strive uncover reasonable explanations and draw out constructive meaning.

When faced with unpleasant attitudes or behaviors, it is often wiser to respond with patience and tolerance. Minor issues need not be magnified, nor differences turned into sources of conflict. Rather than rekindling old disputes or creating new ones, choosing calm over confrontation helps open the door to understanding. Such an approach—refraining from hostility and leaning instead toward empathy—can lay the foundation for reconciliation and mutual respect across social divides. In societies marked by deep scars from long-standing resentments and hostilities, nurturing love and goodwill becomes an essential endeavor. And for those who hope to cultivate a culture of compassion and tolerance, the task often begins with seeking new paths forward.

Thanks be to God, the fruits of such efforts begin to appear even in a short time. Problems that cannot be resolved through force or fury slowly start to unravel through love. People who once feel pressured or coerced into submission no longer reject invitations to meet on common ground. Even the rusted locks on hearts that harshness can never open begin to yield to gentleness.

After all, human beings—created in the best of forms and inherently drawn to perfection—cannot remain indifferent to sincere acts of goodness. Throughout history and even today, efforts rooted in love and tolerance have always been worthy and noble pursuits in the eyes of humanity.

Who could possibly take offense at those who follow the path of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi, Haci Bektas Veli, Ahmed Yesevi, or Yunus Emre—figures who open their hearts to all, with no distinction between Muslim or non-Muslim, embracing others simply because they are human? To embrace everyone purely on the basis of shared humanity, to open one’s heart without discrimination, to demonstrate that the essence of existence is rooted in love, to affirm that the religion is for compassion—what harm could there possibly be in any of this?

If these values were considered noble and praiseworthy in the past—as they continue to be seen today—why, then, do some people now feel uneasy or disturbed by them?

There are those who hold Rumi in the highest esteem, who constantly quote Yunus Emre, who speak admiringly of Yesevi, and who take pride in the legacy of Haci Bektas. Yet strangely, when individuals today embody that same spirit and strive to keep it alive across the globe, they are met with accusations and stigmatization. Why? Because the issue is not what is being done—it’s who is doing it.

Since the figures of the past are no longer a threat, there’s no risk in praising them. But when it comes to contemporaries—people who are alive and active today—the standards begin to shift. No matter how admirable the actions may be, if they are carried out by those with a different worldview, that’s when anxieties and paranoia take over.

Those who echo the ideals voiced by Rumi, Yesevi, or Yunus—those who strive to cultivate an atmosphere of love and tolerance in society—are suddenly viewed as dangerous or subversive. Certain vested interests fear that such spiritually grounded individuals may gradually gain influence; that the moral weight, sincerity, and public resonance they carry might place those in power in a morally uncomfortable position; and that, in time, these same power holders may feel compelled—by circumstance rather than coercion—to sit down and engage in genuine dialogue with them.

Had these paranoid minds lived during the time of Rumi, they would have tried to silence him—or even exile him. And if Rumi were alive today, gathering around him a growing circle of admirers, and if people began responding to his call with sincerity—he too would be labeled a threat. Plans would be drawn up in dark corners on how to silence his voice.

Those same malicious voices who now hurl slanders and insults at anyone they label an opponent would no doubt have said similar things about Ahmed Yesevi. They would scheme to undermine the influence of Yunus Emre, who draws people through the love and warmth he spreads. They would brand Haci Bektas Veli a “traitor” and throw him into prison.

Why? Because they cannot tolerate the presence of a will beyond their own, or any form of influence, moral authority, or persuasive appeal that does not stem from their own sphere of control. Sadly, the militaristic mindset of past eras continues today—under new names and disguises—still crushing anyone who refuses to toe their line or follow their roadmap.

In the face of such irrationality and inconsistency, it is only natural for one’s inner strength to be shaken at times. In moments like these, questions may arise about whether the efforts being made—or the dedication shown by those walking a similar path—are truly right and meaningful.

In such moments, a person may find themselves asking, “Am I doing something wrong? Why is there such strong opposition to these efforts?”

Yet, in truth, nothing is amiss. What is being carried out today reflects—almost down to the smallest detail—the very path that Rumi once walked. Today’s Rumis—souls devoted to the Divine, sincere and selfless in their service—continue along that same line, conveying that same message to humanity in a renewed form.

Yet some people refuse to consider the beauty of what is being done. Instead, they focus entirely on who is doing it. Because in their minds, they have already placed these individuals in a box—passed judgment on them, labeled them as “the other,” and branded them as “bad.”

As a result, any good deed carried out by such individuals is automatically deemed bad—not because of the deed itself, but because of who performed it. The reasoning becomes painfully shallow: “If they are the ones doing it, then it must be wrong.”

Even if they were to guide people toward paradise, shield them from the fire, awaken faith in their hearts, help the seeds of eternal bliss bloom within their souls, and bring peace and contentment to the world—they would still be condemned. Their actions would still be misjudged, and they would still be declared guilty.

Because, from the very beginning, the decision had already been made: “We see these people as the other, and so whatever they do must be wrong.” That, in truth, is the heart of the matter.

None of this should discourage anyone or diminish one’s inner strength. On the contrary, good efforts must continue—and even grow—by being multiplied. Those engaged in such work understand their own path and responsibilities, and it is not for anyone to dictate their course. But this much can be said: in times like these, panic is never the right response.

Panic is merely a reflection of the opposing side—their state of mind, their anxieties, their fears. Those who lash out are often the ones most gripped by insecurity. For this reason, what is needed is not panic, but steady, thoughtful resolve. When people devote themselves to serving others—whether ten thousand go out into the world this year to share compassion and inspiration with those in need, and perhaps one hundred thousand do so the next—the true goal is to let such goodness grow. Service, when multiplied, becomes a force that expands naturally and powerfully, reaching more hearts and transforming more lives. In places where hostility is met with walls and offensives, the most powerful response is to take steps inspired by love, dialogue, human embrace, and positive action—steps so sincere and unexpected that negativity cannot reach them. By the time adversaries attempt to catch up, all they encounter is the dust left behind by those advancing through goodwill.

In such moments, it becomes far more difficult for opposition to interfere with or obstruct what is being accomplished. Their efforts collapse under the weight of their own paranoia; they flail within the whirlpool of panic they themselves have created and stumble when confronted with the beauty being brought into existence.

As hearts are drawn toward sincerity and as the reasonableness of compassionate work gathers people together, those who are unsettled by such light—like souls who shrink from brightness—may, in time, become consumed by their own hatred.

Yet it is essential to remember that the aim is never to provoke, enrage, or harm anyone. A spirit rooted in mercy does not respond to curses, seek revenge, or wish misfortune upon others. Even if someone, overwhelmed by paranoia or resentment, were to fall into personal ruin, there is no joy to be found in such an outcome.

There was a moment in my own life that revealed just how easily the heart can be tested. Someone who had caused great harm and acted with deep hostility spoke in such a way that, for an instant, a harsh thought arose within me—a fleeting wish for divine punishment in response to the injustice being endured. At first glance, such a reaction might seem understandable. Throughout history, even revered spiritual figures like Muhammad Bahauddin Naqshband, Imam Ghazali, and Bediuzzaman Said Nursi sometimes sought relief by appealing to divine justice when faced with persistent cruelty or oppression. But for me, the thought was only momentary. As soon as I paused to reflect, my eyes filled with tears. I found myself saying, “No, my Lord—how could I wish punishment upon anyone, even those who act with hostility or seek to discredit sincere efforts with slander and falsehood? Such a wish is too heavy to utter. If You choose to act, let it be through guidance. Let their encounter be not with ruin, but with truth, clarity, and transformation.”

Let the whole world hear this: this must be the state of the heart. One should not wish for anyone to perish in paranoia, anger, restlessness, or inner suffering. Such thoughts have no place in a heart that seeks what is right.

Our sole prayer is this: that God may grant all people fairness and sound judgment. May He allow them to see the truth as it is, in accordance with its full value and dignity. Rather than spending their time in bitterness, stubbornness, and exclusion, may they embrace the good that is being done and allow it to find a place in their hearts.

This path has always been carried by a generous spirit. Whenever someone offers even a small act of kindness, that goodness is cherished and uplifted. The aim is simple: to win hearts and to seek God’s pleasure by helping build a world shaped by peace and harmony. There is no other agenda. Those who manufacture conflict as though it were real only reveal themselves as the true source of unrest.

The great spiritual figures of the past—Rumi, Yesevi, and others—left behind a legacy of expansive love for humanity. Anyone who strives to follow their example will feel their heart drawn toward compassion rather than hostility. Hatred, vengeance, and rage belong to another way of being—one that leads only to division and sorrow. The commitment here is different: never to see another person as “the other,” and even when seen that way by others, to keep one’s arms open.

Even if someone were to approach with hostility or harm in hand, the response must remain: “Come, dear friend—there is still a place for you in my heart.”

May God grant the strength to remain firm upon this path and the ability to carry these good efforts forward in ever-growing measure. Amen.

Sometimes we find God sends among us some of His servants as a blessing. The mere presence of such servants suffices to instill peace and trust, opening a door of hope in our souls. They are guardians of heart who teach goodness by being the way they are. Thomas Michel was one of those guardians. He was a man of wisdom which he derived from the depths of the Christian tradition and a man of elegance that embodied the conscience of all humanity.

I extend my condolences and prayers of patience to his family, friends, those who had the opportunity to meet him, and especially to the volunteers of the Hizmet Movement who feel his loss deeply.

Condolences to us all.

Meeting Fr. Michel for the first time brought an immediate sense of comfort. He taught not by speaking, but by listening. He approached not by authority, but by understanding. This is how he earned a special place in the hearts of all who crossed paths with him.

“What humanity needs most today is a climate of love,” our teacher Fethullah Gülen said many, many times. Thomas Michel was nourished in such a climate, and he carried it with him across the world as one of its architects. Those who sat with him would recognize his state of acquiescence when he listened; his careful choice of words not to hurt anyone’s heart; his deep respect for those from different faith traditions – all of these were manifestations of his sincere connection to God.

In his latest message from Chiang Rai, Thailand, he taught us another lesson with the humblest of words: “Like Muslims, we Christians are not afraid of death because we know we are returning to the God who loves us.”

What a submission – simple yet truthful and touching. It was not words of farewell, but an expression of the inner peace that comes with walking toward God; a peace that gave voice not to the carnal soul, but to his loving heart.

In a spirit of fidelity, Fr. Michel wrote the following in the same message: “I appreciate and am grateful for the many wonderful people that God has allowed me to know in Hizmet.” This was also a crystal-clear testimony to the dialogue he pursued with us, the Hizmet community. He loved us, understood us, and welcomed us with a big embrace. We loved him back. We saw in him the purity of a servant of God seeking his Lord and the Lord’s good pleasure.

Our dear friend Thomas Michel left behind an indelible mark in the heart of the Hizmet community. That mark is not only from his academic research, books, and conferences, but the result of a smile, a compliment, or comforting a heart that were to last a lifetime. He did not only voice his support to interfaith dialogue but made it his natural state of being. His talks were not only informative but urged his audience to think over what it meant to be human.

We learned from his example that differences can lead not to conflict but richness, that diversions can transform not to polarizations but to bridges of love. Thomas Michel reminded us that the Truth spoke to every person with a different language, that what really mattered was to listen to that language with respect. Once, he said the following:

“Faith is when a person can feel the love he or she has for God in the hearts of others.” This love was the yeast that made him who he was.

While there is now a void left in his absence, there is also a legacy that must be upheld: to carry on the subtle and challenging journey of dialogue without interruption, and to continue that journey with love, respect, and a humble heart.

May God help us to carry forward what we have learned from him: kindness, calmness, and humane warmth.

Today, we are seeing off a real friend, a representative of the community of love, a true architect of dialogue. But we also know that every good seed that falls to the earth grows. The seeds Fr. Michel sowed will continue to grow.

May his spirit be blessed.

In a meadow of memories, my mind is a mosquito. It flies from flower to flower, and separates the colors from the petals [1], sucks the warmth from the sun. It finds no house in the darkness, no home in the ever-changing seasons. Flowers cease to flower, but in a memory, they bloom to infinity. The mosquito calls this knowledge, hope. It wears this hope, its home, in the fine fabric of its wings. My mind weaves itself a blanket from life’s moments, hammers in pegs in different places, and pitches a tent. It crouches inside and bathes in the warmth that radiates. It calls this comfort, home.

My mind had grown up ready to pack me, and my life, into a box. It thought that those flimsy cardboard boxes, wrapped twice round with industrial tape, felt more like home, than “home” did. Houses changed, in more ways than it cared to count, and the common factor was the boxes. It, in its youthful simplicity, deduced that my home was hidden somewhere there. The boxes that menacingly threatened mildew when starved of attention, but when you gave them just that, would launch dust grenades that made you sneeze. And my mind had tried to carve out a home amongst them, with box cutters, but the cardboard never budged. Then it attempted to fit my life there, to squeeze an infinite quantity of warmth into a finite volume.

It worked, for a while. As a temporary, makeshift home. One that burst at the seams when the houses stopped changing. My mind then concluded that, if my home could not house my life, I did not need one. It left my belongings strewn across the floor of the soaked cardboard, and looked elsewhere, as comfort oozed away like lava seeping back under the earth’s crust. It left its life in disarray, and banished itself to a desert, as it could not bear to look at trees. It did not want to be reminded of the home it had found, the home that had then abandoned it. It walked around, kicking about loose stones, while the sun pelted heat upon its wandering back. It had never felt colder than there, and it discovered that a place that housed warmth, was not automatically its home.

It went back to thinking that home was somewhere with four walls, and it jumped from place to place. This is how it became a measly mosquito, one who did not know what food source it was meant to look for. It tried to find home in the bottom of cereal boxes, in crates of oranges, and in tins of stationery. But no matter where it flew, it could never find anything concrete to stick to. Nothing had enough grip for it to puncture its proboscis into. My mind found nothing of substance to hammer its roots into. And here – beneath the dried-out cheerios, the stinging orange peels, and the empty ink cartridges – a home was not found.

My house was never a home because it was a cage, and then school became a cage, and then the world became a cage. And in my mind, the only way out of this cage was to become an astronaut. A mosquito’s wings flying through space, dressed in a white, padded, sealed suit. I wanted to find home, to look for it somewhere, because it had to be out there. Somewhere on some planet, maybe Mars, maybe Pluto. It was somewhere. I was adamant. I had searched everywhere else, yet, I had forgotten about the four walls of my mind. The vacant, desolate home that belonged to me. The walls littered with propaganda posters, slogans of all the words that I had heard that had stung enough to stick. The memories scattered in little cardboard boxes, packages of warmth waiting, not to be moved, but to be opened. But the mosquito did not know of these.

In the depths of space, the mosquito heard a faint buzzing sound, a sound that could not be heard elsewhere. It was not the background static of space, nor was it the broadcasts transmitted from nearby spacecrafts. It was not the voices that were pleading for it to come back “home.” The mosquito did not know what to do, since it had no concrete sense of direction in space. So, it simply hoped that it would find the things it was looking for. And a match, dipped into a basin of hope, was struck against the all the resistance that space had to give.

The mosquito’s internal compass sought out the source of the sound. It guided them both out of space, while its eyes remained closed, and led it to my mind. It did not notice the barriers, it did not notice the scaling walls, it simply flew. It did not look around – until its head hit a wall and it stumbled into a stupor, spiraling backwards, downwards, and side to side. Piles of boxes tumbled over. The sky cracked open, no longer withstanding the heat that seeped out from the cages made from cardboard. The mosquito shielded its shut eyes, wings quivering from the warmth, and it dared to investigate the boundaries of the four walls of one box. Inside was a flower, sitting neatly in a mound of earth. It was no less alive than a flower in a meadow, and did not shy away from the glaring lights of the mind.

The mosquito, starved, sucked the color from the flower. The flower’s petals did not wilt, and they stayed raised proud, even though they had faded, even though they no longer emitted a single ounce of warmth. And this mosquito was like all mosquitos. It left this flower, without as much as building it a gravestone or gifting it a goodbye. It inhaled all the colors, cycled through all the boxes, and the mind’s artificial lights could not keep up. The colors swallowed, the warmth stolen, and the light, powered by an external generator, flickered. It mourned the memories the mosquito had mistook for flowers. These flowers would not rebloom.

The mosquito was not exiled. It was simply sent to the gates, and set loose. Left, standing on the doorsteps between the mind and a meadow. Filled with mistrust, and seething with shame, it plucked a petal of the nearest flower. Drained from its nature, dampened slightly by the falling rain, the mosquito pressed the petal against its wings, dumping its hue onto their fine strands. It then drank half a flower’s full of warmth, and tread back to the mind. Doors open, it ran in, knelt beside a box, and planted the flower’s roots into the soil. Nothing happened, the lights still whimpered as if they were cold, but it felt right to the mosquito. A dead flower should be accompanied by a not-yet dying one. It imagined that they might hold hands. It fancied they would be happier that way.

The mosquito flew far. Meadows close-by had grown empty, and flowers became scarcer the further it went. It brought boxes with it, towing tools, and tales behind it. It slept in bogs, and sunk into the heat from the fire that its wings created. Its wings wrapped tight around its body, and it watches as colors ripple across. And even in the darkness, even in the wet, sunken ground, it has a home. A home filled with warmth.

The mosquito flies, fueled by the memory of warmth that lives in its wings. It is entertained by the colors that find a festive hat and entertain any of its lonely emptiness. The mosquito lives in its wings and their warmth, and has a constant companion called color. It always flies back to my mind, armed with a garden of flowers in its hands. And my mind, finally having a living and functioning thing to treasure, fashioned the mosquito a tent. It stretched the strings, and nailed four down. One into space, one into the desert, one into the boxes, and the last into that first meadow. And it listens, while it knits a blanket, to the voice of the mosquito recounting its travels. A blanket weaved with the wool of the mosquito’s life; all the moments it saw. And when the mosquito leaves, my mind casts the blanket over its own four walls. Its house finally has a roof, heat takes longer to escape, and my mind had made itself a home.

One day, the flowers will be too far for the mosquito to fly to. There will be a journey that the mosquito undertakes, but never completes. Its fuel will not last. Only the dark sky will bear eye to its fall, and it will die in the cold. Its wings will flicker, flicker, a dying flame at the end of its match. A gust of wind will come along and extinguish its glowing embers. The mosquito’s home had lived with the mosquito’s life, and without the sound of a beating heart to follow, it could no longer send out any waves of warmth. The mosquito ceases to exist, and its home follows in suit.

The flowers in my mind will still exist, faded, and dried out, all their last color used up for that last journey. And my mind will shiver in the cold, waiting for the mosquito to come back. Waiting for it to tell stories of its thoughts, waiting to hear its wings buzz under the tent when the next morning comes. A sound that never arrives. My mind will wonder why the mosquito did not find a home in its walls, why the tent it had sewn was not filled with enough warmth to entice it to stay. And it will seek the mosquito’s corpse out, and bury them both into its blanket. It reckons the dead mosquito needs a dying companion. And its artificial lights blaze with a natural glare, and both the mosquito and my mind are buried with a home above them.

Note

• Male mosquitos feed on nectar.

Administrators—whether C-suite executives such as CEOs, COOs, CIOs, and CFOs; leaders in K-12 or higher education; or nonprofit chairpersons, presidents, and vice presidents—often face complex challenges that require swift, effective, and long-lasting solutions. Successfully addressing these challenges can be broken down into three essential phases: Listening, Evaluation, and Implementation. These steps are particularly crucial for those handling moderate- to high-level issues, where the decisions made can have significant impacts on the organization.

Listening, Evaluation, and Implementation each represent a stage in the process of problem-solving and decision-making. Listening involves gathering information, perceiving the concerns of stakeholders and identifying the root causes of an issue [1]. Evaluation requires analyzing the data, weighing different options, and considering both short- and long-term consequences [2]. Implementation is the act of carrying out the chosen solution, ensuring it is communicated effectively, and monitoring progress to make adjustments when necessary [3][4]. Together, these phases form a practical framework that can guide administrators toward effective and sustainable leadership decisions.

Listening (or are we pretending?)

The first step in the problem-solving process is listening. This phase involves understanding the problem in depth, gathering input from relevant stakeholders, and identifying the root causes. Listening is not just about hearing words—it requires administrators to perceive the emotions, concerns, and motivations behind them. Leaders must “seek first to understand, then to be understood” [1].

For instance, if an administrator is managing a conflict between team members, merely addressing surface-level disagreements may not resolve the underlying tension. By actively listening, the administrator can uncover deeper issues such as misunderstandings, unmet expectations, or personal grievances, which are crucial for developing a sustainable solution.

At the same time, administrators should recognize that speculation, assumptions, and gossip without knowing the full picture can damage an institution. Transparency and open communication are vital. Sincerity and authenticity also matter—leaders must show genuine concern, ensuring people never feel their issues are being brushed aside. In the listening phase, administrators should remain cautious to prevent misunderstandings during conversations. At times—whether intentional or not—people may extract specific words or phrases, strip them of their original context, and circulate them in ways that distort the intended message. Such misrepresentation can damage not only an individual’s career and reputation but also the credibility of the entire organization.

To guard against this, leaders must communicate with precision and foresight, choosing their words carefully and avoiding statements that could be easily misconstrued.

Evaluation (remember, there could be more than one correct answer or solution!)

Following the listening phase, the next step is Evaluation, which requires a careful analysis of the information gathered. The administrator must weigh different perspectives, explore various solutions and anticipate the potential outcomes of each option. This aligns with the design stage of decision-making [2]. Leaders must avoid quick fixes that merely provide temporary relief but fail to address the root causes.

For example, if the problem is low employee morale, offering a one-time bonus might provide temporary relief but would not address underlying causes such as a lack of career development opportunities, belonging issues, or poor work-life balance. During evaluation, administrators should also be open to different theories and approaches, recognizing that human-related issues often involve multiple viewpoints. The goal is to identify the most effective strategy that aligns with the organization’s goals and values.

Trust and credibility are essential in this stage. These are not built overnight but develop gradually, much like establishing financial credit. Past sincerity and close relationships form the foundation for successful persuasion when making difficult decisions. Empathy—thinking from the perspective of stakeholders—is also key to understanding their concerns and preventing misunderstandings.

Implementation (how is your level of sincerity and commitment to follow the plan?)

The final step is implementation, which involves putting the chosen solution into action through a well-structured plan. Change is often met with resistance, making leadership communication critical. This reflects the importance of creating momentum through clear communication and urgency [3], as well as solidifying change for long-term success [4].

Implementation should also include mechanisms for monitoring progress and making necessary adjustments. No plan is perfect, and flexibility is essential to addressing unforeseen obstacles. For example, if an administrator introduces a new workflow to improve efficiency, they should monitor its impact on productivity and employee satisfaction, making modifications if the system does not yield the expected results. In practice, implementation also means managing diverse personalities and talents.

Administrators often work with highly capable individuals who have distinct characters. Balancing team chemistry and channeling energy toward progress is the leader’s responsibility. Those who consistently undermine teamwork must be addressed, while talented individuals should be entrusted with new responsibilities. Delegation requires both courage and encouragement: leaders must give capable people the chance to take on new tasks, allow room for mistakes, and support their growth. Effective delegation thus becomes not only a tool for efficiency but also for building confidence and resilience across the team.

An administrator should realize that there may be wide gray areas of solutions in many cases, and depending on the path chosen, it is important to remain consistent, closely follow up on progress based on the issue’s severity, and be ready to make adjustments if needed. Once a decision is made—even if it may not seem the best at that moment—it is often wiser to stick with it rather than constantly changing course.

A contemporary example: A CEO confronting personnel issues

At a mid-sized technology company, the CEO noticed that team productivity was declining, even though the company was growing and resources were sufficient. Exit interviews revealed that high-performing employees were leaving because of toxic behavior from a few long-serving staff members who held informal influence within the organization. Their negative attitudes were undermining morale and discouraging new hires from fully integrating into the company culture.

Rather than taking immediate punitive action, the CEO began with a listening phase. He held confidential conversations with both departing employees and current staff to understand the situation more deeply. This revealed that the problem extended beyond individual personalities: employees felt that poor behavior was tolerated without accountability, creating resentment across the workforce.

After gathering information, the CEO evaluated the root cause. He realized the issue was not only about a few problematic individuals but also about a culture that lacked clear behavioral standards and consistent enforcement. Simply firing the employees might have offered a short-term remedy but would not address the deeper cultural problem. He considered several options and concluded that change required both accountability and a renewed culture of respect. The implementation phase involved rolling out a “Respect and Responsibility” workplace policy, reinforced through workshops and company-wide communication. The problematic employees were given coaching and an opportunity to adjust, but continued toxic behavior was no longer tolerated. Within six months, surveys showed improved morale, reduced turnover, and higher productivity.

This example illustrates how a leader who listens carefully, evaluates wisely, and implements decisively can transform a toxic environment into one of accountability and renewed trust.

Prophetic leadership and the Ji‘ranah incident: A timeless model for conflict resolution

Contemporary leaders must beware of interim measures that seem convenient but fail to resolve deeper problems. When we look back at world history, prophetic approaches stand in a category of their own. Prophets embodied the highest standard of leadership, guided directly by God, and exemplified wisdom that humanity can only aspire to reach. The Ji‘ranah incident provides a vivid case study of this truth. More than fourteen centuries ago, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) resolved a highly complex conflict with remarkable speed, empathy, and foresight. His solution was not only effective in the moment but has continued to inspire reflection on leadership and human relations into our modern era.

Following the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet and the Muslim army faced the tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif at the Battle of Hunayn in 630 CE. The Muslims achieved a decisive victory, capturing a vast amount of booty. According to Arab custom, the spoils were to be distributed among the participants, and the Prophet personally oversaw this sensitive process. In a carefully calculated move, he allocated a significant share of the spoils to newly converted Meccan leaders—Quraysh nobles and other influential figures. His goal was not favoritism but diplomacy: strengthening new believers, securing their allegiance, and maintaining peace among influential recent converts. While strategically wise, this distribution stirred unease among the Ansar, the residents of Medina who had supported him from the very beginning and fought bravely at Hunayn. Some murmured among themselves: “The Messenger has found his people again and forgotten us.”

Listening before acting

When Sa’d b. Ubada, the leader of the Ansar, conveyed their feelings to the Prophet, the Prophet asked him directly for his own opinion. Sa’d replied with humility: “I am but one of my people.” In other words, he stood in solidarity with his community rather than elevating his personal view.

The Prophet recognized that the Ansar’s frustration was not about material wealth but about belonging, loyalty, and appreciation. He responded not with dismissal but with deep empathy.

A speech that healed hearts

The Prophet gathered the Ansar privately, ensuring no one was left behind and that no Muslims who had migrated from Mecca were present. He delivered a heartfelt address, reminding them of how God had guided, enriched, and united them through his mission. Then he reframed the entire situation, shifting their perspective from worldly gain to spiritual honor:

“While others take worldly possessions, would you not be pleased to take the Messenger of God as your share? Verily, if all people went one way and the Ansar went the other, I would go with the Ansar. O God, have mercy on the Ansar, their children, and their descendants.”

Tears filled the eyes of the Ansar, and they responded unanimously: “We are pleased with the Messenger of God as our portion and our fortune.” In that moment, a potential rift was transformed into deeper unity, gratitude, and trust.

Lessons for today

The Ji‘ranah incident remains a timeless model of conflict resolution. By listening attentively, affirming dignity, and reframing the issue in higher moral terms, the Prophet turned disappointment into renewed commitment. His approach shows that true leadership is not merely about distributing resources but about addressing the human need for recognition, belonging, and purpose.

For today’s leaders, the lesson is clear: empathy and wisdom are not soft skills—they are the foundations of lasting unity.

Conclusion

Effective problem-solving for administrators follows a structured approach beginning with active listening, progressing to careful evaluation, and concluding with strategic implementation. The CEO’s handling of workplace toxicity and the Prophet’s resolution of

the Ji‘ranah incident both highlight how these three steps, when practiced with sincerity and wisdom, can transform potential crises into opportunities for strengthening relationships.

By mastering these steps, leaders can effectively address complex challenges, leading to more sustainable outcomes for their organizations. Responsible administrators should remain patient, yet mindful that unnecessary delays may create additional strain and inefficiencies. Understanding and applying these principles will enhance their problem-solving capabilities, ensuring a more effective and adaptable leadership approach.

References

• Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Free Press.
• Simon, H. A. (1977). The New Science of Management Decision. Prentice Hall.
• Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Lewin, K. (1947). “Frontiers in group dynamics: Concept, method and reality in social science; social equilibria and social change.” Human Relations, 1(5), 5–41.
• Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah.
• Al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari. Book 64, Hadith 359–366
• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Sahih Muslim.
• Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad Ahmad.

“Nobles” is a title used for the “fortys,” or some among the “fortys” included in the “men of the Unseen.” According to verifying Sufi scholars, these are the heroes of altruism who have completed their ascension toward God by going down among the people to guide and spiritually educate them. They think of nothing other than guiding people to God; they encourage hearts always to do good, and they erect spiritual barriers before evils. They try to confront possible misfortunes through prayers and supplications and they are ready to sacrifice themselves for the good of people or to prevent disasters. Their hearts always beat with feelings of self-sacrifice, compassion, and tender care for others. Since they have dedicated their lives to the happiness of others, they live a life overburdened with the troubles of others and sigh for them. Even if there are times when they feel happy at the news of others’ happiness, they are always sorrowful because of what they have witnessed or heard concerning the sufferings of people. In respect of their mission, they are heirs to the Prophets.

Nukaba (The Custodians)

Nukaba are the saints who are always together with people, correcting their faults, and guiding all toward good with mildness and kindness. Although the term is used for those in the Sufi Orders of Rifai [1] and Badawi [2] who have completed their spiritual journeying and have begun the mission of guiding people to God, according to the verifying Sufi scholars they are the purified souls whose spiritual profundity and discovery transcend their scope of learning and sight and who always observe the spiritual domain or realm of existence; by God’s leave, they are able to penetrate the hearts of people and what occurs to them. They carry out the duty of some sort of translation between the physical and metaphysical realms, interpreting existence in accordance with their capacity and in consideration of the understanding levels of their audience, and persistently try to find ways to God through everything. In their view, the universe is a meaningful book which contains messages within messages, with all its parts making up the words, sentences, and paragraphs. In these ever-wakeful souls and truth-voicing tongues, the truth expressed herein shows itself:

The universe is a supreme book of God throughout,
whatever letter you study, you see its meaning is God.

Awtad (The Pillars)

Awtad are the four “men of God” who are so close to one another that one cannot do without the other. They make their spiritual journeying and carry out their duties under the shadow of the missions of Enoch, Elijah, Jesus, and Khadr, upon them and our Prophet be peace. According to the particular mission of each, they have the titles ‘Abdu’l-Hayy (The Servant of the All-Living), ‘Abdu’l-‘Alim (The Servant of the All-Knowing), ‘Abdu’l-Murid (The Servant of the All-Willing), and ‘Abdu’l-Qadir (The Servant of the All-Powerful), and they reflect the spiritual content of Prophets Adam, Abraham, Jesus, and Muhammad, upon them be peace and blessings, or represent the reflections of their truths. Their connection with God is through the lenses of the Archangels Gabriel, Michael [3], Israfil [4], and ‘Azrail [5], upon them be peace. They each correspond to a pillar of the Ka‘ba, which signifies the door or stairway to that station.

Muhyi’d-Din ibnu’l-‘Arabi is of the opinion that the pillars are the seven saints who carry out their duties according to a hierarchy that exists among them.

Some call all the saints of God—including the nobles, custodians, and pillars—the “men of God” in the sense that they are heroes of the truth with certain spiritual power. Their most distinguishing attributes are their deep reverence for God and their feeling of awe before Him; being overwhelmed by the manifestations of the All-Merciful; arousing God’s existence and omnipresence in the minds of those who see them; sobriety and dignity coming from their constant awareness of God’s company; being deeply ashamed of certain ordinary human acts and states—even though they are not religiously forbidden; being aware of God in everything in a different wave of sensation; self-forgetfulness when they are aware of God; continuous self-supervision and attributing to Him whatever gifts and blessings they are favored with; and remaining unknown by others. With respect to their being unknown, they are called “the men of the Unseen” or “the army of God.” In one of his poems, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror [6] refers to those men who are endowed with a sacred spiritual power and asks for their prayers in carrying out the duty of serving God’s Word.

With respect to these men’s being able to make the Divine mysteries felt in the hearts of others, they are called “the men of conquest”; because of their being unknown or being known only by a few, they are known as “the men of the Unseen.” In regard to their generally living in ecstasy, they are called “the men of power,” and because they approach everyone with gentleness and tolerance and return evil done to them with good, they are “the men of kindness.”

Ghawth (The Helper or the Means of Divine Help)

Signifying help, coming to the aid of others, and giving spiritual help, the term ghawth is used by the Sufis to denote saints of the highest rank.

A person who has attained this rank has been honored with a particular Divine favor and, by God’s leave, hurries to the aid of those in difficulties. Those who do not have this capacity cannot be regarded as ghawth; any poles (qutb) who cannot be mirrors to reflect Divine help to others are not called ghawth.

One who combines the spiritual status of being a ghawth with the rank of being a qutb is called al-ghawthu’l-a‘zam (the greatest helper), and if the one who has been primarily favored with the rank of being a qutb is also honored with being a ghawth, he is called al-qutbu’l-a‘zam (the greatest pole). Each of these titles has aspects particular to itself.

Since those honored with these exalted ranks represent the shadow of Haqiqa Muhammadiya (the Truth of Muhammad) [7], they are in the company of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, with respect to being mirrors to certain Divine truths. Because of this, they have a reflective part in the holy Prophet’s universal mission of being a mirror to God, which is expressed by Süleyman Çelebi as follows:

(God said to the Prophet): I have made your essence a mirror to Me,
and inscribed your name together with Mine.

The status described by Haqani in, “The Ultimate Truth has made him a mirror to Him / He has made him a mirror to His peerless Being,” primarily and with all its comprehensiveness, belongs to the master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, who is the greatest of the perfect or universal men [8]. Each of the other perfect or universal men has a relative, particular part in this great honor.

The Sufis maintain that in every century there is a helper or means of Divine help (ghawth) who is the leader of all the contemporary men of God, the door among people to the attainment of Divine assistance, the moderator of the spiritual realm or domain of existence, and the pivot of Divine gifts and blessings. If a helper is also a pole, his title is the greatest pole, and his rank is the status of the greatest pole.

Such a hero of spirituality who is honored with this rank has such capacities that not only ordinary people like us, but also those who have reached the final point of spiritual journeying are unable to perceive them. This rank is the most comprehensive mirror to the Divine Names, the essence of existence, and the greatest focus of the Truth of Muhammad. By virtue of this distinction, and by God’s leave, such a one is an authority entitled to represent the implementation of the Divine decrees under the leadership and protection of Haqiqa Ahmadiya (the Truth of Ahmad) [9] and in the light of the Lamp of Muhammad [10], upon him be peace and blessings.

The scholarly people of sainthood mention the names of such great saints as ‘Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani [11], Abu’l-Hasan al-Harakani [12], Shaykh al-Harrani [13], and Imam Rabbani [14], as those who have attained this rank in the history of Islam. These personages, who have combined the rank of being a pole with that of being a helper, are mentioned with the titles of “the greatest pole,” or “the greatest helper.” As they represent the status of being the greatest pole, they are also called “the pole of the poles.”

With respect to being the representatives of spiritual perfection, they are also regarded as the true heirs to the duties of Prophethood and the special, most distinguished representatives of succession to Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. It is undeniable that the purification of the carnal soul, refinement of the heart, and spiritual struggle all have an important part in the attainment of this rank. However, it should also be borne in mind that this rank is a special gift of God which He accords to whomever He wills. God Himself declares: That is God’s grace. He grants it to whom He wills. Surely God is of tremendous grace (62:4).

This elevated rank has sometimes been represented by a single individual, sometimes by a collective personality formed around God’s good pleasure through a sincere brother/sisterhood, and selfless unity and solidarity, or, quite possibly, by a community of Muslims which serves the true faith and the Qur’an purely for God’s sake.

Qutb (The Pole)

Qutb is the title of one who is the focus of the views of the earth and heaven’s inhabitants, the perfect vicegerent of God, the Ultimate Truth, the heir of the master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, and the perfect, universal man who always exists among humankind.

After the pride of humanity, Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, this rank was represented by the first four Rightly-Guided Caliphs in order of succession, who were true successors to the duties of Prophethood. They were followed by the greatest scholars or the founders of Islamic Schools of Law, who had the capacity to deduce new laws from the Qur’an and the Sunna, the greatest saints, and the saintly scholars.

Together with the rank of helper, the rank of pole is also the greatest of spiritual ranks. While a helper is primarily distinguished by coming to the aid of others who are immured in difficulties, a pole may also be favored with the rank of helper and become a source of spiritual radiance and a reflector of God’s gifts. Being heir to the Truth of Muhammad, a pole represents a reflection of the master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, under his guardianship in the age where he lives, and is a successor to him in his duties as a spiritual master.

By virtue of the special gifts with which he is honored, and by virtue of having been equipped with a special capacity in accordance with his duty, a pole is, like the North Star, a singular, chosen one upon whom the views of all the inhabitants of the earth and heavens are focused. This mysterious power station, which is always open to the metaphysical realms, has effects on the human outer and inner faculties that resemble the spirit’s control of the body. This power of penetration comes from this person’s knowledge of God; this knowledge of God originates in God’s Knowledge, Which in turn is an Attribute of the Divine Essence. With respect to his own essence, or when left to his own devices, a pole is like a drop of water—but a drop that contains the entire reflection of the sun by virtue of God’s favors upon him. Such a one is nothing but an atom, but that atom reflects all of the heavens. For in their essential nature, poles are nothing—they are zero—but they are equipped with such essential values and qualities that they reflect eternity.

With one of their eyes always scanning the physical dimension of existence, poles constantly observe the realms beyond with the other eye, in unceasing pursuit of the radiance of recognition or knowledge of God. They weave the spiritual lacework of existence with the silky threads of wisdom that pour into their hearts and

give them to those around them. Like the sun, they always give off light and illuminate all that is around them. And like a surging ocean, they bubble over from within and diffuse life into hearts.

Since poles have fully developed their innate capacities, they are heroes of extraordinary performance. They are perfect persons whose hearts are mirrors to the Archangel Israfil, and whose power of speech mirrors Gabriel, and whose power of attraction mirrors Michael, and whose power of repelling mirrors ‘Azrail. By virtue of this, they are each, in one respect, a focus of creation as a mirror to all realms, vicegerents of God in their age, special students and representatives of the Truth of Muhammad, rays of the first manifestation of existence beyond time, and luminous, transparent means for the conduction of Divine mysteries to all hearts. Being heirs to the Prophet, they establish new rules to acquire and deepen in knowledge of God and the Religion. The Shi‘a attribute this rank only to ‘Ali and the eleven Imams who descended from him through the Prophet’s beloved daughter, Fatima, and the last of whom is the Mahdi [15]; this is a restriction. God may accord this honor to whomever He wills among His servants who have been endowed with the necessary capacity and He may make Himself known through them.

The Sufi scholarly saints mention two types of pole, one being “the pole of guidance” and the other being “the pole of existence.” The “pole of guidance” represents the spirit of Prophethood as the owner of the greater rank of pole, while the “pole of existence” stands for the inner dimension of the Seal of Prophethood with the title of the Seal of Sainthood. The scholars who have expert knowledge of the matter hold the opinion that although in the same period there may be more than one pole of guidance, there can only be one pole of existence. The axis of whichever great angel honored with special nearness to God or whichever illustrated Prophet he journeys around, or the rug-seat of whichever saint he occupies, the Pole of existence always turns toward the light of the existence of the Pole of Prophethood, upon him be peace and blessings, and toward his spiritual assistance.

Although there are Sufi scholars who mention some people as the Poles of existence who have existed since the Prophet Adam, upon him be peace, this view has not received much acceptance. The majority of the experts in this matter agree that in every age the Pole of existence is mentioned with the title of ‘Abdullah (the

Servant of God) and ‘Abdu’l-Jami‘ (the Servant of the One Who Has All Excellences in the Infinite Degree).

All the information given so far is based on the spiritual discovery and observation of some talented saints. For this reason, more or less space can always be assigned to the subject. There may even be those who say different things on this matter. God knows best. Therefore, what I should finally do is to entreat God Almighty,

saying: “Our Lord, take us not to task if we forget or make mistakes! Our Lord, forgive us, then, our sins, and blot out from us our evil deeds, and take us to You in death, in the company of the truly godly and virtuous.”

O God! Show us truth as being true and enable us to follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to refrain from it. And bestow blessings and peace on the sole owner of the subtle essence and meaning of being Muhammad, the sun of the heavens of mysteries, the object of all lights, the pivot of the Divine Majesty, and the axis of the sphere of the Divine Grace and Beauty, and on his Family and Companions, the stars of guidance and the springs of assistance.

Notes

• Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifai (1119–1183), the founder of the Rifai Order, and one of the greatest Sufi masters in the history of Islam, was born and lived in southern Iraq. He also had profound knowledge of Islamic religious sciences, including especially jurisprudence and Hadith. (Tr.)
• Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi (1200–1276) was one of the most outstanding Sufi masters, to whom the Badawi Order is attributed. He was born in Morocco. When he was six years old, his family emigrated to Makka. He spent the greatest part of his life in Tanta, Egypt. He was also well-versed in Islamic sciences. (Tr.)
• Michael is the Archangel who supervises the earth with its grass, plants, and animals, and represents or presents to God their glorifications and praises of Him. (Tr.)
• Israfil is one of the four Archangels. He will blow the Trumpet just before the end of the universe and for the resurrection of the dead. (Tr.)
• ‘Azrail is the Archangel charged with taking the souls of human beings. He is the angel of death. (Tr.)
• Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror (1432–1481) was the seventh Ottoman Sultan, and conquered Istanbul. (Tr.)
• Haqiqa Muhammadiya (the Truth of Muhammad): This term is essential to Sufism. It may be translated as the “reality of Muhammad” as God’s Messenger, the most beloved of God, the best example for all creation to follow, the embodiment of Divine Mercy, and the living Qur’an or embodiment of the Qur’anic way of life. (Tr.)
• For a detailed analysis of the perfect or universal Man, see M. Fethullah Gülen, Emerald Hills of the Heart – Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, Tughra Books, NJ, 2004, Vol., 2, pp. 289–302. (Tr.)
• Haqiqa Ahmadiya ( the Truth of Ahmad) is the term used to designate the reality or the essence or the truth represented by the personality of Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, before his coming to the world and after his departure from the world. In one respect, it signifies the unparalleled sainthood of Prophet Muhammad. (Tr.)
• The Lamp of Muhammad signifies the light of Muhammad’s Messengership or the light of Islam or the way of Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. (Tr.)
• ‘Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani (d. 1166): One of the most celebrated Sufi masters. A student of jurisprudence and Hadith, he became known as “the pole” of his age and the “the greatest means of Divine help.” Among his well-known books are Kitabu’l-Ghunyah, Futuhu’l-Ghayb, and Al-Fathu’r-Rabbani. (Tr.)
• ‘Ali ibn Ahmad Abu’l-Hasan al-Harakani (963–1033) is one of the most celebrated saints. He was born and lived in Harakan near Bastam in Iran. He lived as a poor farmer. He was martyred in fighting in Kars, a city in the farthest northeastern Turkey, and was buried there. (Tr.)
• Shakyh Hayat ibn Qays al-Harrani (d. 1185), is one of the most outstanding saints in the history of Islam. He was born in Baghdad and lived in Harran near Urfa, in southeastern Turkey. (Tr.)
• Imam Rabbani, Ahmad Faruq al-Sarhandi (d. 1624): The “reviver of the second millennium.” Born in Sarhand (India) and well-versed in Islamic sciences, he removed many corrupt elements from Sufism. He taught Shah Alamgir or Awrangzeb (d. 1707), who had a committee of scholars prepare the most comprehensive compendium of Hanafi Law. His work Maktubat (The Letters) is very famous and widely known throughout the Muslim world. (Tr.)
• The Mahdi, literally meaning one who guides to truth, is the title of the blessed person whose coming toward the end of time to re-establish the truth of Islam and justice on the earth was promised by God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. (Tr.)

Precision medicine, or personalized medicine, is defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as an approach that customizes prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to each individual by taking into account factors such as genetics, environment, lifestyle, and socioeconomic conditions. Unlike a one-size-fits-all approach, which relies on generalized treatment plans based on broad population averages, precision medicine seeks to optimize care by considering the unique biological and social determinants of health for each patient.

The U.S. government formally launched the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) in 2015 to accelerate research and implementation of personalized healthcare solutions. One of the flagship programs under this initiative is the All of Us Research Program, which aims to collect genomic, clinical, and lifestyle data from over one million individuals from diverse backgrounds in the U.S. to build a comprehensive resource for medical research [1]. Further support for precision medicine came in 2016 with the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, which allocated significant funding to biomedical research, including precision medicine, regenerative medicine, and drug development.

Similarly, Europe has also embraced precision medicine through organizations like the European Partnership for Personalized Medicine (EP PerMed) and the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (ICPerMed). These initiatives facilitate international collaboration, regulatory frameworks, and research funding to advance the development and implementation of precision medicine across European healthcare systems.

A brief history of Precision Medicine

The idea of precision medicine dates to the time of Hippocrates, who is often regarded as the “father of medicine.” He famously stated that “there is no disease, but the patient,” emphasizing that medical treatment should focus on the whole patient rather than just the disease. As medical science advanced, more concrete evidence supporting precision medicine emerged [2]. For instance, in the 19th century, Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch demonstrated that individuals respond differently to infections, showing the diversity in disease susceptibility. Gregor Mendel’s experiments with pea plants in 1860s laid the foundation for genetics, revealing patterns of inherited traits from parents and their impact on getting certain diseases. In the 1950s, the field of pharmacogenetics emerged after discovering that drug response is linked to an individual’s genetic makeup, meaning that a medication’s effectiveness—or lack thereof—can depend on the genes inherited from one’s parents. In 1990, the Human Genome Project (HGP) started [3], [4] whose goal was to sequence the entire human genome, revolutionizing biomedical research and opening the door to genetically informed disease risk assessment and treatment strategies. After the completion of the HGP in 2003, the rise of Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) has enabled researchers to identify genetic variations associated with various diseases [5]. With the help of GWAS, many genes associated with diseases have been discovered and published in the GWAS catalog.

Examples of Precision Medicine

Several clinical examples of precision medicine already exist. One well-known case involves the CYP2D6 gene, which has multiple variants that affect how individuals metabolize medications. Depending on their CYP2D6 genotype, patients may process drugs quickly or slowly, influencing both effectiveness and side effects. Genotyping allows physicians to choose the right drug and dosage, improving outcomes and minimizing adverse reactions [6].

Another example is HER2-positive breast cancer, a subtype in which cancer cells overexpress the HER2 protein, leading to more aggressive tumors. Targeted drugs such as trastuzumab and pertuzumab block HER2 activity, slowing tumor growth and improving survival [7].

Similarly, in colorectal cancer, mutations in the KRAS gene determine whether patients respond to monoclonal antibody therapies like cetuximab or panitumumab. Only those with wild-type KRAS benefit from these treatments; patients with KRAS mutations require alternatives [8], [9]. Molecular profiling helps ensure that only patients likely to benefit receive these therapies, avoiding unnecessary treatments, reducing costs, and lowering the risk of side effects. This approach has inspired the development of molecular subtyping across many cancer types [10–13].

An emerging area, precision radiomics, uses artificial intelligence and advanced imaging to extract detailed tumor characteristics from medical scans. When integrated with genomic and clinical data, radiomics enables highly tailored radiotherapy plans that deliver optimal radiation doses while protecting healthy tissue, ultimately improving patient outcomes [14].

Computational methods and AI

Despite the promise of precision medicine, making personalized treatments widely accessible remains challenging. Although the goal is to tailor care using genetic, clinical, and lifestyle data, scaling such solutions has proven complex. Several companies have attempted it, but some high-profile efforts have struggled. One well-known example is IBM’s Watson for Oncology, which aimed to use AI for cancer diagnosis and treatment recommendations but ultimately fell short due to biased training data, limited clinical context, and difficulty incorporating real-world expertise.

Recent advances in generative AI and large language models, however, have renewed optimism. Unlike earlier rule-based systems, modern AI can analyze vast patient datasets, detect subtle patterns, and generate insights that may not be immediately apparent to clinicians. This opens new possibilities for improving diagnosis, treatment selection, and patient outcomes.

AI contributes to precision medicine in several ways. It can identify meaningful patterns in clinical records, lifestyle factors, and environmental exposures that correlate with treatment response. By analyzing multimodal data—including genomics, electronic health records, imaging, and wearable devices—AI can determine which patient features matter most and how they interact, guiding more individualized care.

Another key contribution is predicting how a specific patient will respond to a drug or therapy. Deep learning models trained on large datasets can estimate treatment effectiveness, helping clinicians select the most beneficial option. This is essential: missing a life-saving therapy can be fatal, while receiving an ineffective treatment imposes financial, emotional, and physical burdens. AI-driven prediction models help maximize therapeutic benefit while minimizing risk and side effects.

Ethical aspects

While precision medicine offers great potential, it also raises important ethical concerns. A major issue is ensuring that AI models used in healthcare are fair and unbiased. Many systems are trained on datasets that fail to represent diverse populations, leading to unequal or misleading outcomes. Addressing this requires more inclusive data collection and representative training sets. Initiatives like the All of Us Research Program are crucial for reducing bias and ensuring that precision medicine benefits all patients rather than reinforcing existing disparities.

Genetic data privacy is another central concern. Strict safeguards are needed to control who can access such sensitive information and for what purposes. If genetic data were exposed, individuals and their families could face discrimination, stigma, or privacy violations—for example, employers or insurers misusing information about disease risk. Because genetic data is hereditary, breaches affect not only one person but also their relatives and future generations. In the U.S., the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 prohibits discrimination based on genetic information in employment and health insurance, but ongoing policy updates will be essential as technology evolves.

Gene editing, especially germline modification, remains one of the most controversial ethical issues in precision medicine. Somatic editing affects only the treated individual, but germline editing alters DNA in eggs, sperm, or embryos in ways that can be inherited. Although this could prevent certain hereditary diseases, it raises profound moral and societal questions. Misuse could permanently alter the human gene pool or worsen inequalities, and future generations—who cannot consent—would be directly affected. For these reasons, germline editing continues to be one of the most debated topics in bioethics and precision medicine [16].

Future challenges

There are several major challenges to making precision medicine widely accessible.

1. Democratization

Precision medicine must work for people across different demographic and socioeconomic groups. This requires both inclusive datasets and access to the necessary tools worldwide. Mobile health apps that measure basic biological variables could support early diagnosis and preventive care, but scaling treatments globally—and generating high-quality data such as whole-genome sequences—still faces financial and regulatory barriers.

1. Scalability

Precision medicine depends on analyzing massive datasets to discover biomarkers and guide treatment decisions. This requires substantial computational resources and continuous model updates as new data appears. Secure data-sharing across hospitals and countries is essential. Federated learning offers a possible solution by allowing collaborative model development without moving raw patient data [17]. Global coordination—potentially led by organizations like the WHO—is needed to build models that reflect ethnic, racial, and geographic diversity.

1. Handling missing and noisy data

Large biomedical datasets often contain confounding, incomplete, or context-dependent information. Without proper interpretation, this can produce misleading insights. For example, someone visiting the emergency room after an acute trauma may have elevated vitals that do not represent their usual health, which could distort predictive models. External events—such as wildfires triggering asthma spikes—can also skew data if not contextualized. Precision medicine must distinguish meaningful patterns from noise while preserving relevant context.

1. Small sample sizes

Rare diseases often have very few patients, making traditional clinical trials impractical. Transfer learning offers one solution: models trained on large populations can be fine-tuned for small, specific cases. Digital twins—virtual replicas built from a person’s genetic, physiological, and clinical data—can simulate treatment responses and are already being explored in cardiology [18]. Adaptive trial designs, such as N-of-1 studies, also help evaluate treatments for individual patients, while international data-sharing efforts can expand sample sizes for rare disease research [19].

1. Broadening precision medicine across diseases

Although much progress has been made in oncology, precision medicine must be expanded to cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, metabolic, and infectious diseases. Advances in genomics and multi-omics have revealed biologically distinct subtypes within many conditions. For instance, type 2 diabetes, once treated as a uniform disorder, now includes at least five genetically and metabolically distinct subgroups [20], allowing for more targeted therapies based on insulin sensitivity, beta-cell function, and other individual factors.

Conclusion

In the era of big data and AI, the field of precision medicine has great potential to improve across a wide range of diseases. In the future, precision medicine would help preventive medicine efforts for early diagnosis and intervention of diseases by providing tailored treatment and intervention plans. There are several challenges, both technological, social, and ethical, that need to be overcome. Ethicists, policy makers, scientists and medical professionals need to work collaboratively to provide solutions to these challenges to make precision medicine a routine component of healthcare.

References

• All of Us Research Program Investigators et al., “The ‘All of Us’ Research Program,” N Engl J Med, vol. 381, no. 7, pp. 668–676, Aug. 2019, doi: 10.1056/NEJMsr1809937. Also see Yalcin, “Precision Medicine for Everyone: All of Us Research Program Initiative,” The Fountain 166, July 1, 2025.
• S. Visvikis-Siest, D. Theodoridou, M.-S. Kontoe, S. Kumar, and M. Marschler, “Milestones in Personalized Medicine: From the Ancient Time to Nowadays—the Provocation of COVID-19,” Front. Genet., vol. 11, Nov. 2020, doi: 10.3389/ fgene.2020.569175.
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Once confined to science fiction, such as The Matrix and Avatar, the idea of digital replicas is rapidly becoming a reality. With digital twin technology, engineers are creating virtual versions of objects, systems, and, perhaps soon, even humans. Already transforming industries, these digital counterparts hint at a future where the line between physical and virtual blurs even further.

In this piece, I would like to introduce a trending concept and explore its parallels with a divine principle that has been present since the beginning of humanity and has remained integral to the human experience. Have you heard of the “Digital Twin,” a new emerging concept in science that studies new, dynamic, and complex systems? Let’s examine why it receives a lot of attention and how it is utilized by researchers. In a nutshell, a Digital Twin is a virtual, dynamic, or live replica or representation of a physical object, system, or process that is used to simulate, predict, and optimize real-world performance. It continuously receives data from its physical counterpart through sensors and IoT (Internet of Things) devices, enabling real-time monitoring, analysis, and decision-making. It can also learn, absorbing knowledge from people, machines, and its environment.

For example, a wind turbine can be equipped with sensors that monitor key functional areas. These sensors collect data on factors such as energy output, temperature, and weather conditions. This information is then transmitted to a processing system, which updates a corresponding digital replica (twin) of the turbine. Once real-time data informs the digital model, it can be used to run simulations, diagnose performance issues, and explore potential areas for improvement. The ultimate goal is to generate insights that help optimize the performance and reliability of the physical system. Keep in mind that digital twins are an exact replica of the physical system, including all its features. Another example can be from healthcare, such as personalized medicine through patient-specific physiological models. For instance, cardiac digital twins simulate heart functions to plan interventions for arrhythmias or heart failure, so digital twins enable individualized modeling by continuously integrating real-time patient data.

Unlike traditional simulation systems, digital twins are dynamic and built around a continuous two-way flow of information. Object sensors send real-time data to the system processor, which analyzes it and then transmits insights or adjustments back to the physical object. This ongoing exchange enables digital twins to leverage up-to-date information across multiple domains, coupled with the computational power of a virtual environment. As a result, they can investigate more complex issues from a broader range of perspectives than standard simulations, offering greater potential to enhance products and processes. This technology is essential since it enables users to visualize and diagnose internal issues in physical objects or processes, without direct access or safety risks. It also streamlines design, testing, and implementation, significantly reducing time and cost across product and system development. Currently, the market is growing, with a projected value of $73.5 billion by 2027. It is being used in many applications, including manufacturing, healthcare, automotive, power utilities, and urban planning, among others.

Returning to our central theme, let us now turn our attention to the concept of the spiritual twin and the ultimate goal of human life. Just as digital twins are constantly monitored and refined to achieve optimal performance, we as humans are encouraged to live meaningful lives, continually reflecting on our actions and striving for self-improvement to reach the optimal state of the soul, known in Islamic tradition as Insān al-Kāmil.

We will now explore the conceptual parallels between the Digital Twin and theological and spiritual concepts, specifically reflecting the idea of a mirror self, recorded self, or spiritual counterpart. These concepts often focus on accountability, self-reflection, the unseen reality of our actions and intentions, as well as spiritual development. Let’s now cover them one by one:

1. Continuous data collection and the metaphysical record

Digital twins rely on continuous data streams from their physical counterparts, collected through sensors and connected devices. This data not only reflects current performance but also enables predictions about future states. In the spiritual realm, a similar concept appears in the continuous recording of human actions—a core belief across the Abrahamic faiths. In Islamic tradition, Angels known as Kiraman Katibin are believed to meticulously record every deed, spoken word, and even intention. On the Day of Judgment, these records—known as the Book of Deeds (Kitab al-A‘mal)—will be presented as undeniable evidence of one’s life choices (Qur’an 17:13–14). Christianity and Judaism hold parallel beliefs in the Book of Life or divine records (Revelation 20:12), which will be opened in the final judgment to determine eternal outcomes. Just as a digital twin stores and simulates every state of a system for analysis and accountability, these spiritual records capture the entirety of one’s moral and spiritual journey—comprehensive, immutable, and decisive in shaping one’s eternal fate.

2. Real time monitoring and muraqabah

A digital twin lives in constant dialogue with its real-world counterpart, watching every pulse of data, sensing every shift, and guiding the system toward its best performance. In the spiritual realm, our own “twin” exists within—the nafs, the inner self—shaped by every choice, word, and thought. In Islamic tradition, the practice of muraqabah—self-vigilance—is the art of keeping this inner twin aligned with truth and virtue. It is the quiet, steady awareness that God sees all, and that our hearts are mirrors reflecting our deeds. Just as a digital twin thrives on unbroken streams of feedback to refine the system, muraqabah thrives on continuous self-awareness, adjusting the soul in real-time, moment by moment, so that the inner self remains in harmony with its highest purpose.

3. Predictive simulation: Considering the consequences of actions

Digital twins allow system designers and managers to simulate what-if scenarios to predict future outcomes. For example, in healthcare, a digital twin of a heart may simulate how it would respond to a specific surgical procedure, helping avoid undesirable outcomes. Alike, spiritual traditions have long emphasized a similar predictive practice: reflecting on the consequences of one’s actions before committing them. For instance, in the Islamic tradition, the concept of muhasabah (self-accountability) encourages individuals to review their deeds regularly and anticipate their outcomes in the hereafter. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The intelligent person is the one who holds himself accountable and performs deeds for what comes after death.” (Tirmidhi).

In addition, other belief systems also have similar practices, such as the doctrine of “Karma,” which serves as a predictive framework in Buddhism. Every action (good or bad) is believed to carry consequences, shaping future experiences both in this life and in the cycle of rebirth. The Akashic Records concept in Hinduism, though more esoteric, holds that every soul has a detailed ledger of all its actions across time, accessible for spiritual insight and learning. This moral forecasting resembles how digital twins are used to avoid system failures and optimize future performance.

4. Optimization and calibration

A key function of a digital twin is not merely to monitor but to optimize the performance of its physical counterpart. Adjustments are made based on predictive insights to maintain system health and prevent breakdowns. Faith traditions focus similarly on self-purification and the constant struggle to refine one’s character. For instance, Islamic tradition has the concept of “tazkiyah”, which is the purification of the soul from negative attributes such as arrogance, greed, and envy, and the cultivation of virtues like humility, patience, and sincerity. This process is seen as essential for achieving spiritual excellence and eternal success. If we also examine the Sufi tradition, we can see an additional focus on the “heart.” The Sufi tradition describes the heart as a mirror that becomes clouded by sin but can be polished through remembrance of God (dhikr), charity, and good deeds. This mirrors how a digital twin helps maintain the clarity and accuracy of its system’s functioning. Finally, in Christian theology, sanctification is the process by which a believer gradually becomes free from sin and grows in holiness, guided by God’s grace.

5. Accountability and final judgment: The ultimate system review

Just as digital twins are used to assess the life cycle performance of a machine or system before final decisions are made (such as repair, replacement, or retirement), spiritual traditions emphasize a final, ultimate accountability. Across the Abrahamic faiths, the concept of a “Day of Judgment” serves as this ultimate review process. Each tradition emphasizes that no detail is overlooked and that records of one’s life—whether metaphorical or literal—are thoroughly examined before final outcomes are determined.

In Islamic Tradition, The Qur’an vividly describes this moment: “Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as an accountant.” (Surah Al-Isra, 17:14). Good deeds and misdeeds are weighed, much like performance metrics of a system being evaluated. In Christian Tradition, the New Testament also emphasizes this final accountability. In the Book of Revelation, it is written: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” (Revelation 20:12). This mirrors the idea of a complete system audit, where every action contributes to the ultimate decision—whether entry into eternal life or exclusion from it. Finally, in Jewish thought, God’s role as judge is central. On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, it is believed that God opens the “Book of Life” and the “Book of Death” to inscribe people for the coming year, with Yom Kippur serving as the final seal of judgment (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:2). This annual cycle foreshadows the ultimate Day of Judgment, where every soul must give an account. The Talmud notes: “All is foreseen, yet freedom of choice is given” (Pirkei Avot 3:15), highlighting both human agency and divine review.

Taken together, these traditions reinforce the analogy: just as a digital twin undergoes a final performance review before critical lifecycle decisions, human life is subject to a comprehensive, final accountability before God. In both contexts, nothing is left unexamined—the smallest details, whether a system’s performance metrics or an individual’s deeds, are accounted for in making the ultimate determination.

Let’s conclude by reemphasizing that while Digital Twin technology is a product of human ingenuity aimed at improving the management of complex systems, its core functions—continuous recording, predictive analysis, optimization, and accountability—have long been central to religious and philosophical understandings of human life. These parallels suggest that technology is, in many ways, catching up with timeless spiritual wisdom. While engineers and scientists work to perfect the performance of machines and healthcare systems, faith traditions have always called for the perfection of the human soul. In a time when technology increasingly shapes our existence, revisiting these spiritual concepts can offer a profound reminder: just as we strive to optimize the material world, we must remain vigilant in refining our character, purifying our intentions, and preparing for the ultimate “system audit” in the life to come.

Traditional wisdom holds the wheel to be one of mankind’s cleverest inventions and the camel to be one of God’s clumsiest (Richard W. Bulliet, The Camel and the Wheel, NY: Columbia University Press, 1990, 7). Yet this is the creature that has affected history as much as the horse: the horse was fundamentally the servant of the warrior, the camel of the merchant (James Wellard, Samarkand and Beyond: A History of Desert Caravans. London: Constable, 1997, 30).

Wheeled vehicles and ships were known in the Middle East since before Roman times. They served different segments of the “transportation industry.” Ships could carry the heavy loads that animal transportation could not. However, the camel was used more than a ship and replaced the wheel as a matter of practicality. The wheel’s associated vocabulary had disappeared sometime prior to the seventh century Islamic conquests in the region. For example, it has been noted that records of the Crusades in the Middle East never mention carts and wagons (Bulliet, The Camel and the Wheel, 9). 

Camel caravans are slow. The fully loaded pack camel can, at the limit, march only for thirty miles a day for three or four days without watering (Wellard, Samarkand and Beyond, 31) A caravan, however, could travel difficult routes and get to its destination where a ship, a wheeled cart, or a wagon could not. Between 300 and 1300 CE, the caravans carried goods more cheaply, more quickly, and with less seasonal interruption than any other form of transportation (William H. McNeill, “The Eccentricity of Wheels, or Eurasian Transportation in Historical Perspective” in The American Historical Review, Vol. 92, 1987).

Perhaps because Muhammad was a merchant camel driver before he became the Prophet, trade has always been valued in the Islamic world. This paper argues that even though there was marine activity, the camel became the prime means of transportation in the Middle East and surrounding areas, ultimately resulting in distribution of wealth in the early and medieval Islamic Empire. The preference for the camel over the wheel is a good example of technology not always triumphing over nature. 

As mentioned earlier, the Middle East had transportation other than on the land: Arabs were wonderful seafarers. They sailed the Mediterranean since the beginning of Islam. They also sailed the Indian Ocean and made contact with India and China. Articles of Indian manufacturer are found in Babylonia (George F. Hourani, Arab Seafaring in the Indian Ocean and in Ancient and Early Medieval Times, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1951).

Despite this, the Arabs have always been traditionally skeptical about seafaring. Even the fearless general Amr ibn Al-As, who conquered Palestine and Egypt in 640 CE said: “There is little trust and great fear. Man at sea is like an insect on a splinter of wood – always in danger of being swallowed up by the waves and always frightened to death.” On rivers, however, there were no such misgivings. The Nile, for instance, has been used for traffic from time immemorial (Walter M. Weiss, Kurt-Michael Westermann, E.T. Balic, Lorna Dale, The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1998, 30).

But there were also practical reasons for ships not being the dominant form of transportation, not the least the geography of their homeland. The Arabian Peninsula has no navigable rivers or natural harbors, and the hinterland is not populated. The razor-sharp coral reefs along its coasts are hazardous to shipping. Nor does it have any of the raw materials necessary for shipbuilding: wood or resin or flax for canvas sails. Another reason was the technology. The Arabs had introduced the triangular “Latin” sail to the Mediterranean and invented the stern rudder, but unlike the Europeans and Chinese, they joined their ships’ planks together with ropes made of coconut fiber and not with nails (there was a legend that a magnetic mountain under the sea draws nails out of the wood). This made them much less durable, especially if there was a storm at sea (Weiss et al. The Bazaar, 31).

One reason ships were never truly competitive with the camel was piracy. In sailing down from the Persian Gulf, one had to be aware of pirates (and also of various reefs in the sea) from al-Bahrayn, Qatar, and the Iranian coast. The pirates raided widely over the Indian Ocean, even occasionally as far as the mouth of the Tigris, the southern part of the Red Sea, and the costs of Ceylon. For defense against them, merchant ships had to carry marines trained to throw Greek fire, a combustible compound emitted by a flame-throwing weapon and used to set light to enemy ships. It ignited on contact with water and was probably based on naphtha and quicklime (Hourani, Arab Seafaring, 69). Another reason ships were outdone by the camel was that camels could travel inland to places where ships could not go.

Camels can go a week without water and a month without food. A thirsty camel can drink 25 to 30 gallons of water at one go. For protection against sandstorms, Bactrian camels have two sets of eyelids and eyelashes. The extra eyelids can wipe sand like windshield wipers. Their nostrils can shrink to a narrow slit to keep out blowing sand. Long-distance transport was what camels excelled in, plodding day after day cross-country, almost regardless of the quality of grazing available to them along the way (McNeill, “The Eccentricity of Wheels,” 1987). The camel is thus the animal par excellence of the open desert (Carlton S. Coon, Caravan: The Story of the Middle East, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1958, 191).

Weighing more than 1,500 pounds, adult camels can reach a height of 6 feet at their shoulders and 7 feet at their humps. Camels have two hoofed toes on each foot, under which a leathery pad links the two toes. When camels walk, they spread their toes as wide apart as possible to prevent their feet from sinking into the sand. The tough, leathery pads under their feet also allow camels to walk on stony, rough ground. Camels are nicknamed (ironically, considering that sailing was a viable form of transportation) “ships of the desert” because mimics the side-to-side roll of a boat: they move both feet on one side of their bodies, then both feet on the other.

Evidence shows that the camel became domesticated in the Middle East around the late Bronze Age (1200 BCE). Camels replaced wheeled vehicles apparently after the third and before the seventh century CE (Bulliet, The Camel and the Wheel, 16). The camel’s great virtues include the ability to carry substantial loads–400-500 pounds–and their well-known capacity for surviving in arid conditions. The question is: why did the camel (one-humped) replace the wheeled vehicle as a standard means of transportation throughout virtually the entire range from Morocco to Afghanistan? (Bulliet, The Camel and the Wheel, 8). The use of the camel as the dominant means of transporting goods over much of Inner Asia is in part a matter of economic efficiency–as Richard Bulliet has argued, camels are cost-efficient compared with the use of carts requiring the maintenance of roads.

In the desert sands, the Arabs were indisputably masters. Long before the emergence of Islam, the Bedouin, traveling to grazing grounds at night, had become familiar with the constellations and could identify more than 250 stars. The Arabs had begun to use camels rather than carts for transportation. Camels were more useful because they adapted to any terrain and were better able to cross obstacles such as fords or passes, making surfaced roads like those built by the Persians and Romans superfluous (Weiss et al., The Bazaar, 8). The economic and cultural geography of Africa and, to a lesser degree, of central Asia was profoundly altered when camel caravans made the deserts penetrable. The realm of Islam became capable of spanning barren deserts in the same way that European civilization later became capable of spanning vast oceans (McNeill, “The Eccentricity of Wheels”, 1116). In the early days, the land-routes were used much more than sea-routes, which was neither favored nor trusted and was used only when absolutely necessary. Transport by camels across the desert was reckoned a far safer and more trustworthy method of conveyance than that by ship, and it was mostly by means of caravans that the products of India, Arabia, and even central Africa were dispatched from Arabia to Babylonia, to Syria, to Egypt, or even much farther to north and to west (M. Rostovtzeff, Rostovtzeff, Caravan Cities. Translated by D. Rice, and T. Talbot. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. 1932, 3).

The western route, which brought spices of India and the incense of Hadramawt to the high-storied cities of Yemen, passed through ‘Asir and the Hijaz. Mecca was one stop, Medina another. Higher up, the route forked the west branch leading to the Mediterranean, the east to the Damascus, Homes-Hama-Aleppo string of cities. During this period, the influence of south Arabia was dominant in the rest of the peninsula (Coon, Caravan, 62). 

The bazaar, a market in a Middle Eastern country, is a unique achievement of Islamic culture, but the fundamental impulse that inspired it–to trade and barter for profit–is, of course, as old as the human race. Caravans created wealth for the cities and stops along their travels. In the bigger towns, the larger caravans stayed for a while, resting and fattening up their animals, purchasing new animals, relaxing, and selling or trading goods. To meet their needs were banks, exchange houses, trading firms, markets, brothels, and places where one could smoke hashish and opium. Some of these caravan stops, such as Samarkand and Bukhara (cities in modern Uzbekistan) became rich cities (Wellard, Samarkand, 81).

With camel trade, as the Ottomans conquered important parts of Asia Minor, the Karimis (Muslim merchant traders) expanded their trading activities into this area. In Africa, they traded not only on the west coast of the Red Sea, but also on the caravan routes with Nubia and Ethiopia. Their trading activities reached into distant Ghana and Mali, where from the most important gold mines in the world they obtained gold (Subhi Y. Labib, “Capitalism in Medieval Islam” in The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 29, No. 1, The Tasks of Economic History, 82). Steady traffic and the relative safety of the roads contributed considerably to the growth of trade (Labib, “Capitalism,” 35).

Intimate symbiosis between urban and nomadic elements in Middle Eastern society was, in fact, an essential substructure for smooth operation of the caravan transport network. A caravan was seldom far away from populated places, and caravans concentrated wealth in a way that tempted innumerable plunderers (McNeill, “The Eccentricity,” 1119).

Between towns and oases people on long caravans often slept in yurts or under the stars. However, the rest houses and stores that Cyrus the Great (600-530 BC) built along the long-distance route, which we now call by the later Turkish name caravanserais, were far from superfluous. In fact, their numbers increased as trade developed. A caravanserai was a roadside inn where travelers (caravaners) could rest and recover from the day’s journey. As stopping places for caravans, caravanserais offered lodging, stables, and food. They were not all that different from guesthouses used by backpackers today except that people were allowed to stay for free. Owners made their money from charging fees for animals and selling meals and supplies. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia, North Africa and Southeast Europe, especially along the Silk Road. The towns that housed them also prospered (Weiss et al., “The Bazaar,” 58).

The cradle of Islamic capitalism was in the main of the Islamic world. In the early Middle Ages, Baghdad was the commercial metropolis and exerted a marked influence over the whole of Islamic big business. As mentioned earlier, commercial ship navigation also contributed to Baghdad’s wealth. The Euphrates was connected with the Tigris by several navigable canals, of which Nahir ‘Isa terminated at Baghdad (Hourani, Arab Seafaring, 64).

With the tenth century, however, the weight of Islamic commerce was gradually shifted to sailing from Iraq and the Persian Gulf to Egypt, the Red Sea, and the harbor of the Arabian Peninsula on the Indian Ocean. Cairo became the leading city (Labib, “Capitalism,” 81).

Thus, maritime activities contributed to local wealth, but not as much as camel caravans. For example, Siraf, on the coast of Iran, south of Shiraz, like Aden in Arabia was hot and barren and lived on supplies brought by sea; its existence was due entirely to its sea commerce (Hourani, Arab Seafaring, 69). Camels were unable to carry extremely heavy loads such as logs and large grain shipments, and merchants had to rely on ships for this type of transportation. Typical merchandise carried by camels was commodities such as wool, cotton fabrics, tea, spices, myrrh, incense, and occasionally opium. 

Mecca was the last of the great caravan cities. It probably began as a tribal shrine, with perhaps a surrounding encampment. Mecca produced nothing; it consumed only negligible quantities of the incense and spices that were a staple of the trade; and there was no natural resource such as a river to require transshipment (Bulliet, The Camel and the Wheel, 105). The main caravans, one in the summer and one in the winter, were communal undertakings in which all the tribes took part. Mecca and Medina were not only the holy places of Islam, but also the cradle of its culture, its business, and its government (Labib, “Capitalism,” 79).

Innovation and keeping up with new developments are part of human nature. Although the obsession with technology might be considered “modern,” it is not really. The ancients invented many things such as the stirrup, ships, and Greek flame throwers, and undoubtedly took pride in being up-to-date and to use a twentieth century word “competitive” with the latest technology. 

On the other hand, the reversion of the Middle East to the “technology” of the camel as a prime means of transport instead of the seemingly more advanced wheeled carts was an anomaly, driven, as has been shown, by practicality and cost. It can be argued that the geography of the area was also a consideration, as it impacts distance and accessibility, commonly the most basic considerations affecting transportation costs.

But things change with time. The trans-Saharan caravans of up to 24,000 camels, covering distances of several thousand kilometers, finally seemed to come to an end at the beginning of the 20^th century. There were many reasons, all connected with the growing influence of the European powers in the north and west (Weiss et al., The Bazaar, 31). The system was seriously endangered by the catastrophic drought there in the late 1960s and when rainfall was at a record low in the beginning of the 1980s, salt caravans were stopped the government replaced them with trucks. An age-old tradition had finally died out or so it seemed. But in 1986, the old mode of transport was revived, as though it had been brought to a temporary halt by the climate. Once again, the camel had triumphed (Weiss et al., The Bazaar, 31). That camels lasted as long as they did is a testament to the belief that what is “modern” and “technological” is not always the best.

References

https://www.edhelper.com/AnimalReadingComprehension_25_1.html).

In the bustling streets of Abuja, Nigeria, students from different religious and ethnic backgrounds study side by side at Nigerian Tulip International Colleges. In Mindanao, the Philippines, dialogue centers bring together Christian and Muslim communities that have historically been divided by conflict. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, educational institutions serve as bridges between Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks still healing from the wounds of war.

These initiatives stem from the Hizmet Movement—a global civil society network inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen that emphasizes education, dialogue, and service to humanity. Operating through grassroots volunteers rather than centralized control, Hizmet has established schools, dialogue centers, and humanitarian organizations worldwide since the 1990s.

What connects these seemingly diverse initiatives across the globe? They all exemplify what the Hizmet Movement calls “peace islands”—spaces where cooperation flourishes despite historical tensions. But there’s something even more remarkable: these peace-building efforts embody sophisticated scientific principles that mathematicians have been studying for decades through a field called game theory—principles that become strikingly clear when we examine how cooperation actually works in practice.

The mathematics of cooperation

Game theory might sound abstract, but it addresses one of humanity’s most pressing questions: Why do people sometimes cooperate for mutual benefit, while other times they compete destructively? Despite the term “game,” this field analyzes the most serious of human interactions. The field emerged in the 1940s when mathematician John von Neumann began studying strategic interactions, particularly during the tense early years of the nuclear age when miscalculated decisions could have catastrophic consequences.

The most famous illustration of this challenge is the “Prisoner’s Dilemma.” Imagine two prisoners held in separate cells, unable to communicate, each facing a choice: cooperate by staying silent, or defect by confessing and hoping for leniency. If both stay silent, both receive light sentences. If both confess, both face harsh punishment. But if one confesses while the other stays silent, the confessor goes free while the silent partner suffers the worst outcome.

The dilemma captures a fundamental tension: while mutual cooperation yields the best collective result, each individual faces a tempting incentive to defect. This same dynamic appears everywhere—from arms races between nations to environmental agreements, from business negotiations to community conflicts.

The breakthrough came in the 1980s when political scientist Robert Axelrod organized computer tournaments to discover which strategies work best in repeated interactions. The winning approach was surprisingly simple: “Tit-for-Tat,” submitted by mathematician Anatol Rapoport —a strategy where you cooperate on the first move, then simply copy whatever your opponent did in the previous round. This strategy had four key characteristics that Axelrod identified as crucial for sustained cooperation:

• Nice: Start by cooperating and never attack first.
• Forgiving: Return to cooperation when the other party cooperates.
• Retaliatory: Respond proportionally when others defect.
• Clear: Maintain predictable patterns that others can understand.

These scientific insights about cooperation aren’t merely academic curiosities. They provide a powerful lens for understanding why some peace-building efforts succeed while others fail.

Islamic values and cooperation principles

Given the fact that Hizmet Movement emerged in a Muslim context and inspired by an Islamic scholar, it is important to see how Islamic values naturally align with Hizmet’s approach and these scientifically validated cooperation principles. The movement draws inspiration from concepts deeply rooted in Islamic tradition:

• Sulh (reconciliation) emphasizes voluntary agreement, dialogue, and mutual acceptance. It reflects the “nice” principle by avoiding hostility and prioritizing harmony in human relationships. Islamic tradition consistently highlights the value of resolving tensions through patience and negotiation, encouraging communities to seek understanding and peaceful settlement rather than confrontation.
• Islah (reform and reconciliation) focuses on repairing relationships through constructive engagement, embodying both forgiveness and the long-term thinking essential for sustained cooperation.
• Hikmah (wisdom) involves selecting the right response at the right time—a nuanced, context-sensitive approach that outperforms rigid strategies.
• Qisas (retaliation in kind) underlines justice through proportional response, ensuring that the consequence matches the offense without excess.
• Afw (forgiveness) highlights the moral choice to pardon rather than retaliate, reflecting Islam’s encouragement of mercy as a higher virtue. Qur’anic guidance praises those who forgive, framing forgiveness as a path to inner strength and social harmony.

The Qur’anic principle “Let them pardon and overlook. Would you not love for God to forgive you? God is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Qur’an 24:22) perfectly balances proportional response with a preference for forgiveness – remarkably similar to the “generous Tit-for-Tat” strategies that game theorists discovered work best in environments where misunderstandings occur.

“Peace islands” in action

The “peace islands” concept translates these theoretical insights into practical reality. In Nigeria, for instance, the UFUK Dialogue Initiative annually honors contributions to peace with awards recognizing prominent religious leaders who understand that dialogue transcends sectarian boundaries.

International events, such as “Countering Violent Extremism through Love and Tolerance” organized by UFUK and Nigeria’s Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution demonstrate how peace islands function as structured environments that reduce the risks of defection while increasing incentives for cooperation.

The movement’s approach embodies game theory’s key findings about scaling cooperation:

• Repeated interactions: Educational institutions provide ongoing contact that builds trust over time, rather than one-off events that rarely create lasting change.
• Multi-level engagement: Peace islands simultaneously engage grassroots communities, civil society organizations, and opinion leaders, creating reinforcing networks that raise the cost of defection.
• Clear norms: Structured activities and shared values establish predictable frameworks for interaction.
• Local adaptation: Each peace island adapts to its cultural context while maintaining core cooperative principles.

The network effect

Perhaps most remarkably, the Hizmet Movement shows how local cooperation can expand into a global network. Game theorists have found that many social systems exhibit “small-world” properties: tightly knit local communities that are nonetheless connected through short pathways, allowing cooperation and information to spread quickly. This is the same principle illustrated by the famous “six degrees of separation” idea, which shows how surprisingly few intermediaries can link distant individuals.

Hizmet’s model (locally organized volunteer groups connected loosely across continents) fits this pattern. With a presence in over 150 countries, its decentralized structure closely reflects this optimal small-world architecture.

Local dialogue centers maintain deep community roots while sharing resources and lessons through transnational networks. This combination allows trust-building mechanisms to remain intact while enabling cross-context learning.

In the Philippines, Hizmet-inspired schools are recognized for their world-standard science and mathematics education, creating spaces where dialogue emerges naturally from shared academic achievement. Ambassador David Shinn’s comprehensive study Hizmet in Africa documents similar patterns across the continent, where educational networks of ninety-five schools combine with social, humanitarian, and interfaith activities to create sustainable cooperation infrastructure.

When science meets spirituality

The convergence between game theory and Islamic peace-building values offers profound insights for contemporary challenges. While purely secular approaches to cooperation may struggle when short-term incentives favor defection, values-based motivation provides the ethical anchor necessary for sustained commitment.

Game theory shows us that cooperation isn’t just morally desirable—it’s often strategically optimal. But Islamic teachings add crucial depth by embedding cooperation within a framework of ultimate meaning.

This integration addresses a fundamental challenge in peace-building: how to maintain cooperative behavior when immediate benefits aren’t apparent. Religious commitment provides what game theorists call “shadow of the future”—concern for long-term consequences that enables short-term sacrifice for greater good.

Lessons for our time

The scientific validation of Hizmet’s peace-building approach offers hope in an era often characterized by polarization and conflict. The evidence shows that small-scale initiatives, when strategically designed and ethically grounded, can generate ripple effects leading to broader transformation.

Game theory reveals that successful cooperation requires more than good intentions—it demands strategic sophistication. The most effective approaches combine niceness with firmness, forgiveness with accountability, and clarity with adaptability. These aren’t contradictory requirements but complementary elements of robust cooperation systems.

For individuals seeking to contribute to peace, the research suggests several practical principles:

• Begin with cooperative gestures, but maintain clear boundaries
• Respond to cooperation with increased trust, but address defection proportionally
• Make your commitments predictable and your values transparent
• Think in terms of repeated interactions rather than single encounters
• Connect local initiatives to broader networks for sustainable impact

Perhaps most importantly, the convergence of game theory and Islamic values demonstrates that science and spirituality need not conflict in addressing humanity’s challenges. Instead, they can reinforce each other in powerful ways—scientific insights providing strategic clarity while spiritual foundations supplying motivational depth.

The path forward

As we face complex global challenges requiring unprecedented cooperation—from ethnic and religious tensions to territorial disputes to ideological conflicts—the lessons from peace islands become increasingly relevant. The Hizmet Movement’s experience demonstrates that civil society actors, guided by both strategic wisdom and ethical values, can build cooperation infrastructure capable of addressing large-scale problems.

The mathematical elegance of game theory and the spiritual depth of Islamic peace-building traditions point toward the same conclusion: sustainable peace requires patient cultivation of trust, strategic thinking about cooperation, and unwavering commitment to human dignity.

In a world where “strongmen” often dominate headlines, the quiet work of building bridges may seem insignificant. But science tells us otherwise. Like the butterfly effect in complex systems, small acts of strategic cooperation can generate transformative change across vast networks.

The peace islands scattered across more than 150 countries offer more than hope—they provide a scientifically grounded, spiritually anchored model for human cooperation. In understanding their success, we glimpse possibilities for addressing even our most intractable conflicts.

As the Qur’an reminds us, “O mankind! We created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other” (49:13). Game theory shows us how to make that knowing not just possible, but strategically beneficial for all. In that convergence lies a path toward the peace our world desperately needs. The science is clear: peace is not just an ideal—it’s a strategic necessity that benefits everyone.

References

• Axelrod, R. (1984). The Evolution of Cooperation. Basic Books.
• Gülen, M. F. (2004). Toward a global civilization of love and tolerance. The Light.
• Michel, T. (2013). Peace islands and positive action. In G. Barton, P. Weller, & I. Yilmaz (Eds.), The Muslim world and politics in transition (pp. 45-58). Bloomsbury Academic.
• Nowak, M., & Sigmund, K. (1993). A strategy of win-stay, lose-shift that outperforms tit-for-tat in the prisoner’s dilemma game. Nature, 364(6432), 56-58.
• The Qur’an (M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, Trans.). (2004). Oxford University Press.
• Rapoport, A., & Chammah, A. M. (1965). Prisoner’s dilemma: A study in conflict and cooperation. University of Michigan Press.
• Shinn, D. (2015). Hizmet in Africa: The Activities and Significance of the Gülen Movement. Blue Dome Press.
• (2023, December 23). This game theory problem will change the way you see the world [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScpHTIi-kM