Following Artemis II, we go with another piece on the Moon. Amna Majid writes on one major secret of our satellite, that it has water! It has been confirmed in 2018 that there is frozen water in the Moon’s craters. What was thought impossible before, water on the moon theory was first proposed in 1961 by Kenneth Watson. Majid gives a brief panorama of the past research up until 2025, and projects a possible future where the Moon could be a permanent space station.  

Pope Francis and Fethullah Gülen. Mustafa Cenap Aydin gives a brief account of these two giant men of faith, one the leader of the Catholic world and the other a prominent Muslim scholar, whose lives and missions overlapped in many aspects. Born and died not so far apart from each other, both men have contributed to the promotion of peace, education, and community connections around the world. Through their examples, Aydin shows how one can remain deeply committed to one’s own faith while building genuine bridges with members of other traditions.  

This issue also brings one strong document from the depths of history that helped build a peaceful society from among warring tribes: The Medina Charter. Yetkin Yildirim et al explains how this Charter, considered by many as the first constitution in history, enabled the formation of a single entity from different faith groups and ethnicities, while recognizing their respective cultural and belief traits. The Charter’s message is reinforced by Aaron Y. Ryan who wrote about racism and how it reveals at the societal level in “Racism: Egoism of Societies.” Ryan quotes Nursi for whom racism is an external projection of an enlarged ego and that racist ideologies rise “just as latent diseases emerge when the body’s immune system is weakened.”

In “Anger Is Never Sudden,” Naim Yilmaz draws an analogy between anger and allergic reactions. When we are hit by a car and immediately become furious, there is in fact something that was already growing deep down. Yilmaz says that anger appears instantly, but it is built slowly. In his piece, he offers good advice on how to control anger and guard ourselves from such allergic reactions.

By contrast, the opposing worldview reduces life entirely to corporeality, placing the body in dominion over human existence, enslaving us to carnal desires. Under the weight of this outlook, people’s feelings, thoughts, and spiritual capacities gradually wither away. Swept into the relentless vortex of carnality, the individual is reduced to a miserable creature whose chief concern is satisfying hunger and lust. Homes become little more than barns that shelter such lives, while societies resemble herds wandering in search of greener pastures.  

Within this materialistic outlook, the past and the future are dismissed as fairy tales. The afterlife and eternity are treated as mere fantasies, while spiritual joys are regarded as comforting illusions for the poor or the weak. Only the present moment is considered real, and life’s highest aim becomes extracting as much pleasure from it as possible by indulging bodily desires.  

Yet, we have inherited faith and determination from the past, and we look to the future when we think and act – and all of that whisper joys and beauties bigger than life. Within this faith and worldview, we discover the peace and fulfillment that the heart longs for but cannot find elsewhere. With every step we take, we experience a new reunion and witness another veil being lifted.  

In this luminous world, things that pour forth from the depths of the past and from the stream of wisdom of our forefathers are never lifeless memories or mere records confined to the pages of history. Nor is it ever a pipe dream that this ancient and noble tree of humanity will bear the fruits of a glorious future. Rather, all that we have inherited from our noble ancestors carries the echoes of their inner world, unfolding before us thousands of pages of lessons to be learned. Each serves as a torch that illuminates our tomorrows and a guide that teaches us how to prevail.   

It is thanks to this perspective that we live in hope of an enlightened future. For us, that future is the “lost paradise” for which we have long yearned; a paradise we seek to grasp with the arms of our faith, through our dreams and aspirations. It is in its heavens that we soar, it is the air we breathe, and it is there that we strive throughout our lives to find our place.  

We work hard, because ours is the fate of Prophet Adam. Our compulsory place of residence is the forlorn Serendip [1], not the joyous world prior to it. We are the victims of a materialistic world, yearning with all our might for the Gardens we did not appreciate enough and allowed to slip through our hands. After he reached for the forbidden fruit, Prophet Adam lost his home and found himself in much suffering and longing. Today, many are likewise deceived by forbidden fruits in the form of false fantasies and empty promises, falling from a noble status into a pitiful laughingstock.

For the sake of the home we lost yesterday and because of the longing and sorrow we endure today, the present generation is called to undertake the greatest acts of heroism and sacrifice, to render the greatest services with the deepest sense of love, and to rely on God while making use of the soundest means. In doing so, they will ascend once again to the lofty heights we have lost and attain the heavenly ideals they have long envisioned in their dreams.  

They should weave the timeless wisdom of the past into the fabric of the present, preserving its enduring truths while expressing them with the colors and patterns of today’s world. Otherwise, humanity’s longing will continue a while longer.  

With love and enthusiasm in their spirit, songs of eternity upon their tongues, the eyes of their hearts awakened to embrace both the wisdom of yesterday and the realities of today, these long-awaited heroes neither allow themselves to be swayed by worldly interests nor surrender to passions or challenges. As they move forward to reveal what is written in their destiny, they should be filled with such faith, love, and fervor that they inspire future generations with hope while leaving the forces of darkness in despair.

There are already many faithful generations around the world, building their blessed future with unwavering resolve. Delighting in the overwhelming beauty of God’s grace, they have no inclination toward the deceptions of temporal, corporeal desires, nor are they discouraged by the monsters that intercept their path at every turn. They continue their blessed ascent, their minds occupied with thoughts of the summit.  

These sincere souls grow stronger each day—more determined, more steadfast, and ever pressing forward. They feel their spirits taking on an eternal, angelic nature, and as they free themselves from corporeality, they never think of turning back from this enlightened state of being—they would consider such a retreat the greatest sin.

As they dash forward toward the heavenly lights and voices—or rather, toward the divine promises God has planted in their hearts—they will help us reclaim our past and restore the glorious days of a blissful age that now survive only as distant memories scattered here and there. Carried on the breezes of Heaven, they press on with joyful hope, enabling us to embrace the past and the future at once. No obstacle will hinder them. Without being held back by anything, they will advance with extraordinary agility, as though in a triumphal march, toward a world where life is happier and more harmonious. They are the ones who will usher in the sweetest of ages—ages too wondrous to be contained within our hearts, our dreams, or even our highest aspirations.

Note

1. According to tradition, Serendip is believed to be the place Adam, peace be upon him, descended on earth from the Garden of Eden. Serendip is the ancient name of Sri Lanka.

As the spacecraft passed to the far side of the Moon, it lost communication with Earth for about forty minutes. There was silence. This silence actually meant something much beyond an ordinary technical interruption. Imagine you are at the furthest point a human can go from Earth, and no one can even hear your voice. These forty minutes were actually a time for contemplation, both for those in space and those on Earth. What are we? Where do we come from and where are we going? One day we too will lose communication with Earth, what will we do then? Mission expert Christina Koch, the first female astronaut on a lunar mission, described the far side of the Moon as follows: “It was absolutely fascinating…It was nothing like the Moon we see from Earth.”

In this mission, the astronauts not only orbited the Moon, but also had the opportunity to observe the lunar surface, including the Mare Orientale, lava plains, and many formations known as the Grand Canyon, so clearly and up close. These observations were not just an image, but also an experience that reshaped humanity’s view of the universe. For example, on April 5, 2026, for the first time in human history, the Orientale Basin of the Moon was fully visible to the human eye. Robots had looked at this region before, but what the human eye saw was completely different.  

A gigantic structure approximately 965 kilometers (600 miles) wide. A place scientists call the Grand Canyon of the Moon. Its age? 3.8 billion years. Science considers this canyon a young formation. Your life is 70 or 80 years; what science calls “young” is measured in billions of years.

This basin was formed by the impact of an asteroid approximately 64 kilometers (40 miles) in diameter. After the impact, the lunar surface collapsed and then rebounded, creating the remarkable concentric rings we see today. A destruction, yet there is order within it. A chaos, yet there is mathematics within it.

The astronauts were not merely looking at a landscape—they were looking at time. Because this basin lies along the terminator, the boundary between the Moon’s near and far sides, it is extremely difficult to observe from Earth. Observing it directly with the human eye allows for a better analysis of its color variations, surface texture, and the effects of light, deepening our understanding of lunar geology. Moreover, this basin is considered one of the best-preserved large impact structures on the Moon, providing valuable clues about the violent collisions that shaped the early Solar System.

Space race

Experts say that Artemis II is not just a space mission, but it also carries a geopolitical message. China’s rapidly developing space program, in particular, shows that this race is heating up again. NASA’s Artemis program is seen as an effort by the US to maintain its leadership in space. However, China is also accelerating its own lunar program and planning manned lunar missions by 2030. This shows that space will be an area of economic and strategic competition in the future.

The Artemis II mission has already ignited this competition by taking humans to the furthest point from Earth. Immediately after breaking the record for the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth, a very emotional moment occurred inside the capsule.  

The crew proposed that a crater on the Moon be named after Carroll Taylor Wiseman, the wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman, who died of cancer in 2020. The proposal was made by Jeremy Hansen, the first non-US citizen to go beyond low Earth orbit and the first Canadian astronaut to participate in a mission around the Moon.  

Speaking to Houston, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen’s voice trembled with emotion as he said:

“We started this journey years ago, and we’ve continued as a close-knit family of astronauts… and in the process, we lost someone we loved. There’s a formation in a very special place on the Moon. On the border of the Moon’s near and far faces… or even a little closer to that border. So, at certain times as the Moon orbits the Earth, we will be able to see this point from Earth.”

He paused… then continued:

“We lost someone we loved. Her name was Carroll. Reid’s wife… Katie and Ellie’s mother.

If you want to find this point, look at the Glushko crater. A little northwest of it, at the same latitude as Ohm, you’ll see a bright spot on the Moon. And we want to name that point Carroll.”  

Following these words, Mission Control fell silent for approximately 45 seconds. It was perhaps one of the most meaningful silences in humanity’s history. In the NASA broadcast, the crew was seen embracing Reid Wiseman. Afterward, the communications officer Jenny Gibbons responded:

“Integrity and Carroll Crater… clearly received. Thank you.”

You may travel to the Moon, but you take your pain with you. You gaze at the stars, yet your memories remain by your side.

Perhaps the greatest truth to understand is this:

We are not merely exploring space; we are exploring ourselves.

An astronaut leaves his wife’s name on a crater that is billions of years old. What will you leave behind in your own life on Earth?

That is why Artemis II is more than a space mission. It is a letter humanity writes to itself. Even as we look at the Moon, we are, in truth, looking at our own story.

The Qur’an makes a powerful appeal at this point:

“It is He who created the heavens in seven layers. You will not see any inconsistency in the creation of the Most Gracious. Turn your gaze and look; can you see any crack?” (al-Mulk, 3) The astronauts looked. They looked again. They found no crack. They only saw a perfect order, and they were amazed.

Now we come to the critical question. What will going to the Moon bring us? Faster internet?

More powerful technology?

A chance for life beyond Earth?

The possibility of discovering new planets?

Yes, these are some of the benefits. But they are not the main point. The main point is the perspective it gives us.

That is why the words of Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover, spoken live during the mission, are so striking: “I think these observations are important because we are so far from Earth and we are looking back at the beauty of creation. I think one of the most important personal perspectives I have here is being able to really see Earth as one whole. And you know, when I read the Bible and look at all the amazing things that have been made for us—we as created beings—I feel like you have an incredible place, like a spaceship. You are talking to us right now because we are in a spaceship very far from Earth. But actually, you are also in a spaceship called ‘Earth’; this ship was created to offer us a place to live in the universe, in the cosmos.”

We always think that we live on Earth. But we live more in a spaceship than on a planet. This ship is such a ship that it knows no borders. It doesn’t require a passport. It doesn’t ask for identification. In contrast, what do we, the inhabitants of the spaceship, do? We start wars. We blow small issues out of proportion. We inflate our egos. We tear one another down.

Let’s be honest:

Is what’s consuming you right now really that significant? Or are you making it bigger than it is? From space, your title is invisible. Your wealth is invisible. Your ego is invisible. None of it can be seen.

What is visible is a magnificent, deep blue sphere.

The Qur’an says elsewhere: “We created everything with a measure.” (al-Qamar, 49)

The universe exists in balance. But what about humanity? The journey to the moon should help humanity rediscover that balance in four ways:

1. It should help you change your perspective. Learn to look at your life from above.

You really need to learn this. Ask yourself this question: “Will this problem still exist when viewed from space?” Most of the time you will see that the answer is a resounding “No.”

2. It should cause you to begin your inner journey. Humanity managed to go to the moon. But it still hasn’t managed to go on its own inner journey. This is a bigger problem. Because a person who conquers the outside world but loses their inner world has actually gained nothing.

3. It should help you stop fighting. There is a photograph of planet Earth taken by the Voyager 1 space probe on February 14, 1990, from a distance of approximately 6 billion kilometers before leaving the Solar System. In this photograph, our world is seen as a “Pale Blue Dot.” Such great conflicts over such a tiny speck are tragicomic. We are all in the same boat. We are drifting in the same void. Yet, we remain of one other. Why?

4. It should make you take the present moment seriously. Because that’s all you truly have. Only the now exists. The past? It’s gone. The future? It has not yet arrived. And yet, you are missing the present moment as well.

In this tiny blue dot suspended in the infinite universe, in this brief life, we are drowning in the crises of our own making. We fight one another, and we fight ourselves. The regrets of the past that haunt us, the endless anxiety about the future, the insatiable pursuit of wealth… You exhaust yourself chasing a title at work, losing sleep over what others think of you. You live under the illusion that everything is so important, as though you will live forever. Your ego has grown so large that it no longer fits even within that pale blue dot.

Yet the truth is unmistakable. One day, we will all disappear—silently. Our names will be forgotten. Our bank accounts will be closed. The titles we once prized will vanish. Not a single trace of our earthly existence will remain.

And that is precisely why the certainty that everything will one day pass away is not a tragedy but one of life’s greatest freedoms. Stop taking yourself, your endless worries, and your inflated ego so seriously. Nothing is as important as you think. All you truly have is the present moment, and even that is quietly slipping through your fingers.

Now look once more at the photographs of Earth taken during the Artemis II mission, and ask yourself: What, exactly, is worth worrying about as you spend your brief life on this tiny rock suspended in the vastness of space?

It is the Moon.

For generations, it appeared as a silent, scarred, lifeless world hanging in the darkness of our childhood skies.

Yet this ancient mystery is beginning to change. The discovery of water on the Moon raises the exciting possibility that we could one day build a sustainable habitat on our nearest neighbor.

For many years, scientists believed that the Moon had neither an atmosphere nor stable temperatures; therefore, the existence of water seemed impossible.

Water is the most essential sign of life. Naturally, the idea of finding water on the Moon first seemed unlikely, and humanity turned its attention toward the other parts of the universe.

Yet history has shown that sometimes, just when we lose interest, abandon hope, and give up the search, the universe begins to reveal its secrets.

This happened with the Moon in 1961, when a theoretical physicist, Kenneth Watson, suggested the possibility of water on the Moon.

Based on the laws of physics and the Moon’s temperature conditions, he proposed that water could exist there. He suggested that water ice might survive in permanently shadowed craters, while sunlit regions would be too warm, causing any water to evaporate. These lightless areas are called “permanently shadowed regions.” Measurements show that during the lunar night, the Moon’s surface temperature can drop to about 120 Kelvin (−153°C).

That is extremely cold. In permanently shadowed areas it may be even colder. At such low temperatures, ice does not evaporate easily. So, there is possibility that frozen water can stay stable there. In 1994, NASA’s Clementine mission orbited the Moon for two months to gather data, which suggested that ice might exist in permanently shadowed craters. Later, in 1998, the Lunar Prospector mission detected the highest concentrations of hydrogen in areas that are never exposed to sunlight. This finding increased the possibility of water ice on the Moon. However, a definitive conclusion could not be drawn because of low-resolution images.

In 2009, with the help of a special instrument called the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), ISRO (the Indian Space Research Organization) launched the Chandrayaan-1 mission. This instrument was developed by NASA and created a detailed map of the Moon’s surface minerals.

After analyzing the data thoroughly, scientists confirmed in 2018 the presence of water in the form of ice within the Moon’s craters—specifically in the permanently shadowed regions.

Until 2018, scientists believed that lunar water existed only in permanently shadowed regions. However, based on data from SOFIA, NASA announced in 2020 that water was also present in sunlit areas, such as the crater.

The amount of water detected is approximately equal to a 12-ounce bottle per cubic meter of soil.

Moreover, in 2023, a new map of water distribution on the Moon showed that water is not confined to just one location. Rather, it exists in small amounts across different regions, and it is also possible that this water moves across the Moon’s surface.

This map was created using data from NASA’s SOFIA project, a flying telescope.

This map extends to the region of the Moon’s south pole, where the Artemis missions are planning to send humans back to the Moon. A robotic vehicle, the VIPER rover, will be sent first for this mission.

Recently, in 2025, the 210-kilogram (463-pound) Trailblazer spacecraft was launched on February 26, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. However, NASA lost contact with the spacecraft shortly after launch and officially ended the mission on July 31, 2025.

But the question is: Where does water on the Moon come from?

There are three different theories about this question.

Theory I: Formation of water by solar wind reactions

The Sun’s light and the solar wind (charged particles coming from the Sun) react with oxygen atoms on the Moon’s surface and form small amounts of water (H₂O) molecules.

Theory II: Micrometeorite impacts

When very small meteors (asteroids) collide with the Moon, they combine existing hydrogen with oxygen and create small quantities of water.

Theory III: Cold-trapped migration

Water molecules can temporarily move from shadowed regions to sunlit areas of the Moon’s surface, but they cannot survive there for long. The formation of water on the Moon is a long-term chemical process.

Water is an essential need for humans if they want to settle on the Moon in the future. Water can be consumed for drinking after purification. It can also be split into oxygen (O₂) for breathing through electrolysis.

Even hydrogen (H₂) from water can be combined with oxygen to produce rocket fuel for future Moon missions.

In this way, the Moon could function as a space station and help fuel our journey to the stars. Whether this remains a scientific possibility or develops into a practical reality for humanity remains to be seen.

References

Watson, Kenneth, Bruce Murray, and Harrison Brown. “On the Possible Presence of Ice on the Moon.” Journal of Geophysical Research 66, no. 5 (1961): 1598–1600.

Kuthunur, Sharmila. “1st Map of Moon Water Could Help Artemis Astronauts Live at the Lunar South Pole.” Space.com, March 20, 2023. https://www.space.com/moon-water-1st-map-sofia-artemis

NASA. “Lunar Trailblazer.” Accessed March 10, 2026. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lunar-trailbl

These environments exist in relationships of mutual interaction through various transitional zones. Even a small change in one eventually affects the others over time. To prevent disruptions to ecosystem balance caused by changes that must remain within certain limits, winds and ocean currents have been assigned the role of transporting materials and maintaining equilibrium.

Nature’s calendar

Scientific data show that climate change is disrupting nature’s calendar. It causes plants to bloom earlier and shifts the breeding seasons of animals. Organisms such as mosquitoes that carry tropical diseases like malaria or dengue fever may spread farther north. Melting glaciers and changing rainfall patterns affect freshwater resources and aquatic life. Migration routes of animals change, and some species drive toward extinction. Drought-resistant plants increase while water-dependent species may disappear.

Climate conditions such as heat, cold, and the acidity of water are primary factors in the lives of animals and plants. These act as epigenetic factors influencing their bodies and functions. Both the outwardly visible characteristics (phenotypes) of living beings and their genetically encoded (genotypic) traits have been balanced in mutual harmony with environmental conditions. Indeed, biology as a whole is essentially the study of these delicate and wise balances established within living systems. From the harmony and proportion found in organs to the balance within cells and the order throughout the ecosystem, one is reminded of the wisdom behind the delicate measurements and balances as the following verses from the Qur’an convey: “Surely, We have created each and every thing by (precise) measure” (al-Qamar 54:49) and “…He Who has created seven heavens in harmony. You do not see any fault or incongruity in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look yet again: can you see any rifts?” (al-Mulk 67:3).  

In addition, ar-Rahman 55:5 draws attention to the movements of the Sun and Moon before mentioning the creation of life on earth and before the establishment of the sky (atmosphere) as a protective canopy; this alludes to the importance of the movements of these heavenly bodies are. Indeed, the tides in the oceans caused by the Moon and the effects of sunlight intensity on the reproduction of organisms such as corals reveal the interconnectedness of the Sun, Moon, atmosphere, and the ecosystem.  

The Qur’an also warns that this balance is being corrupted in the hands of mankind:

“Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what people’s own hands have earned, so that God may let them taste some of the consequences of their deeds, in order that they may return to the right way.” (ar-Rum 30:41)

This verse openly points to disrupted ecological balances. The mention of corruption on land before sea may indicate that pollution and poisoning first begin on land and are then carried into rivers and seas through detergents, medicines, plastics, and other chemical waste produced by factories.

According to Mahasweta Saha, who studies marine chemistry and ecology at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, increasing carbon dioxide levels in water disrupt the sensory systems of water fleas (Daphnia), making it harder for them to escape predators. It has also been observed that some of the most beautiful fish living among coral reefs have increasing difficulty recognizing approaching predators and begin to lose their ability to learn.

At present, climate change is presented as the sole explanation for all these developments. Yet climate change is a broad and general expression, and much more research is required to understand the underlying mechanisms involved—such as the acidification of waters, the long-term accumulation of toxic chemical waste discharged into the seas, and the alteration of marine chemistry by atmospheric gases carried by rainfall. It is now recognized that climate change can alter the chemical communication and behavior of animals living in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the future of our planet and the balance of ecosystems. The importance of communication systems based on chemical scent signals is critical not only for regulating behaviors such as reproduction, feeding, migration, caring for offspring, hunting, and predator avoidance, but also for maintaining ecosystem balance. The fragrant chemical substances called pheromones, secreted by insects and used for communication, are vitally important. They constitute the language by which insects find their nests, describe food sources to members of the colony, locate mates during breeding periods, and warn one another of danger. These chemicals can deteriorate when temperatures exceed certain limits, potentially overturning the entire life of ant colonies, for example. Among the various forms of communication between living beings—sound, color, bodily movements, and others—substances known as infochemicals serve as scent signals both on body surfaces and within the surrounding environment. The large numbers of seabirds washing ashore dead in masses have therefore become a serious concern for ecologists.

Infochemicals influence a wide range of functions and behaviors, including predator-prey relationships. For example, sharks can detect the scent of these chemicals released by prey from astonishing distances. A shark can detect the smell of blood at concentrations as low as one part per million from as far as eight kilometers away. Likewise, any scent we perceive may in fact originate from an infochemical created for the protection or nourishment of another species. For instance, when we walk through a pine forest and detect its scent, that smell signals the presence of certain chemical compounds, yet the same scent we feel evokes entirely different responses in a human being, a bear, a reptile, or an ant.  

Some infochemicals secreted by plants attract insects necessary for pollination while repelling those that might harm them. The fact that an unconscious plant synthesizes selective chemical substances and “knows” which insect species will assist it leaves the mind in amazement. In some cases, a plant under insect attack may even release chemicals warning neighboring plants of approaching danger.

The larvae of barnacles (Balanus), which attach themselves to the bottoms of boats and dock pillars, select suitable surfaces through these infochemical molecules. Certain bat species can identify the healthiest mates—with the greatest genetic diversity and the highest likelihood of producing surviving offspring—through scent alone.

Changing Infochemicals

Climate change is disrupting and altering the production of information-carrying chemical substances such as pheromones. It has been shown that every factor associated with climate change—temperature, carbon dioxide, pH levels, and others—can become disturbed and thereby disrupt the essential processes organisms use to communicate with one another.

Climate change is also reducing escape behaviors in some fish species by weakening their fear responses toward potential predators. Many fish release specific chemical substances when injured by predators or otherwise threatened. Other fish detect these warning chemicals through smell and flee. However, according to both experiments and initial field observations, when more CO₂ is absorbed into water and pH levels decline, hypoxanthine-3-N-oxide—the best studied alarm signal—undergoes irreversible changes, making it more difficult for fish to detect. Rising carbon dioxide lowers pH, increasing acidification. Ocean acidification makes it more difficult for shell-forming organisms such as mollusks and corals to build their calcium carbonate shells. Increased CO₂ levels in fish blood also trigger behavioral disorders, while rising heavy metal concentrations damage the nervous system and make it harder for fish to escape predators.

In an article published in The Conversation, Dr. Sevrine Sailley states that European fish species are migrating toward new waters. The alteration of chemical signals by climate change creates stress throughout ecosystems and causes informational disruption. According to current models, if climate change accelerates, atmospheric and marine disturbances may become far more severe. Some estimates suggest that by the end of this century North Sea cod and Alaska pollock populations may decline by 30–40 percent. Atlantic mackerel abundance may decrease by 25 percent, while sardines may experience only a modest 5 percent increase despite shifting 245 kilometers northward. Tuna populations may increase by 40 percent; however, bluefin tuna are predators that feed on herring, mackerel, and other schooling fish. Thus, an increase in tuna would not be welcome news for fisheries but rather a cause for concern.

According to projections, other predators such as dolphins, seals, and seabirds will also be affected by climate change and may struggle to obtain their preferred fish species. The pressure on fish populations will further increase if overfishing continues in the Northeast Atlantic fisheries, 24 percent of which are already considered unsustainable.

By 2050, if a “moderate” emissions path is followed, waters surrounding the United Kingdom are expected to warm by approximately 1°C. If emissions continue rising uncontrollably, the increase could reach 2–3°C by the end of the century. At the same time, the food sources fish depend on—such as small plankton—may decline by up to 30 percent.

If global warming leads to breakdowns in chemical communication between the environment and plants and animals, or between disease-causing pathogens and the organisms they infect, it seems inevitable that we humans—living within the same ecosystem—will also be affected.

To prevent these potential disaster scenarios, research projects aimed at preserving ecological balances should be encouraged in light of the principles outlined in the holy scriptures: viewing nature not as a commodity to be exploited but as a trust from our Creator; avoiding excessive consumption and wastefulness; and refraining from placing ourselves in danger through our own hands. Humanity must carefully consider what its actions bring about and what they take away while safeguarding the Divine wisdom and measures embedded within the ecosystem.

To understand the depth of their commitment to dialogue, we must first understand the zeitgeist of their formative years. Bergoglio came of age in an Argentina marked by deep social inequalities, while his family carried the memory of fleeing fascist Italy in 1929. He grew up in the working-class neighborhood of Flores, witnessing firsthand the struggles of the marginalized. Later, as a young Jesuit priest, Bergoglio would experience the dark years of Argentina’s military dictatorship and the Dirty War of 1976-1983, when thousands disappeared. This crucible of suffering and social injustice would forge his understanding of the church’s mission to the poor and his belief that faith must be lived in solidarity with those who suffer.

Gülen’s Turkey was equally formative, though different in its challenges. Born in the conservative, Sufi-influenced culture of eastern Anatolia, he grew up under the strict secularism of the Kemalist state, where even his mother’s teaching of the Qur’an in their village was technically illegal. The Turkey of his youth was caught between its Ottoman Islamic heritage and the aggressive modernization project that sought to erase religious influence from public life.

This tension between tradition and modernity, between faith and secular governance, became the backdrop against which Gülen would develop his vision of a renewed Islam capable of engaging constructively with the modern world. Working as a state-appointed imam from 1959 to 1981, he navigated these contradictions with remarkable creativity, ultimately enabling the formation of a movement that would establish hundreds of schools worldwide.

What stands out most profoundly in both men is how their unwavering commitment to their respective faiths became not a barrier to dialogue but its very foundation. For Bergoglio, his Jesuit formation and deep devotion to Christ grounded his openness to others. The more authentically Christian he became, the more he could recognize and honor the divine presence in other traditions. Similarly, Gülen’s profound immersion in Islamic spirituality, deeply influenced by Said Nursi’s writings, enabled him to reach across religious boundaries with confidence and humility. Both exemplified a crucial paradox of authentic dialogue: it is precisely those who are firmly rooted in their own tradition who can engage most generously with others. Their interfaith work was not about diluting their convictions but about living them fully.

Nostra Aetate

The Second Vatican Council’s Declaration Nostra Aetate, promulgated in 1965 when Bergoglio was a young Jesuit in formation, opened revolutionary new pathways for Catholic engagement with other religions. This document, which declared that the Church “rejects nothing that is true and holy” in other religions and called for dialogue and collaboration, provided the theological framework that would guide the future Pope Francis. The Council’s teaching that Muslims “adore the one God” and that the Church looks upon Muslims “with esteem” gave official sanction to what would become Bergoglio’s lifelong practice. He absorbed these teachings during his formative years as a seminarian and priest, and they became integral to his pastoral approach.

For Gülen, the decisive intellectual influence was his encounter with the writings of Said Nursi, the Kurdish Islamic scholar whose Risale-i Nur collection reimagined Islamic thought for the modern age. Nursi’s emphasis on the compatibility of faith and reason, his positive engagement with science, and his call for Muslims to contribute constructively to society rather than retreat into isolation provided Gülen with a theological foundation for dialogue. Through Nursi’s lens, Gülen came to understand that reaching out to people of other faiths was not a betrayal of Islam but an expression of its deepest values of mercy, compassion, and service.

Both men shared a profound connection with Pope John Paul II, though in different ways and to different degrees. Francis’s relationship with John Paul was intimate and transformative.

Appointed auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and made a cardinal in 2001 by John Paul II, Bergoglio worked closely with the Polish pope and absorbed his vision of the Church as a protagonist in the modern world. John Paul’s example of fearless engagement with cultures, his numerous encounters with leaders of other faiths, and his understanding of the papacy as a ministry of dialogue shaped the future Pope Francis profoundly.

Gülen’s encounter with John Paul II was briefer but no less significant. His meeting with the Pope at the Vatican in February 1998 represented a milestone in Muslim-Catholic relations, coming at a time when such high-level encounters were still relatively rare. This meeting occurred in the spirit of Assisi—that groundbreaking gathering in October 1986 when John Paul II invited religious leaders from around the world to pray for peace. The Assisi gathering, though controversial in some quarters, became a defining moment in interreligious relations, establishing what became known as the “Spirit of Assisi.” It demonstrated that people of different faiths could come together, not to compromise their beliefs, but to witness together to the transcendent dimension of peace.

Both Francis and Gülen were uncompromising in their commitment to nonviolence and in their determination to deconstruct the false association between religion and terrorism. After the September 11 attacks, Gülen was among the first prominent Muslim voices to condemn the violence publicly and to insist that such acts violated the core teachings of Islam. Throughout his life, he emphasized that Islam’s name itself, derived from the root for peace, called Muslims to be peacemakers. Similarly, Francis consistently refused to accept any linkage between authentic religious faith and violence. He repeatedly stressed that using God’s name to justify violence is a form of blasphemy. Both men understood that the integrity of religious traditions depends on their capacity to promote peace and human dignity.

At the heart of both men’s understanding of dialogue lies a profoundly simple yet challenging principle: the centrality of love for every human person as beloved by God. For Francis, this is rooted in the Christian understanding of the imago Dei—every person bears the image of God and therefore deserves respect and love. He has spoken movingly about the need to see Christ in the face of the poor, the migrant, the suffering. For Gülen, the Qur’anic teaching that God loves humanity and has honored human beings with dignity shapes his approach to others. In his understanding, which draws deeply from Sufi spirituality, to love the created is to love the Creator. Both men insist that authentic religious commitment must express itself in love that crosses all boundaries.

Terrorism of “gossip”

One particularly striking parallel in their teachings concerns the corrosive effects of gossip and backbiting. Both Francis and Gülen have been remarkably forthright in condemning these practices, which they see as fundamentally incompatible with both faith and genuine dialogue. Francis has repeatedly warned against the “terrorism of gossip,” describing it as a form of murder because it kills the reputation and dignity of others. He has emphasized that gossip destroys community and makes authentic dialogue impossible. Gülen, drawing on Islamic teachings that compare backbiting to eating the flesh of one’s dead brother, has been equally forceful. He has taught that a community built on trust and mutual respect cannot survive where gossip flourishes. For both men, the prohibition against gossip is not merely a matter of good manners but a religious imperative rooted in respect for human dignity. Healthy dialogue requires an environment where people can trust one another, and gossip poisons that trust at its source.

The warmth of personal encounter

Throughout their lives, both men have welcomed people of different religions and cultures with genuine warmth and friendship. Francis’s papacy has been marked by countless such encounters—from his embrace of Muslim leaders to his meetings with Orthodox patriarchs, from his dialogues with Jewish communities to his outreach to people of no religious faith. His spontaneous gestures of affection and his evident delight in these encounters reveal that, for him, dialogue is not a diplomatic duty but a source of joy. Gülen, despite his later years in exile and declining health, maintained a similar practice of welcoming visitors from diverse backgrounds to his modest quarters in Pennsylvania. He met with Christian leaders, Jewish rabbis, and representatives of various traditions, always with the same message: that we are called to serve humanity together. Both men embodied the truth that genuine dialogue happens not merely in formal conferences but in the warmth of personal encounter.

The importance of prayer in their approach to dialogue and their lives cannot be overstated. A remarkable testament to their mutual respect came in April 2016, when Pope Francis wrote to Gülen asking for his prayers. Though the full text of this correspondence has not been publicly released, its very existence speaks volumes about the spiritual recognition between these two men. Both understood that prayer is not merely a private practice but the foundation of all authentic action for peace. Francis has consistently emphasized that without prayer, efforts for peace become merely political maneuvering. Gülen has taught that prayer transforms the heart and makes genuine service possible. Both have encouraged interfaith prayers—not syncretistic combinations that blur differences, but gatherings where people of different traditions pray according to their own beliefs for common aspirations.

Perhaps most significantly, both men have made education, particularly peace education, central to their vision of sustainable dialogue. Francis has spoken frequently about the need for an “education in fraternity” and has launched initiatives like the Global Compact on Education to promote educational approaches that serve peace and human dignity. His encyclicals, particularly Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti, are essentially educational documents calling for a transformation of consciousness. Gülen’s legacy is perhaps most visible in the hundreds of schools established worldwide by participants in the Hizmet movement. These schools, which welcome students of all backgrounds, embody his conviction that quality education—combining academic excellence with moral formation—is the most effective pathway to peace. For both men, education is not merely about transmitting information but about forming persons capable of dialogue, committed to justice, and ready to serve the common good.

A convergent journey

As we reflect on the lives and legacies of these two extraordinary figures, we see not two separate paths but a convergent journey toward a more humane world. Though coming from different traditions and contexts, Pope Francis and Fethullah Gülen arrived at remarkably similar conclusions about what authentic religious commitment requires in our interconnected age.

Their lives testify that deep faith and generous openness to others are not contradictory but complementary. They show us that prayer and action, contemplation and service, fidelity to one’s tradition and respect for others’ traditions can and must go together.

Their witness challenges us to recognize that dialogue is not an optional extra for people of faith but an essential dimension of authentic religious life in our time. It reminds us that building peace requires not just political agreements but transformed hearts—and that such transformation happens through prayer, education, and the daily practice of love and respect across all human boundaries. In a world still torn by religious violence and mutual suspicion, the convergent witness of Pope Francis and Fethullah Gülen offers hope and a roadmap. They show us what becomes possible when religious leaders have the courage to reach across divides, the wisdom to ground their openness in deep faith, and the persistence to work for peace education that can sustain dialogue for generations to come.

The manifestation of the Divine Being or the Divine Essence

This is a direct manifestation of the Divine Essence beyond all terms of quality and quantity. It is thought about without considering any of His Essential Qualities and Attributes. This manifestation occurs in the realm of acts through the mediation of Divine Attributes and Names. Not only can we not know what this mediation really is like or how it occurs, neither has anyone ever been honored with the perception of the manifestation of the Divine Essence. Those who follow the way of the Master of creation, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be the most perfect blessings and peace, and make their spiritual journeying under the light of the Religion he brought, always behave like our master Abu Bakr, who said: “Perception of the Divine Essence is admission of our incapacity to perceive Him.” They have tried to extinguish the fire of their wonder in the face of such subtle and transcendent matters by thinking as follows:

Perception of transcendent matters 

Is not a matter for our incapable reason, 

For these scales cannot weigh up such great load. Ziya Pasha [1]

Like other subtle matters that concern the Divine Being, the manifestation of the Divine Essence is so incomprehensible that the words uttered and articles written about it only add to its imperceptibility. What follows is one of them, which was written by Yazicizade, the author of Muhammediye [2]:

Since His Image was engraved in my heart, 

It has obliterated whatever there was of His Names and Attributes. 

I am completely drowned in the ocean of His Oneness, 

If only I could take some pearls from this ocean of union.

Muhyi’d-Din ibn al-‘Arabi spoke more astonishing words to be able to clarify what is impossible to clarify:

When the all-embracing Light (His universal manifestations of Oneness) entirely revealed Itself to me,

I began to observe Him in every face. (He reflects his own impression.)

Whoever goes and enters that glorious Ka’ba,

Can turn in all directions to face Him.

Every observation outside the framework of the perception of our incapacity adds greater astonishment to our wonder and increases our feelings of being awestruck.

The manifestation of Divine Essential Qualities

This is the manifestation that is beyond all veils; it is considered to be the origin of the Divine Attributes that are derived from the Essence of the Divine Being. This manifestation—God knows best—is the origin or source of the capacities and potential of creatures. As declared in, Every (moment of every) day, He is in a new manifestation (55:29), the Almighty Divine Being has limitless manifestations, observable or unobservable, universal or particular, which pertain to His Majesty or Grace. Only a few among the profound scholars of truth can perceive these manifestations to some extent. If we do not strictly follow the all-illuminating way of the most perfect Guide, upon him be the greatest of blessings and the most comprehensive peace, concerning the manifestation of both the Divine Essence and Divine Essential Qualities, it is inevitable that we will fall into confusion, even into deviation or misguidance. It is in such confusion and deviation, caused by the lack of guide, that lie the delirious utterances and statements we encounter in the history of thought. A leading figure in the school of Sufism severely warns those who cannot perceive that they are only mirrors reflecting Divine gifts and blessings and therefore they display affectation. He says:

He supposes the spirit to be the Divine Being Himself; 

“I am the Truth,” echoes in his utterances. 

Whoever utters, “I am the Truth,” without being a Mansur, 

Becomes an unbeliever in God in spirit and body.

The manifestation of Divine Attributes

This means that any of God Almighty’s Attributes manifests Itself in the heart of an initiate. Such an illumination in a heart that is capable of receiving or reflecting it—whether we regard that heart to be a mirror or receptacle—is a great favor. One who has almost reached the final point of spiritual journeying and has been honored with this favor rises to the point of being a polished mirror for the Divine lights, mysteries, and blessings that transcend the limits of his or her own nature, and becomes a receiver and transmitter of the lights belonging to Divine Attributes. Such a one begins feeling, seeing, and hearing differently, and displays many other differences. If, for example, the Attribute of Hearing manifests Itself in a human being to the fullness of their capacity, like the Prophet Solomon, upon him be peace, he or she can hear the voices or sounds of many things and beings, decipher many secrets, and build relationships with them within the bounds of their world. Actually, an initiate whose horizon has been illuminated through the manifestations of the Ultimate Truth begins to see what is unseen, to hear what is unheard, and— provided this favor continues—lives beyond the limits of his nature, achieving transcendent accomplishments. Yazicizade Muhammed Efendi portrays such a hero of manifestation as follows:

Your Graceful Face has appeared again from

the Castle of Majesty; 

Being a lover, I again find myself sighing

because of the Eternal Wine; 

The veil from my eyes has been lifted again, 

And from my heart the veil of ignorance — 

The All-Beloved has once more called me with a transcendental call.

The manifestation of Divine Names

This manifestation, which denotes that initiates discover the meanings and works of some of God’s Names in their hearts, is an intermediate post where talented initiates who have gone beyond the manifestation of Divine acts without encountering any problems in the journeying temporarily halt toward the horizon of the manifestation of Divine Attributes. Initiates stop by this post temporarily, perfect their equipment through Divine gifts, and go on toward another horizon where they will be honored with new favors. If such talented ones, whose hearts have flourished through the manifestation of some of the Divine Names, ask God for something by the grace of the Name on Which the procurement of that thing depends, just at the moment they feel the effusions of these Names in their spirit, certainly God answers their appeal purely out of His Grace. Asking is from us, while answering and giving are from Him:

When God manifests Himself with His favor, 

He makes everything easy; 

He creates the means for attainment, and grants it instantly.

Whatever we are trying to present concerning all the types of manifestation is pure grace beyond all human means; it can be assessed at its true worth through the criteria of an appreciative heart and comprehended by those who have sufficient knowledge of the heart and its states. Only those with an aware heart can understand whatever is asked about this matter and know the answer to be given. A man of deep spirituality, whose identity is unknown, says:

My tongue is silent about it; 

It is something beyond expression. 

O saintly one, this is a spiritual state, so 

Only those aware of the states of a heart can understand it.

The manifestation of Divine Works

This expression denotes that whatever is and takes place in the corporeal realm is a work of Divine Power. In its most complete and perfect fashion, this manifestation shows itself on the human face. Humans are the most comprehensive mirrors that reflect the All-Merciful, All-Compassionate One.

The manifestation of Divine Acts

This expression is used to mean that initiates are aware of some of the Divine acts in their hearts. This is a significant Divine favor. However, it is a reality that those who cannot strictly follow the rules of the Shari’a and the Sunna of the Master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, in their spiritual journeying may deviate at this point. Those who act as mirrors for Divine acts can fall into the error of falsely attributing to themselves some Divine acts or disposals that they feel are taking place dependent upon their own will and choice. This is nothing less than loss in the place of gain, and this may cause eternal ruin if such people do not immediately turn to follow the Prophetic way in all of their acts and feelings.

Initiates must attribute to God whatever attainment they are favored with and whatever gift comes as a reward for that attainment. Without ever abandoning self-supervision or self-criticism, they must ascribe to themselves nothing more than being a mirror which God uses to reflect some of His acts, works, Names or Attributes. They must not attempt to lay claim to anything with which God has favored them, and they must know that when they see themselves as real agents of such extraordinary blessings, one of the following two results will occur:

1. All the gifts or blessings will cease to come.

2. The gifts or blessings will cause a gradual slide to perdition.

Either of these two results means falling far from the source of the effusions. For this reason, initiates must choose modesty and nothingness in the face of the Eternal One and attribute to Him all their attainments. In this respect, the words of Gawsi are very beautiful:

You do not manifest Yourself while I am appearing on the screen; 

My non-existence is the condition for Your manifestation of existence.

In addition to the Divine manifestations of Essence, the Essential Qualities, Attributes, Names, works, and acts, Sufis speak of the manifestation of Divine Grace and the manifestation of Divine Majesty.

The manifestation of Divine Grace

This denotes God’s particular manifestations of grace, favoring, care, compassion, and so forth, on an individual thing, being, group or community.

The manifestation of Divine Majesty

This is regarded as the most comprehensive and greatest manifestation of the Divine Proper Name— Allah (God)—and it is used to express the Necessarily-Existent Being’s all-inclusive manifestations of grandeur, glory, and being the All-Overwhelming and All-Compelling.

The first of these two types of manifestations is connected with the Divine Name the All-Compassionate (ar-Rahim), and the other is connected with the Name the All-Merciful (ar-Rahman).

Some Sufis consider “manifestation” only as Divine effusions that appear in the hearts of believers and focus on such lights of the Unseen in the name of “manifestation.” The manifestation which they regard as being the emergence of the lights of the Unseen develops according to the capacity of each person; and in the most talented ones, it shows itself perfectly in a way that indicates the essence and source of everything. All of the human beings’ inner senses are fed with these lights and al-latifa ar-Rabbaniya (the spiritual intellect) is transformed into a “house of God” with them; sir (the faculty of the secret—the spiritual faculty that is more subtle than the heart) becomes a point of observation of some transcendental truths, while khafiy (the faculty that is more subtle than the “secret”) becomes a bay of private meeting, and akhfa (the most subtle faculty) becomes a place of union. We could give more information about these faculties, but it is better to stop here.

O God! Make us of those of Your servants who pursue sincerity, and whom You have favored with sincerity and purity of intention, and who have achieved piety and righteousness, and abstinence from all forbidden things, great or small, and whom You have made near to You. And may God’s peace and blessings be upon our master, Muhammad and his Family, and Companions, all of them.

Notes

1. Ziya Pasha (1825–1880) was one of the influential political and literary figures of nineteenth-century Ottoman Turkey. He published Hurriya (Freedom) newspaper   

2. Yazicizade Muhammed Efendi (d. 1451). One of the important Sufi and literary figures in the fifteenth-century Ottoman Turkey. He lived in Gallipoli. Muhammediye, which is about the life and excellencies of the Prophet Muhammad, is his most famous work.

If you could step into the year 622 and walk through the streets of Yathrib, today’s Medina, you would find a city poised between hope and collapse. The sun beating down on palm groves surrounding mud-brick homes, while inside the city, the air feeling thick with decades of unresolved tension. Two major Arab tribes, Aws and Khazraj, carried the scars of long-running feuds. Several powerful Jewish tribes, Banu Qaynuqa, Banu al-Nadir, and Banu Qurayza, held their own alliances and grievances. Add to that a small Christian presence and a handful of new Muslim migrants fleeing persecution in Mecca, and you would find a city whose diversity was both its strength and its vulnerability.

Against this backdrop, an extraordinary meeting took place. Representatives of Yathrib’s communities gathered as a scribe recorded an agreement that would provide a new framework for life in the city: the formation of a one nation – an Ummah.  

“They form one nation”

This was the opening sentiment of what is now known as the Medina Charter (Sahifat al-Madinah) document that many scholars regard as one of the earliest written constitutional agreements governing a religiously and tribally diverse society. Rather than erasing differences, it sought to establish a framework through which the city’s various communities could coexist while sharing certain rights and responsibilities.

The Charter was not simply an attempt to end cycles of conflict. It outlined a political order based on mutual obligations, justice, consultation, and collective security. More than fourteen centuries later, it continues to attract the attention of historians, legal scholars, and students of interfaith relations as an early example of negotiated pluralism.

Many of the questions the Charter addressed remain familiar today. To understand why, we must first understand the city in which it emerged.

A city ready for change

Yathrib was shaped by strong tribal loyalties, and longstanding disputes permeated everyday life. Aws and Khazraj, the main Arab tribes, worshipped Manat and lived through long stretches of intermittent warfare. Jewish tribes had been in the city for centuries, with their own customs, legal practices, and alliances. Trade connected Yathrib to the wider region, yet local politics often reinforced division rather than cooperation.

By the early 600s, people wanted an arbitrator who could actually be accepted across factions. Their own leaders could no longer contain the conflicts, and every settlement risked reopening the next week. One name kept returning in these discussions: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was known in Arabia for integrity, and for his refusal to bend to wealth or status.

His migration (Hijrah) to Yathrib in 622 CE, an event that marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar, represented a turning point in the city’s history. Soon afterward, the Charter of Medina was drafted, providing a framework for regulating relations among its diverse communities and addressing many of the challenges that had long divided the city.  

A constitution ahead of its time

Many early political agreements spoke to only one group. A ruling elite. A single tribe. One religion, or one people. The Medina Charter moved in a different direction; it treated Muslims, Jews, and other groups living in Yathrib as part of a shared political community, without asking them to surrender their own religious or cultural lives. Rather than erasing differences, the Charter acknowledged them and established a set of shared rights and responsibilities.

The document’s significance lay not in abstract political theory but in its practical concerns. It addressed issues that shaped everyday life: dispute resolution, collective security, financial obligations, religious freedom, and the responsibilities communities owed to one another. Its provisions were intended to guide the daily life of a diverse city rather than merely express political ideals.  

Its structure rested on four guiding principles. Together, these principles shaped how peace and cooperation were maintained in Yathrib, and they continue to resonate in discussions of governance, pluralism, and social cohesion today.  

1. Unity without erasing identity

One of the Charter’s central features was its conception of the ummah: a community defined not simply by blood or tribe, but by shared responsibility. Yet the Charter did not demand uniformity. Article 2 affirmed that tribes could preserve many of their customary practices, including established methods of dispute resolution.  

The Charter did not require people to abandon tribal loyalties in order to participate in a broader political community. Instead, it recognized those loyalties while placing them within a shared framework of rights and obligations. Differences were not treated as problems to be erased. They were acknowledged, respected, and placed inside a shared set of duties. The Medina Charter represents an early attempt to address that balance—one that continues to invite comparison with similar challenges faced by modern constitutional systems.

2. Engineering cooperation through daily habits

One noble feature of the Charter was its use of everyday routines to build trust between groups. It wasn’t enough to declare peace; people needed to live it.

Article 22 required soldiers from different tribes to share their ride, literally sitting side by side in situations of danger. These small acts of interdependence slowly weakened tribal boundaries.

Article 21 required shared contributions toward common defense expenses. The same principle can be seen in modern security alliances, including, for example, shared defense spending negotiations in NATO. The Charter reflected a principle that continues to appear in modern systems of collective governance: cooperation is sustained when responsibilities are shared. These provisions were intended to shape everyday interactions, encouraging trust, familiarity, and a sense of shared responsibility across tribal boundaries.

3. Collective security and mutual protection

Another important feature of the Charter was its commitment to collective security. Article 38 stated that if any community bound by the Charter came under attack, the other signatories were expected to come to its defense. Communities that had once been divided by rivalry now assumed a shared responsibility for one another’s security.

At the same time, the Charter balanced that shared commitment with practical responsibility. Article 37 required each tribe to bear its own wartime expenses while contributing to the common defense. In doing so, it established a framework that combined mutual protection with clearly defined obligations, helping to reduce disputes over unequal burdens.

4. A trusted platform for justice

A central concern of the Medina Charter was the administration of justice. It recognized that peace could not endure unless disputes were resolved through an accepted legal authority. When disagreements arose that the Charter itself did not address, Article 42 required the parties to refer the matter to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Rather than allowing conflicts to escalate into cycles of retaliation, the Charter established a recognized forum for resolving disputes across tribal and religious boundaries.

The Charter also articulated an important ethical principle:

“Whoever is wronged must be helped, regardless of identity.”

This was a far cry from the tribal norms of the time and remains a model for contemporary peacebuilding.

What made the Medina Charter so modern?

Viewed through the lens of political science and constitutional history, the Medina Charter addresses questions that remain central to modern governance. It outlines principles of collective security, cooperation among religious communities, shared responsibility for public welfare, legal accountability, freedom of religion, financial obligations, and mechanisms for resolving disputes.

Its significance lies not only in its religious context but also in its civic vision. It functioned as a contract between diverse communities, rooted in the belief that justice is a shared human obligation.

Scholars such as Muhammad Hamidullah and Karen Armstrong have described it as the world’s first written constitution, while historians such as Said Amir Arjomand, Michael Lecker, R. B. Serjeant, Uri Rubin, and F. M. Denny have examined its legal, social, and communal dimensions in detail. Whether one emphasizes that constitutional claim or its broader sociolegal significance, the Charter stands well before the Magna Carta and later European social contract traditions as an early model of pluralistic governance.

The charter as a model of ethical leadership

The Charter also reflected the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) approach as a political leader. The way he led mattered for how the agreement functioned. Consultation informed decision-making, and moral commitment placed limits on the exercise of power. He demonstrated that authority could be firm without sliding into coercion, and that justice could be treated as an obligation rather than a slogan. His description of believers as “a single body” speaks to moral solidarity within the Muslim community; the Charter extended the search for order into a wider civic framework shared by Muslims, Jews, and other groups in Yathrib.

Differences did not disappear under the agreement; they were managed through shared responsibilities. Religious freedom did not appear as a temporary compromise, since it sat inside the structure of the community itself. Many societies still struggle with the same tensions, especially when identity politics deepen and legal order feels thin. The Charter continues to offer a historical example of how unity can be pursued without requiring uniformity.

Why the Charter still matters today

Contemporary peacebuilding literature often points to a few conditions that help diverse societies coexist. One is inclusion, understood today as attention not only to formal representatives but also to groups that may otherwise be absent from the process. Another is legitimate justice, since fair procedures and trusted forums reduce the pull of retaliation and private violence. A third is shared responsibility, since agreements fail when burdens fall on one side for too long.

The Medina Charter fits that pattern. It brought groups into one political community, and it did so without turning identity into a precondition for membership. It also directed disputes toward recognized procedures, reducing the likelihood that conflicts would return to cycles of private retaliation. Rights were accompanied by responsibilities, and authority was vested in a forum accepted by the Charter’s signatories.

Similar principles continue to appear in many contemporary peace agreements and constitutional frameworks, including those developed through the United Nations, the African Union, and other international institutions.

Conclusion

Return now to that small room where the Charter was signed. Picture the leaders of tribes that had long been caught in cycles of retaliation now placing their hopes in a shared agreement. Their differences remained, yet they chose cooperation over division, responsibility over revenge, and law over retaliation.

The Charter did not transform Medina overnight. Its significance lay in the way it guided everyday conduct, established shared expectations, and helped a divided city gradually reshape its habits. It asked little of shared identity, but much of character. Little of ritual, but much of restraint. Little of ideology, but much of responsibility.

The Medina Charter is often regarded as a landmark because it offered a framework for governing a divided city without requiring its communities to become the same. It sought to foster unity through shared obligations while recognizing the distinct identities of the groups it brought together. Rather than treating difference as an obstacle, it established common responsibilities that allowed diversity and cooperation to coexist.

More than fourteen centuries later, many societies face familiar pressures. Polarization deepens divisions, and public trust often erodes faster than institutions can respond. The Charter continues to invite reflection because it illustrates a sequence that remains relevant: define the community, establish shared responsibilities, provide trusted mechanisms for resolving disputes, and reduce the space for private retaliation. It is not a solution to every conflict, but it offers an enduring historical example of how peace can be sustained through shared commitments that people are willing to embrace.

References

1. Abu-Nimer, Mohammed. (2001). “Conflict Resolution, Culture, and Religion: Toward a Training Model of Interreligious Peacebuilding.” Journal of Peace Research, 38(6), 685-704. doi:10.1177/0022343301038006003

2. Arjomand, Said Amir. (2009). “The Constitution of Medina: A Sociolegal Interpretation of Muhammad’s Acts of Foundation of the Umma.” International Journal of Middle East Studies, 41(4), 555-575. doi:10.1017/S002074380999033X

3. Armstrong, Karen. (2006). Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. New York: Atlas Books/HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-115577-2.

4. Denny, F. M. (1977). “Ummah in the Constitution of Medina.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 36(1), 39-47. doi:10.1086/372530

5. Druckman, Daniel, and Lynn Wagner. (2019). “Justice Matters: Peace Negotiations, Stable Agreements, and Durable Peace.” Journal of Conflict Resolution, 63(2), 287-316. doi:10.1177/0022002717739088

6. Hamidullah, M. 1975. The First Written Constitution in the World: An Important Document of the Time of the Holy Prophet. Lahore, Pakistan: Ashraf Printing Press.

7. Hamidullah, M. 1993. The Emergence of Islam: Lectures on the Development of Islamic World-view, Intellectual Tradition, and Polity. Islamabad, Pakistan: Islamic Research Institute.

8. Lecker, Michael. (2004). The “Constitution of Medina”: Muhammad’s First Legal Document. Princeton, NJ: Darwin Press.

9. Nilsson, Desiree. (2012). “Anchoring the Peace: Civil Society Actors in Peace Accords and Durable Peace.” International Interactions, 38(2), 243-266. doi:10.1080/03050629.2012.659139

10. Rubin, Uri. (1985). “The ‘Constitution of Medina’: Some Notes.” Studia Islamica, 62, 5-23.

11. Serjeant, R. B. (1978). “The Sunnah Jami’ah, Pacts with the Yathrib Jews, and the Tahrim of Yathrib: Analysis and Translation of the Documents Comprised in the So-called ‘Constitution of Medina’.” Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 41(1), 1-42.

12. Yildirim, Y., Peace and Conflict Resolution Concepts in the Medina Charter, Peace Review Journal, Taylor & Francis, January-March 2006, Volume 18, Number 1, P 109-119

13. Yildirim, Y., Peace and Conflict Resolution Concepts in the Madina Charter, Peace Review The Fountain, 2006 Issue 53 (January – March 2006) Peace and Conflict Resolution Concepts in the Madina Charter – The Fountain Magazine  

14. Yildirim, Y. (2009). The Medina Charter: A Historical Case of Conflict Resolution. Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations, 20(4), 439–450. https://doi.org/10.1080/09596410903194894

Coursera, founded in 2012, emerged as one of the pioneering platforms of the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) movement. Soon, leading universities – Stanford, Princeton, Michigan, Duke and others – joined in and education began to spill beyond campuses into the hands of anyone with an Internet connection. What printing had achieved for the written word, MOOCs began to achieve for university-level learning: expanding the circle of who gets to learn.

But technology did not stop there. While MOOCs delivered information, AI (Artificial Intelligence) began shaping tools that could interact with learners. Unlike a textbook, these tools could respond, adjust, explain, and guide. AI assistants such as ChatGPT represent a moment when

education becomes personalized, flexible, and available at any hour of the day. They are not simply repositories of information – they are companions in thinking.

The roots of ChatGPT lie in a breakthrough known as the Transformer architecture, introduced in 2017 under the title “Attention Is All You Need.” This innovation made possible a family of models – GPT-1, GPT-2, GPT-3 and further – capable of understanding patterns in human language at remarkable depth. Over time, ChatGPT evolved from a single model into a spectrum of specialized assistants, able to analyze, create, and collaborate. (https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/models)

Yet the idea that knowledge will one day reach everyone, without distinction, is not new.

A narration attributed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) conveys a striking divine promise:

“God said, ‘In the end of time, I will spread knowledge so widely that men and women, the free and the enslaved, the young and the old – everyone – will have the opportunity to learn.’” (Ibn Abd al-Barr. Jami’ Bayan al-‘Ilm wa Fadlih)

This narration is not found in the authenticated primary sources due to weak chain of narration. It is found in secondary sources; but the fact that renowned scholars like Ibn Abd al-Barr noted it in their works makes it worth pondering over. This wise saying predicts not simply an expansion of education, but a transformation of society. In a world where access to learning has historically been shaped by gender, wealth, age, or social position, these words imagine a future where knowledge becomes universal and where the privilege of learning dissolves into a shared human inheritance.

“Men and women” – a hint that gender will no longer determine who may seek understanding. “The free and the enslaved” – that knowledge will transcend status and economic barriers. “The young and the old” – that learning becomes lifelong, not limited to childhood and youth.

One cannot help but assume that long before our age of digital platforms and AI, a future where learning flows to all corners of society was already being imagined in the ancient world. It is not difficult to see resonances with the present moment: AI tutors on smartphones, open courses from world-class universities, translated materials, adaptive learning systems, and global communities of learners who can study together without ever meeting in person.

From this perspective, AI technology is not an isolated achievement of the 21st century; it is part of a broader human journey toward expanding the horizons of knowledge. And perhaps, as this narration suggests, it is also part of a spiritual journey, one in which the spread of learning reflects a divine mercy extended to all people.

Then it happened. A driver behind him surged forward, flashing headlights and shouting from a rolled down window. Something inside John, something he didn’t recognize as fully himself, rose like a flash-flood. He stepped out of the car. Words flew, harsh and hot. A minor shove. A misstep. A fall.

And suddenly someone was hurt. The police came. The reports were written. And John, sitting alone in a small, echoing cell, realized that sometimes a life doesn’t crumble in a long, slow descent—it collapses in thirty seconds of unguarded anger.

It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t wanted. It simply…happened. Like an anaphylactic reaction, sudden, overwhelming, and profoundly destructive.

Medicine offers a remarkable parallel. Some of the body’s most violent reactions appear to erupt without warning, yet they are often the culmination of processes that have been unfolding quietly for years.

Johanna had no reason to fear a peaceful Sunday picnic, until a single bite of a cookie made with a trace of hazelnut awakened an old immune memory buried deep within her body. Within minutes her lips tingled, her skin flushed, and her throat tightened as her immune system, mistaking the harmless nut for a mortal enemy, unleashed a tidal wave of histamine that constricted her airway and dropped her blood pressure. Panic blurred the moment, but a friend quickly injected epinephrine, the medicine racing through her bloodstream like a calming command that opened her airways and steadied her pulse. The episode seemed instantaneous, but in truth the reaction was years in the making. Before that picnic, Johanna’s immune system had already encountered the allergen, misidentified it as dangerous, and stored that mistake in its memory. The cookie did not cause the reaction out of nowhere. It merely awakened a response that had been waiting silently beneath the surface.

In medicine, anaphylaxis is the body’s form of a lightning strike; a rapid, life-threatening allergic reaction. It is a serious, potentially fatal medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of the availability of on-site treatments while not under medical care.

Within minutes, a simple trigger like a peanut, a bee sting, or even a medication can send the immune system into chaos. The body panics. The airways narrow. Blood pressure collapses. The entire system reacts disproportionately to a threat that, under normal circumstances, would be harmless, like Johanna above gasping for breath after eating a cookie, or a hiker stung by a bee feeling her throat close, or a patient given an antibiotic erupting in hives, dizzy, and pale.

When a severe allergic reaction occurs, every second matters. The first and most important treatment is epinephrine, a medication usually injected into the thigh. It acts quickly, interrupting the body’s dangerous overreaction before it becomes fatal. The airways relax, blood pressure rises, and circulation begins to stabilize. Additional doses or intravenous fluids may sometimes be required, but the principle remains the same: the faster the reaction is interrupted, the greater the chance of recovery. Doctors may also administer intravenous fluids to support blood flow, while the patient is laid flat with the legs slightly elevated to help restore circulation to the heart and brain.  

Other medications, such as antihistamines and steroids, may help relieve symptoms, but they are not substitutes for epinephrine. Individuals who have previously experienced anaphylaxis are strongly advised to carry an epinephrine auto-injector (commonly known as an EpiPen) and wear medical identification. Even when symptoms improve after treatment, emergency medical evaluation remains essential, as the reaction can recur unexpectedly.  

Fortunately, anaphylaxis is relatively rare. Although estimates vary, it affects only a small percentage of the population, and with prompt recognition and treatment, survival rates are exceptionally high. It tends to occur more in young people and in women. Nearly everyone who receives timely hospital care recovers.  

What actually causes anaphylaxis?

Before someone ever has an anaphylactic reaction, their immune system must first “learn” to recognize an allergen (such as peanuts, bee venom, or certain medications). During this first exposure, sensitization (immune memory formation) takes place, and the immune system mistakenly identifies the allergen as a threat. Then, it produces IgE antibodies that attach to mast cells and basophils. These IgE-coated cells “wait” for the next exposure.

Anaphylaxis happens during the next exposure (which might be years later). When exposed, the allergen binds to the IgE antibodies and mast cells release massive amounts of histamine and other mediators. This causes anaphylaxis in the form of hives, swelling, low blood pressure, airway tightening, etc.

Anaphylaxis symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen. Sometimes, however, anaphylaxis can occur a half-hour or longer after exposure. In rare cases, anaphylaxis may be delayed for hours. Signs and symptoms include:

• Skin reactions, including hives and itching and flushed or pale skin

• Low blood pressure (hypotension)

• Constriction of the airways and a swollen tongue or throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble breathing

• A weak and rapid pulse

• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

• Dizziness or fainting

Genetics can predispose someone to allergies (e.g., family history of atopy), but anaphylaxis itself is not genetically predetermined. It still requires exposure, sensitization and IgE antibody production.

Lessons from anaphylaxis

Just as the immune system can overreact to a small trigger, the heart can overreact to a small frustration. Anger can arrive suddenly without invitation, without calculation. A word misunderstood, a gesture interpreted as disrespect or a horn honked impatiently.

And instantly, the soul releases its own internal “mediators” such as adrenaline, cortisol, and tunnel vision. Then, judgment collapses, empathy becomes constricted, and perspective disappears.

What anaphylaxis is to the body, anger is to the spirit. Both are reactions far greater than the triggers that provoke them. Anger may appear to erupt in an instant, but like anaphylaxis, it is built slowly. Years of unprocessed stress, patterns of reaction learned in childhood, ego sensitivities left unexamined, and emotional habits repeated until they become automatic all lie beneath the surface. A single insult may ignite the explosion, but the invisible fuel has been accumulating quietly for years. Just as immune memory primes the body for anaphylaxis, emotional memory primes the mind for anger.

Even prophets teach us that anger is human, but mastery of anger is divine guidance.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) understood the physiology of emotion long before modern neuroscience. He taught: “When one of you becomes angry while standing, let him sit. If the anger does not leave him, let him lie down” (Sunan Abu Dawud 4782). And in another teaching, he advised ablution (wudu), saying anger is “from fire” and water extinguishes it. These are not merely symbolic instructions—they are antidotes. Sitting eases the body’s tension, lying down disarms the fight-or-flight response, and washing with water cools the face, slows the heartbeat, and interrupts the physiological surge of anger before it gains control.   

These are emotional epinephrine, quick, simple, and deeply effective. They not only calm the immediate reaction, but they also slowly re-educate the emotional-memory system, changing the default response. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was teaching the spiritual equivalent of resetting immune memory, reducing oversensitivity and interrupting automatic reactions.

In the Battle of Uhud, when the archers disobeyed the Prophet’s explicit command and abandoned their posts, the consequences were severe. The Muslim army suffered painful losses. Yet the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not publicly shame those responsible, did not single them out by name, and did not allow anger to fracture the unity of the community. Even his Companions refrained from identifying them.

His calmness repaired what disobedience had damaged. His mercy became more memorable than the mistake itself. His positive approach was confirmed in the Qur’an: “So by mercy from God, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So, pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon God. Indeed, God loves those who rely [upon Him]” (Al Imran 3:159).

Jesus (peace be upon him) reminds us that spiritual maturity is not the absence of passion but the discipline of response: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”—Matthew 5:9.

James is quoted in the New Testament as follows: “Be slow to anger, for human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.”—James 1:19–20.

Moses (peace be upon him) struggled with a fiery temperament. When he struck the Egyptian man, he regretted it deeply (Qur’an 28:15–16). When he saw his people worshipping the calf, he reacted strongly—but afterward prayed for them (Qur’an 7:150).

Fethullah Gülen reminds us to shape our hearts into sanctuaries, each with a humble chair reserved for every soul God sends our way. He uses the metaphor of the heart as a sanctuary to call for emotional restraint and moral readiness in the face of others. By reserving a “humble chair” for every person we encounter, Gülen emphasizes unconditional hospitality rather than judgment or dominance. This image challenges the reflexive nature of anger, encouraging a pause between stimulus and response. In this way, it suggests that compassion can regulate emotional reactions much like balance in the immune system prevents anaphylactic overreaction.

Just as the immune system can be trained away from overreaction, the soul can be trained away from explosive anger. Both require memory to be re-written, habits to be relearned, and the inner terrain to be cultivated patiently.

To prevent anaphylaxis, we avoid triggers, strengthen resilience, and carry epinephrine. Similarly, we can prevent destructive anger, if we can cultivate the following in our spiritual journey:

With mindfulness, we can notice irritation before it grows. With self-awareness, we can know the history behind reactions. Practicing patience through remembrance (dhikr), meditation, and stillness can strengthen our resilience. Reducing chronic stressors can help us build healthy boundaries. Having generous, merciful assumptions about others reduces anger.

There is a Turkish proverb that “Sharp vinegar harms its own container.” Anger is vinegar. Before it burns others, it corrodes the heart that holds it.

Anaphylaxis teaches us how the body collapses when overwhelmed. Anger teaches us how relationships, reputations, and inner peace can collapse in a fleeting moment of emotional shock.

Let us learn to love people, to be gentle with their faults, and to show mercy, not because they are perfect, but because mercy is the epinephrine of the soul.

References

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anaphylaxis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351468.

2. Shaker MC, et al. Anaphylaxis — A 2020 practice parameter update, systematic review, and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) analysis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2020; doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.01.017.

3. Cardona V, Ansotegui IJ, Ebisawa M, El-Gamal Y, Fernandez Rivas M, Fineman S, Geller M, Gonzalez-Estrada A, Greenberger PA, Sanchez Borges M, Senna G, Sheikh A, Tanno LK, Thong BY, Turner PJ, Worm M. World allergy organization anaphylaxis guidance 2020. World Allergy Organ J. 2020 Oct 30;13(10):100472. doi: 10.1016/j.waojou.2020.100472. PMID: 33204386; PMCID: PMC7607509.

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaphylaxis