It is evident that those who do not share the values we have inherited from the past, or who do not draw upon the same sources as we do, are unlikely to understand our afflictions. What is more, they probably find the way we generally behave puzzling. For there exists a discrepancy between perspectives: those who view the present and the future solely through a materialistic lens and who engage with life only in terms of its physical aspects cannot experience anything beyond the fleeting and superficial pleasures of the body. According to this same distorted perspective, anything not connected to the material or physical realm is deemed insignificant. Neither the past nor the future holds any meaning. The past and the future are merely refuges in which those who have lost the present can take shelter. What such people consider essential is the present; they see the rest as being a waste of time. Truly, these people, imprisoned within such a narrow perspective, are not likely to understand such statements as, “Were you to know what I know, you would seldom laugh, and often weep” [1]. Nonetheless, the Sultan of the Words, the Prophet who uttered this hadith, knew well what he was crying over, just as those mature spirits, satisfied only with faith, divine knowledge and love, and equipped with their armament for eternity, also understand why they weep and what they seek. There are many reasons for such people to cry.

Alongside questions of faith and finding peace—a concern shared by all—and the danger of being engulfed in disbelief, there exists a multitude of issues that demand resolution: social, economic, political, and cultural. There are injustices that lie at the root of society’s unrest. There are rights that must be reconsidered and reestablished in light of human values and the principles of fairness and conscience. There are our hopes and ideals oriented in eternity, and opposing these stand obstacles to democratic rights, along with the propaganda of power. In many matters, emotions still dominate reason, and orders are given in accordance with the recklessness of power. In many parts of the world, human mistakes and shortcomings are still swept away with blood and tears. Masses are forced to Paradise, or roughly pushed toward Hell, their willpower and opinions disregarded. New camps are being formed every day, each team fighting for their worldview or what they believe to be true; every ideology is depicting a lifestyle befitting their principles. Furthermore, people are forced to fit into this narrow portrait and to live accordingly. Throughout the world, in hundreds of places, the consciousness of individuals are still being crushed, the will of the community is still being ignored, and the eyes of the conscience are being blinded.

By contrast, the shortest way to relieve people’s pains and to rid them of personal and social repression is to cease interfering with their consciences and to show them how to exist with their own awareness and will. Indeed, it is only when the mechanism of the conscience remains alive, and when willpower and awareness are respected within society, that people can remain truly human and be directed toward human values. Individuals can only be regarded as true citizens when they exist with their own conscience and willpower, thus growing mature enough to help others spiritually. Otherwise, society is inescapably inflicted with various social, political, administrative, and economic problems. A community that is made up of inadequate, inconsistent or patched together pieces cannot be called a nation. Likewise, a mass that appears to be a nation, yet which has deteriorated beyond recovery cannot promise a bright future. If we want salvation as a whole society, it is essential that each and every individual be alert and motivated. The star of our society’s good fortune  will rise in a surprisingly comforting manner if we join together, shoulder to shoulder, with our palms raised to the sky, pleading for the salvation of others.

The essence of the fundamentals that lead us to this desired level lies in being fully aware of the faith with all its peculiar depths, in enduring pain and effort in our worship, in upholding morality in all our actions, in achieving spiritual, conscious, and emotional renewal, and in measuring everything by the righteousness of the heart. Enlightened with these, we will transcend the limits of individuality, make demands in accordance with these principles, and be aware of the things that we demand as well. By taking one step further, we will be able to connect everything to eternity and measure all things by the highest standards. Thus, sharing in all the advantages of humanity, we will be able to voice once again our eligibility to be “in the most perfect form and nature” [2] as the humans we are. I believe that those blessed ones who understand this pivotal point will not only attempt to lead others to the straight path but will also guarantee their own future.

I feel obliged to restate that individual efforts toward enlightenment, if not directed toward serving the community, are destined to yield no lasting fruit. Moreover, without such a shared orientation, the values once destroyed in hearts, in society, and in the collective conscience cannot be revived. Just as plans and projects for individual salvation that are independent of the salvation of others are nothing more than an illusion, so, too, the thought of achieving success as a whole by paralyzing the individual awakening is a fantasy.

In this light, we believe that while each person has their own will and responsibility, it is only by joining hands, uniting our consciences and willpower, that we can solve all problems through collective effort. With this kind of attitude, we hope to retain, and even to increase, the fruitfulness of our individual lives while presenting to others the elixir of life, and, therefore steadily augmenting our material and spiritual value. To us, the more altruistic a plan or an attempt is, and the more often it is directed toward the good of others, the more consistent and promising it is. This is true because what keeps a person alive is the goal of lifting others up. The converse of this is that it is self-centered ambition that kills or paralyzes human beings. Those who waste their lives in pursuit of such ambitions are sooner or later corrupted, although they are not necessarily involved in dirty politics. Those who sustain their own lives by inspiring the awakening of others walk securely, offering the elixir of life in places where others are blown about like leaves. Such are the people destined for true contentment in this marathon that spans both this world and the next.

The camaraderie of the politician who seems to have accepted the existence and right to life of others just because they serve his or her personal interests can never be trusted, nor can anyone be safe when such politicians are antagonized. What such people think of all the time is their own personal interests. This is why they flatter and even submit themselves to the whims of other people. Such people crush, if need be, those they can afford to, and those whom they need are ceaselessly plotted against. When in power, these tyrants are ruthless; yet, when weak, they begin to cringe and fawn. Because they are consistently insincere, they are mostly beaten by their own tricks, preparing their own evil and wicked end. They make themselves believe that they are tricking and deceiving everybody, and that they are doing the right thing. These poor politicians, however, have placed themselves in a strange position, destroying their reputations for the sake of their careers. Such a deceptive intelligence, witnessed in some people, is a very serious disorder and is an incurable psychological illness. People of this kind are good for nothing and do not provide any service to others, but they might obtain some advantage with cunning behavior and relations with others. Nevertheless, this neither earns them a good reputation nor advances their career, and they ultimately resort to servility and sycophancy.

On the other hand, what lies at the root of the behavior of people of service is a long period of preparation and spiritual struggle, followed by an appeal to mercy grounded in the conscience and directed toward the pursuit of truth. This appeal almost always lies beyond individual responsibility, transcending the limits of the awareness of social responsibility with a depth of sincerity, and is a task fitting to a person of heart. People of heart are the leaders in each and every charitable act, reflecting their own style in their works, and they are open and honest in all their deeds. No matter how relentless and merciless the circumstances may be, such people are determined not to be diverted from their routes and, relying on their own foundations, they do not become disturbed. With their inner and outer feelings, they are programmed to “see” and “hear” the Truth, to know and to be with the Truth. They are people of this world and the next, and each of their contact with others becomes a worldliness allowing a point of observation of the zeniths of the Hereafter. Moreover, the life that such people lead, with all its variants, is clear and boundless enough for them to enjoy a glimpse of the quiet of an otherworldly harbor. Indeed, these purest of pure hearts have already achieved the blissful result that others can only dream of reaching after millions and millions of years of toil. They are considered to have reached the company of God and to have sat down with the dwellers of the highest rank, knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder, proving that such people are the eternal winners. Always sincere and profound, these people of heart constantly seek grand projects and summits. They think of mercy, speak of mercy, and seek ways to express themselves through mercy. They endeavor so heartily in the name of conducting everyone, without discrimination, to the infinite bliss that they sacrifice the pleasures of the future world and spiritual power, not to mention materialistic interests and desire for position. They display in their spiritual position and in their relationships with others a spiritual attitude that reflects the fact that they are in the presence of the Supreme Power. And where others die, they realize successive revitalizations.

Over and above the maxim “Desire not for others what you do not desire for yourself,” such people ceaselessly work harder for others so that others will benefit from what these people of heart have already found useful. With the boundlessness of the horizon of such people, they are able to revive the feeling of mercy even in the hearts of tyrants. At the same time, they believe that being with the oppressed is the same as being with God, and thus support them.

Living for others is the most important factor that determines the behavior of such heroes. Their greatest worry is their quest for eligibility for such missions, whereas their most prevalent characteristic is that their utmost ambition is their search for God’s pleasure. Delighted as they strive to enlighten others, they feel no pain, nor do they undergo any shock. They consider their achievements that as a manifestation of God’s support, and bow in modesty, nullifying themselves again and again, every day. In addition to all this, they tremble at the idea that their emotions are bound to interfere with the works that they have caused to come into existence, and groan; “You are all I need.”

For ages we have waited impatiently for such blessed hands to transform what can be depicted as “the devastated lands, ruined homes, and remote deserts” into a new realm. And we are determined to wait for many more years with faith, desire, and resoluteness. May the expectation of these pure, compassionate hearts for this Infinite Mercy, not go unanswered.

Notes

• Bukhari, Kusuf, 2; Muslim, Kusuf, 1; Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 9; Ibn Maja, Zuhd, 19.
• We have indeed created man in the most perfect form and nature. (at-Tin 95:4)

There are many models of education extant. They variously focus on the professional operation of schools, or curriculum planning, or methods of pedagogy. Others are directed to more immediate student-related needs and goals, and take labels like behaviorist, cognitivist, or humanistic models of teaching and learning. But one ancient model, today frequently neglected—though found across Jewish, Christian and Islamic societies, is education as formation of conscience.

What is conscience? It is an internalized manner of being, attendant upon the embodied virtues of purity and prosperity (as understood in their classical usage: embodied as internalized personhood of the soul; purity as undefiled/unmixed; and prosperity as moving towards hope), and so is well-formed. As noted by Thomas Merton, a mature and prudent conscience gives one an accurate account of motives, intentions and acts, while an immature conscience “is not its own master. It is merely the delegate of the conscience of another” person or group or party or social class or nation or race, parroting the decisions of others (No Man is an Island, pp.27-28). Echoing this concern about immature consciences—especially amongst the young—is Fethullah Gülen’s observation that “new generations are [to be] raised up in the integrity of both heart and mind. But the youth of our time have been born into inauspicious bosoms of neglect. They find themselves in the midst of ruthless leaders, deadly ideologues, and debilitating media” (So That Others May Live, p.125). Their consciences are not properly formed and hence cannot truly be free.

What is freedom of conscience? It is the freedom imparted that permits one to choose to serve without seeking reward or recompense; to spend and be spent for all (the hope of prosperity and purity redoubled in the pure self-forgetfulness of embodied giving) in recognition of and profound thanksgiving to, the One who enables, looking for nothing in return. It provides the foundation for excellence in leadership and is the essence of an internal peace that is neither self-referential nor subject to external constraints or circumstances. This peace can never be taken away. As evidenced in the narratives that focus our attention on the enduring constancy and patience of Job (Ayyub), those whom God sets free are free indeed.

How is this truly free, well-formed conscience to be realized? Education. But not just any form or manner of education will suffice. A prime example is the classical formation of educated citizens, achieved through the trivium and quadrivium curriculum—the seven classical liberal arts—comprising grammar, logic, and rhetoric (representing the acquisition of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom), alongside arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy (reflecting the relationships of number, space, and time). They are called the “liberal” arts because they are “freeing” and form the foundation of freedom; they are “arts” because they encompass more than techniques or methods, embodying critical content that must be internalized. They are “seven” to signify completeness—the fulfillment of the foundational education for citizenship, to which other studies, disciplines, skills, techniques, and professions may be added. In this approach to learning, teaching, and mentoring, what is knowable and verifiable in the Book of the Universe is enabled by the Creator.

Schools established and served by those influenced through the example and teachings of Fethullah Gülen, or Hizmet Schools, seek to provide just this sort of education for formation of conscience, at all levels. Whether the schools are for elementary, secondary or college and university level students, instruction covers the classical liberal arts. The humanities and sciences (social and physical, theoretical and experimental) are diligently presented and absorbed. Likewise, religion is purposefully not a subject of the curriculum: how to live as a member of a pluralistic civil society is modeled by staff through genuinely attentive love, conveying academic excellence as a joyful experience shared amongst students and teachers, alike. What specifically one is to believe and practice—what religion to choose and rites to observe, if any—is left to the developing freedom of the student under the guidance of parents and guardians. We have here real education for citizens, not propaganda for sentimentality. That these schools also are ever mindful to reach underprivileged students in order to help lead them into civic life from which they would otherwise be estranged is highly commendable. The schools can pursue this outreach just because of their being supported so generously by increasing numbers of business leaders and entrepreneurs of faith in many countries, who understand that the opportunity to support educational institutions like these is itself an expression of freedom of conscience: willingness to spend and be spent for all, in self-forgetfulness, looking for nothing in return.

An insightful exploration of this form of education is displayed in the 2014 documentary film Love is a Verb, produced and directed by Terry Spencer Hesser. It demonstrates how love is indeed what one does rather than simply what one feels; what one is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other; not sentimental wishing that things were otherwise. And that includes what one is willing to commit to for the sake of educating the next generation. As Gülen observes: “If we succeed in adorning the minds of the youth with the sciences of their time and instilling in their hearts the divine virtues, if we can teach them to view the future through the prism of history, our efforts will not have been in vain. Instead, we will reap much in return: every penny spent on education of the youth will return to us as the wealth of cultured souls” (So That Others May Live, p.130).

Political community should itself commend and aim to support such selfless economic activity as a matter of sustainable peace in civil society. As noted by Pope Francis in a recent exhortation: “The worship of the golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose” (Evangelii Gaudium, Nov 2013, 55). Only by rejecting “an economy of exclusion and inequality” (paragraph 53), such as evidenced by direct financial and operational support of educational institutions, and of students through scholarships, through selfless volunteering of time, talent and treasure, will inclusion across social groups increase in civil society, along with equality between persons in political community. Such is one fulfillment of the Jewish call to engage in tikkun olam, repairing the world. This is the tapestry of well-formed consciences and sustainable peacemaking that is finally the hallmark of Gülen’s interfaith dialogue initiatives. This is the hope-filled legacy bequeathed through Fethullah Gülen and Hizmet educational institutions around the world.

The relationship between nature’s physical and metaphysical dimensions have been under debate since time immemorial. The nature we see as the deterministic functioning of the laws of physics and chemistry—which we call “causes”—include such phenomena as the rain falling, the sun’s warmth, plants germinating in the bosom of the earth, and geological faults rupturing in the earth’s crust. How are these events represented in the spiritual realm? What do these events correspond to in the metaphysical dimension? These are not the subject of objective science, but many scholars with a conscience and a rich inner life speak about the connection between the events in the physical world and phenomena in the metaphysical world. Said Nursi, for instance, draws a connection between natural disasters or celestial calamities and human transgressions [1]. Are physical, geological, ecological, and biological factors, such as the decline of the ecosystem or the emergence of pandemics, a veil covering the real cause, that we cause suffering and inflict harm? Do our behavior trigger disasters? Are we “offending” nature?

Urbanization, modernism, and the ecosystem

Most ecologists and environmental organizations state that the earth’s ecosystem is gradually deteriorating. With more than half of the world’s population now living in cities—not to mention the increase in electronic devices, changing living conditions, and even changes in children’s perception of play—people’s opportunities for direct contact with nature are diminishing. The uncontrolled development of so-called modernity has negative effects on physical health, mental abilities, and peace of mind, as well as on the relationship between humans and nature. Signals of global biodiversity loss are evident all over the world.

In an ecosystem polluted by various elements such as pesticides and insecticides—which are supposedly produced to protect plants—as well as hormones, synthetic fertilizers, and industrial waste, birds that feed on poisoned insects have shorter lives. Other major topics of ecological discussion include the manifold impacts of pollution in water, soil, and air, sporadic but remarkably severe solar flares, and other atmospheric and meteorological phenomena, and the role of humankind in disrupting the balance of the life-sustaining ecosystem.

Are birdsongs distorted?

The decline in bird populations in North America is estimated at around three billion in the last 50 years. On websites, ornithologists list the species in swift decline. This decline means changes in the living environment of bird communities—and the disappearance of the familiar sounds of spring. Sounds in nature, especially birdsongs, are phenomena inherent to human nature and play an important role, like flowers and trees, in maintaining our connection with and reflection of nature. The widespread decline in bird flocks and the change of species in particular regions also imply the change of the sound patterns and acoustic properties of nature.

Vanishing species

Research on plants and animals that are extinct or facing extinction almost unanimously state that every aspect of life on earth is deteriorating. Take this detail from a significant research article published on November 2, 2021 [2]: Simon Butler and Catriona Morrison of the University of East Anglia, co-authors of the study that involved around thirty researchers and covered the whole of Europe and North America, determined that as the ecosystem deteriorates, bird populations decline on a global scale and melodic diversity gradually diminishes in nature’s vocal repertoire. Given the statistics of over 200,000 bird melodies studied, birds have not just declined in number, but in the variety and richness of notes they sing, too.

For a moment, imagine yourself at a concert, listening to a familiar song but without wind instruments in the orchestra; the melody would not sound as rich as it normally is. This is what is happening in the nature.

Birdsong and its effect on the soul

We perceive all the experiences we have in the bosom of nature with our sensory organs. We perceive the taste of apples, the smell of melons, the crispness of grapes, the riot of colors of flowers—all with our senses. However, sounds especially have a special place among these. There are studies on the effect of natural sounds on our moods and their ability to reduce pain and stress. The effects on the soul of the sounds of rain, wind, leaves, waves, and streams have been studied by measuring sound characteristics such as frequency, rhythm, intensity, and amplitude. To see the effect of birdsong on the human soul, just think of the many poems written about it, such as John Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale.”

The breakthrough of voice recording technology

According to researchers, disruptive changes in bird and insect habitats suggest that, in the long term, both bird and soundscape diversity will continue to decline. Since the ability to record audio has only existed for around a century, archival recordings of bird melodies are at most a century old and are not clear enough for professionally extracting frequency patterns. To track how melodies have changed over time, it is necessary to examine songbirds’ past vocal repertoires.

Initiated to expand this research to a much wider area, a project collected regular late spring and early summer measurements and recordings made by volunteer ornithologists active at over 200,000 stations in Europe and North America. These were compiled into annual tables by bird species and number of individuals recorded. Annual bird count data from two websites [3] were combined with the recordings of over 1,000 species from Xeno Canto, an online database of bird songs to reconstruct historical vocal patterns. First, all downloaded sound files were standardized by truncating 25 seconds. Later, files of the individual members of the same species were added, and the contribution of each species was demarcated within the collective sounds. The acoustic properties of these sound patterns were then quantified using four indices designed to measure the energy, frequency, and temporal distribution of vibrations. These indices were used to measure the complexity and diversity of the songs collectively, like the variety of instruments in an orchestra. Dr. Butler summed up their findings as a widespread decline in the intensity of acoustic diversity and natural sound patterns resulting from changes in the composition of the different species that make up bird communities.

The “orchestra” of nature is rapidly losing both its players and its instruments. In general, there are about 10,000 species of birds, of which about 4,000 are songbirds. This number includes birds that do not sing or that have unpleasant voices, for they are a part of the acoustical range of a certain location. Depending on their breeding and feeding periods, the songs of some species may have a certain prevalence and prominence. For example, losing birds like the lark (Alauda arvensis) or the nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), of which rich and complex melodic lines enliven the concerts we are accustomed to in spring, will have an impact greater than losing birds like crows and gulls whose voices are not as pleasing to our ears.

This research elucidates that over the last 25 years in Europe and North America, there has been a steady decline in the density of acoustic diversity and sound patterns, along with a decline in the number of species and individuals. As a consequence of these losses, one of the fundamental ways humans interact with nature is in chronic decline. Hence, it has been revealed that the “music” we listen to in the spring, in the open air, and in the forest, has become poorer and weaker, almost like music performed by a debilitated orchestra. Is the decline and disappearance of birds and their melodies merely a biological and ecological consequence? Or is it a metaphysical and spiritual dimension of the ruthless cruelties being perpetuated in the world and a harbinger of the apocalyptic destruction of the earth’s ecosystem by humanity? Isn’t it worth reflecting more deeply on this issue?

Notes

• Bediüzzaman Said Nursî, Sözler [The Words], Istanbul: Sahdamar Yayinlari, 2010, s. 799; Emirdag Lâhikasi, Istanbul: Sahdamar Yayinlari, 2010, s. 29.
• C.A. Morrison, A.Z. Auninš ve S.J. Butler, “Bird population declines and species turnover are changing the acoustic properties of spring soundscapes”, Nature Communications, vol. 12, article number: 6217, 2021.
• North American Breeding Bird Survey (www.usgs.gov/centers/eesc/science/north-american-breeding-bird-survey) ve Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (pecbms.info).

“70 percent of [these] scientists (who work as engineers or in research and development) said that the narrative that all life, including humans, evolved over millions of years without the involvement of God or an intelligent force was probably or definitely false.” (p. 42)

It is sometimes asserted that religion is the stuff of miracles, blind faith, and obedience while science is based upon facts, logic, and sound reasoning. This paints an image of a great rift between two incompatible forces that are perpetually at odds with one another. Dr. Elaine Howard Ecklund works to dispel this narrative in her book “Why Science and Faith Need Each Other: Eight Shared Values That Move Us Beyond Fear” by examining what the two disciplines have in common within the context of Christianity and its greater American community. Dr. Ecklund believes that atheists and believers can be connected in a multitude of surprising ways across 8 values: curiosity, doubt, humility, creativity, healing, awe, shalom, and gratitude. There are only a few passing references to these values in this review; readers should take a look into the book for a more comprehensive discussion.

This book is primarily targeted towards Christian audiences as a guide for how to better inculcate an appreciation, acceptance, and love of science in their churches. However, it is also informative for members of other faith traditions that wish to better understand how science can relate to their faith, and how to better discuss science in religious settings. Curious atheists and agnostics that believe science and faith are incompatible can also benefit from hearing Ecklund’s arguments, as they often come from scientific and empathetic approaches that they may more strongly relate to than strictly theological ones.

Science and faith are compatible

Ecklund is a devout Christian who firmly believes that science and religion are as compatible as can be. A sociologist by education, she has travelled across the world interviewing Christian scientists and churchgoers, along with members of other faith traditions, about how, or even if, science and religion co-exist. “Why Science and Faith Need Each Other” is the culmination of her research: it is an informative and eye-opening, yet enjoyable and easy to read, look into science’s place in Christianity.

One of Ecklund’s key takeaways is that a majority of Christian scientists and churchgoers that she interviewed believed that science and religion were compatible but that they did not feel comfortable, or invited, to talk about the relation of science and religion openly in religious settings. This has led to the perpetuation of a stigma that Christians, especially more evangelical ones, are against science and that they believe it has no place in church settings. One of Ecklund’s primary goals is to dispel this stigma by showing how open the Christian community actually is to discussing science’s place in religion and by proving, through the arguments of Christian scientists, that religion and science are indeed compatible. She also indirectly aims to advise readers with steps that they utilize to better incorporate religion into science, and vice versa, in both their daily lives and religious environments.

Science’s place in Christianity

Science often has the capacity to leave those that study it closely in complete awe of it. Religious communities use science as a vehicle to better understand and observe the power and wisdom of God. Exceptionally complex microbes and cells often leave Christian scientists dazzled at the might of the One capable of creating such awe-inspiring creations. Non-believing scientists also tend to experience a similar form of awe from their research, though the focus is more so on the complexity and orderliness of creation as opposed to the might of the Creator behind it. Ecklund points out similarities such as this in order to show that Christians, scientists, and believers have more in common with each other than they may think.

Evolution and Darwinism are much discussed in the book, as they have been important sources of discussion for Christian communities for the past 100+ years. Darwinism, and sometimes science in general, has often been viewed as a source of doubt and insecurity. It was thus feared that this doubt could undermine a person’s faith and therefore it has sometimes been discouraged to bring up such topics in church. Doubting is also a natural part of the scientific process, as many curious questions around science begin by doubting a status quo. Ecklund believes that this fear of doubt in churches is dangerous as it only stifles the mind. She argues that churches, instead of fearing doubt and running from it, should confront doubts raised by science head-on. She narrates how her own faith was strengthened and became resilient through overcoming doubts that she personally had.

Humility is touched upon as an absolute necessity for religious communities that wish to confront, and perhaps come to terms with, science and viewpoints that may contradict their beliefs. Ecklund argues that it requires humility to take a step back and realize that one’s previous assumptions were incorrect whether they are believers or not. She cites some of humanity’s greatest modern scientists, such as Albert Einstein, and the humility that they presented and how it allowed them to achieve the success that they did as scientists. Humility also allows both sides to consider that, perhaps, there is something going on behind the scenes of life and that they can benefit from one another as opposed to existing in a constant state of disagreement, animosity, and argument.

Religious settings should foster scientific discussions

Ecklund argues that churches should be less fearful of having discussions around topics that are considered taboo. This specifically includes infertility. She narrates how important the concept of having children is in Christian societies and how women, even established scientists, are often seen first and foremost as mothers and caretakers within church settings. This can present obvious difficulties for couples that are struggling with infertility. Ecklund goes into detail discussing her own personal struggles with infertility and the lack of open discussion in many churches around topics such as this one. She calls on church leaders to be more mindful of the real-life problems that their congregants may be facing and encourages them to create environments where they can feel open and encouraged to discuss the difficulties that they may be wrestling with. Leaders of any spiritual setting can heed her advice as it is important for believers to constantly be discussing the difficulties that their followers are facing.

Ecklund also touches upon the importance of curiosity, how churches are stifling it, and why they need to be more open when it comes to letting people explore their natural curiosity. Curiosity is the itch in our brains and hearts that motivates us to find answers or to discover the truth. When restricted, it can cause discomfort or frustration, as was the case with Jill, a scientist that Ecklund had interviewed. As a teenager in her church, Jill was curious about the role of science in Christianity, however her pastor told her to “…make a decision to believe…to forget about science” (p. 59). Her curiosity was continuously stifled over and over, thus leading her to believe that religion was a tool for passing judgment onto others. Ecklund encourages churches to allow their congregants to explore their curiosities by discussing their questions because, she argues, these discussions can lead to a stronger conviction in their faith. The same can be said for members of other religions if faith is being used to smother curiosity and instead enforce control.

The latter part of the book focuses on redemption and encourages Christians to accept and utilize science in order to alleviate the suffering of others. Ecklund highlights statistics that show that an overwhelming majority of members of both the scientific and religious communities place a high emphasis on alleviating the suffering of others. She also discusses how Christians view medicine as a gift from God onto mankind as a means to end suffering, and that the knowledge itself that scientists and doctors must possess in order to enhance and utilize medicine is also a divine gift. This idea runs parallel to the core tenets of Islam, where knowledge is also described as a gift from God, and serves as another solid example of how non-Christians can gain insight from this book.

Many of the theological topics discussed in the book, such as evolution, embryonic freezing, genetic modifications, and the usage of stem cells are also modern scientific hot topics for other faith groups. These modern issues pose questions for all people across all faiths, thus demanding a discussion. Non-Christians perceive and understand the nuances of their faith from a lens that differs from Christianity’s, but believers can gain a wealth of insight regardless. It addresses the place of God in science, something that all believers can relate to and discuss, within a Christian context.

“Why Science and Faith Need Each Other” is the bridge between two seemingly distant worlds that desperately need one another. It is a love-letter to both of them from a scientist that has spent much of her life reconciling how the two relate, intertwine, and differ. Curious readers of all faiths, or lack thereof, will gain much insight from this thorough and intellectual discussion.

Ma’rifa is a special knowledge that is acquired through reflective thought, sincere endeavor, using one’s conscience and inquiring into one’s inner world. It is different from (scientific) knowledge (‘ilm). (Scientific) knowledge is acquisition reached through study, investigation, analysis, and synthesis, while ma’rifa is the substance of knowledge attained through reflection, intuition, and inner perception. The opposite of (scientific) knowledge is ignorance, while the opposite of ma’rifa is denial.

Knowledge means comprehending or encompassing something thoroughly, while ma‘rifa means familiarity with or recognition of something—that something may be the Divine Being—in some of its aspects. For this reason, the One of Unity is called the All-Knowing (‘Alim), but He has never been called the One having familiarity with something (‘Arif). In addition, the exacting scholars of truth view ma‘rifa, which also means information, talent, and skill, as the culture acquired by conscience or one’s conscious nature. It has other meanings such as the ability to feel something with the spiritual faculty that humanity has been endowed with, the image of something known in the mind, and the knowledge kept in the memory which gains strength through repetition. From another perspective, it is consciousness, perception, and sufficient information which helps distinguish one thing from another. Ma‘rifa can be summed up as having concise knowledge about something or someone through their acts or works and attributes—knowledge which can be developed and detailed.

In order that one can be among those who have knowledge of God and who are regarded by God as being one of such people, one should have certain theoretical knowledge about God and the ways that lead to Him, recognizing the obstacles on the way, and knowing how to overcome these obstacles. One should also have enough willpower to apply what one knows. One who has true knowledge of God is a perfect human being who knows the Unique One, Who is the Eternally Besought, with His Acts, Names and Attributes, and is a person in whose everyday life this knowledge shows itself. He or she is also one who always keeps the heart purified and pursues sincerity and purity of intention, who can remain free of negative or evil moral qualities as far as possible, overcoming whatever dark emerges from the spirit and threatens to darken one’s horizon, and thereby demonstrating loyalty to the All-Watchful Guardian. Such a one can bear everything that befalls on God’s way to obtain His approval, and invites others to the way of the Prophets, which shows itself through God’s confirmation in every step, and whose lights he or she always feels with pleasure.

There is another approach to ma‘rifa that ma‘rifa is the ability to perceive something as exactly what it is in itself, in its true nature and identity, and based on the thing itself. According to this approach, knowledge of God is knowing the Divine Being with His Essential and Affirmative Attributes beyond all conceptions of modality. This is different from comprehending, perceiving and establishing other things, and is based on perception and knowing by conscience. This knowledge and perception should not be confused with modern intuitionism. The Divine Being is beyond all concepts and cannot be comprehended, perceived or scientifically known, although a certain knowledge or familiarity can be acquired of Him through His Acts, Names and Attributes.

The acknowledgment that The inability to perceive Him is the true perception, excellently expresses the inability of anything limited to perceive Him and the imperceptibility of the One Who is Infinite. The same meaning is exquisitely expressed in the saying, We have not been able to know You as knowing You requires, O the One Known.

It is only God Whose existence is absolute, and the greatest truth is acknowledging His Existence and Oneness. The first step in acquiring knowledge of Him is the attainment of belief, being a Muslim, and excellence—worshipping Him as if seeing Him. In realizing such a blessed aim, one should continue one’s traveling to the True Source of all gifts and blessings without turning to anything else as a source. One should be able to feel a new joy of reunion in every gift and blessing with which one is favored, and as the final point, gain familiarity with the mysteries of His Names and Attributes, and, if possible, of His Being.

This consideration is expressed as follows in Lutfiya by Wahbi:

Try your hardest and be one who has ma’rifa of Him,
One favored with knowledge of Him!
For the All-Loving declared, “so that I may be known;” [1]
Knowing God is the ultimate cause for the creation of the two worlds;
and knowing God is the adornment of humanity.
Those devoid of knowledge of Him are low in rank.
Knowing Him is a spiritual kingdom,
and Knowing Him is a Divine gift and blessing.
….
When you, O moving spirit, receive this gift and blessing;
the two worlds will be yours.

The following words, which are narrated in books concerning Sufism as a hadith qudsi—a saying, the meaning of which is from God and the wording of which was inspired in the Messenger—are the gist or kernel of all explanations concerning knowledge of God:

O humankind! One who knows his self also knows Me; one who knows Me seeks Me, and one who seeks Me certainly finds Me. One who finds Me attains all his aspirations and expectations, and prefers none over Me. O humankind! Be humble that you can have knowledge of Me; accustom yourself to hunger so that you can see Me; be sincere in your devotion to Me so that you can reach Me. O humankind! I am the Lord; one who knows his self also knows Me; one who renounces his self finds Me. In order to know Me, renounce your own self. A heart which has not flourished and been perfected through knowledge of Me is blind.

Knowledge of God sometimes becomes a source of wonder and astonishment for initiates, as has been said, “One who knows the Ultimate Truth becomes dumbfounded and tongue-tied.” But it sometimes becomes a means of expression for them, as has been said, “One who knows the Ultimate Truth finds his voice.” The voice finds its overflowing expression in one’s excitement and speech and echoes in many other ears. Although opposites, both the saying of Muhammad Parisa, [2] “There is none who knows the Divine Being other than Himself,” and the saying, “I know none else save God,” are true each in its own context.

There is none other than Him who has a true, substantial existence, and there are no true acts other than those done by Him. Other beings have a relative existence when compared with Him, and other acts, which take place in the cycle of causality, is of a relative nature. For this reason, knowledge of God is when an initiate melts away in the light of the Ultimate Truth and gains a new, “true” existence. This may be viewed as self-annihilation in God and subsistence by Him. I think the author of al-Minhaj stresses this fact in these verses:

If you can see with the lights of certainty,
then do not see one who knows and the One Known differently.

Fuduli [3] expresses this depth of knowledge of God as follows:

One who knows God is not one who knows
the wisdom of the world with what is in it.
One who knows God is he who does not know
what the world is with what is in it.

Sufis have made other descriptions concerning knowledge of God. According to these descriptions, knowledge of God is knowing the truths of the Divine Names and Attributes, grasping the phenomenon of the manifestations in existence and the discovery of the existential mystery, deeply perceiving the truth of existence with its originality and shadows, and understanding and representing in life the truth of religion according to the Will of the All-Desired One, Who is the final goal of those who set out to reach Him. Each of these descriptions requires a voluminous work to explain and is therefore beyond the scope of this study. We will only cite here some verses from Diyaiya (“The Book of Light”) which point to some dimensions of the subject matter:

The third chapter is about knowledge of God, O valiant young one;
to describe it the wheel of speech is unable to work.
….
There is no scribe nor a pen to write about it;
one cannot get his tongue around it to express it.
….
The mirror of reason is veiled from understanding it;
the ability of perception has nothing to say in it.
Only the bird of imagination can fly toward it;
there is no example that we can coin to explain it.
….
Here the gift comes only from God;
this is a light-diffusing, sacred rank.
….
The whole of creation is immersed in this realm,
which is more spacious than all the worlds.
….
There is no true existent save He Who is the One,
perceiving this is the real vision.
Do not interpret this vision in another way, or else,
it will mean unbelief and heresy, O one with body of light.
It is not the eyes in the head which have this vision;
The All-Loving One is all-free from vision by these eyes.
The innermost faculty—secret—discerns this truth,
when you find this faculty in you, you can understand it.
Human scientific knowledge and perception have nothing to say;
the merit is in wonder and helplessness in this field.
Perception of one’s helplessness is perception of the Ultimate Truth;
listen to what Abu Bakr, the truthful one, says concerning it. [4]

The rank of knowledge of God (ma‘rifa) is a rank of wonder, utter astonishment, and awe. It is possible to see this in almost all the reflections of the scholars of Sufism on knowledge of God. Some of them see it in direct proportion to the excess of the feeling of awe and have concluded that the deeper one is in knowledge of God, the deeper one’s feeling of awe is. Others regard knowledge of God as being the base of serenity and peacefulness and emphasize that inner peace and self-possession increase in proportion to the depth of knowledge of God. Still others consider knowledge of God as the heart’s attainment of friendship with God and the initiate’s following a way to nearness to God.

The approach of ash-Shibli opens new windows on the knowledge of God. According to him, it means that an initiate has an essential relation with none save God, making no complaints when burning with His love, is a sincere, obedient and faithful servant of God who avoids any claims of superiority, and one who worries about his or her end. A person with true knowledge of God and who has a strong connection with the sources of this knowledge, one who has taken refuge in the guidance of the spirit and meaning of Prophethood, and who has built sound relations with the truths that lie beyond human horizons, cannot feel any essential interest in transitory things nor does lower him or herself to feel attachment to others than the Lord. The Qur’an alludes to this highest point in (35:28), Of all His servants, only those possessed of true knowledge stand in awe of God, reminding the traveler of the relation between knowledge and awe or reverence of God. The greatest of those who have knowledge of God, upon him be peace and blessings, said concerning the same point: I am greater than you in knowledge of God, and more intense in fearing Him.[5]

In the books on Sufism, in which the intellect guided by Revelation is operative, and which contain numerous gems of wisdom concerning the “garment of piety” of those who have true knowledge of God, with Whom their hearts are deeply connected, we can find many gems concerning knowledge of God. The following are only a few of them:

• In the view of one favored with knowledge of God, the world with its material aspect becomes so small that it seems no greater than a cup.
• The souls that have gained profundity in knowledge of God expand to the extent that it is as if they have no
• Those who taste the pleasure of knowledge of God, which is regarded as the sweetest of all honey, pursue no other wealth than nearness to the Ultimate
• The richness of the honeycomb of knowledge of God in the heart is one of the most essential sources of love and An initiate burns with the zeal of reunion in proportion to how much this source overflows its banks, which he or she sees as the price of the favors received.

The following points which differentiate those who have a sound knowledge of God from others are important. The former have no selfish expectations from whatever good they do, never think of competition for either material or spiritual ranks nor feel jealous of anybody. They do not see themselves as being greater than anyone else, nor do they moan because of missed opportunities, anymore than they feel arrogant because of their accomplishments. Even if they were granted the kingdom of the Prophet Solomon, they would only seek God’s company, regarding it as futile to turn to other things. They feel no relation with beings other than the Almighty with respect to their worldly existence and corporeal selves, and know that one moment of God’s friendship is worth the entire world. They consider being with God among people as a victory that has been granted to their willpower, and see the Divine Will reflected in the face of their determination, recognizing the help of the Lord in the result of their endeavor, alongside many other instances of wisdom and God’s extraordinary gifts. They observe the manifestations of the Divine Oneness in the multiplicity of the creation, and thereby they grasp how a drop is transformed into an ocean, and a particle into the sun. They witness in their conscience how nothingness or non-existence is a fertile land, to be planted with existence and live drowned in ecstasies and intoxication.

Self-possession, steadfastness, seriousness, profundity, and resolution are the clearest and most important signs of perfect knowledge of God. Those who have this degree of knowledge live under the shower of the manifestations of God’s friendship and company. No sign of any flaws can be seen in their inner or outer world, nor is any laxity witnessed in their behaviors. They never show impertinence or conceit, even when favored with the most abundant gifts. On the contrary, they always act in a self-possessed manner, trying to lead a self-disciplined, spiritual life.

Obviously, everyone cannot have the same degree of knowledge of God. Some travel on the horizon of perceiving the Attributes essential to the Divine Being and the favors that accompany His Acts. They observe and avail themselves of His proofs that are found within themselves and in the outer world, with the result that their love of truth and their relation with the Greatest of Truths are witnessed in their manners. They travel between the Divine Acts, Names and Attributes and are thrilled with the different melodies of belief, knowledge of God, love, attraction and the feeling of being attracted by God to Himself. They feel in their conscience the reflections of the Divine Acts or operations in the universe and pursue more and more the pleasure entailed in observing ever new colors and aspects. This is a way bequeathed by the Prophets and it is a way that can be followed by everyone. One who travels along this way of objective truth travels toward the Ultimate Truth under the arches of His regard and compliments.

On this path there are others who feel all the dimensions in existence ending in one dimension, who feel that everything is annihilated in God. It is as if they have reached a point where the lights and manifestations of the Divine Being and Attributes come together from the perspective of humanity and annihilate their very being in the Divine Being, attaining a new existence with the Self-Subsistence of Him Who is the All-Knowing and the Ever-Existent.

While those belonging to the former group travel in the realm of the Divine Attributes and Qualities, others have already directed themselves to the Source of these Attributes and Qualities. Therefore, their observations and sensations are not aimed at either the Attributes exclusively in such a way as to veil the Being in their minds or spirits, nor at the Being exclusively in such a way as to suggest the denial of the Attributes. For this reason, such an approach has been regarded as the way of the perfected and most advanced, and the main path that is followed by those who travel to the greatest nearness to God.

The Book, the Sunna, reason, and the Divine system in creation and human primordial nature bear witness to the truth of this way along which God’s works of Art show themselves brightly. Initiates who have firmly established their feet on this path witness at every step that God witnesses His Existence and Oneness, and they cannot help but utter, God bears witness that surely there is no deity but He (3:18). They hear in their conscience the confirmations of angels and those possessed of knowledge as a reflection of God’s Own witnessing, and continue to utter: and the angels and those possessed of knowledge (also bear witness to the same truth) (3:18). Then, they see that all means and causes that are not essential to His Being having vanished, and they are able to be at perfect rest and to find perfect peace.

There are others who have such abundant knowledge of God that proofs of God are no longer needed in their world; all the things that witness Him are humbled in the face of their being in the Presence of the True Witness; all the means tremble with the shame of making distant whatever is near, and all the heralds are silent and busy with correcting the words that they have uttered. At this point, where everything is seen by the conscious nature as witnessing Him beyond all concepts of modality, the eyes are dazzled by the brightest manifestations of the “Divine Facial Light,” and all other identities save His are lost. Those who have reached this point see that the True Source of existence and knowledge surrounds everything from all sides, tasting the pleasure of perceiving every being’s perception of Him according to their level, and feeling that everything is annihilated in Him. They sense the way in which the manifestations of the Divine Names are combined with those of the Being, Attributes and Acts. The conscience is saved from any feeling of dependence on causality and reaches the horizon of Surely we belong to God (as His creatures and servants), and surely to Him we are bound to return (2:156). But this never means, as some have assumed, “absolute annihilation” or “union with God.”

Our Lord! Grant us from Your Presence a special mercy and arrange for us in our affairs what is right and for our good! And bestow blessings and peace on our master Muhammad, by whom the mysteries came to light and the lights shone brightly, and on his pure Family and Companions.

Notes

1. Here there is a reference to the Qur’anic verse, I have not created the jinn and humanity but to worship Me (51:56). To worship Me has usually been interpreted as “so that I may be known and worshipped.” (Tr.)
2. Muhammad Parisa (d., 822/1419) was a great scholar and saint from Bukhara. He passed away in Madina. Among his books al-Fusulu’s-Sitta (Six Chapters) is famous. (Tr.)
3. Mehmed Fuduli (1490-1556). The greatest poet of the Turkish classical literature. He lived in Iraq. His Diwan, (“Collection of Poems”), Layla wu Majnun (“Layla and Majnun”), and Hadiqatu’s-Su‘ada (“The Garden of the Holy Ones”) are some of his other well-known books. (Tr.)
4. The writer refers to Abu Bakr’s saying: “The inability to perceive Him is the true perception.” (Tr.)
5. 5. as-Sahawi, al-Maqasidu’l-Hasana, 21.

O you who believe! Turn to God in true, sincere repentance. (66:8)

Philosophers and scientists have long mulled over the faculties that govern our actions and thoughts. They have identified these in different ways, and there is still endless debate over these tangible and intangible faculties. There seem to be conflicting forces within us – an “evil-commanding” carnal self and a “regulatory” conscience. These have been caricatured as the devil and angel on our shoulders. Freud called this phenomenon the id and the super-ego within us: i.e. the instinctual drive and the moralizing conscience. Unrestricted drives can lead to destruction, so moral laws and society impose certain rules and consequences for such actions.

An important tool that aids this self-regulation is the feeling of guilt. However, the conscience can easily be manipulated and with some effort a rationale that justifies most actions can be found. A troubled conscience cannot be escaped forever. Non-conformity to established moral norms can be the greatest source of anxiety and guilt, and the cause of drastic internal conflicts.

In any case, everyone has something that they hold to be right and wrong, whether induced by society, revelation, or both.

For immigrants, such moral questions have an amplified effect. Living in a society that can have different moral norms to that of their cultural upbringing, which itself has variations from the religious moral values that they hold dear, can cause a turbulence of internal conflicts. “Who I am today,” and, “what made me this way?” are answered by a cohort of forces which are in perpetual conflict with one another. An immigrant realizes that their so-called innate urges, and even personality traits, are simply a set of influences that they need to learn to grow conscious of in order to truly find inner peace. During this process, however, they may develop a deep sense of guilt which they are not able to escape. The only way out could be to appeal to a higher being.

Projecting this situation onto myself, an idea came to me while I was contemplating why I am not able to get rid of my feeling of guilt. After I perceive myself to have sinned, I repent and feel sorrow for my sins, but then I repeat that sin. Why is it that I cannot stop this cycle? Is it possible, I thought, that deep in my subliminal mind, I feel at ease when I realize my weakness and inferiority before God because it is only then that I am able to truly connect with Him? If I stopped sinning, would the relief and comfort corrupt me and distance me from God?

My first reaction, of course, was that this idea must be a waswasa (a satanic whispering). Surely one’s connection to God is not merely one of embarrassment or fear, but involves qualities such as awe, gratitude, love, and rida (a satisfied resignation and submission). Also, how could I assume that I could attain a state of sinlessness when even the purest of the pure Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, felt the need to repent seventy or a hundred times a day?

What I repent for and what the Prophet repented for could not have been the same. So, I must have a misconception of what constitutes a sin. Sinning cannot simply be a case of misbehaviour or non-compliance with an order. One can make the following deduction: since sinning is unpleasant because it is accompanied by guilt (a troubled conscience), and since heartfelt guilt is as a result of immorality, then feelings of guilt can be treated as an inner motivation for repenting. Our troubled conscience is a result of a more expanded meaning of sinning, which included not just merely acting immorally but also entails things such as: lack of right action, vanity, being heedless, or even having unpleasant thoughts.

The example of Prophet David’s (peace be upon him) startling state of anguish seems to prove this point: “One day he asks God Almighty: ‘O Lord. How can I be thankful to You, since thanking You is another favour that requires thankfulness?’ The Almighty responded: ‘Just now you have done it.’”

It seems then that an extraordinary level of self-regulation and a true understanding of the meaning of repentance brings the conscious ones to bend down in modesty. They are greater sinners in their own eyes than I perceive myself to be. Alas, the only way to free myself from my deviations is to be sincere and resolute in growing conscious of my sins and to focus my attention on re-assessing my position in the face of God. At the end of the day, being conscious that God is seeing me, even at times when nobody else is, may be the only way of abstaining from sin. It is only then that I will realize there is so much more to my relationship with God than my fear and shame.

For a balanced and healthy state of mind, I have since realized that I must enrich and diversify my relationship with God. I can develop different areas of connection, for instance, through contemplating the manifestation of His names in His creation by studying the sciences; and then my astonishment of His might will be aroused and this will lead me to further gratefulness; and by turning to His word, I can establish a direct conversation with him and lend an ear to what He has to say to me. The benefits of having a concerned conscience need to be further discussed, but something is clear: if the feeling of heartfelt concern dies out and is replaced by vanity, then that is cause for serious concern.

Question: Is it possible to live a life without regrets? What needs to be done to live a life free from pangs of conscience?

Answer: If believers do not want to contaminate their lives in this world or the next with exclamations of repentance, they should get to know God first, walk on His path, endeavor to reach Him, and try to make efficient use of all the means He bestowed on His path. In order to achieve this, such believers must always lead an insightful life, never give up self-awareness, always try to correctly discern the meaning of events, and always be aware of their responsibilities and what their positions necessitate.

In different verses, the Qur’an relates the woes of the unfortunate ones who are completely lost in the Afterlife. For example, one verse states that they will voice their regret: “Oh, would that I were mere dust (instead of being a responsible being with consciousness and free will)!” Those who oppressed others and committed all sorts of atrocities in this world will wish to become stones and dust than suffer that punishment.

Another verse relates the woes of those who failed to keep on the straight path and were misguided by following others: “On that Day, the wrongdoer will bite his hands, saying (with remorse), “Oh, would that I had taken a way in the company of the Messenger.” “Oh, woe is me! Would that I had not taken so-and-so for a friend!” (al-Furqan 25:27–28).” A person who wishes to avoid wailing in the next world must live consciously now, determine well whose guidance to follow, and not give up the path of the Prophets whom God sent in order to save people from misguidance.

Actually, God never left people without any guide. Through the blessed Prophets and the saintly personages, who served as a mirror for the Divine, God Almighty has always shed light on our path. However, if people disregard these leaders of deliverance, do not follow their footsteps, and become rudderless, they lose their way and stumble into the pitfall of misguidance. The pitfall in this world transforms into a pitfall of Hell in the next. In the end, that person wails in the pitfalls of Hell with woes of: “If only…”^[1]

Those who had sound considerations here, who adopted constructive action as their main principle, and who always acted righteously, will be given their records from the right and will cheer from the glad tidings they receive (al-Haqqa 69:19–20). As for those who are given their record from the left, they will see that all of their repulsive sins are written there. Since they looked at the sinful, listened to the sinful, walked toward and committed the sinful, and recognized no Divine laws, they will see the record of what they committed; they will regret their sins very much and wail: “If only…” Even before entering Hell they will bend double with the shame of the sins they committed.

In this regard, as human beings were created as a monument by God Almighty, according to the best pattern of creation, and as angels were commanded to prostrate before them, it is essential that they do not immerse themselves in such disgrace for the sake of this passing worldly life or for worldly ambitions and temporary titles, and thus not pollute the blessing of “humanity.” If one fails to retain this Divinely bestowed, dignified position, there is the risk falling lower than the lowliest beings: They are like cattle (following only their instincts)—rather, even more astray (from the right way and in need of being led)…” (al-A’raf 7:179).

Pangs of conscience

However high a rank the human is given, so will be the depth of the pitfalls they will face in the case of falling. As Bediüzzaman stated: “One who destroys this sincerity falls from the pinnacle of friendship. They may possibly fall to the bottom of a very deep pit.”^[2] Likewise, “Difficulty is directly proportional to reward.” That is to say, however much a person is honored with God Almighty’s blessings, the greater is the risk. In the case of ingratitude for the showers of blessings God Almighty pours down, a person might stumble into a deep pit.

Some people commit blasphemy against their own position and the blessing of humanity. Despite being created with the potential for being a loyal friend of God Almighty, they become a follower of Satan. They cannot become conscious of their duty and commit unbecoming deeds that will betray the endowments they are blessed with… Such people will say: “I wish I was condemned to annihilation so that I would not see and hear these!” and even before the real punishment begins, they will feel deep pangs of conscience about what is written in their record.

A person who does not wish to suffer such regret in the Afterlife must be very righteous in this world, take the noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his Rightly Guided Caliphs as their guides, and try to lead a life like they did. Even when they were state leaders, they did not indulge in comfortable beds, they didn’t wish for luxurious mansions, and they didn’t stoop to gain worldly wealth. When the master of the Prophets demised, his armor was held in pawn by a Jewish broker in return for an amount of debt he had taken in order to support his blessed family.^[3] Similarly, the Rightly Guided Caliphs who followed his footsteps did not leave anything behind as they passed to the eternal realm beyond. They literally showed us the state in which one should leave this world. Since those who live like them will not commit anything they will regret, they will not say “If only” beyond.

Human life is not something to be gambled

In order not to wail “If only,” we should lead such a life that not we but others should be sorry for our departure from this world; as a poet expressed it: “Remember the days you were born? You were in tears, while others would gladden. Lead such a life that your death will be your bliss while others will mourn.” A baby cries after coming to this world but the family rejoices for having a new child. A person must lead such a life that death should be a means of joy for passing to a realm of inner relief and for soaring to the horizons of one’s spirit. If there will be mourning, it should be others who mourn; if there are tears to be shed, it should be others who shed tears for us. Those who rejoiced at the birth must cry this time. Those who lead such a life never say, “If only.” As for those who see this life, which is a capital bestowed on us by God, as something like dice for gambling with and thus waste it, have always wailed their regrets in this world and the next.

In particular, those devoted souls who have dedicated their hearts to serving faith and the Qur’an must completely omit “If only,” which shouldn’t be part of their present day, tomorrow, or Afterlife. They must utilize their worldly life as capital so wisely that when they depart from this world, they should rejoice with the blessings they will enjoy in the Afterlife, and the rest of the world should cry for their absence. Even after decades and centuries, they must always be paid tribute to by later generations. The Qur’an shows us these horizons: “And all those who come after them (and follow in their footsteps) pray: “O Our Lord! Forgive us and our brothers (and sisters) in Religion who have preceded us in faith, and let not our hearts entertain any ill-feeling against any of the believers…” (al-Hashr 59:10).

In this respect, a person must not commit deeds that will be the cause of disgrace and utter shame in the next world; one must always lead an upright life, and pass to the beyond in that way. Particularly, those entrusted with handing the great heritage on their shoulders to future generations should not seek the world but God; they should not let their clothes be stained with the dirt of worldliness and should say, “My God! Please do not condemn me to be without You!” They must always live and die with this consideration. As it is also stated by the noble Prophet, a person dies in accordance with how he lives, is resurrected in accordance with how he dies, and goes to his destination in the next world in accordance with how he was resurrected.

Do Not Forget, Death Comes All of a Sudden!

Bediüzzaman said, “Alas! We have been deceived. We thought that this worldly life is constant, and thus lost it thoroughly. Indeed, this passing life is but a sleep that passed like a dream. This life, having no foundation, flies like the wind.”^[4] With these words, he drew attention to the transient aspect of this world. He also said: “I am mortal, so I do not want the mortal. I am impotent, so I do not desire the impotent. I surrendered my spirit to the All-Merciful, so I desire none else. I want only one who will remain my friend forever. I am but an insignificant particle, but I desire an everlasting sun. I am nothing in essence, but I wish for the whole of creation.”^[5] Thus he pointed out that a person must seek truly great targets and that the worldly things one ambitiously seeks are not really worthy of consideration at all. May God not separate us from the path of such blessed ones, for their path is actually that of the Pride of Humanity, peace and blessings be upon him.

Let us conclude this subject by relating a short poem attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib:

O poor one who busies himself with worldly pursuits! Always deceived with the hopes of a long life!
Is it not high time you gave up this irresponsible way of yours?
Look, the journey to the beyond is close at hand!
Don’t forget, death comes one day, all of a sudden!
The grave awaits you, the box of your deeds.
Then from the troubles of this world, seek refuge in patience!
Know that your death will not happen unless the appointed hour comes!^[6]

Notes

1. Maryam 19:58–63.
2. Nursi, Bediüzzaman Said,The Gleams, New Jersey: Tughra, 2013, p. 229.
3. Sahih al-Bukhari, Jihad, 89;Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Buyu, 7; Sunan Ibn Majah, Ruhun, 1.
4. Nursi, Bediüzzaman Said,The Words, New Jersey: The Light, 2013, p. 228.
5. Nursi, Bediüzzaman Said,The Words, New Jersey: The Light, 2013, p. 235.
6. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani,Al-Munabbihat.

Those who consider religion merely a matter of conscience are corrupting religion by way of interpretations that contradict a faith’s Divinely ordained nature; by restricting the practice and wider influence of faith, they are preventing the individual, domestic, and social benefits and prosperity that God promises, but are contingent upon faith. However, religion is not only an inner conviction: it is a whole set of principles – ethical, filial, social, and legal in nature – believers are expected to fully observe. For those who subscribe to the faith, these disciplines are binding, with serious consequences for ignoring them. The principles of religion cannot be ignored, nor are the consequences of ignoring them to be taken lightly. Worldly order and balance, as well as individual and domestic peace and prosperity, depend upon these principles. The fruits of faith are eternal bliss in the world beyond.

Unfortunately, many rulers have ignored or distorted these fundamentals of faith. They have interrupted when believers wanted to practice their faith, and tyrannized people’s consciences, making it impossible for them to live in accordance with their beliefs.

Meanwhile, although some states governed under religious jurisprudence may appear to act liberally towards those who adopt a particular religion, it is almost impossible to say they act the same towards those who believe any religion or system of belief. Throughout history, Muslim rulers, those who have truly practiced Islam, have respected all religions, as well as all other philosophies. They have engaged in dialogue with peoples from all walks of life, and have treated other faiths with kindness.

Unfortunately, there have been other Muslim rulers, those who have misunderstood Islam, and rulers in general, no matter what religion they follow, who have ruled with hostility, hatred, discrimination, and fanaticism. And just as they have shrunk their own personal horizons, they have diminished the heavenly immensity of faith, turning belief into a system of oppression instead of a system of relief. They have employed hatred, anger, and jealousy against their coreligionists, and oppressed the “others” with violence, war, and many other various means of barbarism.

Today, there are many secular and liberal systems in which religion is separated from the state. Although governments under these systems claim to provide religious freedoms, it is no secret that many of them impose disbelief by force and treat religion and the faithful with intolerance. When such oppressive regimes dominate the fate of an entire nation, it becomes commonplace that the peace and stability of the people are threatened, and the society is ruled by intimidation. When people of faith have lived under such leaders, their struggle has been for the freedom of conscience against crude power. This campaign for freedom is an ancient one, and unfortunately, in this fight some clergymen took sides with the power, did not abstain to act like those who were against faith, and oppressed their fellow community.

Throughout history, many communities have suffered from violence and discrimination at the hands of their racist leaders. Divinely inspired faiths, which promise peace and security, have been turned into means of conflict and oppression by these leaders. Such a distortion of faith always resulted in the eventual destruction of the oppressors.

During the Crusades, great crimes were committed in the name of Jesus, peace be upon him. Though there is no doubt those “crusaders” thought they were doing good, by committing atrocities, they were misconstruing Jesus’ message of compassion and love. They claimed to be his followers, but they invented many groups of “others” and marginalized them in an illusory attempt to please Jesus and to be rewarded with heaven. The Crusades, of course, are not the only example of such violence committed in the name of religion. Many people have been murdered, throughout history, for opposing a state’s “official” religion. Such violence and unrest eventually led thinkers and philosophers to take action. Their foundational premise of action was that a religion sent by God would not command people to harm and kill one another. The growth of science helped to bring about reforms, which were quite effective at dividing religious and state affairs. Unfortunately, this split has gone too far, moving from the state, into the personal. The word of God was replaced by the word of humanity, and faith was once again shrunk and imprisoned to the individual’s inner conscience, as if it was just an ordinary theory.

Religious belief, by definition, can only maintain heavenliness when practiced in accordance with the principles prescribed by God, not by the limits defined in any kind of ideology or legal system. Indeed, in addition to the freedom of personally practicing religion, believers need to be free to express their faith, either verbally or in writing or in any other medium, without being punished. There is no freedom of faith and conscience when restrictions are imposed on religious practice, whether it is in the public or private sphere.

At the present, it appears that the Western world has mostly solved its own problems after experiencing long periods of turmoil with regards to secularism or laicism. Nevertheless, secularism, i.e. the separation of church and state was never considered as the one and only irrefutable solution to all the world’s problems, but rather as a means of reconciliation and a warranty for the freedom of faith and conscience. We can argue that in many countries where secularism has been defined as such, both religion and secularism have existed without conflict, even perhaps with some sense of mutual support. In some other countries where secularism is being used to oppress religion and religious practice, this is mainly because these countries fail to bring a scholarly definition to secularism, or that those in power are radically opposed to religion and all of its aspects, or because of other sources of power which strive to generate chaos in the country.

We can all agree that religious believers should not infringe upon the rights of others, but the state should also not infringe upon the rights of believers to practice their faiths. To do so would impact the divinity of religion and will generate false interpretations of religion based on foreign concepts. Such a development has the potential to cause serious problems at the global level.

Muslims believe that Islam is a perfected system of worship and ethics, and a spiritual journey leading to Paradise and eternal bliss. Muslims also believe that Islam lays out guidelines for solving individual, filial, economic, administrative, and social problems. It is not fair to ignore these qualities, which can contribute to social peace and security, as well as to dialogue and understanding among nations. Islam – despite Muslims’ shortcomings in its practice – is a universal faith of perfection and excellence, and undoubtedly one of its most significant aspects is that it recognizes the religions of truth and Prophets of the past. Islam refers to members of all the religions of truth as the “People of the Book”; not only did Islam recognize members of other religions, but also immediately implemented regulations in terms of safeguarding their rights. Since the very beginning, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, treated members of other religions with extreme tolerance. He was very delicate regarding this matter, and constantly encouraged his followers to behave in the same manner, calling upon them to be a nation that would be an example to others. Muslims always complied with this appeal, and, with the exception of the harsh and fanatical stances of certain illiberal, inhumane individuals during certain periods, have to a large extent acted with tolerance. The Qur’an clearly defines how Muslims should behave: “There is no compulsion in the religion. The right way stands there clearly distinguished from the false…” (Al-Baqarah 2:256).

“There is no compulsion in religion” refers to methods of reasoning while engaging with others. Some scholars even interpret the verse as meaning no aspect of religion can be forced on others. Thus, based on this commentary, religion can never rely on force; it is a matter of personal choice. As opposed to coercion, Islam has always pledged to protect others from oppression and ensured that every group could freely practice their chosen faith. Furthermore, Islam recognized oppression not only as disrespectful to the individual, but also to the spirit of religion; indeed, coercion or oppression is disrespectful to humans, for it infringes upon free will, which is what separates humankind from other creatures. It is also disrespectful towards religion, as faith is based upon sincerity, and a heart freely accepting faith. Belief and religious duties that are not recognized in the heart are not accepted. Indeed, just as belief imposed upon people with force or oppression is not faith, those who express such “faith” are not believers. If anything, such individuals are hypocrites, and the behavior and actions they perform in the name of religious duties are nothing but ostentation.

Religion is a source of prosperity and kindness. It is not an unpleasant thing that people can only accept by compulsion. In this respect, enforcing religion and religious issues rather than explaining the topic of faith in a civil manner may cause antipathy towards religion. In the very same section where the Qur’an prohibits compulsion, it also delineates the right path from the wrong based on the evidence through external and internal proofs, on the divine messages and legacy conveyed by God’s messengers, and on the teachings and guidance of faithful teachers.

Our predecessors who appreciated this used evidence and persuasive methods laid out by religion in an attempt to convey matters regarding faith and religion. They did not try to force others to join their faith, and everyone lived in accordance with their own faith. People were free to express themselves and never encountered any juridical or administrative problems. Amidst this atmosphere of tolerance, no one was subjected to any kind of oppression with regards to freedom of belief. People were not expelled from their homes or countries, or tried by the courts. People followed the religion of their choice, and were under constant protection on the condition that they abided by their pledge and fulfilled their responsibilities as citizens. Those who broke their pledge and did not fulfill their duties as citizens, who attempted to divide and destroy the nation, who openly rebelled against the legitimate rule and committed terrorist attacks, or who oppressed others, were punished according to their crimes. Peace was upheld.

In the Islamic faith, not only did Muslims act in this manner regarding freedom of faith and conscience, they did not also try to coerce people regarding worship or social relations. In fact, even during times of conflict, Islam granted the right of residence to those who agreed to pay the prescribed taxes, and never intervened in another group’s beliefs or religious practices. As for those who persisted in fighting against the Muslims, following their defeat, they were also granted civil rights in return for taxes, and were left to question their own actions. In addition, Islam enforced the same rules for those who were defeated in battle as those who voluntarily came and asked for the protection of the state, and everyone was allowed to benefit from all the privileges of citizenship, on the condition that they would cause no harm to the state or its citizens.

This immense tolerance displayed by Islam in the name of the freedom of belief and conscience is by no means limited to those who sought refuge in its guardianship alone; Islam has constantly guarded the same values throughout the world. It came to the aid of the aggrieved, helped the oppressed, supported those who fell, and continuously enforced the truth. Islam has opposed the oppression of souls everywhere it has reached, and prepared the foundation for the voluntary acceptance of faith in people’s hearts. By virtue of this agreement, it has prevented the people from being forced into following a religion, philosophy, or ideology against their own will, and whenever possible prevented all kinds of oppression. Wherever it has been, Islam has secured the public peace and tranquility among a vast body of various communities, and stimulated respect for the principle messages of all the Prophets.

Islam places a high priority on freedom of conscience and faith due to its history. The rightly guided caliphs gave great importance to freedom of conscience, and since it was granted to minorities during the period of the Prophet, they enforced it with the utmost sensitivity. In later periods, this practice was maintained without any changes or deviations. From the periods of the Umayyads and Abbasids, to the eras of light, and to the Ottoman period – with few exceptions – all Muslim administrations granted minorities the right to practice religion, perform religious rituals, and educate their children as they wished. Minorities were also free to assemble and join various foundations and societies in efforts to maintain their cultures. They could restore their old places of worship and construct new ones, and nothing was demanded from them in return, except that they abide by the general laws and regulations of the country.

In the context of their age, the Umayyads and Abbasids from Damascus, the Andalusian Muslims, and the Ottomans can all be classified as a model in this respect. Paving the way for the Renaissance, they introduced the West to many things in terms of knowledge and insight; they not only fulfilled their duties of faith, but also did not interfere with the beliefs or cultures of others, and for centuries displayed an exemplary form of administrative conduct. But unfortunately, following the destruction of their states, they were slaughtered, and none were granted the right to remain in the region. Their people had to go through invasions, colonization, interventions, embargos, and oppression, in terms of freedom of faith and conscience.

I believe that all of these constitute, and will continue to constitute, a good example of the stance of past civilizations in terms of the freedom of faith and conscience. I am aware that, in the interest of dialogue, we should not inflame passions, but I also believe that while pointing out problems it is also important to emphasize the good aspects of our past. This is especially important today, since oppression continues. Although I am not certain that cautioning against such behavior will awaken the local and international oppressors to their mistakes, I certainly have no doubt that responding to them in this manner is a duty incumbent upon us all.

From another perspective, austerity is described as holding back from carnal pleasures in order to acquire piety, righteousness, and nearness to God, and to discover the hidden realities of existence and the Divine truths. It combines the following of God’s way without any deviation, making use of willpower and conscience in the best way by taking refuge in the atmosphere of spiritual life against the pressures and excessive desires of the carnal soul.

“State” and “station,” regarded as crystal-like indicators of a person’s spiritual life, are certain “pools” of indescribable spiritual pleasures mixed with the breezes from the worlds beyond that one can experience through austerity on the way to God. These are based on love of God and the attainment of His approval. Reaching these “pools” and feeling and living in the spacious world of the spirit within the love of God and His good pleasure is possible through austerity and through training the carnal soul, and can be achieved by enhancing the spirit with virtues.

A person capable of sustaining an austere life is a person of tested faith or loyalty in relationships with the Creator, the Ultimate Truth, and also in relationships with the created. This is the natural state for austerity-the ambition to become a person of truth by liberating oneself from worldly ambitions and carnal inclinations and becoming devoted to the Almighty Truth. Austerity is training the carnal soul to realize true humanity and to make the love of God the source of human feelings, thoughts and behavior. In other words, the purpose of an austere life is to think for the sake of God, to speak for the sake of God, to love for the sake of God, and to remain in the sphere of doing or not doing something only for the sake of God, to obtain His approval and good pleasure-purely because God wants us to do it or not to do it-and to always be with God.

Some see austerity as humiliating the carnal soul, which we can interpret as the annihilation of the evil-commanding soul which always pursues evils, or as being freed from selfishness and self-conceit or overcoming bodily desires in accordance with the maxim, “Die before you die!” From this perspective, austerity can be regarded as plowing the carnal soul, as one plows a field, in order to sow the seeds of goodness and virtue, and bringing them into flower by giving them the necessary water and heat in favorable weather.

The couplet,
Be soil, such fertile soil, that roses can grow in you;
For nothing other than soil can have the honor of growing roses.

describes this state of soul which has acquired perfection, humility, and self-annihilation. Sufi scholars and thinkers have also taken another approach to austerity. They distinguish two types of austerity. The first is “austerity in manners,” which means being freed from weaknesses and vices in order to acquire a second nature, while the other is “austerity in goals,” which means having the best goal and pursuing it in this world. This approach can also be summed up as disciplining the carnal soul and acquiring good, laudable virtues. The statement found in the Lujja, “The wisdom in austerities is training the reason and the soul” confirms this approach.

Some who have acquired austerity in the most approved manner have made another classification of austerity, as follows:

• The austerity followed by those who are at the beginning of the Sufi way to God consists of combining and adorning good morals or good nature with knowledge, and the practice of religion with sincerity and purity of intention, and to observe both the rights of the Creator and the rights of the created.
• The austerity followed by those who have advanced on the Sufi way to God is to become free of all considerations with respect to anything other than God and, by paying heed to the voice of the inner sense of reliance on God and of seeking help -something that everyone feels in their conscience-to remain true to the direction to which their conscience points. Furthermore, this degree of austerity also demands being oblivious of even the way one is following, because of absorption in seeking God’s good pleasure.
• The austerity followed by those who have reached the end of the way enables them to experience the Divine manifestations free from all differences and polarities. That is, it enables them to feel in the depths of their heart the unity and harmony of apparently opposed Divine Names and Attributes, with all their manifestations. It is, therefore, a way to see and experience God without seeing any difference between His being the All-Favoring and the All-Requiting or the All-Expanding and the All-Straitening or the All-Granting and the All-Preventing.

The nature of human beings bears both material and divine aspects. Some other expressions, like angelic-satanic, material-moral, corporeal-spiritual, and sensual-conscientious, are also used to refer, with nuance, to the same dichotomy. To us, it is much more suitable to handle and assess the moral and material aspects of human beings, one by one, as distinct mechanisms apart from each other. I would rather call the moral one as “the mechanism of the conscience” and the other as “the mechanism of the soul.” Innermost faculties such as the heart, the spirit, the secret (sir), the private (khafiy), the most private (akhfa), willpower, the conscious, feelings and senses form the mechanism we call the conscience. All kinds of lust, caprice, spite, hatred, anger, and obstinacy – the features endowed to human beings for particular reasons and purpose – compose the mechanism of the soul (nafs). These two mechanisms almost always function against each other. However, if the mechanism of the conscience overcomes the other, the mechanism of the soul, too, is transformed to positive, and becomes a mechanism serving human beings to rise and be exalted.

As classified by sufis, the mechanism of the soul may become useful for human beings if “it” breaks away from the state of evil that commands it (ammara) and moves on to higher levels of self-condemnation (lawwama), inspiration (mulhama), serenity and peace; these represent the soul at rest (mutmainna), the soul well-pleased (with God) (radiyya), the soul pleasing to God (mardiyya), and the purified or innocent self or soul (safiyya). Due to this fact, it is deficient to only deal with the mechanism of conscience of the human beings.

Let’s take lust as an example. If this feeling is merely employed for its own sake, it shall become a complete source of evil. However, it can become a means of sainthood when used within permissible conditions, say between married couples whose love and marital relations will be rewarded. When the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, were surprised to learn this, he explained that “if a person does not fulfill that desire within permissible conditions, he or she would do it through forbidden means. By keeping himself within lawful terms, he avoided the forbidden.” Avoiding a sin is as rewarding as if one has fulfilled a required duty. This is a very logical explanation, as much as it is very much in compliance with human nature. So, even through this feeling belonging to the mechanism of soul, one may gain Paradise.

As a matter of fact, we may use all senses under the mechanism of the soul as inducements for the beauties of Paradise. I mean, just as one may live some dimensions belonging to Paradise through the feelings and senses belonging to the conscience, he or she may, in the same way, feel and comprehend the incidents belonging to Paradise through some senses belonging to the soul, assuming those senses have been followed with a particular discipline. Indeed, this may be one of the mysteries and causes of the fact that Paradise shall address both the soul and the corporeal body. (As a side note, it would be rather reasonable to interpret Adam’s creation from soil such as loam, dried clay, etc., as to inform us of the nature of human beings. Otherwise, interpreting them as the clay and loam of the world known by us shall be a deficient interpretation.)

Another example could be feelings of rage or anger. The feeling of rage has the potential to make people turn rotten; they can so far as to become murderers, like Pharaohs who have blood in their hearts and minds, hands and eyes. However, if one can activate the feeling of rage when he or she needs to fight for honor and homeland, they will be ennobled with praise and reward. You see, such anger is welcomed by God, just as favorably as mildness is. Now, take into consideration that merely using our earthly aspects correctly can make people rise so high, and then imagine what may happen if we use our conscience well!

Yes, one can reach the levels of angels, even through his or her earthly side. And if the conscience, in addition, becomes part of this ascension, he or she shall be superior to the angels. Indeed, there is no compulsion for angels; their will power is manifested in the form of choosing from alternatives, all of which are good anyway. Human beings are charged with using their will power to make a choice between good and bad. As the award shall be proportional to the difficulty, a human choosing goodness, despite the temptations of their carnal soul, shall be superior to the angels.

Conscience originates from a root that means “to find” in Arabic. One uses his conscience to find both himself and his Lord. Hundreds of thinkers – from great figures of Islamic thought like Imam Rabbani, Imam Gazali, Rumi, and Bediuzzaman, to many others in the West – have handled the question of human conscience with their particular inner discoveries and perceptions.. Here, I want to draw special attention to the terms of “inner discovery and perception.” In fact, saints experience the pleasures of the conscience through inner discoveries, as truths are unveiled in their hearts. Thinkers and philosophers, on the other hand, experience this “finding” through perception. Interestingly, both groups agree with the fact that the conscience never lies. Among the main and essential evidences demonstrating the existence of God, Bediuzzaman counts the conscience, too, in his early works. But later, as he did not consider the conscience as an objective everyone could understand, he discounted it.

Yes, indeed, not every one is able to comprehend the cryptic language of the conscience. Thus it cannot be considered as objective evidence. But, for those who can understand that language, the conscience is the greatest and keenest of all the evidences. No other information or wealth of knowledge can make one attain a higher level of awareness than what they can attain through their conscience.

There are two main points about the realm of the conscience: the point of support and the source of help. With these, we comprehend very clearly that we are impotent and destitute. And, with this comprehension, we rely fully on God Almighty and wish from God whatever we wish. In as much as we bear that need to seek help, it becomes clear that there should exist Someone to give that help to us. Otherwise, giving this need to human beings would be absurd. Indeed, there exists no absurdity in the universe. There is definitely a counterpart to any feeling we human beings bear. In the same vein, there shall undoubtedly be counterparts of those points in the conscience. Nevertheless, it is not possible to sense this for someone who has not listened to his or her conscience in his or her life. Though consciousness is a part belonging to the conscience, it does not bear any value, for it is a single entity. At the time, when willpower is controlled by feelings and the heart, it, too, becomes almost another center of conscience. Like all the loquacious, eloquent witnesses of the existence of God, the conscience, too, is a holy and heavenly resonance that calls out the truth. But, this merely happens if a particular conscience is one of the consciences we have described above. Otherwise, to expect those results from a conscience yoked by its carnal soul would be impossible.

Yes, imagine someone who has completely become a slave to lust, animosity, anger, or worldly status. Whatever he or she does, this person is under the impact of these negative feelings that are wrapped around his or her soul. Such a conscience is bound hand and foot, and it lacks any influence. We call such a person “conscienceless,” in the fullest meaning of the term. These kinds of people do not have any kind of knowledge about the mechanism of the conscience; it is not possible for them to feel the meaning it denotes and its objective beyond objectives. Another significant remark on the matter is from Immanuel Kant, in the Critic of Pure Reason. He notes that God shall be known through practical reason, but not a theoretical one. That is, the nice behavior and actions of someone become, through time, the very nature of him or her, and help them reach the point that may not be attained through abstract knowledge. Yes, abstract knowledge and information can never ascend people to those high positions. No matter how many books they read or memorize, those lacking resolution and deprived of theological practice cannot attain the peace felt by believers. The necessary practices are clear to us: the practices that are approved by faith as good, and defined as “righteous actions.” In this way, we properly utilize the conscience, and can implement its lessons to carry out righteous acts in real life.