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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Humankind seems to be heading in some direction – a direction of vengeance and hate. This looks less like “heading in,” and more like “falling into,” a situation one cannot easily guess; a destination one can hardly know. To say that their destination is hell is perhaps succumbing to pessimism; but to say that they are bound for heaven is simply delusional. Hearts beat with anger, pride is rampant, ideas are broken, and judgment is careless. Any search for dialogue is artificial, and stems from self-interest. Discussion forums function as battlefields or arenas. It seems as if everything is set to divide society into different factions. People behave rudely and speak aggressively while groups engage intolerantly. In the words of Mehmet Akif, “Loyalty is nowhere to be found; promises not honored; trust is a meaningless word / Lying is the currency; deceit is everywhere; justice is obscure…” As society weeps, its enemies rejoice.

To halt this downward spiral, we must act with tolerance and love. We need faithful and loving hearts devoted to the worldly, and other-worldly, happiness of humanity. We need selfless souls, like Bediuzzaman who said, “There is neither love of heaven nor fear of hell in my eyes; I am ready to burn in the flames of Hell, if this will secure the faith of my people.”

Love is a universal language that addresses the human spirit without words. It is a magical source of power that attracts and enchants hearts, and that no one, not even wild spirits, can resist. Yes, even the uncivilized understands its soft, friendly language.

Love holds the power and magic of prophetic influence. When love, in its unique language, rains upon the vastness of our soul, we feel its message deep in our soul, and are immediately inclined to accept it.

Even without uttering a word, one can convey the “book” in their soul, with all its pages and chapters, to another person when their heart beats with love, their face reflects honesty, and their eyes smile with genuine sincerity.

According to the degree of its sincerity, the sound and breath of love often stir our feelings, carrying us from trust to submission, from submission to acceptance, and from acceptance to faith. It whispers to our spirits wondrous meanings that cannot be conveyed by the most eloquent speeches nor even by the most famous books.

Love’s cryptic melodies echo on the hillsides of our hearts like the songs of nightingales. They embrace us like lullabies, so sweet that they move us to tears of delight and joy.

Love, with its air like a mother’s warm embrace and its magic like keys that can open any door, is a splendid faucet that fills our hearts with the essence of all creation and eternal beauty. As we feel the river of affection flowing from this pure faucet, our emotions rise and our spirits soar; breaking through the ceiling of our ego, we attain a sense of eternal exhilaration.

Hearts that breathe the invigorating, purified air of love feel, and reveal the boundless depths of being human. They comprehend the mysteries of eternity. In fact, they reach eternity, take on the color of eternity, and say, “for His sake,” while they shower their surroundings with love. They become souls who seek eternity everywhere.

Love existed before us. It was the first melody that awakened mankind to existence, and the first cradle in which he was rocked. Here, we aim to murmur once again in the name of love, with a new accent in an old pitch; with a new rendition of an old melody; and a simple shift in style, hoping that love will conquer enmity, hatred, despair, and discord. After this, who knows how many burning melodies will be sung with new expressions and voices; who knows what piercing songs will be sung that will illuminate our world like fireworks.

If mankind could only enter the simple, magical path of love, they could surpass the steepest summits of hatred and anger that appear insurmountable to others. They could pass over seas of blood, walk in spring climates like the hillsides of heaven, and embrace spirits illuminated with love. Their lives   would unfold in the warmth of a bird’s nest and the safety of a mother’s bosom; allowing them to experience the beauty of being human.

At a time when mankind has been defeated by revenge and hostility, and the masses are being dragged into disputes and fighting; when might silences right, and those in power behave like tyrants towards those who oppose them; when the cruel and oppressive are applauded and praised, and the innocent are pushed around, we must again assert the power of love, even if we do so with shaken hopes. We assert this and believe that love will change the rhythm of our lives, elevating us from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from floundering in banality to ascending to transcendence. We nurture the hope that we will catch those lucid dreams we felt and lived in our childhood.

To the degree that we can equip ourselves with love, respect, and understanding, society will change, and so will the color of things and events. True human values will emerge, and the dozens of advantages we gain by being “the honored creature” will be preserved rather than squandered. All the beauties that arise from belief and culture, which have been lost in history, will be revived and restored; in fact, they will be ours again, allowing us to relive the life we once knew and taste infinite and timeless pleasures and delights, all at once. If only we, too, could awaken to this faith and the deep love therein, as the first believers did…

Sacred days and nights imbue everything and everyone with their own color, their own distinctive taste, and their own accent; they soften everything within their embrace, add to them a dream-like quality, and enable them to attain an unfathomable profundity. In those times, there is a deep charm sensed almost everywhere, from the streets and marketplaces, homes and places of worship, schools and barracks—a celestial gleaming on the countenances of the believers, and a holiness trickling from their gaze. The multicolored lights beaming into our eyes during the hours of the night, in particular, ceaselessly whisper to us the songs of residence in another dimension. Every countenance we encounter in homes, places of work, places of worship, sometimes ripple with sorrow, but they also occasionally surge with hope and expectation, as though perpetually experiencing a journey to union and becoming a cascade of emotion. Then we flow forth to eternity.

As the fervor for worship and devotion increases in our hearts, our ability to sense and experience everything in a different way bubbles over, so to speak, and draws us into its own ocean. At such times, our material connections weaken, our spirits are freed from mundane attachments, and we suppose ourselves to have ascended to a point from which we can wholly observe all creation. From now on, we embrace and love the plains and prairies, mountains and foothills, the houses in which we were raised, the places of worship in whose climate we prepared for the life Hereafter – in short, we love everything animate and inanimate as favors which have come forth from His hand. We breathe them into our lungs like oxygen and release a sigh of relief.

During these luminous days and nights, which rise forever like a flood of light, an enchanting belief, an intimate knowledge of the divine, love, and otherworldliness glisten in the comportment and general manner of believers. These spiritual delights surpass all material delights and pleasures, and everybody sets out towards the sacred horizon of their own unique axis. On this path, every believer attains a small union as they pass one more level each day, and thus crown, as it were, their blessed journey. As they experience reunion on a daily basis, they are reminded of the “great reunion” the dreams of which they nourish their souls with. They beam with the beauties filling their emotions, with the hopes burgeoning in the bosom of worship, and the meanings cascading in the eyes and hearts of all believers. Then, they descend into an otherworldly silence as if swimming in a magical stream which channels out to timelessness.

These fortunate ones have now reached the sea of pleasure sought by their spirits. Now, the eye of their hearts witnesses eternal beauties in the form of flowers blossoming in the gaze of the Beloved, or beams of light projecting from His beauty. They find themselves in a garden abounding with diverse fruits, roses, and flowers, entranced with the warmth of the welcome and reception of the One to Whom they devoted themselves for a lifetime. In their inner world they even sense the winds of promise in another dimension, of some of the bounties they are unable to reach in this realm, the flowing forth of reward. They sense being embraced by the profound and eternal mercy of the Owner of Infinite Mercy. With this state of mind, they experience life anew; they love everything more deeply, embrace others with tenderness, and they smell everything that reminds God like a rose.

During sacred days and nights, everyone—women and men, young and old, those who know and those who do not know, common people and the learned—takes on the spiritual beauties of this blessed time with their utmost elegance and refined manner in a more resplendent way than those existing in fables. They drape upon their faces, like a veil, the awe and splendor of having believed. They open and shut their eyes with the lights of the realms beyond, imbue their own scent and color to everyplace they visit. They become celestial, so to speak, in the depths of their feelings, and each believer becomes angelic. One cannot help but imagine the lamps of the minarets and in the streets to be emanating from their refined looks, pearls and feelings scattered all around – they are nothing but angelic beings in the eyes of others.

Indeed, these pure countenances ripple with belief, love, yearning, dreams, hope, pleasure, and reunion. Robust, enamored, blissful, and silent. The attitudes, behaviors, and looks which express the meaning in their spirits forever become manifest in their surroundings like the unreachable dimension of otherworldliness within the human being, and this enthralls all those who sense and perceive it.

During sacred days, some of us release ourselves by shedding our usual restrictive logic, and we give in to joy, elation, thrill, and tears, as though we have been invited to a heavenly realm. Some of us imagine ourselves to have embarked on a journey among the stars and come head to head with the sun and moon, and are overtaken by the impression that our breaths have blended into the breaths of the angels. Our hearts soften, our eyes water, the knots we have frequently felt within us loosen, and the nodes of the self are untied to be freed from carnality. Thus, our tears sweep before them all the problems pervading our spirits, and our consciences breathe a great sigh of relief, exclaiming, “All praise be to God.”

Everyone begins to sense, to the extent of the meaning filling their own heart, certain profundities they were hitherto unable to see, due to the carnal constraints: the young awaken with a sense of doing justice to their strength, power, and vitality; the middle-aged strive to be more productive in accordance with the self-possession procured by their experience and knowledge; and the elderly overflow with the joy of preparation for eternal bliss and the realms to which their spirits flutter. Everyone opens the eye of their heart, as though feeling their own destiny, which they were unable to sense completely before this time. They are exuberant or sorrowful with their own lot and turn to their own future; their eyes smile with the promises of their time, and their countenance deepens with meaning.

The sounds of public proclamations rising from mosques and minarets add a unique flavor and richness to this general state, such that everything—from the blowing wind to the pouring rain—brushes past our faces with His perfume and permeates our hearts with the elixir of immortality. The morning breeze makes itself felt like a breath from eternity and thrills our hearts like tidings and favors coming from Him. These enchanting minutes in which we thus turn to Him appear, by virtue of our belief, love, and hopes, as drops of the truth of eternity. They pour forth into our souls, stimulate the seeds of the tree of paradise in the depths of our spirit to yield fruit, and allow us to travel incessantly on the heavenly slopes in our hearts.

God is always beautiful and gracious, but we feel this meaning more deeply during particular periods of time. During such periods, which are considered to be the springtime of our spirits, He draws the entire rhapsody of our heart to Himself, makes His beauty and attraction felt to an irresistible degree, and revitalizes us each moment with a separate bounty and new favor. I do not think these blessed hearts have another pleasure greater than this one, for this spiritual pleasure springs from the Divine love innately found in humans and the Infinitely Merciful’s honoring them with His grace. His regard and favors are infinite and endless to the degree of the person’s love and connection being both from the heart and eternal.

“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence,” the idiom goes. We tend to underestimate – or ignore totally – what falls on our share, on our side. Our eyes keep scanning across the street and across the horizon seeking more than we already have, which – we feel – is not enough. This is as true for the “earth” on the ground as it is off the ground for the planet Earth – the world is not as “green” as we want, it does not offer us enough resources to exploit, it is not as big as to be home for our growing populations, etc. etc. Wait – could that be because we have been abusing it for a long time now? This by no way means we should stop exploring the outer space; but perhaps we first should work on the easier path by establishing more decisive policies to save our world, which is in fact big enough for all. And we can start doing that by becoming aware of the problem. The lead article laments on the fact that the destruction we have caused “has reached a stage beyond imagination” putting “mother earth” “face to face with the betrayal of her own children.” For Bediuzzaman, the planet Earth is the heart of the universe, while the element earth is the heart of our world. The lead article emphasizes the centrality of both “earths” while exposing the crisis we are facing. The green on our side is not so bad after all.

Exploring the outer space – as long as it does not cause the “earth” to be underestimated – is an inspiring experience to its own credit. The title of the article “Planets – Lined Up Like Beads of a Rosary” speaks for itself. The way planets are in the order they are does not only have a mathematical rationality, but it also displays mind-blowing beauty.

Love is something everyone feels but can hardly define. You know it is there deep down in your soul, but you are unable to put into words. Kemal Atay discusses this undefinable phenomenon we call love. Drawing on from the discussions of giant philosophers like Socrates and Plato, Atay inspires us to realize the fact that true love transcends physical boundaries. Socrates explains that love “in its entirety and true form is a desire for the highest beauty and good existing outside of the physical world. All other intermediate things are veils and stones, obstructing the way.”

Death is only once, isn’t it? Maybe not. A Qur’anic verse says it is more than once. Dr. Mehmet Ates explains how we die and live twice. Dr. Ates interprets this interesting Qur’anic verse by looking into how life forms in the womb.

Love in our times is associated more than anything else with romance, which usually lasts not that long. Yet true love is way beyond temporary feelings of excitement between two individuals – it is a key for us humans to be “inheritors of the world” if we can adopt it as a foundation of our morality. When combined with Divine knowledge, Fethullah Gülen writes in the lead article, this morality of love enables us to introduce a civilization and a renaissance that enlightened the world. The morality of love means to recognize the human being in their noble status of “the most perfect creation,” not reduce them to the level of any animal, and to uphold their inviolable rights and liberties. “Given the circumstances today,” Gülen warns, “we need to revisit what we consider ‘human values.’”

From a scientific perspective, Brian Turks weighs the value of human being by looking into the heart, the center of “love.” Beating about 3 billion times in a person’s lifetime, the heart tirelessly fulfills its duty with many precise mechanisms occurring during each and every beat. Like a pump our heart is electrically powered, but without a need to be plugged into an outlet. It has a generator that sends out the electric pulse which is controlled by a braking system to allow all the blood to be pumped, so our body does not starve!

In a similar vein, F. Nurcihan Can focuses on the human nervous system, and tells us how she marveled at the magnificence of its functioning. During the Covid lockdowns, she turned the quarantine into an opportunity by taking online neuroscience classes. From the electrical properties of the neuron to the amazing structure of the skull, Can writes in this issue that all of these organs function as if they have mastered in physics, mathematics, and chemistry. Since this cannot be possible, Can notes, the only explanation left is that they are obedient servants of the One Who is the Preserver, the All-Merciful, the Protector, and the Fashioner.

One important dimension of “love” is balance. Going to extremes is not helpful in anything, including love, as explained in the Q&A in this issue. The story of Abel and Cain reminds us of the human condition that we may love some people while feeling anger for others. Yet, circumstances might just change to place us enemies with our own siblings, or friends with those who were once enemies. So as not to feel regret for how we behaved before, we are recommended to keep in mind what tomorrow may bring to our doorstep. The way Abel responded to his brother is also emphasized as the best form of response, for responding to evil with evil is not the best human character and does not help to establish a peaceful society.

Question: Oppression is everywhere and exists in almost every form. How should believers respond to oppression when they have to face it?

Oppression, at its most basic form, is a transgression of boundaries and a violation of others’ rights. Killing an ant is oppressive, for nobody is authorized to take an animal’s right to life unjustly. If it is human who is being unjustly treated then it is definitely a form of oppression of a much higher magnitude. As for the oppression committed against a collective group of people, that is an incomparably greater and more horrible misdeed.

Irrespective of its exact nature, believers are seriously warned not to oppress others. Otherwise, it will appear on the Day of Judgment as a manifold darkness that will suffocate and distress the one who oppresses (Bukhari, Mazalim 9; Muslim, Birr 56). Each act of oppression and injustice – be it against animals, people, or even God – will appear before that person as a separate trouble in the Afterlife.

Oppression, according to some insightful scholars, is among one of the obstacles that can prevent a person from embracing faith. While it is an obstruction to having belief in God, it is similarly a significant reason that causes believers to drift out of the realm of faith.

Preventing oppression

Given that oppression is evil to this degree in regard to how other people are treated, it definitely needs to be prevented. According to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, everyone should try to prevent oppression depending upon their capability, power, and position be it by direct intervention or via verbal objection. In the event that a person cannot resist oppression physically or verbally, it is at least necessary to protest the oppressor in one’s heart (Sahih al-Muslim, Iman 78; Tirmidhi, fitan 11; Abu Dawud, salat 239). Likewise, it is a famous old adage that “(the) one who remains silent before oppression is a mute devil.”

Preventing oppression on a smaller scale is within the capability of individuals, but there are some forms of oppression that can only be prevented by the state. In this contemporary world when justice and democracy have wide – though not perfect – prevalence such oppressions are committed at degrees big enough that even states are not able to tackle them. Preventing those oppressions and successions of atrocities, by which people are swept away in floods of blood, families are shattered, children are orphaned, and spouses are widowed, can only be possible through the hands of certain international establishments and organizations. In this respect, those who remain silent before oppression while they have the power to stop it—be they individuals, a state, or an international establishment—in a way have a share in that oppression by turning a blind eye to it and not taking the preventive action that they could have, and they will be treated accordingly on the Day of Judgment.

As it is very important to take a stance against oppression and to prevent it, determining the correct strategy to follow while not making any mistakes with the method is no less important. People must reckon well from the beginning how they can prevent unfairness, be aware of their capabilities, and also must not exacerbate problems while attempting to prevent oppression. They must not commit evil by thinking that they are doing something good.

Nothing good can come from oppression

It is a gross delusion to think that one can reach any positive goal via oppression and injustice. While it is not possible to obtain any favorable outcome with oppression, it is not possible to reclaim one’s violated rights via oppression either. If people try to move themselves or their societies in a new direction, or try to reclaim the rights that they lost by means of oppression, then this will give way to new acts of oppression, violations of rights, and a shattered system of justice. If these demands are for rights to be upheld and for justice to prevail, then strict adherence to a righteous course is needed from beginning to end. Just as the end should be lawful, so should be the means and ways to that end.

We do not know exactly to what degree we can prevent any oppression and injustice in our time. What matters most is being on the path to setting things right and correcting previous misdeeds. The duties that befall the wayfarers of the righteous path are that they must always be representatives of what is right and truthful, open one’s heart to everyone, and also not respond to oppression and injustice committed in the same wrong way. To put this in the words of the Poet Nabi:

“Do not trouble anyone with oppression
Even if they did oppress you, you do not be unjust to them
Do not arrive at God’s door with complaints
As for those who oppressed you, leave them to the Divine.”

Be like Rumi

In many instances, we quote, with a little bit of boastful considerations, the names of masters such as Jalaluddin Rumi, Yunus Emre, Ahmad Yasawi, or Haji Baktash Wali and bring their tolerance to attention. It is easy to make mention of Rumi, but it is difficult to be like him. At a time when you make mention of Rumi, are you really able to open your arms for all people, even for those who insulted you? When they come upon you, do you seek ways to settle issues in a peaceful manner? Are you able to make those who bear hostility against you share the same peaceful considerations after a while? This is how you become a Rumi in the real sense.

Historians mention the following anecdote about the tolerance of Rumi: One day, a rude bigot accosted him and criticized his statements such as, “one of my feet is in the center of Islam, while the other is among all nations of the world.” He accused Rumi of apostasy, misguiding Muslims, and proceeded to let out an invective against him. Without ever interrupting the man, the venerable master listened to him peacefully with God-granted self-restraint. On seeing that the man stopped talking and had no other words to say, he asked if he was done. When the man replied in the affirmative, Rumi spoke with a soft voice and said, “You are most welcome; my heart is open for you too.”

This is the very point at which words cease. In such a situation, all of the negative feelings within the latter melted away. The grudge and hatred suddenly started pouring down in the form of fireworks of love. While it is possible to treat people with showers of light, why should we shower them with meteors instead?

If you are focused on representing the spirit of Rumi, even if those who show hostility towards you commit oppression and injustice against you for one, two, three, or four times, they will give up such acts after some time on account of not having the same kind of response from you. Now, while there is a way to settle issues with mildness and agreement, why should we engage in other behavior that will only spur ill-feelings and hatred?

One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that we can give up on our personal rights and forgive others for their unfair treatment of us. However, we do not have the authority to forgive on behalf of others when there is an offense against values like faith or country. When such an offense happens, we should make plausible explanations to offenders to show them what they are doing is wrong. If they still insist, we deny their claims with denouncements. If they still persist, then we sue them and claim compensation.

We must always act carefully to remain within the confines of laws and ethics, and we must never make concessions on our fairness when responding in these ways. It is paramount that we must always act humanely but assertively. Even while making certain clarifications, corrections, and denouncements, we always try to give positive messages to the other side and never make concessions from our own character. We voice what we are to say not with whisperings of Satan, but with the voice and breath of the Archangel Gabriel. Oppression and assaults only indicate the character of the offender. This situation should not avert people attached to faith and universal human values to act as becomes their own character.

Is it worth it?

This passing worldly life is neither worth committing oppression against others nor responding to their oppression in the same way. After all, each of us is a traveler in this world. After staying in this guesthouse that we call life, we will pass to the Afterlife in order to be brought to account for what we did here. Is it worth it to promote fighting? Is it worth it at all to cause disunity and dissension? Is it worth it at all to commit oppression and injustice?

In an anonymous saying, the simple and transient nature of the world is expressed as follows:

Behold with the eyes of wisdom, this world is but a guesthouse;
Not a single person remains settled, what a strange abode it is.
The share of a king and subject alike, is nothing but a plain shroud.
As for those who fall for it, what else can they be called but mad?

Humankind has oftentimes made use of oppression and hatred in order to solve the problems that we collectively faced. If only we could make use of love and tolerance from now on! If only we were able to open our hearts to everyone so that those who enter therein would never have worries of remaining without a seat. If only we would treat everyone with a deep feeling of respect and reverence, and if only we could read into other’s feelings, their cultural backgrounds, and treat everyone with a serious feeling of empathy! For whatever style of treatment we expect to receive from others, they similarly expect the same from us. If we expect respect, we must show respect. If we expect observance of our rights, we must observe everybody’s rights.

It is necessary to know that the problems in our time have taken a complicated form to such an extent that they cannot be tackled by those with narrow minds and dull thoughts. There is not much that those with radical thoughts, who act out of bigotry in order to pursue arrogant purposes, can do for the sake of conquering people’s hearts and bringing peace to humanity. Particularly with this harsh attitude of theirs, they can never evoke in hearts any love towards their own values. They cannot let others love the Pride of Humanity, peace and blessings be upon him, because they are too captivated by their own worldly, illicit desires.

Therefore, for the sake of solving the problems of humanity, there is a need for people with immense conscience, rich hearts, and profound thought. Just as Rumi brought people together anew with the plausible cures he came up with some 7-8 centuries ago, in the contemporary world when people are so detached from one another, when people cannot agree on anything, and relations are built upon conflict and hostility, the duty that falls to those with faithful hearts is to revive the spirit of Rumi once again. As far as this cannot be done, it will not be possible to put a stop to oppression and hostilities in different parts of the world. This is particularly the case if we consider to what degree world peace is under threat by ambitious tyrants and horrible weapons prepared with vengeful intentions. It will then be best understood how great the responsibility is of the altruistic souls who have dedicated their lives to love and tolerance.

Tafrid (individuality) means seclusion from society or going into retreat to devote all one’s time to worshipping God. More particularly, it denotes that even when initiates have attained states or stations that others cannot, they never see themselves as such, because of their conviction that whatever attainment they have is, in fact, a gift from the Ultimate Truth, submitting themselves wholly to Him, and always being in His company. The verse (24:25), Surely God is He Who is the manifest Truth, contains an implicit indication of this rank.

Although resembling each other in coloring, individuality and isolation express different ranks and states of pleasure. Isolation is the state of cutting off relations with everything else save the All-Beloved and of always being with Him, while individuality is being favored with total self-negation with the needle of conscience pointing to Him exclusively. Isolation is marked by the zeal and pleasure of devoted servanthood to God, while individuality is the consciousness of being a servant bound to worship Him. The depth of this consciousness is in proportion to one’s capacity and varies in degrees with respect to the things initiates feel during their spiritual journey.

Those in the initial stages of the way to individuality—which is called individuality on the way to the Ultimate Truth— are constantly in quest of Him, trying to feel Him and making strenuous efforts to find and see Him. While doing this, they never consider what being in constant quest of Him denotes nor what kinds of things are used as means to reach this goal. Even if they make use of these means in a natural way, they are concentrated on the goal with the whole of mind and heart, and are always thinking of it. They use all their abilities of thinking and contemplation on the way to making contact with Him, and endeavor to reach Him, thus spending their whole life in the climate of this sweet dream.

Travelers dedicated to reaching the goal to such degree always feel the gifts or radiations of individuality coming from their turning to God, from their love of Him, and from their visions during the journey. They also feel the pleasure of seeking only Him Who is the One and concentrating all their love on Him alone. Being freed from wasting their faculties of loving, feeling, and seeking, they sip the sweet water of unity in multiplicity. They feel a great zeal and thirst when they are journeying through the step of advancing toward Him as their sole goal, find themselves in waves of annihilation while they are burning with His love, and are in privacy with Him freed from all others than Him when they reach the peak of the vision of Him.

When halfway on the road to individuality—summarized as individuality in the company of the Ultimate Truth—they feel that they are being favored with abundant gifts from the All-Holy One. However, they should not feel vain on account of these gifts; rather, they should be ever conscious that it is not themselves who are the origin of such gifts, but they have come purely from the All-Holy One. With this consciousness, they remain full of thanks and praises for Him. Those reaching this rank of being perfected or of becoming universal human beings and the most polished mirrors to the All-Holy, Ultimate Truth, cannot help but express that this is purely His favor. The following couplet of Hassan ibn Thabit, a famous poet during the Prophet’s time, is an excellent example of this:

I have not praised Muhammad with my words;
rather, I have praised my words with Muhammad. [1]

He means that his words are praiseworthy because they are about Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. Such a favor should be proclaimed in attribution to God as declared in the verse (93:11), As for the grace of your Lord, proclaim it. Some sayings of the Prophet, such as, “I am the lord of the children of Adam, and the first to be resurrected on Judgment Day, and I am the one who will first intercede (with God on behalf of human beings) and whose intercession will be accepted; but there is no pride,” [2] and comparable utterances of some of his Companions about themselves belong to this category. They do not express self-pride, but rather proclaim God’s favors and are overflowing with the feelings of thanking and praising Him. Such a favor can be regarded as a threshold to the perfect knowledge of God that is for the heroes of knowledge, love of God, and spiritual pleasures. The (third) rank of individuality beyond this threshold marks a different depth of their knowledge of God and suggests an unimaginable attainment.

This third rank, which is called individuality on the way from the Ultimate Truth, and which is supported by God’s unique and most comprehensive appreciations of those who have attained it, is the rank where travelers are favored with the constant company of God due to their perfect expansion, knowledge of God, and feeling of awe and reverence beyond all measure. The heroes of this rank feel in their inner worlds that the whole universe has been annihilated in God, they feel His constant company even when among people, and convey to the creation what they have received from the Creator, opening the door for people in order that they may be enabled to meet with the Ultimate Truth. The main characteristics of such people are that, because of their modesty, they are like other human beings in appearance, they always pursue God’s good pleasure and approval in all their acts and dealings, they live in this world by concentrating on the next one, they always feel the exhilarating company of God, they convey to others what they hear, see and feel, they take an interest in everything other than Him only because of Him, and they see every other thing as a shadow of the light of His Existence.

Those who are in the first rank of individuality are dedicated to reaching the goal of their journey. Those who have attained the second rank voice, as a proclamation of the Divine favor, the fact that they have been favored with the rays of His “Facial” Light and the lights of His Existence that they feel in the hills of their hearts. They constantly thank and praise God. As for others who have attained the peak of this journey, which is in fact beyond all ranks, and who share the indescribable depth of those of the second rank, we can approach them only with respect to their missions and their consciousness of these missions. They receive messages from the Ultimate Truth and convey these to people, calling them to meet with God, trying to remove the obstacles between people and God. They put up with living only for the life of others, and if they cannot do anything for the life of others, they experience life as an unbearable suffering. These are perfect guides and conveyors of the Divine messages. Their first or greatest rank is composed of the Messengers and the Prophets, and their true successors constitute the second rank.

The initial-rank travelers to individuality are the heroes of belief and knowledge of God who are in constant pursuit and who hasten to sincerity and purity of intention. Those of the second rank are the loyal ones filled with a knowledge and love of God, who have fully displayed their faithfulness and sincerity. As for the others, whom we try to know by their tasks and missions, they are the guides and conveyors of God’s messages, those who try to make the Ultimate Truth known to people and to rouse the spirits to meet with Him. Since the heroes of this final rank also have the attributes that are shared by those of the first two ranks, they can also be called the leaders of the heroes of knowledge of God. As for the first and foremost among them, he is our master Muhammad u Ahmad u Mahmud u Mustafa, who is the master of creation and the unique one of all time and space, upon him be the best and most perfect of blessings and peace. There are many other great persons near to his sacred sphere, especially including the other great Messengers, upon them be peace. Each of them has been honored with special favors according to his rank. However, it is Prophet Muhammad, the leader of the holiest of humankind, who was constantly being honored with such favors. Others have been ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of one moment of his relation or togetherness with the Light of Lights. All the beauties and lights with which the others have been honored are mere reflections of the Divine manifestations that he received.

In his famous Qasidatu’l-Bur’a (Eulogy of al-Bur’a), [3] Busiri expresses this highest grace as follows:

All the miracles that the other great Messengers worked by God’s leave,
were caused by the light that reached them from the light of Muhammad.
What we all know concerning him is that he is mortal human being;
but he is the best and greatest of all that God has created.
If the miracles he worked had been in proportion to his greatness,
the rotted bones would be revived when one prays, mentioning his holy name.

O God, bestow Your blessings and peace on him whom You sent as a mercy for all the worlds, and on his brothers among the Prophets and Messengers, and on the angels near-stationed to You, and on Your righteous servants among the inhabitants of the heavens and earth, may God be pleased with all of them.

Notes

1. Ibnu’l-Athir, Mathalu’s-Sair, 2: 357; Imam Rabbani, al-Maktubat, 1:58.
2. Muslim, “Fada’il,” 3; Abu Dawud, “Sunna,” 13.
3. The Bur’a by Al-Busiri is arguably the greatest classical poem in the Arabic language in praise of the character and exalted rank of Prophet Muhammad. Composed by Imam Al-Busiri in the 13th century in Mamluke Egypt, it has been recited ever since throughout the Muslim lands. (Tr.)

Being human is being “of Adam.” In terms of the Universal Spirit (al-ruh al-kull), “being of Adam” is a kernel from the truth of the Praised One, Ahmad (meant to bear fruit as the perfected human). In terms of the realm of Divine Might and Majesty (al-alam al-jabarut), being of Adam is a blessed effulgent seed, germination, and bloom. In terms of the visible realm and corporeal existence, it refers to the father of humanity, to the distilled servant of God. On account of this blessed bond, people are alternatively referred to as “Children of Adam.”

The word “Adam” marks a beginning and origin for comprehensive truths; the essence of which we believe should be referred to Divine knowledge and wisdom, so we would rather go into the conditions of “being of Adam” in relation to the minimal capacity of human willpower and inclinations that exist as basic conditions. Having the inner human endowments and inclinations—that can be directed to good or evil—and being apt to fluctuate between the “highest of the high” and “lowest of the low,” and sometimes displaying behaviors admirable to angels and sometimes committing atrocities repulsive to devils, the human is a multi-dimensional being with a unique anatomy among beings of the earth and heavens. Human beings sometimes journey in the shade of the blessed light God created firstly—and in that of Adam, the distilled one regarded as a blessed seed of that great truth—and thus reveal a nobleness to be compared with angels. Sometimes they abandon themselves to conditions to be derided by devils with impulses of their nature which are prone to error and oblivion and which is a potential whirlpool of different negativities.

Sometimes they are admirable with a true attitude of Adam; and sometimes “being of Adam” solely remains in superficial form and they assume a completely different state. While they can be a companion to celestial beings in an atmosphere of consciousness of, and love for, God on the one hand, they might stagger to be dominated by fancies of their carnal soul and become no different than a devil on the other. Sometimes they reject worldliness and all it offers and make an envious leap to adopt the state of those in the loftiest circle, transcend themselves and reach the horizons of the pioneers and thus become one of the children of Adam closest to God, and there comes a time when they fall headlong into the trail of the lowest of the low…

The Prophets are also fruits of the “tree of Adam” with their innocence and being under absolute Divine protection against misguidance. Thanks to their endowments in alignment with their missions and being blessed with special graces, their sights and insights were always oriented to the Sun of suns with their shadows falling behind them. They walked to their eternal sanctuary without the slightest lapse. With reference to this quality of theirs they were mentioned as being truly Adamic and “of Prophet Adam”; they presented a fabulous “spiritual texture” with respect to their distinguished origin as blessed fruits of “the first Intellect” or the “first blessed light.”

Those distinguished and lofty personages who followed a dazzling course on the Prophetic path of Adam and who effected transcendental rhythms in hearts were firstly followed by their perfectly loyal companions, and then by heroes blessed with extra graces and attained closeness to God behind them. Afterwards, saintly servants followed them, who had oriented themselves to that illustrious circle. Only God knows their true number and nature, and what falls to us is to be reverent towards those known to us.

Thirsty for having insight into, and savoring everything with their actual nature, these paragons of Adamic humanity are always in pursuit of Divine breezes and are distinguished with letting hearts feel and love God. Their nights are permeated with yearning for, and dreams of, reunion with God. Every attitude and behavior of theirs is like a polished mirror that reflects the Divine. Their tongues are dominated by their hearts, and constantly keep spelling the Eternal Beloved. Their hearts shake like a leaf with a concern against leading those behind to deviation. They see the fact that they gain forgiveness to be closely related to being among their road companions. They see reaching beyond in the furthest sense as conditional to serving their adherents with utter self-effacement and humility. In response to waves of extra graces and inspirational blessings, they always keep serious with concerns of the deceptive lull before Divine retribution (istidraj). Their heads are held humbly down while waiting at God’s door, with a constant excitement in the most profound sense to make their hearts nearly stop, they keep entreating Him as, “O Lord, please do not expel me from Your door, although I am deserving of that.”

Despite being blessed with faith vast like mountains, good deeds, deep recognition of and love for God, as well as exclusive spiritual delights, they view these blessings with shudders of caution, for they fear that they may be alluring elements of a lull before Divine retribution. Together with not failing to praise God in response to the greatest attainments and Divine gifts they were honored with, they just dismiss those at a half-glance and never overestimate them. Although hundreds of hearts remember God and become ecstatic upon seeing them, these souls turn a blind eye to all of such interest on them and think about the so-called “errors” within the horizons of those closest to God and say,

If the All-Merciful One weighs my sins as they are,
the scales of the Judgment Day will break under them, I fear!

and they are troubled with this concern. When they receive appreciation from those around them, they dismiss it as the latter’s positive assumptions, and respond as,

May God not let you face disappointment because of me!
May He bless me with clinging to the Prophetic Tradition with both hands!

Thus, they dispelled the thought and always continued their lives as humbly bent before God.

As those on top always walked on Adam’s path of Prophethood, those behind ceaselessly followed them as doves of “annihilation in God” (fanafillah) and “permanence with God” (baqabillah). They walked on in complete humility towards their eternal sanctuary. They lowered their own voices before the pioneers; to those who gently walked from formality to spirituality in their footsteps and who displayed ability to walk, they sounded off the most moving melodies, whose lyrics belong to the pioneers; and they enchanted those who turned towards them. They saluted the sublimity of the destination with purity of heart, with an ambition and perseverance to breathe the same things with those over the top, they said in the highest pitch what needed to be said; by showing a performance to share the inspirations and graces granted to the pioneers with phrases of contemplation, deliberation, and reflection, they constantly walked towards being human in the Adamic sense. They walked on and while they outwardly appeared to be among us, they were in a constant endeavor to keep upon the path of those in the loftiest circle.

The examples and mission of the eminent Prophets were effulgent manifestations of the true likeness of Adam. This manifestation took the form of a brilliant moon in the Last Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). As for his companions who excelled in loyalty, they would become the center of attention thanks to the quality and profundity of being in that lofty circle. Although there were occasional eclipses in those who came after them, there was no issue as a never-ending eclipse. And thanks to the ampleness of Divine Mercy, there will be no such thing until the end of the world. And then the gates of wisdom will be closed for good, whereas gates of Divine Power and providence will open wide. Those who lead their life in the course of Adamic humanity will be blessed with rewards incomparably greater than the transient things they had lost, so much so that they will never regret for this loss.

As for those solely Adamic in the animal sense or outward form, despite their being fruits of the same seed, they underwent a hard-to-repair deformation under dominance of the carnal soul. They appear to be human in terms of their physical anatomy and form, and they have a mechanism of conscience and systems of the heart, spirit, and sir (secret inner faculty), they opt for a lifestyle much below the course of “the best of stature” they are supposed to follow with an utter disregard for their spiritual anatomy. Since they experience concentric deformations within their spiritual worlds, they drift with currents of character corruption, darken their Adamic humanity, and fall below the course of true humanity and thus virtually turn into animals in a spiritual sense. They fail to realize the purpose of creation and the requirements of being blessed with the best pattern of creation, which is emphasized in the Divine decree, “I have not created human and jinn but to worship Me” (Dhariyat 51:56). Running after their fancies, they were caught in Satan’s hook; although they retained their outer human form, they ruined their spiritual anatomy, knowingly preferring the material world over the realms beyond. And in spite of so many favorable dynamics of success, they went through the disgrace of having successions of disappointment. Moreover, as most of them fell to the level of beings which spend their lives by eating, drinking, and ruminating, they rather presented a mood as described in the Divine verse, “They are like cattle, or even more astray (A’raf 7:179).

Ignorant ones with diplomas who failed to crown knowledge with good deeds, good deeds with recognition of God, that with love for God, and that with a yearning for reunion with God, rather drifted to the lowest of the low, with an attitude of sheer ignorance as expressed in, “like donkeys burdened with books” (Jumu’ah 62:5) while they were supposed to target the highest levels of perfection. As for others who suffered from a different deformation, who kiss others’ feet when they are weak and who become tyrants when they come to power and keep biting those they apprehend as opponents by considering that “might is right,” the immaculate statements of the Qur’an portray them as dogs panting with their tongues lolling out whether you chase it away or leave it (A’râf, 7/176). They are mentioned as some separate category of unfortunate ones who are not aware of the blessing of being a mirror to the Eternally-Besought-of-All.

Different examples by both Divine verses, and sayings of the noble Prophet, mention such deformed types, and it is possible to see so many such people everywhere today. Because when people deviate from the course of faith, belief, sincerity, perfect goodness, loyalty, uprightness, and become oblivious of recognition of God (marifa), love for God (muhabba), and intense yearning for reunion with Him (liqa’ullah), it becomes inevitable for their spiritual world to be contaminated, their heart to die, and the person’s coming under the dominance of the carnal soul and Satan.

The manifold ignorant ones of our era, who do not know the Divine, do not recognize the Prophets, who interpret religion as they fancy, who do not know what needs to be known as it requires, who do not even know their state of not knowing but consider themselves to be insightful and enlightened, harmed real religious thought even more than pharaohs did. And if they also drifted with masses devoid of consciousness under the guise of religious arguments, then such a destruction even goes beyond the destruction of Antichrist. It appears that such ones are not likely at all to cease their humanity in the animal sense and adopt humanity in the real sense, the saintly sense they are supposed to be.

O God guide us to the Straight Path, to the path of those whom You favored,
from the Prophets, truthful ones, martyrs, and the righteous.
And peace be upon the noble Prophet, his family, Companions, all of those pure ones.

Following a soft negotiation of price with the rickshaw driver, I finally had initiated my way back home from the Time to Help foundation. Next to a quick introduction of our names, the driver asked me where I was from. I smiled at him. It was an easy-to-answer question for the majority of people, but not for me.

I was born in Russia, but my family left the country when I was only two; so I don’t remember much to feel part of it.

Perhaps I could say India, as I had lived my childhood within its peculiar, sweet but dirty, and adaptable environment. I saw clean walls filled with images of deities adjacent to walls filled with human excrement. I made friends who were Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or Jain. My friends taught me the language that is spoken by nearly 1/3 of the world. I also sang the national anthem with pride in every assembly. “Where there is love there is life,” says Mahatma Gandhi. The colors that covered everywhere in the “Holi” celebration were the clear message of love and joy lived by the people of India. I simply had been part of the “Bollywood” of the world. The Bollywood where I lived my childhood, gained my patience from its traffic, and celebrated diversity from its people and culture.

Yet, I could not ignore what was written in my passport and I could not ignore my parents, who raised me with the language and values of Turkey. The majority of the books I read when I was a child were in Turkish. I learned about Turkey by listening to Turkish songs, reading Turkish literature, and on top of all I spent a full month every year in Turkey, which gave me a chance to observe the country with first-hand experience. I have therefore socialized within a modified and extended family. Turkey was not a place where I felt at home to the fullest, however the importance of all these past experiences were revealed following the coup attempt of 2016 since which we no longer could visit what my father used to call our “place of rehabilitation.” Thus, my visits to Turkey temporarily ended.

For a moment, I looked at the driver as he was in the middle of a phone call. The loud African music playing behind me reminded me of the fact that I have been living here in Tanzania for 6 years now. As Turkey was waning from my annual calendar, I thought to myself, “Hakuna Matata.” Tanzania had been where I had built a character and made hundreds of friends in schools, orphanages, on streets, and with rickshaw drivers such as Emmanuel sitting in front of me. The smile on the faces of little orphans when I speak to them and play soccer with them has been part of my favorite experiences in life. The day I tried to dance like those children had placed me into the rhythm of their tradition and culture. I learned the true meaning of benevolence and gratitude as I observed the joyful moments of villagers approaching their water well when it was filled with a pure water supply, or orphans who untie their gift boxes in extreme excitement. I learned that true satisfaction was found through serving others. I learned that life could be sincerely enjoyed only when one would explore himself or herself. Life was, indeed, different in the eyes of each individual. I saw many of those vulnerable people becoming only “happier” than they used to be, while many people in wealth have lots to complain about. This relation had always enhanced my curiosity over psychology. I always felt that I had to understand myself, my existence, and my own sense of being before trying to benefit others. In Tanzania, I developed an ambition; an ambition of living, so that others may live.

I suddenly regained my consciousness as the driver threw a glance at me, still waiting for a response. I looked at him and answered “Natoka Tanzania siku hizi” (I am from Tanzania these days), and watched him, as he was laughing, in satisfaction of making someone happy at least for some part of his day.

Our modern society has gone astray during much of the past several centuries. While every person is in pursuit of one thing or another, we are searching for our own soul. If we can persist on this search on a sustainable path then we can hope that the days in which we will be revived as our true selves are very close; the days when we will turn towards our true nature and win back our best values.

Enduring a most unfortunate period, the last couple of generations have renounced their warm, cozy homes and embarked upon peculiar pursuits; they either took refuge in a world of “matter,” or rather machines. They fell prey to different fantasies, let themselves fall into the maddest of delusions, and spent their lifetimes amidst insanity. At times they turned into wild mad men, and their thoughts were stained with blood. This disorder has continued up to our days and these brutal and unrelenting sins are no more bearable.

Nowadays, however, they are growing more and more aware of the void they happen to be in and have started to open the doorways for alternative thoughts – even if only a little. They have started speaking about faith; they have even started to accredit some value to the past and its wisdoms. Indeed, though it was only yesterday that they made no mention of God or His Messengers, and that they insulted believers and cursed at our historical values, today they are adorning many of their thoughts with soul and meaning, weaving their words with the silk threads of the metaphysical. For this change to hold ground with this color and harmony we want, it is important that these divine days continue uninterrupted for another quarter century. Afterwards, perhaps we can be hopeful for a prosperous future.

To this day, those who have lost their spiritual power have gone to waste just like seeds that have decayed in infertile soil. Indeed, whatever has happened to this day cannot be undone, and many have been sacrificed, honor has been destroyed, decency has been tattered, and our innocence and purity have been shaken as a punishment for misinterpreting history. From now on, we must review our intentions and wish for the best. We must always be alert and awake not to leave any voids in our feelings, thoughts, or logic that may prevent us from serving others so that our future will not become soaked in blood and tears. We must take advantage of all possible opportunities when the hurricanes subside to some extent, and where signs appear on our horizon in order to breathe life into even the most lifeless points of time so that they become the voice of common sense. We have just started to gain a feeling of the mystery, magic, and endlessness of this “book of existence” and all of its contents that are put on exhibition in the universe. We must practice active patience, remain alert, and be prudent so that we are not held back and pushed further away from what is close at hand until the day the meaning and wisdom found in this “book of existence” become evident with the help of the sciences and allow us to learn the purpose of our lives. We must be careful to not suffer any spiritual or moral loss on what seems to be a winning path.

Indeed, in this apparently calm yet active period, as the promised divine days have started to break with their colorful flow, we must knead the dough of spirit and meaning that will shape the enlightened generation that represents the future. They will bear this spirit on their shoulders with their own coat of arms made of hues and patterns unique to them. We must knead that dough in our safe basins and in the best form we can so that our society will be able to step onto new lively formations with a rich heritage of thought and consciousness of history. While we, as a society, strive to realize this very significant task, there will be those who either knowingly or not will try to object to these vital efforts, not to mention those who will underestimate, belittle, and even reject the efforts altogether. In response to all of these hindrances, on one hand, we will make a great effort to strengthen our free will by starving the roots of our evil inclinations while uplifting our capacity to do good; on the other hand, we will exhibit a sensitivity to not allow any intellectual or logical voids in our plans and projects as we strive to advance with a purity of intention. We believe that because our ultimate goal is the consent of God and our provisions along the way are faith and sincerity, God will raise us with advances of mercy and favor along the way. No matter where we happen to be, we will be nurtured through His manifestations.  

Yes, as we close our eyes and fill ourselves with the exhilaration of serving God Almighty, the seeds we scatter throughout the four corners of the world will, through His Divine will, certainly find life one day. Even those we think have been lost will sway like ever-blooming ears of grain, and they will sing the melody of their good fortune when the season is right.

With favor and mercy from God, we will walk into the future with “faith and knowledge” taking the lead as “thought and worship” will be closely knit together. We will do our best to conform to “causes” and submit to God with a tight embrace in full acceptance of His will (tawakkul). Our hope will be the source of our action, and our patience will follow right behind like a trusted companion. Even retributions will be considered a blessing, and each blessing – just like an unexpected advance – are references to the reliability of the true source of everything.

We will walk, and He will always guide and protect us and will never abandon us throughout our journey. We will walk, as the light from the waves of the eternal worlds will manifest in our eyes, while our ears will have the ability to receive the truest of words without error, and our hearts will beat with inspirations of wisdom. This can be possible if we can maintain our relationship with Him as our Creator and us as the created, and do not forsake His kind favors to “familiarity” and monotony, for this may fade away “colors and freshness” like the winds of autumn.

We will walk away from today’s lethargic masses to discover the enlightened generations who offer much promise for a brand-new world. We will walk away from them without tarnishing the image of, or slandering, anyone by planning our thoughts according to our actions and carrying out our actions as lifeguards do so that others may live. We will do this to prove that there really are passengers who can be void of blood and grime, and void of revenge and hatred. We will keep walking without stumbling on our path and will not be obstructed by any obstacles along the way. We do not, and cannot, claim to pardon the thousand and one incidents of murder and brigandage that we have been witnesses to. When the laws and rights of the public are the matters at hand, the feeling of forgiveness and pardoning transforms into a feeling of justice, and the style of living closes off to inhumane behavior of any kind. Yes, it is requisite of one’s respect for humanity to transform goodness – and the bridges leading to goodness – into avenues and to award those who want to go on this destination. Likewise, respect for the human being also requires the prevention of evil and stopping those who engage in evil. Indeed, goodness must always be recognized and praised, and, at the same time, people must be warned against sins so that no one avoids accountability by saying, “The fault is not ours; we were driven to these ways.”

Those who think in this manner are actually trying to take refuge in such inconsistent excuses in order to escape the responsibility of their present wretchedness and misery. In fact, they can be described as disoriented and decayed souls that have been unable to appreciate and comprehend the distinction of being human. It is a fact that those who carry the spirit of true humanity have no other choice than to assume part of the responsibility that belongs to the society in which they too have risen and flourished. Such a sense of responsibility is the requisite of a humane spirit, comprehension, and thought – not to mention the command and will of the One who has equipped the human being with such dynamics. Provided that their conscience has not decayed completely, become atrophied, or that understanding has not died, it is unthinkable for a human being to be negligent of such a responsibility.

In terms of the contemplation of being truly human, we hold ourselves accountable for current mishaps and for the sake of the peace and security of tomorrow’s world. When we say “the human being” and “culture” we wish to underline once more the priority of “faith,” which is the first stage of true liberty and the only source of light to guide us to the final destination.

Indeed, the first phase and the highest priority in reviving out-of-control generations to their true human form is by embedding faith and all that it promises into the depths of their nature and character, and to ensure their continuity. Explaining to generations and feeding their souls with both the apparent and hidden aspects of existence by imbuing them with the culture of faith and making it possible for them to embrace all things with compassion will serve to liberate the generations who we have failed to keep under control and whose disintegration we have been unable to prevent. A spirit that is not cleansed through faith cannot be pulled completely away from savagery, avoid aggression, love or compromise with other people, and, above all, cannot begin to reach towards the heavens. It is inevitable for such a person to be tainted by greedy ambitions and to live a life full of grudges and hatred, and to have their heart be blackened with grime. Truly, faith enables the human to hear, listen, and interpret existence in a completely different way by imbuing knowledge and love of the eternal, building a connection with all of existence, and by moderating hatred and flaws. It saves a person from the misery of disorientation.

At the present time, generations from every walk of life who have reached such deep levels of faith, and thus – though weak at the present moment – hold promise and hope for the future, must be imbued with a zeal for service to humanity and a feeling of responsibility and duty free from the promise of fame, fortune, or status. They must be nurtured to have no expectations for recompense so that they neither dive into thoughts of gaining support from any government, from the public, or centers of power so that they will not raise their hopes for future prosperity. In this way, strong structures that flourish with knowledge and wisdom will light the lanterns of our thoughts in every corner, and we will not be held back by certain desires and ambitions. Instead, we will continue on with feelings of altruism, purity in our souls, seeking God’s good will and consent, and always aware that He is the one who employs us in this service.

The fact that a love for Divine Truth holds great importance, in itself, is also something that should certainly be underlined. The power that forms when reading, contemplating, studying, and researching are united with a love of connecting to the truth – for the sole fact that it is the truth – would, I believe, be enough to open the doors for the whole universe. For centuries, while certain nations have been lifted towards the skies through a love of the truth, even if only in certain fields, others have always been the ones to watch from afar with a desire and longing to imitate their success. They have taken it in with a sigh, watching like paralyzed spirits that are bound by the chains which enclose our feelings and thoughts. Nowadays, even if we can appreciate the fact that this important matter is at least being articulated, syllable by syllable by a certain group of people, it is still difficult to say that it is being handled in the mindset of true scientific thinking. We are in need of true scientific thinking that has, with its cultural and ethical dimensions, settled over the blockade of belief in the truth and will awaken in our souls a thought of physical and spiritual transformation towards the heavenly realms. The constant development of thought, the transformation of theory into practice, and the promise of advancement that such a transformation holds have, so far, only been possible, and will only be possible, through the push of such scientific thinking. True scientific thinking is what is fundamental; science and technology, on the other hand, are merely products derived from it. We are witnesses to the many high caliber individuals, to the heroes of determination, to such great performances, and lifetimes dedicated to this cause.

Those who will reconstruct the future will come from among these heroes. They will turn around this narrow, contaminated world, won over by adversities, to construct a wider, purified and more harmonious world that will remind us of heavenly beauties. They will do this to the extent that we are able to teach them love for the truth, the spirit of research, and the nuance of renewal. This will raise them to a level where they are able to distinguish between what does and does not belong to the roots of spirituality and meaning.

While the generations that have been connected with these dynamics and have reached a love for truth are considered the heroes of their own people, the disoriented masses who have lost their souls and meaning will always be considered a source of shame and dishonor and will darken the future of our society.

We foster the hopes that our intellectuals who stand in a position of influence will take advantage of the opportunities at hand, prepare future generations to the throne of hearts, and turn the pits of failure into zeniths of victory.