Heedlessness means abstraction, carelessness, and not being oneself. The heedless persons are uninformed about what is going on around them; they are always confused and careless regarding their relations with other people. They are like sleep-walkers.  They do things, but they are not quite sure what they are about. They are without a goal and they often busy themselves with trivial things. They are defeated by the paths they walk on and the times they live in. It is useless to look for purpose in their behaviors, for they are so confused and so abstracted that they are oblivious to the disasters going on around them. They look but do not see; they hear but do not understand.

For years, many people around the world have continually lived like this – if this can be called living. They sat down with heedlessness and they stood up with heedlessness; they had no ideal and constantly ran after seizing the moment. It cannot be thought that such people would be any different. They eat and drink, make themselves comfortable, and neither see the past nor the future. In Omar Khayyam’s manner, they say, “Dead yesterdays and unborn tomorrows; why fret about it, if today be sweet.”

They drop themselves into pits of heedlessness as described in the verse: “They are like cattle, nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warnings)” (7:179). Their lives contradict the high level of their creation. They neither hear the divine call nor understand anything about prayer, nor do they listen to what all the creation around them articulates. The universe enunciates things to them word by word, line by line, and paragraph by paragraph; blessings pour down upon them from every side; the heavens and earth warn them from time to time about their ingratitude; the clear statements of every event explain many things to them… but they understand nothing from all of this. Not only do they fail to notice these warnings and constant admonitions, at times their response is rebellion and unbelief. When bestowed with favors and blessings, they bury themselves deeper into heedlessness and continue to breathe bohemianism.

For the heedless, a blessing is not a blessing; they do not know divine favors as divine favors, and do not listen to warnings. When a disaster or calamity strikes, if they have a drop of faith, they attribute such events to fate and complain about their share; otherwise, they tie disasters to natural causes and continue their obstinacy. When divine blessings are mentioned, they claim they got them all by themselves, and they begin to inhale and exhale: “me, me, me.”

On the contrary, if their work goes badly and their order is turned upside down, they weep and rub their hands together and begin to moan. But it is too late; the curtain of this world is closed and a new curtain has opened. This curtain is more chilling and terrifying: “But harder, truly, is the Penalty of the Hereafter” (Qur’an 13:34).

What a pity, for the heedless ones do not know about what will happen to them here or what is waiting for them in the next world. They waste their time in heedlessness, they do not think of the present or the future, do not recognize the law, step on everyone that they think happens to be in their way, and when dissent blows all around, they join and create disturbances. When they crush others as much as they can, they do not think that there is someone more powerful who can crush them. When they suppress things they view as opposing them, they never take their own end into account. They are extremely spoiled and arrogant. They think they will prosper with cruelty, but a painful end awaits them, and the lightest state of this painful end is disappointment and remorse.

Undoubtedly there are some responsibilities that befall people of faith. Believers cannot just sit back, saying “I believe in God (and He will take care of things).” They cannot see ill-treatment and contempt as normal. They cannot remain silent when their rights are violated. It is their duty to trust God and have a prophetic determination, to make the best of their willpower as guardians of wisdom, to take refuge in the greenhouse of faith and seek the pleasure of God. They must say, “I am here, too,” and activate all their opportunities and capabilities for the revival of their world of thought. They must always be ready for service with the awareness of a serious responsibility. They must use all their sources of power – heart, spirit, mind and reason – in the pursuit of individual and social revival. All these are broad matters and each one is very important for believers.

In this respect, we can say that until the day we raise human beings with high characters and profound ideals respecting faith and traditions, and with commitment to serve the society, it will be impossible to resist the oppression and impositions of the heedless and perverted. Just as it has continued for many centuries, people will be constantly abused. Tyrants will not hesitate to crush the weak. They will continue to disrespect human values. Efforts will be made to make God’s name forgotten; implied and direct insults will be poured on the guides He sent for guidance; human honor will be taken lightly, and the innocent masses will be made into slaves of corporeality.

We must always have faith and hope, and yet we must equally be determined and resolute. Helplessness for many years has emboldened tyrants against our society and its values; it has facilitated the crushing of innocent victims. In the analogy of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, “Showing love for a hungry wild animal only excites its appetite. Moreover, after it has fed upon you, it demands a further payment for feeding upon you” [1]. The tyrants have crushed us and rose up on our shoulders; they never behaved humanely. To the contrary, they imposed their false ideas upon others and tried to assimilate them.

However, in spite of centuries of such painful experience, it does not mean that things will always continue as they are: from the beginning of this world, light always chased off darkness, day always followed night, making people suffer one day and laugh the next, and springs were nurtured in the bosoms of the days of darkness.

The voice of people can never be fully silenced. If our mouths are zipped up, we will still express ourselves with different instruments, and make our voice heard no matter what. Whether the heedless wake up or not, this voice will one day reach even to our inner rooms like the call from the minarets, and it will whisper to us to become ourselves.

Just as we have been knocked down a hundred times before, why would it not be possible for us to shake ourselves again, rise up, and stand on our own feet?

Note

• Nursi, Bediuzzaman Said. 2007. The Letters, Epigrams. NJ: The Light, Inc. p 449.

It is perhaps not fair to expect a world with two faces to respond to this new atrocity with honor and honesty. This is why we should seek support and mercy from the One who is the ultimate source of all power and love. We are only as powerful as the length of our essays in this periodical. Thus, we call on the tyrants to stop their cruelties, for they should know that whatever the reasons they have committed them, it will not bring happiness. Happiness comes with virtuousness! We ask these leaders: who is your guide? Do not be mistaken by the fact that these tyrants happen to be in Muslim countries – this does not qualify them to be the rightful followers of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, for the Prophet, as described in the lead article “was utterly virtuous and contentedly happy. He … never, not even once, consented to anything that was not approved by the Exalted Creator. He was … never unfair and never acted unjustly to anyone. … he never preferred any worldly flavor to virtuousness. He … did not, not even once, fall into hesitation when distinguishing good from bad.” We hope these tyrants are brought to their senses as soon as possible, so that we are saved from our failure to fulfill our basic human responsibilities to stand up for life and dignity. In the meantime, we seek guidance and hope in the Almighty, because ultimately, He is the one with the power to bring these events under control. As we are so often reminded, our human capabilities are quite limited.

The so-called split between science and religion has led us to view life through a binocular with a rather short range. It’s a low definition, black & white range. We thought we were what our genes imposed on us; we believed that natural way would be to let that design unleash itself as genetically ordained. Is it truly so? Are we really nothing more than genetically engineered? Or are there other factors that are involved in making us who we are?

In this issue, “Are Genes the Source of Behavioral Disorders?” explores these questions in a cross-reading between what our biological structure prescribes, vis-à-vis other factors like our culture, parents, education, etc. According to this article “… each child is born with different inclinations and threshold values that are determined genetically and hormonally for each of his or her possible characters and behaviors. These potential inclinations and threshold values can surface depending on internal and external stimuli and educational styles.” So, we are not only what we eat or what we know; we become what we are as a result of a combination of things, some of which we can control, and others which we are born with.

“Why Do We Turn Over During Sleep?” is another article about a daily blessing that is out of our control but is for the good of our health. If we always stay in the same position, sleeping for a regular six to eight hours can cause a disruption in blood circulation, resulting in a pressure ulcer. Therefore, our body is blessed with a defense mechanism in which our position changes, consciously or subconsciously, so that skin integrity is not disrupted.

“Who Owns This Body?” is another contribution on the same theme. The author challenges the belief that we control our bodies, and that no one, not even the One who created us, can impose on our bodies what to do and what not to do. The author gives plenty of examples to show that there is so much happening in our body without our noticing it, that it is nonsensical to claim full ownership over it.

Nothing compares to him at abusing certain feelings ingrained in human nature for particular intentions and purposes, which are beneficial for us if used properly. Likewise, he is highly skilled at making beauty seem ugly, and ugliness seem beautiful to those who have been afflicted with the misfortune of entering his dirty atmosphere. He makes his unfortunate prey slaves to physicality with his enticement and propaganda to such a degree that it almost becomes impossible for those poor beings to turn toward the horizon of being true humans afterwards.

Even though humanity recognized this evil creature for the first time on its refusal to prostrate before Adam, the history of this wicked one-God knows-may extend further back into the past in connection with its inner problems and conflicts. Satan is the meanest creature with the potential for jealousy, inclination to deceive, feeling of ego-centrism, spirit of rebellion, and weakness for renown in his nature-his willpower being the trigger-who keeps foaming with a rebellious code of conduct and who is fixed on malice. He keeps whispering the same thing to everyone who enters his orbit, be they human or jinn, since evil feelings keep boiling within the essential elements which constitute his inner world and character. He tries particularly hard to make people with character defects resemble himself, constantly blows devilish considerations into them, and travels through their blood and vessels, always inculcating negative things in those unfortunate ones. These poor beings consider the negativities of the words and expressions formed in their inner worlds or of the way of thinking they put on paper as their own, but it is obvious that there are devilish inculcations behind all of these negativities. In this respect, there are seditious organizations and followers of Satan who hold a grudge against people-particularly against believers-and try to lead them astray. They sometimes trigger the animal feelings in some weak ones and lead them to bohemianism, they attack those who do not think like themselves, sometimes raise a fuss, make the atmosphere tense and make different groups oppose one another, always pursuing hypocrisy and discord. These are the ones-as the Qur’an states-who pretend to have faith while near believers and reveal their true thoughts when they are back near the radical lords of unbelief. These organizations and followers of Satan are also metaphorically regarded as satans; these are the human satans described in the Qur’an as “satans from humankind and the jinn” (An’am 6:112).

Just like Satan who chose rebellion by rejecting the order to prostrate before Adam and went even further by daring to engage in dialectics and argue against God, the modern Mephistos of our time in his footsteps always rebel against good, try to make people forget God and His Prophet, and pave the way for the flourishing of devilish considerations. As Goethe expresses in Faust, the struggle between Satan and man, the controversy between unbelief and faith, has never ceased and will never cease. During this struggle, occasionally circumstances were made suitable for unbelief and apostasy, apostates became completely insolent, at other times believers were intimidated through brute force, sometimes certain spoiled souls adopted the despotism of not letting anyone else but themselves live, and at times they committed or had others commit terrible cruelties-whose many examples appall us today. These tyrants did not even think about the existence of an Omnipotent Power, mightier than themselves. They just ignored the fact that the oppressed has the Almighty to take refuge in, that those who make people suffer today will moan in misery tomorrow. What is worse, the unfortunate ones who led their lives under the hegemony of oppressors and despots understood nothing of what was going on, and they kept serving the goals of the tyrants over them. They failed to realize the situation they had got into and what mean deals they were being pushed toward. The poet Namýk Kemal described them thus:

Helpers of the oppressors in this world are only rogues,
Those who enjoy serving merciless hunters are naught but dogs.

In fact, the ends of such people have always been grim. A proverb says, “The company of Satan lasts to the gallows.” This is how they end up; as they do not enjoy the life of this world, they have never been confident about their future. They could not be, since human and jinn devils have caused their souls to deviate. One more time, they have fallen for the stealthy trick of Mephisto. They have been deceived by enemies disguised as friends, and by alienated souls whom they considered their fellows.

The apostates, unbelievers, bohemians, dealers in lust, tyrants who do not recognize any right or justice nowadays are doing to the unfortunate masses what the satans have not been able to. This reaches such a degree that these networks of evil, whose thoughts are as filthy as can be, who are foul-mouthed, and whose insides boil with grudge and hatred, keep attacking those who do not think like themselves, besmirch everyone, laud those they favor, and easily defame those they do not. The poet Mehmed Akif criticized these strayers thus: “Our literary men are swearing at one another, / Published in different names, a paper always in print, / Disseminating seeds of discord all over!” This was the case the day before yesterday, it was so yesterday, and it is still the same now.

God called us to keep away from Satan as stated in the command, “Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan; indeed he is a manifest enemy to you. He only commands you to evil and indecency” (Baqara 2:168–169).

The Almighty reminds us of the grudge of that accursed one to alert us: “Of Your servants I will surely take a share to be assigned to me (by their following me). I will surely lead them astray and surely engross them in vain desires” (Nisa 4:118–119). God invites us to be sensible and wary of the Satanic grudge and hatred as revealed in “…now that You have allowed me to rebel and go astray, I will surely lie in wait for them on Your Straight Path (to lure them from it). Then I will come upon them from before them and from behind them, and from their right and from their left” (A’raf 7:16–17).

If only we could understand all this!

We are frenzied by facing the numerous challenges of oppositional thought and their representatives, all generated by our selfishness. We easily become enraged and filled with hatred; we crush others if we are powerful enough. If we are not, then we do not hesitate to defame them, damaging their dignity with all the power of the media and the facilities at our disposal, causing more grievous harm than death can possibly cause. In the face of all these inauspicious facts, all that can be heard in the world is either the joyous laughter of the tyrants or the screams of the wronged. There are so many countries that have been suppressed for decades, their victimized peoples engulfed. Minds are pacified, emotions and enthusiasm are extinguished, and people becoming alienated from their own values, and thus find that they approach one another with enmity. In such societies, differing thoughts and approaches have become a cause for contention and conflict, painful fights are endless, and mischief is spread between individuals. One party carves out the eye of another or murders them; the other responds by running into crowds as suicide bombers or driving a car filled with explosives through them. Violence is everywhere, as savage as, or perhaps even more atrocious than that caused by any barbarian.

Many are devoid of any trace of the human soul, their consciences paralyzed: The human freewill chases tyrannical plans; the mind, which is supposed to be an observatory for the knowledge of the Divine, surrenders to contaminated desires; the world of feelings, that purest source of love, becomes a pit full of treachery and danger; the heart, potentially an aperture for witnessing the Truth, becomes a pitch-dark tunnel in a blackout; contradicting the human purpose of existence all human systems are in an exile of waywardness.

As a matter of fact, the world has suffered from similar unpleasant recurrences many times in history; nevertheless, partially due to globalization and the substantial advance in technology, the level of destruction and evil is more tragic and terrifying now than it has ever been before.

Every single day we are terrorized by a different scene of horror on the television, internet, or the pages of the press, and many times we avert our gaze, looking in another direction. Even though we close our eyes and ears, whatever can infiltrate our memories, beyond our control, pierces through our chests, leaving incurable wounds in our hearts and spirits. At times, masses of evil are felt all at once, and we find ourselves bent in pain with the victims in blood and tears; we feel beaten as the worlds of so many people are destroyed. It is like autumn everywhere; people are like dry leaves breaking off from the trees. In the words of Akif, “Cities in ruin, homes devastated, wayward communities / Bridges destroyed, canals smashed, roads without travelers / the pitiful faithful killing coreligionists in the name of a ‘holy war’ / desolate residences, deserted villages, roofs collapsed / days deprived of sweat, evenings wasted without any future plans . . .” The malice that fills us to the throat bursts out in screams, and unable to do anything more, we moan regretfully.

Everything and every one expect a helping hand from us; however, responding with indifference and poverty in most cases, we aggravate their desolation. With no sign of emotion, indolence pervades, and their cries are not echoed. Those who sympathize with them do not have the power or the means to help. Witnessing all this violence every day is no different than dying over and over with each incident. Frozen, they voice their anguish in the words of Suzi : “Rain does not fall, the tulip does not grow / Will it always be like this? / This is all that comes to this city from the ocean of Mercy / Miserably blow the winds! . . .”

Shaken in despair, we cannot help but say “Then, this is how nations will devour one another; friction will continue between the masses and no one will sincerely love others. People will no longer be concerned for others and no one will extend a hand to the wronged; no mercy will be shown for the victim, people will not welcome one another, no sense of security will remain, mad people, whose thoughts, speeches, and hands are stained with blood, will shape the fate of the world, and once again it will be an era of tyrants . . .” This situation cannot continue; if it does, then the end of humanity and human values is eminent.

Then, why are you hesitating? Having reached a critical intersection in human history, come today and let us lend an ear to the divine calls that are echoed in the voice of Rumi, Yunus, and the like; let us speak out for “love” and “brotherhood and sisterhood”! Come and let us show the entire world the privilege of being human with all the colors and patterns! Come in genuine love and dialogue at a time when hatred and revenge have darkened the face of our world! Come and let us open up the gates of our conscience and welcome all in due proportion to the vastness of divine mercy! Come, and let us be saved from preferring to be like a drop of water standing individually and destined to dry out and vanish; instead let us join with waterfalls to become one with the ocean! We are all humans; this means our genes all come from those of Prophet Adam and our essence is from the Truth of Ahmad. Then, come! Let us rise up against all the evil motives and cry out to all the worlds that we are vicegerents on the earth and that we are racing for the heavens! Let us make angels appreciate the eminence of being human! Come and let us transform all our paths to secure avenues and turn to God, hand in hand, our hearts beating as one.

Notes

1. Mehmet Akif Ersoy (1936), the poet of the Turkish national anthem.
2. Suzi (1524) was a renowned Turkish poet from Prizren, Kosovo.

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

Modern Kharijites

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

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

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

Anarchists, Murderers of Innocents!

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

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

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

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

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

Attacking Dialogue

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

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

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

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