Peace to all who follow guidance
By: Abida Quansar
Peace to all who follow guidance (Quran 20.47).
I would like to start with the words of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1878-1960) uttered in the
mosque of Damascus, "I am like a child before this gathering, among whom are close on a
hundred religious scholars, who goes to school in the morning and learns his lesson, then in
the evening returns and repeats it to his father. His father sees whether or not what the
child has learnt is correct, and the child awaits either approval or guidance from him."
Today's topic "Bringing faith meaning and peace to life in a multi-cultural world: The Risalai-Nur's perspective" is of great significance in contemporary world. The word culture has a
wider meaning and scope; it does not denote only the way of dressing, eating, living, taste
in fine arts, language, education but its circle is wider than that. Moreover, bringing faith
signifies to enlighten the vision of a person, increasing the foresightedness, developing
optimist approach and inculcating tolerance not only to decipher the social, political,
economic, religious issues emerging from a multi-cultural world but also to benefit from the
richness of thoughts, methods, technologies, researches by enjoying access to others. A
culture cannot be at ease with differences outside it unless it is at ease with its own internal
differences. A dialogue between cultures requires that each should be willing to open itself
up to the influence of and learn from others, and this presupposes that it is self-critical and
willing and able to engage in a dialogue with itself.
Diversity of culture existed in the times of all Prophets Adam, Noah, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, till
Muhammad (Peace be upon all of them) and to deal with the issues of all the times
emerging from such diversity; the river of guidance continued to flow from Allah, in the
form of revelations in accordance with the needs and demands of the respective times. In
nut shell the panacea for all the illnesses of the present people and the people to come can
be summarized in one single command of the All-Wise Lord, "then when guidance comes to you
from Me, anyone who follows My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve" (Quran 2:38). Now it
depends upon the bearers of the "Trust" (Amanah) i.e., the children of Adam that how will
they benefit themselves from this Guidance to perform their duty entrusted to them that is
to acknowledge "Oneness of Allah" and spread this Truth to those who are heedless towards
this. In other words revival of faith was the message of every Messenger of Allah in one
single creed, "there is no god but Allah". Man, in his prior state of existence acknowledged
God as his Lord but had since, upon assuming his current physical form, forgotten that
acknowledgement. For indeed, the term for man in the Qur'an, that is, "insan", is
etymologically related to the root "to forget". This is as if to say that life on this earth is a
journey towards remembrance of that first testimony which man has forgotten.
"We made a covenant with Adam before you, but he forgot, and We found him lacking in
constancy" (Quran 20:115).
"One who believes in Allah has grasped the strong handhold that will never break" (Quran
2:256) and belief in the messengership of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) breaks the
bonds and walls of enmity towards the People (Ummah) of former Prophets. Because one
who believes in the Final Messenger his faith is not complete unless and until he believes in
all the Messengers who came before him thus cultivating in them love, unity, tolerance and
foresightedness.
"The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and [so do]
believers. They all believe in Allah and His angels, His scriptures, and His messengers. They
say, 'We do not differentiate between any of His messengers. We hear and obey. Grant us
Your forgiveness, Lord, to You we shall all return!" (Quran 2:285).
There are a number of verses in the Quran addressing mankind as a whole in the words
like, "Ya Ayyuhan nas, Ya Ayyuhal Insan, Ya bani Adam, etc" which gives us the concept of
unity of mankind". (Sahih al Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2,Hadith Number 12)
The Prophet said, "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his brother what he likes for
himself."
Furthermore, among innumerous examples from the Prophet Muhammad's life, stretching
from "hilf-ul-fudhul to Khutbat-ul-Widda", the well known example of living in peace in a
multicultural society is that of the Prophet's "pact of Hudaibiyah" and "the Constitution of
Medina" (Mithaq-e Medina). One important aspect of the model of Islam (Peace be upon
him) is the successful effort to construct a peaceful multi-cultural society on the basis of the
constitution.
For the revival of faith, Allah not only raised the prophets but a hadith of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) affirms that, "Allah will raise for this
community at the end of every century the one who will renovate its religion for it" (Sunan
abu Dawood, Kitab-ul-Malahim, Book 31, Chapter 1).
"In the fourteenth Islamic century, the Risale-i Nur appear all around and serve to the very
same purpose. With the meaning fortified by the clear expression of the hadith, says Harun
Yahya in his book "Jesus will return", it is our conviction that, in terms of reviving the
religion, the Risale-i Nur is in the position of a mujadid".
"Bediuzzaman" (wonder of the age) understood an essential cause of the decline of the
Islamic world to be the weakening of its very foundations, that is, a weakening of belief in
the basic tenets of the Islamic faith. This, together with the unprecedented attacks on those
foundations in the 19th and 20th centuries carried out in the name of science and progress,
led him to realize that the urgent and overriding need was to strengthen, and even to save,
belief.
What was needed was to expend all efforts to reconstruct the edifice of Islam from its
foundations, belief, and to answer at that level those attacks with a 'non-physical jihad' or
'jihad of the word.' As for external jihad, he refer it to the decisive proofs of the Illustrious
Shari'a. For conquering the civilized is through persuasion, not through force as though they
were savages who understand nothing.
His message to the world is that "we are devotees of love; we do not have time for enmity.
Our way is to adopt the morality of Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and
revive his practices. Our guide is the illustrious Shari'a, our sword its decisive proofs, and
our aim to uphold the Word of God. The way of this Union is love; its enmity is only for
ignorance, poverty, and strife. Non-Muslims should feel sure that this Union attacks only
those three facts. Our actions towards non-Muslims consist only of persuasion, for we know
them to be civilized. And we suppose them to be fair-minded, so we should demonstrate
that Islam is lovable and elevated" .
Said Nursi explains the communal harmony in a beautiful way, "the person who does not
understand the true meaning of co-operation is more lifeless than a stone. For some stones
arch themselves to co-operate with their brothers. Such a stone, despite being a stone,
leans towards his brother in the dome when he leaves the builder's hand and bows his head
so it touches his brother's head, and so they keep from falling. That is, the stones of domes
stand shoulder to shoulder so as not to fall" .
In the form of "Six Words," Bediuzzaman describes a number of those positive truths of
Islam, which form the cure for the grievous sicknesses besetting the Muslim community,
viz. hope; honesty; love and brotherhood; self-sacrifice; awareness of the luminous bonds
uniting the believers; mutual consultation. These are not the qualities that may be
dispensed within the face of the difficulties or threats; on the contrary, they form the very
foundation of Muslim society.
Answering the question about the "İttihad-i Muhammed”", Nursi responded that "what is
meant when we say the İttihad-i Muhammed” (Muhammadan Union), which is Islamic Unity,
is the unity between all believers, whether potential or actual. It does not refer to the
society in Istanbul and Anatolia.
A single drop of water is still water. The word cannot be thought of as specific. Its true
definition is as follows: Its foundations stretch from east to west and from north to south;
its centre are the holy places of Mecca and Medina; its point of unity is Divine Unity; its oath
and pledge is belief; its code of regulations, the practices of the Prophet (PBUH); its code of
laws, the commands and prohibitions of the Shari'a; its clubs and councils, all the religious
schools, mosques, and Sufi meeting-houses; the society's eternal press organ are all Islamic
books, and its constant one is foremost the Qur'an and all Qur'anic commentaries (and at
this time, the Risale-i Nur, which is a Qur'anic commentary), as well as all moderate
religious papers and journals whose aim is to uphold the Word of God; its membership
consists of all believers; and its leader is the Glory of the World (PBUH)" .
His focus was not only to bridge but to wipe out the gaps between man and his Omniscient
Creator by putting the stamp of transitoriness on the beauty and loveliness of all the objects
except the Ever-Existing One from whom the spring of love, peace, unity, brotherhood,
equality, justice, solidarity, hope, and subsistence gushes forth. "Mobilize all your strength
for this present hour, and think of Divine Mercy, reward in the Hereafter, and how your brief
and transient life is being transformed into a long and eternal form.
Instead of complaining bitterly, give joyful thanks". In "Tabiat Risalesi" [Nature, Cause or
Effect], Bediuzzaman demonstrates that all beings on all levels, are interrelated,
interconnected and interdependent, like concentric or intersecting circles. And beyond
doubts Bediuzzaman proved his challenge that "I will demonstrate to the world that the Qur'an is a
spiritual sun that shall never set and shall never be extinguished " through his teachings comprising in
Risale-i Nur.