‘……O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared
and do not die except as Muslims…..’(Surah Ale Imran:102)
In the life of a person moulded with Taqwa (Piety) extraordinary events occur, which are incomprehensible by ordinary people. It was during the First World War, when the Ottoman army was facing the invading Russians in the Eastern Front, Imam Bediuzzaman raised a volunteer force of his disciples to encounter the enemy at the battle front. They fought with stunningly exceptional heroism. In the war the Armenians actively collaborated with the Russians and committed immeasurable crimes against innocent people slaughtering women, children and elderly Muslim subjects of the Ottoman Empire. An incident in the life of Imam Bediuzzaman in the year 1916, which depicts his highest level of Taqwa is recorded by Sukran Vahide as follows:
‘When the Armenians massacre the Muslim women and children as well as the men, Armenian children would sometimes be killed in retaliation. But to a degree Bediuzzaman was able to put a stop to this barbaric practice through his exemplary true Islamic conduct and was able to bring some humanity to the chaos of war. One time thousands of Armenian women and children had been gathered together in the place where Bediuzzaman was. He issued an order that none of them were to be touched. Then later he released them and they returned to their families in Russian-held territories. The Armenians were so impressed at this example of Muslim morality that from then on they themselves refrained from slaughtering Muslim children. In this way, many innocent lives were saved’[1]
Taqwa breeds exceptional human virtues in a person. These virtues are fundamental pre-requisites for success in life.
Risale Nur has defined Taqwa in a beautiful manner. It says: ‘Taqwa is to abstain from prohibitions and giving up of sinful acts and evils….. in the present era which is characterized by destruction of moral and spiritual values and dominance of egotism, the unleashing of lust from its roots, Taqwa becomes a very essential fundamental of life, nay it is the centre of such a fundamental. It occupies an extremely higher position due to its ability to deter the spread of evil and major sins among people, as prevention of evil takes precedence over promotion of virtue. This is a firm principle applicable to all times’. [2]
Coming back to the incident quoted above, of Imam Bediuzzaman’s should not be interpreted in a secular sense as a calculated manoeuvre in expectation of reciprocation by the Armenians. Such an interpretation is totally wrong and unacceptable in this context, as it’s a normal occurrence in the life of pious Muslims in war situations. A person with Taqwa would never engage in an act forbidden by Allah and His Prophet. Islamic history possesses rich numbers of such incidents. Imam Bediuzzaman did simply discharge the requirement of his Taqwa and the Armenian reciprocation was only its natural consequence. This is a clear proof of Islam conquering the hearts and minds of people before conquering their lands.
We often read the story of an elderly woman, who had adopted the habit of pouring heaps of garbage at our beloved Prophet (PBUH) in a street of Makkah. One day, when he found the usual garbage did not fall on him, the baffled Prophet (PBUH) enquired from people around on the situation of the woman. On being informed that she had fallen sick, he rushed to visit her, which resulted in her accepting Islam. Indeed, the intention of the ‘mercy to mankind’ (Rahmatun Lil Aalameen) was very clear. It was his highest level of Taqwa that pushed him to visit her.
Hence, Imam Bediuzzaman’s behaviour with the Armenians should be viewed on the basis of the above incident of our beloved Prophet (PBUH).
(Excerpt from the author’s book, ‘The Positive Warrior’– Thrilling Leadership Lessons from the Life of Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi)
RİSALE-İ NURUN IŞIĞINDA TÜRKİYE’YE GELEN TURİSTLERE İSLAMI ANLATABİLMEK
Mohammed Asım Alavi
1. Davayı Takdim
İslamiyet dini bir fıtrat(yaratılış) dinidir. Yeryüzünde dünyaya gelen her insan, İslam fıtratı üzere doğar. Kişinin yetiştirilme tarzı ve çevresi onun ileride seçeceği yolda etkili olan faktörlerdir. Sevgili Peygamberimiz Hz. Muhammed( S.A.V.) bir hadis-i şeriflerinde buyurmuşlardır ki: “Her çocuk İslam fıtratı üzere doğar. Ana babası onu Hıristiyan, Musevi veya başka dinden yapar.”
İnsanoğlu kendisini yaratanı unuttuğu zaman, Allah insana kendisini hatırlatacak ve yeryüzündeki bulunuş gayesini bildirecek peygamberler yollar. İnsanoğluna da peygamberler silsilesi yollanmıştır ve bu silsile Hz. Muhammed (s.a.v.) ile son bulmuştur. Hz. Muhammed(s.a.v.)’in ölümünden sonra bu vazife onun mirasçıları olan alimlerin omuzlarına yüklenmiştir.
İnsanları hak din olan İslama davet ya da diğer adıyla dava, her müslümanın değişik tarzlarda yerine getirmesi gereken bir yükümlülüktür. Bu yükümlülüğü Kur’an şu şekilde ifade etmektedir: “ Hem sizden müteşekkil, önde gider, hayra davet eder, maruf ile emir ve münkerden nehyeyler bir ümmet olsun, işte onlardır o felahı bulacaklar.” (Al-i İmran Suresi, 104)
Hayra davet etmek kavramının kendisi son derece geniştir ve hayatın her sahasını kapsar. Hayra davet etmek kişiyi ağırbaşlı ve saygın hale getirir. Davanın ikinci basamağı toplumda kötülüğü sakındırmaktır. Hayra davet sayesinde kötülükler yok olur. İyiliği emretmek ve kötülükten sakındırmak ise hikmet ve güzel nasihat ile üstesinden gelinebilecek bir iştir. İyi davranışın güzel neticeleri ve kötü davranışın kötü neticeleri anlatılmalıdır.
Kesin bir İslami kaidedir ki “ Dinde zorlama yoktur.” Bu yüzden İslami davanın metotları ikna etme ve olumlu davranmaktır; zorlama ve sertlik değildir.
2. Günümüzde Risale-i Nurun mesajının önemi
İnsanoğlu araştırmacı bir yapıda yaratılmıştır. Bu özellik, tarih boyunca insanoğlunun gerçekleştirdiği keşiflerin arkasında yer alan sebeptir. Modern insan, tarihin hiçbir döneminde erişilemeyen bir düzeyde, fen ve teknolojide olağanüstü hedeflere ulaşmıştır. Hayatı kolaylaştıran çok sayıda gelişmeler olmuştur. Fakat bu gelişmeler, insanoğlunun daha fazla ihtiyaç duyduğu zihinsel memnuniyeti sağlayamamıştır. Her yeni icad ve makine, memnuniyeti arttırmak yerine mutluluğa duyulan özlemi arttırmış ve problemleri çözmek yerine son derece yüksek bir memnuniyetsizlik oranına ulaştırmıştır. Modern insan yeryüzündeki hayatının manasını algılamadan uzaklaşmıştır.
Kur’an’ın hakiki bir tefsiri olan Risale-i Nur, insanoğlunun hayatının manası hususunda yeterli bilgileri verebilecek hususiyetlere haizdir. Bunun da ötesinde; Risale-i Nurun içeriği ve meselelere yaklaşım tarzı, günümüz insanının cevap aradığı tüm sorulara yanıt verebilecek bir düzeydedir.
İslamın aşırılık ve barbarlıkla ilişkilendirildiği günümüzde, barış ve kardeşlik mesajlarının verilmesi son derece önemli hususlardır. Batılı materyalist insanın bu mesajlara olan ihtiyacı son derece önemlidir. Bu hususu çok önceden dile getiren üstad Bediüzzaman Said Nursi şöyle demiştir: “…Dünyanın büyük devletleri Kur’an hakikatlerini aramaktadırlar ve bu hakikatleri elde edince de tüm güçleriyle sarılacaklardır. İsveç, Norveç, Finlandiya ve İngiltere buna çalışmaktadır. Amerika’da mühim bir topluluk da gerçek dini aramaktadırlar……( İslam-Hristiyan İttifakı)
3. Türk Turizm Sektörü ve Risale-i Nur
Kur’an’ın mesajlarının yayılmasında Türkiye stratejik bir öneme sahiptir. Her yıl Türkiye’yi ziyaret eden milyonlarca turistin varlığı bu anlamda son derece önemlidir. 2008 yılında 26 milyon olan turist sayısının 2012 yılında 33 milyona ulaşacağı rapor edilmektedir. Almanya, İngiltere ve Rusya en fazla turist alınan ülkelerdir. Gelen turistlerin çoğu sağlık, kültür ve dinlenme amaçlı olarak gelmektedirler. Kültür amaçlı gelen turistlerin çoğu İstanbul’u tercih etmektedirler. Bu sebeple, bu yazıda anlatılmaya çalışılan projenin merkez üssü İstanbul olarak öngörülmektedir.
Bu misyonun temel bakış açısı, insanların dinini değiştirtmeye çalışmak değildir. Zira doğru yola iletmek ancak Allah’ın dilemesiyle olur. Buradaki temel amaç insanlara İslamın mesajlarını bildirmektir. İnsanların düşünebilmelerine imkan verecek halleri sağlamak temel amaç olmalıdır. İslam hakkında çok çeşitli ön yargılarla Türkiye’ye gelmiş olan turistler, bu çalışmalar neticesinde, önyargılarının tam zıddı olan olumlu düşüncelerle ülkeden ayrılmış olacaklardır. Doğru İslam ile bazı müslümanların yanlış davranışları arasındaki farkı algılayabileceklerdir. Bunun yanında, geçmişte olduğu gibi, kültür ve medeniyete beşiklik yapan bir şehir olan İstanbul ile ilgili olumlu düşüncelerle bezenmiş bir şekilde ülkelerine döneceklerdir.
4. Çalışma Tarzı
İslamın mesajlarını yaymada doğru hareket tarzı son derece önemlidir. Peygamberimiz Hz. Muhammed( s.a.v.) bir hadis-i şeriflerinde şöyle buyurmaktadırlar: “ İnsanlara anlayış seviyesine göre muamele ediniz.” Yani muhatap, bizim anlattıklarımız dolayısıyla sıkılmamalı ve tedirgin olmamalıdır. İslam anlatılırken doğrudan konuya girmemelidir. İnsanların farklı kültürel, dini ve ideolojik geçmişleri vardır. Herkes için aynı yaklaşım tarzını belirlemek yanlıştır. Örnek vermek gerekirse, bir hristiyan veya museviye olan yaklaşım tarzıyla bir budiste olan yaklaşım tarzı birbirinden farklı olmalıdır. Hristiyan veya museviyle olan diyaloglarda Hz. Musa, Hz. İsa ve Hz. Meryem’den bahsetmek faydalı olabilirken ; bir budistle olan konuşmada bunlar faydalı olmayacak bunun yerine Tevhide atıflar yapmak daha çok fayda sağlayacaktır.
İnsanları belli kategorilere sokmaktan şiddetle kaçınmalıdır. Müslüman olmayan insanlar kafir(inanmamayı kasten seçen) olmayıp bilakis diğerleri gibi sıradan insanlardır. Bu tür insanların İslam ile ilgili yaklaşık 25 adet cevaplanmasını istedikleri soruları mevcuttur: Terörizm, çok eşlilik vb. Allah’ın lütfuyla, Risale-i Nur günümüz insanının kafasında dolaşan tüm sorulara cevap verebilecek bir donanıma haizdir.
5. Öngörülen Etkinlikler
İslamı tanıtmak, resmi bir iş olmayıp günlük hayatın içersinde inanmış bir müslümanın yapacağı bir görevidir. Bu misyonu kendine hedef edinmiş bir müslümanın elinden geleni yapması beklenir. Bu vazifesini yerine getirirken de yanında bulundurması gereken İslami broşür ve benzeri materyaller olmalıdır.
a. Gönüllü faaliyetler : İngilizce Risale-i Nur bu faaliyette temel taşıdır. Yabancılarla İslami konuları ingiliz dilinde konuşabilmek hayati bir önem arz eder.
b. Turist Noktaları : Birçok noktada turistlere hitap eden yerler oluşturulmalıdır. Bu yerlerin hedefi turistleri İslami bilgilerle donatmak değil, onlara ihtiyaç duydukları bilgileri verebilmektir.
c. Cami ve Kültürel Yerlere Geziler : Camilere yapılacak gezilerle, camilerdeki atmosferin tanıtılması amaçlanır. Öte yandan camilerin müslümanların günlük hayatlarında üstlendikleri rol anlatılmış olur.
d. Evlerde ağırlama : Ev turizmi dünyanın her yerinde yaygın bir turizm çeşididir. Eğitim ve tanıma amaçlı seyahat eden insanlar ailelerin yanında kalmaktadırlar. Amaçları ise, farklı kültür ve gelenekleri tanıyıp öğrenmektir. Bu tür turizm İslamı ve Risale-i Nurları anlatmak için güzel bir fırsattır.
6. Malzeme Listesi :
Hazırlanan broşürler şu konuları içermelidir:
Broşürler; 1) Kur’an’a giriş, 2) Peygamberlik, 3) İslama Giriş, 4) Ölüm sonrası hayat, 5) İslam ve Osmanlı tarihi, 6) Türk kültürü ve geleneksel yaşamıyla alakalı bilgiler, 7) Diğer ilgili konular.
Küçük Kartlar: Bunlar cebe sığabilen küçüklükte ve hayat, ölüm vb konularda hazırlanmış materyallerdir. İngilizce, Fransızca, Almanca ve Japonca olabilirler.
Hediye Çantası : İslami broşürlerden, önemli turistik bilgilerden ve hediyelik eşyalardan oluşan bir hediye çantası her ilgilenilen turiste verilebilmelidir.
Hazırlanan broşürlerde, İslami açıdan önemli eserlere ait bilgilere yer verilmelidir. Örneğin Hz. Osman(r.a.) tarafından yazılan ve Topkapı Sarayında sergilenen ilk yazılı Kur’an-Kerim’e ait bilgiler broşürlerde olmalıdır.
CONVEYING THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM TO THE TOURISTS IN TURKEY IN THE LIGHT OF RISALE NUR
Mohammed Asim Alavi
1. Introduction to Da’wah
Islam is the religion of Fitra (Nature). Every human on this earth is born with the inherent nature of Islam in the depth of his spirit. It’s his upbringing and the environment that make him whatever way he chooses in his future life. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in an authentic Hadeeth, :every child is born in a state of nature and it is his parents who make him a Christian, Jew or a Magian (Bukhari).
When man forgets God out of heedless negligence, He, the Most Merciful, sends Prophets to remind man of his responsibilities and purpose of his life on earth. Mankind witnessed a chain of Prophets that Allah had sent and this chain came to an end with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Following his demise, this responsibility squarely fell on the shoulders of succeeding generations of Muslims.
The task of inviting people to Islam or Da’wa is the collective responsibility of the Muslim Ummah, of each of its members, through whatever possible ways. The Qur’an describes this collective responsibility as follows:
………And from among you there must be a party who invite people to all that is good and enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong. It is they who will attain true success….(Al Imran: 104).
The concept of ‘Enjoining Good’ in itself is very comprehensive and covers all aspects of life. By enjoining good man can be transformed into a dignified human being. The second stage of this Da’wah is forbidding evil from the society. By promoting good evils can be eradicated. Promoting good and forbidding evil come through wisdom and beautiful preaching; by explaining the underlying virtues of good and the adverse consequences of evil.
It’s a definite Islamic rule that, ‘There is no compulsion in religion...’ (Al Baqarah:256). Therefore the methods of Islamic Da’wah are one of persuasion and positive action, not one of force and violence.
2. The Importance of Risale Nur message in this age
Man is created with an inquisitive nature. This has been the driving force behind all human discoveries throughout history. The modern man, more than at any time, achieved marvellous goals in terms of science and technology. Great material progresses have been made to make life easy. Tools and machines have been invented so that days and nights can be spent pleasurably and with a sense of profound warmth. However, these great leaps have failed to give the much needed mental satisfaction. Every invention and machine, instead of contentment, has increased craving for the enjoyment of transient materials. Instead of solving problems it has aggravated them to horrible proportions. The modern man has lost the perception of the purpose of his life on earth.
Risale-i Nur as a thematic Tafseer of the Qur’an possesses the ability to present an unambiguous interpretation of the purpose of man’s life. Further, its methodology and approach which blends spiritual and rational features together can give answers to all the questions arising in the modern man’s mind.
Furthermore, at a time when Islam is painted with extremism and barbarism, spreading the message of peace and love has become fundamentally essential. The westernized materialist man needs this message urgently. Imam Bediuzzaman predicted decades ago a time when the West will commence its search for truth:
‘…..the broad masses and the great states in the world will search out the Qur’an of Miraculous Expositions, and having grasped its truths, will embrace it with all their lives and spirits, just as there are now famous preachers in Sweden, Norway, Finland and England working to have the Qur’an accepted and the important community of America is searching for the true religion.….’ (Islam-Isevi Ittifaki)
3. Turkish Tourism Industry and Risale Nur
Turkey stands as a strategically important place to spread the message of the Qur’an. The millions of tourists visiting Turkey every year is a best asset for this mission. According to Turkey Tourism Forecast 2012, published by RNCOS, a research agency, in the year 2008 twenty six million tourists have arrived and in the year 2012 it’s expected to reach 33 million. Most of the tourists came from Germany, England and Russia among others. The segments include health tourism, cultural tourism, leisure tourism etc., As a matter of fact Istanbul remains a favourite location for cultural tourists. It is the cultural tourists who generally possess an enquiring mind. Hence the project can take off in Istanbul.
The objective of this mission is not an attempt to convert people to Islam, as it is against the basic principles of Islam. Guiding people is the sole responsibility of Allah. Rather, its objective is to convey the message and address the human Fitra. The content of the message should possess the power to pierce through human mind and shake his conscience; it should blast open the chest where his Fitra is preserved, so that will drive it to search for the true purpose of man’s life. The tourists who visit Turkey with heaps of distorted information about Islam should return home with positive and polished perceptions about its beauties. Equally they should be able to distinguish between true Islam and unhealthy practises of some Muslims. Besides, they should also return with a renewed perception of the New Turkey not only as a leisure making destination but a centre of culture and true civilization, connecting with Turkey’s glorious past.
4. Methods of delivery
Adopting proper methods for delivering the message of Islam is very important. Our beloved Prophet mentioned in a Hadeeth, ‘Address people according to the levels of their understanding’ and indeed he practiced it to the full meaning. The addressee (Muhatap) should not feel bored or irritated. Also, direct approach should be avoided as far as possible as some people feel allergic to the word, ‘Islam’ at the outset. People come from diverse cultural, religious and ideological backgrounds. Prescribing the same pill for everyone will not certainly work. For an instance, a Christian or Jew (Ehlul Kitap) should be addressed differently from a Buddhist. For the former, sanctification of Israelite Prophet Musa and Prophet Isa and his mother Virgin Mary (May Peace be all of them) in the Qur’an can be a good starter to gain his attention for a conversation. Whereas for a Buddhist or Hindu, who do not believe in revealed religion and life after death, the methods should be completely different. His analytical mind should be kindled to look into the fallacies of human philosophies and necessary existence of a Supreme God.
As Imam Bediuzzaman had pointed out, Europe is no more Christian, it’s secular. He said: …I am rather addressing the second Europe which, through the darkness of the philosophy of Naturalism, supposing the evils of civilization to be its virtues, has driven mankind to vice and misguidance’ (Lem’alar 115/The Flashes Collections) Hence, a secular and irreligious man should be addressed according to his understanding of human life and the world.
We should shy away from pre-cordial perceptions about people. Not every non Muslim is a Kafir(Infidel) but they are ordinary human being like any others. People are good generally until they become manifest deniers of Allah, their creator.
In deed it’s a daunting task to distinguish who is who when meeting people in our mission. It all depends on the ability of the volunteer involved. He should be properly trained in the mission. However, generally non-Muslims have around 25 questions about Islam, such as terrorism, polygamy etc., The volunteer should be trained to answer them in the correct way.
By the grace of Allah, Risale Nur possess answers to all questions of a modern man, be he a Christian, Muslim, atheist, secularist, traditionalist or any other.
5. Proposed activities
Conveying the message of Islam is not a formal profession, rather its part of routine life of a person who responded to the call of Allah. It’s less formal and more informal. Therefore the volunteer who commits himself to this meritorious mission is expected to commit fully. He should be in readiness to respond to all situations. He should always carry his ‘tool kit’ of Islamic brochures and other materials. He should resemble ‘a walking database of Islam’. Nevertheless the following activities can be proposed in the initial stages:
a. Training of volunteers: This training should include broad areas, primarily, Risale Nur English, communication and inter-personal skills, among other aspects of their mission. (The objective of Risale Nur English is to train volunteers to communicate Risale Nur in English language). Apart from possessing the skills to explain Islam the volunteer should hold sufficient information to answer the general questions of a tourist.
b. Stationing volunteers in tourists spots: Information booths should be established in tourist spots wherever possible. The purpose of this is not to load the visitors with Islam but to provide information on it, Turkish tourist information and other necessary guidance.
c. Mosque and Cultural tours: The purpose of mosque tours is to provide a glimpse of what Muslims do inside a mosque. It should also include explanation of the greater role mosques use to play in the life of Islamic world.
d. Islamic homestays: Homestay is a popular tourism all over the world. People travel for educational and exploration purposes and stay with families. Their purpose is to study and experience different cultures and customs of people in faraway places. This is a good opportunity to show them Islam in practice and engage in Risale Nur studies.
6. Preparing the tool kit:
The tool kit should consist of
Brochures : Risale Nur brochures should be prepared on various subjects, including ;
1) Introduction to Qur’an, 2) Prophethood, 3) Introduction to Islam, 4) Life after death, 5) Muslim and Ottoman history, 6) Turkish tourist information highlighting Turkish culture and traditional life styles, 7) Other relevant subjects.
Flash cards: These are pocket size cards consisting of brief information on life, death etc., They can be in English, French, German and Japanese initially.
The gift pack: every tourist who visits the booth should go with a pack consisting of Islamic brochures, important tourist information and a souvenir.
Some of the tourist destinations can be linked to the brochures, for an instance, the handwritten Qur’an of Caliph Usman (May Allah be pleased with him)placed at Topkapi palace can be linked to the brochure on Qur’an. It’s a great sign of the authenticity of the Qur’an. Not a single letter has been changed ever since, it’s the first ever written Qur’an and today’s printed Qur’an remains exactly the same.
Some thought that this old man had lost his senses and was talking out of his mind; some even would have thought he is insane, a common accusation levelled against almost all the Prophets.
The policeman who came to deliver a strict order found himself aghast, though he did not show any signs of slackness in his posture. He had to borrow enough courage to proclaim his ‘order’, he said:
Sir !
‘ …..you have been ordered to vacate Urfa immediately and return to Isparta as you came; It’s a non-negotiable order from above, from the Minister of Interior himself !!
…….‘How astonishing is your order’ !? I never came here to return anywhere; I came here to die and I will die soon; don’t you see my condition now? How frail I am? ……… came the reply from the reformer(Mucettit)
Turning towards his disciples, he said:
‘Could you please explain my present condition to this policeman?’
The thunder stricken policeman could not understand the meaning of what the reformer was talking about. Woe to him! Had he realized that he was talking to a person whose only profession in this world was defending the religion of the Lord of the universe, the Creator of all living beings, including the policeman himself, his heart would have softened; Had he realized that by not disturbing the reformer he would gain the pleasure of his Lord, he would have kept away from delivering the ‘order’. By not delivering the order he would certainly earn the wrath of his ‘ Minister of Interior’, and loose the perks and other worldly benefits. However, his mind was so narrow that it could not grasp the everlasting bounties that await him in the hereafter.
But, instead, his obstinacy increased; his heart refused to moist.
Human heart can be sealed and made harder than rocks.
The Qur’an describes some human hearts as follow:
But even after seeing these Signs your hearts hardened and became as hard as rocks; nay, even harder than rocks. For there are some rocks out of which springs gush forth, and others which split open, and water issues out of them; then there are some which tumble down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you are doing. (Al Baqarah: 74)
Sensing that the reformer would not budge an inch, he turned his attention towards the disciples who were surrounding their ‘Ustaz’ like bees surround their king in the hive.
They are not ordinary ‘students’, but companions responded to the call of the reformer for the defence of Allah’s religion; They are intoxicated with the sober tenets of Iman like the unbelievers intoxicated with the worldly pleasures. The policeman failed to understand that he was in the midst of a highly motivated brigade, bonded to each other by the bond of Iman, ready to sacrifice their belongings and lives for Allah, by just a blink of an eye of their ‘Ustaz’. Their brigade was cemented with molten lead.
They love Allah and Allah loves them, as the Qur’an says:
Allah indeed loves those who fight in His Way as though they are a solid wall cemented with molten lead. (As Saff: 4)
The policeman’s sight hopped back and forth between the reformer and his disciples, unable to stabilize in one spot.
………….‘Sir! You are in a wrong place’ this is a place where threats, intimidations, blackmailing will not work,…………. we are in a long and arduous journey…….. none can stop us….. we will keep going until we achieve victory or we perish in the way of Allah – ‘you are in a wrong place, sir!!
This was the message the policeman’s eyes absorbed from those faces waiting to give farewell to their ‘Ustaz’.
Yes, the policeman’s calculations were wrong. He felt that pulling a huge boulder would be easier than subduing these ‘lowest folks of the society’. As a last resort, in a fiery voice, he ordered the disciples to be summoned in the police station without any delay.
The reformer’s arrival in Urfa, together with the bullying of the police department, created a tense atmosphere in the area. As the news of reformer’s arrival spread across like Australian wildfire, enthusiastic people from all walks of life began encroaching the hotel where the departing he was camping.
On the other side…………
A group of steel willed disciples were present in the police station, not to plead for help, but to convey the ‘non-negotiable’ stance of their ‘Ustaz’
………Why you came to Urfa…… who gave you permission to leave Isparta? asked the head of the police department from. ‘ We have received stringent order from the highest command to repatriate all of you, including your Ustaz back to Isparta; if you do not have any means of transport we will arrange an ambulance for your travel……….’ the head further added.
‘No……’
….it’s possible only if our ‘Ustaz’ consent to going back; we shall simply carry out his ‘order’ without argument, that’s it !! Further, he his critically ill and cannot bear the discomfort of another twenty four hour journey….
………..No way, we will never interfere in his affairs, but if you want, you can try to persuade him. If he orders us we will leave with him…..’, the disciples answered.
Head of the police put his head down out of shame as he could not control his emotions. He never expected that the ‘meanest folks of the society’, like the comrades of Prophet Nuh (Peace be upon him), would show such a strong defiance in front of the ‘order’ of the country’s interior minister.
‘…..what you mean by that……..? Can’t you convey to your Ustaz the order of interior minister, who is responsible for the law and security of the whole country….? if you are so attached with your Ustaz, be informed, I am even more attached with my leaders; I shall give two hours time for all of you to pack and vacate Urfa……….‘ retorted the angry officer.
He was in a fighting mood and was expecting to jump to the fray for a wrestling. Relying on the power of his government and the lethal weapons his department possesses, his determination to clear Urfa of this ‘ evil preacher and his disciples’ had increased.
But for the disciples, they knew well that Allah is the Greatest of all rulers ( At Teen: 8). They did not lose their cool, because it was not in their nature; that was how their Ustaz nurtured them. Patience and use of wisdom were their hallmarks. They were trained in the Medressetun Nuriye on how to deal gently with people and carry out their mission through persuasion, not by force, as it is against the basic principles of the Qur’an.
There is no compulsion and coercion in regard to religion.The right thing has been made distinct from the wrong thing. (Al Baqarah: 256)
They, on the contrary, prepared themselves for a confrontation with the police department, not by means of violence, as they knew that violence breeds more violence. Rather by means of wisdom and beautiful preaching. They got down a medical report from the nearby government hospital, which, without any shadow of doubt, proved that their Ustaz’s health condition did not allow him to move anywhere.
This ‘commando operation’ took the entire police department unawares. The infuriated department began searching other ways to repatriate the group back to Isparta.
The head of the department along with a contingent of arm wielding officers rushed towards the hotel where the reformer was staying.
‘Sir, the ‘order’ is very clear, you must return to Isparta’,
The reformer looking at the face of the officer, in a calm but assertive tone, said: ‘ I am in the final moments of my life, unable to return to anywhere. I will die here. Your responsibility now is to arrange water to wash my body…..’!!!
This feeble but bold and magnetic assertion pierced and shattered the officer’s heart into pieces. He felt he was losing the battle and found that no way out for him except conceding defeat. The police contingent with its leader, bowing their heads down, left the hotel.
Planning of one’s death is in the hands of Allah, not any human being.
The reformer now was in the most joyous moment of his life. His thoughts were thrilled and were full of excitement about the ensuing moments. After completing the mission of serving the Qur’an that he inherited from the Prophets, he was about to commence his life of Alam Al Barzakh(Intermediate realm). He was so unusual in his mood that he hugged and embraced each and every visitor who came to see him off, which was quite contrary to his normal practices, according to his disciples.
As the sun set and night fell, the disciples were not able to control their emotions and their eyes were flowing down tears. Although they were well aware of the inevitability of death, their minds were not prepared to accept the departure of their beloved Ustaz. How can they? Their love for him was not for decaying worldly benefits, so that with the demise of their Ustaz everything will be long forgotten. The grief-stricken disciples were on a round-the-clock watch about the health situation of their Ustaz. It was around 2.30 am in the wee hours that one of them ventured into checking the pulse, found that their Ustaz’s temperature was normalizing. When he informed others of this little improvement, everyone proclaimed ‘Elhamdulillah’. Contended and relieved they went to bed.
Came the time for Fajr(Dawn prayers) they waited for their Imam to lead them in Salat, but to no avail !!
Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi breathed his last that night. It was 23rd March 1960. The brave defender and guardian of the Qur’an, the bearer of the light of the Qur’an had departed to his beloved Lord.
“O serene soul! Return to your Lordwell-pleased (with your blissful destination), well-pleasing (to your Lord). So enter among My (righteous) servants and enter My Paradise. (Al Fajr: 27-30)
