In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

In  2007, The Most Merciful blessed me with dear brothers from the blessed community of the Risale-i Nur who gave me an opportunity to memorize and study the Qur’an in Turkey. After I graduated high school, I was understandably apprehensive as to what the coming years in Turkey would bring. With only my  firm intention to study Qur’an and its undoubtedly great interpretation in this century, THE RISALE-I NUR, I put my trust in  Allah, and,  supported by the Nur community in the Philippines, I took the first step of  the journey leading me far from my own home, city, region, and country.

My first summer abroad was in the company of some elder brothers (may Allah bless them ) in dersane in Istanbul. I was totally enchanted by their hospitality, affection, and care –which was beyond my imagination-  and whole-heartedly surrendered and finally convinced myself that, “if these people alone live on earth, Allah will turn it into paradise in an instant”.

The blessed month of Ramadan saw me leaving Istanbul and  transferring to the admirable city of Akhisar where I started my dersane life and enrolled in HILALIYE EGITIM VAKFI ( its course consists of both QUR’AN memorization and Risale-i Nur studies). I was again impressed by the same love and care, and that impression and affection I have of my sincere brothers in dersane lasts to this very day even though I am several thousand miles away from them. May Allah protect us all and our families!

Dersane is to me a home of learning (madrasa). Learning because my personality and character improved through practical proper living manners and ethics such as proper communication, relationship with brothers, cleaning, improving one’s practical skills, and living for the sake of Allah. Home because of the brotherly care and fatherly affection for the sake of Allah and His Messenger (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) that fills the dersane.

In this light-filled home, I realised and discovered the importance of a believer gaining happiness in this life and hereafter not just for himself but for the others as well, just as our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) reminds us, “The best of you is he who is beneficial to others”. In here I witnessed the importance of the messenger (PBUH), his teachings, and his practice and I hope my brothers are among those the Prophet (PBUH) refers to when he said that, “Whoever adheres to my practices when my community is corrupted shall receive the reward of a hundred martyrs”

HILALIYE is where I developed my memorizing skills and learned substantially about ISLAM, Qur’an, and all the basic knowledge that a Muslim must know. I remember youthful laughter all around as I entered and enrolled in HILALIYE. They offer hafiz education to adolescents  aged 13-16. First year into the course, we learned all the basic knowledge and on how to read the Qur’an fluently with Tajweed (proper way of reading). Turkish language is the medium of teaching. Within a short period of time, extensive and intensive reading of the Qur’an is done, and the short suras are memorized, after which the whole Qur’an is memorized in two or three years. During my first days in the course, I had great difficulty communicating  because my classmates couldnt speak English at all, for that reason I encouraged my self to learn Turkish language and solve the communication conflict between me and other fellows.

Alhamdulillah, after several headaches and sleepless nights trying to put  the Qur’an in memory, we were so blessed to have finished the course in 2009 within three years.

I am indebted to my teachers, advisers, agabeys (elder brothers), family and friends for being my hands and the feet that propelled me to succeed in this challenge. May Allah, the Most Merciful fill their hearts with light, guide all of us to the straight path and let us meet in the day of resurrection with our beloved prophet Muhammad (PBUH).  Amin.

Raffie Usman / Philippines (Click for original article)

Click for Turkish Version