8- A REAL OPINION ABOUT SAİD-İ NURSİ
Muhammad Said-i Nursi:
1.
He supported the Constitutional Government (Meşrutiyet) and he was a
Republican.
2.
He was a liberal - supporting freedom
3.
He supported social economy (he was egalitarian), besides supporting Islam
Religion.
He said in his book called “The State Philosophy” that
the reason why the Muslims were in this condition was “the selfish, rich
Muslims who think of only their own benefits”.
He was also mystical (Sufi) in addition to supporting Sharia. He led
a spiritual, saintly life that was not secular. When he died, there was only 6
Lira in his pocket. He owned nothing material. He was a mystic. Said-i Nursi
Efendi used the principle of philosophers and scholastic theologians:
“deduction by analogy”, which was the principle of Logic, in the struggle
against materialist Philosophy. He chose the way of answering with the method
of rationalists. He used deduction and induction such as exemplifying, simile,
showing evidence in defining a reality or a concept.
Said-i Nursi Efendi said: “The struggle against materialist philosophers can
be done in this way.” He reciprocated them with the same guns they used. This
is also correct. He directed his aspirants, his disciples towards his method
(with his own words) as he was the man of action. That is to say, he motivated
them. For these reasons, he wanted to make his students to devote themselves
to himself and to rationalist method and also to encourage them saying that
the sheikhs of tekke would not cope with these philosophers and a scientific
struggle was inevitable with these materialists. He said very pretentious
words in some places in order to keep his aspirants in his doctrine.
For example, he said: “If the Personalities such as Jafari Sadıq,
Abdulqadir-i Geylani and İmam Rabbani had lived in my time, they would have
chosen my method”. This saying of him is very pretentious and he talked
challengingly as it cannot comprise, involve the scholars and the wise people
who knew physical, theoretical, philosophical and very high spiritual
knowledge thoroughly and also acquired the knowledge of “Ledunni”. Some
of them are: Jafari Sadiq, Abdulqadir Gilani, Imami Rabbani, Ahmed Yesevi,
Sayyid Ibrahimi Dusuki, Halid Ziyaeddin, Hasan al Basri, Junayd al Baghdad,
Marufu Kerhi, Sirri Saqati, Shabeddini Suhreverdi, Nejmeddini Kubra, Hadji
Beqtashi Veli, Hadji Bayrami Veli, Jalaladdini Rumi, Kuşadalı Ibrahim Efendi
and Yunus Emre.
These personalities are very exalted Scholars and wise Gnostics whom
our Prophet defined as: “The Scholars of my People are like the Prophets of
the Children of
Israel”.
(Kırk Hadis, Sadreddin Konevi, tans. By Harun Ünal, Vahdet Publ. 1984-Ist.)
There were some materialist philosophers at their time too. These materialist
scholars were called as “Dehris” at that time. These great
personalities I mentioned would fight against these Dehri philosophers -using
the same method of philosophy- theoretically and by reason. They had been able
to do this. Said-i Nursi Efendi said: “In the past, blasphemy was
due to denial and ignorance but now it comes through science and knowledge so
we should fight against it scientifically”.
In the World of Islam, there were some philosophers that defended
blasphemy and materialism theoretically and through philosophy during the time
of the personalities, I mentioned above. I mean that materialism is not
something new. This contradiction of spirituality and materialism has existed
since the Prophet of Adam and it will continue until the doomsday. For this
reason, we do not agree with this opinion of Said-i Nursi.
This is his disposal in order to reach his aim, to show himself more
superior than these personalities and to make his students to devote
themselves to him and to his doctrine. We say again that it is a motivation, a
tactic of him.
Now we are revealing a truth: When these Muslim great Sufi
Saints, all of them are the Friends of God but they are at different ranks,
reach the rank of Fenafillah (non-existing in existence) and Bekabillah
(existing in Allah), which is called as annihilating in God, some of them are
taught spiritual knowledge and wisdom. They are called as “Gnostics-the
Wise”. A number of them are called as “Abstract Friend of God”. It
means that all the Friends of God (Wali- Muslim Saint) are not a Gnostic. They
had known themselves and their Lord but they were not given detailed
knowledge and gnosis. The name of these saints in the inner world is “the
illiterate”. They are illiterate Friends of God. Some of them are assigned
with the duty of “sheikhdom-meşihat”. This duty involves training the
aspirants in the way as they were trained. This teaching is called as
“Seyri süluk- spiritual journey in the path of God by being purified from the
carnal desires-nafs-”. They are called as “the Sheikhs of Tekke
(tekke: place of repose)” in the History of Sufism. Or else, all the wise Sufi
saints-the Friends of God used the power of Holy Spirit and mental power in
them to defend God and to teach realities. They had used all the ways to
explain and defend God.
As for this, we say that what Said-i Nursi said comprises, involves
only the religious teachers of tekke. It cannot include the personalities such
as Jafar-i Sadıq, who is the sixth Ahl al Bayt Imam, Abdulqadir Geylani (he is
the religious teacher of all the mystics (Sufis), İmam Rabbani, Muhammad
Naqshibendi, Muhiddin-i Arabi. The personalities like Ahmed er Rufai are both
the religious teachers of tekke and very exalted wise scholars who acquired
the spiritual Knowledge (Ledunni) and theoretical knowledge and evidences. It
is very dangerous and wrong to make claims about them recklessly. As we said
above, that is the personal disposal of Said-i Nursi Efendi in order to keep
his students near him and to make them serve his aim. It is a motivation.
5. He supported the production of the sciences related to the
technology of the age.
6. He was a keen opponent of Sultanate and Umayyads. He was
greatly fond of Hz. Ali and Ahl al Bayt (the Family of the Prophet). He
knew Hz. Ali as the Shah of Sanctity. He did not get on well with “Abdülhamid”
because he was an opponent of Sultanate and he was not in good terms with
“Sheikhulislam” as he was the opponent of Umayyads. Due to this, he had been
put into Bakırköy Mental Hospital between 1906-1908 until the declaration of
Constitutional Government with the agreement of Abdulhamid II and
Sheikhulislam having proved that he was mentally ill. He was released from the
Mental Hospital (from lunatic asylum) on the day of the declaration of the
Constitutional Government by Talat Pasha.
Although Said-i Nursi Efendi was a learned man of Shafii sect, he was
such a keen lover of Ahl al Bayt and he said he attained the munificence of
Alawism. He did not say: “the munificence of Hz. Ali” but he said: “the
munificence of Alawism”. He meant to say: “I am a scholar of the People
of Sunnat but I am also an Alawi”. Said-i Nursi Efendi was a supporter, an
adherent of Hz. Ali. He put the hadith, which our Prophet had said at Gadir
Hum, into the second page of his book called “Hakikat Nurları”. This is
called as “the Farewell Speech of our Prophet”.
Most of the theological scholars of the People of Sunnat had taken this hadith
as “I am leaving and I am entrusting you two things; one of them is the
Glorious Koran and the other is my Sunnat (customs, deeds)” but Said-i Nursi
Efendi had put the correct form of this hadith into his book called “Hakikat
Nurları”. The correct form is: “I am leaving and I entrust you two things -
I am entrusting you the Koran -the Book of Allah- and my Ahl al Bayt”.
There is also a hadith in the Sahih by Bukhari as “I am entrusting you my
Sunnat too.” By this way, our Prophet entrusted us three things: The
Glorious Koran, his pure Ahl al Bait and his Sunnat. Said-i Nursi Efendi
had put this hadith into his book in this way. Ahl al Bait is: The Prophet
of Allah, Muhammad Mustafa, Mother Fatıma, Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat
Husayin. These hadiths are also written in “Müsned” by Ahmed bin Hanbely,
in “Sahih” by Müslim.
According to him, the real purpose of the Kings of the Umayyad was to
abolish the Religion of Muhammad. However, Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan did not
succeed this when he met such a strong power-knowledge, piety and sword- :
the King of Sanctity Hz. Ali, who is a great scholar, a pious man and the
owner of a powerful sword “Zulfikar”. The other kings of the Umayyad also
attempted this but they were not successful. Fortunately, the call to the
prayer (ezan) and the Glory of Muhammad are continuing without interruption.
Hz. Ali made the calling to prayer of Islam to be announced eternally
and everlasting. Hasan al Ashary and Muhammad Shafii also thought that
Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan and Amr Ibn ul As were rebellious. They are the ones
who rebelled against İmam Ali (the True İmam, the True Religion). (The
sources: They are written in the books called “Mezhepler Tarihi” by Abu Zehra,
“Kelam İlminin Başlıca Meseleleri” by Taftazani and in “El Milel” by
Şehristani)
Said-i Nursi Efendi had told the realities about Ahl al Bait. May
Allah be pleased with him!
7.
He was a member of the Committee of Union and Progress. He belonged to the
Intelligence Service of the Private Organization. (This is taken from Talat
Pasha Hatıratı (Memoirs) in Tercüman Newspaper owned by Nazlı Ilıcak)
8. He supported the National Struggle Movement and made the
opening pray of the First Grand National Assembly. This event was confirmed
with photographs. He was near Mustafa Kemal Pasha.
9. He was affected by Sayyid Cemaleddin-i Efgani in
Islamic Movement. He appropriated his method which was “quantitative
judgment -kemiyetçilik-” and he became contrary to the method of Muhammad
Abduh, an Egyptian Scholar, which is “qualitative judgment -keyfiyetçilik-”,
that was chosen by Mehmet Akif.
Quantitative method involves influencing the sovereign powers of that country
(the Pashas of the Union and Progress Committee such as Talat, Enver and Cemal
Pasha) and getting the control of the government from the top, which means,
“to revolutionize”. Qualitative method involves establishing a
pious society that consisted of qualified people through educating them. It
means “evolutionary”, progressing from below to above.
This evolutionary method is the method of Sadrazam (Grand Vizier)
Halim Pasha, Muhammad Abduh from Egypt and Mehmet Akif. After 1918 Sevr
Treaty, these two sides; Said-i Nursi and his followers and Mehmet Akif and
his followers both joined the National Struggle Movement altogether. They
supported Mustafa Kemal strongly and they both (Akif and Nursi) helped
the declaration of Republic in 1923. When the article “The religion of the
state is İslam” was withdrawn from the Constitution in 1924, their way with
Mustafa Kemal was separated and Mehmet Akif and Said-i Nursi were not included
into the list of 150 people, who were sent to exile. However, Mehmet Akif went
to Egypt either compulsorily or by his own will (the reason why he went there
is still not known). Akif had lived in Egypt for twelve years until 1936.
Said-i Nursi was made to live in Van, which was his hometown due to his
service for the Union and Progress Committee and National Struggle. He was
made to reside in his hometown to be gratified. (He was banished from
İstanbul)
We see that Muhammad Said-i Nursi devoted himself to knowledge
from 1924 to 1945, leaving politics. Yet, we see that he returned to politics
by supporting Democrat Party Movement in 1945 when multi-party system started.
He wrote a letter saying that he was near Celal Bayar and he supported the
movement against İsmet Pasha. For this reason, İsmet Pasha banished him to
Elmalı and said:
“Said-i Kürdi raised his head again (he rebelled) let him go away from the
eastern provinces”.
Nursi lived an exile around Elmalı and Isparta until his death and he was
taken to law courts meanwhile. He died in Urfa in 1960.
Muhammad Said-i Nursi Efendi was a passionate Islam scholar who led a
stormy life. He was a patriotic Muslim, a strong believer, and a
well-intentioned person with his good and bad points. Whereas, those who
attempted to represent him after his death did not have his faith, his piety,
his mystic life style, his well intention, his fervent scientific struggle,
his courage and his devotion.
I commemorate him with mercy and gratitude.
I say that he was also a patriot because he had never been in
cooperation with foreigners (with foreign elements) against his opponents. He
would continue in his way he believed to be correct even though by himself. He
was a nationalist in this respect.
However, those that claim that they represent him got in touch with the
centers of other nations and they are still doing this. They went even to
their temples and they made friends with some atheists, materialists,
freemasons and Christians without hesitation. They wanted to apply the
quantitative method of Said-i Nursi inversely. That is to say, the method
of Said-i Nursi was to use the sovereign powers- those who are at the top
ranks- for his own aims. Their method is the cunning of seizing the
sovereign powers at the top, but not ordinary people, hierarchically, oozing
from below to above after the seizure of bureaucracy. Nevertheless, these
cunnings turned out badly, it went wrong because the nationalist people at the
summit are wide-awake and alert they are not foolish.
The quantitative method does not mean to educate people, it is to
seize the people at the higher ranks and then to get the control of the
government. Now, those who are attempting to represent Said-i Nursi Efendi
want to make use of all the means in order to reach their aims, on the
contrary of his patriotism. They do not hesitate to be in cooperation with
atheists, non-Muslims and foreign centers and to benefit from them. They are
“Makyavelists”. They say: “It is permissible to use all the means in
order to reach the aim”, whether or not they are foreign elements. This is
completely a non-nationalist action. It is a dangerous way for people and for
the country and a wrong method. This is a harmful movement, which is not
beneficial for the country, for Islam and Muslims.
What I have written so far can be discussed, but this is what I think
because we love our country, we are nationalist and we can be accepted as the
supporter of Akif. We emphasize on the path based on Love, Wisdom and
Knowledge and the fight against one’s carnal desires before Shariat
-Jurisprudence-, system and the religious fight. We chose the mystical path
and support the opinion of Mawlana, Yunus and of all the Sufis, which is:
“He who did not get rid of his own carnal desires (nafs) cannot save other
people”. This is explained perfectly by Ziya Pasha as follows:
“Those are the people who give orders to the World,
there are a thousand kinds of faults in their houses.”
NOTE: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT M. AKİF ERSOY AND SAİD-İ NURSİ
1.
Mehmet Akif Ersoy supported neither Abdulhamid II nor the Union and Progress
Party in his life and in his poems. He was an independent thinker and a great
poet. (He is independent and neutral) He is strongly against the Pashas of
Union and Progress Committee (such as Talat, Enver and Cemal Pashas). He
declared his opposition against Abdulhamit and Sultanate with the following
lines:
“He is a coward, who is even afraid of his own shadow and he start shouting,
He has
deceived us for thirty-three years saying Sharia.”
(from Safahat by M. Akif Ersoy)
Said-i Nursi Efendi was also a fervent opponent of Sultanate and Abdulhamid.
For this reason, as mentioned above, he was sent to Bakırköy Mental Hospital
considering he was mad by both Abdulhamid and Sheikhulislam. Yet, he supported
Union and Progress and its Pashas as he was a keen supporter of Constitutional
Government. He was a member of the Union and Progress and he belonged to it.
(It is taken from the Hatırat (Memoirs) of Talat Pasha in Tercüman Newspaper
owned by Nazlı Ilıcak. Our source is the Tercüman Newspaper of Nazlı Ilıcak.
It may be the old newspaper called Tercüman by Ilıcaks). In 1908, on the
declaration of Constitutional Government, Talat Pasha released him from
Bakırköy Mental Hospital. Said-i Nursi Efendi made a speech to the crowd
gathered with the Pashas of the Union and Progress at Taksim Liberty Square:
“We ruined despotism and founded liberty
Damn with despotism, long live the legal Constitutional Government.”
The above lines definitely belong to Said-i Nursi Efendi.
We greet all the People and our Nation with the Inspirations from the
Existence!
Kazım YARDIMCI
20th October, 2004
varliktanveriler@hotmail.com
bilgi@varliktanveriler.com
www.varliktanveriler.com
