A Glimpse into Nursi's Life and Thought

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1876-1960) was one of the most brilliant Islamic thinkers in the modern era, a man who consistently fought for his ideals by keeping Islam a dynamic religion in the modern world.

Nursi’s magnum opus Risale-i Nur (widely known as the Risale) written over six decades, exemplifies the scope of his intellectual and religious dynamism (Vahide, 2005). Nursi’s life and the Risale elucidate concepts of Islamic identity in the modern era, shed light on questions of power and authority, and modernity and tradition, and relate it to this life and the hereafter.

Enlisted in the army as a religious functionary when the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in 1914, Nursi formed a militia force and commanded this force. Subsequently he was arrested, poisoned and held in Kastamanou police station for some two to three weeks.

He spent twenty months in Afyon Prison when he was over seventy years of age – wrote numerous letters to his students in the prison to urge them to look on their imprisonment in positive terms in the light of divine wisdom, as a trial and test, which presented new possibilities for service to the Quran through the Risale.

Nursi led a life devoted to the advancement and prosperity of all of humanity. His subject of the study was the Quran and his tool for the exposition of his understanding was the Risale. His message was meant for all, and not just Muslims. He was a keen observer of the environment around him and was critical of the social morass engulfing societies due to, in his conception, the rise of atheist and materialist philosophies in society. He dedicated his life to revitalize faith in his society for he held the view that it is through faith that humanity would solve its problems.

Nursi empowered Muslims by updating Islamic terminology and language. He provided them with a new vocabulary to enable them participate in discussions and debates on issues such as constitutionalism, science, freedom and democracy. In this sense, he empowered Muslims with a new cognitive map. With a new cognitive map, a contextualized Muslim identity was unfolded and the assertion that religion and science are not in conflict or tension, that science and religion are not mutually exclusive. Yavuz asserts that in a way Nursi tried to vernacularise science and modern discourses in an Islamic idiom, to facilitate the dissemination of scientific knowledge in Muslim countries (Yavuz, 2005).

Tarhan (2004) asserts that Nursi stands out as a thinker and a man of action who proved in theory and practice, his thesis that “people can modernize while preserving their own religions and cultures”.

Whilst Risale is said to be a commentary of the Quran, it is also offers deep insights into Nursi’s feelings and how evil and suffering are confronted through revelation and belief in Divine Unity (Tawhid). Nursi’s solutions to evil and suffering are outcome of his life experience. In this sense it more that simply a “theodicy” but an experience that the reader can find himself and his most hidden feelings.

Through the insight of Divine Unity, Nursi realized that nothing occurs on its own haphazardly. Everything is directly under the control of his Merciful Lord. Nursi saw the reality of the seemingly harsh and hostile conditions in which he found himself, and through it he was made to realize his boundless weakness and his absolute need to seek refuge with his Omnipotent and Merciful Sustainer.

As Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) transformed the belly of the whale into a submarine through the mystery of Divine Unity. Nursi was able to transform the prison into a “School of Yusuf” (Medrese-i Yusufiye).

Nursi was aware that illness and suffering, the dislike for it, the love for well-being and good, and the recourse to treatment and worldly causes in seeking health, as well as health itself, are all meaningful pointers toward Divine mercy and wisdom and witnesses to Divine mercy. Such awareness is patience; it is worship. Instead of putting God on trial for allowing evil, sufferings and pain, such awareness direct a mental attitude, a worldview and a behavior that affirm the Divine Names, attributes and qualities.

Belief in the Hereafter is one of the most important lessons taught by the Quran. The Prophets (may God be pleased with all of them) have reported and taught their people that the Hereafter exists and that all beings will be taken there, just as the Creator has promised.

The Tenth Word first written when Nursi arrived in Barla circa 1926 is a treatise on resurrection and the hereafter. It was reported that the following verse came to Nursi’s mind as he was walking through the orchards on the slopes to the east of Barla down toward Lake Egirdir.

“So think on the signs of God’s mercy, how He gives life to the earth after its death; indeed, He it is who will give life to the dead, and He is powerful over all things.” (Quran, 30:50)

Nursi's theological reflections still inspire an entire generation of Muslims throughout the world.