A Brief Look at Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's Life, the Risale-i Nur, and Letters

The present work forms the second volume of the Risale-i Nur Collection and consists of letters written by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi to his students mostly between 1928 and 1932, while in exile in Barla, an isolated village in the province of Isparta in South-Western Anatolia. Its original title is Mektûbat. Other letters belonging to this period are included in one of the collections of additional letters, also volumes of the Risale-i Nur, called Barla Lahikası (Barla Letters). The letters in the present volume cover many subjects and were set in order and numberered, not chronologically, by the author. They were largely written in reply to questions put by his students, and to offer proofs of matters related to belief and Islam at a time of rapid change. In order to enable readers unfamiliar with Bediuzzaman and his life and works to see the letters in clearer perspective, included here is a brief outline of his life, the background to the writing of the Risale-i Nur and Letters, and a description of their main characteristics.

Bediuzzaman's Life

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was born in 1877 in eastern Turkey and died in 1960 in Urfa, also in eastern Turkey. Readers may refer to his biography for details of his long and exemplary life, which spanned the last decades of the Ottoman Empire, its collapse after the First World War and the setting up of the Republic, then the twenty-five years of single-party rule, followed by the ten years of Democrat rule, when conditions eased a little.

From an early age Bediuzzaman displayed an extraordinary intelligence and ability to learn, completing the normal course of medrese (religious school) education at the early age of fourteen, when he obtained his diploma. He became famous for both his prodigious memory and his unbeaten record in debating with other religious scholars. Another characteristic Bediuzzaman displayed from an early age was an instinctive dissatisfaction with the existing education system, which when older he formulated into comprehensive proposals for its reform. The heart of these proposals was the bringing together and joint teaching of the traditional

religious sciences and the modern sciences, together with the founding of a university in the eastern provinces of the empire, the Medresetü'z-Zehra, where this and his other proposals would be put into practice. In 1907 his endeavours in this field took him to Istanbul where he sought the backing of the sultan, Abdulhamid. Although subsequently he twice received funds for the construction of his university, and its foundations were laid in 1913, it was never completed due to war and the vicissitudes of the times.

Contrary to the practice of religious scholars at that time, Bediuzzaman studied and mastered many of the physical and mathematical sciences, and later studied philosophy, for he believed that it was only in this way that Islamic theology (kalâm) could be renewed and solutions be found for the many problems besetting the Ottomans and the Islamic world. Threats to the Qur'an led him to vow that he would "prove and demonstrate to the world that the Qur'an is an undying, inextinguishable Sun!" He strove to employ his superior knowledge of both the traditional religious and the modern sciences in the service of the Qur'an; to prove its miraculousness, defend it against criticisms made largely in the name of science and progress, and relate its truths in the light of modern advances in knowledge. He sought to prove that the Qur'an was the source of true progress and civilization, and since this was the case, Islam would dominate the future, despite its relative decline and regression at that time.

The years up to the end of the First World War were the final decades of the Ottoman Empire and were, in the words of Bediuzzaman, the period of the Old Said. In addition to his endeavours in the field of learning, he served the Empire and Islam through active involvement in social life and the public domain. In the War, he commanded a militia force on the Caucasian Front against the invading Russians, for which he was later awarded a War Medal. To maintain the morale of his men he himself disdained to enter the trenches inspite of the constant shelling, and it was while withstanding the overwhelming assaults of the enemy that he wrote his celebrated Qur'anic commentary, Signs of Miraculousness, dictating to a scribe while on horseback. Stating that the Qur'an encompasses the sciences which make known the physical world, the commentary is an original and important work which Bediuzzaman hoped would serve as a model for future commentaries, as he was unable to complete it at that time. He was taken prisoner in March 1916 and held in Russia for two years before escaping in early 1918, and returning to Istanbul via Warsaw and Vienna.

The defeat of the Ottomans saw the end of the Empire and its dismemberment and the occupation of Istanbul and parts of Turkey by imperialist forces. These bitter years saw also the transformation of the Old Said into

the New Said, the second main period of Bediuzzaman's life. Despite the acclaim he received and services he performed as a member of the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-İslâmiye, a learned council attached to the Shaykh al-Islam's Office, and combating the occupying forces, Bediuzzaman underwent a profound mental and spiritual change in the process of which he turned his back on the world. Realizing the inadequacy of the "human" science and philosophy he had studied as a means of reaching the truth, he took the revealed Qur'an as his "sole guide;" that is, he recognized revelation over reason. In recognition of his services to the Independence Struggle, he was invited to Ankara but on arrival there found that at the very time of the victory of the Turks and Islam, atheistic ideas were being propagated among the deputies and officials, and many were lax in performing their religious duties. He published various works to counter this development.

Remaining some eight months in Ankara, Bediuzzaman understood the way the new leaders were going to take and on the one hand that he could not work alongside them, and on the other that they were not to be opposed in the realm of politics. When offered various posts and benefits he therefore declined them and left Ankara for Van, where he withdrew into a life of worship and contemplation; he was seeking the best way to proceed.

Within a short time, Bediuzzaman's fears about the new regime began to be realized: the first steps were taken towards secularization and reducing the power of Islam within the state, and even its eradication from Turkish life. In early 1925 there was a rebellion in the east in which he played no part, but in consequence of which was sent into exile in western Anatolia along with many hundreds of others. Thus unjustly began twenty-five years of exile, imprisonment, and unlawful oppression for Bediuzzaman. He was sent to Barla, a tiny village in the mountains of Isparta Province. However, the attempt to entirely isolate and silence him had the reverse effect, for Bediuzzaman was both prepared and uniquely qualified to face the new challenge: these years saw the writing of the Risale-i Nur, which silently spread and took root, combating in the most constructive way the attempt to uproot Islam and the unbelief and materialist philosophy it was hoped to instil in the Muslim people of Turkey.

The Risale-i Nur

As the New Said, Bediuzzaman had immersed himself in the Qur'an, searching for a way to relate its truths to modern man. In his isolation in Barla he began to write treatises explaining and proving these truths, for now the Qur'an itself and its truths were under direct attack. The first was on the resurrection of the dead, which in a unique style proves bodily resurrection

rationally, where even the greatest scholars previously had confessed their impotence. He described the method he employed as consisting of three stages: first God's existence is proved, and His Names and attributes, then the resurrection of the dead is "constructed" on these and proved. Bediuzzaman did not ascribe these writings to himself, but said they proceeded from the Qur'an itself and were "rays shining out of from [its] truths."

Thus, rather than being a Qur'anic commentary which expounds all its verses giving the immediate reasons for their revelation and the apparent meanings of the words and sentences, the Risale-i Nur is what is known as a mânevî tefsir or commentary which expounds the truths the Qur'an teaches. For there are various sorts of commentaries. The verses mostly expounded in the Risale-i Nur are those that teach such truths of belief as the divine names and attributes and the divine activity in the universe, the divine existence and unity, resurrection, prophethood, divine determining or destiny, and man's duties of worship. Bediuzzaman explains how the Qur'an addresses all men in every age in accordance with the degree of their understanding and development; it has a face that looks to each age. The Risale-i Nur, then, explains that face of the Qur'an which looks to this age. We shall now look at further aspects of the Risale-i Nur related to this point.

In numerous of its verses, the Holy Qur'an invites man to observe the universe and reflect on the divine activity within it; following just this method, Bediuzzaman provides proofs and explanations for the truths of belief. He likens the universe to a book, and looking at it in the way shown by the Qur'an, that is, "reading" it for its meaning, learns of the divine names and attributes and other truths of belief. The book's purpose is to describe its Author and Maker; beings become evidences and signs to their Creator. Thus, an important element in the way of the Risale-i Nur is reflection or contemplation (tefekkür), reading the book of the universe in order to increase in knowledge of God and to obtain certain belief in all the truths of belief.

Bediuzzaman demonstrates that the irrefutable truths, such as divine unity, arrived at in this way are the only rational and logical explanation of the universe, and making comparisons with Naturalist and Materialist philosophy, which have used science's findings about the cosmos to deny those truths, show the concepts on which they are based, such as causality and nature, to be irrational and logically absurd.

Indeed, far from contradicting them, in uncovering the order and working of the universe, science broadens and deepens knowledge of the truths

of belief. In the Risale-i Nur many descriptions of the divine activity in the universe are looked at through the eyes of science and reflect Bediuzzaman's knowledge of it. The Risale-i Nur shows that there is no contradiction or conflict between religion and science.

In addition, all these matters discussed in the Risale-i Nur are set out as reasoned arguments and proved according to logic. All the main truths of faith are proved so clearly that everyone can see their necessity. So too, inspired by the Qur'an, even the most profound and inaccessible truths are made accessible by means of comparisons, which bring them close to the understanding like telescopes, so that they are readily understandable by ordinary people and those with no previous knowledge of these questions.

Another aspect of the Risale-i Nur related to the face of the Qur'an which looks to this age, is that it explains everything from the point of view of wisdom; that is, it explains the aims and purposes of everything. It considers things from the point of view of the divine name of All-Wise.

Also, following this method, in the Risale-i Nur Bediuzzaman solved many mysteries of religion, such as bodily resurrection and divine determining and man's will, and the riddle of the constant change in the universe and the motion of particles, before which, relying on his own intellect and philosophy, man had been impotent.

While in Barla, Bediuzzaman put the treatise on resurrection and the pieces that followed it together in the form of a collection and gave it the name of Sözler (The Words). The Words was followed by Mektûbat, Letters, the present collection of thirty-three letters of varying lengths from Bediuzzaman to his students. And this was followed by Lem'alar, The Flashes Collection, and Şualar, The Rays, which was completed in 1949. Included in these last two are Bediuzzaman's defence speeches from the trials at Eskişehir in 1935 and Afyon in 1948-9. Together with these are the three collections of Additional Letters, for each of Bediuzzaman's main places of exile, Barla Lahikası, Kastamonu Lahikası, and Emirdağ Lahikası.

Bediuzzaman's Letters

Thus, during that period of oppression when under the name of secularization those in power were seeking the virtual eradication of Islam and Islamic culture and their substitution by irreligion and materialist philosophy of Western origin, with his unequalled learning, extraordinary clear vision and foresight, and courage, and his writings, Bediuzzaman became a point of hope and strength for the people. Despite the adverse conditions and efforts to isolate him in Barla, he began to attract 'students' - so-called

since he described himself as a teacher. Drawn by those "lights of belief' in that dark time, they willingly suffered the persecution and assisted Bediuzzaman by writing out and spreading the Words. The writing and dissemination was another unique feature of the Risale-i Nur; Bediuzzaman would dictate at speed to his students who acted as scribes. He had no books for reference and the writing of religious works was of course forbidden. They were all written therefore in the mountains and out in the countryside. Handwritten copies of the treatises or the letters were then made of the originals and these were conveyed to the Risale-i Nur students and secretly copied out in their houses. These copies were passed from village to village, and then from town to town, with more and more copies being made on the way till eventually they spread throughout Turkey.

Travel was not easy and Bediuzzaman communicated by letter with those of his students who lived in towns and villages other than Barla. Largely in reply to their questions, the letters offer important guidance on numerous points of belief and Islam, explained in the light of the Risale-i Nur and its way, and in the face of the misguidance of the times. Indeed, they form an important source and authority on many subjects for Muslims today.

Since some of his students had previously been attached to Sufi orders, he sometimes explains the way of the Risale-i Nur to them through comparisons with the Sufi way. The primary aim of the Risale-i Nur is the saving and strengthening of belief. Employing both the intellect and the heart, Bediuzzaman described it as "reality" (hakikat) and Shari 'a, rather than tarikat, that is Sufism. It is the highway of the Qur'an, which teaches the true affirmation of divine unity; true and certain belief, attained in a short time through investigation and the exercise of the reason. The direct way to reality and knowledge of God, which is the way of the Companions of Prophet (UWBP) through "the legacy of prophethood."

Some of the letters offer guidance and encouragement to the students by answering criticisms and misrepresentations put forward by those antithetical to religion, concerning both points of Islam and Bediuzzaman himself. Others expose the plans to corrupt Islam through the introduction of innovations. They show how on the one hand Bediuzzaman was absolutely uncompromising in the face of enemies to religion, and on the other his complete fairness and moderateness in adjudicating points of conflict and controversy within Islam. All these illustrate his profound knowledge of many subjects, as well as the clarity and power of his style, which is based on logic.

Bediuzzaman did not ascribe the Risale-i Nur to himself; he saw it as a

divine favour bestowed because of need, with himself as the means. In some of his letters he writes that he feels justified in describing these "divine favours which pertain to the service of the Qur'an" to his students, in order to encourage them in the exceedingly difficult conditions of the time, since they were a mark of the acceptability of both his writings and their service. A number of them were mentioned above.

In relating these divine favours to his students, he was impressing on them the importance of the Qur'anic way of the Risale-i Nur and its function of saving and strengthening belief at that time when the very foundations of Islam were being threatened. In a way outside their own will and knowledge, they were being employed, they were being made to work. Indeed, within the twenty-five years of Bediuzzaman's exile, the handful of students grew into many thousands, the Risale-i Nur movement and its service to belief and the Qur'an spread throughout Turkey, despite all efforts to stop it.

After 1950, the period of what Bediuzzaman called the Third Said, there was a great increase in the number of students, particularly among the young and those who had been through the secular education system of the Republic. At the same time the number of students outside Turkey increased. It is no exaggeration to say that by its conveying the Qur'anic message in a way that addresses and answers modern man's needs, the Risale-i Nur played a major role in keeping alive the Islamic faith in Turkey in those dark days, and in the resurgence of Islam that has occurred subsequently. Bediuzzaman indeed continues to "prove and demonstrate to the world that the Qur'an is an undying, inextinguishable Sun."