One of the most famous Turkish Islamic scholars of the last century was Said Nursi. Nursi, who had a great influence on Turkish people, wrote over 50 books and spent most of his life behind bars. Today, his teachings are admired by Turkey’s young generation and millions of Muslims all over the world. Nursi was born in 1877 in eastern Turkey. Bediuzzaman displayed an extraordinary intelligence and ability to learn from an early age, completing the normal course of religious school education by the age of fourteen, when he obtained his diploma. He became famous for both his excellent memory and his unrivalled record in de- bating with other religious scholars. From an early age Bediuzzaman displayed an instinctive dissatisfaction with the existing education system, which later in life he formulated into comprehensive proposals for educational reform, writing his books in his reformist style.

NURSI’S CONCEPT OF SCIENCE

The time Bediuzzaman Said Nursi spent in education paved the way in his mind for the thought that at a time when the world was entering a new and different age, where science and logic would prevail, the classical educational system of theology would not be sufficient to remove doubts concerning faith. He concluded that religious sciences should be taught at modern schools on the one hand, and modern sciences on the other. “This way,” he said, “the people of the school will be protected from unbelief, and those of the religious institutions from fanaticism.”

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi deemed the most severe disease afflicting man in the present age is his search for true happiness to be weakness in belief in God, and diagnosed the source of this disease as being the tendency to regard the modern sciences and religious science as separate and irreconcilable entities. Since man is, in reality, a being composed of both matter and spirit, to consider existence from the viewpoint of only one of this pair can yield no result other than an intensification of the crisis into which man has fallen. Unfortunately, modern science has remained totally incapable of finding a remedy for the spiritual wounds of mankind, despite all its brilliance. Confronted by this situation, as a man of science appreciating the necessity for reconciliation between religion and modern science, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi examined the foundations of faith in a fashion suited to the mind of the age and in so doing produced the 6,000+ page work known as the Risale-i Nur.

Muslims used to dominate and contribute to science development for more than 350 years, contemporary Muslim countries are struggling to regain their sciences. They are left behind in science development and application. Lack of curiosity, uredines, apathy, hostility, colonialism or Mongol invasion may be the factors behind the downfall of Muslim countries in the development of science. But Bediuzzaman Said Nursi plays a unique and important role in inspiring science development in Muslim countries. Being well grounded in traditional Islamic sciences, Nursi was “aware of the apparent discrepancy between traditional cosmology articulated by Muslim philosophers and Sufis, and the Newtonian worldview, but instead of rejecting the mechanistic view of the universe presented by Newtonian science, he tried to appropriate it. Nursi put a very strong emphasis on the importance of science and technology in the life of human being. “For sure,” he said, “at the end of time, mankind will pour into science and technology. It will obtain all its power from science. Power and dominion will pass to the hand of science”1 For Nursi scientific approach is the most effective way to persuade the civilized world. In the future, he explains, truth will take the place of force, and proof the place of sophistry. In his words: “Through the endeavours of science, what will prevail entirely in the present and totally in the future, is truth instead of force, proof instead of sophistry, and reason instead of nature”2

Nursi warns his fellow Muslims not to undervalue or neglect science if they are to regain their superiority among world nations. “The limitation of science”, he stresses, “can render these powers dangerous and destructive”3. Nursi also stresses that “science is a great tool, but its limitations render it highly unsuitable for its use out of the region of its scope” Nursi believes that “the success of scienceplaces tremendous powers in our hands”3.For the success of science development in Muslim society, Nursi suggests some ideas to be discussed below.

For Nursi, there are two major sources of Islamic sciences: the nature and the Qur’an. In his view, developing sciences is part of a means to prove the authenticity of the Qur’an. As he writes: “In the future,when the intellect,science and technology prevail, of a certainty, that will be the time the Qur’an will gain ascendancy, which relies on rational proofs and invites the intellect to confirm its pronounce”4. Nursi’s understanding and interpretation of the Qur’an are scientific and or connected to scientific endeavors. One of his readers writes:

“His greatest achievement was to develop a way of expounding the teachings of the Qur’an on ‘the truths of belief’ that incorporates the traditional Islamic sciences and modern scientific knowledge, and that while instilling those truths effectively refutes the bases of materialist philosophy”5.

Nursi believes that miracles of the prophets are the source of scientific guidance and inspirations. He says miracles encourage, motivate, guide, and direct scientific endeavors.There are nine Prophets’ miracles that that Nursi notes to be the object of scientific exploration for Muslim scientists. The miracles include:

1 The miracle of Adam (PUH) inspires science for names (Qur’an, 2: 31), (2).
2 The miracle of Noah (PUH) inspires science for the creation of ship(sailors).
3 The miracle of Joseph (PUH) inspires science for the clock (watch makers).
4 The miracle of Idris (PUH) inspires science for tailors.
5 The miracle of Solomon (PUH) inspires science for air transportation(Qur’an, 34: 12)
6 The miracle of Moses (PUH) inspires science for clean water exploration (Qur’an, 2: 60).6
7 The miracle of Jesus (PUH) inspires science for (medicine) healing spiritual ills and physical sicknesses (Qur’an, 3: 49).
8 The miracle of David (PUH) inspires science for iron technology (Qur’an,34: 10) and science for decision making (Qur’an, 38: 20).7
9 The miracle of Muhammad (PUH) inspires science for rhetoric and linguistic.

Apart from these there are various examples which show Nursi’s concern towards science and its development. According to Nursi, it is Muslims’ failure to explore scientific ideas in the miracles of the Prophets that have caused the backwardness of their sciences. He was certain that if Muslims are to understand and explore the Prophet’s miracles well, they can overtake the Europeans in science development.

NURSI’S CONCEPT OF GOD

It is important to emphasize that Said Nursi was deeply committed to Islam and its main source, The Qur’an and Hadith. Belief is the foundation of his work Risale-I Nur. Nursi saw the drastic changes in the world and viewed them as the greatest threat to the religion. He was of the opinion that many problems of the time were due to the weakness of belief in the pillars of faith. Diagnosing the illness of the age as weakness of belief, he dedicated his writings and endeavours to the cause of strengthening the faith. His main aim was transforming cultural and implicit belief into a conscious and justified belief. He saw that cultural and implicit belief was too weak to stand before the doubt-including questions of the time that could be resisted only with a faith sustained by reasonable proofs. According to Nursi there are three main things given by God to human beings i.e. The Universe, The prophet and The Qur’an8. He also added one thing i.e. The consciousness9. His primary purpose on focusing all these aspects is to cultivate faith and prove its vitality for human happiness both for the worldly life and the life thereafter. Nursi states that each of these channels indicates the necessity of God and His existence, His divine Art and Actions. Every reflection is a manifestation of God’s divine names through which the Almighty is known to His conscious creation. Multiplicity of reflection of the divine names does not contradict with the concept of Tawhid, Divine unity. Tawhid, “The mighty truth of Divine unity”10 as Nursi refers to it, has an immense emphasis in the Risale-I Nur as one of the four major themes of the Qur’an.

“The oneness of the divine essence together with the universality of the divine acts, the unity of Almighty God’s person together with His unassisted comprehensive dominicality, His singleness together with His unshared all-embracing disposal, His being beyond space and yet present everywhere, His infinite exaltedness together with being close to all things, and His being One yet Himself holding all matters in His hand, are among the truths of the Qur’an.”11

Oneness and the unity are two indissoluble aspects of understanding God and accordingly the Divine names. An important component deserving attention is the absoluteness of Divine ones which does not accept any fragmentation. Nursi himself elaborates,

“The most pure and holy one is without like, necessarily existent, utterly remote from matter and beyond space; His fragmentation and division is impossible in every respect as is any sort of change or alteration; His being needy or impotent is beyond the bounds of possibility.”12

The main precept of his philosophy was that God had sent people two kinds of books; one that is written and one that is created. Namely, these two books are the Qur’an and the Universe. Since both of these came from the same God as guidance for humanity, there can be no conflict between them. Indeed, it is impossible to understand one of them without the other, because they reveal and explain one another. While the universe can be compared to a book that is filled with multiple manifestations of God’s exalted names and attributes, which are displayed for all existence, the Qur’an can be compared to a manual that guides us through these manifestations on the path to finding God. Therefore, believers should make no distinction between the Qur’an and the universe.

In his writings, Nursi examines the universe in the way indicated by the Holy Qur’an that is reading it for its meaning, learning The Divine Names and Attributes, and other truths of belief. The purpose of this book is to describe its Author and Maker, and to subscribe all evidence of life in the universe to their Creator. Thus, an important element when studying the writings of Nursi, the Risale-i Nur, is to reflect or contemplate, i.e. to ‘read the Book of the Universe in order to increase one’s knowledge of God and to affirm faith in His existence’. By using this method Bediuzzaman solves many mysteries of religion in the Risale-i Nur, such as bodily resurrection, Divine Destiny, man’s will, the riddle of the constant activity of the universe and the motion of particles.

CONCLUSION

After completing a lifetime of almost a century, with every minute spent in the service of faith, at the advanced age of 87, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi departed from this world on the morning of March 23, 1960 (Ramadan 27, 1379), in Urfa, Turkey, with complete honor, dignity and victory. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi left behind the Risale-i Nur Collection that would illuminate this and the forthcoming centuries and a love that would be handed over from generation to generation until eternity.

REFERENCES

1 The words, Nineteenth Word, P 243
2 Mesnevi-i-Nursiya, Nokta P 208-215
3 Nursi The word, 298
4 Ibid, 209
5 Said Nursi, The Flasher, (Soz Press 2009)
6 Nursi (1977, P 275)
7 Nursi (1977, P 32)
8 Choudary, 2004, P 54)
9 Sukran Vahide 1978
10 Vahide 2003, P, 1
11 The miracle of Prophet Moses predicts the development of modern drilling techniques to dig out such indispensible substance of modern industry as oil mineral water and natural gas (Muzaffar Iqbal, 2002, P 5)
12 When the Iron had been softened for David it becomes a sign of the future significance of Iron and steel for modern industry. (Muzaffar Iqbal 2002 P 5)

Brief history of ghazal

Though Ghazal has the historical baggage of clashes and conflicts on its back, No other form of any literature of the world is as popular as ghazal, because it has been continuously written in five different languages of the world viz. Arabic Persian, Turkish, Hebrew and Urdu. All those poets who have tried this genre, gained prominence in their respective societies

It was said that During the early Islamic era (622-661), there were no substantial changes in poetic practice. The pre-Islamic tradition continued more or less as it was, except that the writing of shorter poems became more popular, often for political and religious purposes. However, the ghazal was not given any particularly special attention among these shorter works.1

The ghazal came into its own as a poetic genre during the Ummayyad Era (661-750) and continued to flower and develop in the early Abbasid Era. As the ghazal came into its own during the Ummayad period, it grew into the most popular poetic genre of the time, and would remain so for centuries to come. The middle and upper classes of the new and growing urban centres of the Arab world demanded entertainment, and at the forefront of this new qasida, entertainment industry were music and song. The popularity of the ghazal reached dizzying heights due to its suitability for musical diversions.
The Ghazal was fully developed in Persia in the 10th century AD from the Arabic verse form qasida. It was brought to India with the Mogul invasion in the 12th century. The Ghazal tradition is currently practiced in Iran (Farsi), Pakistan (Urdu) and India (Urdu and Hindi). In India and Pakistan, Ghazals are set to music and have achieved commercial popularity as recordings and in movies. A number of American poets, including Adrienne Rich and W.S. Mervin, have written Ghazals, usually without the strict pattern of the traditional form.

In the early mediaeval period the most prestigious form of courtly Persian poetry was a lengthy formal ode taken over from Arabic.2 The ghazal thus seems first to have been seriously cultivated not in the courts of the sultans but at the centres of the Sufis, and one of the first and greatest collections (divan) of mystical ghazals was that composed by Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273). The ghazal soon came also to be cultivated by court poets who evolved an ingeniously ambiguous combination of human romance with mystical love for the divine. The greatest master of the ghazal in this, its classic form was Hafiz (d. 1399) of Shiraz.3

The form was also cultivated in India during the period of the Delhi Sultanate, most notably by Amir Khusrau (d. 1325) of Delhi, nowadays celebrated as a national icon retrospectively credited with a huge variety of cultural achievements, but whose classical reputation as the ‘parrot of India’ (tuti-ye hind) rested on his Persian ghazals, which are typically more direct than those of Hafiz. Under lavish Mughal patronage, India later became the most important centre for the cultivation of the courtly Persian ghazal by both émigré and native-born poets. The fashion was now for the baroque expression of the Indian style’ (sabk-e hindi) with its marked rhetorical and

conceptual elaboration of the ghazal, which reached its highest in India with Saib (d.1677) of Tabriz and Bedil (d. 1721) of Patna.

The elaborate rhetoric of the courtly Persian ghazal which was transplanted into the mainstream Urdu poetic tradition which was thereby enabled rapidly to emerge in fully-fledged form in the eighteenth century courts of Delhi and Lucknow. in the work of such masters as Mir Taqi Mir (d. 1810). It is Ghalib (d. 1869) who is now regarded as the greatest of all classical Urdu poets,4 although he professed to set greater store by his more abundant compositions in Persian. Since the classical Urdu ghazal5 is the key reference point for all later developments in South Asia, its typical formal and rhetorical features need now to be outlined.

Other languages that adopted the ghazal include Hindi, Pashto, Turkish, and Hebrew. The German poet and philosopher Goethe experimented with the form, as did the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca.

What is Ghazal

The ghazal is defined as a poetic genre by its formal features, for whose description there is a traditional set of technical terms of mostly Arabic origin,6 quite distinct from the traditional vocabulary of Indian poetics. Ghazal, which means ‘talking to women’ in Arabic, is basically poetry in praise of a woman. melancholy, love, longing, and metaphysical questions are aroused by poets. Ghazal is a collection of couplets ( shairs or ashaar ) which deal with subjects completely unrelated to each other, yet are complete in themselves. For example:

Ghar se masjid hai bahut door, chalo yun kar lein;
kisi rote hue bachche ko hansaya jaaye .

Form and Structure of Ghazal

The ghazal is composed of a minimum of five couplets and typically no more than fifteen—that are structurally, thematically, and emotionally autonomous. Each line of the poem must be of the same length, though meter is not imposed in English. The first couplet introduces a scheme, made up of a rhyme followed by a refrain. Subsequent couplets pick up the same scheme in the second line only, repeating the refrain and rhyming the second line with both lines of the first stanza. The final couplet usually includes the poet’s signature, referring to the author in the first or third person, and frequently including the poet’s own name or a derivation of its meaning.

The Journey of Urdu Ghazal

Wali Muhammad Wali (1667–1707), (also known as Wali Deccani, was a classical Urdu poet of the subcontinent. He is the first established poet to have composed Ghazals in Urdu language and compiled a divan (a collection of ghazals where the entire alphabet is used at least once as the last letter to define the rhyme pattern).Before Wali, Indian Ghazal was being composed in Persian – almost being replicated in thought and style from the original Persian masters like Saadi Jami and Khaqani. Wali began using not only an Indian language, but Indian themes, idioms and imagery in his ghazals. It is said that his visit to Delhi along with his divan of Urdu ghazals created a ripple in the literary circles of the north, inspiring them to produce stalwarts like Zauq, Sauda and Mir. A ghazal by Wali, goes as:

Kiyaa mujh ishq ne zaalim ko aab aahistaa aahistaa,
Ke aatish gul ko karati hai gulaab aahistaa aahistaa.

Mere dil ko kiyaa bekhud teri ankhiyan ne aaKhir ko,
Ke jiyon behosh karati hai sharaab aahistaa aahistaa.

“Wali” mujh dil mein aataa hai Khayaal-e-yaar-e-beparavaah,
Ke jiyon ankhiyan mein aataa hai Khwaab aahistaa aahistaa.

This ghazal, is more in the traditional format, that we are aware of these days. It is complete with a Kafiyaa, Radif, Matla and a Maqta. Readers not familiar with urdu/hindi, can still notice that the Kafiyaa is “-aab” and the Radif is “aahistaa aahistaa” (slowly, slowly). On further analysis one can also ascertain that Wali has maintained a perfect baher (or meter) for this ghazal as per the laws of Urdu prosody.

A rough translation of the above lines are as follows:

Love has turned a hard-hearted man like me as plain water slowly slowly,
The way the Sun makes the rose bud to become a rose flower slowly slowly.

My heart has been intoxicated by your eyes fully,
The way wine makes people lose their senses slowly slowly.

“Wali” in my heart comes the thought of my beloved so casually,
The way dreams come into the eyes slowly slowly.

It is said that Wali visited Delhi (North of India), and this opened a new dimension for the poets of the north. The mixture of the thoughts and the beauty and the ease of Urdu, allowed rapid popularisation of the ghazal as a form of Urdu poetry from here on.

Mir Taqi Mir (born 1723 – died 1810), whose real name was Muhammad Taqi, and takhallus (pen name) was Mir, (sometimes also spelt as Meer Taqi Meer), was the leading Urdu poet of the 18th century, and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language itself. He was one of the principal poets of the Delhi School of the Urdu ghazal and remains arguably the foremost name in Urdu poetry often remembered as Khuda-e-sukhan (god of poetry).7

Ibtidaa-e-ishq hai rotaa hai kyaa
Aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa

(It’s the beginning of Love, why do you wail
Just wait and watch how things unveil)

The parameters of a traditional ghazal are present here. The Kafiya is “-otaa” and the Radif is “hai Kya

1700 to mid 1800 A.D was the important period as for as the Urdu ghazal is concerned. there were famous poets like Khwaja Haier Ali Atish, Ibrahim Khan Zauq, Momin Khan Momin, Mirza Asadullah Khan Galib, Daagh Dehlvi, Ameer Minai and Bahadur Shah Zafar

Ustad ‘Zauq’ was the poet laureate of the Mughal court8 till his death. He was a poor youth, with only ordinary education but became very famous in his younger days with his poetry. Zauq was patronised by the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was himself a reputed poet. Most of Zauq’s work got lost due to the 1857 mutiny against the British rule in India, but some work was later re-compiled and published.

we can’t imagine Gazal without mentioning the name of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib. Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan born on 27 December 1797 and died 15 February 1869),9 was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from the Mughal Empire during British colonial rule. He used his pen-names of Ghalib (ġhālib means “dominant”) and Asad. He wrote in Persian as well, but is known mostly for his Urdu ghazals

Maharaban ho ke bulaa lo mujhe chaaho jis waqt
Main gayaa waqt nahin hun ke phir aa bhi na sakuun

With kindness call me any time you wish,
I am not like the time gone by, that I cannot come back again.

After 1800 A.D. a new philosophy was introduced in Urdu Ghazals poets put aside the traditional love-struck themes of ghazal and started writing situation and philosophy based ghazals. The traditional theme of wine and beloved are not completely overthrown but they started to touch the problems of the age including the freedom struggle and problems of common masses. Iqbal, Firaq, Jigar, Josh, Majaz and Hasrat were the greatest poet of that age. Among them Hasrat Mohani gave a new dimension and outlook to the traditional ghazal by saying,

Allah ray kafir teray is husn ki masti
jo zulf teri ta-ba kamar laikay gayee hai

How can I describe the delight
that your beauty is;
that lock of hair that reaches down your waist line

Amongst the poets of the 20th century, Faiz Ahmed ‘Faiz’ (Pakistan), is considered to be the greatest of Urdu poets of the times. He was very well educated, and obtained a Master of Arts, in English Literature from Lahore. He was editor of The Pakistan Times and was a distinguished journalist. He was a fierce communist. He faced imprisonment for some time, for alleged complicity in the coup against Liaquat Ali Khan. It was in the prison that two of his most famous works were published, ‘Dast-e-Saba’ and ‘Zindan-Nama’. He was awarded the “Lenin Peace Prize” and was also nominated for the Nobel Prize.

A very famous quatrain by him:

Raat yuun dil mein teri khoee hui yaad aayee
Jaise veeraaney mein chupkey sey bahaar aa jaye
Jaise sehraaon mein haule se chale baad-e-naseem
Jaise beemaar ko bey wajhey qraar aa jaaye

Last night, your lost memories crept into my heart
as spring arrives secretly into a barren garden
as a cool morning breeze blows slowly in a desert
as a sick person feels well, for no reason

Other notable poets of his time were Ali Sardar Jafri, Kaifi Azmi, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi and Qateel Shifai

After them Ahmed Fraz was acclaimed one of the modern Urdu poets of the last century. ‘Faraz’ is his pen name. He was born on 12 January 1931 in Kohat,10,11died in Islamabad on 25 August 2008.12,13 . He has a simple style of presenting his thoughts in gazals, and even common man can understand the feelings of his gazals

One of his ghazals is as follows:

Khamoosh ho kyon daade-jafaa kyon nahin dete
Bismil ho to qatil ko dua kyon nahi dete
vahshat ka sabab rozan-e-zindaa to nahin hai
Mehro-maho-anjum ko bujha kyon nahi dete
Ek ye bhi to andaaze-ilaaje-gam-e-jaan hai
Ay charah-garo, dard badhaa kyon nahin dete

Why are you silent? Why don’t you praise injustice
Wounded, why don’t you bless the executioner
Your solitude is not some prison chandelier
Why don’t you put it out? Extinguish moon, stars, sun?
This is another way to cure life’s sadness
O, doctors! Why don’t you increase the pain?
If you are just, when will your justice be done?
If I am guilty, why don’t you render punishment
If you’re a highwayman, take both my money and my life
If a guide, why don’t you tell me where this road will end?

What has come over this garden and this garden and its anmates, Fraz,

Why don’t my friends from prison call out to me?

Parveen Shakir (Pak), Ghulam Muhammad Qasir (Pak), Nida Fazli (Ind), ‘Waseem’ Barelvi (Ind) and Bashir Badr (Ind),are the contemporaries Ahmed Fraz.

Rehtorical performance of Classical Urdu Gazal with special reference to the Gazal of Atish

yih arzu thi tujhe gul ke rubaru karte
ham aur bulbul-e betab guftagu karte.
payambar na muyassar hua to khub hua
zaban-e ghair se kya sharh-e arzu karte.
meri tarah se mah-o mihr bhi hain avara
kisi habib ki yih bhi hain justaju karte.
jo dekhte tere zanjir-e zulf ka alam
asir hone ki azad arzu karte.
na puch alam-e bargashta-tali’i Atish
barasti ag jo baran ki arzu karte.

(‘My desire was to set you opposite the rose
so I might discuss you with the pining nightingale.
It was good that no messenger was available:
how could another’s tongue have set out my desire?
Like me, the sun and moon are wandering:
they too are searching for someone that they love.
Those who see what the chain of your long hair is like
freely desire their own imprisonment.
Do not ask about my ill-starred condition, Atish:
it is a raining fire which desires the rain.’)

Sir William Jones described the verses of gazal as‘Orient pearls at random strung’, these are normally united only in their ability to draw separately upon an immense store of well established imagery whose elements interlock with one another, and which in the style favoured by the classical Urdu masters are given a top spin of rhetorical polish.14

In this ghazal, the state of the poet as ardent lover in distress is successively likened to a variety of traditional images in verses given point by the ingenuity with which the conceits are handled. The opening verse with its double rhyme illustrates the typical juxtaposition of the rose (gul) with its lover the nightingale (bulbul), here paralleled by the poet and the beloved, whom the rules of the ghazal dictate should generally be portrayed in quite abstract terms, and who should be referred to in Urdu in the masculine gender by mechanical preservation of the ambiguity inherent in the lack of grammatical gender in Persian. The next verse plays with the familiar conceit of the morning breeze in the garden which acts as the poet’s messenger, while the following one represents a familiar aggrandizement of the poetic persona through comparison of his state with those of the heavenly bodies. The fourth verse moves to the celebration of one of the principal features of the beloved’s beauty, those long tresses which may be described as overpowering with their scent, as enfolding in their coils like serpents, or with this image of their imprisoning lovers in their chains. In the final couplet, the literal meaning ‘fire’ of poet’s pen-name Atish is exploited to yield an image which combines two of the natural elements in an evocation of the lover’s state of yearning for the fulfilment of his unrequited passion.

Rehtorical performance of Modern Urdu Gazal with special reference to the Gazal of Faiz

donon jahan teri muhabbat men har ke
voh ja raha hai koi shab-e gham guzar ke.
viran hai maikada khum-o saghar udas hain
tum kya gae ki ruth gae din bahar ke.
ik fursat-e gunah mili voh bhi char din
dekhe hain ham ne hausale parvardagar ke.
dunya ne teri yad se begana kar diya
tujh se bhi dilfareb hain gham rozgar ke.
bhule se muskara to diye the voh aj Faiz
mat puch valvale dil-e nakardakar ke.

(‘With both worlds forfeited through loving you
there goes someone after a night spent in pain.
The tavern is in ruins, the wine-jar and the goblet are sad:
what a walk-out you staged to make the springtime sulk!
I got one opportunity for sin, but only for a few days:
I have seen the Provider’s plans for me.
The world has alienated me from memories of you,
Even you are out charmed by the world’s suffering.
It was by mistake that she smiled today, Faiz,
Do not ask about the feelings of this clumsy heart.’)

The first and last verses use their paired halves to explore the chaste passion of the helpless lover, while the intervening verses each evoke different parts of the genre’s vastly suggestive history. The second verse draws on the drinking imagery, always a prominent theme in the ghazal, to suggest the work of the classical Persian and Urdu masters, while the provocative address to the Deity in the third poet seems like Iqbal, and the tension expressed in the fourth verse between private romance and painful public involvement is a twentieth-century theme very characteristic of Faiz, who was personally committed to the Left. So, rather than intellectually exploiting the conceits of the traditional imagery in the classical manner, this ghazal exploits the associations of that imagery in a style which is at once readily comprehensible and immensely evocative.

Conclusion.

ghazal’ continues to inspire so many versifiers and practising poets in Pakistan and India today, along with that large public of avid listeners and would-be connoisseurs who are drawn to ghazal as a cultural icon underpinned by that nostalgia for the glorious past of Urdu culture as it is variously experienced by a significant section of the modern Hindu and Sikh middle class of India15 as well as by the Indian Muslims and Pakistanis who are its most direct heirs.

In its long and colourful journey gazal has seen various movements and upheavals from legendary to contemporary, from past to present, from conservative to progressive. Movement came, flourished and shattered but the gazal remained with its complete form, beauty and sweetness.

References

1 al-Muqbil. (p. 20)

2 See further Stefan Sperl and Christopher Shackle, eds, Qasida Poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa, 2 vols, Leiden, 1996.

3 The spirit of Rumi’s ghazals has been widely spread in America and Britain throughthe very free versions by Coleman Barks, trans., The Essential Rumi, London, 1995. For more faithful versions of Hafiz, cf. A.J. Arberry, ed., Fifty Poems of Hafiz, Cambridge, 1962.

4 For a composite self-portrait of the great poet, see Ralph Russell and Khurshidul Islam, ed. and trans., Ghalib 1797-1869, Volume I: Life and Letters, London, 1969.

5 Anthologies with translations include D.J. Matthews and C. Shackle, An Anthologyof Classical Urdu Love Lyrics, London, 1972; K.C. Kanda, Masterpieces of UrduGhazal from 17th to 20th Century, New Delhi, 1992.

6 For the best account of traditional system common to all the Persianate literatures,see Walter G. Andrews, An Introduction to Ottoman Poetry, Minneapolis, 1976; cf.also F. Thiesen, A Manual of Classical Prosody, with Chapters on Urdu, Karakhanidic and Ottoman Prosody, Wiesbaden, 1982.

7 Legendary Urdu poet Mir Taqi Mir passed away, [The Times of India], Rajiv Srivastava, TNN, Sep 19, 2010, 05.58am IST

8 In the lanes of Zauq and Ghalib”. Indian Express. Mar 15, 2009

9 Varma, Pavan K. (1989). Ghalib, The Man, The Times. New Delhi: Penguin Books. pp. 86. ISBN 0-14-011664-8

10 Ahmad Faraz Trust. Retrieved 2012-01-29

11 Samaa TV “Urdu News”. Samaa.tv. 26 September 2008. Retrieved 2012-01-29

12 Daily Times “Ahmed Faraz passes away”. Daily Times.com. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 2012-01-29

13 BBC.co.uk. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 20121-01-29

14 Cf. Francis W. Pritchett, Nets of Awareness: Urdu Poetry and its Critics, Berkeley,1994, especially pp. 77-122; and the fine study of a related literature in Walter G.Andrews, Poetry’s Voice, Society’s Song: Ottoman Lyric Poetry, Seattle, 1985

15 For the ghazal as cultural icon, cf. the lavishly produced seven volumes of Raj Nigam, ed. The Ghazalnama, New Delhi, 1999 (www.ghazalnama.com).

The fundamental source of doctrinal teachings in Islam is based on the infallible revelation (wahy) of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, revealed to the last Messenger and Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Abd alMuttalib, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (S), as codified in Islam’s sacred text, al-Qur’an al Karim. For simplicity, the Qur’an can be thought of as the Law and the Constitution, which sets out the fundamental blueprint and the theological foundation of the faith (Islam) and the Muslim way of life (Din).

The second source of Islamic tenets and ordinances is based on the Prophetic Tradition of Allah’s Messenger (S). The Prophetic Tradition (hadith and Sunnah) embodies the entire pattern of life of Messenger Muhammad (S) and includes every detail concerning his utterances, his actions, his conduct and his attitudes whether explicit or implicit as recorded by the early hadith scholars and researchers (Muhaddithin).

The hadith and Sunnah can be thought of as interpretation, explanation and demonstration of the Qur’anic injunctions by Allah’s Messenger (S)

DEFINITION OF THE TERM HADITH

The word hadith (plural ahadith) has several meanings, such as, ‘news’, ‘report’ or ‘narration’, as used in various contexts in the Sacred Qur’an. It has been defined as ‘communication, story, and conversation: religious or secular, historical or recent’. In the narrow technical sense, “a hadith” refers to a particular report (verbal or written tradition) about what Allah’s Messenger (S) said or did, or his reaction or silence to something said or done by others.

In a broader sense, “The Hadith” can be described as the total body of reports (speeches, discourses, sermons, and statements), deeds (actions, practices, personal behavior) and tacit approval of Allah’s Messenger (S). This term also includes statements made by the Messenger’s Companions about him.

BROAD CATEGORIES OF THE PROPHETIC TRADITION

The literature embodying hadith and Sunnah has generally been categorized into three primary groupings by the early Traditionists (Muhaddithin), according to most hadith commentators.These are:

(1) The body of sayings (speeches, sermons, discourses and statements) of the Allah’s Messenger (S) containing prescriptions for all Muslims. In technical terms, this is referred to as al Sunnah al Qawliyyah. These utterances are considered “inspired speech” though they are not in the same class of divine revelations (wahy) as contained in the Glorious Qur’an.

(2) The body of deeds, actions, and practices which Allah’s Messenger (S) taught his Companions to do and which have been performed by the early generation Muslims ever since. In technical terms, this is referred to as al Sunnahal Fi’liyyah.

(3) The body of ahadith reporting that Allah’s Messenger (S) had approved or disapproved commended or condemned certain types of conduct. This group also includes the Messenger’s tacit approval on matters, which occurred either in his presence or elsewhere about which he had come to know. In technical terms, this is referred to as al Sunnah al Taqririyyah.

There is also another category of reports which have been collected by compilers and which have been treated as the Messenger’s Sunnah. These relate to statements made by his Companions about him, such as his physical features (sifat); human characteristics; personal ways; or events about his life, for example, his birth, marriage, or emigration to Madina.

In summary, these various categories of reports (words, practices, approval and disapproval) on the life of Allah’s Messenger (S) form what is generally defined by hadith scholars as al Sunnah al Tashri’iyyah, that is, that which either have a legal value or which provide guidance to the Muslim community.

THE COMPONENTS OF A HADITH

Each hadith is made up of two major components: the text (matn) and the chain of transmission (isnad), as explained below.

TEXT (MATN):

The text or content (matn) of a hadith refers to the message, statement, action or decision of the Messenger (S) reported in the hadith. The early Traditionists stipulated that for a hadith to be ‘trustworthy’ or ‘valid’ its text must be consistent with the meaning of the Qur’an, be in agreement with accepted facts, and congruent with the texts of other ahadith, the reliability of which have already been accepted and agreed upon. Thus, a hadith whose text did not meet these established criteria was generally deemed doubtful and hence was rejected.

TRANSMISSION (ISNAD):

The chain of narrators mentioned in a hadith report, starting from his own teacher and going back to the Companion(s), who related from or about the Messenger (S), is known as the isnad

CLASSIFICATION OF HADITH

Ahadith are generally categorized into three basic divisions each of which is also subdivided into multiple grades of sub-groups according to the quality of the text, veracity and reliability of the narrators, and continuity in the isnad. We will not present the multitude of hadith sub groupings as these can be found in any standard book on hadith.The primary divisions of Hadith are as follows:

The ‘Sound’ Hadith (Al Sahih al Hadith)

The ‘Good’ Hadith (Al Hasan al Hadith)

The ‘Weak’ Hadith (Al Da’if al Hadith)

Hadith and Culture

Someone rightly said that Faith Travels, Cultures Don’t!

If new Muslims are learning about the faith, then it is most likely that they will follow the same route either it may be shown by Qur’an or Hadith. This doesn’t make born Muslims inferior to new Muslims nor does it make learning about Islam (from born Muslims) something that is difficult or dangerous, but it is a good reminder that studying the faith takes perseverance and it is important for everyone to distinguish between religion and culture.Some people may say that this is no big deal for Muslims to be culturally-inclined, because Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) called everyone to Islam regardless of their backgrounds. And this is definitely true. But as much as he engaged in this form of dawah, he also reminded that sometimes Muslims get lost in their practices that they forget to check whether their form of worship or their lifestyle of choice is in line with Islamic principles laid out in the Quran and the Hadith.

As followers of the seal of Prophets, Muhammad, who was given the last Message to Mankind, it is important for Muslims to remember this one single verse:

{This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion} (Al-Ma’idah 5: 3)

Islam has been perfected by God and therefore there is no need to make any changes, especially with respect to religious matters. The way Muslims need to revere this particular verse, is to practice Islam the way it has been prescribed.

In matters of worship, anything that is created on the pretense of religious worship is considered an innovation, especially when there is no supporting Qur’anic injunction of Hadith to solidify the need for such form of worship.

In fact, many of us find it difficult to even adhere to the Sunnah or Hadith with respect to worship but add to our hardship (or maybe ease) we end up creating new forms of worship just so we can follow them. Everything that we do with respect to worship needs to be traced back to the Quran and the Hadith and needs to be avoided even if we may believe that they are good for us. If they were good for us in the first place, they would be prescribed by God!

Prophet Muhammad said:

“… The most truthful speech is the Book of Allah. The best way is the way of Muhammad. The worst of affairs are the novelties and every novelty is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in the Fire.” (An-Nasa’i)

In worldly matters, there is flexibility in jurisdiction as everything is considered lawful, unless mentioned as unlawful. This is different in matters concerning worship, where everything is unlawful, unless prescribed.

In worldly matters, flexibility in how we eat, how we prepare our meals, how we raise our children, how we sleep and how we travel are permitted unless mentioned otherwise. But of course, there is a Hadith for nearly everything, and it is recommended that we follow how Prophet Muhammad conducted his affairs.

There are many verses in the Quran, which pose as guides in the way a Muslim needs to lead their lives. This will not be easy to translate since not many people know how to translate. Some want to know the parables, the deeds and the teachings of the prophet and this is through the hadith. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) wanted to clarify to the Islamic faith culture and all the details that do pertain to the rules, structures and the way of life of being a Muslim. The Quran acts like the guidebook, which is represented in different structures and the Muslims, need to follow the word to the core. The hadith shows how to act in a certain situation, how to respond to certain matters and how to lead a good life. There are always themes that one will follow and this creates the impression of how one needs to lead their Islamic way of life. It is paramount for everyone to follow the codes, the examples, and the Hadith and Sunnah if they follow the Islamic faith.With the hadith, most Muslims grow up knowing how to lead a holy life just like the one the prophet set and the examples indicated in the Quran. One needs to keep on revising them to have a deeper understanding to them and see how it will help them with the current situation. Islam is a worldwide religion and it has now become very easy to access it through the online channel. Many Muslims gather in the mosques to find out more on the teachings and this will aid them along the way. The Islamic teachers find it relevant to place daily situations, and assist them to lead a religious life.

From the little children to the aged, it is now very easy to find the hadith in the online source and religious books and they end up elaborating them and placing them in the present context. These act as guides and they go a long way in giving one the right following to have a holy life as required in the Islamic way of life. It is important to keep on going through the hadith and Sunnah all the time and they will end up being clearer with time. This will enable one to have a deeper understanding on the Islamic way of life.

Said Nursi is the most influential Islamic scholar in modern Turkish history by his intellectual contribution pertaining to his spectacular and very dynamic view point in education, peace and harmony.Throughout his epoch making lifetime (1876-1960), he strived hard to disseminate the Islamic ideology and values by taking down a lot of books and delivering historic speech in front of a wider audience. Although he was imprisoned, starved and tortured by the secular government of Turkey for more or less twenty five years for his writing about Islam encouraging its practice, which was declared to be a crime against state, Nursi never supported or resorted for the political revolution by the Muslims. He directed a message of peace and harmony not only by his writings but also by his actions. The most popular work, Risale-I-Nur, which is collection of many books he wrote while he was in jail or in exile.

Risale i Nur was written to reiterate the Islamic values and to expound it interpreting Quranic verses. Conception of peace building is one of the dare needs of this current world as it is facing many communal conflicts deteriorating the safetyof human kind. Nursi emphasized through his works to ensure peace and harmony between Muslims and non Muslims. He has used these intellectual revolts against secularist government of Turkey to protest against their laws of irreligion not against the principles of secularism but he encouraged the Muslim community to ensure love and peace and also freedom of belief with non Muslim.

Interpreting the verse 49-13 (o mankind, we have created you from a male and a female and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that who has a taqwa. Verily Allah is all knowing, well acquainted.) He writes that is to say, being in to groups and tribes should lead to mutual acquaintance and mutual assistance not to antipathy and hostility.

Said Nursi authored the Risale-i Nur Collection in order to neutralize the negative effects of Western civilization in the Islamic world; to silence the atheists who were aggressively criticizing the religion; to refresh the loyalty of Muslims towards the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and to revive the religious life of the people.

Said Nursi covers the themes in Risale-i Nur in such a unique way, it is as if nobody has ever mentioned them before, analyzing them with strong proofs and by this means resolving them. Mostly he does not even quote from previous books. He does not imitate anybody in terms of style. He has his own original style.

Principle of Peace

Human is a social being, peace occur in social interaction between and among human individual. Likewise conflict occurs in social interaction between and among human individuals. Peace is important when there is conflict or not, but peace is more importantly should better be understood to exist when all members of the society can develop their capacities and potentials. Therefore, peace is the basic of development of the multi cultural society. Without peace, each individual and all members of the society are not taken for granted security.
Al-Qur’an very stressed about of peace in human life. The word peace is same meaning with the word salam. This word appears in the Qur’an 157 times, an adjective 50 times, and a verb 28 times.23 Islam is the name of the Religion, Islamic Religion. It is derived from the same root al-salam, which means peace. Therefore, Islam is a religion peace.24
How so was mentioned, that between the justice and peace is interrelation. To build justice at the same time will realize the justice in human life.

What is Justice? An Islamic Perspective

Justice is described in the Qur’an with two important words: Al-`Adl and Al-Qist. Al-`Adl means “equity, balance.” It means doing things in a proportionate manner, avoiding extremes. Al-Qist means “share, portion, measure, allotment, and amount.” It means that everyone and everything has a due. One who gives everyone and everything its due is “Muqsit” and the one who takes away others dues is called “Qasit”.
Allah says: (… and be fair: for Allah loves those who are fair (and just). (Al-Hujurat: 9)
Justice thus means to maintain the balance and to give everyone and everything its proper due. It means living one’s own life in a balanced way maintaining the balance between the needs of the body, mind and soul. It also means recognizing:
1. Huquq Allah – rights of God,
2. Huquq Al-A`Ibad – rights of human beings, and
3. Huquq Al-Ashya’ – rights of things.
Islam teaches that we should be just in every aspect of our life, to all people and things and at all times.

The opposite of justice in Islam is not only injustice, but oppression and corruption. The opposite of `Adl is Zulm, which means “disorder, wrong, oppression and evil.” Wherever there is injustice, it will lead to oppression, exploitation, evil and corruption. There is a very nice saying of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” When people do injustice or tolerate injustice in one place, sooner or later its terrible effects reach to other places. Injustice brings the downfall of mighty nations. Imam Ibn Taymiah (d. 1328) used to say: “The nations may live long in spite of their disbelief, but they cannot live long when they do oppression”.

Injustice in the world today:
Today there is a lot of injustice in our world. There is social injustice, economic injustice and political injustice. There are problems of racism, religious prejudices and propaganda. The gap between the haves and have-nots is increasing. There are problems caused by poverty, hunger, malnutrition, death of children and diseases. There are problems caused by the denial of human rights, basic freedoms, and occupation of lands, terrorism, wars, and weapons of mass destruction. We are living in a broken world. The hearts are broken, families are broken, relations are broken, homes are broken, cities and towns are broken.
We need to heal this brokenness and it can only come by bringing justice to the world. There cannot be any peace without justice and there cannot be any justice without reforming our thinking, our behaviour and our policies. It is strange that there is so much talk today about seeking safety and security, but very little about how to bring justice to those who are suffering under deep oppression and occupation. The world cannot be safe unless it becomes more just and fair world.

At this point an attempt is made to shed some light on Nursi’s views on Justice. His discussion of justice is succinct and of great value. For Nursi, it seems, the adequacy of the definition of “justice” depends upon who is giving and who is receiving. A true path to justice for Nursi, it appears, is for the man in the first place to find God. He then provides the man with a spiritual journey to God, consisting of four principal stages that are derived primarily from the Qur’an. These four “Virtues” are emphasized throughout the Risale-I Nur for the improvement of the individual and ultimately, humankind: Impotence, Poverty, Compassion, and Reflection. Impotence means the realization that Man is not the measure of all things, and that he is subject to God. Poverty means the voluntary abstention from the acquisition of worldly goods. Compassion is to put into the action the realization that all human life is related. Reflection is to use the rational capacity that God has placed in every individual to understand the interrelatedness of these concepts.

The Four Virtues are like the four legs of a table – they must be of equal size, or else the table lacks stability. An individual in whom one of the Virtues is in unequal measure to the other three can be said to be “imbalanced.” In the Material World (Dunya), poverty is often seen as both a cause and effect of injustice.

But how does one define Poverty? “There are many kinds of “poverty.” There is the “poverty” expressed by Muhammad (SAW), that his poverty was his pride. This refers to a lack of attachment to material objects or goods, an attachment to this World, the Dunya. It is ultimately an abstention that is voluntary. This is precisely the kind of poverty referred to in the Four Virtues.

Opposing voluntary poverty is involuntary poverty, which the individual (or segment of society) has no control over his economic status. But within this involuntary poverty, there is an important distinction to be made. It is the Spiritual. One can be economically poor (that is, lacking material wealth), yet spiritually rich. Generations of Mankind have lived at barest of subsistence levels, and they lived out their lives with nobility. Or one can lack spiritual values, or debased values, which creates a “poverty of spirit.”

Further points of supreme importance in understanding justice according to Nursi are faith and love. It seems to me that, for the path to justice, Nursi has emphasised that intellect and heart must be combined harmoniously by the light of faith. Without faith no balance can be established between the two, a balance that is necessary for man’s successful completion of struggle for perfection.

Said Nursi said, therefore, that peace will not become in fact and reality in society, if there is no justice between members all of society; between public society and elite, between poor and rich. The basis of justice is love, to have great pity and mercy of elite to public society, to serve public society and have respect to elite.25

Description of the peace, within Said Nursi’s view, is each individual and another are members of a collective personality such as that, worthy of the title of ‘perfect man.’ Human life in peace are like the components of a factory’s machinery which produces eternal happiness within eternal life in the realm of peace to obtain the shore of salvation. So this condition to make sure us that we are surely in need of solidarity and true union.

The peace must be formed with “heartfelt solidarity and union through the mystery of sincerity are the means to innumerable benefits, and so too are they an effective shield and point of support against fear, and even death. For if death comes, it takes one’s spirit. But since through the mystery of true brotherhood on the way of Divine pleasure in works connected with the Hereafter there are spirits to the number of brothers, if one of them dies, he meets death happily.”

The application of peace will establish concord relation and security within social life, and each member of society will find opportunity to develop his potentials and capacities to realize the necessity of his life. Thus, peace building is one of the foundations of multicultural society.
In the writings of Nursi, there are three keys concepts that all his thinking evolves around human being (insan), faith (iman), and good work (takva, i.e., a work or action to please God. Takva is the fruit of faith. Working to please God means establishing a just and humane society. Religious rituals help us to remember our vocation in life and avoid sins and do good work. Doing good, for Nursi, is the ethos of life. Religion, for Nursi, is a framework of living and a way of organizing one’s life. It is a bridge between public and private and a way of apprehending self in relation to God.

In the writings of Nursi, one sees a clear boundary between believer and nonbeliever. Nursi does not construe Muslimness by othering Christian or Jewish believers. Thomas Michel argues that
“In any study of the development of Christian-Muslim dialogue in the 20th century, special attention must be given to the writings and preaching of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. As one of the first religious thinkers in the course of this century to propose and promote dialogue between Muslims and Christians, Said Nursi’s advocacy of this dialogue dates back to 1911. This was a full half-century before the Catholic Church’s Second Vatican Council urged Christians and Muslims to resolve their differences and move beyond the conflicts of the past to build relations characterized by respect and cooperation. Bediuzzaman’s repeated promotion of Muslim-Christian dialogue is even more striking in that his recommendations frequently date from times of tension and even warfare between Muslim and Christian communities.”
Thus, it is quite clear that Islam has made every effort to establish peace and every effort to protect all other religions. Even where defensive war was permitted to the Muslims, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave extremely strict rules of engagement to the Muslim armies which they were compelled to abide by.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught that during wars only those people who were directly engaged in the war could be fought. He gave strict instructions that no innocent person was ever to be attacked. No woman, child or elderly person was ever to be attacked. He taught that no religious leader or priest could be attacked in his place of worship. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) further taught that no person could be forced or compelled to convert to Islam. He taught that when Muslims were forced to fight for the cause of peace they must not create fear or terror amongst the members of the public, nor should they be treated in a harsh or severe manner. He taught that prisoners of war should be treated with even greater care and attention than a person would pay to himself. He taught that buildings should not be targeted or destroyed and that trees should not be felled.

Thus even where conditions existed where war was justified, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave countless guidelines and instructions to his followers which were essential to follow. I have only mentioned very few.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said very clearly that whosoever acted against these rules of engagement would not be fighting in accordance to the commands of Allah to establish peace, but rather would be fighting for their own personal interests or gain.
Since his goal is to build a just and peaceful society through transformation of the self, Nursi identifies three major “others” as the enemies: ignorance, poverty, and conflict.16These enemies and their consequences that had been the cause of the decline of the Muslim world. He calls Muslims to cut away from darkness of ignorance, poverty, and conflict through self-contemplation. Jihad, for Nursi, is to kill the inner enemy and do good work to please God.17

These are the internalization of Islamic precepts and norms with the goal of self-transformation by subduing the nafs al-ammarah (carnal desires) and to realize the Will of Allah. In other words, the origin of peace in Islam, for Nursi, is being at peace with oneself through surrender to God; the eradication of injustice and evil and establishment of Right and justice; the development of humanity through a spirit of total sacrifice.
The Damascus Sermon he puts the immorality dominating society into six categories:
“Firstly: The rising to life of despair and hopelessness in social life.
Secondly: The death of truthfulness in social and political life.
Thirdly: Love of enmity.
Fourthly: Not knowing the luminous bonds that bind the believers to one another.
Fifthly: Despotism, which spreads, becoming widespread as though it was various contagious diseases.
Sixthly: Restricting endeavor to what is personally beneficial.”18
In the writings of Nursi, one sees two faces of jihad: external and internal jihads against the three enemies. Nursi’s works very much focuses on the internal jihad of raising self- consciousness through killing inner enemies of envy, revenge, and ignorance. In addition to this, moral jihad, Nursi also stresses the jihad al-afkar, an intellectual engagement to update Islamic terminology, informed society about current events, and empower all believers with science and knowledge with the goal of overcoming ignorance in society. Nursi argues that the goal is “to wage the greater jihad (jihad al-akbar) with one’s one [instinctual] soul, and to guide others. Ninety-nine percent of [its] aspiration is directed, not to politics, but to licit aims that are the opposite of politics like fine morals and right conduct, and such like.”19 Nursi was aware what Muslims needed “was to expend all efforts to reconstruct the edifice of Islam from its foundations, belief, and to answer at that level those attacks with a ‘non-physical jihad’ or ‘jihad of the word.’”

Nursi at the end of the Eleventh Ray (Meyve Risalesi) argues that the concept of jihad must be reinterpreted according to changing time and conditions.20 Since we are in the age of knowledge, science, and persuasion, Muslims should focus on these areas to have an effective jihad. Nursi argues that in modern age in order to fulfill the task of jihad freedom of conscience is necessary, along with the rule of law.
These are the internalization of Islamic precepts and norms with the goal of self-transformation by subduing the nafs al-ammarah (carnal desires) and to realize the Will of Allah. In other words, the origin of peace in Islam, for Nursi, is being at peace with oneself through surrender to Allah; the eradication of injustice and evil and establishment of Right and justice; the development of humanity through a spirit of total sacrifice. Peace is the remembrance of God. Nursi argues that violence exist because the power is not constrained and controlled by religious teachings. He divides power in terms of violent and nonviolent power. The nonviolence prevails if nonviolent power exists. Muhaiyaddeen sums this as “Whatever is conquered by the sword does not last. The one who picks up the sword will one day die by that same sword. The one who picks up a gun will die by the gun. Whatever one raises in enmity, that very same weapon will cause his destruction.”
Nursi’s conception of faith is the basis of three cardinal values of peace with justice, freedom, and good work.

Justice:
Nursi’s conception of tolerance linked to his attempt to shatter “ethnic or religious other” by focusing on faith, iman, as a source of becoming good. Faith offers a deep sense of security and direction in everyday life. Faithful takes necessary steps to engage in a journey of self-realization and a questioning to recognize the self rather than one’s enemy. Faith is the root concept in the writings of Nursi. His other three key values of peace with justice, freedom, and good conduct (guided by shared moral charter) are derived from faith. Neither of these values is safe if they are not based on faith. For instance, Nursi argues that a faithful has to be just.

“O unjust man nurturing rancour and enmity against a believer! Let us suppose that you were on a ship, or in a house, with nine innocent people and one criminal. If someone were to try to make the ship sink, or to set the house on fire, because of that criminal, you know how great a sinner he would be. You would cry out to the heavens against his sinfulness. Even if there were one innocent man and nine criminals aboard the ship, it would be against all rules of justice to sink it.

So too, if there are in the person of a believer, who may be compared to a dominical dwelling, a Divine ship, not nine, but as many as twenty innocent attributes such as belief, Islam, and neighbourliness; and if you then nurture rancour and enmity against him on account of one criminal attribute that harms and displeases you, attempting or desiring the sinking of his being, the burning of his house, then you too will be a criminal guilty of a great atrocity. “22

In the search of justice, Nursi does not allow any room for hearting innocent people or taking innocent life. Another interesting attitude in this regard maintained by Nursi should be mentioned here is according to Nursi a wild principle of civilization is that for the sake of society an individual might be sacrificed, for the sake of nation partial parts of society’s rights are spendable. But the pure justice of the Qur’an does not spill the life and blood of an innocent, even for the whole of humanity. The two are the same both in the view of Divine Power, and in the view of justice. In another place in this concern Nursi states, “The pure justice of the Qur’an does not spill the life and blood of an innocent, even for the whole of humanity. The two are the same both in the view of Divine Power, and in the view of justice. But through self-interest man becomes such that he will destroy everything that forms an obstacle to his ambition, even the world if he can, and he will wipe out mankind.” Pg297’ THE SEEDS OF REALITY64

If we take a cursory glance, then we can see that diversity of culture existed in the times of all Prophets Adam, Noah, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, till Muhammad (Peace be upon all of them) and to deal with the issues of all the times emerging from such diversity; the river of guidance continued to flow from Allah, in the form of revelations in accordance with the needs and demands of the respective times. In nut shell the panacea for all the illnesses of the present people and the people to come can be summarized in one single command of the All-Wise Lord, “then when guidance comes to you from Me, anyone who follows My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve” (Quran 2:38).

Now it depends upon the bearers of the “Trust” (Amanah) i.e., the children of Adam that how will they benefit themselves from this Guidance to perform their duty entrusted to them that is to acknowledge “Oneness of Allah” and spread this Truth to those who are heedless towards this. In other words revival of faith was the message of every Messenger of Allah in one single creed, “there is no god but Allah”. Man, in his prior state of existence acknowledged God as his Lord but had since, upon assuming his current physical form, forgotten that acknowledgement. For indeed, the term for man in the Qur’an, that is, “insan”, is etymologically related to the root “to forget”. This is as if to say that life on this earth is a journey towards remembrance of that first testimony which man has forgotten.

“We made a covenant with Adam before you, but he forgot, and We found him lacking in constancy” (Quran 20:115).
“One who believes in Allah has grasped the strong handhold that will never break” (Quran 2:256) and belief in the messengership of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) breaks the bonds and walls of enmity towards the People (Ummah) of former Prophets. Because one who believes in the Final Messenger his faith is not complete unless and until he believes in all the Messengers who came before him thus cultivating in them love, unity, tolerance and foresightedness.

“The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and [so do] believers. They all believe in Allah and His angels, His scriptures, and His messengers. They say, ‘We do not differentiate between any of His messengers. We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, Lord, to You we shall all return!” (Quran 2:285).

There are a number of verses in the Quran addressing mankind as a whole in the words like, “Ya Ayyuhan nas, Ya Ayyuhal Insan, Ya bani Adam, etc” which gives us the concept of unity of mankind”. (Sahih al Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2,Hadith Number 12)

The Prophet said, “None of you will have faith till he wishes for his brother what he likes for himself.”

The root word of Islam is ‘Silm’, which means peace. So the spirit of Islam is the spirit of peace. The first verse of the Quran breathes the spirit of peace; it reads: “In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.”

This verse is repeated in the Quran no less than 114 times. It shows the great importance Islam attaches to such values as Mercy and Compassion. One of God’s names, according to the Quran, is As-Salaam, which means Peace. Moreover, the Quran states that the Prophet Muhammad was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind. [Quran: 21:107]

A perusal of the Quran shows that most verses of the Quran (and also the Hadith) are based on peace and kindness, either directly or indirectly. The ideal society, according to the Quran is Dar As-Salaam, that is, the house of peace [Quran: 10:25]

The Quran presents the universe as a model, which is characterized by harmony and peace [Quran: 36:40] When God created heaven and earth, He so ordered things that each part might perform its function peacefully without clashing with any other. The Quran tells us that “It is not allowable [i.e., possible] for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming.” [Quran: 36:40] For billions of years, therefore, the entire universe has been fulfilling its function in total harmony with His divine plan.

According to Islam, peace is not simply an absence of war. Peace opens doors to all kinds of opportunities which are present in any given situation. It is only in a peaceful situation that planned activities are possible. It is for this reason that the Quran says: “…And settlement is best…” [Quran: 4:128] Similarly, Prophet Muhammad has observed: “God grants to gentleness (Rifq) what He does not grant to violence (‘Unf).[Abu Daawood]

According to Islam, peace is the rule and war is only an exception. Even in defensive war we have to analyse its result; if the result is doubtful, Muslims should avoid war. Stray acts of aggression are not enough for Muslims to rush into war. They have to assess the whole situation and adopt a policy of avoidance when war is not certain to achieve a positive result.

In actual fact, the mission of all the Prophets from Aadam (Adam) to ‘Eesaa (Jesus), may Allah exalt their mention, was one and the same – of establishing the ideology of monotheism in the world, so that man might worship the One God alone. As we know, there came a large number of Prophets in ancient times but the message of monotheism remained at the initial stage; it could not culminate in revolution.

Thus, Islam as the word itself suggests has connotations of peace and submission. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in his description of Muslims, says, “A Muslim is one whose fellow brothers are safe from the harm of his tongue and hands”. One of the main principles of non-violence in Islam is stated in the well-known saying of the Prophet, “ La Dhara wa la Dhirar” which can be translated as “ not to harm and not to be harmed”. In his personal life, the Prophet was a living example of peace and nonviolence.

Nursi’s propagation of nonviolence seems to be unique in the contemporary context of Islamic activism. He conceptualized his idea of nonviolent activism with the term ‘ Musbet Hareket’ or positive action. The term presents the essence and the major principle of nonviolence in Nursi’s teachings. For him, the notion of positive action goes deeper than simply refraining from violence.

It is evident in his writings that Nursi cared for everyone in his heart, including those who persecuted him. Although he was poisoned by his oppressors over seventeen times, Nursi never attempted to respond in the same way; instead, he asked his disciples to avoid revenge. Unlike many practitioners of nonviolence in our modern day, Nursi did not have a political goal. The only goal he had was for people to gain their eternal lives. He was convinced that victory is not through the use of force, but through convincing others about one’s own ideas. While saying that the physical sword should not be used, Nursi presents the Qur’an ic truth as a shining diamond sword that negates the physical sword.

The destruction that violence can bring caused Nursi to avoid all kinds of physical force. His well-known farewell letter to his students is considered an example of this. The letter opens with the following statement: “Dear Brothers, our duty is to do positive action and not negative action. It is to serve faith i in accordance with what pleases God. We should not interfere with the duty of God. We must response to all the difficulties we face during our service to faith with patience and thankfulness. Such a service will protect society from disorder. To overcome violence, he warned against the desire of power and possession

Conclusion:
So, this is the way to establish peace. Do justice! And if you want to establish real peace, then not only do justice, but the strong should treat the weak with equity and treat them in the same manner as one treats one’s dear and beloved ones and ignores some of their defaults. Every problem cannot he solved with force, but good and just treatment fosters a feeling of bonding and trust. The urge for real peace comes from the heart and the voice that comes from the heart is the only one that establishes real peace because it is based on love and warmth.
When man spreads disorder on earth, peace and security declines and righteousness all but disappears, God sends his Prophets to save the world. Over 1400 years ago, when righteousness had completely vanished from this world and disorder was at its pinnacle, God sent his final message through the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and thus facilitated the saving of the world from complete disaster. Through the message of Islam, man was taught ways to honour the rights of God and the rights of mankind, which had either been forgotten by those who had believed in the earlier Prophets, or because these were new commandments of excellence which had not been revealed before.

Nursi’s life and teachings always preaches nonviolence and ask his followers to pursue civic resistance. He derives this commitment to nonviolence from the tenets of Islam and Sufi perception of human dignity. Human dignity is the key and organizing principle of Nursi’s writings. Although he invites Muslims to peace, harmony and nonviolence, Nursi examines the sociological background of violence. He identifies a number of conditions that impel people to resort to violence: ignorance, poverty and the lawlessness. Nursi argues that violence exist because the power is not constrained and controlled by religious teachings.
Those countries who want to be the standard-bearers of peace should sit down together and work how the world can be saved from destruction. When thinking of that, they should remember their Creator and then think for the betterment of His creation. But remember that the path which the world has chosen today, the effect of instability will not be confined to just one country but will spread all over the world.

REFERENCES
1. Badiuzzaman Said al-Nursi, Kulliyat Rasa’il al-Nur, Vol. 9, (Istanbul: S?zler Ne?riyat, 1998), 35, 36, Eee too M. Hakan Yavuz, Islamic Political Identity in Turkey (John L. Esposito, Series Editor), (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), p. 152.
2. Badiuzzaman Sa’id al-Nursi, Vol. 8, 37.
3. See Yavuz, 157.
4. Badiuzzaman Sa’id al-Nursi, Kulliyat Rasa’il al-Nur, Vol. 1, 11.
5. Badiuzzaman Sa’id al-Nursi, Vol. 3, 292, 297, 347, 566, 567, 458.
6. See Vol. 1, 348 – 349.
7. See Yavuz, op. cit., 158.
8. See Ibid., 157.
9. See Vol. 6, 169.
10. See Vol. 1, 642.
11. Q.S. Ali Imran/3: 159.
12. Q.S. al-Syura/42:38.
13. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an, Text, Translation and Commentary, New Revised Edition, (Brentwood, Maryland: Amana, 1989), 1257.
14. Muhammad Fuad Abd al-Baqy, Al-Mu’jam al-Mufahras li Alfaz al-Qur’an al-Karim (Dar al-Fikr, 1947).
15. See Vol. 2, 67.
16. See Ibid., 342-343.
17. See Vol. 1, 873.
18. See Ibid., 69.
19. See Nursi, The Flashes Collection/The Twenty-Second Flash (Istanbul: S?zler Publications, 2000), 226.
20. See The Flashes Collection/The Thirtieth Flash/The Divine Name.
21. See Ibid.
22. See The Flashes Collection//The Twenty-Second Flash, 226.
23. See Fuad Abd al-Baqy.
24. Islamic Millennium Journal, Volume 1, Number 1, Nov. 2001, Asian Muslim Action Network, Indonesia, 2.
25. See Badiuzzaman Said al-Nursi, Vol. 6, 474.
26. See The Flashes Collection/The Twenty First Flash/On Sincerity, 214.
27. See Ibid. 215.
28. See Ibid. 203.
29. See Ibid. 208.
30. See Ibid. 220.
31. See The Flashes/The Thirtieth Flash/The Divine Name.
32. See The Flashes Collection/The Thirtieth Flash/The Divine Name.
33. See The Flashes Collection/The Thirtieth Flash/The Divine Name.

Positive action does not mean, as some people imagine, the passive and inactive way of life. Basically, positive action and attitude is all about deriving a solution from the core of the problem, finding a way where there is apparently no way and having a larger ground of thought where common person is stuck with narrow one. In short, positive attitude leads a person to self-control, calmness and hope, and a person with positive attitude keeps working for a better solution and brighter future always.

In the Islamic tradition, so many Muslims down through the centuries have reflected and commented on the benefits to humankind of God’s sending Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him!)How their positive behavior and attitude changed the attitude of the disbeliever, I cannot hope to address all that has been written on the subject but will limit myself to a few remarks on what Said Nursi has had to say in the Risale-i Nur about positive action from the perspective of the Prophetic Tradition.

Prophet Muhammmad (Peace be upon him) bring to mankind God’s teaching on people’s duties toward God, toward their neighbor, and towards themselves. In other words, the Prophetoffers God’s guidance on how people should behave and how society should be structured. Thus, the Prophet teach that people should approach God humbly, recognizing each one’s limitations of knowledge, strength, and goodness, and serve God as a faithful servant which is basically through positive action and attitude. This is what the Qur’an means by saying that believers should be “guided by God-given morals.”

The fragrance of this sense of positive attitude comes from the sacred life of Prophet Muhammmad (Peace be upon him). He started his mission of Islam in the worst situation and faced the hardest kind of difficulties but not for a single moment he lost his hope or succumbed to the circumstances. He came out from his house in the night of migration to Medina alone whereas an armed bunch of youth from the different clans of the Quraish were surrounding his house to assassinate him in one go. He was not afraid when the enemies reached the cave “Thaur”. He was not frightened even when Suraqa came close to him in order to attack at him. Instead, he was very much calm and confident, and was heading to his destination. The Prophetic Traditions also reflect the very nature of positive action of the

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the final prophet who brought the complete and perfect message of the Qur’an, so that by following the Qur’an and the Hadithsof Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) Muslims live according to the shari’a or Islamic way of life. It is this second phrase of the shahada, Muhammadunrasulullah that distinguishes Muslims from other monotheists, such as Jews and Christians, who with Muslims affirm la ilahaill’Allah

The mission of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), was described by God as follows, “O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness (Shahid) and a bringer of good tidings (Basheer) and a warner (Nazeer). And one who invites to Allah (Daee), by His permission, and an illuminating lamp (SirajanMunira)” [Al-Ahzab 33:45-46].

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was a beacon of hope for those around him. His ever-beaming smile would exude optimism. His words, whether of warning or of good news, inspired positive action

As per the life and works of Said Nursi, the methods that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) used in spreading his cause and mission will prove to be effective if we can apply them successfully to provide sustainable solutions for mankind’s problems.

He rewarded and appreciated positive behaviors and attitude to promote the development of peace and happiness, both in this world and the hereafter, for Muslims and for humanity as a whole.

If we want to lead people to behave positively and prevent them from acting badly, the safest way to do this is to reward and appreciate positive action. To be loved and appreciated is what people crave.

Ibn Abbas (May Allah please with him) tells: “One day I prepared some water in a pot so that the Prophet could perform ablution. When the Prophet saw the pot, he asked who had prepared it. Once he learned that it was me who had prepared it, he prayed for me, “O Allah! Increase his understanding in religion”. (Bukhari, Invitation, 19)

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was sent to promote good morality. His words of advice were reflected from Allah who is the Compassionate as a reflection of mercy, thus, he would say good words and commit good deeds. He knew that evil words blemish the heart, and evil in the heart reflects upon the soul. For this reason, he never said an evil word to friend or foe. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) would not speak in a way that would break anybody’s heart. When he was treated badly, he did not take it personally and he generalized it and then corrected it. When someone complained to him about someone, or he saw a fault in someone, he did not fling the fault in the agent’s face.

When we consider the life and practices of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), we see that if we apply his lofty methods when we are in a difficult position, the problems will be solved, our paths will be illuminated, and we will easily see the farthest horizons. If we avoid practicing these methods just through negligence, we will be the losers. It is a big mistake to consider them unimportant. Those who make the methods of the Prophet into good habits for themselves will find that they act straightforwardly and become successful.

The proper approach to Islam is within a paradigm in which the proper perspective with regards to the nature of the Divine and the concept of happiness in Islam is embraced. In understanding happiness in Islam, it is important to remember that human beings were created ultimately for happiness and joy, for peace and prosperity. The goal of Islam is ultimately the attainment of, or awakening to, “Paradise.” The entirety of God’s divine mercy, light and guidance, as well as the prophethood and mission of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), is but for this purpose.

Islam is for the attainment of happiness, joy, satisfaction and eternal bliss and serenity. And so, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), who from birth cried, “My nation, my nation!”, seeking to guide and direct to that which leads to happiness in Islam, is referred to as Rahmatanlil-‘Alameen, “A mercy to the worlds.”

Our external life circumstances and conditions are but a reflection of our inner states of being. The way to change is through the power of positive action and positive thinking.

Positive Thinking + Positive Action = Positive Results

It can even be said that happiness in Islam is the very purpose of religion. And the path to happiness in Islam, as taught by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), is through growth and personal evolution. Thus, we should nourish our mind with positive and illuminating thinking and attitude. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said that “an hour of contemplation is more valuable than seventy years of worship.” The meaning of which is “An hour’s reflective thought is better than a year’s [supererogatory] worship”1 states that on occasion an hour’s reflectionmay be equivalent to a year’s worship. It also offers powerful encouragement for reflective thought.1

It is important to emphasize that Said Nursi was deeply committed to Islam and its main sources, the Qur’an and Hadith. Nursi specified “three great and universal things which make known” God to human beings; the universe, the Prophet, and the Qur’an.2 On one account he adds a fourth, namely conscience.3 Focused on these channels, the primary purpose of his writings is to cultivate faith and prove its vitality for human happiness both for the worldly life and in the hereafter.

In Islam, worship is not only understood in its formal forms of prescribed prayers, fasting, or giving charity. Pondering on God’s creation and the channels of His revelations, pursuing knowledge to gain better insights of His names, and having reflective thought about his creation are all considered within the range of worship. As Nursi calls it that would be “worship in the form of reflection.”4 Relating the importance of contemplation to the very sources of the religion, Nursi states:

My heart combined with my mind and urged me to the way of reflective thought which the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition commands with such verses as,

That you may consider.(2:219; 2:266) * Perchance they may reflect.(7:176, and so on) * Do they not reflect in their own minds, did God create the heavens and the earth?(30:8) * There are signs for those who consider.(13:3, and so on)

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has reported that Allah (SWT) said: “I treat my servant as how he thinks of Me” (Hadith- Bukhari/ Muslim). In other words, Allah (SWT) treats His servant in the way how he thinks of Allah (SWT), what he hopes from and how he sets his hopes on Allah (SWT). So, those who come positive and with a great hope to the door of Mercy of the Almighty Creator will surely not return empty-handed.

The most powerful weapon you have at your disposal is positive action but we need to use it and use it often. The basis of positive action is to lift us and situations to Allah (SWT) an inner act of visualisation. A further step is to contemplate on our beautiful teachings of Islam this involves controlling and directing out thoughts. A simple way to think of this is to imagine your mind to be like a garden. That garden can be spoilt and overrun by negative, destructive thoughts (weeds), or it can become a place of peace and harmony by the cultivation of flowers (uplifting thoughts) which is also the teachings of Said Nursi.

Nursi states that despite the awesome destruction in the universe of devils from among jinn and men, and the varieties of unbelief, misguidance, evil, and destruction they perpetrate, just as they do not interfere one iota in creation, so too they can have no share in Divine sovereignty. And they do not carry out those works through any power or ability; rather than power and action in many of the things they do, it is neglect and abstaining from action. They commit evils through not allowing good to be done, that is, they become evil. For since bad and evil are a sort of destruction, their causes do not have to be an existent power and active creativity. Rather, vast destruction comes about through one command pertaining to non-existence and one condition being spoilt.

It is because the Zoroastrians did not develop this mystery that they believed that there was a creator of good in the universe, called Yazdan, and a creator of evil, called Ahriman. However, the imaginary god of evil they called Ahriman was Satan, who causes evil through the power of choice and the power to act, which possess no ability to create.

And so, O people of belief! Your most effective weapon and equipment for repairs in the face of this awesome destruction of Satan is seeking forgiveness from God, and through saying, “I seek refuge with God,” to have recourse to Him. And your stronghold is the Practices of the Prophet (PBUH).5

According to a noble Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, noxious and awesome persons like Sufyan and the Dajjal will come to rule over the godless at the end of time, and exploiting the greed, discord and hatred amongst the Muslims and mankind, they will need only a small force to reduce humanity to anarchy and the vast world of Islam to slavery.

O people of faith! If you do not wish to enter a humiliating condition of slavery, come to your senses and enter and take refuge in the citadel of:

Indeed the believers are brothers,6

to defend yourselves against those oppressors who would exploit your differences! Otherwise you will be able neither to protect your lives nor to defend your rights. It is evident that if two champions are wrestling with each other, even a child can beat them. If two mountains are balanced in the scales, even a small stone can disturb their equilibrium andcause one to rise and the other to fall.

So O people of belief! Your strength is reduced to nothing as a result of your passions and biased partisanships, and you can be defeated by the slightest forces. If you have any interest in your social solidarity, then make of the exalted principle of “The believers are together like a well-founded building, one part of which supports the other”your guiding principle in life! Then you will be delivered from humiliation in this world and wretchedness in the hereafter.7

The literal meaning of ‘positive’ (müsbet) is ‘established,’ ‘proved,’ ‘affirmed.’ In the meaning of ‘positive’ it bears also the meaning of ‘repairing’ or ‘constructive.’ Negative, however, means destructive.The mind can be directed towards positive thinking or negative thinking. The power of thought is a neutral power. The way one thinks determines whether the results are positive and beneficial or negative and harmful. It is the same of energy acting in different ways. Persistent inner work can change habits of thoughts. You must be willing to put energy and time to avoid negative thinking and pursue positive thinking, in order to change your mental attitude. Think of those things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, in other words, to fill your mind with noble, good thoughts, leaving no room for negative ones to take root.

Nursi held a special place among these great persons, and manifested to a high degree the meaning of the Hadith: “Scholars are the heirs of the prophets.” 8Positive thinking and positive action are essential feature of all prophetictraditions. A thorough study of historical sources on Prophet Muhammad’s life reveals his dedication to thinking and acting positively. The strength of Prophet Muhammad’s message, which transformed Arabia, was due to his way of life. His actions were exemplary in every respect and always came prior to his words. Thus, the core of all Prophetic traditions are positive thinking and positive action which is the essence of all sunnah or strategic sunnah.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon himforged a path that was not based on revenge or acceptance. His goal was to revive people, not to kill them.9 the key to the Prophet’s success lies not only in his preachingbut notably in the exemplary character of his life. The aim of positive thought and action is to win over hearts and minds, thereby, he took the middle way with his positive practices. With a great mission in hand, Prophet Muhammad had to serve as a role model 10 for not only his people, but for all humanity. He came from an honoured tribe and was respected throughout Makkah prior to and even during his prophethood, yet he underwent such horrendous acts to his people, his family and his Companions, that it is difficult to conceive how he could have responded in the manner he did.11

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), who was sent as a mercy to all the worlds, did not curse those who stoned him at Ta‘if wounding him in one hundred and fourteen places; with his wondrous compassion he prayed for their guidance, saying: “O my Sustainer! They do not know what they are doing.” His heir this terrible century, Bediuzzaman, took the same path and said the following:

“Due to the compassion which is the basis of my way and that of the Risale-i Nur and which has been a principle of my life for the past thirty years, so that no harm will come to any innocents, I do not respond with curses even to the criminals who persecute me, let alone bother them.”12

In another of his writings, he describes how he and his students had suffered various torments and undergone severe tests:

“Our duty towards them is only to seek their guidance. I recommend that none of my students should nurture the very slightest desire for revenge against those who have oppressed and tortured them; in the face of them, they should work loyally and with constancy for the Risale-i Nur.”13

Another important matter on which the great Regenerator of religion dwelt in respect of positive action was the securing of peace and harmony between the Muslims who serve Islam by different methods. He repeatedly stressed this important point and exerted himself so that difference of ways should not lead to conflict. These are the first three of nine ‘commands:’ of Said Nursi.

“1. To act positively, that is, out of love for one’s own outlook, avoiding enmity for other outlooks, not criticizing them, interfering in their beliefs and sciences, or in any way concerning oneself with them.

“2. To unite within the fold of Islam, irrespective of particular outlook, remembering those numerous ties of unity that evoke love, brotherhood and concord.

“3. To adopt the just rule of conduct that the follower of any right outlook has the right to say, ‘My outlook is true, or the best,’ but not that ‘My outlook alone is true,’ or that ‘My outlook alone is good,’ thus implying the falsity or repugnance of all other outlooks.”14

The last ‘ders’ (instruction) Said Nursi gave the Risale-i Nur Students before his death

My Dear Brothers!

Our duty is to act positively; it is not to act negatively. It is solely to serve the cause of belief in accordance with Divine pleasure, and dot interfere with God’s concerns. We are charged with responding with patience and thanks to every difficulty we may encounter in the positive service of belief, a consequence of which is the preservation of public order and security.

Taking myself as an example I say: formerly I never bowed before tyranny or humiliating treatment. Numerous events established that I could never endure to be treated in that way. For example, not rising to my feet before the Commander-in-Chief in Russia, and my giving no importance to the pashas’ questions in the Military Court even when under threat of execution, as well as my attitude to four commanders, all show that I never bowed before tyranny. But these last thirty years, for the sake of acting positively and not acting negatively and not interfering in God’s concerns, I have responded with patience and resignation to all the treatment I have received, I have met it with patience and resignation like Jarjis (St George) (Upon whom be peace) and those who suffered the extreme difficulties of the Battles of Badr and Uhud.

Yes, for example, I did not even curse a public prosecutor whose eighty-one errors I had proved in court, as a result of whose false accusations the decision was taken against us. For the essential matter at this time is ‘jihad of the word.’ 5 It is to form a barrier against the moral and spiritual (mânevî) destruction, and to assist internal order and security with all our strength.

Yes, there is a power in our way, but this force is for preserving public order. According to the principle of No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another 16the brother, family, or children of a criminal cannot be held responsible for him. It is because of this that throughout my life I have endeavored with all my strength to maintain public order. This force may not be employed internally, but only against external aggression. Our duty in accordance with the above verse is to assist the maintenance of internal order and security with all our strength. It is for this reason that within the Islamic world there have been very few civil wars damaging public order. And those have arisen from differences in interpretation of the Law. The most important condition of ‘jihad of the word’ is not interfering in God’s concerns; that is: “Our duty is to serve; its results are Almighty God’s concern. We are charged with carrying out our duty, and are obliged to do so.”

Like Jalaluddin Kharazmshah, I have learnt from the Qur’an to say: “My duty is to serve religious belief; it is Almighty God’s concern whether or not He gives it success,” and to act with sincerity.

External aggression may be met with force, for the enemy’s possessions and dependents are like booty. But this is not the case internally. Internal action is to act in accordance with the true meaning of sincerity in positive, non-physical (mânevi) fashion against the moral and spiritual (mânevî) destruction. External and internal jihad are completely different. Almighty God has now given me millions of true students, but internally, we shall only act positively to maintain public order and security. The difference at this time between internal and external jihad is truly great.17

Said Nursi always acted positively and was severly opposed to every sort of negative action. Of course it has not been possible in a single paper to describe as it deserves the positive action that was the unchanging principle of his fruitful life from the perspective of prophetic tradition. It will see more clearly on studying the entire life of that great guide, together with the one hundred and thirty parts of the Risale-i Nur Collection, which he offered for the benefit of entire mankind.

FOOTNOTES
1. Nursi, The Flashes, 378.

2. The Words, Nineteenth Word, p. 243.
3. Mesnevi-i Nuriye, Nokta, p. 208–215.
4. Nursi, The Words, 465.
5. The Flashes / The Thirteenth Flash – p.106-107
6. Qur’an, 49:10.
7. Letters/ Twenty – Second Letter – First Topic- p.319-320
8. al-‘Ajluni ,Kashf al-Khafa’, No: 1745.
9. FethullahGulen, The Messenger of God: Muhammed, http://fgulen.com/en/fethullah-gulens-works/faith/prophet-muhammad/24808-a-general-evaluation-of-his-military-achievements
10. Qur’an 33:21
11. İbn Sa’d, Tabaqâtü’l-Kübrâ,(Beirut, 1957 )v. 3,pp. 233, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, (Egypt, 1954)v. 1, pp. 404
12. Nursî, Bediüzzaman Said, Sualar, Envar Nesriyat, 372.
13. Emirdag Lahikasi , ii, 80-1.
14. Lem’alar, 151 / The Flashes Collection, 203.
15. Turkish: cihad-ımânevî, which may also be translated as ‘moral jihad’ or ‘non-physical jihad.’ [Tr.]
16.
17. (in Jihad of the word and positive action : Bediuzzaman Said Nursi’s interpretation of Jihad in the modern age. Istanbul: Sözler Publications.)

O my Lord! Expand for me my breast [with assurance] and ease for me my task and untie the knot from my tongue that they may understand my speech.

(Ta-Ha:25-28)

INTRODUCTION

At the very outset, I would like to express my warmest gratitude to the Department of Arabic for their initiative to hold this important two-day National Seminar on “Role of Hadith in the Development of Language, Literature & Culture” and feeling honoured to be invited to present paper on this important literary occasion.

Before discussing the significance of women’s education in Islam, it is important to understand what the condition of women was before the advent of Islam. In pre-Islamic Arabia, and in the rest of the world, their condition was equal to that of slaves and chattels with no rights. Women could neither own nor inherit property. In domestic affairs, they had no rights over their children or themselves; in fact, they could be sold or abandoned by their husbands at will. If they were abused by their husbands, they had no recourse to divorce. They had no real status in the society, not being respected as wife, mother or daughter. In fact, daughters were considered worthless and were often killed at birth. Women were given little or no education, and had no say in religious matters, being regarded as limited in spirituality and intellect.

These abusive conditions existed well into the 19th century in most parts of the world, even in the United States, where some basic rights were given to women only in the beginning of the 20th century. But in Arabia, in the 6th century, with the advent of Islam the condition of women changed dramatically. Almost overnight, women were endowed with equal rights and put on the same level with men.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him , came at a time when the Arab society, like so many patriarchal societies at that time, was rife with abhorrent practices against girls. He preached Islam, liberating women and girls in every walk of life, education being a prime aspect. This article examines the facts about the importance of female education in Islam. It does so through referencing verses of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, and hadith, authentic traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, along with offering a short glimpse of his wives’ level of education.

The Prophet of Islam, remained concerned all his life about the status and treatment of women, because at the time of the revelation of the message of Islam, women were buried alive, treated as chattels and at one point considered to be inhuman without a soul. In his last sermon, the Prophet clearly asked men to treat women with kindness because due to economic conditions, men were responsible for the well being of their women.

The Qur’an says in Chapter 2,Surah Al-Baqarah,Ayat no:228: “and they (women) have rights similar to those of men over them…treat them in a just manner.”

 

ROLE OF HADITH IN WOMEN’S EDUCATION

Since the beginning the Muslim Ummah has unanimously believed in Hadith as an established secondary source of the Islamic Law after Qur’an. Infact it has always been recognized only another kind of revelation i.e. it is called وحي غير متلو i.e. Revelation that is not recited.

 

Let us start with the first Quranic revelation:

 

Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clinging form. Read! Your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by means of the pen; taught man what he did not know. Chapter 96,Surah Al-Alaq,Ayat no:1-5.

These verses address humankind to seek knowledge and delve in critical thinking. The emphasis laid in the acquisition of knowledge, in the above verses, surpasses any statement or action denying girls’ the right to education. Had these verses only been for men, it would be inconceivable to imagine the extent of progression that the society made in a mere twenty-three years — the entire duration of the revelation of the Quran.

In another verse in the Quran, God says:

(This is) a Book (the Quran) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember. Chapter 38, Surah Sad,Ayat no:29.

It is important to mention that the word “men” in the above verse refers to humankind as it does so in several other places in the Quran when God addresses humanity. These and other verses inform the readers that engaging in critical thinking is a moral obligation on both men and women. The Quran repetitively reminds people to ponder, think, analyze, thus using their mind power to contemplate and understand, whilst making no distinction between men and women.

Let us now examine some hadith, authentic sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

“Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim.”

“He who has a slave-girl and teaches her good manners and improves her education and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward; and any slave who observes God’s right and his master’s right will get a double reward.” (emphasis added)

“If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.” (emphasis added)

Three important themes around education are emerging in the above traditions. From the first Hadith we infer that education is not a right but a responsibility on every Muslim, male or female. In the second Hadith, emphasis is laid on the quality of education imparted to the girl slave and the latter part deals with the encouragement to free slaves (Islam denounced and later abolished slavery). The third Hadith speaks volumes about the superiority of the person who seeks knowledge over the one who does not. The reference here to superiority is to the person who seeks knowledge, man or woman.

We shall now examine information about the intellectual abilities of two wives of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him: Khadijah and Aishah.

Khadijah Binte Khuwaylid, the first wife of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), was a wealthy tradeswoman, the richest woman in Mecca at the time, who exported goods as far away as Syria. To manage her large business, she employed several males and to do so then in Arabia, necessitated that you have a high level of understanding and wisdom.

Aishah Binte Abu Bakr, the youngest wife of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), was very talented and possessed an incredible memory. As a Muslim scholar, she is credited with narrating more than two thousand Hadith and was noted for teaching eminent scholars. She had a great love for learning and became known for her intelligence and sharp sense of judgment. Her life also substantiates that a woman can be a scholar, exert influence over men and women and provide them with inspiration and leadership. The example of Aishah in promoting education, particularly education of women in the laws and teachings of Islam, is a hallmark in female education in Islam. Because of the strength of her personality, she was a leader in every field of knowledge, in society and in politics. The human are superior to the animals because of the mind. We find many sayings of the Holy Prophet (P. B. U. H.) on this subject;

“Attain knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”

Knowledge is identified in Islam as worship. The acquiring of knowledge is worship, reading the Quran and pondering upon it is worship, travelling to gain knowledge is worship. The practice of knowledge is connected with ethics and morality with promoting virtue and combating problems, enjoying lights and forbidding wrong. The main purpose of acquiring knowledge is to bring us closer to ALLAH.

A Muslim is not a Muslim simply because he is born Muslim instead a Muslim is a Muslim because he is a follower of Islam and he follows the rules which are given by ALLAH and an educated person always done his work according to Quran and Hadith. Gaining knowledge is not simply for the gratification of the mind or senses. It is not knowledge for the sake of knowledge or science for the value of sake of knowledge accordingly must be linked with values and goals. It is important to note here that the concept of knowledge in Islam covers a broad spectrum of subjects. It is not only about the education of Islamic studies, it is about the every kind of study or knowledge.

One of the purposes of acquiring knowledge is to gain the good of this world, not to destroy it through wastage, arrogance and in the reckless pursuit of higher standards of material comfort.

Allah Almighty makes the path to paradise easier for him who walks for getting knowledge. (Sahih Muslim, 4:2074)

The purpose of the above discussion is just to tell you about the importance of knowledge according to Islam. Now I would like to tell you about the equality of education for men and women in Islam.

Equality of men and women in Islam and they are complementary in nature to one another. In one sense equality between men and women is possible and reasonable because they are both human with similar souls, brains, hearts, lung, limbs etc but in another sense equality between men and women is impossible and an absurdity due to their natural differences in physical, mental, emotional and psychological qualities and abilities.

The Quran says,

O Men! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single being and out of it created its mate; and out of the two spread many men and women. (Sura An-Nisa, Sura # 4, Aya # 1)

This verse clearly expounds that men or women created from a single entity and are basically equal genders. As a gender one is not superior to the other and according to usage, women too have rights over men similar to the rights of men over women. That rights enjoyed by men are the duties of the women and the duties of men are the rights of women. This implies a similitude between both the genders. There is no light conferred on man that women may be deprived of because she is a woman. Islam entitles women to the same rights and men in terms of education. The Prophet of ALLAH (P. B. U. H.) said as reported and authenticated by the scholars; seeking knowledge is compulsory for each and every Muslim (i.e. both male and female).

Muslim scholars are collectively agreed that the word Muslim when used in revealed scriptures include both male and female as we indicated in parenthesis. Thus, Islam entitles women to the same right of education in order to understand the religious and social obligations and obligated them both to raise their children with the right Islamic guidance. Off course women have certain obligations in bringing up their children that are commensurate to their abilities.

The Quran says,

Their Lord answered the Prayer thus: “I will not suffer the work of any of you, whether male or female, to go to waste; each of you is from the other. Those who emigrated and were driven out from their homesteads and were persecuted in My cause, and who fought and were slain, indeed I shall wipe out their evil deeds from them and shall certainly admit them to the gardens beneath which rivers flow.” This is their reward with their Lord; and with Allah lies the best reward. (Surah Aal-i-Imran, Sura # 3, Aya # 195)

The religion of Islam gave women an honourable status and true dignity. Acquiring knowledge will enable Muslim men and women to get a better perception and understanding of the world around them and make them more conscious of Almighty ALLAH.

Islam regards women as spiritually and intellectually equal to men. Both have equal rights to receive an education and enter into gainful employment.

To prevent women from getting an education is contrary to the teaching of Islam. Equality can be attained by giving proper education and through awareness and by setting up rules and regulations to make sure that rights of the people are respected in Islam.

Sura Az-Zumar (39), Aya # 9 in Quran reveals,

“Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” Only those endowed with understanding take heed.”

Sura Al-Baqara (2), Aya # 269 in Quran reveals,

“He bestows wisdom upon anyone He wills, and he who is given wisdom is in fact given great wealth, but only those who have common sense learn lessons from these things.”

The study of the life of Holy Prophet (P. B. U. H.) also shows that he himself made special arrangements for the education and training of women.

Abu sa’id Al-Khudri reports that some women said to Holy Prophet (pbuh), men have gone ahead of us (in terms of acquiring of knowledge) therefore appointed a special day for our benefits as well. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) fixed one day for them. He (pbuh) would meet them on that day, advise them and educate them about commandments of Allah Almighty. (Sahih Bukhari, 1:50.)

None of these verses specify that only wise men receive admonition or that only male servants who have knowledge fear Him. ‘A’isha al-Siddiqa, mother of the faithful, was a hadith-narrator, scholar, intellectual and jurist of great standing. She is believed to have reported 2,210 traditions. She was also women and has too much knowledge so every woman should gain knowledge.

Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) reiterated ;

“If a daughter is born to a person and he brings her up, gives her a good education and trains her in the arts of life, I shall myself stand between him and hell-fire.”

(Kanz al-Ummal, reported by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud).

Another Hadith states that, “The Father, if he educates his daughter well, will enter Paradise”.

Yet another Hadith states that, “A mother is a school. If she is educated, then a whole people are educated”.

Another misnomer is the view that suggests women are only allowed to gain knowledge from female teachers and that instructions from men are prohibited due to the demands of pardah. Although an ideal environment would dictate women teaching women, we do not live in the world where this is always possible. Since Islam is a religion for all nation and all times, it is based on practical reality. There is no stipulation that only women can teach other women or a bar regarding male teachers for women if the rules of dress are properly observed then men can teach female students under shari’a. This is also apparent from the above mentioned Hadith, when the Holy Prophet (P. B. U. H.) himself made arrangements for the education and training of women where one day was specified for women in the Prophet’s mosque.

CONCLUSION:

The conclusion is that women should be educated equally to men and it is already shown by Quran and Hadith. So women should gain knowledge for the betterment of their families and for their children. As the river has two banks, which are parallel to each other and always remain together and existence of both are very important and necessary. If any bank of river destroy than river cannot flow in proper way and spread. Like this men and women are both important and have collective importance to run their lives and also have importance to run a family in a better way. If one of them is not educated they could not understand the ups and downs of life and cannot run his/her family in better way. So there should be equality in men and women in terms of knowledge and education.

REFERENCES:

The Holy Qur’an

www.whyislam.org/The importance of Girl’s Education in Islam

www.saypeople.com / The Equality of Education for Men & Women in Islam by Qurrat-ul-Ain Shaukat