Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmat Allahi wa barakatuh
A couple of weeks ago I shared my experience of visiting the Sinan Pasha Madrassa in Turkey. Their daw’ah efforts take great inspiration from the works of Said Nursi. During the downfall of the Ottomans, he was a force of resistance and sheer determination. Despite living in a time where turbans and prayer beads were seen as offensive weapons, he wrote numerous works about faith, the Qur’an and the truth of Islam. He dedicated his life to tackle the fundamental problems of his society (the rise of atheism, materialism and anti-religion movements influenced by the British and Russians forces) using logic and reason.
Born in Bitlis, Hizan in 1878, Nursi was blessed with a sharp intellect and an extraordinary memory, which earned him the title of ‘Badiuzzaman’, the unrivalled wonder of the era.
He focused on strengthening people’s faith and established a madrasa and university with an academic curriculum integrating both religious and secular sciences and also provided military training to his students. When the First World War broke out, he defended his homeland both physically and intellectually. Whilst on the frontline he wrote one his most prominent tafsir works on the miraculousness of the Qur’an, and continued educating others whilst he was imprisoned by the Russians in 1916. He never stopped teaching, turning prisons into institutions of knowledge and faith.
He dedicated his life to raising a generation of Muslims with strong faith and belief against those who wished to harm Islam. In 1918 he reached Istanbul having escaped captivity, but due to the turbulent political climate of the era, the rest of his life was spent in prisons and in exile from one place to another. One day, whilst in exile, he was walking along the shore of a lake. Looking at the dying and withering plants of winter and reflecting on the cosmos it reminded him of this verse of Surah Rum:
“So, look to the effects of Allah’s mercy, how he gives life to the earth after its death. Surely, That (Allah) is the one who will give life to the dead; and He has the power to do everything.” [The Noble Qur’an 30:50]
This inspired Nursi to write a treatise proving the existence of the hereafter with reason and logical evidence. His work was widely distributed and baffled the enemies of Islam who could not disprove the self-evident truths.
His methodology echoed the words of Imam Abu Hanfia, “There is no excuse for anyone to be ignorant of his Creator because of what he sees of the creation of the heavens and earth and his own self…[it is] obligatory for created beings to recognise Him through their intellect and reason.”
[Imam Abu Hanifa’s Al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained]
Nursi passed away in 1960, leaving behind a legacy of works addressing the fundamental questions of human existence, such as the existence of God, the nature of the soul, and the purpose of life.
May Allah also utilise us for the great work of His deen and allow us to leave a lasting legacy after we die.
Salams
Munibah
