FAQ in the category of Life

Is life a struggle or some sort of solidarity?

Life is a phenomenon in which big fishes eat smaller ones, and again in which smaller fishes run away from being food. Lions chase antelopes, and antelopes run as fast as they cannot to be food for lions.

There are some events of this sort on earth. Every living being is trying to protect their lives, which they can have for some short period of time. Creatures strive to survive. People, who have forgotten One God and deified his own self and sacrificed everything for the sake of his own satisfaction, call it struggle.

In fact, this very struggle incorporates some solidarity. One example of this solidarity is shown in that predators pick their preys among the old, sick or weak. A healthy antelope has been given speed not to fall prey to a lion. Among one million eggs that a fish lays a year, only the weaker and sick ones are eaten by larger fishes. Thus, the hunting animals by hunting them protect the species from dangers such as an epidemic etc. This assertion is clear from the fact that both predators and preys continue their existence on earth, and even preys are always larger than predators in number.

What we only need to do is to look at the world as a whole and figure out the pieces within this wholeness. The universe informs us of the existence of a Creator and tells us that the Creator has created the universe for a very significant purpose. What people of denial and heedlessness understand as struggle is not actually struggle, it is solidarity. However, there is struggle in the universe, but a struggle as mentioned. Those speaking of struggle are right in determining the existence of struggle, but for they have lost the true address of struggle, the evil self and devil divert them to the false addresses of struggle.

The mutual assistance and co-operation of beings in the universe and the fact that they respond to one another show that all creatures are raised by a single Nurturer, are organized by a single Director, are under the jurisdiction of a single Disposer, and are the servants of a single Lord. For through an all-embracing law of mutual assistance, the sun cooks the necessities for the lives of living beings on the earth through a dominical command, and the moon acts as a calendar, and light, air, water, and sustenance hasten to the assistance of living beings, and plants hasten to the assistance of animals, and animals hasten to the assistance of human beings, and the members of the body hasten to assist one another, and particles of food even hasten to the assistance of the cells of the body. This most wise and generous mutual assistance of these beings, and their responding to one anothers needs and their supporting and strengthening one another in accordance with a law of generosity, a law of compassion, a law of mercy, show clearly and self-evidently that they are the servants, officials, and creatures of a sole, unique Single One of Unity, a Peerless Eternally Besought One, an Absolutely Powerful, Absolutely Knowing, Absolutely Compassionate, Absolutely Generous Necessarily Existent One.

The balance of life in the sea, which is extremely well-arranged and rich, has been continuing for hundreds of ages without any deterioration. It is such a miraculous balance that each unit functions to complete one another. The balance existing among billions of creatures in the sea has the power of rebalancing itself against any sort of corruption.

If nutritious salt faces being harmed because of the abundance of plants in a region, this plant is attacked by the animals which feed on them. Thus, the plant density decreases down to its normal level. However, this time a rise in the organic waste of dead animals will occur. Thereby, if the plant balance is disturbed by the animals eating a lot of plants, then predatory animals which feed on those animals will attack them. Consequently, the balance will be restored again. There is no room for chance, randomness and disorder in the miraculous plan of our Creator. Cooperation examples in the sea world where an endless number of mysterious beauties are exhibited induced the scientists to research the matter. One of the truths researchers discovered is that those animals acquired very little of their knowledge by learning.

Then, all of their attributes and life programs are encoded in their cells while they are in the uterus or in the egg. That is to say, the most suitable life order is programmed before they come into the world.

The power that encoded the life program of a giant whale into such a small cell that cannot be seen by naked eye, does not leave any place as small as a cell for chance in the seas. The cooperation, balance, moderation and art in the sea realm that rolls in the death and life and that is shaken in destruction and repairs prove that birth, death, feeding and lifespan of these innumerable living beings occur in accordance with the program written by the One who sees and checks all the universe at the same time.

If the causes that continuously try to disrupt the balance of the universe were let free or were the works of aimless, wandering chance, unmeasured blind force and unconscious dark nature, the order in the sea even in the world would be so disrupted that in one year, perhaps in a day the sea would be full of messy things, the earth would become a rubbish damp, a slaughter house or a marsh. Nonetheless, there seems no true pollution or ugliness in anything. As there is no imbalance in anything, there is no true excessiveness in anything.

When we examine the food pyramid, we see that eating and being eaten are not unattended and that they are managed in accordance with a program. As for the life program of swallowtail sea perch, they feed on small parasites and dead skin flakes on the skin of big fish, and clean those fish.

Fish that are in need of cleaning come to these cleansing fish, which have special places, just as a person who needs a haircut goes to a barber. Other fish recognize them from their appearance and do not hunt them.

Amphiprions have a mutual life with deadly sea peonies. Acidic cells in the arms of the sea peonies which are used to kill and eat the fish do not harm amphiprions. The body of sea peony which has a diameter about 40-60 cm is connected to sea ground with succulent ties. The mouth of the creature is in the middle of the body. Anything would die instantly by the bites of the acidic cells and would be dragged towards the mouth of sea peony to be eaten. However, amphiprions are not harmed in the places surrounded by these acidic cells. Moreover, when these fish get scared on account of a reason, they take refuge in the arms of sea peonies as if going home, and spend the night there. Sea peonies benefit from this cooperation too. When an amphiprion finds a hunt which cannot be gobbled up straightaway, it carries the food to the sea peony and shares with it. Except from this pay, which is a sort of rent, amphiprions clean sea peonies and move the water around them.

Perhaps amphiprions and sea peonies do not know their Creator, who bestowed the mutual living program on them. However, any person with the ability of thinking knows our Creator, who sends light to the assistance of botanical planktons in the depth of the sea for photosynthesis, and who determined the cooperation as a rule of life for all things from cells to mankind, from seas to mountains. This is the greatest difference between fish and human beings.

Dolphins generally give birth to only one baby at a time. The gestation period of females changes between 11 months and a year and bringing the baby into the world takes about normally 30 minutes. When the time of birth comes, two more female dolphins succor the female dolphin. The first duty of these dolphins, which are called aunts, is to defend the mother and baby from the sharks that could attack by virtue of blood smell and from any other dangers. Afterwards, one of the aunt dolphins accompanies the mother dolphin so as to help for the baby care. The baby has to emerge to the surface in order to breathe. The mother dives immediately underneath the baby and shoves it upward to the surface. Dolphins, which always live in groups, immediately proceed to help if a dolphin is injured take it to the sea surface to make it breathe.
In an article entitled cruel-looking animal world published in Bild der Zeit magazine, there is this comment concerning the issue:

Hunting and being hunted is an event encountered every day in the animal kingdom. This world is full of incidences which make men say cruel nature. In reality, what we thoughtlessly define as cruelty is a chain of attitudes of all animals. Plants and animals are encoded to react against a certain event in a certain manner. Surely, the attributes acquired by learning are different.
Every animal that come to the world with a certain program reacts to the signals that are sent to it. Sometimes these reactions affect us astonishingly. What seems as cruel to us is nothing but the incidence of hunting and being hunted.

Every living being, from starfish to cuttlefish, from European anchovy to whale and from amoeba to terrapin, constitutes a proof for their Creator and manifests Allah as brilliant as the sun one by one with their artful creations, various weapons, unique defending fashions and different instructions. After seeing by eyes of intellect and heart that the brilliant magnificence and the order of the sea realm declare the Owner of an endless power, a vast knowledge and an eternal wisdom, it is not possible to accept the sentence big fish eat small fish as a philosophy of life without being aware of its wisdom.

The existence of small fish as much as the big ones and their continuation of their lives in the sea show that swallowing and being swallowed is not unchecked, and the fact that fish produce millions of eggs at a time cannot be regarded as a struggle of existence only. Those innumerable eggs are planned not only to provide the continuance of descendants, but also to present food to other creatures. The fish producing millions eggs cannot be the designer of those eggs; they can only produce the eggs in accordance with the instruction of creation; so the program of food pyramid in the sea cannot have occurred on its own or by chance.

If we reflect that each fish produces millions of eggs and that all of those fish survive without being swallowed by other fish and that the seas will invade the earth after a short time by overflowing and as the land will be filled with fish and it will putrefy, then we will see that being hunted or swallowed is not a struggle but acting in accordance with a program.

How could we explain the fact that a hen lays eggs throughout the year although it incubates once or twice a year and needs only about thirty eggs for that activity?

Would it be possible to say that life consists of struggle only by focusing on a struggle which is in the rate of one out of a thousand or on a hunting incident, in spite of the truths surrounding us and manifesting us that life is cooperation?

Islam Religion attaches great importance to life. It regards slaying as one of the great sins and again regards killing a human as the greatest crime as killing all humankind. He who kills a soul unless it be (in legal punishment) for murder or for causing disorder and corruption on the earth will be as if he had killed all humankind; and he who saves a life will be as if he had saved the lives of all humankind. (Al-Maidah Surah, 5:32)

According to Islam, The life and blood of an innocent cannot be wasted even if it is for the benefit of the humankind. Both are equal in the sight of Justice as they are equal in the sight of (His) Power. That is to say, as there is no difference between for Gods Power to create a human or humankind, at a glance of His infinite justice a humans right is as important as all of the humans rights; there is no difference between them.

The Holy Quran, as it pronounces death penalty for the ones who commit murder in this world, it condemns them to the torture of the Hell fire in the Hereafter. Surely, it is also God Who gives life and causes to die.

Humans blood and life is so important in the sight of Allah (swt). In fact, blood feuds are going to be the first trials in the Hereafter. Humanity is the provision of the preservation of life but not being Muslim.

It is prohibited not only killing humans, it is also prohibited killing harmless animals; even animal life is protected in Islam, because Islam is predicated on mercy and justice.

Many scientists have long been making researches about the origin of life. They reach a certain point and come to a stop there. They have a stereotypical excuse: science has not yet reached beyond this point. They adhere to it whenever they fail to explain something. In our opinion, those people make a methodological mistake.

They research the past in order to find the origin of life and they stop when they encounter inanimate things. They have no option but to wait when they cannot succeed in relating them with life. As a matter of fact, they had better not stop but keep on advancing their search at that stage. They will be able to find out the starting point of life if they set life aside and investigate the root of that lifeless thing.

This universe and that what it contains consist of more than a hundred elements; their common point is that they are inanimate. Each of these elements has a different feature. Should they happen to ask themselves the question who attached these attributes to those beings and why here, they can reach the source of the question.

One of the aspects of the inanimate being is that they cannot move. Another is that they cannot think or grow. Moreover, they can neither feel nor understand. Diverse beings came into existence through the coming together of these defective elements. One of them became a mountain, another turned into a stone. One became water, another became air. One became a star and another the sun. One of them turned out to be the moon and the other became the earth.

None of these beings interchanged anything with each other. As a result, it had not been known for a long time which one served which purpose?

They say let us skip the fields that science is unable to discover; just then, plants were created. Thus, the universe gained a meaning in a sense. Shining of the sun, revolving of the world became meaningful. The night, daytime, earth, air, atmosphere all found a meaning in that they became servants to plants.


However, the plants themselves did not assume a meaning. It went on to be mysterious for the angels and spirit beings why they had these or those characteristics. Then, the animals were created. Besides more than one million plant species, as many animals as plants came to the world. Each sat down to its own meal. Though these animals are common in that they all eat and drink, they have various characteristics. These talents are not merely for eating. Neither is the force of the ox for picking up the grass nor the speed of horse is for catching it. They and so many things like them are calling our attention to a different truth. There must be a different creature to whom these animals can be servants. In the end, man was created. The main goal in creation of each animal was to be a servant to man, beyond finding their own meal. It became obvious on the earth that they were created for man.

After reaching that conclusion, when we immediately start to study the elements, we see the truth that there is a close relation between those so many diverse needs of man and the difference of elements. Who set up this connection? Why did each of these elements take completely a different form such as iron, copper, nitrogen, carbon and so forth?

There must be a being giving different features to those lifeless and ignorant elements and arranging them in accordance with life. The source of life comes only from His Mercy, His Wisdom, His act of restoring to life, and His act of giving sustenance.

These realities must firstly be accepted so that the studies about how the first animate being was created can have a meaning. Otherwise, nothing can be done but waste time, keep people busy in vain, or divert them.


While Allah, the Sustainer of All of the Worlds gave plants only the ability to grow and develop, He granted animals feelings and bestowed heart, reason, conscience, memory and so many similar blessings on man. In the end, mans life became the most brilliant mirror to the Allahs name of the Living One.

The feature of Life that it is the most important aim of the universe, its greatest result, its most brilliant light, its subtlest leaven, its distilled essence, its most perfect fruit, its most elevated perfection and its finest beauty is best observed with its most perfection and beauty in the human life.

Is it possible to regard that matter can possess the miracle of life that is combined with attributes, talents, forces and feelings or to explain it by the evolution of inanimate elements?

You say, “Man should know the purposes of life and live accordingly."

- What are those purposes?

- Why should I live?

- What kind of responsibilities have been laid on me? 

…

The following is stated in Badiuzzaman Said Nursi’s Risale-i Nur Collection: “The summary of the aims of your life consists of nine matters.” The reasons for the creation of human life are summarized in nine items. I will try to explain them briefly in a way you will understand... 

You have been given the senses of sight, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching.

They are scales. There are so many blessings in the world; they are spread everywhere. They all come from the treasury of divine mercy. You are to taste them and weigh them with your scales of senses. Then, you need to know the Giver and thank Him fully.

There are devices in your creation. You are equipped with senses. You have a mind and you understand with it; you have a memory and you remember with it; you have a heart with which you love, pity and believe.

You were created as a distinguished creature and adorned with important qualities. You are to use them according to the purposes of your creation.

It is your duty to open the treasures of divine names. Those names are manifest and appear in the universe, in the world and in you.

However, those who do not think carefully cannot see. They see all those artistic works, but do not know the artist, master or creator behind them. They cannot understand His knowledge, will and power.

However, you were created to understand the divine names by looking at works, deeds and arts, and then to know your Lord with those names.

You are a work of art too. You are not only the watcher, but also the watched. You are displayed for conscious beings. You have embroideries, manifestations and signs of divine names, just like a painting having traces of its artist.

If the painting in the gallery had consciousness and could exhibit its master's art for the visitors knowingly, it would be invaluable. Its painter would be very pleased with it.

You have consciousness; know your master and display the wonders of art on you knowingly. Show yourself to conscious beings with this intention.

You were created to worship. So, worship both with your disposition and with your tongue.

Your Lord created you out of nothing and gave you life. He nurtures you with blessings, protects and watches you. Get to know him, believe in him, and fulfill the duties of worship. Thus, you will have acted in accordance with the purpose of your creation.

…

Display yourself not only to conscious beings such as other people, but also the being that created you.

Show yourself to your Lord, just like a statue that shows itself to its master and says, “O artist! I am your work” in the tongue of disposition. Live with this consciousness.

A soldier dresses up, puts on the gifts of his sultan, passes in front of him to display himself, and shows himself to the sultan. Be like that soldier. Be aware of the blessings your Lord has given you, and show them to him.

Look! There are living beings everywhere. Plants, animals and trees worship by fulfilling the tasks assigned to them fully.

That is the fruit of their life. Maybe they do not know what they are doing. It is your duty to see, think about and show their worship.

You have been given a little knowledge, will, and power. You have some feelings, emotions and traits. See and understand the infinite knowledge, will and power of your Lord acting upon them.

Make your attributes a unit of measure because they have been given with that purpose. If you did not have eyesight, you would not be able to understand that your Lord is the one that "sees".

Know it like that, but also know that what you have is a shadow each, and what your creator has is an endless fact each. You exist thanks to Him. He is also the one who gave you your attributes.

This realm is also a book; it constantly gives information about its creator. Every being introduces their Creator with their tongue of disposition. They say meaningful words. For example, a sparrow states the following:

“I am a work of art. I have a master who gives my life, my shape and my sustenance. He is also the creator of all the sparrows of my kind, birds and animals because our laws of life are the same. We are made by the same master.”

One of your duties is to read the pages of the world, to understand the spiritual words in it, to get to know your Lord in this way.

You are weak, poor and full of deficiencies but everything you need to live comes to you. There is obviously a powerful being that helps you. He knows you and He has mercy on you.

Hunger makes the taste of food known and darkness shows the light; similarly, your helplessness and weakness show the knowledge, will and power of your creator.

You are poor; you need everything. As for your Lord, He is rich; He bestows blessings upon you.

You are weak; you cannot protect yourself without the protection of an infinitely powerful being.

Look at yourself like that. See your imperfect qualities and understand the infinite attributes of the being that created you.

Not everybody’s test is the same. People are tested through things such as property, children, wealth, rank, strength and beauty. It is not certain who will win or lose which test. Therefore, it is necessary to know that everything that is given to us is a test and that what is not given to us is not our right.

Besides, we do not know what is good for us. We might want something to happen very much but we might wish it had not happened afterwards. Therefore, it is best to ask what is good for us when we ask something and to wait patiently if it is not given.

Hz. Maryam’s (Mary’s) mother wanted a son. Allah gave her a daughter. She was very upset. If we asked her now, "Do you want dozens of boys or only one girl like Maryam?" she would definitely want only Maryam because her daughter became the mother of a prophet.

We should act like that. It should not be forgotten that the situation you are in is a test for both you and the people around you. Besides, you did not make your body yourself. Those who look down on you will be held responsible for insulting Allah's art. Do not make the same mistake.

On the other hand, if those who are deprived of some beauties in this world become patient and grateful, they will be more beautiful than other Muslims in the grave and in the hereafter.

- What is meant by “every living thing” in the verse “We made from water every living thing” is the human beings, animals and plants that have life in the world. As a matter of fact, scholars explain the phrase “kulla shayin hayy” (every living thing) as “kulla haywanin” (every animal / living being) and state that it includes animals (living beings) and plants. (see al-Maraghi, the interpretation of the verse in question)

Although the concept “animal” used in the verse includes those who have full or half life in its broad sense, it does not include jinn and angels because they are not called animals. However, it is known that other living things are called “animals”. They described the human being as “haywan natuq (talking/thinking animal)”. Plants are also included in this category “because they have half life” metaphorically. Moreover, perhaps one of the reasons why the word “hayy (living/alive)” is used rather than “haywan (animal)” in the verse is to include plants.

- Another meaning is as follows: “We created every living thing from water (we sent down from the sky / cloud).”

What is meant by “water” in the verse is the water that is brought down from the sky. Plants and other living things were created from this water. (Shawkani, the interpretation of the verse in question)

Since it is clear that angels and jinn have nothing to do with this water, no further detail is given.

- First of all, the addressees of the Quran are human beings, and therefore their understanding and perceptions are important. Human beings and animals are the first things that come to mind with the expression “every living thing”. Angels and jinn do not usually come to mind.

Since this settled understanding of the addressees is clear, there is no detail such as “except for angels and jinn” in the verse. As a matter of fact, those living beings are mentioned as “dabba” in the verse “And Allah has created every animal from water” (an-Nur, 24/45); that word includes the animals that move. 

The Circumstance of Creation:

The Companion Abu Razin asked the Prophet (pbuh): 

“O Messenger of Allah! Where was Allah before He created the earth and the skies?” 

The Prophet (pbuh) answered as follows: 

“Allah existed; there were no beings. He was in secrecy and He was not known. His Throne had not been on water yet. Then, He created His Throne on water.” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 67, 74, Bad'ul-Khalq 1, Tawhid 22; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 3946)

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi explains the issue as follows: 

“The teachings (naqliyat) of the Shari‘a suggest that Allah the Most High created firstly a substance, that is, matter, then He manifested His power on it and made a part of it steam and a part fluid. Then through his manifestation the fluid part thickened and became froth. Out of this He created the earth or the seven globes of the earths.” 

The Throne of God Almighty was on ether, which was like water. After ether was created, it became the center of the Maker’s first creations. That is, after He created ether, He transformed it into atoms. “Ether is a field for atoms; it is a fluid substance that passes through and among beings.”

Almighty Allah created ether and set His Throne on it. That is, He placed his dominion and sovereignty and His Throne on ether. Thus, by dominating ether, which can penetrate even into atoms, Allah rules over the whole universe and everything. Thus, Allah is closer to everything than anything else, with His knowledge, will and power, and the names and attributes they require. Knowledge, will and power have encompassed the inside and outside of, under and above everything.

It is inherent in the nature of man to find a heart for his/her heart and to share his/her pleasures and pains with it. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the Quran:

" It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her (in love)." (al-A'raf, 7/189)

Thus, the Quran mentions man’s interest in the opposite gender and states that he/she will find peace in her/him. Therefore, our religion rendered it halal (legitimate) to marry a person of the opposite gender.

Interest in the opposite gender without marriage aims to satisfy the desires of the soul rather than peace and interest.

The following warning of the Prophet (pbuh) is remarkable. According to a narration by Abdullah, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Woman is awrah (honor). Therefore, Satan never leaves her when she goes out." 1

It should not be understood from the hadith above that an honorable and chaste woman cooperates with Satan and that wherever there is a woman, there is something devilish. The devil of a woman causes delusions in her to attract the attention of the opposite gender.  

According to a narration from Abdullah bin Umar, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,  

"A non-mahram man and woman must never be alone. Otherwise, Satan will be the third one."2

According to a narration from Jabir, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Do not visit women whose husbands are not with them because Satan moves in your blood vessels."

"Is it better for one of you to be pricked by a needle in the head than to touch a non-mahram woman."

According to Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, one of the means of bodily happiness is marriage. An ideal marriage has its own characteristics. First of all, it is necessary for such a marriage to have real love between the spouses.  

The spouses share with each other their mutual love, trouble and sorrow; they console each other and share their feelings and thoughts.

"A person needs a wife, a companion, to dwell with, through whose eyes he may look and who may see through his eyes, and whose love he may benefit from, this being the gentlest of the rays of divine mercy. Complete intimacy in the world is with her too."3

According to Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, the most important element that completes those values and strengthens the familiarity in the heart is the woman’s chastity and being free from bad morals and unpleasant traits.

Nursi adds the following regarding the issue:

"Concerning “marriage”, one of man’s most intense needs is to have someone respond to him with heartfelt love and to share with his partner pleasure and intimacy, and for them to together feel wonder at the divine bounties and to ponder over them. You must have observed that if someone sees something unusual that perplexes him and makes him think, he calls on someone, if only mentally, to share his perplexity. And the gentlest of hearts, and the kindest and warmest, are those of the second sex. And those whose spirits will blend fully and hearts will achieve complete intimacy, and whose outward union will be pure and chaste are those of the second sex who have been purified and cleansed of bad morals and unpleasant traits."4

References:

1. Tirmidhi, Rada: 18.
2. Tirmidhi, Fitan: 7.
3. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur Külliyatı, Nesil Yay., p. 5.
4. ibid.

Life: 

- It is a list of the peculiar and wonderful embroideries of the beings on which Allah’s beautiful names become manifest.  

- It is a window showing Allah’s attributes.

- It is a measure ensuring the balance of the beings in the universe.

- It is a list, map and summary of the beings in the universe.

- It is a bunch of keys with which to open the hidden treasuries of Divine power.

- It is a most excellent pattern of the perfections scattered over beings and attached to time. (see Nursi, Sözler, p. 128)

The wisdom behind the creation of life: 

It is acting as a mirror to the manifestation of Divine oneness and the manifestation of the Eternally Besought One. That is to say, through a comprehensiveness as though being the point of focus for all the Divine Names manifested in the world, it is its being a mirror to the Single and Eternally Besought One.

As for the perfection of human life in happiness, it is to perceive the lights of the Pre-Eternal Sun which are depicted in the mirror of your life, and to love them. It is to display ardor for Him as a conscious being. It is to pass beyond yourself with love of Him. It is to establish the reflection of His light in the center of your heart.  (see Sözler, p. 129)

What is the purpose of our life?

As the verse puts it, "the purpose of the creation of jinn and men is to worship Allah". (adh-Dhariyat, 51/56) It is not to forget the hereafter and worshipping by being caught by the ornament and charm of the worldly life. Since Allah created man for the life of the hereafter and for worshipping, He equipped man with organs, faculties and feelings suitable for this purpose.

If man uses these organs, faculties and feelings given for the hereafter and worshipping in the ephemeral and ugly deeds of the world, he will not be satisfied in terms of rewards and will be reckoned in the hereafter. What bores and depresses man is that he uses the organs and faculties given to him for eternity in the ephemeral world.

Coal is not weighed with the accurate balance of the jeweler; if it is weighed, it will be broken and upset because it is used outside its purpose. Likewise, if we use the heart given to love Allah for mortal lovers, the heart will be bored and distressed because it is used outside its purpose.

If the mind, which was given to man to find what is right and the truth and to meditate the arts of Allah, is used in the service of the soul and desires, it will get bored and depressed just like the heart. If we allow the spirit, which is satisfied with the Quran and luminous things, to pursue mean fantasies of the world, it will fall into depression.

If man uses all his material and spiritual feelings for the purpose of creation, he will be both satisfied and happy. If he uses them in the mean and bad things of the world with the deception of the soul and Satan, he will be subject to both the trouble of depression in the world and the penalty of betrayal in the hereafter.

To sum up, the emptiness of the soul and the heart can be filled only with the knowledge and love of Allah.

What is the wisdom behind the feelings given to us? 

First comes tasting and evaluating the boons and then meditation on the Divine names manifested in all beings.

Accordingly, the evaluation in the first one takes place with feelings; after that, it is necessary to taste and evaluate with realization and meditation by thanking generally.

Man evaluates the sizes, shapes, colors, distance and closeness of things with his eyes. By looking at the mountains, he says, "That mountain is bigger than that hill." He evaluates colors and decides that this color is blue, that is green and that is dark green. 

He evaluates the realm of flavors with his tongue; the tongue gives people a lot of information, from distinguishing bitter and sweet to the subtle differences between flavors.

One part of this sacred duty of man, who was created for worshipping and knowing Allah, is meditation and another part is thanking. Man knows and evaluates many realms only through his feelings; thus, he meditates them and thanks Allah for the benefits he receives from them. 

How should thanking’s being general be understood?

Instead of thinking of a boon as a single thing, it is regarded general meditation to think of all boons together; it will lead man to “general thanking”.  

When man thinks that “every organ in his body” and “every faculty and feeling attached to his spirit” are such great boons and thanks Allah for them, he will have “thanked generally”. 

On the other hand, when man thinks of this general thanking for these inner boons about all the external boons that surround him together, he will also have thanked generally. 

Another one is that when man thanks for a boon that he receives, he can think of all of the people he loves and even all living beings and generalize his thanking.

The tongue is a weighing machine; all tastes are weighed in that machine.

The nose is a weighing machine; all smells are weighed in that machine.

The eye is a weighing machine; all colors and descriptions are weighed and read in that machine.

The sense of touching is a weighing machine; the softness and hardness, the dryness and wetness of all things are weighed in that machine.

The ear is a weighing machine; all sounds are weighed in that machine.

The heart is a weighing machine; love and beauty are weighed in that machine.

The conscience perceives and weighs all truths like the accurate jewelry scale.

The mind is a weighing machine; all meanings become meaningful in that machine…

All these scales of feelings in man are like windows opening into a realm of boons. Man opens into this realm of boons through those windows and weighs and tastes those blessings with these scales; this opens the door into general thanking. These scales of feeling listed above are the scales that we can know and see; however, there are, in human nature, thousands of feelings and realms of boons corresponding to them whose qualities we do not know.

What do the manifestations of Divine Names mean? 

The manifestation of Allah’s beautiful names are His works and arts seen on the universe. That is, all of the works and arts that exist in the universe are manifestations of Allah’s beautiful names.

For instance, the description and drawing on a flower are a manifestation of Allah’s name Musawwir (Shaper of Beauty). The pretty and nice adornments of the flower are a manifestation of Allah’s name Muzayyin (Adorner). The order in the structure of the flower is a manifestation of Allah’s name Nazim (Arranger). The supplies necessary for the life of the flower coming and settling in the flower are a manifestation of Allah’s name Razzaq (Sustainer)…

Man is the most comprehensive work and perfect art in terms of becoming a manifestation of and a mirror for Allah’s names. Some names of Allah might not be manifest on a flower but all names of Allah are manifest on man. From this point of view, man is the greatest being in terms of being a place of manifestation of all names and attributes of Allah.

For instance, the eye on the face of man is a manifestation of Allah’s attribute Basar (seeing/sight). The ear is the reflection of His attribute Sami’ (hearing). The tongue, which is the place of speaking, is a manifestation of His attribute Kalam; the description and drawing on the face are a manifestation of His name Musawwir; the sustenance necessary for life being sent to the body and the feeding of the body and the body cells are a manifestation of Allah’s name Razzaq. Just like those names, all names of Allah are manifest in the nature of man in the form of adornments. All of those adornments and manifestations are like windows opening into the names that are their sources. People reach Allah’s names and attributes through those windows.

Man is responsible for reading and understanding Allah’s names through the adornments and for showing and declaring the decrees and requirements of those names in his life.

For instance, Allah acts justly due to the decree and requirement of His name Adil (Just) in the universe and He practices and shows this decree in all places of the universe. We are responsible for practicing and declaring the same manifestation and decree, that is, acting justly, in life.

We can compare the other names to it.

What is the real nature of life?

Man has a very wide and comprehensive nature in terms of content and ability. The nature of man was created in a form to measure and understand all names of Allah. The nature of man is like a summary to see and understand Allah’s names. 

For instance, when man becomes ill and then is cured, he understands Allah’s name Shafi (Healer); when he is hungry and is fed, he understands Allah’s name Razzaq and so on.

The same nature was created with an ability to measure all deeds and names of Allah with comparison. For instance, I understand His universal knowledge by comparing my partial knowledge to His knowledge. I can observe His attributes like sacred pleasure, gladness, enthusiasm and wrath with the attributes like pleasure, gladness, enthusiasm and fury in me. I compare what is known to the absolute unknown and make it known. 

Man’s being a balance of the worlds within the universe, a list of the mighty world, a map of the cosmos and a summary of the vast book of the universe have a small model and scale of all of the created realms in the universe. Man can understand and watch that realm with that model and scale. The general and great realms in the universe exist as feelings and faculties in the form of small models in man. Therefore, man is like a small universe in terms of its nature. If you minimized the universe, it would be man; if you maximized man, it would be the universe.    

For instance, man’s potential of imagination is like a model and scale of the realm of similitude; man looks at that realm with his potential of imagination. The spirit is like a model and scale of the realm of spirits. The mind is a key and window to the spiritual realm. The eye is a doorway to the visible realm. The ear is a channel opening into the realm of sound.  

Basic characteristics of human life:

a) The index of the wonders pertaining to the divine names: 

All names of Allah are beautiful and all of their manifestations are wonderful. They are as if listed in the form of an index in man. To create, to give shape, to give life, to equip with feelings, to create bodies in compliance with those spirits, to give organs,… are all divine deeds. The creation of all of them belongs to Allah and they appear with the manifestations of Allah’s names. A sample was created from all of those manifestations spread to the realm of beings in man. He was also created, given life and sustenance; his spirit was equipped with feelings and his body with organs, and so on….

b) The criterion for divine deeds and attributes 

Criterion means “a tool of comparison”. Man can evaluate the attributes given to him like knowledge, will and power as units and can know Allah’s attributes through them; similarly, he can know to a certain extent the deeds of Allah through his deeds like “mercy, wrath, seeing his beauty and perfection and wanting to show them”. We say to a certain extent because mans’ spirit is a created being; so are the attributes and deeds given to him. Allah’s essence does not resemble any of His creatures; nor do His attributes and deeds. Man can know his Creator with His attributes and deeds by evaluating his own being truly unless he forgets that important point.   

c) The scale of the realms in the universe: 

Man measures the realm of colors and shapes with his eyes and knows which one is bigger or brighter than which one and which has which colors. Similarly, he measures the realm of tastes with his tongue and the realm of scents with his nose. On the other hand, human mind is like a scale that weighs all wise reasons in all those realms.

d) The list of the great realm: 

The following sentence of Said Nursi explains it: “Whatever is in the realm exists in the nature of man.” It is stated in Risale-i Nur Collection that man’s bones evoke stones, his flesh evokes soil and his various circulations evoke rivers. The elements in this great realm exist in human body in a small scale; a small sample of the Preserved Tablet (Lawh al-Mahfuz) in the great realm is the memory of man and a sample of the realm of similitude is the imagination of man. A small sample of the great realm’s swarming with angels is the spirit, which is a guest in the human body, intermingling with thousands of feelings.   

e) The map of the universe and f) the summary of the great book: 

In those two items, the relationship between man and the universe is shown with two different similes. In one of them, the universe is likened to a country and the nature of man is likened to the map of that country. The map is the minimized form of the country. Everything in that country is represented in the map in a small scale. In the second simile, the universe is likened to a great book and man is likened to its summary. 

g) The bunch of keys with which to open the hidden treasuries of Divine power: 

In this item, scientific branches weigh heavier. This universe is likened “to a book written with the pen of divine power”. The hidden meanings borne by the writings in that book are revealed by exact sciences. Man has revealed so many hidden treasures from underground resources to electricity and to the realm of rays by using properly the ability granted to him. Thus, he virtually became “a bunch of keys” and opened a separate treasure with each key. The different keys in this simile show the different characteristics in man’s nature but they also indicate various sciences related to the universe. 

h) The best of molds of the perfections scattered over beings and attached to time:

What is meant by “perfections” here is the signs, creatures showing Allah’s perfection. By saying “There is nothing better possible in terms of possibilities”, Imam Ghazali states that everything was created perfectly in accordance with their abilities and the duties they are to fulfill and that it is impossible to think of anything better. One of the things included in “everything” is man. He was created perfectly and was given an ability to understand the perfections in the other beings.

The phrase “scattered over beings and attached to time” aims to state that the reality of “the best and perfect creation” is valid in all creatures and at all times.

To sum up:

They say, “The great statements belong to great people.” Similarly, the perfect life is the life of perfect people. In fact, those people are described here in essence and we are shown the way of resembling them. The first step of walking on that way is man’s seeing himself as “a being created in the best of molds and bearing the manifestations of all divine names”. 

The second step after this knowledge is to feel those manifestations. Despite its power making all planets rotate, the sun does not feel the meaning of divine power.  Man knows and feels to some extent with his power what divine power is. Similarly, man does not only know what “will, sight and hearing” are but he also feels them. 

If man feels that he is a work of Allah as he feels those attributes, a separate love and pleasure will occur in his heart for every name that becomes manifest in him. They will lead him to attain degrees in divine love. 

A very high rank of it is “to be overwhelmed by that love”, to think of Allah, not his own self, and to seek perfection in belief in Allah and knowing Him, not in his rank and wealth.   

This state will lead this person to the highest rank of taqwa, which is “taqwa from masiwa (keeping everything except for Allah away from the heart)”; it elevates him to the rank of worrying that any love except the love of Allah and any fear except the fear of Allah will enter his heart. The meaning of the following verse becomes dominant over that person: “…For without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction”; the light of belief in Allah shines in the pupil of his heart and this light surpasses all worldly lights.   

It is necessary to emphasize an issue: Since Allah’s essence does not resemble the essences of creatures and His attributes do not resemble the attributes of creatures, the love toward Him does not resemble other loves. The criterion here is to follow the Messenger of Allah. That is, a person loves Allah to the extent that he follows the Messenger of Allah.

To sum up, the criterion for love of Allah is “righteous deed”, and the criterion for fear of Allah is “taqwa”.

Bid’ah (innovation) lexically means something that did not exist before but was introduced later. Terminologically, it is something that abolishes any custom of Islam / Sunnah and replaces it with a new one.

Accordingly, a fork or a spoon is lexically a bid’ah. However, there are two forms of bid’ah terminologically:

First: A new custom that does not change a custom of Islam but is considered good by Muslims. Such as the practice of Umar (ra), who made it a custom to perform tarawih prayer in congregation.

Nevertheless, some scholars do not call this kind of bid’ah “bid’ah hasana = good innovation” and do not consider it a bid’ah.

Secondly: It is an innovation that goes against the spirit of Islam and abolishes a sunnah by replacing it.

This is the real bid’ah (innovation) that is a preparation for the journey to Hell. An example of it is to abolish the original call to prayer (adhan) and to replace it with something in a language other than Arabic.

The following remarks of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi regarding the issue are very good:

“New creations in the ordinances concerning worship are innovation, and since innovations are opposed to the verse اَلْيَوْمَ اَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ (This day have I completed for you your religion), they are to be rejected., 

However, the recitations and invocations of the Sufi way are not innovations, on condition they originate in the Book and Sunna, and even if they differ in form and manner, their basis and principles do not oppose the Prophet’s (UWBP) practices or change them, they are not innovations. Certainly some scholars classed a number of these as innovations, but called them “commendable innovations”.(1)

Accordingly, turning the Quran into a Mushaf (book), performing tarawih prayer in congregation, building minarets and madrasas are examples of good bid’ahs, while building shrines over graves and putting candles on them are examples of bad bid’ahs.

According to this understanding, it is the bad bid’ah that is rejected in the hadiths.

In other words, according to the narrow definition, bid’ah is “a path in the religion of Islam that was invented after the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), that aims to increase the worship of Allah, that has the characteristic of adding to or subtracting from religion, and that appears to be similar to shari’ah practices”.(2)

The advocates of this view do not accept everything that emerged later but only those things that have a religious nature as bid’ah. Therefore, they do not include behaviors and attitudes of customs and traditions, changes brought about by daily life, technological inventions and innovations within the scope of the concept of bid’ah. As evidence for their view, they take the general statement of the narration, “If somebody innovates something which is not in harmony with our affairs, that thing is rejected.”(3)

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali states that the meaning of the phrase “fi amrina (with our affairs)” in the text of the hadith is the religion of Islam and Shari’ah.(4)

References:

1) Lemalar, p. 56.
2) Yaran, “Bid’at”, DİA, VI, pp. 129-130; Shatibi, al-I’tisam, 25.
3) Bukhari, Sulh, 5; Muslim, Aqdiya, 17.
4) Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Abdurrahman b. Shihabuddin, Jamiul-Ulum wal-Hikam, (Thq. Mahir Yasin Fahl), Daru Ibn Kathir, Beirut, 2008, p. 156.

- First of all, we should say that it is an indication of man’s being created as a candidate for the hereafter that man cannot take as much pleasure as animals can from life.

For, there is a great contradiction between man’s not taking as much pleasure as a sparrow can from the world and having such a large scope as “having a heart similar to the throne, an imagination looking at the realm of similitude, a memory that gives information from the Preserved Tablet, a mind that represents the realm of angels, a curiosity that reaches all over the world and desires that reach eternity. This contradiction can be eliminated only through man’s being a candidate for the hereafter, the land of eternal bliss.  

Otherwise, if man is squeezed between the two narrow walls of the worldly life with his great faculties, he will explode like a balloon. This is contrary to divine wisdom.

- One of the most important reasons why man cannot take as much pleasure as animals can from life is his mind. Mind is a nice tool of happiness but it virtually becomes a tool of torture due to the sorrows it brings from the past and worries from the future.

However, animals do not think about the problems they had in the past, for instance, their relatives that died, and they do not have any worries about the future by thinking about the state of themselves or their relatives.  

The following statement of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi – which we include in the form of a summary – sheds light on the issue:  

“Again, is it at all possible that He Who rules justly, Whose mercy is absolute, should bestow on man such a disposition that he took up the Supreme Trust, from which the heavens and mountains both shrank, in order to measure and know, with his slight and petty measures and crafts, the all-encompassing attributes, the universal workings, and the infinite manifestations of the Creator; that He should create him as the most delicate, vulnerable, weak and powerless of beings, while yet entrusting him with the regulation of all the vegetal and animal life upon earth, and causing him to intervene in their modes of worship and glorification of God? Is it possible that He should cause him to be a representation in miniature of His cosmic processes; that He should cause him to proclaim His glorious dominicality to all beings, in word and deed; that He should prefer him to the angels and give him the rank of vicegerent — is it at all possible that God should bestow all of this on man and not give him eternal bliss, the purpose, result and fruit of all of these duties? That He should cast him down to low degree, as the most wretched, ill-fortuned, humiliated and suffering of all His creatures?"

"Is it at all possible that Allah should make of intelligence, a gift from His own wisdom and a most blessed and luminous tool for the attainment of happiness, an inauspicious and somber tool of torment for that wretch, thus acting in total contradiction to His absolute wisdom and in opposition to His absolute mercy? No, it is by no means possible." (Sözler, Onuncu Söz, p. 87)

“Although man does not receive the pleasure from life that a sparrow receives, he becomes the most eminent and happy guest in the universe, superior to all the animals, and the best loved and most acceptable servant of the universe’s Owner.” (Asa-yı Musa, p. 42)

“Furthermore, man’s nature and spiritual faculties show that he is created for worship. For in respect of the power and actions necessary for the life of this world, he cannot compete with the most inferior sparrow…” (Sözler, p. 23)

It is understood from the explanations above that man does not lose anything from his skills because he cannot fly like a sparrow, cannot run like a rabbit, cannot carry loads like a camel and cannot be as strong as a lion. For, he is a candidate for eternity, a candidate for a more enjoyable life than all living beings and an invitee to a place like Paradise. What distresses him is to lose it.