FAQ in the category of Human

The hadith in question is correct. Hz. Abu Hurairah narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying:

No son of Adam shall be born unless that he should be afflicted (touched) by the Satan at the hour of birth, when he initiates his life crying out of the Satan's touch, except Maryam and her son.

While narrating this, Abu Hurairah, recited the following verse about the supplication made by Hazrat Mary’s mother for her child.

O my Lord!.. I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from the Evil One, the Rejected. (Aal-e-Imran, 3/36) (Bukhari, Anbiya, 44).

Here the Satan’s touching and the child’s crying is interpreted differently. According to some scholars, the crying caused by the Satan’s touch actually originates from the child’s feeling the troubles he will face in the world life. For other scholars, the child cries because of the pain caused by the Satan’s touching.

The fact that the issue is taken into consideration together with Hz. Mary and her son Jesus shows that the touch by the Satan aims at pointing out the existence of satanic prompts, delusions that man faces during his life in the divine test.

The fact that a distinguished mother like Hz. Mary, who gave birth without marrying, and a prominent child like Hz. Jesus, who was born without a father due to a special status, was protected from the touch of the Satan is like a symbol for being away from the harm of evil and remaining pure along their lives.

There can be another evaluation of the subject as follows: According to the science of medicine, the crying of a child is a positive thing. It causes the expansion of lungs. One of the wisdom for children’s crying a lot may be a contribution to develop their reflexes in their new life.

Thus, the touching of the Satan can either be a symbol for the test of life or a symbolic truth expressed – that has not been fully discovered yet –  by the science of medicine. So, we think that there is no supportive element for evaluating this crying as an indication for goodness or badness. It is also necessary to regard and evaluate this event as good which is related with children and hope goodness for their future lives.

Man has been created in a disposition inclined to do both evil and good deeds. For this reason, he may commit sins intentionally or unintentionally. Regarding the matter, Allah lets us know He can grant pardon for any fault with the statement in the Qur’an that “Allah forgiveth not (the sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this” (Qur’an, Women (An-Nisa), 4: 116).

Our books also state that all remorse done from the bottom of one’s heart is going to be accepted. Thus, Allah Almighty decrees that all the repentances can be accepted by saying that “O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance: in the hope that your Lord will remove from you your evil deeds and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow”. Qur’an, -Holding (Something) to be Forbidden (At-Tahrím), 66: 8)

The sincere repentance mentioned in the surah above is as follows :

1- Knowing that one committed a sin against Allah, and taking shelter in Allah and having repentance.

2- Feeling sad because of the wrongdoing he committed, having the sense of penitence since he committed such a sin against his Creator.

3-Having a great determination not to do such an evil deed again.

4- If it involves rightful due of a person, he needs to ask for forgiveness from that person.

In one of his hadiths, our Prophet said the sincere repentance is :

-Feeling remorse from the sins
-performing the fard worships
-Not oppressing and not doing hostility
-Reconciling with sullen and offended persons
-Vowing not to do that sin again.

We can hope that Allah will accept our repentance on condition that we act in accordance with those conditions.

However, man should always remain between hope and fear. We can neither be sure of ourselves and proud of our worships, and nor can we fall in despair because of our sins. It is wrong to consider “I am a very good slave of God and well accepted by Him; similarly, it is mistaken to think that “I am finished, I do not think Allah will accept me. Besides, realizing his own faults and then asking for God’s forgiveness and taking shelter in Allah is a very great worship. The cure for being cleansed of spiritual dirt: Repentance (Tawbah)

Tawbah, which means  “turning towards Allah in the dictionary, is known as abandoning sins and turning to Allah as a religious term. 1

Scholars of Islam like Imam Ghazali, Ibn Arabi, Ibn Hajar defined repentance in different ways. 2

Trying to explain it with a lucid and understandable style, we can state that the following: repentance means being aware of the fact that the bad deed, fault and mistakes committed are all sins and thus giving all of them up and turning towards Allah, seeking His forgiveness for our sins, confessing that we feel regretful for what we did and beseeching Allah only.

1. The Importance of Tawbah (repentance): “All mankind is sinful, and the best amongst them is one who repents.” (Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 30). In another hadith our Prophet is reported to have said “if you did not commit any sins, Allah Almighty would destroy all of you and create a nation that would commit sins and then seek His forgiveness. (Muslim, Tawbah, 9, 10, 11)

As it is understood from the hadiths we have just mentioned above, man is created in a nature liable do both bad and good deeds. Committing sins is a feature that differentiates man from angels. Angels are known to have been created from light; they never disobey Allah and at no time do they commit sins.

Islam is the natural disposition for mankind. The truth that man may involve in wrongdoings is accepted by Islam and therefore he has been taught the paths to salvation. Repentance is the remedy to be relieved from our transgressions, sins, misconducts and it s a means of cleansing our spiritual dirt. Man is freed from all of his evil deeds and misdoings through repentance and becomes purified as if he never practiced that iniquity. Thus, regarding the issue, our Prophet said “those turning to Allah in repentance and asking for His forgiveness are purified as though they never did that evil deed.” (Ibn Majah, Zuhd 30)

The God Almighty calls man for repentance and decrees that “And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah in repentance, that ye may be successful.”( the Quran, an-Nur, 24: 31). In another verse, He orders His Messenger “Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. .”( the Quran, The Groups (Az-Zumar), 39: 53).

In that verse, God Almighty commands his Messenger to conduct the message that iniquitous people should not despair their hopes from His mercy. It is because Allah the most Forgiving and Merciful may forgive all sins if He wishes. For this reason, the servants of Allah must turn to Him, submit to Him and give up polytheism and all sins before Allah chastises them. 
According to a narration, some polytheists who had committed a lot of sins asked Hazrat Prophet whether their sins would be forgiven if they became Muslims; the verse above was sent down after their questions. That verse calls all people to repentance and to Islam, and it informs that Allah will forgive all of their sins if they become Muslims, opening the doors of hope for sinners.

If the slaves of Allah, no matter how many sins they may have committed, turn to Him in repentance without abandoning hope, He will pardon them. In addition to those verses, there are plenty of hadiths saving the slaves from despair and encouraging them to repent. (See: Bukhari, Anbiya 54; Muslim, Tawbah 46, 47)

Sin is the dirt of the spirit and repentance is the polish of it. Persistence in the sin spoils too much the soul of the slave. Therefore, Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi calls every person to the straight path from marshy ground of wrongdoings with the following utterances:

Come, come, whoever you are.

Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.

It does not matter.

Ours is not a caravan of despair.

Come, even if you have broken your vow

A thousand times

Come, yet again, come, come.

Ours is the portal of hope, come as you are...

The Rizq (sustenance) is all what Almighty God has granted for His living creatures to benefit from. Rizq is not composed of the things that are eaten or drunk only. Everything that is being benefited from is called Rizq.

Earthly Rizq includes all kinds of things such as food and drink, cloth and usable goods, money, jewelry, offspring, bodily power for work, knowledge, property and wealth.

Spiritual Rizq includes the things that are the substances of the spirit and the heart. Primarily the belief, all feelings that belong to man’s spiritual life and the needs of those feeling are all spiritual Rizq.

The Rizq of the spirits of man and Jinn is knowledge that leads them to bliss. The most glorious and basic spiritual Rizq is ma'rifat-ullah; that is to say, knowing of God (SWT). After this, other information regarding the basics of belief comes such as worship of Allah, respecting the rights of His slaves and information on knowing the high ethics. The fruit of all of those things is the happiness of eternal life. 

Bread, cheese, clothes, shoes, wristwatches, computers, glasses and communication devices are material Rizq; the love of God, prophet and religion, belief and worshipping are spiritual Rizq. Doubtlessly, love of homeland and job are considered as spiritual Rizq, too.

Colors and good flavors are also in the category of spiritual Rizq. God wants us to realize these benefactions. For example, in the 12^th verse of ar-Rahman, there is a description of corn with leaves and sweet-smelling plants; and in the 76^th verse it is narrated that there are green cushions and marvelous carpets. Even if mountains, seas, sky, gardens on earth and the scenes of parks and forests do not belong to our personal property, they are the examples of Rizq that satisfy the emotional spirits.

So to speak, we can consider both man and the Qur’an as a synthesis. Even man’s slightest and insignificant demands are answered by the holy Qur’an. Many of our senses that even we are not aware of are being satisfied with Qur’an. The persistent call of the Qur’an for the recitation of itself and our prophet’s (PBUH) motivation for this cause emphasizes the importance of this.

Just as our stomach demands Rizq, so too do our eyes and ears demand Rizq. The things for eating, drinking, seeing or hearing were created in order to satisfy and answer them. For example, the spirit of man needs the pleasure giving sound of the recitation of the Qur’an. The mind of man needs the verses that are related to thinking and addressing the mind. The verses that are related with science satisfie the need of man’s hunger of knowledge and the verses that are related with human relations help shaping the social life. The heart, the spirit even the imagination are in need of Rizq and appropriate Rizq has been prepared for them.

One of the greatest dangers that young people who are open to innovations and changes due to their nature face is bad habits. They can be easily trapped by bad habits due to their nature and their desires for different things. 

As a matter of fact, many bad habits form during adolescence.

We can list many bad habits, primarily smoking, drinking alcohol, gambling, taking drugs. The Prophet (pbuh) warned us against bad habits and asked us to spend our time by doing good deeds. 

The remedy for bad habits is to obtain good religious knowledge and to practice Islam because such bad habits originate when the mind, heart and spirit are left hungry. However, if we feed our spiritual feelings with belief and worship, if we spend our days by serving our religion and try to inform others about the beauty of our religion, we will not need any bad habits nor will we have time for them.

How can we get rid of a sin that has become a habit?

There is no sin that cannot be abandoned. Each sin can be abandoned through belief, time, place and environment.

The road map for us and for all humanity is the Quran and the Sunnah. We cannot advise anything else to you. That is, we should make the Quran and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) our guide, arrange our deeds in accordance with them and read the issues of belief and religious books in meditation. That is, if you find books that are related to belief and the Quran or if you meet people who meditate and study those issues and spend some time with them by making use of them, it will be beneficial for you both in the world and the hereafter.

To perform prayers on time, to be careful about major sins and to glorify Allah after prayers will improve you.

To strengthen the will: My will is very weak; what should I do to strengthen my will?

Willmeans to prevent the animal desires and appetites from guiding one’s consciousness and life. The will that has been trained controls the feelings and inclinations first and the thoughts and behavior then; it applies the beneficial and ethical ones; it sends the inappropriate ones to subconscious and imprisons them.  

The most legitimate and efficient resources that makes man’s will function and that gives it the power to attain achievements and happiness are  true knowledge, sound belief, guileless worship and sincere prayers  that come from the heart. Man does what he knows and act based on his belief and thoughts. 

Expert psychiatrists say that the most important cause that leads to man to psychological crisis, frenzy, crime and even to suicide is loneliness. The main factor that leads modern man to loneliness is materialistic philosophy that takes man away from virtuous values like spirituality, love, goodness, tolerance and altruism, and makes him a selfish and rapacious creature, and the education systems that are based on it.

Technology, which developed in the last century, has enhanced societies but diminished the borders of the family and friendship, led man to loneliness and imprisoned him in his small ego. Thus, the solidarity in the family and among relatives has disappeared, friendship and sincerity have been lost, and the interests and competitions made people adverse to one another. False smiles, hypocritical words and shallow relationships have made man fall down to the degree of spiritless creatures. However, we should not be deceived by the fact that they have fun and drink together. They are acts that aim to make use of one another in order to get rid of the boredom in them; that is, they are acts that are based on personal interests.   

Worship is an element that always strengthens man to resist his soul and a power that weakens the soul. Man who aims to strengthen his will should be careful about his worship, keep away from sins and should be busy with things that will be beneficial to him and the humanity.

It is so natural that a man cannot conceive his Rab’s (Cherisher and Sustainer) eternal attributes while he is not even be able to conceive of a man’s knowledge, which is more intellectual than he is.It is so natural that a man cannot conceive his Rabs (Cherisher and Sustainer) eternal attributes while he is not even be able to conceive of a mans knowledge, which is more intellectual than he is.

Absolute reality cannot be comprehended by restricted views. (Words, 25. word)

Let us first look at the words of this brilliant aphorism. Absolute means infinite and unrestricted. Restricted on the other hand is limited and bounded. View means mind in this specific aphorism. Finally, comprehension means understanding truly.

Mind is a creature (it is created). Every creation is determined and limited. The Might that created our eyes to see, feet to walk, hands to hold, stomach to digest also created our minds to understand and to get knowledge. Just as our brains, our conception and knowledge are limited. It is only possible to reach to a certain point with that knowledge; exceeding limits is impossible.

Just as ones hand is incompetent of turning this universe, mind is long way off knowing its creator truly. It is impossible to comprehend to the full extent of Allahs (swt) eternal attributes with a limited mind.

As yet not capable of knowing the true nature of his own mind, attempting to comprehend Allah (swt) with that of a limited mind is if nothing at least transgression. And it is deviating from the true way. Surely, understanding is one, believing is another thing. Believing is a matter of heart.

Mind cannot comprehend eternity but heart can make you believe in it and can love it infinitely. The ones who do not make use of eternity mine in their hearts become captives of their minds and this captivity makes them slaves of their bodily appetites and then of matter and nature.

Human sight is incapable of seeing the realm of microbes or stars far away. In the same way there are some transcendent and encapsulated realities which human mind cannot comprehend. These realities exceed the limits of human mind. Mind only knows their existence; when it tries to conceive all the hows, wherefores and quantities of those, it accepts the misapprehensions in advance. This kind of mind is no more a tool of conceiving instead becomes a tool of negation.

The ones, who trust their minds and accept it as the only criterion, find denial easier when the things are not comprehended and escape from thinking.

Information in Islamic and Western sources argued that the language Hazrat Adam spoke served as a source for all languages until Doomsday. In the Qur’an Allah (SWT) says: “And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before the angels and said: "Tell Me the names of these if ye are right." (Al-Baqara 2/31).

Elmalılı M. Hamdi Yazır interpreted this verse as follows; all variations and development of languages by human race until today actually owe to the talent of teaching of the names that was given to Hazrat Adam… “The talent related with language, has a place in human soul peculiar to it.”1 This statement argues that the languages that will be used till Doomsday originate from the names that were taught to Hazrat Adam. According to a hadith reported by Abu Qatada, “Allah taught the name of everything to Adam and Adam described everything by their names.”

It is said that everything was offered to Hz. Adam all at once.”2 Badiuzzaman explains the word of all at once that can expound it in his work, the Twentieth Word, as follows: “It is Prophet Muhammad (BBUH) who manifested in detail with all their degrees all the Names which were taught in brief to Adam (PBH).”

After Hazrat Adam, mankind scattered around various places of the earth. Geographical characteristics, social conditions and the differences in human nature brought differentiation in the field of languages just like in all of the other fields. It can be said that the languages which are used on the earth at the moment came into existence from the names that were taught to Hazrat Adam.

A verse in the Old Testament caused many linguists from East and West to comment differently on the subject of the emergence of different languages.

On this subject, there is broad information in the book of Umberto Eco, “The Search for the Perfect Language in the European Culture”

No matter what the reason of multilingualism is the following is true: Today and throughout history, there have been different associations of the same words among people who use the same language in terms of feeling, thought and terms. The meaning of the talks is generally very different from the meaning of the individual words. As it is stated in the definition of the language, speech is only a means.   

What he tries to say is the original source. “That is, the indicator of the language is not the words but the beings themselves.”3 Therefore, the meaning of the words in us is their associations in us. The meaning of the National Anthem is not in the words but in the world that is its counterpart. Mehmet Kaplan explains the issue as follows: Words are not the reality. With a strong reflex, we think that words exactly correspond to things and we are wrong. A person who believes the language is always deceived because the truth is not in the language but in the being that the language indicates.

Footnotes

1- M. H. Yazır, Hak Dini Kur'an Dili, Volume 1, p.267
2- Ibn Kathir, Hadislerle Kur'an Tefsiri, Volume 2, p.279
3- Umberto Eco, Avrupa Kültüründe Kusursuz Dil Arayışı, p.28
4- Mehmet Kaplan, Kültür ve Dil, p. 16

 “Many are the Jinns and men We have made for Hell: they have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning).” (al-Araf 179) In the verse above, Allah (SWT) declares that He created many man and jinn for Hell. These are the ones that Allah knows they are going to be unbelievers.

Allah expresses that these people have hearts that do not perceive, eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. Actually it does not mean that these people are unable to perceive, see or hear materially but they do not perceive, see and understand what if beneficial for them in the hereafter and in this world. These sense organs are means for perceiving material things truly; they are also a means for perceiving spiritual things and finding the true path. As it is clearly stated in the verse, those who use them just for material things are the ones who cannot reach the status of humanity and remain at the level of bestiality. Since they do not use their abilities properly, they are far below from animals which have no such abilities.

They are the epitome of inattentive ones. They can be really named as inattentive ones. They have brains and hearts; however, they have no consciousness. They had been the witnesses of their souls but they are unaware of their selves; they do not heed the covenant in their creation. They do not perceive it through their inner observation; they do not hear it through the witnessing of signs that they see or the witnessing of the word of Allah. They have bodies but they have no conscience. They regard the religion as delusion, the book as amusement and the divine word as music. They do not understand the nuances between the divine things and the worldly things; they do not know whose slaves they are; they do not know what or whom to worship. Their hearts pursue pointless desires; their eyes pursue figures and pictures; their ears pursue meaningless sounds. They associate partners with Allah, who created them and gave them hearts, eyes and ears, who made them accept the covenant in their creation, who is the Hearer of All (as-Sami’) and the All-Seeing (al-Basir); they do not mention or remember Allah due to their heedlessness; even if they do, they mention him with the names, attributes and properties that are not suitable for the majesty of Allah.

To regard those kinds of evaluations as a general rule might cause some misunderstanding. Some people whose physical appearances are not very pleasant might have very nice souls and high ethics. Conversely, some people whose physical appearances are very nice might be like monsters in their inner worlds. For instance, it is not possible not to be mistaken when we compare a black person with a clean soul to a white person who is as sly as a fox.

The following verse gives important clues regarding the issue: “When thou lookest at them, their exteriors please thee; and when they speak, thou listenest to their words. They are as (worthless as hollow) pieces of timber propped up, (unable to stand on their own). They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies; so beware of them. The curse of Allah be on them! How are they deluded (away from the Truth)!”

However, it is possible to recognize many people whose beauty of souls is reflected on their faces. We can also see that people who utter nice words reflect their love and modesty on their faces and always smile have a nice soul.  

It is possible to evaluate the issue like that.

This world is a place of testing. The test is a measure of justice that tests what people do with their free will. A person is not evaluated for his physical structure that he has been given. What matters is to pass the test in the short life and to achieve a very good quality of life - with a beautiful physical structure - in the eternal Paradise. As a result of the test, many beautiful people become eternally ugly in the hereafter while many ugly people gain eternal beauty.

It should not be forgotten that it is not unjust that Allah creates some people beautiful and others ugly because injustice means violating someone’s right. Who was beautiful before but Allah made him ugly when He created him?

All human beings are works of art of Allah. The fact that the arts are different shows the skill of the artist. Each person - beautiful or ugly - has a different artistic esthetic. So, the things we consider ugly are actually very beautiful works of art.

Since the entire universe was created afterwards in all its details, everyone/ everything is indebted to their creator with all their existence. It is sheer injustice to try to seek a right as if one of his rights has been lost, and to think that Allah has been unfair to him in this matter though he does not thank Allah properly, which is Allah’s right.

Every being is obliged to think about and give thanks for the bounty of existence bestowed upon him by Allah. A person cannot say, “Why did I not become a prophet?”. Then, if a mouse says, “Why did I not become a man?”, it will go on and on.

To sum up, belief in Allah also requires believing that He is just. Allah is the owner of all property; the owner has the right to use his property as he wishes.

We should not forget that this world serves as a stage for a beauty contest - for people. However, this beauty contest is not a physical, but a spiritual and ethical beauty contest. In a hadith, our Prophet (pbuh) teaches us the following:

“Allah does not evaluate you by looking at your forms/shapes; on the contrary, He looks at your hearts, your beauty in your inner world, and evaluates you accordingly.” (Muslim, Birr, 33; Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 9; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 2/285, 539)

One of the clearest facts of the universe we live in is the relative nature of facts. This universe is not the realm of absolute, definite and sharp distinctions such as black or white, beautiful or ugly, good or bad, light or dark. On the contrary, there are degrees of black and white, beauty and ugliness, good and evil, light and darkness.

There is a common answer to the question of why the universe was created in this state given by good hearts and independent minds for centuries: Because the purpose of the creation of the universe is realized in such a gradation. This universe was created by a Majestic Being who wanted to see and show His own beauty, absolute and unlimited names and attributes; and the human being that He created to realize this secret can only do so in a world of ‘relativity’, ‘degrees’. Man, as a creature, has limits which are the necessary consequence of his creation; his knowledge, perception, gaze, will, power... are limited. Therefore, he cannot encompass and comprehend the Being, who created him and the universe, with his limited knowledge, will and power. He cannot recognize and define the truth when it confronts him in an absolute and unlimited way. In that case, instead of seeing the truth in an absolute way, he becomes subject to a blinding that comes with a dazzle similar to this experience: when we look at the sunlight, our eyesight does not increase and our eyes go blind...

It is because of this secret that the Majestic Being, who created the universe and man, created the world ‘hidden in the intensity of His manifestation and concealed in the magnificence of His grandeur’; that is, He manifested His absolute names and attributes in a ‘relative’ and ‘gradual’ manner.

That is why there are opposites in the universe. The Creator of this universe created the universe in a magnificent variety by mixing the opposites such as beautiful-ugly, good-bad, benefit-harm, perfect-incomplete and light-dark. He gave us the opportunity to recognize His absolute names and attributes through this relativity.

That is why man can classify the beings in the universe as very beautiful, beautiful, not bad, ugly, or very ugly in terms of beauty. When one goes one step further, he definitely sees a beautiful feature such as making the beauty in beautiful things to be noticed as a comparison factor, even in things that he does not see as ‘beautiful’.

When we look at the realm of humanity, we see different reflections of this degree of encompassing the universe among people. People are not equal to one another in terms of strength, mind, emotion, morality or beauty. Human beings exhibit different oscillations between the opposites of strong-weak, wise-unwise, good-bad, emotional-unemotional, beautiful-ugly. There are people who present high ethics to the whole world, as well as those whose bad character is avoided by the whole world. There have been people reaching legends with their power, as well as people incapable of moving their fingers. There have been people who are famous for their beauty, and people who are famous for their ugliness.

One does not object much to the aspect of this picture of ‘gradual manifestations’ that is pleasing to the eye and the heart. On the other hand, even if his mind accepts this secret ‘relativity’, everybody’s conscience asks questions about the ‘negative’ aspect of this picture. It is relatively easy to answer the questions of conscience at this point since being a wise person, a good person, and even being a strong person depends to some extent on the will of the person and on the good use of the abilities at hand. However, since beauty, in particular, is not something that is acquired afterwards, the question “Well, what is the sin of the ugly?” remains suspended.

Moreover, although a person can beautify his intelligence, knowledge, manners and ethics by working hard, beauty is not something that is acquired or developed by working. Moreover, surgical intervention in human body for ‘esthetic purposes’, or even having one’s eyebrows plucked, is not tolerated by Allah and His Prophet (pbuh).

Everybody who looks at the history of humanity, even the period in which he lives and his environment, can easily grasp a series of facts that will make it possible at least to alleviate the severity of this problem occupying his conscience.

For example, everybody can see many people whose beauty has turned into a disaster for them, and whose lack of beauty has turned into a happiness for them. The number of beautiful but unhappy people is not less than the number of happy people who are not very beautiful. Similarly, many beautiful people, with their overemphasis on the beauty of their surroundings and themselves, have not developed their other human abilities sufficiently. People who are defined as beautiful but grumpy, beautiful but spoiled, beautiful but capricious, beautiful but incompatible can be seen in everybody’s environment; because of the majority of people who do not pay much attention to developing their mental abilities due to an emphasis on beauty or a confidence given by beauty, for example, the phrase ‘dumb blonde’ has become popular. In fact, ‘beautiful’ people, especially ‘beautiful blondes’ are not created in a ‘lower state’ in terms of intelligence but it is definitely meaningful that the phrase in question has become so widespread in languages.

On the side of the picture that is not very beautiful or it is even ‘ugly’, it is always possible to come across images that are the opposite of it. A phenomenon as familiar as those who lose despite their beauty is the existence of those who turn their ‘not being so beautiful’ into gain. Many people with ‘medium’ beauty, and even those who are considered ‘ugly’ by some are more preferable than many beautiful people, some in terms of ethics, some in terms of intellect and others in terms of good manners. A person with high ethics who is not very beautiful definitely has more friends than people who are beautiful but grumpy. There is a great number of people who have been able to advance to higher levels in science, art and spirituality, driven by their lack of an obvious beauty to rely on. As a matter of fact, there must be many people who are pleased with the way Allah has created them and are grateful that they are not ‘very beautiful’.

In short, neither beauty alone is enough for man nor not being beautiful enough. On the contrary, the course of a person’s life’s journey, whether for good or bad, is shaped by how Allah evaluates the state in which He created him.

However, this fact does not completely eliminate the question that comes out of one’s conscience even if it loses a lot of its severity. First of all, the existence of people who are both beautiful and smart as well as moral makes this question permanent for people who do not look ‘beautiful enough’ and who can even be called ‘ugly’.

A hadith of the Messenger of Allah, who is the best example for humanity in terms of beauty, intelligence and ethics in this world, about the life in the hereafter, which remained hidden and was not known very much, offers a permanent answer to this question. According to what we learn from this hadith, there is a market in Paradise for those who are content with whatever form Allah has created them in this world, those who do not rely on their beauty or get angry at their ugliness and do not rebel, and who attain human perfection with their outward appearance in this world and try to realize the purpose of their creation. However, there is neither buying nor selling in this market. There are images of men and women there. The people of Paradise go there, take the image they like, and return to their home in Paradise dressed in that image.

This hadith gives a great emotional opening, relief and depth to people who were created in different forms based on the wisdom of ‘gradation’ in the creation of this world, and who see and envy those who are more beautiful than themselves despite grasping this degree of wisdom, or feel sorry for those who are not beautiful enough though they find themselves beautiful.

As ‘the market of images’ suggests, the essential thing in this ephemeral world is to be obsessed with neither one’s beauty nor not being beautiful enough. In this world of testing, the essential thing is to do ‘good deeds’ that will beautify one’s essence and enable him to gain the consent of the Lord, who created us and the universe.

When we are pleased with Him in this world and are able to make Him pleased with us, He will host us in eternal heavens having ‘the image market’; He will present the beauty of the image that He did not give, due to many reasons, in this world to His servant, with whom he is pleased.

How happy are those who deserve to be customers of the image market in the hereafter, by making their appearance beautiful in this world and not making their beauty a reason for forgetting or their ugliness as a reason for rebellion...

Sama lexically means “hearing and listening”. It is also used in the sense of enthusiasm with a beautiful voice and musical accompaniment. In Sufism, sama is a means. The purpose of sama is to make legitimate use of it and to make people listen to the word of God through it. (1)

Islamic Sufis and great scholars such as Imam Ghazali trace sama back to the Prophet’s Companions who were inspired by the blessed words of the Prophet (pbuh):

When Hamza (ra) was martyred, his little daughter was left an orphan. Three Companions, Ali (ra), Jafar (ra) and Zayd bin Thabit (ra), wanted to take this orphan under their care. The Prophet (pbuh) listened to them all.

He said to Ali (ra), “O Ali, you are of me and I am of you.” Thereupon, Ali (ra) started to whirl with joy.

He said to Jafar, “You resemble me physically and in character.” Having heard this nice statement, Jafar began to whirl out of joy.

When he said to Zayd, “You are our brother and our freed slave,” Zayd also began to whirl out of excitement.

Then, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “A maternal aunt is like a mother,” and gave the girl to Jafar. Jafar’s wife was the maternal aunt of the orphan. (2)

Like other Sufis, Imam Ghazali holds the view that the word “hajal” in the text of the hadith to mean “sama and raqs (whirling and dancing)” and states the following:

“Raqs stems from rejoicing and joy. The decree on raqs is dependent on the cause that provokes it. If it is a legitimate and sublime feeling that excites the whirler, his whirling is good because it increases love. If it is permissible, his whirling is also permissible. If he rejoices at something that is illegitimate and a means to haram, his whirling is illegitimate.” (3)

What is meant by “raqs” above is “sama”.

Famous saints and Islamic Sufis, especially Dhunnun al-Misri, Junayd Baghdadi and Shibli, whirled out of enthusiasm when they heard a word that reminded them of Allah and the Hereafter. They performed whirling and uttered words praising whirling.

Having said, “Sama varies according to time, place, and people,” Junayd Baghdadi divides those who perform sama into three groups: awam (the common people), zahids (ascetic people), and arifs (gnostic people).  He considers sama to be good for arifs and zahids, but not for the common people.

Dhunnun al-Misri, on the other hand, says that sama is not permissible for the common people who do not experience divine joy, and he considers the sama performed by ascetics for asceticism and struggle to occur to be permissible. The reason why both Sufis do not consider it good for the common people is that they do not perform it in the face of divine joy and enthusiasm, which is its true purpose.

As for Imam Shafi’i, he states that sama is makruh only for the common people.

In addition, in his book entitled Qutul-Qulub, Imam Ghazali states that some of the Companions of the Prophet performed sama and mentions Abdullah bin Zubayr, Mughira bin Shuba and Muawiya among them.

Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi, on the other hand, states that sama is the food of the lovers of the truth (God), and that it contains a sweet imagination of meeting and reuniting with the beloved (true friend). He also states that sama is a mattress for the hearts of those who have a spiritual state. (4) Although there are different opinions among scholars on the permissibility of sama in terms of fiqh, there is a widespread opinion that it is permissible to perform sama due to divine love, ecstasy and attraction.

As for the issue of whether Mawlana performed sama or not:

Although some sources written in the centuries close to Mawlana’s time state that he did not perform sama, most of the sources state that after meeting Shams at-Tabrizi, Mawlana started sama upon his encouragement.

Once Shams said to him, “Perform sama. You will find what you demand and desire in sama. The reason why sama is forbidden to the common people is because they are busy with their desires.” After this conversation, Mawlana began to perform sama and continued to do so until the end of his life. So much so that when he heard a meaningful word that he liked, he performed sama in Maram Mosque, in Ilica, in Konya square. He says that during sama, he saw the greatness and power of God and their manifestations on the Divine arts. It is said that he answered the questions he was asked during this sema in verse.

In Aflaqi’s “Manaqibul-Arifin”, it is also stated that while Mawlana was making sama, tambourine players were playing the tambourine (def) and ney players were blowing the ney. Mawlana began his Mathnawi by saying, “Listen to the ney, for it tells stories and complains of separations.” He stated that the ney spread the fires of love all around.

Although the commentators of Mathnawi say that the ney denotes “perfect man”, some commentators use the ney in its literal meaning. In one of his poems, Mawlana writes as follows: “The sounds the Ney makes are the fires of love. It is not a material breath that is blown into it. If a person does not have this fire (of divine love and affection), it is better for him to perish.”

Ismail Ankaravî (5), who is known as Hadrat ash-Sharih in Mawlawiyya, states that the great scholars such as Pas Suhrawardi, Najmuddin Daya, Ibn Farid, Abu Talib Makki, Kashani, Ghazali and Mawlana considered raqs and sama to be permissible and considered them as worship and virtue. (6) Accordingly, Mawlana performed sama, listened to the ney, but did not play the ney. The Mawlana Celebrations, which are held in Konya in December every year, are organized to spread Mawlana’s ideas and views and to announce to the world the dervish order (tariqah) founded in his name. As it is known, the Mawlawi order was founded by his son Sultan Walad. Sultan Walad is a son who lived as his father wished. Our wish is that Mawlawiyya should not be just a name and a form, and that the dervish order founded centuries ago should be continued in accordance with its original and spirit.

Footnotes:

1. Tasavvuf ve Tarikatler, p. 64.
2. Musnad, I/108.
3. Ihya, II/300.
4. Mesnevî-i Şerif, Manzum Nahîfî Translation, I/2.
5. Ankaravi, Minhajul-Fuqara, Bulak, 1256, pp. 60-76.
6. Ankaravi, Hujjatus-Sama (with Minhajul-Fuqara), Bulaq 1256, p. 4.

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states that he adopted the principles of "absolute poverty, absolute impotence, absolute thanks, and absolute ardor" in order to attain the consent of Lord and to worship Him truly and that thanking is the most important one among them. (Mektubat, Yirmi Sekizinci ve Dördüncü Mektuplar)

Nursi states that thanking (shukr) is related to God Almighty’s name ar-Rahman (the Compassionate). This approach makes thanking assume an identity of being an evidence of oneness (tawhid) that enables Allah to be known.

Definition of Thanking (Shukr)

Many statements have been uttered and many definitions of shukr, which means gladness and gratitude shown in the face of any favor/good deed, have been made. It is possible to define shukr as "to use the feelings, thoughts, organs and faculties given to man in accordance with their purpose of creation"; thanking "can be fulfilled with the heart and tongue, as well as all organs."

Hamdi Yazır, the tafsir scholar states the following about shukr "Shukr means to respond to a previous boon with the tongue, deed or heart by respecting the giver of the boon. Shukr made by deed or heart is not hamd (praise). When it is made also by the tongue it becomes both hamd and shukr. Both hamd and shukr are a reality, love and exhilaration and hence ethics; the meaning of enthusiasm is more obvious in hamd and the meaning of loyalty is more obvious in shukr.  Thus, shukr is remembering and respecting something in the past; therefore, it is more difficult, and fewer people do it." (Hak Dini Kur'ân Dili, Istanbul 1979, I/57) Thus, he defined the concept of shukr and pointed out the difference between shukr and hamd, which are very close in meaning.

We can explain the difference between hamd and shukr as follows:

Hamd (Praise): Hamd includes the meaning of responding to the being that gives boons willingly and thanking Him; it also includes the meaning of presenting thanks to Him since He deserves to be praised and since He is the source of all grants. In hamd, it does not matter whether the grants and boons He has reach us or not. What matters is His deserving such hamd. Thus, when we present our feeling of thanking and praise in return for God Almighty’s greatness and grace, it is regarded hamd.

Shukr (Thanking): Shukr means thanking the being in return for the boons that He grants us. This thanking is in return for a boon. It can be made by the tongue, deed or heart. It is seen that thanking is general. It can be made by the tongue, deed and heart. Therefore, prayer is a kind of thanking Allah. To say "ash-shukru lillah (thanking is for Allah)" is a kind of thanking Allah. The heart’s feeling ingratitude in the face of Allah's boons or being in enthusiasm by thinking that Allah shows him mercy due to those boons a kind of thanking Allah in return for His boons.

One of the thinkers who dealt with shukr in detail is Imam Ghazzali. Ghazzali studied shukr with sabr (patience); he studied shukr in detail and attracted attention to the relationship between oneness (tawhid) and shukr. Stating that shukr is defined as "to admit the boon that is granted with the feeling of gratitude" and as "to praise the one who grants by mentioning His grant", Imam Ghazzali says, “None of the definitions made about shukr encompasses shukr fully.” According to him, in order to understand the reality of this concept, it is necessary not to forget that shukr has three aspects: knowledge/knowing, state/feeling and deed/doing. The definitions are incomplete because they were made based on only one aspect of shukr: knowing, feeling or doing. Therefore, shukr can be defined briefly as follows by considering all three aspects: "knowing that the boon comes from the one that gives it, feeling happiness due to the boon being given and acting in accordance with the purpose and love of the one that gives the boon". In that case, what is essential is to know; knowing brings about the feeling/state of gratitude; this feeling leads to acting accordingly. Ghazzali, then, analyzes the concept shukr from those three viewpoints and explains them systematically. (Ghazzali, Ihyau Ulumid-Din, Beirut nd, 4: 81, 84)

Ghazzali evaluates the definitions made by sufis before him as it is explained above and regards those definitions as insufficient since they deal with only one or two aspects of shukr. According to him, shukr consists of knowing, feeling and practicing. The knowledge aspect of shukr means to know that all boons are granted by Allah and the means/intermediaries are arranged by Him. To know that the boons and the causes of boons are created by God Almighty means to sanctify Allah and to believe in His oneness. When this knowledge settles in us fully, we will be protected from falling into polytheism with our deeds. (Ghazzali, 4: 82). Thus, shukr becomes the way of being saved from polytheism and the reason why it is used as the opposite of polytheism in the Quran is understood.

Shukr in Badiuzzaman Said Nursi’s Mentality

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, the great thinker of our age, defines shukr as follows: "to recognize that the bounties (boons) come directly from God Almighty, to appreciate their worth and to perceive one’s own need for them." (29. Mektub; 1. Söz) With this definition, he mentions the three different aspects of shukr as knowing, expressing and feeling as Ghazzali also mentions. However, he mentions needing the boons in the last stage, indicating the importance and difficulty of having this feeling.

Nursi regards noticing that a boon is a boon and appreciating it as being within the concept of "spiritual shukr". (29. Mektub) Therefore, he describes living frugally, which is based on the principle of appreciating the boons (bounties), and fasting, which enables man to understand the value of the boons, as "spiritual shukr". The value of a boon is understood better when it does not exist. Fasting is an important tool that leads us to spiritual shukr since it enables us to appreciate the boons. Nursi states the following regarding the issue in the booklet on Ramadan: "When it is time to break the fast, the sense of taste testifies that the dry bread is a precious divine bounty in the eyes of a believer." (29. Mektub, İkinci kısım) He also states the following in the same booklet: "Thanks to fasting, man’s imaginary dominicality is shattered; it performs its worship and begins to offer thanks, its true duty... They realize how unsound are their weak bodies, and perceive how needy they are for kindness and compassion. So they abandon the soul’s pharaoh-like despotism and recognizing their utter impotence and want, perceive a desire to take refuge at the divine court. They prepare themselves to knock at the door of mercy with the hands of thankfulness." Thus, he states that shukr spiritually includes all of the four principles of fasting: poverty, impotence, thanks and ardor. He attracts attention to the value of spiritual shukr obtained by fasting as follows: "Fasting in Ramadan, then, is the key to true, sincere, extensive, and universal thankfulness." (see ibid)

Since living frugally "shows respect towards the divine mercy manifested in the bounties, and most definitely is the cause of plenty" (19. Lem'a), frugality is a sort of thanks. Nursi states that wastefulness is the opposite of shukr as follows: "The All-Compassionate Creator desires THANKS in return for the bounties He bestows on mankind, while wastefulness is contrary to thanks, and slights the bounty and causes loss. Frugality, however, shows respect for the bounty and is profitable." (19. Lem'a) Fasting and avoiding wastefulness are types of spiritual shukr based on voluntary preference; patience shown in the face of misfortunes and poverty is regarded as spiritual thanking and worshiping. "Shukr at the time of a misfortune transforms every hour of the misfortune into one day of worshipping because no hypocrisy can penetrate into this kind of worshipping." (2. Lem'a) Being full of the feelings of thanking toward God Almighty is the most sincere state of worshipping that enables us to appreciate boons and health.

Nursi brings the concept "absolute thanking" into the forefront in the face of the understanding of "abandoning the world" of some Sufis. (4. Mektub). He states that it is necessary to appreciate and know the divine boons and to meditate on the graces of divine mercy instead of abandoning the worldly boons. According to him, the sense of tasting has an aspect that is related to the heart, spirit and mind since it is a means of realizing the reality of thanking. A person whose spirit rules his body, whose heart rules his soul, and whose reason rules his stomach can prefer delicious food if he wants pleasure only with the intention of thanking. Preferring delicious food with the intention of thanking is also regarded as spiritual thanking. However, man "can follow his pleasure on condition it is not wasteful or extravagant, and is purely to carry out his duty of thanks and recognize and perceive the varieties of divine bounty, and on condition it is licit and does not lead to degradation and begging." (19. Lem'a).

It is seen that there is a close relationship between thanking and compassion in the thought of Nursi. He mentions "impotence, poverty, compassion and meditation" in the annex of 26^th Word, where he explains the principles of his way. He mentions "thanking" and "enthusiasm" too in Mektubât (4. Mektub). According to him, thanking is related to the name/attribute Rahman and compassion is related to Rahim. Thanking has an aspect of meditation and an aspect of feeling. The feeling aspect of thanking is based on compassion; therefore, he says, "sincere thanking is kneaded with compassion". (32. Söz) Thanking expresses a slave’s love and worshipping toward God Almighty and compassion generally expresses a slave’s feeling of mercy toward other beings. Therefore, he states that "showing compassion to people is a principle of real thanking." (29. Mektub)

When the "Shukr Booklet" (28. Mektub, Beşinci Mesele), in which the topic of shukr (thanking) is dealt with exclusively, is studied, it will be seen how Nursi bases metaphysically the concept of shukr, which is generally dealt with as an ethical and mystic concept in general. Nursi explains the reality of shukr first. According to him, shukr "is the most important result of the creation of the realm." The Shukr Booklet proves this postulate. After stating that the most important result of the creation is shukr, Nursi lists his evidences beginning from the universe in order prove this postulate. First, he determines the place of shukr in the realm of creation and beings and consolidates his determinations with the examples and observations he gives from nature. The deduction he makes in that part in order to show the place of shukr in the hierarchy of beings is a reasoning that also proves oneness. Furthermore, it can even be said that he aims to prove oneness first with this deduction. Then, he explains the relationship between shukr and divine names. Finally, he explains with examples how man will feel the oneness of God Almighty with shukr, and the psychological destruction caused by ingratitude on unbelieving people by establishing a connection between shukr and oneness.   

Evidences of Oneness in Shukr (Thanking)

1. The Evidence of the Universe

It is stated at the beginning of the Shukr Booklet that Allah wants His slaves to thank in many verses and that ingratitude means denying the truth as it is stated in the verse below and similar ones  "Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?" (ar-Rahman, 55/13); thus, the evidences of the issue based on verses and hadiths are listed first. After that, attention is attracted to the universe with the following statement: The Quran states that the result of the creation is thanking; when the universe, which is like a great Quran, is studied, it will be seen that the most important result of the creation is thanking. According to Nursi, the universe was formed in a way that would lead to thanking. Since thanking is the fruit of the tree of the creation and the best product of the factory of the universe, everything in the universe is related to thanking to some extent. Nursi provides evidence for this decree acting upon the universe as follows: When the creation of the realm is studied, it will be seen that the realm of beings was created in the form of a circle, with life in its center. That all beings were arranged in a way to serve life or to produce things that are necessary for life shows that the purpose of the Creator in creating the universe is life. Then, it is seen that man was created in the form of a dot in a central identity. That living beings gather around man and serve him show that all of the purposes demanded from living beings gather in man. This shows clearly that man was chosen from among living beings and that this choice is based on Allah’s will. Then, it is seen that the world of humanity and the animal kingdom are disposed like circles with sustenance placed at their center. Sustenance has a lot of types. It is enough to show the importance of sustenance that there are very sensitive scales placed in the tongue to taste the food and drink, which are a type of sustenance, put in the mouth. Therefore, sustenance is the most interesting, beautiful and comprehensive reality in the universe.

Nursi states that the nice scents and shapes in the boons of sustenance invite man to thank, that they bring about the pleasure of eating in man and forms appreciation and respect, which are spiritual thanking, that they urge conscious beings to appreciate boons and encourage them to thank with their words and attitudes. According to him,

"In the view of power, sustenance is as important as life. Power brings into existence, Divine Determining clothes in form, divine favor nurtures. Life is a summary, a specified product and is apparent. Sustenance is not a summary; it is gradual and widespread, and provokes thought." (Mektubat, "Hakikat Çekirdekleri", madde 85)

Therefore, the importance of the reality of sustenance cannot be realized immediately like life; it can be understood only through belief and meditation.

After his explanations related to beings-life-sustenance, Nursi explains the relationship between sustenance and thanking as follows:  

"Now we see that just as everything has been gathered around sustenance and looks to it, so does sustenance in all its varieties subsist through thanks, both material and immaterial and that offered by word and by state; it exists through thanks, it produces thanks, its shows thanks. For appetite and desire for sustenance are a sort of innate or instinctive thanks. Enjoyment and pleasure also are a sort of unconscious thanks, offered by all animals. It is only man who changes the nature of that innate thanks through misguidance and unbelief; he deviates from thanks and associates partners with God.  Although sustenance becomes such a valuable treasury by means of thanks, it becomes an object through which worthless animal pleasures are satisfied by means of ingratitude In that case, the real nature of the feeling of thanking in man changes and assumes an identity that provides an animal appetite and material interests."

After providing evidence of the existence of thanking in the universe and its reality as it is explained above, Badiuzzaman Said Nursi establishes its relationship with Allah and states the following: "As well as a brief and temporary superficial pleasure, through thanks, these delicious foods and bounties gain the favors of the Most Merciful One, which provide a permanent, true, boundless pleasure." He also states that thanking is a means of attaining the compliments of ar-Rahman, which is the highest and sweetest pleasure. Then, he makes his determinations concrete by giving examples from the universe and animal kingdom.

In this part of the booklet, Nursi seems to aim to emphasize the importance of thanking in the first place but his other, and most important purpose, is to use thanking as an irrefutable evidence for the oneness of Allah. As a matter of fact, Nursi uses the deduction related to the place of the relationship between life and thanking that he explained in the Shukr Booklet again as one of the evidences of oneness in several other places in his books. He mentions the relationship between life and thanking as follows in a place where he deals with the importance of life:     

"Just as life is the purest essence of the universe, distilled from of it, so it is a mighty mystery producing thanks, worship, praise, and love, the most important divine purposes in the universe and most important results of the world’s creation." (30. Lem'a, Beşinci Nükte)

He explains that the purpose of the creation of life and the creation of man are thanking as follows in the same place:

Just as the result of the universe is life, so are thanks and worship the result of life, and the cause and ultimate reason for the universe’s creation, and its desired result. Yes, the universe’s Ever-Living Self-Subsistent Maker certainly wants thanks from living creatures in return for His making Himself known and loved through so many sorts of bounties, and He wants their praise and laudation in return for His precious arts, and for His creatures to respond with worship and obedience to His dominical commands. In accordance with this mystery of dominicality, it is because thanks and worship are the most important purpose of every sort of life and therefore of the whole universe that the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition urges thanks and worship with fervour, intensity, and sweetness. "It states repeatedly that worship is for God alone, thanks is due only to Him, and praise is particular to Him." (30. Lem'a)

2. The Evidence of the Divine Names

Nursi imagines divine names and attributes as sources of light that explore the universe and ensure the understanding of the reality and nature of things. Therefore, he explains many issues and provides evidence for them acting upon divine names. In addition, he looks at the issues that he has explained from different viewpoints also from the viewpoint of divine names; and he attributes everything to Allah’s knowledge and oneness. At this point, he deals with the relationship between thanking and divine names in order to explain and prove that the most important purpose of the universe is thanking. In the second part of the Shukr Booklet, he states that ar-Rahman (the Compassionate), which is the greatest name of God Almighty after the name Allah, also means ar-Razzaq (the Sustainer) and he even states that its clearest meaning is ar-Razzaq, dealing with the relationship between sustenance and the Sustainer. He states that there is “a pure belief and a sincere oneness” in thanking since thanking shows the name ar-Rahman, who gives sustenance. For, a person who eats an apple and shows his thanking by saying "Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah)" believes, buy uttering that word, that this apple is a gift of ar-Rahman directly and an example of His treasures of mercy; thus, he attributes everything, whether particular or general, to Him and knows that everything is a result of His mercy (28. Mektub).

In another place, he explains the relationship between thanking and the names ar-Rahman (the Compassionate) and ar-Rahim (the Merciful) due to their close relationship with sustenance as follows: “The names of Merciful and Compassionate appear as a light so vast it embraces the whole universe and satisfies all the eternal needs of all spirits, and so luminous and powerful it secures a person against all his innumerable enemies. The most important means I have found for attaining to these names are ‘poverty and thanks, impotence and compassion’.” (8. Mektub)

Nursi emphasizes that the giver of the boons demands thanking by saying "the boons and bounties in the universe are the reason for praising and thanking Allah" (15. Şuâ) in several places. He attracts our attention to the manifestations of Allah’s names in the universe and emphasizes that knowing Him and His oneness in the absolute unity depends on knowing His names and attributes. Recognizing the divine names leads to understanding the universe and discovering the realities in the realm of beings. Accepting the existence of boons in the universe shows a being that gives boons. Then, he seeks the answer to the question, "What does this Being, who gives boons, want?":

"A price is required for the foods a tray-bearer brings from the royal kitchen. But to look on those priceless bounties as valueless while tipping the tray-bearer, and not to recognize the one who bestowed them is the greatest foolishness. God Almighty has spread innumerable sorts of bounties over the face of the earth for mankind, in return for which He wishes thanks, as the price of those bounties. The apparent causes and holders of the bounties resemble tray-bearers. We pay a certain price to them and are indebted to them, and even though they do not merit it are over-respectful and grateful to them. Whereas the True Bestower of Bounties is infinitely more deserving of thanks than those causes which are merely the means of the bounty." (29. Mektub; 1. Söz)

Using deduction based on opening the window to the art of the Owner of the art or rather showing this window, which is always open, Nursi mentions examples related to sustenance a lot in those deductions. For, those examples are repeated any moment and can be understood by anyone without needing a deep meditation: 

"Yes, we see with our eyes and understand clearly with our minds that this city of the universe, quarter of the earth, and barracks of men and animals is governed, supervised, and maintained by an All-Compassionate Provider, a Munificent Provider of Bounties. For in order to have His bounties praised and thanked for, He makes the earth into a merchant ship and railway train bringing provender, and the spring into a wagon filled with a hundred thousand sorts of foods and packets of conserves called breasts, conveying them to the needy living creatures whose rations have been exhausted at the end of winter. Anyone with an iota of intelligence would agree that this was the work of an All-Compassionate Provider. While one who does not affirm it and deviates into denial is a foolish, harmful animal since he is then obliged to deny all the regular bounties and specific foods on the face of the earth, which are the cause of praise and thanks." (15. Şuâ).

3. The Evidence of Man’s Own Self

Badiuzzaman said Nursi analyzes man in the last part of the Shukr Booklet and deals with the manifestation in human spirit. In compliance with the understanding of free will, he describes in the issue of qadar (destiny), Nursi talks about the bad deeds caused by man’s will when it falls into ingratitude due to unbelief and aberration. According to him, human soul is the source of all negative deeds. If man thinks that a boon that he eats is a grace of Allah and thanks Him, the boon he eats will become a luminous light and an otherworldly fruit of Paradise. The thought that a boon is a gift of the mercy of God Almighty gives man a constant spiritual pleasure. When he does not thank, all of the perfect boons that he eats fall to the level of feces thrown away from the body. What is left is only the temporary pleasures taken while eating.  That is probably what Nursi means with the following statement: "Sustenance is indeed in a form worthy of love, and this form is to be seen through thanks."

Along with explaining the issues by giving examples from the book of the universe, Nursi provides evidence for them based on man. He emphasizes that man should look at himself and meditate on himself:

"Consider your own self, your stomach, and your senses! How many things and bounties they need! See how many foods and delights they want for the price of praise and thanks, then compare all living creatures with yourself." (15. Şuâ)

In another place, he writes about the need felt by the spiritual faculties man has for the feeling of thanking as follows:

"God Almighty, in order to display His infinite power and unlimited mercy, has made inherent in man infinite impotence and unlimited want. Further, in order to display the endless embroideries of His names, He has created man like a machine capable of receiving unlimited varieties of pain, as well as infinite varieties of pleasure." (2. Lem'a)

Man, who was created like a machine, has hundreds of different tools whose pains, pleasures, duties and rewards are different. Issues like health, welfare and taking pleasure lead man to thanking. Thus, the organs and senses man has will be kept busy with their real duties. Thus, "man becomes like a factory of thanking."

Everybody has a feeling of worshipping toward boons and the one who gives boons. However, man does not perceive or feel those boons that pour on him like the fish living in the sea not knowing the sea until he is warned and directed. What is more, he can attribute them to the simple causes around him. Praise and thanking show that the boons are bestowed and the one that gives the boons are known. Man sees the favor of the mercy of Allah, who is the real Bestower and the manifestation of His compassion in His continuing to bestow boons. This thought gives man one thousand times more (spiritual) pleasures than the pleasures the boon gives. (20. Mektub) Therefore, man should understand that all of the beauties and virtues he has are boons bestowed on him by Allah and he should thank instead of boasting; he should praise Allah instead of boasting. (29. Mektub)

In order to reach a conclusion, Nursi writes about the superior characteristics of man first at the end of the Shukr Booklet:

"Among animate species, man is the most needy for all the varieties of sustenance. Almighty God created man as a comprehensive mirror to all His names; as a miracle of power with the capacity to weigh up and recognize the contents of all His treasuries of mercy; and as His vicegerent on earth possessing the faculties to draw to the scales and evaluate all the subtleties of His names’ manifestations."

Then, he states that God Almighty gave man endless needs and made him need all kinds of material and spiritual sustenance. He reaches the following conclusion and ends the issue of thanking: What will elevate man, who has so comprehensive characteristics and whose needs are endless, to the best of the molds is thanking.

Conclusion

When the small book booklet related to shukr (thanking) included in the 28^th Letter written by Badiuzzaman Said Nursi as the Fifth Matter is studied, it will be seen that the issue of thanking is dealt with in perfect wholeness. The issue of thanking is presented with all of its aspects without leaving anything outside. First, the universal realities are mentioned; then examples and evidences are given. In terms of both the style and the depth of the determinations as well as the scope, “the beginning and the end are combined in the same text”. For, Nursi provides evidence for the concepts he analyzes and the issues he deals with by taking into consideration the materialistic approaches of exact sciences and the hypotheses of philosophy and without leaving any logical gaps. Therefore, he tries to analyze every concept that he deals with in a wholeness that shows the final reality of that concept. For this reason, every booklet allocated for a certain issue should be regarded as an independent work and its content should be analyzed accordingly.

Nursi does not find it enough to explain the results and manifestations of the concepts he deals with; he also makes analyses showing their real nature. He bases his analyses on the axis of the universe, the manifestations of divine names and man. He enriches his deep knowledge on the universe and human psychology with his exact observations and experiences; he combines them with his unique knowledge, which he has obtained with full surrendering to Allah and by meditating on the names of God Almighty all the time, and opens ways leading to oneness. Therefore, his explanations affect people of all levels deeply, producing a wholeness, vitality and feeling of perfection.

Badiuzzaman said Nursi regards thanking as the purpose of man’s creation and the essence of worshipping. Since thanking includes the meaning of worshipping, he explains this concept with mental evidences too. The writers who wrote about thanking before dealt with the evidences of thanking in the Quran and the Sunnah and found it enough to study the manifestations of thanking in general. They did not try to prove the concept thanking based on mental evidences. For, according to them, thanking is a feeling and perception belonging to man like patience, sincerity and taqwa. From this viewpoint, thanking is an ethical concept. It is not necessary to prove it with mental evidences like the other ethical concepts and norms. For, ethical norms take their power of sanction from the religion or society. It is enough for the followers of a religion if the religion orders something.

Nursi explains with mental evidences the issues like qadar, the existence of angels and life in the hereafter, which are included within the scope of the science of kalam but which the previous kalam scholars did not try to prove with mental evidences very much and which they regarded as issues of creed based on verses and hadiths.   Providing mental evidences for the aforementioned issues might not be regarded as significant since they are principles of belief. However, it is an interesting example to explain an issue that is within the scope of sufism and ethics and whose actual and emotional aspects overweigh with mental evidences. Other similar concepts can be explained by acting upon this example; it can be shown that ethical principles based on the religion can be explained mentally and that they have concrete counterparts in the realm of beings. Thus, it will be shown that ethical concepts are not hollow commands as some people claim and the approaches like “social ethics” and “duty ethics” put forward with the intention of making ethics base on rational foundations will be answered.

References

- Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Sözler; Mektubat; Lem'alar; Şualar
- Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur'ân Dili, Istanbul 1979.
- Imam Ghazzali, Ihyau Ulumid-Din, Beirut n.d., Vol: IV.

It is not a sin to sleep after the afternoon prayer but it is not regarded nice to sleep at that time.

The time period after the afternoon prayer to the time when the sun sets is the most efficient time period for many lines of work. To sleep at that time shortens sustenance and life.

For, to sleep in this period of time, when a person evaluates the efficiency of the day, makes calculations, makes plans for the next day and finds motivation will generally deprive man of those results.

The negative view about sleep here has no connection with being at the time of karahah. It is regarded as a drawback in terms of the period of time. However, there are also exceptions to it:

For instance, if a person works hard during the day and is to start work hard again at night, it is religiously permissible for him to sleep for a while at that time if he can.

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Is there a drawback in terms of health and religion to sleep after the morning prayer and between the afternoon and evening prayer (faylula, ghaylula and qaylula)?

It is unthinkable for the child to be without a lineage from his mother’s side. The woman who gave birth to him is considered his mother. The result does not change whether the birth is legitimate or illegitimate in terms of attachment to the mother.

In Islam, there is no legal measure of value of a child who is born out of fornication. That is, neither does he inherit from his father, nor is he considered his real child. As a matter of fact, our Prophet (pbuh) states the following in a hadith:

“The child belongs to the bed; there is only stone for the adulterer.” (Bukhari, Faraid, 18, 28, Hudud, 23, Ahkam, 29; Muslim, Rada’, 36, 37)

The meaning of the first sentence of the hadith is as follows: The child born to a woman is considered to belong to her husband, unless proven otherwise because she owns the bed. If there is no marriage, sexual intercourse is considered fornication and the child to be born cannot be attributed to such a man because fornication is not suitable to be a reason for proving lineage.

The meaning of the second sentence is as follows: A person who commits adultery does not own the child to be born due to that illegitimate relationship. There is only stone for him; that is, he will be empty-handed. In no way is he treated as “the father of the child”. (See Nawawi, the explanation of the hadith in question).

As it is understood from the hadith above, the illegitimate father has no right related to the child born from the illegitimate relationship. Apart from having no right, he does not have any legal responsibility. It is a separate issue for him to feel responsible for the child and to help the child.

On the other hand, the child to be born from adultery has no blame or sin. As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“The illegitimate child has nothing from the sin of his mother or father.” (Hakim, Mustadrak; Bayhaqi, Sunan X/59; Munawi V/372)

First of all, we should state that it is never appropriate, even if it is accurate, to say that a person is good or bad by looking at his/her face.

This issue can be viewed from two perspectives:

1. Reading Allah’s writings and marks on people’s hands, faces and certain organs. It does not mean knowing the unseen (ghayb), but reading what Allah has written.

For example, it is possible to perceive the diseases in the body with these marks and traces. In this way, many diseases can be diagnosed or treatment can be started before the disease becomes manifest fully.

It is also possible to read the characteristics of a person. For example, it is also possible to understand the existence of traits such as stubbornness, ambition and altruism. However, it does not mean knowing the future either. It means knowing that trait in that person. One cannot know where and how to use it. A person can use it for good or evil. A person who has a stubborn characteristic can use it by being stubborn in good deeds or by being stubborn in bad deeds. No one can know it - unless Allah reveals it.

Knowing the existence of a fire in a person’s pocket does not mean knowing whether that person will use that fire to cook food on the stove or to set the house on fire. One only knows what exists.

So, it is possible to know a disease or a characteristic, but it never means knowing the unseen; it means only reading what is written by those who know how to read.

2. It is possible to read some spiritual aspects of people in terms of physiognomy.

However, using it as a source of knowledge is not appropriate because even though hundreds of people have black faces and do not leave a good mark in terms of physiognomy, their inner world is as bright as the sun, like Bilal al-Habashi (ra). On the contrary, some people’s face display very beautiful images but they are very bad inside. Thousands of murderers, adulterers, criminals and thieves of this type are among us.

Even if a person identifies this issue with spiritual binoculars such as discovery, karamah and foresight, it is not suitable to show it clearly scientifically. This is because it is an accepted principle in Islamic sources that spiritual binoculars such as discovery, miracle, and foresight are not considered to be precise ways of knowledge.

Islam orders both men and women to maintain the properties peculiar to their gender and to keep away from appearances and attitudes that will cause gender ambiguity.

Each gender needs to maintain their own characteristics regarding clothing, hair style and similar issues; they must not desire to resemble the other gender, which can cause emotional deviations.

Therefore, the Prophet (pbuh) uttered words that meant ‘a woman needs to dress and act like a woman and a man needs to dress and act like a man’ and uttered warnings.

The Prophet (pbuh) damned women who tried to resemble men and men who tried to resemble women. (1) The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) also damned men who wore women's dresses and women who wore men's clothes. (2)

Imam Rabbani Ahmad al Faruq Sarhandi writes the following in his book Maktubat:

"Since men are prohibited from resembling women, the decree makes it necessary for men to know the customs of women. If the women in a town wear shirts with buttons at the front, the men living there should abandon wearing them so as not to resemble the women and should wear shirts or clothes with buttons at the sides. If the women in another town wear clothes with buttons at the sides, it is necessary for the men living there to prefer clothes with buttons at the front."(3)

It is stated in the book "Mughnil-Muhtaj" that if a fiqh scholar in a country wears a gown and cap that is not customary there, it will harm his personality and cause his witnessing to be rejected. (4)

Footnotes:

l. Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud.
2. At-Targhib wat-Tarhib, II/104.
3. Mektubat, II/382.
4. Mughnil-Muhtaj, IV/432.

(Halil GÜNENÇ, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar, II/173)

Belief is the key to Paradise; worship is a means for the ranks, degrees and boons of Paradise. People will enter Paradise due to their belief. The deeds of worship they do in this world will be a means of elevating their degrees.

The Prophet had besieged a few castles of Khaybar.

Meanwhile, they saw someone herding the sheep and coming toward the Islamic army. He was an Abyssinian slave called Yasar; he belonged to Amir, one of the Jews of Khaybar. He herded Amir’s sheep. When he saw that Jews were putting on their weapons when their castles were besieged, he asked, “What do you want to do?”

The Jews said, “We want to kill that man who declared that he was a prophet. When Yasar, the Abyssinian, heard the word prophet, he hesitated a bit; he felt that the word prophet covered his body like a compassionate hand.

Yasar did not find what the Jews said sufficient. He wanted to find out about this prophet from the prophet himself.

Therefore, he herded the sheep toward the Islamic army and went to the presence of the Messenger of Allah. He asked,

“What do you say and what do you invite people to do?”

The Messenger of Allah said, “I invite people to Islam. I invite them to witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am His messenger; I also ask them not to worship anyone but Allah.”

Yasar asked, “If I believe in and witness as you say, what will I have?”

The Messenger of Allah said, “If you die with this belief and witnessing, you will go to Paradise.”

Thereupon, Yasar embraced Islam there at once.

The Messenger of Allah told him that he would go to Paradise if he died with this belief and witnessing but Yasar was hesitant. In the place where he lived, people were treated based on their positions and ranks, wealth or poverty, and beauty or ugliness. Nobody showed respect to ugly people and especially to slaves.  

Therefore, he asked again, “O Messenger of Allah! I am a black Abyssinian; I have an ugly face and I am poor. I am a slave. If I fight the Jews and die, will I enter Paradise?”

The Messenger of Allah gave the following answer, which made Yasar joyful: “Yes, you will.”

This time, Yasar said, “O Messenger of Allah! These sheep have been entrusted to me. What shall I do with them?”

The Messenger of Allah said, “Take them out of the headquarters. Throw some small stones at them and shout. They will return to their owners.”

Yasar stood up at once. He picked a handful of sand from the ground and threw it at the sheep, and shouted: 

“Come on! Go back to your owners.” All of the sheep went to their owners as if someone was herding them. Yasar, who was honored by Islam, became a mujahid who fought in the way of Allah. He attacked the ranks of the enemy courageously. After a short while, he was martyred by the stones thrown from the castles. Thus, he received the title, “the Muslim who flew to Paradise without having time to perform even one prayer.”

The dead body of Yasar was brought to the headquarters. It was covered and lying on the ground. The Messenger of Allah, who was looking at the dead body, turned his face away for a while. The Companions asked him, “O Messenger of Allah! Why did you turn your face away?”

The Messenger of Allah explained the reason as follows:

“When a martyr is shot and falls on the ground, two houris from Paradise come and wipe the dust on his face and say, ‘May Allah put the face of the person into dust who put your face into dust and kill the person who killed you.’ Allah granted good things to him. I saw two houris of Paradise near him though he had not prostrated to Allah even once.”

There it is: few but sincere deeds and endless bliss and rewards! This incident teaches us that the most important element in our acts, attitudes and words is sincerity.

We also understand from this event that the Prophet did not differentiate between people no matter what their social positions were when he invited people to belief and Islam. Yes, Yasar was a black slave with an ugly face; besides, he belonged to the lowest class in the eyes of the people living at that time. Despite this, the Prophet did not despise him; he did not look down on him when he explained Islam to him; he talked seriously; thus, he helped him attain the endless bliss.

Those who serve Islam and belief need to act with the same criteria and thought.

More detailed information is needed to be able to help with this kind of mental problems. However, since you mention a very general situation, we can only give some general advice.

First of all, no matter who you are in this world, whether you are the richest person in the world, the most famous or the most powerful one, everyone has troubles and problems. However, the degree of the problems is different according to the time and the environment in which people live.

Nevertheless, some people know how to overcome their problems without making a big deal out of them and move on while others may panic in the face of small problems and experience burnout.

You can think of this situation as a ship captain sailing at sea.

As you know, there is no sea without waves; only the size of the waves can change depending on whether the storm is strong or weak, or whether the sea is open or closed, etc.

Ship captains who know the sea, the waves and their duties well continue on their way even if they experience some shaking in the biggest waves, but those who do not know the characteristics of the sea and the ship they are in will experience serious shaking even in the smallest wave.

In this context, our advice to you is as follows:

- Everyone has their own problems

Normalize the situation in your own inner world by thinking that your situation is not so different from the society and that everyone has problems though not at the same level. The more you normalize your problem, the more relaxed you will be. Indeed, it is clear from your question that it is not your own situation that upsets you, but the fact that you think you have more problems than your other friends.

- There is no life without problems

What matters is to be able to move on in life together with problems. Probably, your friends whom you see as having fewer problems are doing the same. In other words, they see problems as a part of life and continue their normal lives. Some people unfortunately exaggerate it and give the impression that they are very happy all the time. And people who do not do so look at them and think that they are in a bad situation.

- Focus on the Positive and Beautiful Aspects

Focus on what you have and what you value; be grateful for them and develop your feelings of gratitude; do not be sad about what you do not have. There are countless blessings that Allah has given to human beings that they only realize their value when they lose them. For example, people do not know what a blessing health is until they become ill.

However, people who are seriously ill look at them and envy them.

Write down the positive qualities that you can be grateful for and the ones that you would be very sad to lose and increase your sense of gratitude.

- Change Your Perspective

Change the way you look at problems and troubles because what generally bothers people is not the problems but the way they look at them. Do not forget that a person who sees the good in things has good thoughts. And he who has good thoughts receives pleasure from life.

- Get Support

Get help with problem solving and progress because research has shown that what distinguishes happy people from unhappy people is the ability of happy people to solve problems.

Think about how you can solve your problems; get help and consult others. Rely on Allah and be patient about the problems that you cannot solve. Surrender to qadar (predestination) because the following is stated in a hadith: “He who believes in qadar will be safe from sorrow.”

- Do not forget that the world is a field and a school

Remember, man did not come to this world to enjoy himself. Rather, he was sent here to please Allah, to gain thawabs and to invest in the hereafter. Man is perfected through misfortunes and problems; if he acts patiently, he will gain the hereafter. Therefore, do not envy your friends, but let them envy you.

If a person who is born as an illegitimate child lives in accordance with the orders of Allah and dies after that, he can enter Paradise. Only those who die as unbelievers cannot enter paradise.

If a believer commits a sin, he goes to Paradise after he is punished. Besides, an illegitimate child is innocent. He has not committed a sin when he is born like that. His parents are guilty.

One of the most important factors that enable man to restrain his soul is fasting. Hunger, in particular, trains man's soul and restrain his bad feelings. Knowing this, the Prophet (pbuh) advised the people who had difficulty in restraining their carnal desires to perform fasting.

Fasting starts with the time of imsak (dawn) to ends when the sun sets. We do not have to fast every day. It will be appropriate to fast in the periods when our carnal feelings increase. Thus, we will keep away from harams.

It is possible to interpret it like that but the degree of a person's obedience to Allah's orders and prohibitions and the sunnah of His Messenger can also be a criterion regarding the issue.

The following verse exists in the Quran:

“Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.” (al-Hujurat, 49/13)

The value of everybody is the same in the eye of Allah by birth. His value is not determined by his material body from birth. However, his value increases or decreases based on his deeds.

The Quran eliminates all of the superiorities of man originating from gender, rank, class, wealth, race, climate and region. Instead of them, it regards superiorities that are the products of his intention, effort and patience as the criteria. In the eye of Allah, the equality of men changes based on taqwa; and taqwa becomes the criterion for superiority.

Nowadays, destruction and negative movements have increased. Taqwa is the greatest principle that can resist these negative movements. Nowadays, there are great good deeds and rewards originating from taqwa and avoiding haram deeds. Abstaining from what is forbidden (haram) is obligatory. We need to understand taqwa very well and place it in every moment of our life; we also need to have the ethics of the Prophet (pbuh).

We need to pay great attention to the issue of avoiding harams and sins, and make great efforts.