Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Intention is the most important determinant in the formation of morals”
President of Üsküdar University Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan was the guest of the live broadcast program titled “İftar Time” on TV5. Tarhan made important remarks on the topic “Ramadan and Mental Health”. Tarhan expressed that intention is the most important determinant while one is shaping their morals. Expressing that the counterpart of good intention and sincerity is ihlas (sincere commitment), Tarhan noted that it is necessary to live in line with the meaning of Ramadan month. Emphasizing that a person decides according to their morals since they have free will, fasting also disciplines nafs (self) and provide a person with the ability of delay of gratification.
“Intention determines a person’s morals”
Stating that intention is the most important determined that shapes morals, President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that what counts is to have direction. Tarhan made remarkable evaluations on the live broadcast Ramadan program on TV4 that he attended. Tarhan stated that “İntention determines a person’s morals. For instance, laws and legal norms have been determined by the law. Social norms have been determined by traditions and customs, and conscientious norms have been determined by morals. The purpose of one’s life is determined by one’s morals. For example, a person whose goal is money shapes their morals accordingly, and it becomes equal to their wallet. If a person’s goal is a divine purpose, their morals is being shaped accordingly. When one’s mora is shaped, intention becomes an important determinant. That is, the ruled that deeds are in line with intention is very important because intention and sincerity have a miraculous side. And the biggest wonder in this age is the direction and being able to have a direction. Intended behavior make the brain work differently with the intended behavior. If there is an intended behavior, mirror neurons in brain works, this affects the mirror neurons of the other party, as well. It talks as it is wireless Internet. Your sincerity creates cogency on the other party.”
“The counterpart of good intention and sincerity is ihlas”
Drawing attention to the fact that a person decides according to intention since one has free will, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that brain is programmed according to intention. Tarhan stated that “The counterpart of good intention and sincerity is ihlas (sincere commitment). İhlas has two meanings. First one is sincerity and second one is making Rıza-ı İlâhi as purpose and goal. When there are separators, misguides, mistake-makers, and temptations in a person, their intention is the brain. Our brain is programmed according to the intention since free will is given to our brain. It has been programmed as eating, drinking, reproducing, and sheltering in animals. Since humans have free will, they decide according to the intention. We decide in our every second as eating this or that, going to this or that way, fasting or not according to our intentions. What we can life is the result of our choices, and our choices are determined as our intentions. If we divide intentions into two categories as good and bad, we take a position accordingly, and we make connections accordingly. We perceive accordingly and good or bad ideas come to our mind according to that. All of these is shaped according to the intention.”
"Secularism is the disease of this age…"
Noting that now there is a problem of representation, Prof. Tarhan expressed that “Our Prophet (puh) says, ‘there will be a lot of Muslims in the judgement day, they will be like litters in a river. And enemies will bother them. And they will not be able to do anything.’ Companions of Prophet Muhammad ask why it happens like that. He says it is brain disease. They ask to Prophet ‘what is brain disease?’ Brain disease is being fond of the earth and not thinking death. There is living like there is no death and worldism. That is, there is a living by forgetting afterlife and Allah. Secularism is the diseases of this age. The counterpart of secularism is worldism. That is, there are people living as if there is no afterlife. Now, there is a system like that.”.
"The greatest victory is the victory of a person over themselves"
Emphasizing that it is necessary to teach a child the philosophy of fasting, faith, and morals together, Tarhan said that "The greatest victory is the victory of a person over themselves. It is that one can be free despite his own desires and impulses. Modernism unleashed desires and impulses. A person changed their philosophy of life and made the purpose of life the pursuit of pleasure and the pursuit of money. One also made money a tool to achieve pleasure and unleashing desires. There is a global teaching that says, 'Break the chains, tear down the walls, live your life!' On the other hand, it is necessary to teach the philosophy of fasting, faith and morals together in order to tell a child to stay hungry all day."
"Rich in appearance, poor in spirit..."
Stating that what really makes people rich is that their needs are low, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "This capitalist system teaches you not to be happy by producing, but to be happy by consuming. It teaches this, so that people cannot get rich as a result. They are rich in appearance, but poor in spirit. People are not satisfied. What really makes a person rich is that they have few needs. Their needs are unlimited, but one cannot get out of it, so the measure of wealth is conviction. If you appreciate what you have, if you are content with what you have and still do not stop working, you will always be rich and peaceful. On the other hand, you manage to be happy by producing. The capitalist system teaches happiness with external causes. In fact, inner happiness is being able to be happy with ordinary things, appreciating what you have. Externally motivated happiness is in the form of 'Let me have this so that I can be happy, let me have this so that I can be happy'. Where we look for happiness, there is a problem because we look for it in an external cause. Happiness is permanent if it is tied to something that can be controlled and cannot be lost."
"Questioned environments are the friends of truth..."
Stating that a person who has the truth does not need violence, Tarhan stated that primitive people try to solve problems with violence. Tarhan expressed that "Questioned environments are friends of the truth. A person who believes in the truth does not need pressure, threats, and intimidation. If you trust the truth, you will tell it with persuasion and persuasion. If you do not trust the truth, you will intimidate and silence the other party with your tone, which is actually a sign of helplessness. Savage people, primitive people with no vocabulary try to solve problems by yelling. A person who has the truth does not need violence. There is truth in the Qur'an, and if we tell it in the right way, we do not need pressure, intimidation or violence."
"One should be able to find the peace of mind that comes from believing..."
Stating that it is necessary to know the belief in monotheism and the concept of Allah to surrender to Allah, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "Allah is the Possessor of Knowledge, Absolute of Will, Omnipotence, Absolute of Wisdom, Absolute of Justice. For something to be true, there must be no explanation for it. It must be absolute. Only a transcendent power, this divine power, can do this. This is an example of Imam al-Ghazali. In other words, he says that for a truth to be normal, it must be a pattern, it must be absolute, it must be made by an absolute power. The rules that people impose are not absolute, but relative. He says that the rules made by absolute power are the rules of reference. In other words, he says that morals that is related to God is true morals. He says that when you surrender, these two worlds will be conducive to bliss. To be conducive to the happiness of two worlds, a person must achieve that inner peace that comes from believing."
"Living religion at this time is like holding fire in the palm of your hand"
Emphasizing the importance of intention, Prof. Tarhan drew attention to the right path. Tarhan expressed that "God helps the one who knows the right way. Living religion at this time is like holding a fire in the palm of your hand. The important thing is to get on the right path. Once a person is on that path, fate helps them in an unseen way. Let us keep our intention straight, let us not make our intention worldly, let our intention be the hereafter. At this time, a small deed is very precious. A young man who can perform 5 daily prayers, fulfills their obligations, and does not commit major sins is equal in an old-time saint."
"Ramadan fasting is endurance training"
Mentioning that fasting by believing affects the brain, Prof. Tarhan said that "Ramadan fasting is endurance training. It teaches a person self-discipline, endurance training, and the skill of postponing gratification. Ramadan does this both in the form of worship and allows the person to gain impulse control skills. For this, one must believe. The human brain has the ability to program itself. When a person programs their brain, the brain produces accordingly. For example, when a person programs their brain to say, ‘I will not eat anything until iftar,’ the brain does not secrete hunger hormones. If we are fasting with the intention of tradition without believing, with the intention of someone else, the brain secretes hunger hormones because it does not receive the message, then the person becomes angry. It is not possible in a person who fasts with faith."
"Let's live up to the meaning of Ramadan..."
Mentioning that when one lives in line with the meaning of Ramadan, one achieves inner peace, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan made the following remarks "If we live Ramadan in line with its meaning, it will be a very profitable spiritual trade and a spiritual gain for us. Let's use it to enrich and beautify our inner world. After that, let's use it to beautify our family life. Let's not forget our social life and the purpose of coming to this world. We do not live in this world, but we pass through this world. Let's not forget that we are guests in this world. Let's spend this time in the most efficient way. Thus, let's live without forgetting to prepare for our destination. In other words, a person who captures this feeling can find peace in both worlds. A person who finds the peace of belief and the inner peace of taking refuge in Allah will receive the greatest reward of faith. Faith has such a pre-emptive reward. The reward in advance is the peace of mind that comes from taking refuge in God. Therefore, it is a great feeling. A person who catches that feeling will never leave that path again..."
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)