Evaluating the widespread faith crisis among young people today, Sufi researcher Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören stated that when a young person's self-confidence is at its peak, they perceive being guided or restricted by another power (God) as an interference with their freedom. He added, “If these rules are presented to them as an imposition, then they begin to perceive the power (God) that sets these rules as an enemy.”
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören: “When speaking to young people about Allah, it is necessary to define Him as a power who protects and cares for them both during and after life, supports them in all their endeavors, and embraces them with the affection of a mother and father.”
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören, faculty member at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Institute for Sufi Studies, evaluated the issue of the faith crisis observed among young people recently.
How are Young People Turning Towards Atheism and Deism?
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören stated that young people, often feeling healthy and strong, do not need others in many aspects or do not think they might be in need in the future. He added, “Also, if their financial means are good – and today, despite the economic crisis of the past few years, society's material prosperity level is higher than in the past – this feeling finds easier resonance. Under these circumstances, with a young person's self-confidence at its peak, they perceive being guided or restricted by another power (God) as an interference with their freedom. Mentioning certain material and spiritual rules that must be followed in life makes them genuinely uneasy. Especially if these rules are presented to them as an imposition, then they begin to perceive the power (God) that sets these rules as an enemy. This, in turn, leads them to deny the rule-setter (atheism) or at least to conceive of a power that does not interfere with life and should not, that is, to the perception of ‘deism’.”
The Prophet Muhammad says, ‘Do not scare, but give glad tidings’
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören, also pointing out how Allah should be explained to young people, continued as follows:
“When speaking to young people about Allah, it is necessary to define Him as a power who protects and cares for them both during and after life, supports them in all their endeavors, and embraces them with the affection of a mother and father. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad says, ‘Do not scare, but give glad tidings’.
In the Holy Quran, it is particularly emphasized that man's true friend is only Allah
Our religion asks us to say “Basmala”, “Bismillâhirrahmânirrahîm” (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), when starting any legitimate work. The meaning of Basmala is: In the name of Allah, who protects, watches over, overlooks and forgives mistakes, and has adopted mercy as a principle. Starting every work with Basmala means feeling Allah's protection and mercy in every endeavor. In other words, when a person embarks on a task, pursuing their ideals, they receive the support of a ‘superpower’ who guides them, protects them, helps them, and forgives their shortcomings if any.
Such a God is not man's rival or enemy, but his closest friend. In the Holy Quran, it is particularly emphasized that man's true friend is only Allah. Warnings and rules from a friend will, of course, be for his peace and happiness.”
When Faced with Troubles, Man Seeks a Power to Help
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören also explained that a person who does not need a material or spiritual helper, a guiding mentor, when everything is going well in terms of wealth, property, and health, and therefore does not feel such a presence by their side, seeks a refuge and a power to help when circumstances change and they encounter difficulties. He said, “When they cannot find it, they fall into pessimism and despair, feeling an emptiness. In this situation, they resort to certain paths whose end they cannot foresee and of which they are unsure; deviant, wrong, and superstitious solutions. When they realize over time that this does not work, they turn to addictive solutions that will completely ruin their lives in order to forget their troubles. It even becomes inevitable for them to disconnect from life; they begin to see suicide as a salvation.”
‘Dhikr’ Ensures the Continuity of the Feeling of Trust in Allah
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören also drew attention to the definition of Allah according to Sufism, stating, “According to Sufism, first and foremost, Allah is not a being who punishes His servant, restricts their freedom and desires; on the contrary, He is a ‘superpower’ who supports His servant, thinks of their well-being, provides their sustenance, and cures their illnesses. When the essence of Sufi education, the ‘continuous remembrance of Allah and never forgetting Him’, or ‘dhikr’, is combined with the principle of starting every task with ‘Basmala’, the following situation emerges: the superpower that supports you in good times will help you even more in difficult moments. By continuing to keep Allah in mind (dhikr), this feeling will not lose its vitality in a person, preventing them from falling into despair even in their worst times. Because ‘dhikr’ ensures the continuity of the feeling of trust in Allah.”
Dhikr is not merely repeating Allah’s name and beautiful attributes at certain intervals and in certain numbers…
On the other hand, Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören noted that what Sufism understands by dhikr is not merely repeating Allah’s name and beautiful attributes at certain intervals and in certain numbers. He stated, “Being enchanted by the beauty of Allah's creations, from space, stars, and galaxies to the diversity of life at the bottom of the seas, also means remembering Him sincerely and deeply. When a person lives at this level of understanding, their trust, devotion, and patience in God further strengthen in the face of various difficulties. This, in turn, increases a person's determination to struggle even while suffering and can prevent them from pursuing certain wrongs.”
Verses and Hadiths Should Be Considered as a Whole
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören, stating that according to the fundamental references of religion; Quranic verses and noble hadiths, it is clearly stated that Allah encompasses everything everywhere, is beside man, and is closer to him than his jugular vein, continued as follows:
“However, merely saying this much and leaving it at that to prevent ‘deism’ can lead to another faith crisis, namely perceiving Allah as a power intertwined with the universe, occupying space within the universe, or even being the universe itself (pantheism). Therefore, it is necessary to look at the fundamental references of religion as a whole and also to state the truth that Allah is not subject to spatial and temporal constraints. In fact, this is a paradox according to human logic. But in the Holy Quran, Allah has paradoxically defined Himself as ‘Both the First and the Last, both the Manifest and the Hidden’. Therefore, it is most accurate to consider the verses and hadiths as a whole and to say, ‘Allah is both immanent in the universe and transcendent from the universe’.”