Üsküdar University's Risale-i Nur Research Platform (RİNAP) this week hosted Mürşid Ağa Bağ, the lead actor of the movie "Hür Adam" which depicts the life of Bediüzzaman, for its 'Rinap Weekly Seminar' program. In the program, which also included Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Tarhan stated, "Art ensures permanent learning. Therefore, expressing information and truths through art is the method of this era. Art is the method of spiritual jihad in this era."
Üsküdar University Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, RİNAP Board Members, academics, and numerous invited guests attended the seminar held in the RİNAP meeting hall.
The event's guest, Mürşid Ağa Bağ, the lead actor of the movie "Hür Adam" which tells the story of Bediüzzaman, spoke about how his spirituality developed and how he was chosen for the role, mentioning that the movie "Hür Adam" was a turning point for him.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Art is the method of spiritual jihad in this era"
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, pointing out that art, when combined with music, activates the five senses, stated; "Thanks to social media, you can announce something to thousands, even millions, of people that you would normally tell to 50. This is the most important area where technology can be used. When you express it with art, perceptions are changed. The greatest feature of art is that when you combine it with music, it activates the five senses, remains in memory, and becomes permanent. Art ensures permanent learning. Therefore, expressing information and truths through art is the method of this era. Art is the method of spiritual jihad in this era."
"We must use art as a method to convey truth"
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, noting that there can be no social transformation without mental transformation on an issue, stated; "It's not easy to abandon habits. People abandon habits when shaken by fate. A wise person can correct some things without being shaken or jolted. There is no social transformation without mental transformation on an issue. Currently, there is such an art transformation in the world. If we resist art, we will lose our children. Perhaps we will preserve ourselves, but we will lose the future. Therefore, it is necessary to think in the medium and long term. Currently, the use of art is not a pleasure, but a necessity. We must use art as a method to convey truth."
"As the ugly consequences of bad morals are seen, the search for truth will begin"
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, explaining the importance of conveying truth through art, stated; "There is a hadith that says there will be nights of jihad in the End Times. It says there will be nights of jihad. That is, it is difficult to sit at night and read books, or converse. Currently, if you look at the most watched films, they enter minds and, in a way, hypnotize people. They are numbing people with movies. They are making it impossible to see the truth. It has become a tool for secularization. Therefore, we need to use this not as a tool for secularization, but as a tool for finding truth. We need to make it a tool for uniting both this world and the hereafter. If we set this as our goal, it will be very easy because people's needs have increased. Depression has increased, emptiness has increased, suicides have increased. As the ugly consequences of bad morals are seen, the search for truth will begin. The most beautiful method for this is to present it through art..."
"First ethics, then justice"
Tarhan, stating that there is an ethics crisis in the world; "It is necessary to produce solutions for the ethics crisis. That is, a film that will rectify that ethics crisis and give messages would be very good. A film that explains what not lying, being virtuous, and being honest brings to a person. These are known as universal values. If these are combined with one's life, they can contribute to leading social life to a better place. It is said that in the End Times, people will seek justice like dry land seeks water. And there can be no justice without good ethics. First ethics, then justice. Therefore, there is a need for a change that will strengthen moral values."
Mürşid Ağa Bağ: "This movie was a turning point for me"
Mürşid Ağa Bağ, the lead actor of the movie "Hür Adam" which depicts the life of Bediüzzaman, stated; "This movie was a turning point for me. After the age of 40, a spiritual feeling awoke in me; I had to start being different. I had to struggle, I had to resist. Because I was like a captive. I wasn't free. I had started to feel this. Since our Lord is everywhere, and we feel spirituality better, I looked at the sky and said, 'Oh my Lord, I have come to a crossroads. Either I will fall under a bridge and stay there, or I will repent and draw closer to You.' I said, and then, weeping, I repented. Over time, I went to our brothers who prayed and started performing the daily prayers. I started not missing Friday prayers. I began to feel something. One day, I received a phone call, they said, 'You need to come urgently, we are sending you one or two scenes.' They did a screen test, and then they chose me. That's how it started. I was going to read Üstad (Master), but I didn't understand. At that moment, I obtained a previously filmed movie CD. Üstad explains the importance of prayer to those in prison. He says; 'Satan constantly multiplies things in your future life, future matters. He makes them appear numerous to your eyes. He tries to deter you from performing the daily prayers. Yet, you do not know when death will come. Death comes between two prayers. Therefore, every prayer you perform is your last prayer.' he said. Until that period, I was looking for the answer to that last prayer. The answer was understood at that moment."
Signed book gift from Tarhan to actor Bağ...
At the end of the program, Tarhan signed his books ‘Journey from Mind to Heart’ and ‘Bediüzzaman, Conscience of the Age’, which met readers from Timaş Publications, for actor Mürşid Ağa Bağ.