Üsküdar University Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, psychologically evaluated Said Nursî’s work, Hastalar Risalesi, during the “Spiritual Support, Spiritual Counseling Trainer Training” program organized in collaboration with Üsküdar University Continuous Education Application and Research Center (ÜSEM) and the Mediterranean Culture and Education Association. Tarhan stated that illness is treated not only as a physical condition but also as a spiritual educational process, emphasizing the importance of patience, gratitude, hope, and prayer in terms of psychospiritual therapy. Expressing that Hastalar Risalesi aligns with modern psychotherapy approaches, especially logotherapy and acceptance-based therapy, Tarhan said, “If you add meaning to suffering, you can manage it,” stating that illness brings inner awareness, submission, and reliance on God (tawakkul) to a person.
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Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “If you add meaning to suffering, you can manage it”
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Prof. Dr. Hüseyin İbrahim Yeğin moderated the online training.
The training program, which featured a psychological analysis of Hastalar Risalesi, was received with great interest by participants from many cities across Turkey.
“Intention is at the center of conscience”
Highlighting the relationship between human values and the right brain, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated; “Intention is at the center of conscience. Here, many concepts such as spirit, ego (nafs), heart, intellect, brain, consciousness, and the quantum universe are intertwined. The presence of intention in the middle of conscience is truly significant because all these elements are interconnected. It is this integrity that distinguishes humans from other living beings. Other living beings have basic needs like eating, drinking, and sheltering, but humans have different human values and a spiritual dimension. Here, the relationship between human values and the right brain is particularly noteworthy. The right brain is also called the spiritual hemisphere of the brain. There is a study conducted by one of our professors on this topic. Gardner's research published in 1980 also defined 6 virtues and 24 values. All of these are actually related to spirituality. The left brain is responsible for functions such as logic, reasoning, analysis, speech, and calculation. The right brain, on the other hand, is concerned with emotions, excitement, music, art, understanding, and spirituality. In other words, the right brain is the hemisphere that represents the spiritual dimension of humans with its altruistic and empathetic aspects.” he began his words.
“Hope creates an energy of discovery in a person's inner world”
“There are fundamental strengths that spiritual values bring to a person. These values bring about change in a person's soul, brain, and mind. The first of these is the feeling of khushu (reverence). Khushu gives comfort and tranquility to a person. Sincerity, prayer, ikhlas (devotion), and good intention enable self-criticism, strengthen the sense of trust, and reduce feelings of loneliness. Contemplation, or deep thinking, adds meaning to life and helps a person connect with the sublime. Thus, feelings of death, loneliness, fear, and uncertainty are alleviated. Patience develops emotional delay and resilience skills in a person. Compassion strengthens empathy, promotes generosity, reconciliation, and cooperation. Honesty, on the other hand, gives accountability to a person, reinforces the sense of justice, and increases predictability. Being a river (nehir) and being trustworthy (emin), that is, the inspiration drawn from prophetic stories, is a source of motivation for people. It helps establish deep social connections. Conscientiousness, on the other hand, is a principle we call the rule of necessity (ilzam kuralı). In close relationships, it prevents evil, jealousy, gossip, and backbiting. Humility and the awareness of servanthood control the narcissism within us. It distances a person from selfishness and opportunism. Among all these values, there is one emotion that permeates them all. Hope… The feeling of hope creates an energy of discovery in a person's inner world. When despair is struggled against, people discover new meanings, grow, and mature.” he stated.
If you add meaning to suffering, you can manage it…
Tarhan, drawing attention to the balance of intellect, heart, and spirit, stated; “In Hastalar Risalesi, illness is evaluated not only as a physical condition but also as a spiritual educational process. Even artificial intelligence, when analyzing Hastalar Risalesi, reveals that this approach parallels cognitive restructuring, acceptance-based therapy, or radical acceptance methods in modern psychology. This perspective includes elements such as the principle of therapy, the search for meaning, cognitive transformation, emotional confrontation, spiritual resilience, self-awareness, and the search for social support. In the approach of Risale-i Nur, contemplation, making sense of the universe, positive self-talk, tawakkul (reliance on God), patience, gratitude, confronting death and loneliness, prayer, hope, and awareness of eternity are prominent. Here, the discipline of the ego is emphasized through the quintet of ‘Acz (helplessness), fakr (poverty), zaaf (weakness), şefkat (compassion), and tawakkul (reliance on God)’. At the same time, spiritual grouping, social benefit, and the search for identity are also included in this approach. Hastalar Risalesi is, in a way, a psychospiritual therapy method. It aligns with positive psychology and logotherapy, i.e., self-transcendence-based approaches. Such approaches are also called transcendental therapy and focus on a person's search for meaning. The Risala gives meaning to illness and suffering by developing hope, meaning, and a commitment beyond the self. As Viktor Frankl stated in his logotherapy, ‘If you add meaning to suffering, you can manage that suffering.’ Indeed, the Risala also adds meaning to suffering; therefore, suffering alleviates, and a person's endurance increases. It is possible to summarize Risala Therapy in ten steps. In this process, the ‘4 + 4 + 2’ model stands out. The first four steps engage the intellect, the next four steps engage the heart, and the final two steps integrate the spirit, which is the higher will. It educates the intellect, matures emotions, and elevates the spirit.” he said.
Patience, the path to spiritual maturity
Tarhan, stating that suffering is temporary and gain is permanent, said; “In Hastalar Risalesi, patience is treated as both psychological resilience and a path to spiritual maturity. However, patience here is not described as passive endurance but as a conscious, meaningful, and spiritually experienced discipline of the soul. Active patience is a goal-oriented action. It rejects the meaninglessness of suffering and gives it meaning. In the Risalas, it is said, ‘Patience is the art of making time meaningful.’ According to this understanding, patience is not waiting but learning to wait consciously. This situation is also emphasized with the expression, ‘The effect of affliction is short, but patience brings long-lasting reward (thawab).’ Patience is an inner power of resistance that prevents the time spent during illness from being wasted. It teaches to develop a long-term gain perspective against short-term sufferings. In modern psychology, this is known as cognitive restructuring. Suffering is temporary, but its gain is permanent. Hastalar Risalesi, on the other hand, approaches this from the perspective of the delayed gratification principle. That is, a person can find comfort by thinking not of immediate pleasure but of future meaning and peace. We learn from Hastalar Risalesi that a person endures suffering because they know they are earning reward (thawab) and gaining spiritual benefit even while suffering. This awareness feeds patience with hope.” he said.
“Patience and gratitude increase emotional awareness”
Tarhan, addressing the concepts of patience and gratitude, continued; “In the 14th remedy (deva) of Hastalar Risalesi, the theme of questioning the meaning of life is addressed. ‘Since there is death, and illness is its harbinger. Therefore, one should live life meaningfully.’ it is stated. Illness leads a person to think more deeply about both death and life, as well as themselves. In the 13th and 18th remedies (devas), it is explained that illness is a means for the forgiveness of sins, and in this respect, it serves as an invitation to repentance. A person reviews their past life, recognizes their mistakes, and embarks on a quest for inner correction. This understanding shows similarities with spiritual awareness, ethical self-assessment, and guilt-sensitivity therapies. In the 7th and 21st remedies (devas), it is emphasized that illness directs a person towards prayer, contemplation, solitude, and deep reflection. A person constantly focused on the outside world confronts their inner world during this process. In fact, illness reunites a person with themselves during a period when they had forgotten themselves. This situation creates meditative awareness and strengthens a person's inner observation skills. In the 10th, 12th, and 25th remedies (devas), the concepts of patience and gratitude come to the forefront. ‘Patience is a light, and gratitude multiplies blessings.’ it is said. When illness is evaluated with patience and gratitude, it increases a person's emotional awareness. This also provides a consciousness of emotional regulation. There is a saying frequently heard in Anatolia, ‘Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.’ Indeed, patience is a painful process, but in the end, it yields the fruit of spiritual maturity and peace.” he continued.
“Gratitude strengthens connection with life”
Tarhan, expressing that spiritual resilience can increase with gratitude, stated; “The third step of the teaching in Hastalar Risalesi is gratitude. The first step is awareness, meaning a person's ability to analyze themselves. The second step is patience, and the third step is gratitude. Hastalar Risalesi treats gratitude not only as a religious obligation but also as a means of psychological healing and spiritual reconstruction. Said Nursî processes gratitude within the experience of illness as a form of mental and emotional transformation that occurs in the face of deficiency, loss, and suffering. Gratitude is a transformative form of awareness. It is a source that provides emotional stability, and it is also the core of faith-based positive psychology. In other words, it enables a person to turn difficulties into gains and approach negativities with a spiritual perspective. Gratitude is a state of consciousness realized not only when blessings arrive but also when blessings are hidden. In this respect, it provides a person with an inner maturity that we call ‘growth trauma’. This practice, also known today as a gratitude journal, aligns with the understanding in the Risala. A person who learns gratitude through illness does not escape suffering but transforms it. Gratitude adds meaning to suffering, strengthening both a person's spiritual resilience and their connection to life.” he stated.
Post-trauma new meaning construction…
Tarhan, drawing attention to the trilogy of confrontation, acceptance, and synthesis, stated; “The 25th remedy (deva) addresses turning towards the future with hope. It emphasizes the importance of gratitude for people who see the present but cannot see the future. With the understanding that ‘The end of the grateful one concludes with peace,’ he states that gratitude is a path that carries a person to light. Gratitude represents the light on the path to reaching peace. The 17th remedy (deva), on the other hand, is about a person feeling valuable. The thought of being subject to Allah's special attention gives a person a sense of meaning. In this sense, illness becomes an occasion for drawing closer to Allah, awakening in a person the feeling of being an object of divine love. The fourth step is the synthesis stage. At this point, a person enters a process of confrontation and acceptance through reasoning. Hastalar Risalesi's trilogy of confrontation, acceptance, and synthesis allows a person to directly engage with the suffering they experience. Reaching spiritual integrity by giving meaning to suffering instead of denying or protesting it is one of the most fundamental therapeutic axes of the work in terms of individual and spiritual transformation. This approach bears resemblance to confrontation, resolution of emotional denial, and trauma work in modern psychotherapy. It provides insight to the person, enabling the recognition and resolution of emotionally suppressed feelings. It aims to develop internal harmony instead of resistance. In this respect, Hastalar Risalesi aligns with the post-traumatic new meaning construction approach. This is also known as the meaning-making process in logotherapy and meaning-centered therapies.” he said.
“Prayer is the strongest way to connect with Allah”
Tarhan, stating that prayer provides an inner transformation, said; “According to the Risale of Illness, prayer is not only a form of worship but also a multi-layered form of communication that supports a person's inner transformation and spiritual healing. In the Risala, prayers are categorized into three basic types. The first are verbal prayers (lisani dualar), which include requests for wishes, healing, and forgiveness. The second are active prayers (fiili dualar), which are prayers made through action, such as seeking treatment and relying on means. The third are prayers by the state of being (hal diliyle dualar). These are inner supplications that come from the heart in moments of helplessness and desperation, unspoken, especially the 14th remedy (deva). Furthermore, the concept of monotheistic prayer (tevhidi dua) represents the consciousness of asking solely from Allah. This enables the individual to find meaning in their existence through tawakkul (reliance on God) and submission. Illness in this respect, is an opportunity for a person to connect with Allah. In this understanding, which parallels modern psychotherapy, prayer is seen as a tool for spiritual intervention. Similar to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, logotherapy, and spiritual counseling approaches, through prayer, the individual releases resistance, moves towards acceptance, and produces inner meaning. In the Risala, prayer supports spiritual balance through dimensions of resistance, submission, tawakkul (reliance on God), and patience. It also aligns with the core concepts of positive psychology: hope, gratitude, and a sense of value. From this perspective, prayer can be regarded as both a spiritual form of therapy that meets common ground with classical therapy techniques and a deep inner tool that can be integrated into modern psychotherapy. Prayer also provides emotional release ‘catharsis’, creating a ground for the expression of suppressed emotions. This process develops ‘spiritual attachment’ in the individual. Through prayer, a person does not feel alone and establishes a meaningful connection. Because prayer is the strongest way to connect with Allah.” he said.
“Submission and reliance on God (tawakkul) are two fundamental spiritual teachings”
Tarhan, explaining the difference between the concepts of submission and reliance on God (tawakkul), concluded his words by saying; “One of the most important feelings that illness teaches a person is submission and reliance on God (tawakkul). However, although these two concepts seem similar, they actually represent different dimensions. Submission is a person surrendering themselves to divine will. In a sense, it's like trusting the airplane captain and leaning back in one's seat. One relinquishes control and submits to the process with a sense of trust. This is an emotional orientation. Tawakkul (reliance on God), on the other hand, is a step beyond submission. Here, a person appoints Allah as their trustee. Just as a lawyer represents their client, a person grants power of attorney to Allah, saying, ‘You can make decisions on my behalf.’ This is the mental dimension of trust. It is a conscious acceptance of trusting Allah. In the transformation of spiritual attitude, submission and tawakkul (reliance on God) are two fundamental spiritual teachings. From a psychotherapy perspective, these concepts correspond to a radical acceptance approach. It gives a person the ability to cope with uncertainty, make sense of destiny, and achieve inner peace. The anxiety a person experiences with an uncertainty like ‘What if the plane crashes?’ decreases with tawakkul (reliance on God) and submission. Because these two attitudes create resilience to uncertainty at the mental and emotional levels. Recognizing destiny, making sense of experiences, and accepting them with contentment leads a person not through internal struggle, but through spiritual maturation.” he concluded his words.