Prof. Nevzat Tarhan Met with Families at Sapanca Family Camp

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, met with families and young people within the scope of the “Family Camp” organized by Dost College in Sapanca. Tarhan, who held talks in 3 separate sessions, drew attention to important topics ranging from the importance of purpose, meaning, and friendship in the lives of young people, the transmission of moral values within the family, the management of feelings like spiritual development, anxiety, and obsession, to the contemporary youth's test with abundance and comfort. During the highly attended program, Tarhan also signed his books for his readers. 

The camp, held at Sapanca Cabir Deluxe Hotel, hosted various activities aimed at strengthening family communication and unity.

Within the scope of the program, three different talks were given by Prof. Nevzat Tarhan. In his talk for adults, Tarhan made striking shares on family life and relationships, while in his talk with young people, he addressed the problems faced by youth and healthy communication. Tarhan also answered questions from families and young people in a Q&A session where he responded to participants' questions.

As part of the camp, Tarhan first held a talk with young people, addressing the issues they face and healthy communication. 

The talk was moderated by Dr. Muhammed Alpkent.

“A person without purpose is like a ship without a compass”

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that the concepts of purpose, meaning, and friendship hold an important place in the life journey of young people, expressed that properly understanding these concepts is reflected in the decisions made. Tarhan said; “Purpose, meaning, friend. For a young person, these three are the three critical concepts in their life. That is, if they fill these with meaning, their decisions in life and their journey through life will be more accurate, with fewer mistakes. There are short, medium, and long-term goals. Long-term goals are generally called strategic goals. There are also concrete goals, material goals, which we call purposes. And there are abstract goals: spiritual, semantic goals. What kind of person do you want to be when you reach the end of life? How do you want to be remembered? What kind of personality, character do you want to develop? That needs to be set as a goal in purpose. A person without purpose is like a ship without a compass. An empty journey. The wind helps a person who has a purpose. If there is no purpose, the wind will not help, the wind will drag you left and right. It's the same in life's journey. When obstacles arise in life, if a person with purpose finds it suitable for their purpose, they overcome the obstacle and move on. If it's not suitable for their purpose, they pass by it towards their goal or destroy it and move on.”

How did the universe come into existence according to quantum?

Evaluating the formation of the universe through quantum physics and basic sciences, Tarhan drew attention to the stages of creation such as knowledge, calculation, mathematics, geometry, energy, matter, and life. Tarhan said; “How did the universe come into existence according to quantum? First, there must be knowledge. First, science, that is, the knowledge of the universe, the knowledge of the universe at Allah's presence. What should be second? Second, calculation. If you look at the Holy Quran, everything from beginning to end works like clockwork, precisely calculated. There is a cybernetic law, and it works according to that. The system was established from the very beginning; in quantum physics, this is called the chaos order – even in chaos, there is order. It's said there is order. Third is geometry; there is design. There is a design in everything, even in a snowflake. Fourth is energy, which means physics. First is mathematics, second is knowledge, third is mathematics, fourth is geometry, fifth is physical energy, sixth is chemical matter. After energy, Allah created matter, and then the seventh is biology, life. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran as ‘creation in 6 days,’ but this actually means creation in 6 stages.  The current sciences, all of them basic sciences, are like the explanation of this verse.” 

5 Steps: Intention, desire, purpose, need, and motivation…

Stating that intention plays an important role in shaping human behavior and setting goals, Tarhan said; “Intention determines a person's behavior and purpose. Intention awakens desire; after desire is awakened, a person sets goals; after those goals are set, needs arise; when a need arises, motivation emerges. Intention, desire, purpose, need, and motivation form five steps. If you have an intention, you need to set a goal. You need to put effort into this matter.”

After the talk with young people, Tarhan met with families.

“Risale-i Nur: A journey from mind to heart”

Tarhan, emphasizing the methods of Mawlana and Bediüzzaman Said Nursi that bring humans closer to truth and Allah, stated that Risale-i Nur offers a journey from the mind to the heart. Tarhan said; “What is Mawlana's method? He speaks of love from the heart, teaches love, and through love, brings one closer to finding Allah. Risale-i Nur takes you on a journey from the mind to the heart. The method it uses while doing this is: the method of weakness (acz), destitution (fakr), compassion (şefkat), and contemplation (tefekkür). People with high ego and arrogance cannot benefit. For instance, Bediüzzaman Hazretleri used compassion, not love. That is, to act by thinking. Hearts are under Allah's command. By Allah's command, a door opens to hearts, and the heart begins to warm.”

“Let's question our own mistakes and self-criticize”

Tarhan, drawing attention to the fact that parents should first question their own behavior and set an example in transmitting religious and moral values to children, said; “Let's question our own mistakes, let's self-criticize, but there are some things we cannot defend to children right now. There are so many people who appear Muslim but do such wrong things that we cannot explain this to children. That is, how can such religiosity be with Islam? For example, when they gain power, they use their power to pursue wealth. This is 'Wardrobe Islam.' The trustworthiness of Islam has been damaged. First, we need to check if we are making our children love Islam at home or not. If we are making them love it, let's not be afraid. Even if that child makes mistakes, goes astray, or makes errors, they will eventually return. Some children return early, some children return late. They return after paying a price, but they do return.”

“Hearts warm by Allah's command”

Tarhan, emphasizing the importance of staying away from haram (forbidden) and including spiritual sharing within the family in raising children, stated that families should try to understand their children while fulfilling their guidance role. Tarhan said; “Children should not be fed haram. Friends of Allah have a sensitivity about not eating or feeding haram. We need to pay attention to that. We will not feed our child haram. There is no need to fear that child. They may make mistakes in some way. As long as they don't make big mistakes, we should act considering that they are a child, a youth of the end times. As the Master says, 'I do it, I go, I pray in the back.' After doing our best in this way, we naturally have a duty to warn. We have to point out their mistakes and fulfill our warning duty. For example, there is something I recommend and try to do. Choose one day a week, read a book for half an hour, an hour, or two, and have a conversation within the family. In this way, you will turn the Risale-i Nur house into a madrasah of light. One day a week, on Sunday evening, get the whole family together, or take a book with morning tea, and everyone reads it. Even if they don't understand, they should read it. That, after a while, becomes a means for hearts to start warming. So do this. It also helps bring the whole family together with the children. When things like this are done, a person enters that path, and hearts warm by Allah's command.”

Following the talk with families, a question and answer session took place.

“Difficulties are a part of growth”

Stating that emotions such as guilt, anxiety, and obsession are not solely related to religious matters but are natural parts of human life that everyone can experience, Tarhan said; “Guilt, anxiety, obsession—these can be independent of religion. That is, anyone can experience them. They have a biological dimension and a psychological dimension. If there's a biological dimension, then drug treatment is necessary in such situations. The psychological dimension and the biological dimension usually occur together. In mild cases, a person can alleviate their anxiety by using the psychological dimension. If it lasts longer than three days, see a specialist; if it lasts longer than fifteen days, we generally assume medication is needed. That is, it can happen to anyone for up to three days, it comes and goes. There's no need to panic immediately. A depressive state, anxiety, feeling bad is a human condition. Humans are not mechanical beings, we are not made of wood, so we will inevitably be sad, we will be shaken. Those sorrows, fears, and difficulties are actually part of growth. What we call obsessions are all part of this perfection.”

“We prioritized a one-world mindset”

Stating that modernism has changed the meaning of fundamental values in human life, Tarhan drew attention to the displacement of the concepts of good-bad, right-wrong, and freedom-responsibility. Tarhan said; “Modernism corrupted three things. Good-bad, right-wrong, freedom-responsibility. It swapped the places of these three concepts. It changed good-bad, for example, selfishness; what is in one's interest is good, what is not in one's interest is bad, what one likes is good, what one dislikes is bad – thus changing the good-bad philosophy of life in humanity. It also changed right-wrong. For example, when we speak of thinking in two worlds, we prioritized a one-world mindset. Now, when a one-world mindset is a thought without believing in a life after death, humans... The human brain is a meaning-seeking brain, a brain prone to thinking about the end of what it does. So, we have such a brain. When it doesn't think about this, it cannot escape trouble.”

“The test of abundance is harder for current generations”

Stating that today's youth are tested with abundance and comfort instead of deprivation, Tarhan drew attention to the importance of having ideals and aiming for a meaningful goal in the face of difficulties. Tarhan said; “The test of abundance is harder for current generations; maturing in abundance is more difficult. Because there is a comfort-seeking tendency within humans. Otherwise, in deprivation, you were striving to hold on, you had an ideal, for which you were sitting and working day and night. I recall my student years; regardless of their worldview, they were idealists. Whether left, right, whatever it was, they had ideals, causes that transcended themselves. After the Cold War, this idealism ended in people. The entertainment industry also greatly encourages this. The capitalist system greatly encourages this to promote consumption. For this reason, if a person targets divine Allah's pleasure as their goal, and if they do not lose this as an ego ideal, as an abstract goal, saying 'Tomorrow we came from Allah, we will return to Allah, therefore this is my test,' then help and ease emerge from unexpected places. They solve problems more effectively, emerging stronger. Therefore, the whole point is, 'There is a way out,' so do not fall into despair.”

“Our prejudices prevent us from finding the truth”

Stating that people's prejudices make the process of searching for and finding the truth difficult, Tarhan drew attention to the fact that the tendency to believe in the sacred is inherent in human nature. Tarhan said; “Our prejudices prevent us from finding the truth. The Creator asked us this question, and our soul accepted it; there is a corresponding element in our genetic algorithm. That is, it exists in the form of a tendency to believe in the sacred. This belief in the sacred exists in every human being. Some sanctify money, some sports, humans, or affection for other things. Whatever you love most, that is your sacred. If you make your primary investment of love in the Creator of the universe, if He is at the top, all doors will open. If you invest your love in the world, the doors will close.”