Speaking at the 12th program hosted by Üsküdar University, Prof. Dr. Nevzat stated that the ugly consequences of bad morals have become quite evident, saying, “Divorces are increasing, incidents of violence are multiplying, and rates of theft and crime are rising. Additionally, addiction rates and suicide cases are also increasing. All of these clearly indicate a serious global crisis and a search for solutions.”
Syrian Scholars Union Association Turkey Representative Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Abdulhadi: “According to Bediuzzaman, the world has become a village today, and this village needs a common guide. This guide is the Holy Quran.”
Şekercihan Foundation President Prof. Dr. Ruhi Yavuz: “For the past year and a half, we have been watching the human tragedy in Gaza with great sadness every day.”
Prof. Dr. Âdem Ölmez from Medeniyet University: “Bediuzzaman Hazretleri bequeathed to us a universal atlas of ideas.”
Prof. Dr. İshak Özgel from Süleyman Demirel University: “The issue is not merely despair; the real danger is to lose hope in Allah’s mercy.”
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yıldız from Fatih Sultan Mehmet University: “Bediuzzaman argues that every individual, every Muslim, can be a part of a better future.”
A commemoration program was organized by the Risale-i Nur Research Platform, Nur Foundation, Conscience of the Age Club, and Şekercihan Association, hosted by Üsküdar University, on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's passing. The panel, themed 'Khutbah al-Shamiyya and the Problems of the Islamic World,' took place in the Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall on the Main Campus.
Khutbah al-Shamiyya is a sermon delivered by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi in Damascus at the Umayyad Mosque in 1911, when he was 35 years old, at the insistence of the scholars of Damascus.
The commemoration program began with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Hafız İbrahim Yağız and a video presentation about Khutbah al-Shamiyya.
During the commemoration program, Şekercihan Foundation President Prof. Dr. Ruhi Yavuz, Syrian Scholars Union Association Turkey Representative Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Abdulhadi, and Üsküdar University Founding Rector and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan delivered opening speeches.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Bediuzzaman wanted to break the scholarly status quo of that period”
Üsküdar University Founding Rector and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who took the podium for the opening speeches, stated that they set out with the goal of reaching more people and breaking down prejudices in their minds, saying, “Because Bediuzzaman, like important figures of that era such as Imam Ghazali, Imam Rabbani, Abdul Qadir Gilani, and Rumi, tried to do something and succeeded. Bediuzzaman wanted to break the scholarly status quo of that period.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan emphasized that Bediuzzaman particularly highlighted approaching the Holy Quran with methods of reasoning during that period, and continued:
3 Manifestos from Bediuzzaman!
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Bediuzzaman is not making a revolution, he is building”
“Bediuzzaman is not making a revolution, he is building. He is trying to reform what exists. He published a manifesto regarding the scholars. He says, ‘You have slept enough for 500 years.’ 500 years roughly corresponds to the mid-1500s. We need to confront this. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent made many conquests, he was a great sultan, but he brought the Shaykh al-Islam into the Divan. He turned the Shaykh al-Islam into an official and violated the principle of separation of powers. The scholars brought along by Sultan Selim I also began to be a serious reference in this regard. Thus, the understanding that ‘You will not be accountable to the citizen, you are only accountable to Allah’ became widespread, eliminating accountability. However, what protects a person is not their good intentions, but their accountability. What protects a ruler is not their good intentions, but their accountability. This system was abolished during that period.”
“One of the biggest reasons for the collapse of the Ottoman Empire is the corruption of the judicial system”
Tarhan stated that the most important feature of the judicial system in the late Ottoman period, the then-kadıasker system, was that investigations were completely open, while trials were secret. He said, “Now, imagine, you are conducting a trial but doing it secretly. This was not a problem when the kadis were fair, but when they moved away from justice and came under the influence of power, justice was corrupted. One of the biggest reasons for the collapse of the Ottoman Empire is the decay of the kadıasker system, that is, the corruption of the legal system (in today's terms).”
“Munazarat, on the other hand, is a manifesto against the feudal system in Eastern Anatolia”
Tarhan said, “Writing a manifesto like Muhakemat for the scholars at that time was a protest manifesto showing that the scholars had abandoned reason and reduced it only to transmitted sciences. Another manifesto, Munazarat, is a manifesto against the feudal system in Eastern Anatolia.” He continued, “When you read Munazarat, you will see that its main idea is related to the wrongness of despotism, the wrongness of the aghalik (chieftainship) system, and the wrongness of the social structure. In other words, he tried to abandon the understanding of 'Obey theagha and be at peace', 'Obey the sheikh and be at peace'. There is a prescription for this in Munazarat. If there is no mental transformation, there will be no social transformation. If there is no social transformation, there will be no economic, political transformation. A holistic transformation definitely requires mental transformation.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that the third manifesto was Khutbah al-Sham, adding, “This is a manifesto against the backwardness of the Islamic world.”
“Today, the most important security problem is the family crisis”
Tarhan stated that the ugly consequences of bad morals have become quite evident, saying, “As we observe, divorces are increasing, incidents of violence are multiplying, and rates of theft and crime are rising. Additionally, addiction rates and suicide cases are also increasing. All of these clearly indicate a serious global crisis and a search for solutions. In Turkey, the out-of-wedlock birth rate is currently at 2.6%. However, in Northern European countries, this rate is over 50%. In Ireland, it is 69%, meaning 69 out of every 100 births occur out of wedlock. In Sweden and Norway, this rate is 56-59%, in France 59%, and in Germany it varies between 40-46%. These statistics show that if we do not take the necessary precautions, we could face a similar situation in 20-30 years. Today, the most important security problem is the family crisis. The deterioration of the family structure paves the way for the spread of bad morals, and its ugly consequences are becoming increasingly visible. Therefore, it is a great necessity to work towards spreading good morals against the negativities caused by bad morals.”
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Abdulhadi: “The world has become a village today, and this village needs a common guide”
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Abdulhadi, Turkey Representative of the Syrian Scholars Union Association, said, “I was born and raised in Syria, and completed my high school education there. However, due to the oppression of the cruel regime, I had to leave Syria, and since that day, I have not been able to return to my country for 45 years. To speak of Bediuzzaman Hazretleri is actually to speak of Islam and the general situation of the Islamic world. His ideas help to correctly analyze the current state and difficulties of the Islamic world.”
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Abdulhadi noted that Bediuzzaman went to Damascus after witnessing the last periods of the Ottoman Empire and in his Friday sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, he invited Muslims, especially the Arab world, to protect the center of the caliphate. He stated, “The war against Islam has been very great and harsh. Against these attacks, Bediuzzaman Hazretleri began to respond by developing a comprehensive method. He based this method directly on the Holy Quran. The reason for this is that the Quran is not a human source, but a constant and sublime guide. According to Bediuzzaman, the world has become a village today, and this village needs a common guide. This guide is the Holy Quran.”
Fundamental issues facing the Islamic world
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Abdulhadi explained that Bediuzzaman, in Khutbah al-Shamiyya, drew attention to the fundamental issues facing the Islamic world and offered solutions from the 'pharmacy' of the Holy Quran. He said, “He listed the reasons for the backwardness of the Islamic world. At the top of these ailments is despair. He emphasized that we must trust in Allah’s mercy, power, and strength. Here, I particularly want to state that the collapse of the cruel regime that has long existed in Syria is not due to our efforts, but entirely to Allah’s power.”
He then stated that Western civilization is now entering a period of decline. Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Abdulhadi continued, “Today, there is a universally agreed-upon truth: Islamic civilization is on the rise and will soon guide all humanity. No human ideology remains constant on Earth; all are subject to change. However, the Holy Quran is an exception to this. Because it descended from a divine source and is eternal. Those who wage war against Islam will never succeed. Because Islam is in harmony with human nature, and Allah’s laws do not change. This is why, while human philosophies and systems collapse one by one, Islam will always continue to be a guide for humanity.”
Prof. Dr. Ruhi Yavuz: “We are watching the human tragedy in Gaza with great sadness every day”
Şekercihan Foundation President Prof. Dr. Ruhi Yavuz said, “As Bediuzzaman Said Nursi Hazretleri expressed, we deeply feel the horror of the material and spiritual turmoil, especially the spiritual crises, experienced in this ‘age of ruin and disaster.’ Social ruptures and changes are happening so rapidly in the world that it is impossible to even keep up with this noise. The brutality and oppression of the modern age, just like the inquisition methods of the past, have been displayed in many regions for years. Especially for the past year and a half, we have been watching the human tragedy in Gaza with great sadness every day. Similarly, in many Islamic countries, similar cruelties continue with all their horror. But the most painful thing is that the Islamic world remains silent and passive in the face of these cruelties. This situation leaves deep wounds in all our hearts.”
Prof. Dr. Ruhi Yavuz stated that the oppression of the regime in Syria ended approximately three and a half months ago, on December 7, 2024. He added, “This development inevitably drew the attention of world public opinion to the revolution in Syria. Hopefully, a new era has begun in Syria.”
'Khutbah al-Shamiyya and the Problems of the Islamic World' panel held
Following the opening speeches, the panel titled 'Khutbah al-Shamiyya and the Problems of the Islamic World' commenced. Prof. Dr. Âdem Ölmez from Medeniyet University, who moderated the panel, also delivered a presentation titled "Evaluation of Khutbah al-Shamiyya within its Place and Time Framework," while Prof. Dr. İshak Özgel from Süleyman Demirel University discussed "Quranic References to the Main Themes in Khutbah al-Shamiyya." Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yıldız from Fatih Sultan Mehmet University gave a speech titled "An Address to the Ummah: Reconnecting Faith with Morality."
“Bediuzzaman Hazretleri bequeathed to us a universal atlas of ideas”
Prof. Dr. Âdem Ölmez said, “As is known, Bediuzzaman Hazretleri passed away into the Mercy of the Most Merciful 65 years ago, on the night connecting the 22nd to the 23rd of the month. However, he left behind a large community that today has a broad impact worldwide, discussing fundamental intellectual topics on certain days of the week and debating ideas on humanity’s fundamental issues. Bediuzzaman Hazretleri bequeathed to us a universal atlas of ideas.”
“The issue is not merely despair”
Prof. Dr. İshak Özgel said, “114 years ago, while delivering a Friday sermon before a large congregation, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi Hazretleri began his words as follows: ‘All praises, glorifications, salutations, blessings, and pure words uttered by the states of all creatures be upon Allah Almighty, our Creator, for He commanded us: ‘Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy.’ And may prayers and peace be upon that noble Prophet, who also said to us: ‘I was sent to perfect good character.’ The verses and hadiths chosen in a sermon are extremely important. This shows that Bediuzzaman deeply grasped the essence of the Quran and its spirit in change and transformation. He addressed the issue precisely from its most critical, focal point. We call this merely despair, but in fact, this is an incomplete definition. Because the issue is not merely despair; the real danger is to lose hope in Allah’s mercy.”
“Bediuzzaman argues that every individual, every Muslim, can be a part of a better future”
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yıldız said, “Bediuzzaman Said Nursi emphasized that good and evil ceased to be individual and became collective. He stated, ‘If you do something good, you actually show what is good for us too,’ indicating that societal transformation is possible through the efforts of individuals. Today, we face similar problems. As Prof. İshak also stated: ‘Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy.’ Because the real question is: Why should the world be a world of progress for some societies, while it is a world of decline for us? Many people in today’s world believe that a worsening future is inevitable. There is a belief that achieving a better world can only be possible if extraordinary individuals intervene in history. For example, Muslims await the Mahdi, while Christians and Jews await the Messiah. This expectation lies at the core of many contemporary discussions. Bediuzzaman argues that every individual, every Muslim, can be a part of a better future.”
Participants gathered for an iftar dinner…
The program, broadcast live on Üsküdar University YouTube channel, concluded after a group photo session.
As part of the program held for the 65th Anniversary of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's Passing, participants gathered for an iftar dinner.