Bibliographic record and links to related information available from the Library of Congress catalog.
Note: Contents data are machine generated based on pre-publication provided by the publisher. Contents may have variations from the printed book or be incomplete or contain other coding.
Table of Contents Table of Contents 5 About the Author 6 Preface 11 The World in the Womb 17 The Inheritors of the Earth 20 On How to Find Our Path 25 Toward Tomorrow 32 The World We Long For 38 The Statue of Our Souls 43 Consultation 54 Action and Thought 69 The Hero of Thought and Action 76 The World Awaited 92 The Devout?the Architect of Our Souls 98 The Consciousness of Responsibility 105 From Chaos to Order - I 109 From Chaos to Order - II 114 The Major Cause of Our People 118 Ideal Generations 123 Determinism in the Essence of History 129 Our Philosophy of Life 134 The Generations of Hope I 143 The Generations of Hope II 147 Reunion with Ourselves 152 Index 159 About the Author Born in Erzurum, in eastern Turkey, in 1941, M. Fethullah Gulen is an Islamic scholar and thinker, and a prolific writer and poet. He was trained in the religious sciences by several celebrated Muslim scholars and spiritual masters. Gulen also studied the principles and theories of modern social and physical sciences. Based on his exceptional skills in learning and focused self-study, he soon surpassed his peers. In 1958, after attaining excellent examination results, he was awarded a state preacher?s license, and was quickly promoted to a post in Izmir, Turkey?s third largest province. It was here that Gulen started to crystallize his theme and expand his audience base. In his sermons and speeches he emphasized the pressing social issues of the times: his particular aim was to urge the younger generation to harmonize intellectual enlightenment with wise spirituality and a caring, humane activism. Gulen did not restrict himself to teaching in the inner cities. He traveled around the provinces in Anatolia and lectured not only in mosques, but also at town meetings and corner coffee houses. This enabled him to reach a more representative cross-section of the population and to attract the attention of the academic community, especially the student body. The subject matter of his speeches, whether formal or informal, was not restricted explicitly to religious questions; he also talked about education, science, Darwinism, about the economy and social justice. It was the depth and quality of his speeches on such a wide range of topics that most impressed the academic community, and won their attention and respect. Gulen retired from formal teaching duties in 1981, having inspired a whole generation of young students. His efforts, dating from the 1960s, especially in educational reform, have made him one of the best-known and respected figures in Turkey. From 1988 to 1991 he gave a series of sermons as preacher emeritus in some of the most famous mosques in major population centers, while continuing to deliver his message in the form of popular conferences, not only in Turkey, but also in Western Europe. Main Ideas In his speeches and writings Gulen envisions a twenty-first century in which we shall witness the birth of a spiritual dynamic that will revitalize long-dormant moral values; an age of tolerance, understanding, and international cooperation that will ultimately lead, through inter-cultural dialogue and a sharing of values, to a single, inclusive civilization. In the field of education, he has spearheaded the establishment of many charitable organizations to work for the welfare of the community, both within and without Turkey. He has inspired the use of mass media, notably television, to inform the public, of matters of pressing concern to them, individually and collectively. Gulen believes the road to justice for all is dependent on the provision of an adequate and appropriate universal education. Only then will there be sufficient understanding and tolerance to secure respect for the rights of others. To this end, he has, over the years, encouraged the social elite and community leaders, powerful industrialists as well as small businessmen, to support quality education. With donations from these sources, educational trusts have been able to establish many schools, both in Turkey and abroad. Gulen has stated that in the modern world the only way to get others to accept your ideas is by persuasion. He describes those who resort to force as being intellectually bankrupt; people will always demand freedom of choice in the way they run their affairs and in their expression of their spiritual and religious values. Democracy, Gulen argues, in spite of its many shortcomings, is now the only viable political system, and people should strive to modernize and consolidate democratic institutions in order to build a society where individual rights and freedoms are respected and protected, where equal opportunity for all is more than a dream. Interfaith and Intercultural Activities Since his retirement, Gulen has concentrated his efforts on establishing a dialogue among the factions representing different ideologies, cultures, religions and nations. In 1999, his paper ?The Necessity of Interfaith Dialogue? was presented to the Parliament of World?s Religions in Cape Town, December 1-8. He maintains that ?dialogue is a must? and that people, regardless of nation or political borders, have far more in common than they realize. Given all of this, Gulen considers it both worthwhile and necessary for a sincere dialogue to be established in order to increase mutual understanding. To this end, he has helped to establish the Journalists and Writers Foundation (1994), whose activities to promote dialogue and tolerance among all strata of the society have been warmly welcomed by people from almost all walks of life. Again to this end, Gulen visits and receives leading figures, not only from among the Turkish population, but from all over the world. Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, the late John O?Connor, Archbishop of New York, Leon Levy, former president of The Anti-Defamation League are among many leading representatives of world religions with whom Gulen has met to discuss dialogue and take initiatives in this respect. In Turkey, the Vatican?s Ambassador to Turkey, the Patriarch of the Turkish Orthodox Church, the Patriarch of the Turkish Armenian community, the Chief Rabbi of the Turkish Jewish community and many other leading figures in Turkey have frequently met with him, portraying an example of how sincere dialogue can be established between people of faith. In his meeting with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican (1998), Gulen presented a proposal to take firm steps to stop the conflict in the Middle East via collaborative work on this soil, a place where all three religions originated. In his proposal, he also underlined the fact that science and religion are in fact two different aspects that emanate from the same truth: ?Humankind from time to time has denied religion in the name of science and denied science in the name of religion, arguing that the two present conflicting views. All knowledge belongs to God and religion is from God. How then can the two be in conflict? To this end, our joint efforts directed at inter- religious dialogue can do much to improve understanding and tolerance among people.? Gulen released a press declaration renouncing the September 11th terrorist attacks on the USA, which he regarded as a great blow to world peace that unfairly tarnished the credit of believers: ?. . . terror can never be used in the name of Islam or for the sake of any Islamic ends. A terrorist cannot be a Muslim and a Muslim cannot be a terrorist. A Muslim can only be the representative and symbol of peace, welfare, and prosperity.? Gulen?s efforts for worldwide peace have been echoed at conferences and symposiums. ?The Peaceful Heroes Symposium? (April 11-13, 2003) at the University of Texas, Austin, produced a list of peacemakers over 5,000 years of human history. Gulen was mentioned among contemporary heroes of peace, in a list which includes names such as Jesus, Buddha, Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mother Teresa. Gulen contributes to a number of journals and magazines. He writes the editorial page for several magazines. He writes the lead article for The Fountain, Yeni Ümit, Sìzìntì, and Yaºmur, leading popular and spiritual thought magazines in Turkey. He has written more than forty books, hundreds of articles, and recorded thousands of audio and videocassettes. He has delivered innumerable speeches on many social and religious issues. Some of his books?many of which have been best-sellers in Turkey ?have been made available in English translations, such as, Prophet Muhammad: Aspects of His Life, Questions and Answers about Faith, Pearls of Wisdom, Prophet Muhammad as Commander, Essentials of the Islamic Faith, Towards the Lost Paradise, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism. A number have also been translated into German, Russian, Albanian, Japanese, Indonesian, and Spanish. The educational trusts inspired by Gulen have established countless non-profit voluntary organizations?foundations and associations?in Turkey and abroad which support many scholarships. Though a well-known public figure, Gulen has always shied away from involvement in formal politics. Gulen?s admirers include leading journalists, academics, TV personalities, politicians, and Turkish and foreign state authorities. They see in him a true innovator and unique social reformer who practices what he preaches. They see him as a peace activist, an intellectual, a religious scholar, a mentor, author and poet, a great thinker and spiritual guide who has devoted his life to seeking the solutions for society?s ills and spiritual needs. They see the movement he helped to nurture as a movement dedicated to education, but an education of the heart and soul as well as of the mind, aimed at reviving and invigorating the whole being to achieve competence and providing goods and services useful to others. Preface Those who follow Gulen?s world of ideas closely will see that what he wrote or preached 15-20 years ago and the ideas he puts forward today are in no way different nor do they conflict in essence; on the contrary, all of his works and speeches interpret one another and gradually lead toward a main idea. He has written a library full of works over the years, and all of these are focused on subjects like the tremors and collapses that the Muslim world, and in particular, the Turkish nation, have gone through, the failure to represent Islam as it should be and the reasons for this, the realization of a revival in the Muslim world, the representation of Islam, once again, on a universal scale and the basic dynamics and characteristics of the generation that will carry out this duty. When viewed from this aspect, the works of Gulen voice the same message, forming a great symphony when brought together. In my opinion, The Statue of Our Souls is a systematic and thorough expression of the ideas the author has suggested for a revival and the efforts made to realize the same. In this respect, The Statue of Our Souls is oriented to revival in thought and action and provides guidelines for?in his own words??the inheritors of the Earth.? The book first presents us with an overall view of the condition of the Muslim world, and we see that where Muslims are to be found, there exists a paradoxical life. On the one hand, there is depression and weakness?the people are approaching the edge of the abyss through ignorance and superstition?yet, on the other hand, there is an increasing turning to God and a struggle for revival almost everywhere . . . you can see people who are thirsty for the peace and security promised by Islam. The depression, which the author terms ?days of decline,? has been the continuously bleeding wound of the Muslim world over the past few centuries. Muslims, who once turned the world into ?a dimension of Paradise,? sacrificed the religion, their real source of power, to this world and they lost the perfect balance they had established between the universe, humanity, and life. In this way, they rejected the heritage of a thousand years, and tried to replace it with new, but weak building blocks that were incompatible with the primordial nature of humanity. However, it is a reality that in spite of all the traumas, depressions, and storms of the days of decline, the idea of a revival has always waited in some remote corner for the day when it will prevail. For the sake of a revival, in other words for the sake of repairing the shaken Muslim logic, of compensating for deviations, and of establishing a new and healthy life, the entire Muslim world needs to go through a ?resurrection.? This revival is one that will protect the origin of the religion within the width and universality promised by the flexible principles of Islam, a revival that will meet the needs of all classes of people and embrace all aspects of life in every time and in every place. It has been pointed out that humanity, life, and the universe should be approached from an Islamic perspective, and that it is an obligation of the Muslim societies that have pushed aside Islamic logic, thought, and concepts to be encouraged toward a renewal in all its depths. Those who undertake this heavy responsibility and who help to realize a universal change should be a new type of people. The author calls them ?the inheritors of the Earth,? and he describes them as people who reflect the spirit of the Prophet and Qur?anic morals. In a way, The Statue of Our Souls describes and analyzes this renaissance that has already begun. It is a process that can be realized when an entire nation returns to its own spiritual roots. Our nation, which has lived a revival a few times over, can prevent illnesses like ?passion, laziness, seeking fame, selfishness, worldliness, narrow-mindedness, the use of brute force? with exalted human values like ?contentedness, courage, modesty, altruism, knowledge and virtue, and the ability to think universally?; it is then that we can say a Qur?an-oriented change back to our primordial nature will have been realized. This resurrection, or great renaissance, is to be realized by the members of any nation who will completely share the same reviving spirit. In this way, a nation can take hold of its long-lost trust again, and aim to make the world a paradise-like place. The Statue of Our Souls both idealizes and voices a horizon of thought, as well as analyzing the sociological and historical obstacles that stand before the re-construction of the Muslim world. Gulen, however, never loses his faith in the nation which bears the fire of a revival deep inside and he feels connected to them through an eternal hope. It can be seen, in fact, that the central theme of this collection of Gulen?s writings is an exhortation to a determined self- improvement in his followers and amongst Muslims in general. Muslims must strive to become worthy of the promise made to us. Gulen repeatedly alludes to God?s promise to the faithful: Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (Given to Moses): ?My servants, The righteous, shall inherit the earth.?(Anbiya 21:106) Gulen echoes the great teacher Rumi in telling us not to ignore the doctrine of causes, not to sit around heedlessly waiting for God?s favor, but rather to exert ourselves endlessly in order to transform this broken world into a world of peace and justice, in accordance with the Will of God. Again, like Rumi, he points out that it is in this, our willing submission to the Will of God only that true freedom is found, that paradoxically it is this submission, and only this submission, which can free us from slavery to meaningless and ultimately destructive whim, fancy, folly, and temptation. Gulen points out to us the path to freedom and eternal life; sometimes giving us quite simple and direct instructions which can be applied in the worldly contexts in which we find ourselves, sometimes with more complicated descriptions of the spiritual delights to be found on the path and at the destination. He urges us again and again that we should, of our own free will, follow that straight path. Gulen?s work is a constant exhortation to greater effort, greater knowledge, greater self-control and restraint. He reminds us that these are the qualities for which God will reward us. He reminds us of the value of patience and tells us to think of how many times in the pages of the Qur?an we are urged to be patient and endure. He does not advocate and has never advocated the use of violence to attain political ends. ?The days of getting things done by brute force are over,? he tells us. ?In today?s enlightened world the only way to get others to accept your ideas is by persuasion and convincing argument. Those who use brute force to reach their goals are intellectually bankrupt.? He is not an ?externalist,? one who thinks that Islam can be imposed on others from without by the forceful application of shari?a. He wants the renewal of society to start from within the heart. While acknowledging the importance of law and order in society, he does not believe that virtue can be instilled by force nor that the virtuous society is built by repression. Far from it, he protests wherever freedom is restricted unnecessarily. Gulen adheres to the Qur?anic injunction that the different tribes and nations which were all made by God should learn from each other and hence does not reject all the technical, political and cultural aspects of Western modernity, such as democracy, parliamentarianism, and scientific education. Rather he advises giving such institutions an Islamic dimension and in this way avoiding both the negative effects of a wholly secularist ideology and the stagnation and fossilization of a religious society which cannot adapt to its environment. In Gulen?s eyes and in his life Islam is not the fragile, fossilized museum relic which modern secularists would like it to be. For him and for the many who agree with him it is not only vital and alive but our only way, our true connection with the Real, with the True, with the Source of our life. As such, the injunctions of God in the Qur?an and Sunna and in the cosmos must be re-examined, rebuilt, restored in every age in the light of advancing knowledge and changing states. His jihad is not the dark sinful despair and desperate struggle of extremism which sees itself as pitted against a too mighty enemy, but effort made with the calm confidence of faith, the optimism of one who believes that God has placed the desire for goodness and wholeness in human hearts, endowed them with understanding, as well as the belief that the Muslim?s task is to draw this out gently and to bring it into bloom. A major concept that occurs as a theme throughout the book is Gulen?s understanding of ?nation.? Although this concept refers particularly to the Muslim world and the Turkish nation in the context of their roles in shaping human history, as major players and representatives of global peace, there is certainly more to it than just the concept of one particular nation, especially when we look at with Gulen?s vision and his idealism of dialogue and tolerance. The great example of Prophet Muhammad in his agreement with the tribes of Madina reveals to us how we should interpret Gulen?s frequent usage of this concept. It was clearly noted in the Contract of Madina that all tribes, be they Jewish or polytheist, were to be conceived as forming a new community (ummat), as opposed to the rest of tribes that remained outside the city. Therefore, it would not be incorrect for any nation to have empathy with the approach in this book; Gulen addresses globally valid solutions for freedom and an honorable stand which any suppressed community could resort to. The motivating ethos behind Gulen?s career as clearly manifested in numerous dialogue activities and education initiatives is one of a worldwide peace which will be accomplished by the participation of all nations. Finally, as one of the most significant thinkers and activists to emerge from Turkey, indeed from the modern Muslim world, Gulen concerns himself throughout his life?s work with finding and enacting solutions that would alleviate the tremendous sense of strain, alienation, weakness, defeat, and disintegration that is felt in the Muslim world, and has been present since the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century. Unlike many other Muslim leaders, however, he neither denies reality nor turns his back on modernity, nor does he fall into bitterness, incomprehension and fury, but rather he exhorts Muslims to educate themselves, control themselves and use their own resources to regain and restore their culture, their identity and the observance of their religion. His is essentially a message of peace and hope, a message that is best conveyed in The Statue of Our Souls.
Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication:
Islamic renewal.