Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was an extraordinary man of genuine peace, love, sincerity and brotherhood. He promoted throughout his long life of 87 years peace through dialogue, and he strongly opposed war, physical weapons and any enmity between believers. He even prohibited his students from politics and political involvement.
Noteworthy is that Bediuzzaman not only promoted dialogue, he also predicted dialogue would become the way of the future, not war and fighting:
“Also since the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition repeatedly puts forward its eloquence and beauty of expression, by allusion it says: ‘At the end of time, eloquence and beauty of expression, the most brilliant of the sciences and branches of knowledge, will be most sought after in all their varieties. Even, in order to make one another accept their ideas and carry out their word, men will find their most effective weapon in eloquent expression, and their most irresistible force in fine oratory.’ ” (from the Twentieth Word)
Peace, love, sincerity and brotherhood are the hallmarks for mankind, indeed for all life, to live and succeed in healthy harmony. When we come together with another in our social life, each of us has the choice to nurture love in honor and respect for the beautiful brotherhood that exists between us.
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi expounds on each of these topics in further detail in the Risale-i Nur Collection, his masterful works. We include here several excerpts from his masterpiece.
“The principles of Qur’anic civilization are positive. Its wheel of happiness turns on five positive principles: Its point of support is truth instead of force, and the constant mark of truth is justice and balance. Security and well-being result from these, and villainy disappears. Its aim is virtue instead of self-interest, and the mark of virtue is love and mutual attraction. Happiness results from these, and enmity disappears. Its principle in life is co-operation instead of conflict and killing, and its mark is unity and solidarity, and the community is strengthened. Its service takes the form of guidance and direction instead of lust and passion. And the mark of guidance is progress and prosperity in the way befitting humanity; The spirit is illumined and perfected in the way it requires. The way it unifies the masses repulses racialism and negative nationalism; It establishes in place of them the bonds of religion, patriotic relations, ties of class, and the brotherhood of belief. The mark of these bonds are sincere brotherhood, general well-being; defense in the case of external aggression.” – from The Words, Gleams
To be continued…