*Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hj. Fadhlullah Jamil is presently teaching in the History Section, School of Distance Education,

University Science Malaysia, Penang.

1

Badiuzzaman Sa'id Nursi; His Influence and Impact upon the Malay World: An Overview

Associate Professor Dr. Hj. Fadhlullah b. Jamil*

[University Science Malaysia (USM)] Introduction: The Islamic world till today has often experienced the onslaught of various forms of distortion or pollution. Foremost in this distortion takes place in the form of ideology, moral degradation, injustices and encroachment upon the purity of the Islamic faith as al-Din (a way of life). Unfortunately, we have to mention here that the West has been in the forefront of various acts of mischief, that is, launching overt or even covert operations, in their attempts to deride Islam and demonising it as a tyrannical, uncouth, uncivilised and an outdated religion as well as a terrorist system of life. As a part of this onslaught, Western materialist culture has been sown widely in the fabric of the Muslim societies all over the world. At the same time, the practice of jahili culture and blind imitation of the West have become something common within Muslim societies stretching from Morocco to Indonesia. However, every time a distortion or destruction of the Islamic faith had taken place, Allah, the true Creator and Master of the whole universe, with all His Power and Mercy caused to rise an individual or groups of religiously charismatic and august personalities to carry out tajdid (reform) and islah (purify or correct) of the Muslim ummah so that it would be back on the straight path. In this connection, it should be remembered that tajdid does not mean to launch a reform away from Islam or to create something new, but rather to rid Islam of all impurities that had crept into the Muslim society and uphold once again the teachings of pristine Islam based on al-Qur’an and sunnah Rasulullah s.a.w. Meanwhile, islah simply means to purify or correct societal belief and practices so that they are in line with true Islam whenever some transgressions have taken place through human intervention. Hence, both of these processes involved the act of bringing back or reverting the Muslim ummah towards the correct path guided by Allah, the Almighty. From that stage, then the mujaddid and muslih guided by Islamic principles move forward to build the Muslim society and develop it on a sound basis based on Islam. Regarding the phenomenon of tajdid and islah, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. had truthfully testified in his famous hadith: “Verily, Allah the Almighty shall give rise for this ummah (community) at the beginning of each century a mujaddid who shall bring about the purification (revival) of their faith”. (Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Hakim).1

1 Abul A’la Maududi, A Short History of the Revivalist Movement in Islam, Islamic Publications Ltd., Lahore, 1979,

pp. 48.

2

In accordance with this testimony, we have seen the rise of great figures such as Khalifah ‘Umar b. ‘Abdul ‘Aziz, Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik b. Anas, Imam Muhammad b. Idris as-Shafi ‘i, Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal (the founders of the four Sunni Mazhabs), Imam al-Ghazali, Ibn Taimiyyah and so forth.2 Such personalities had indeed contributed a great deal to the development of the Muslim ummah of their respective time. In the same tradition, we have also noticed the rise of a number of mujaddidun in Modern Times. Among them were Shaikh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahhab, Sayyid Muhammad ‘Ali as-Sanusi, Shaikh Hasan al-Banna, Sayyid Qutb, Maulana Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi and Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi. Subsequently, we shall deal with the subject of this paper, namely the life and the influence as well as the impact of Sa‘id Nursi’s thoughts on the Malays of Nusantara (Malay world). The Last Days of the Ottoman Empire: By late 18th century, the whole of the Muslim world was in great decline. There was widespread decay and stagnancy in term of political power and intellectual development. The core to the whole problem was due to religious decay, that is, the failure of the Muslims in general to observe a truly Islamic way of life. The3 teachings of Islam had been distorted and misrepresented by most of the ulama who had succumbed to pseudo practise of Sufism (tasawwuf) and worldly pleasures under the influence of corrupted and wicked Muslim rulers of the time. Hence, we have the widespread of taqlid (blind imitation), the adoption of bid ‘ah (innovation) in term of ‘aqidah (creed) and ibadat (performance of rituals), the adoption of tahayyul and khurafat (superstitions) as a result of foreign influence and sheer love of the world. Clearly, the Muslims in general had been infected by what can be termed as wahn, that is, hubb ud-dunya wa qarahiyat ul –maut (love of the world and the fear of death) as described by Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. in his famous hadith. This means that the Muslims simply want to relax and to attain the pleasures of life (that is, to acquire ease and luxurious life) without caring for the Truth, halal (what is legal and permissible in Islam) and haram (what is illegal and therefore forbidden in Islam) and at the same time, refuse to make any sacrifices for the pleasure of Allah even to the extent of having to die (in the right cause) in exchange for al-jannah (heavens) as Allah had promised. In other words, the Muslims had become materialistic in outlook and actions and only wanting to attain short term success in this world without caring whatsoever for a lasting success that Allah had in store for them on condition they worship Him alone and make sacrifices for Him. The Ottoman Empire which had once been a great empire had sharply declined. It had lost its lustre. It had sunk into deep decay, religiously, politically, militarily as well as intellectually. In this regard, al-Marhum Sayyid Abul Hasan ‘Ali an-Nadwi (rahmatullah ‘alaih), a great ‘alim from

2 Ibid., pp. 48 – 49.

3

India, had said, “But, to their misfortune, and to the misfortune of the whole Islamic world, the Turks gave themselves up to the temptations of ease and luxury, their morals deteriorated and their rulers grew tyrannical. Internecine feuds and dissensions put in their sinister appearance, and provincial governors and generals of the army turned corrupt and disloyal”. “The greatest error the Ottomans made was that they allowed their minds to become static (jumud). In the sphere of warfare and military organisation, they utterly ignored the Divine injunction, enjoining on them to keep their strength ready to the utmost of their power to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies, and allowed their magnificent fighting machine to rust and decay.” Again, the advice of the Prophet that “Wisdom is the lost property of a Muslim; wherever he finds it, it is his, failed to influence them any more”. Placed as they were in the midst of the hostile nations of Europe, it was expected that they would permanently keep before the wise advice that ‘Amr b. Al-‘As had given to the Egyptians, viz., “Don’t forget that you are eternally in danger. You are standing in an outpost of vital importance. Therefore be always vigilant and ready with your arms. You are surrounded by enemies whose covetous eyes are on you and your country”. But, the Ottomans became complacent. While European nations went on making rapid progress, the Turks remained where they were”.4 It was against this background that we have the implementation of reform program by the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century. However, they concentrated more on administrative and military changes. This initial program was continued by Sultan Selim III (1789 – 1807) and his successor Mahmud II (1808 – 1839). The sultans only concentrated in bringing about changes in the military and administrative fields more than anything else. In fact, it was the series of defeat at the hands of the Russians and Austrians (Hapsburg Empire) that prompted the sultans to make their reformation. They did not realise that what the empire really needed was an overall reform under the guidance of Islamic principles. Subsequently, more reforms were made during the era of the Tanzimat or Reorganisation (1839 – 1876). But like before, these reforms were made based on French mode of development, thus ushering secularism into the empire.5 With this development, the influence of Islam began to be marginalised and soon replaced by Western model of development, especially in the big cities. Under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successors, secularism became the main ideology of the Turkish republic. However, as Islamic way of life was being threatened, there arose Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi to carry out tajdid (reform or purification of faith) and islah (correction of practices) by way of da’wah and education.

4 Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Islam and the World, (trans. By Dr. Mohammad Asif Kidwai), Academy of Islamic Research

& Publications, Lucknow, 1973, pp. 105 – 106. 5 See Bernard Lewis, The Emergence of Modern Turkey, 2

nd Edition, Oxford Paperbacks, Royal Institute of

International Affirs, Oxford University Press, London, 1968, pp. 74 – 128 and 129 – 174.

4

Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi: The Early Period Sa ‘id Nursi was born in 1873 in the village of Nurs, in the province of Bitlis, Eastern Turkey.6 He belonged to a Kurdish family of deeply religious orientation and humble origin.7 Since his early childhood, he had displayed himself to be a very intelligent person. For example, within a short span of time, he had memorized al-Qur’an, became proficient in fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), the art of oratory, logic, dialectic, rhetoric and theology. He even memorized a number of Arabic dictionaries, and classical texts relating to theology and Islamic Jurisprudence. At the age of 16, he was able to master al-Qur’an and Islamic Law. His extraordinary intelligence and learning caused the envy of some ulama in the surrounding towns of eastern Turkey. Thus, it led to a number of munazirat (debates). He won each of the debates. But, his proud manner in facing his opponents caused him to be chased out of each town after every debate had ended. Nonetheless, the ulama of Eastern Turkey in appreciation of his ability soon gave him the title of “Badi ‘uzzman” (A Wonder of Time), a name which stuck to him ever since.8 In 1892, Sa ‘id Nursi began to learn Sufism from various Sufi Shaikhs in Bitlis. 2 years later, he returned to Van at the invitation of Hasan Pasha, the governor of the province. While there, for some 15 years, he spent his time in teaching, preaching and carrying out social reforms.9 At this time, he did much to pacify local tribesmen and to establish government authority in tribal areas by persuading tribal chiefs to submit to the government.10 Nonetheless, he spent most of his time in reading and mediation and other forms of worship as commonly found among Sufi enthusiasts. At this time too, he took the opportunity to study modern sciences. For example, he studied books on history, geography, mathematics, physic, chemistry, astronomy and philosophy.11 With a strong memory, he managed to master all these sciences in a short span of time. In fact, he even wrote a book on Algebra which unfortunately had been destroyed in a fire.12 The Thoughts of Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi As a thinker and architect of Islamic movement in modern Turkey, Ustaz Sa ‘id Nursi had not establish an Islamic movement like the Ikhwan al-Muslimin (Muslim Brotherhood) of Egypt or the Jama ‘at-e Islami of Indo-Pakistan region. His writing, mainly the Risale –i Nur (Arabic, Rasail an-Nur) did not discuss a political or economic programme for social change. But, his

6 Sukran Vahide, Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi: The Author of Risale-I Nur, Sozler Nesriyat San, Istanbul, 1992,

(reprinted 2004), pp.3. 7 Ibid.

8 Sarwat Saulat, Said Nursi, International Islamic Publishers, Karachi, 1981, pp. 8.

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

11 Ibid., pp.9.

12 Ibid.

5

contribution towards the building of Islamic personality, Islamic vision and Islamic awakening in Turkey has been enormous and colossal.13 Said Nursi shared the vision of other Muslim reformers and activists in the establishment of an Islamic community on the pattern of the early Islamic society of Madinah.14 Nevertheless, his approach to social change was very much different. In his early days, which he called the life of the Eski Sa ‘id (Old Sa ‘id), he had obvious political inclinations. For instance, he did support the struggle of the Ittihad ve Terakki Jamiyeti (Society of Union and Progress or commonly known as the Young Turks) on constitutional reforms.15 But, his involvement in politics was always to make politics serve religion (Islam) and not for seeking political ends such as power, prestige or position. 16 He soon abandoned CUP or the Young Turks when it became obvious that they were struggling to establish a secular form of government and were also involved with the Freemasons.17 Later, when he called himself Yeni Sa ‘id (New Sa‘id), he indirectly supported Adnan Menderes, the Prime Minister from the Democrat Party, in his political programme.18 However, in his works, namely Risale –i Nur, consisting of 130 parts or sections dealing with important Qur’anic themes, he avoids any discussion on political or economic issues of the day.19 In my opinion, he had done so as he viewed the most pressing problem of the day was more of a question of belief (aqidah) rather than anything else that had plagued the Turkish society. Even then, when he was talking and writing about the need to correct the faith of the people, whenever he had the opportunity to meet his youthful supporters, he still harnessed their views towards upholding Islamic principles.20 This in my estimation is again a political act though it had been expressed in an indirectly way. So, it is not entirely correct as what Yazari and Anis Ahmad had expressed that Sa ‘id Nursi was apolitical towards the end of his life.21 Sa ‘id Nursi had seen very clearly that the biggest enemy for contemporary Muslims was from within the society itself. For example, he said: “My suffering, my only suffering, is from the danger which Islam is facing. To resist these dangers was easy in the past, for they were coming from outside, but today they are inside. Since the rottenness has crept into the body, it has become difficult to struggle against them. I am afraid that the structure of the body will be unable to endure by misinterpreting and

13 Makale Yazari and Anis Ahmad, “Badi ‘uzzaman Said Nursi: His Impact on Contemporary Islamic Thinking”,

http://www.bediuzzamansaidnursi.org/en/icerik/ustaz-bediuzzaman-said-nursi-his-impact-contemporary-islamic-thinking, pp.1. 14

Ibid. 15

Sukran Vahide, Op. Cit., pp.53 – 54. 16

Ibid., pp. 53. 17

Ibid., pp.55. 18

Makale Yazari, pp.1. 19

Ibid. 20

To uphold Islamic principles in life also means that one has to establish his political will to set up an Islamic way of life within the society. The logical conclusion to this of course one has to have power in order to establish an Islamic form of government. Without power, one can do nothing. 21

Makale Yazari, Op. Cit.

6

assuming the most dangerous enemy to be a friend. The stronghold of faith will be in danger if the society lacks foresight to such an extent. This is what makes me suffer”.22 Sa ‘id Nursi also added, “The world is going through a moral crisis. A pestilential disease has been born in Western society, whose moral foundations has been shaken and it will spread all over the world in the course of time. By what means will Muslim society oppose this contagious evil? I see the leaders are negligent. The fortress of the Faith cannot be supported by decayed columns of infidelity. I have, therefore, concentrated all my efforts on the cause of the Faith, emphasizing the inner life. Moral existence, conscience, and belief system of the nations based only on the oneness of God and other principles of the Faith shown by the Qur’an make up the foundation stone of Islam.”23 Hence, it is apparent that the immediate concern of Ustaz Sa ‘id Nursi was to kindle the fire of iman in the hearts of the younger generation who were dangerously exposed to the evil of secularism and atheism. Like all contemporary Islamic movements, Sa ‘id Nursi’s work was to purify the faith. Similar to the struggle of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahhab, as-Shahid Hasan al-Banna, al-Shahid Sayyid Qutb and Maulana Abul A’la Maududi, his mission was to purify the Faith, that is, on the basis of al-Qur’an and Sunnah, and also to return to the model Islamic behaviour and personality of the early Muslim community in Madinah al-Munawwarah.24 However, Sa ‘id Nursi did not ignore other aspects of Islam when he discussed about Islam and the Muslims in general. While dealing with the question of faith, Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi tried to set up a new structure of ‘ilm al-kalam (theology). Instead of following the old logic and methodology of kalam, he developed a series of simple and direct arguments based on his own study of al-Qur’an and Hadith.25 He wanted the Muslims to acquire the true faith by understanding the main sources of Islam, that is, al-Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet s.a.w. Sa ‘id Nursi was knowledgeable in the field of Ilm al-Kalam and he had read the works of Sunni Mutakallimun (Theologians), namely Abu Hasan al-Sha ‘ari, al-Jurjani, al-Taftazani and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi.26 Sa ‘id Nursi respected the Mutakallimun for their contribution and role in explaining the knowledge of faith by using their special methods as opposed to the to the methods used by the Sufis and al-Qur ‘an. He also held a positive view on the Kalam and the Mutakallimun.27 However, he argued that the Qur’anic method is the most excellent in explaining and defending the knowledge of faith as compared to the methods used by the Sufis

22 See the statement of Sa ‘id Nursi in Istanbul, 1952, quoted in Anonymous, Badee –uz-Zaman Said Nursi of

Turkey, Maryland,U.S.A., Talaba an-Noor, 1974, pp. 66 - 67. 23

Ibid., pp. 68. 24

Makale Yazari, Op. Cit., pp. 2. 25

Ibid., pp.3. 26

Dr. Ibrahim Abu Bakar, “Bedi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi and the Kalam”, Hamdard Islamicus, vol.XXVII, no. 3, pp. 40. 27

Ibid.

7

and Mutakallimun.28 In this connection, Sa ‘id Nursi is correct in holding such views as no human reason can be compared with the vast knowledge and supreme power of Allah, the Almighty. Nevertheless, Sa ‘id Nursi as we have pointed out above invented a new structure of Kalam by using evidences from al-Qur’an and hadith to argue his case and not old logic and methods to explain the question of faith as the Mutakallimun had done in the past. At the same time, he used science (scientific phenomenon and so forth) to support his arguments in explaining about faith and its relationship to life. It should be noted that Sa ‘id Nursi was not a mere fanatic. On the contrary, he adhered to reason and said that the door of ijtihad was still opened.29 Nonetheless, he argued that it required certain conditions which should be fulfilled before making any change in Islamic law. 30 In other words, he was making the same point as the majority of the ulama who argued that only the ulama with their vast and sound knowledge have the capacity to exercise ijtihad as permitted by Islam. Sa ‘id Nursi also had concentrated much of his efforts on the establishment Islamic form of education. He believed that only through da ‘wah (Islamic call) and tarbiyyah (education) that changes can be made within the Muslim society for a better and happy future. Hence, he tried to develop an Islamic method of da ‘wah and tarbiyyah at his own madrasah, the Horhor Madrasah at Van.31 At this madrasah, he taught his students both subjects in religious sciences and modern sciences. His efforts had brought about positive results, that is, in strengthening the understanding and intellectual developments of the students. Through his teaching, they began to see the connection between science and religion, that is, Islam. At the same time, their faith became stronger. Sa ‘id Nursi believed that by such an approach, Muslims could master both the spheres of knowledge and this would certainly ensure their survival in the future.32 Sa ‘id Nursi also took the opportunity to establish his own university in the region of eastern Anatolia. He did this in order to implement an integrated system of education that he had envisaged for the benefit of all Muslims. This university which he called Medreset uz-Zehra (Arabic, Madrasah az-Zahrah) was fashioned after the great University al-Azhar of Cairo, Egypt.33 The basis of Sa ‘id Nursi’s da ‘wah and educational system and his other ideas was based solidly on Tawhid (the belief in the Oneness of God) and the need to protect that faith in the face of widespread ignorance among the Muslims and the threat of atheism as well as secularism promoted by the West.

28 Ibid.

29 Sarwat Saulat, Said Nursi, International Islamic Publishers, Karachi, Pakistan, 1981, pp. 25.

30 Ibid.

31 Sukran Vahide, Op. Cit., pp. 25 and Mohammad Zaidin b. Mat, Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi: Sejarah Perjuangan

dan Pemikiran, Malita Jaya Publisher, Shah Alam, 2001, pp. 20. 32

Muhammad Zaidin, Ibid. 33

Sukran Vahide, Op. Cit., 26.

8

Sa ‘id Nursi planned to build his madrasah with its main headquarters at Bitlis and two other branches at Van and Diyarbakir.34 The curriculum of this madrasah as he had suggested should combine between religious sciences and modern sciences, that is, physical and natural sciences. At the same time, the madrasah would use three languages as its medium of instruction, that is, Arabic, Turkish and Kurdish languages.35 However, Arabic, the language of al-Qur’an, would be its main language of teaching and learning.36 Through this madrasah also it was hoped that the three main antagonized participants in the field of education in the Muslim society could be integrated, namely Ahlul Mekteb (modern educated group), Ahlul Madrasah (religious educated group) and Ahlul Tekke (those who practice Sufism).37 Through this arrangement, it is hoped that the relationship between the three groups could be harmonized, thus bringing about peace, unity and development not only to Turkey, but also to the rest of the Muslim world. Nonetheless, he stressed that the teachers should be selected from those Kurds who were educated and trusted by the Turks or those persons who could understand the local language.38 Probably, this suggestion was made by Sa ‘id Nursi, in order to overcome prejudices and bias that existed among Muslims in the Ottoman Empire at that time. He also recommended that studies should be made to identify the ability of the students so that teaching could be given to produce really maximum good result. Further, he recommended for specialization among the students, that is, each student should concentrate on one particular subject based on his aptitude and in addition study other subjects which complement it.39 Hence, what he meant was that the madrasah should provide a multi-disciplinary programme of study. Besides this, he had also recommended that those students who were successful in their studies from this modern madrasah should also be given equal opportunity as enjoyed by students of other institutions. Sa ‘id Nursi tried to get government’s support for his great educational programme. He went twice to Istanbul, that is, in 1896 and 1907. But, he failed on both occasions. Firstly, he could not get the support of Sultan ‘Abdul Hamid II as he had antagonized the sultan when he criticized the despotic policy of the sultan. Besides this, the ruler himself was not in the position to approve the project as he was preoccupied with the scheme to oppose the imperial design of the Great Powers headed by Britain upon his own empire. Later, in 1907, the project was approved by the Young Turks regime and some money had been allocated for building the university. However, unfortunately, the First World War broke out and thus the project was postponed indefinitely.40 Otherwise, it would have been interesting to see how the programme

34 Mohammad Zaidin, Op. Cit.

35 He had chosen the three languages as the medium of instruction as they happened to be the spoken languages

of the three major ethnic groups in the Ottoman Empire, that is, Turks, Arabs and Kurds. 36

Hamid Algar, “Said Nursi and the Risala-I Nur: An Aspect of Islam in Contemporary Turkey”, in Khurshid Ahmad and Zafar Ishaq Ansari (ewds.), Islamic Perspectives: Studies in Honour of Mawlana Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi, Islamic Foundations, U.K., in association with Saudi Publishing House, Jeddah, Leicester, 1979, pp. 315. 37

Ibid. 38

Mohammad Zaidin, Op. Cit. 39

Ibid. and Sukran Vahide, Op. Cit., pp. 45. 40

Hamid Algar, Op. Cit., pp. 317.

9

materialise and bring about harmony among the three different groups within the Muslim society as well as to promote Islamic renaissance in Modern Times. Whatever is the case, Muslims of today should emulate the educational programme of Ustaz Sa ‘id Nursi if they want to develop and attain real happiness in this world and the Hereafter. In term of da’wah, in his early years, Sa ‘id Nursi had resorted to debates and strong arguments much to the displeasure of his opponents. But, later, he shifted more to persuasive and yet firm arguments through his writings. The most famous of his work is the tafsir, Rasail i-Nur which opened the minds and hearts of the intellectuals in Turkey to this day. In fact, his message which stresses on Tawhid and at the same time has shown the relationship between science and the religion of Islam in a harmonious way has spread to other parts of the Muslim world and even Europe and the United States of America. Through his writings, Sa ‘id Nursi had exposed the fallacies of nationalism and secularism, both the products of the decadence Western society.41 Sa ‘id Nursi defended Islam ferociously and managed to rekindle the love for Islam after it had been trampled by atheism and secularism brought about by the secular elite within the modern Turkish society. Importantly, he never at any time denied the link between religion (Islam) and science, both physical and natural, right to the time of his death. This has made him somewhat special when we compared his life to some other Muslim thinkers such as Shaikh Hasan al-Banna of Egypt and Maududi of Pakistan. Regarding Muslim unity, Sa ‘id Nursi did not ignore the issue, even though he had been busy facing other problems like the threat of secularism, atheism, nationalism and Western intervention in the Muslim society. For example, in 1911, at the earliest stage, he had emphasized on the need of unity among the Muslims when he gave a lecture at the famous Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. In the khutbah (sermon) entitled, al-Khutbah as-Shamiyyah which was delivered in Arabic in front of 10,000 people and some famous ulama, he had argued that among others the Muslims need to preserve unity and uphold ukhuwwah (brotherhood) among them in order to be strong and to overcome Western imperialism.42 While talking about the weakness of the Muslims and the need for unity, he had quoted in support of his argument from al-Qur’an and Hadith. At the same time, while talking about matters concerned, he was in fact charting out the future for the Muslim ummah. He pointed out that “the future shall be Islam’s and Islam’s alone and the truths of al-Qur’an and belief shall be sovereign”.43 The premises of his arguments are that “the truths of Islam are able to progress both materially and in moral and non-material matters, and possess a perfect capacity to do so”.44 It is also interesting to note that in presenting his arguments throughout the

41 Sukran Vahide, Op. Cit., pp. 64, 66, 110 & 111 and 331.

42 Mohammad Zaidin, Op. Cit., pp. 46 and Sukran Vahide,Ibid., pp. 96 – 97.

43 Sukran Vahide, Ibid., pp.97.

44 Quoted by Sukran Vahide, pp. 97 from al-Khutbah as-Shamiye, pp. 18.

10

sermon, the great ‘alim (Muslim scholar) had used historical events such as the victory of the Japanese army over the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, and the opinion of Thomas Carlyle, a famous Scottish philosopher as well as the Prussian politician, Count Bismarck. Clearly, he was well informed about the world he was living in. Well, this should be the mind and posture of a true ‘alim. While talking about unity, he also pointed out that it was despotism practiced by the Muslim rulers of that time, including their opposition to Shari ‘ah as the supreme law, had hindered progress among the Muslims.45 Such observation is true even to this day. Sa’id Nursi also pointed out that in contradiction to other religions, Islam has the capacity to progress.46 He further asserted that “it contains within it everything necessary to achieve true civilization.”47 In his submission towards the end of the khutbah, Sa ‘id Nursi said that Islamic supremacy will be won through the material and technological progress achieved through the unity and cooperation of all different components , that is, the groups and peoples, that make up the Islamic world.48 Then in 1925, despite being a Kurd himself, Sa ‘id Nursi opposed vehemently the Kurdish Rebellion led by Sheikh Sa ‘id of Palu, a syeikh of the Naqshabandi Sufi Order.49 The revolt was proclaimed by Sheikh Sa ‘id in opposition to the secular and atheistic policy of Mustafa Kamal (later Ataturk).50 Sa ‘id Nursi himself did not want to see the shedding of Muslim blood in the quarrel that developed between the secular regime and the supporters of the Sufi sheikh. Sa ‘id Nursi was all the while in favour of Muslim unity and the safety of Muslims in Turkey, hence he opposed the rebellion as it would jeopardize Muslim unity and strengthened Western imperialist design upon the new republic. Despite that he was arrested and accused of being a leader of the Kurdish revolt. Nonetheless, the court could not persecute him as there was no evident to prove his involvement in the revolt. The truth is they feared his teaching and his opposition to secularism and atheistic trends of the Turkish republic of Mustafa Kemal. Concerning the issue of freedom, Sa ‘id Nursi had dealt with it since his involvement in the Ottoman politics and even later in the days of the Turkish republic. For example, he had opposed the despotic policy of Sultan ‘Abdul Hamid II, even though he supported the pan-Islamic programme of the sultan. In this connection, he supported the struggle for constitutional rule in the Ottoman Empire and hence the people should be given the choice to get involve in decision-making through the parliament. But, he opposed Westernisation adopted by the government of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) as he was a partisan

45Ibid., pp. 100.

46 Ibid., pp. 98.

47 Ibid.

48 Ibid., pp. 104.

49 Ibid., pp. 191.

50 Ibid.

11

for democracy based on Islamic principles.51 He had made his views on this issue very clear on several occasions when he gave speeches and even wrote about it in several newspapers to explain his stand. Regarding politics, Sa ‘id Nursi’s fundamental ideas were that all the community should participate in the political process and that the government should reflect the nation’s will and that the government based on these principles was enjoined by Islam.52 Following the proclamation of the Constitution of 1876, Badi ‘uzzaman had to make much efforts to address the ordinary people, especially his fellow Kurds, who had been subject to negative propaganda concerning the Constitution and were deeply suspicious of it, in order to explain to them its meaning, and their own rights and responsibilities towards it.53 He called upon them to adhere to Islam and its morality in the new era. He explained with the advent of freedom the Ottoman nation had been given the opportunity to progress and establish true civilization as in the past, but this would only be attained if they make the Shari ‘at the foundation of Freedom.54 Hence for Sa ‘id Nursi, Freedom can only be achieved through Islam as opposed to despotism. At the same time, Freedom for him also involved “unity and love of nation… “.55 Besides this, he also linked sovereignty of a nation to Islam. Further, he emphasized that “education refers to the cultural and educational level of the nation being raised to a satisfactory point.56 He also argued that there should be human endeavour, that is, everyone being guaranteed work, and receiving fair recompense for their labour. 57 Sa ‘id Nursi also laid great stress on the need to adhere to Islamic morality for true progress and civilisation to be achieved. But, he also voiced his fear if Freedom was understood as a licence to be totally free, it would bring about lost and would result in a return to despotism.58 In this connection, he instead argued that, “for Freedom flourishes and is realized through the observance of ordinances and conduct of the Shari ‘at, and good morals”.59 Further, Sa ‘id Nursi warned the Muslims of the Ottoman Empire against acquiring, “the sins and evils of civilisation” and abandoning its virtues.60 He argued that the Ottomans should imitate the Japanese in taking from Western civilisation what will assist them in progress, while preserving their own national custom. To illustrate his opinion, he said,”We shall take with pleasure the points of Europe – like technology and industry – that will assist us in progress and civilisation. However, …we shall forbid the sins and evils of civilisation from entering the bounds of

51 Sarwat Saulat, Op. Cit., pp. 10 – 11.

52 Sukran Vahide, Op. Cit., pp. 56.

53 Ibid.

54 Ibid., pp. 57.

55 Ibid.

56 Ibid.

57 Ibid.

58 Ibid., pp. 58.

59 Ibid.

60 Ibid.

12

Freedom and civilisation with the sword of Shari ‘at, so that the young people in our civilisation will be protected by the pure, cold spring of life of the Shari ‘at.”61 In line with the need to achieve Freedom, Sa ‘id Nursi further argued that Islamic principle of mutual consultation (shura) should be observed.62 He said that in this complex modern age, “it is only through a constituent assembly, consultation and freedom of thought that the state can be upheld, administered and guided”.63 In discussing about the need to implement shura, Sa ‘id Nursi was in fact referring to the working of the Parliamentary system of government.64 To ensure that Freedom worked effectively within the empire, in his conclusion to the issue of Freedom, Sa id Nursi called for the unification of the three groups within the empire, that is, the scholars of the madrasah, those of modern (secular) schools and Sufi brotherhood.65 Lastly, he urged the preachers (du ‘at) to renew their ideas and methods of tackling the problems of the Muslim community and speak in accordance with the need of the times.66 Sa ‘id Nursi also opposed secularism which took place in the Ottoman Empire since the era of Tanzimat and later in the Republic of Turkey. For Sa ‘id Nursi, secularism was connected with the idea of Westernisation and atheism, hence it was a threat to Islam as a faith. So, he decided to stop the spread of secularism through his speeches and writing. In the early part of his struggle, he had written several articles to the newspapers and letters to a number of Ottoman statesmen that he knew.67 However, most significantly, Sa ‘id Nursi then moved against the process of secularism by establishing a new system of education with an integrated programme, that is, combining both religious and academic knowledge for the benefit of the students. For example, while in Van, Eastern Anatolia, he had set up a higher Islamic institution of education which he named in Turkish, Medrese uz-Zehra (Arabic, Madrasah az-Zahrah).68 This institution was modelled after the famous Al-Azhar University of Cairo, Egypt.69 He had proposed that the university be taught in three languages, namely Arabic, Turkish and Kurdish in accordance with the social make up of the empire. However, Arabic was to be the main language of instruction.70 Through this programme of education, he hoped to unite the three antagonistic groups within the empire, namely the religious educated group, the modern secular section of the society and the upholders of Sufi traditions.71 Here, he was in fact pushing

61 Ibid.

62 Ibid., pp. 59.

63 Ibid.

64 Ibid.

65 Ibid.

66 Ibid.

67Ibid., pp. 64 – 67.

68 Maryam Jameelah, “Badee-u-Zaman Said Nursi”, in Islam in Theory and Practice, Publisher: Mohammad Yusuf

Khan, Lahore, 1973, pp. 189 – 190 and Hamid Algar, Op. Cit., pp. 315. 69

Hamid Algar, Ibid. 70

Ibid. 71

Ibid.

13

for unity a prerequisite for the progress of Muslim society, while at the same time working for the eradication of secularism, a product of Western material culture. In his programme, Sa ‘id Nursi had concluded that in reality both the systems, that is, traditional system of education (religious) that existed and the secular system of education introduced during the era of Tanzimat were not sufficient to remove the feeling of doubt towards religion and hence helped to enhance the spread of secularism. To overcome such condition, he recommended that religious subjects should be taught in modern secular schools, whilst modern science subjects should also be taught in religious schools.72 In this way, he believed that those who acquired modern form of education could be protected from the destructive influence of secularism, while those with religious training could be saved from fanaticism and begotry.73 As a matter of fact, Sa ‘id Nursi upheld this views because he was aware of the efforts made by Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abduh of Egypt to reform education among the Muslim ummah at al-Azhar University.74 Later, in a letter issued in 1955, Sa ‘id Nursi had admitted that he had found two means of combating secularism, that is, firstly by setting up Medrese uz-Zehra and secondly, writing the Risale –i Nur.75 Meanwhile, during the era of Young Turks administration, Sa ‘id Nursi was again involved in combating secularism. For instance, he criticised Husain Cahid (Jahid), the editor of the newspaper, Tanin, and a strong supporter of the Young Turks regime when the man suggested that Islam should be reformed as what had happened in Christianity after the Renaisssance had taken place in Europe.76 In his letter, Sa ‘id Nursi had said that Husain Cahid due to his ignorance had made the mistake of putting Islam on the same level or at par with Christianity.77 In addition, he stressed that Christianity as a religion was different from Islam and that,” There was no priesthood in Islam”.78 He had quoted the hadith of Rasulullah s.a.w. to make the point that Islam cannot be treated in the same way as Christianity “as they are based on different source of reference”. Moreover, he argued that “the basis of Islamic teachings is Tauhid, whereas Christianity upholds Trinity. This basic tenet could not be disputed anymore. Sa ‘id Nursi also emphasized that we cannot compare Christian sects and orders with Sufism in Islam as Islam is a complete way of life in itself.79 Further, he urged Husain Cahid to appreciate and accept the fact that “Shari ‘ah is dynamic by nature and accepts the principles of change whenever necessary in conformity with changing times”.80 As such, he advised Husain Cahid not to look elsewhere such as in secularism as his point of reference when discussing the question of change and other aspects of Shari ‘ah for everything is provided for in al-Qur’an.81

72 Sarwat Saulat, Op. Cit., pp. 9.

73 Ibid.

74 Ibid.

75 Sukran Vahide, Op. Cit., pp. 31.

76 Ibid., pp.11.

77 Ibid., pp. 66.

78 Ibid.

79 Ibid.

80 Ibid., pp. 67.

81 Ibid.

14

Sa ‘id Nursi also opposed secularism and atheism as practised by Mustafa Kemal, the dictator of Turkey. For example, in 1922, he had visited Ankara, the new capital of Republic Turkey, during the grand celebration of independence following the victory of the nationalist army commandered by Mustafa Kemal against the invading Allied forces. Although, he was enthusiastically welcomed by the National Assembly as a great ‘alim (scholar) and a war hero as he had fought gallantly in the First World War and managed to escape from a detention camp in Russia, yet he was very sad to see the Deputies ignoring the duty of Salat (Turkish, Namaz).82 Consequently, he issued a proclamation concerning the importance of Salat in Islam and the notice was distributed among the Deputies present at that time. 83 Briefly, he exhorted that Salat is a compulsory duty in Islam and called upon the Deputies not to ignore it as their victory had been won in the name of Islam and really a blessing from Allah.84 As a result of his call, about 60 Deputies repented and performed their Salat. Mustafa Kemal, an atheist, of course was most displeased with the development. He admonished the great scholar for having issued the notice and accused him of trying to disrupt the unity of the people. But, Sa ‘id Nursi boldly answered, “Pasha!Pasha! After belief, the most elevated truth in Islam is the obligatory prayers. Those who do not perform the prayers are traitors, and the opinions of traitors are to be rejected”.85 Although Mustafa Kemal was angry by the remark, yet he was able to contol his temper and tried to win over Sa ‘id Nursi by offering him a number of favourable positions. For exsample, he offered him the post of ‘General Preacher’ in the Eastern Provinces with a salary of 300 Liras, a deputyship in the Assembly, and a post equivalent to that he had held in the Dar al-Hikmet-i al-Islamiye (Arabic, Dar al-Hikmah al-Islamiyyah), together with various perks such as a residence.86 But, the gallant reformer rejected the various offers and headed back to Van in order to continue his preaching and meditation as part of his efforts to overcome secularism and atheism within the empire.87 For Sa ‘id Nursi the offers made were nothing much, except as mere act of corruption and worldly attractions. In actual fact, by his stand, Sa ‘id Nursi had shown that he understood very well the intention of Mustafa Kemal to destroy the influence of Islam and bury it totally in Turkey. Thus, he had decided to carry out the struggle quietly away in Van, far from the Turkish capital. However, it was at this stage, that Sa ‘id Nursi had transformed himself into a “New Said”, that is, tackling important issues affecting the society, especially those concerned with the question of faith. Meanwhile, before his departure for Van, he had the opportunity to criticised Mustafa Kemal when the leader asked him to comment on the effort of the government to build monuments

82 Ibid., pp. 176 – 179.

83 Sarwat Saulat, Op. Cit., pp. 29.

84 Ibid., pp. 29 – 30.

85 Sukran Vahide, Op. Cit., pp. 180.

86 Ibid., pp. 181.

87 Ibid., pp. 181 – 187.

15

and idols. As always, the reformer spoke plainly and firmly that al-Qur’an opposed all activities to set up monuments and idols. Instead, he pointed out that the monuments all Muslims should build would include buildings such as hospitals, schools,orphanages, mosques and roads.88 Well, what a great proposition presented by the intelligence reformer! For the moment, the dictator could not do anything to oppose Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi. The reformer was left to pursue his religious struggle and to educate the people concerning Islam. But, before long harassment and persecutions as well as attempts to get rid of him through poisoning followed Sa ‘id’s path until the end of his life. After much persecutions, he died in 1960 at the ripe age of 87. However, his teachings live on gloriously till today reaching out to the Muslims of Turkey and as far as Pakistan, Central Asia, Indonesia-Malaysia and even in the United States and Europe. Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi: His Influence and Impact upon the Malay World Unfortunately, up to now, the influence and impact of Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi’s thoughts upon the Malay World (Nusantara or Alam Melayu) have been minimal indeed. The history of Sa ‘id Nursi and his struggle in both the Ottoman Empire and Republic Turkey are known only to a small circle of Muslim intellectuals within Malaysia and Indonesia. It seems that Malaysia is in the forefront when compared to Indonesia as far as its contact and knowledge about Turkey are concerned. In Malaysia, only those who belong to the haraki (movement) oriented Muslim organisations really know about Islamic movements in Turkey, including that of Nurculuk (pronunciation, Nurjuluk), the followers of Hoca (Ustaz) Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi. For example, organisations like ABIM (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia or The Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia) and their peers within Wadah (Wadah Pencerdasan Umat Malaysia or Platform for the Regeneration of Ummah, Malaysia) happened to be the Muslim groups which introduced much of Turkish history, including that of Ustaz Sa ‘id Nursi and his ideas in Malaysia. Beyond that most of the Muslims in Malaysia have never heard of the great mujaddid (reformer) and his struggle as well as contributions towards the revival of Islam in Turkey. Besides this, it is really a sad thing that our people in Malaysia are more concerned about entertainments, that is, music, dancing, dramas and films of the West (Hollywood) and Bollywood (India) rather than anything else of real benefits for their own better future. They are also more interested in food and fashion. There is nothing wrong in Islam, if we want to have some form of healthy entertainment, to enjoy food and fashion. It is alright, if we keep all these activities within the bounds of Shari ‘ah. On the other hand, it is equally sad to admit that our people generally do not even know and appreciate the contributions made by our local ulama like Tokku Paloh (Sayyid ‘Abdul Rahman al-‘Idrus) of Trengganu, Tok Kenali (Hj. Muhammad Yusof b. Ahmad) of Kenali, Kelantan, Hj. ‘Abdul Rahman Limbong of Trengganu, Ustaz Abu Bakar al-Baqir of Gunong Semanggol, Perak,

88 Ibid., pp. 184.

16

Prof. Zulkifli Muhammad of Perak and Shaikh ‘Abdullah Basmeih, one of the compilers of Tafsir ar-Rahman in Malaysia.89 Only some Muslims in Malaysia take notice and appreciate about what is going on in other Muslim countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia and so forth. Here, we are referring to the religious educated group or those who come to love Islamic way of life after being exposed to Islamic activities through various da ‘wah organisations. This category of people are well informed about the struggle, especially of Ikhwan al-Muslimin (Muslim Brotherhood) of Egypt and Syria, the Jama‘at-e Islami of the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent and Muhammadiyah of Indonesia. It should be remembered that the Muslims of Malaysia are more informed about their brothers in Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Indonesia because they have long been exposed to such countries through religious, educational and cultural as well as trade contacts. Nevertheless, Ustaz Sa ‘id Nursi is known to the religious educated or Islamic oriented Muslims of Malaysia through the writings of certain Turkish Muslim activists and Muslim writers of British and Pakistani origin. This whole incident took place only in mid-1970’s. This was accidently the period of Islamic revival within most parts of the Islamic world. At this time, there was the rising tide of Islamic consciousness among the Muslim youth who were disenchanted with Western materialism as it failed to solve human problems and to bring about justice as well as happiness to the non-European world. Meanwhile, Malaysian students who studied in United Kingdom had the opportunity to join FOSIS (Federation of Students Islamic Societies) and to mingle with Muslim students of other countries of the Middle East, North Africa, Africa and Asia. Through this association, among other things, they began to discover Ustaz Sa ‘id Nursi, while taking active part in da’wah and tarbiyyah programmes organised by the organisation. As members of this organisation, they were able to read various books and articles written mostly in English and Arabic and also various journals, including those from Turkey and Europe. They also gathered their information through discussions. From here, ABIM members who had had the exposure at international level brought the articles and other messages back to Malaysia once they had finished their studies in U.K. It should be noted here that among these Malaysian students, there were also those who had the earlier experience of studying at al-Azhar University, Madinah University and so forth. Hence, they were no strangers to Islamic ideals and the struggle of the Islamic movements particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. Gradually, some useful information concerning the development of Islam and its followers from abroad began to arrive in Malaysia. For example, the life history and contributions of Ustaz Sa

89These ulama had made great contributions to Islam and da’wah activities during their life-time. Some had even

struggled against British imperialism in Malaya (now Malaysia), contributed towards the spread of Islamic knowledge through their writing and political activities as well as establishing Islamic institutions like religious schools, majlis agama (religious council) and even the well-known, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (The Language and Literary Agency) of Malaysia.

17

‘id Nursi were exposed to the Malaysian public in Kuala Lumpur and other towns in the north of peninsula Malaysia around the middle of 1970s. Muslim activists from ABIM had played the role of spreading the information concerning Turkey and Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi through lectures and working papers which they presented in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Alor Setar and Kulim. Soon after, in the 1980s, more books concerning Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman began to be introduced among Muslim youth through the efforts of some students, including this writer, after they returned from U.K. Among these books were Badee ‘uzzaman Said Noorsi of Turkey, compiled by Thalaba an-Nur, Said Nursi, by Sarwat Saulat and Islam in Theory and Practice, by Maryam Jameelah. Then, other books also began to appear, that is, Islamic Perspectives: Studies in Honour of Sayyid Abu A’la Mawdudi, (edit. by Khurshid Ahmad and Zafar Ishaq Ansari), carrying an article on the life and struggle of Sa ‘id Nursi, and some extracts from Risale –i Nur, published by Sozler Yeyinevi, Istanbul. Besides those who returned from U.K., there were also some students who returned from the United States of America carrying the banner of da’wah with them. While in U.S., they were exposed to Islamic da‘wah programme through the activities of Muslim Students’ Association of America and Canada (MSA). As a result, they became familiar with the life and struggle of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman and some other Muslim ulama and thinkers. By joining ABIM, they also helped to spread Islamic teachings and the history of the great Muslim ulama and thinkers among the Muslim youth of Malaysia. At this time, some section of the Muslim youth began to realise the power of Islam in bringing about changes for a better future life in the multi-racial society of Malaysia. They had learnt the question of true iman, honour and success through the educational and da ‘wah programmes provided by ABIM, Persatuan Ulama Malaysia (PUM or Ulama Association of Malaysia) and other like-minded Muslim organisations. It was as part of this whole development that Muslim youth began to learn about the life and struggle of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman. However, as I had mentioned before, only a small minority of the Muslim educated youth really took the trouble to get themselves acquainted with the serious study of Islam, including the phenomena of Islamic revival and the historical struggle of the various ulama and thinkers. Among the academic circle, the thoughts of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman became known through the efforts of young lecturers. For example, during the Academic Session of 1980/81, this writer himself had taught the course, Modern History of the Middle East and The Early History of Islam at the History Section, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia (University Science of Malaysia), Penang. Other courses related to Turkey and the Middle East taught by this writer were, HHI 378: Dunia Islam Zaman Moden (Islamic World in Modern Times) which was later changed to Modern History of the Middle East, HSL342: Isu-Isu Terpilih dalam Sejarah Asia – Asia Barat Moden (Selected Issues in the History of Asia – Modern West Asia), and till present time, JMS316E – Islamic Intellectual History (Sejarah Intelektual Islam). Within all these courses, the writer has had the opportunity to discuss about the thoughts of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman and the history of Modern Turkey. Besides this, he has dealt with the history of Sa‘udi

18

Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Algeria Iran and Palestine vis-a-vis Western imperialism in the Muslim world. Around 1983, this writer’s personal friend, Wan Jafree b. Wan Sulaiman of ABIM, Alor Setar, Kedah had translated a book on the biography of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman into Bahasa Malaysia (the Malaysian Language). This is the first ever translation. Not only that, this dedicated teacher had conducted usrah (study circle) and public lectures to expose the Muslim youth and students to the history and struggle of Ustaz Badi‘uzzaman. Around the country, the history of Turkey, including the struggle of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman has been taught also at the Department of History, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, since late 1980s. Here, a close friend of this writer, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ridzwan Uthman has been teaching such courses. Meanwhile, at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, another close friend of this writer, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdul Raob b. Yaacob from the Department of Arabic Studies and Islamic Civilisation, Faculty of Islamic Studies, had taught the same kind of courses before he moved over to University Brunei Darussalam, the Sultanate of Brunei, in 2002. As such, some topics on Turkey and Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman had been discussed. Likewise, in Indonesia, the religious educated intellectuals had only come to know about the struggle of Ustaz Sa ‘id Nursi fairly recent, that is, much later than that of their Malaysian brothers. Some universities and institutes have established contacts with members of the It seems that some Indonesian academics have even come to Malaysia to study the role and thoughts of Ustaz Badi‘uzzaman pertaining to his education programme in Turkey. One such example is the case of Madame Betania Kartika who is now pursuing her Phd. Study Programme at University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her dissertation is entitled, “The Concept of Moral Educationin the Thought of Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi in His Thematic Exegesis, Risale i Nur” (English).90 In Indonesia, however, the concentration of the study on Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman is mainly found in Jakarta, the capital of the Indonesian Republic. The pace of the movement is somewhat slow. According to my informants, brother Sadiq Ozata of the Hairat Vakfi Organisation, his contact with a few Muslim colleges in Jakarta has been only about two years. While, the Istanbul Foundation of Science and Culture (IIKV) has had contact with some Indonesian scholars and are engaged in organising seminars at a number of Indonesian universities. However, at the moment, the concentration of Turkish scholars and activists connected to Nurculuk seems to be found more in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia rather than in Jakarta, Indonesia. Probably, with better facilities found in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding areas in Klang Valley and the use of English as a spoken language by a great number of educated Malaysians makes it more conducive to be in Malaysia.

90 www.MalaysiaNur.com.

19

Conclusion: In conclusion, I would say that the present of Turkish scholars and the followers of Nurculuk has been fairly recent in both Malaysia and indonesia. Apart from the Hayrat Vakfi Organisation which has been concentrating on the spread of Islamic education and social welfare work, that is, to give aid to Muslims not only in Turkey, but right up to Central Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia and so forth, we have also the present of intellectual based Istanbul Foundation of Science and Culture (IIKV) associated closely with the Turkish reformer, Hoca Fethullah Gulen. Then, we have also the present of Malaysia-Turkey Cultural Association (MTCA) in Kuala Lumpur. They have all been working to promote Turkish history and culture and that includes the contributions of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi to Islamic revival and better life for the Muslims in the future. However, the influence and impact of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi’s thoughts upon the Muslims of Malaysia and Indonesia as I have observed have indeed been minimal. Only the religious educated and those intellectuals who believe in true Muslim solidarity have the eagerness to be interested in their fellow Muslim brothers in Turkey, including the history and struggle of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi. The same kind of feeling goes towards other ulama and intellectuals throughout the Muslim world. Other Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia unfortunately are more tuned towards entertainment and relaxation of sort. So, we have more singing and dancing programmes such as the “dangdut”, a form of dance somewhat similar to the belly dance of Egypt, concerts and stage shows here and there as if there is nothing to be worried about in this world. Well, the truth is the majority of the Muslims here in Malaysia and Indonesia as well are still poor not only in terms of their financial standing and property ownership, but alas, there are also poor in their imagination and the ability to think positively as well as their religious commitment. All the deficiencies that I have mentioned caused the Muslims in both countries to be backward and left behind by others in terms of their religious and intellectual development as well as losing control over the God-given natural resources (oil and what other products) of their respective countries. Under such circumstances, they have all been the victims of their own passion and being exploited by others, especially those of the West and the descendants of the immigrant races within their midst. They have become mere observers and consumers in the real world, while the West and other Asian capitalists of immigrant origin have exploited the wealth of their countries respectively. Tell me honestly, in that situation which I have described, if we Muslims of Malaysia and Indonesia can become “khaira ummah” (the best of all community) as promised by Allah in al-Qur’an? Can we in both countries survive in the long run to become really developed and progressive as permited in our blessed religion, Islam? Also, tell me, can we in Malaysia attained the development and success as our leaders have always proclaimed, that is, to be of the “First Class Mind” like that of the developed nations of Europe and U.S. and attain greatness by the year 2020?

20

As for our beloved Turkish brothers, I sincerely believe that they have to work very hard in order to spread the good work of Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi to the Muslims of Malaysia and Indonesia. To do that they have to learn and understand the local language, Bahasa Malaysia, other than maintaining their knowledge of Islam, Arabic, Turkish and English. In this way, they can easily spread the good message and valuable examples of Ustaz Sa ‘id Nursi, especially his great work, Risale i Nur. At the same time, they can gain the trust of the people when they know the local language and custom (that is, the good side of it). As for Muslim intellectuals and Islamic activists of Malaysia, they have to work hard too, to translate Risale-i Nur into Bahasa Malaysia and spread the good message among the people. At the university level, serious attempts should be made to study the history of Turkey, including that of the famous ‘alim, Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman. Simultaneously, we should also make serious attempts to study the history of the areas of the Middle East and North Africa which are closed to the original centre of Islam in Mecca and also having the largest Muslim population in the world. Of course, we must evaluate their successes and faillures and pick up the good points and not swallow everything that we gather from CNN, Sky Tv Network and even from Arab press agencies and so forth. We must equally not just accept and simply imitate, digest or echo what news we have gathered from Western press agencies like New York Times, Herald Tribune, Jewish Chronicle, Guardian, Le Monde and so forth. In this instance, we must seriously take heed of Allah’s warning in al-Qur’an:

“Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you (O Muhammad s.a.w.) till you follow their religion.Say: Verily, the guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) Guidance. And if you (O Muhammad s.a.w.) were to follow their (Jews and Christians) desires after what you have you received of Knowledge (i.e. al-Qur’an), then you would have against Allah neither any Wali ( protector or guardian) nor any helper”. (al-Baqarah: 120).

Further, we should not concentrate only on the history of Southeast Asian countries, China and Japan, Europe and America as it usually happened in our universities today. Some courses on the Middle East and North Africa should also be taught. Good and solid exposure of such history should be made so as not to accept things blindly from which ever sources they come from. The same, I believe should be done for the Muslims of Indonesia. Most probably, the Indonesian Muslims are more opened and exposed to other developments in the Muslim world and the world at large. This can be seen by reports made in their own newspapers, journals or even by the present of more books written and translated from Arabic, English and so forth into Bahasa Indonesia.

21

Lastly, we Muslims wherever we are must always be alert and receptive of the calls and warnings issued by Allah, the al-Mighty, if we want to be successful in this world and the Hereafter. Please take serious notice of the following commandments of Allah:

“Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by commiting sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah)”.

And, “Oh you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you and make your foothold firm”. (Muhammad: 7).

So, it is better that we uphold the teachings of Islam as what Ustaz Badi ‘uzzaman Sa ‘id Nursi had proposed and done during his life-time. May Allah give us success in this world and Hereafter!

BIOADATA ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR HAJI FADHLULLAH BIN JAMIL, PhD, was formerly Chairman, WADAH (an Islamic organization for senior ABIM members), a Platform for Revitalization of the Ummah, Penang Branch, and Deputy Chairman of the Ulama Association of Malaysia, Penang Branch. He currently teaches as part-time lecturer in the School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Penang, in Islamic Intellectual History, and Eastern and Western Historiography, particularly focussing on the field of Comparative Study and History of Modern India; is a Trustee for Ma’ahad ‘Uthmaniyyah, Sungai Glugor, Penang; a member of the Shura Council for Penang State since 2009; and Chairman of the Qaryah Committee of Masjid Jami’ Sg. Glugor since 2008. Until 2002, Dr Fadlullah lectured in the USM School of Humanities specializing in the Early History of Islam and the History of Modern Middle East. He obtained his PhD in Islamic Studies from Edinburgh University in 1988, MA in History of the Middle East from London University in 1979, and BA (Honours) from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 1974. Dr Fadlullah has written 6 books and some 60 articles and reports in various magazines and journals. His book, Islam di Asia Barat Moden: Penjajahan dan Pergolakan (Islam in Modern West Asia: Imperialism and Upheaval ) won the award for Best Writer of an Academic Work for “Anugerah Media Islam Negara” in 2008. He can be reached at hamdi45a@yahoo.com.