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What We Expect from the Righteous Generation Print E-mail
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Written by Fethullah Gülen   
Thursday, 09 February 2006
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What We Expect from the Righteous Generation
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Humanity must study, understand, and obey the Divine Revelation derived from God's Attribute of Speech. Therefore, we must perceive all things and events to which God gives existence through His Knowledge, Will, and Power. Being the manifestation of the Divine Attribute of Speech, the glorious Qur'an is the spirit of existence and the sole means of happiness in this world and the Hereafter. The "Book of the Universe" is the embodiment of this spirit, and an account of the branches of science originating in it. Thus it is a very important dynamic of both worlds, direct in relation to this life and indirect with respect to the other. For this reason, people who understand both of these books and apply their principles in their lives will be rewarded, while those who do not will meet the consequences of their neglect.

Second, our humanity lies in our feelings, thoughts, and character, which also determine our esteem in the sight of the Creator and the created. Sublime human attributes, depth of thought and feeling, and a sound character are valued by everybody. Those who adulterate their faith and conviction with irreligious thoughts and cause distrust to emerge in their characters will not receive God's support and help nor preserve their esteem and dignity among people. We should not forget that God Almighty and people evaluate people according to their human character, and that those without human values cannot perform great feats even if they appear to be good believers. On the other hand, those distinguished with laudable virtues and a sound character cannot always fail despite their apparent weakness in conforming their lives to religious principles.

Third, an Islamic goal can be achieved only through Islamic means and methods. Muslims must pursue Islamic goals and adopt Islamic methods to attain them. As God's approval cannot be obtained without sincerity and a pure intention, Islam cannot be served and Muslims cannot be directed toward their real targets through diabolic means and methods.

The generation that will be responsible for bringing justice and happiness to the world should be able to think freely and respect freedom of thought. This is the fifth quality of the righteous generation. Freedom is a significant dimension of human free will and a key to the mysteries of human identity.

The Muslim world has been under internal and external pressure for centuries. The resulting restrictions placed on our feelings, thoughts, culture, and education have made it almost impossible for anyone to maintain his or her human faculties, let alone realize a renewal and development. In such a climate, one in which it is difficult to live as a common man or woman with human values, a person of true greatness cannot be raised. Only people with weak characters, inactive dispositions, palsied brains, and paralyzed feelings grow in such climates.

If this is so, we should realize the need to be more tolerant and more altruistic when we move toward a better future. Today more than anything else, we need magnanimous hearts and open, profound minds that respect free thinking, are open to science and scientific research, and can perceive the harmony between the Qur'an and the Divine laws of the universe and life. This requires the existence of a community in which geniuses can flourish. In the past, a single genius could lead a nation toward high objectives. But today, when everything has taken on an incredibly elaborate form and specialization has gained prominence, counsel and collective consciousness have replaced geniuses. This is the sixth point, which should be given due consideration by the generation that aims to give a better shape to the world.

Finally, as the seventh quality this generation should be equipped with mathematical thought, as this implies comprehension of the enigmatic connection between creation and mathematical "laws," and the discovery of the mysterious world of numbers. Without mathematics, the mutual relations between humanity and things cannot be perceived. Like a source of light, mathematics illuminates our way from the universe to life, and shows us the depths of the world of possibilities beyond human imagination, thus enabling us to attain our ideals.

To obtain a full perception of existence, we should follow mathematical laws in all fields: from physics to mathematics, from matter to energy, from body to soul, and from law to spiritual training. This implies that we need to adopt both spiritual training and scientific research. The West has used so-called mystical movements to compensate for a true system of spiritual training. But Muslims have no need to search for a foreign system to quench their thirst for spiritual satisfaction. Everything a person needs to design his or her life on sound foundations is found in Islam, provided that one understands Islam in its pristine purity and original comprehensiveness.

Lastly, to understand the concept of art that righteous people should have, we should have a much more developed intellectual capacity, refined feelings, and sensitivity.

 

1. Said Nursi, The Words: The Re-construction of Islamic Thought and Belief (Rutherford, NJ, The Light, Inc., 2002), vii.
2. 2. Ibid., 195.

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