Hunting

Hunting is the pursuit of game or other wild animals for food or sport. Wild animals, birds, or fish hunted for food or sport are called game. A person who hunts game for food or sport is called a hunter.

Hunting was a means of livelihood for primitive man. As the civilization advanced, in addition to the pursuit of game for food, man started hunting for sport as well. Various game laws then came into existence for the protection of game animals, birds, and fish. Game laws defined conditions such as hunting seasons, place restrictions, methods of capture, number of animals that may be hunted, etc.

In order to bring hunting in accord with its general belief system, Islam defined conditions that are involved in the act of hunting. The act of hunting mainly involves:

(1)  The hunter

(2)  The game

(3)  The hunting instrument

The following is an account of conditions defined by Islam in order to attain legal purification (zakah) of the flesh of hunted game.

(1) The Hunter

(a) The hunter should be a sane Muslim (male or female).    Islamic jurisprudence permits Muslims the consumption of the game hunted by the people of the Book (i.e. Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, or Sabeans). However, it is reported on the authority of Jabir (R) that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) forbade Muslims to eat the game caught by a dog belonging to Magians (polytheists). Therefore, the game caught by a hunting dog or hawk belonging to a polytheist, atheist, agnostic, or the like should not be consumed by Muslims.

(b) The hunter should hunt solely for the purpose of food. Hunting for the sake of sport and pleasure is not allowed.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“Whoever kills a sparrow or any larger bird without lawful purpose, Allah will take him to account for its killing.” When the Prophet (PBUH) was asked:’O Messenger of Allah! What is its lawful right?’ He (PBUH) replied, ‘To slaughter it and then eat it, and not cut off its head and then throw it away.’”  (Ahmad)

(c) The hunter should mention the name of Allah (Tasmiyah) and Takbir when sending off the hunting animal or bird, or shooting the gun, or arrow, or hurling the spear, or wielding a sword. The pronouncement of the name of Allah is an essential condition for the lawfulness of the meat killed by hunting.

“….so eat of that which they (your trained hounds) catch for you and mention Allah’s name upon it, and observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is swift to take account.”

(Al-Qur’an 5:4)

If the hunter forgets to mention the name of Allah when sending off the hunting animal or the hunting weapon; he or she can make up for it by mentioning it either at the time slaughtering if the animal is still alive or at the time of eating in case the animal died of the hunting weapon. This principle is deduced from the principle that Allah has forgiven the Muslim ummah for the errors it commits due to forgetfulness.

(d) The hunter should not be in a state of Ihram. When a Muslim is performing the obligatory pilgrimage (Hajj) or the voluntary pilgrimage (Umrah), he wraps himself in Ihram symbolizing a state of total peace and serenity, the sphere of which extends not only to human beings but also to the animals and birds around him.

“…And, hunting is unlawful to you while you are on the

pilgrimage….” (Al-Qur’an 5:1)

Allah has forbidden Muslims to hunt on land while they are on pilgrimage.

“O you who believe! Kill no wild game while you are on the

pilgrimage…” (Al-Qur’an 5:95)

Hunting of fish is allowed even if one is on the pilgrimage, unlike hunting on land, even if one is in the state of Ihram.

(2) The Game

(a)  The game should be of such a nature that man is unable to bring it under control in order to slaughter it properly. The animal or bird on which dhabh (ritual slaughter) can be performed directly is neither allowed to be killed by hunting instruments (gun, captive bolt, arrow, and the like) nor by a hunting animal. Such animals as man is able to bring under his control should be slaughtered according to the standard practices of dhabh.

(b)  The wild animal or bird that is hunted should be halal

to eat. Carnivorous animals with canines and birds with claws are usually not fit for consumption, therefore they can’t be hunted for food. However, if these animals and birds are found to be harmful to human life, they can be hunted and killed for public safety.

(c) An animal or bird which is hunted on land with a hunting weapon or overpowered by a hunting animal and which still shows some signs of life, must be slaughtered by the standard dhabh method.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“If you dispatch your dog to catch an animal, mention the name of Allah over it. If the animal is caught, and you reach it while it is still alive, then perform dhabh on it.” (Sahih Bukhari & Muslim)

(d) When the animal or bird is hunted on land with a hunting weapon or a hunting hound and then is found dead by the hunter upon reaching it, the flesh of it can be consumed only under the following three conditions:

(i) When the hunted dead game is not found in water.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“If you shoot an arrow and it kills the animal, you can eat

it. But if it is found in water, you do not know whether its

death was caused by drowning or by your arrow.”

(Sahih Bukhari & Muslim)

(ii) When the hunted dead game is found with no wounds other than the wound inflicted by the arrow of the hunter.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“If you know that your arrow killed it, and you do not find

any wound inflicted by wild beasts, you may eat it.”

(Tirmidhi)

(iii) When the hunted dead game is free of any stench or

decay.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“You shoot an arrow, but the game disappears for three days. If you then come upon it, you may eat what is not decayed of it.”                  (Muslim)

(e) The hunting of all sea animals, provided they live solely in water (and are not poisonous or harmful in any way) is permitted. Their consumption is lawful whether they are caught alive or dead, and whether caught by a Muslim or a non-Muslim.

“To hunt and to eat the fish of the sea is made lawful for you and a provision for the seafarer ….”

(Al-Qur’an 5:96)

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“Every sea animal is regarded as slaughtered.”

(Sahih Bukhari)

(3) The Hunting Instrument

Hunting instruments are of two kinds:

(a) Hunting weapons such as swords, spears, arrows, handguns, rifles, etc.

(b) Trained hunting animals such as dogs, leopards etc., and trained hunting birds such as falcons, hawks, etc.

The hunting weapon should meet the following criteria in order to make the flesh of the game halal for consumption.

(i)                 The weapon should pierce into the body of the animal or bird. The weapon should cause bleeding due to the penetration of the weapon into the body.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“If you hurl the weapon and it pierces the game, eat it, but if it is killed by the blow of its side, do not eat it.”

(Sahih Bukhari & Muslim)

(ii)       The hunted animal can be slaughtered with any instrument except a tooth or a nail.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“….if the killing tool causes the blood to gush out and if Allah’s name is mentioned, eat of the slaughtered animal. But do not slaughter with a tooth or a nail. I am telling you why: a tooth is a bone, and the nail is the knife of the Ethiopians.”         (Sahih Bukhari)

The trained hunting animal or bird should meet the following criteria in order to make the flesh of the game halal for consumption.

The hunting animal or bird should be properly trained by the owner. The training brings the hunting animal or bird under the control of the owner (hunter). When the hunter calls such an animal or bird, it responds; when he sends it towards the game, it hunts; and when he restrains it, it halts.

“….Say (all) good things are made lawful for you and those beasts and birds of prey which you have trained as hounds are trained, you teach them that which Allah taught you; so eat of that which they catch for you and mention Allah’s name upon it and observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is swift to take account.”         (Al-Qur’an 5:4)

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The Unity of the Islamic World
The articles on The unity of the Muslims in the history of Turkish media first appeared in the Basiret newspaper in October 1873. The first article was written by Esad Efendi, clerk of the maritime court. To him Islamic history was in fact a history of the unity of the Muslims; and the Ottomans became a point of reference and a protector. “Since the religion of Islam commands tawhid (unity), the means of unity for us is the fact that Islam brings together and unites,” said Esad Efendi; and the unity of the Muslims was the only way to convey civilization to humanity. Based on the importance of performing prayers in congregation he drew attention to the point that all worship showed an aspect of unity.
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Marks of Islam
Sha‘a’ir means ‘mark’ or ‘symbol’. Some modes of worship and social institutions are called sha’a’ir al-Islamiyya which   are the things that symbolize Islam, are always seen in Muslim communities, and show that the country is a Muslim nation.
Acts of worship like prayer, fasting in Ramadan, and calling the adhan; articles of clothing like the turban and the hijab; Qur’anic writing and letters, and the mosques and minarets are among the sha’a’ir. And they present the outward manifestation of Islam.
There are two great social benefits of the sha’a’ir:
1- They continuously remind the Muslims of their religion and of Allah (SWT); and they are always a point of support for their faith, and a source of strength. They also inspire the consciousness and identity of being a Muslim.
2- They help the non-Muslims who live in Muslim countries to know and learn about Islam; and in the course of time this may help them to embrace Islam.

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Doubt in the Faith 
Having doubt in iman (faith) concerning the pillars of belief, such as the existence of God and the hereafter, is a mental confusion that occupies the mind and which might result in complete denial.
It is essential and fardh (obligatory) for every Muslim to strengthen his iman. Belief has different levels, and it is just not enough to just say, “I believe” in order to achieve high levels of iman. And it is not certain whether a Muslim can keep his belief strong all through his life. What concerned the companions and the Muslim scholars was the difficulty of keeping their belief fresh and strong till the end of their lives.
There are two types of faith. One is imitation (taqleed) while the other is verified (tahqiq). Imitative faith is the belief which a man has through the people around him without any proofs. Since a person having imitative faith doesn’t carry out any research in Islamic studies in order to acquire certain knowledge about faith, he just believes in the way the common people believe. This is a weak belief, which may be shaken in the face of doubts and misgivings of unbelief, because it is not based on proofs and knowledge.
Verified faith, however, means strongly believing in Allah (SWT) as if you see Him. This kind of faith is obtained as a result of acquiring certain knowledge of all the matters related to belief through Islamic studies. Since the verified faith has answers to all the questions of doubt and disbelief, it is very strong, firm and unshakable. Scholars are in consensus that even though it is valid to have an imitative faith, it is fardh for every Muslim to raise his faith from imitative level to the level of ‘certain belief’.

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Who is the most fortunate?
The most fortunate is the person who:
does not forget the hereafter for this world,
does not sacrifice the hereafter for this world,
does not destroy the life of the hereafter for worldly life,
and does not waste his life on trivial things;
But rather:
considers himself to be a guest and acts in accordance with the commands of the guest-house’s owner.
Then:
opens the door of the grave in confidence and enters upon eternal happiness.
Because:
this world is transitory,
life is short,
the truly essential duties are many,
eternal life will be gained here,
the world is not without an owner,
this guest-house of the world has a most Wise and Generous director,
neither good nor bad will remain without recompense,
and worldly friends and ranks last only till the door of the grave.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was born in 1877 in a small village called Nurs, in the district of Hizan, a province of Bitlis (Turkey). He was an Islamic scholar of the highest standing, having studied not only all the traditional religious disciplines, but also modern science, and earned the name Bediuzzaman, the wonder of the age. He was an advocate of a form of Islam strongly committed to non-violence and constructive engagement with the West and with Christianity.
He brought teachings of the traditional religious disciplines as well as modern sciences, and founded a university in the eastern provinces of the Empire, the Madrasatu’z-Zahra. However, the defeat of the Ottomans in World War I saw the end of the Ottoman Empire and its dismemberment, and the occupation of Istanbul and other parts of Turkey by foreign forces. These bitter years also saw the transformation of the old Said Nursi into a New Said, heralding the second period of Bediuzzaman’s life.

Despite the acclaim that he received and the services that he performed as a member of the Darul-Hikmat’ul-Islamiya, a body of ulama (Islamic scholars) attached to the Shaykh’ul-Islam’s office, and who fought against the British, Bediuzzaman underwent a profound mental and spiritual change, in the process of which he turned his back on the world. Realising the inadequacy of the human science and philosophy he had studied as a means of reaching the Truth, he declared the Qur’an as his sole guide.

In his exile in Isparta in 1926, Bediuzzaman started writing treatises, which demonstrated all the truths of belief by means of powerful proofs. Using logical proofs and reasoned argument and frequently comparing the Qur’anic teaching and civilisation with those of philosophy, they specifically answer the questions and doubts raised by philosophy and the scepticism it causes. This method, which shows clearly and simply these truths in an unprecedented way, as well as solving and explaining with convincing proofs many of the mysteries of religion, indeed resulted in a large number of people attaining certain belief, and the method had unparalleled success in the repressive conditions of those times, spreading throughout Turkey. Furthermore, since Westernisation is a universal phenomenon and the Western materialist philosophy has permeated the Islamic World, the success of these writings, the Risale-i Nur, in saving and strengthening belief has continued to grow, and is now to be witnessed throughout the Islamic World.

Nursi offered cooperation between the Muslims and devout Christians in the struggle against communism and materialism. Of course, doing this, he did not intend to grant concessions at the expense of the principles of Islam. Nursi helped people to reinvigorate the prophetic traditions.

The Theological Philosophy of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi
Said Nursi had a considerable knowledge of modern science and he attempted to integrate it within a theistic perspective. For him, there was no dissonance between the Qur’an and modern physical sciences; rather, they made relating the truths of the Qur’an to modern men and women even easier. Written during his exile, Risale-i Nur was later described as a semantic tafseer or commentary, which expounds the truths of the Qur’an.

Third phase of Nursi
He was finally released in 1949. In the last decade of his life, he settled in Isparta. After the introduction of the multi-party system in Turkey, he advised his followers to vote for the Democratic Party of Adnan Menderes which intended to remove the anti-Islamic laws introduced by the Kemalists. Said Nursi considered communism to be the greatest threat of that time and stressed the Qur’anic views as an alternative to it.

The Risale-i Nur
Written during his exile, Risale-i Nur is a six thousand page commentary on the Qur’an written by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi in accordance with the mentality of the age. Since in the contemporary period, faith and Islam have been the objects of attacks launched in the name of so-called science and logic, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi therefore concentrated in the Risale-i Nur on proving the truths of faith in conformity with modern science through rational proofs and evidence, and by describing the miraculous aspects of the Qur’an. Risale-i Nur is not a tafseer (commentary) on the Qur’an in the usual sense of the term; rather, it attempts to establish links between the Qur’anic verses and the natural world. It also attempts to show that there is no contradiction between religion and science.

His method was to analyse both belief and unbelief, and to demonstrate through clearly reasoned arguments that it is possible, by following the method of the Qur’an, to prove rationally that all the truths are the only rational explanation of existence, man and the universe.

The theological philosophy of Bediuzzaman is uniquely suited to addressing not only all Muslims, but also all of mankind for several reasons. Firstly, it is propounded in accordance with modern man’s mentality, a mentality that, whether Muslim or not, has been deeply imbued with materialist philosophy: it specifically answers all the questions, doubts and confusions that this causes. It answers to all ‘why’s’ that mark the questioning mind of modern man.
Thus, his philosophy explains and expounds the basic tenets of belief, the truths of the Qur’an, to modern man. Bediuzzaman thus demonstrated in the form of easily understood stories, comparisons, explanations, and reasoned proofs, that rather than the truth of religion being incompatible with the findings of modern science, the materialist interpretation of those findings is irrational and absurd. Indeed, Bediuzzaman proved in his philosophy that science’s breathtaking discoveries of the ways in which the universe functions corroborate and reinforce the truths of religion.

Nursi substantiates Islamic faith on the basis of the certainties of modern physical sciences and reads the cosmic verses of the Qur’an in the light of modern science. As a religious scholar well-grounded in traditional Islamic sciences, Nursi was aware of the apparent discrepancy between traditional cosmology articulated by Muslim philosophers and Sufis, and tried to prove Islamic belief with modern sciences, thus providing a solid rock on which to construct a new understanding of the message of the Qur’an.

During a conversation in a working environment when he was with his mother, I asked a question of a young man who is a student in a prestigious university and has read lots of books:

“Do you love your mother?” He said, “Yes” without hesitation. I asked again, “Where will your mother go when she dies?” He paused for a moment, and thought. He could not answer. What about your beloved ones, your family, your youth, your memories, your studies, your works, etc.? I asked lots of questions one after another. He kept silent. And so I started talking on his behalf. “According to you they will perish. They will be wiped out of existence. They will leave you without coming back and it will not be possible to see them again. In short, it is a life that will cease to exist for no good reason. Now, if people filled with happiness and joy heard those words would you see any kind of contentment on their faces? Of course not.

Questions require answers. They cannot wait. Unanswered questions can prey on people’s minds like a worm, to the point where a question without an answer can become like a torture in life.

Then I added some other questions. “What is the possibility of your mother’s death?” “She could die any moment,” he said. When you see your mother, who may die any moment and depart from you, heading to the land of nonexistence to cease to exist – how can you cherish in your life? How can you claim that you lead a good life and pass your days in happiness? How can you enjoy your meals? How can you enjoy life? How can you look at the beauties of life without weeping? Imagine that a doctor gives a family the bad news that their baby will die any moment, and its illness has no cure. Whenever they hold their child instead of giving joy, it will cause them to shed bitter tears in the deepest part of their hearts. The young man remained silent. He was plunged into deep thought, because he had not asked himself those questions till that day. He had not been able to ask. He had not been able see the consequences of these thoughts. He had not been aware of the fact that all the things that he felt as joy and happiness were just temporary fantasies of his passions and lust. He has not known the painless pleasures that can be obtained through mind, spirit, conscious and divine feelings. He has not been aware of the fact that he was living just putting his head under the sand of negligence like an ostrich. During those moments it was as though life stopped and froze. He has not been aware that his body was in heaven, but his soul was burning in the fires of the hell. He has felt pain.  But he has never been able to find out where it came from. He has not known that he came to this world by a divine will. He has not known that life is a road leading to the hereafter. He has not thought that this world is a passage to eternity. Maybe he has thought himself as a fledgling jumping from his nest to the world.

The following story, which is quite popular in the oriental classics, and which was used by Imam Bediuzzaman and can also be found in the works of Tolstoy, gives a good example of people with this state of mind. “A traveller jumps into a well without water to escape from a lion he came across in the desert. He sees a dragon at the bottom of the well; the dragon waits with its mouth open to eat the man. He cannot climb out of the well because there is danger of being torn apart by the lion. He cannot descend to the bottom of the well either because the dragon is watching him with its mouth open. The poor man holds on with all his strength to a branch growing out of the wall of the well. He knows that after a while he will start to lose his strength and fall into the hands of one of the two dangers. At that moment he sees two mice gnawing at the branch he is holding. One of the mice is black, the other is white. The traveler then understands that he has no chance of escaping. He looks around. He sees drops of honey on the leaves of the branch and some fruits. As if nothing is happening, he leans forward and start licking the honey and picking the fruits. Indeed, this is not just a story, this is the complete reality.

In the same way, people are escaping from a lion, which is the appointed hour of death, and holding the branch of life so as not to fall into the mouth of a dragon, which is the grave. Day and night gnaw at the days of people’s lives like mice. So the people try to suck a few drops of honey in life to find some sort of comfort. They act on the principle of ‘Carpe diem!’ (Seize the day!)

It is not possible to find a meaningful thing despite death. It is a reality that death demolishes everything, even erasing the memories of people to come. So how can you be happy in spite of  death?

Indeed, it is faith which gives a human the opportunity to truly live, because it is faith which gives the meaning of eternity to a mortal human. It is faith which teaches him the meaning of life, gives strength to his life, cherishes his goals and wishes and becomes a source of hope. It is the faith in the hereafter. It is to know the end. It is to see that the journey of life does not end with absolute nonexistence. It is to know about eternity, which gives meaning to everything we do or which we are interested in. It is faith in the hereafter which keeps people’s enthusiasm alive. If a person would like to lead a life worthy of a human being, they should have faith. A life without faith is not possible, it cannot bring a human being real happiness.

The decision is whether to live a life which is an embellished lie, or to live with the Islamic faith which is perfect in every way… it is a matter of choice.

Al-Hafiz (الحفيظ) is one of the names of Allah (swt). It comes from the verb ‘hifz – to preserve’ and literally means ‘to preserve, to guard and to protect’. In the ayah, it is said: “…Lo! my Lord is Guardian (Hafiz) over all things.” (Hud, 11:57)

There are so many manifestations of the name ‘Hafiz’ in the universe that a person looking out from the window of reflection (tafakkur) can easily see the manifestations of this name of Allah’s on any living or non-living thing. As a person observes the names of beauty,‘Jamil and Jamal’, while looking at a very beautiful flower, he must also observe on it the name ‘Hafiz’ that is the source and the secret of how the beauty of this flower is preserved. Likewise, along with the name of majesty, ‘Jalal’, that is manifested upon a mountain, the name ‘Hafiz’ may also be clearly observed.

The name ‘Hafiz’ also means “the preserver of creatures from decay until their predetermined time of death (ajal)” If we consider it from this viewpoint, the preservation of all the creatures in the universe until their predetermined time comes is a manifestation of the name ‘Hafiz’. In addition, this name reminds the servants that they are protected and preserved by an Entity and that step by step they are getting closer to their ajal (predetermined time). In the ayah, Allah tells us: “For him are angels ranged before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah’s command….” (Ra’d, 13:11), and informs us that the protection of man is not in his own hands, but it is Allah the “Hafiz Dhul Jalal” who protects us. Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi in Risale Hashir (the Treatise on Resurrection, which is one of the four main topics in the Risale-i Nur Collection) explains it in the following way:

“Is it at all possible that God’s attribute of Preserver, which protects all things with the utmost order and balance – things in the heavens and on the earth, on dry land and in the ocean, dry and wet, large and small, commonplace and exalted – and as it were, sifts their results by way of accounting – is it at all possible that this attribute should permit the deeds and acts of man, man who has been given the lofty disposition of humanity, the rank of God’s supreme vicegerency, and the duty of bearing the Supreme Trust, not to be recorded, not to be passed through the sieve of accounting, not to be weighed in the balance of justice, not to be punished or rewarded fittingly, even though his acts and deeds closely pertain to God’s universal Sovereignty? No, it is not in any way possible!” (Risale-i Nur Collection / Dhulfiqar Book / Risale Hashir – 10th Word [Treatise on Resurrection] / The Seventh Truth)

Indeed, had there not been the manifestations of the name ‘Hafiz’ in the universe, weak and ajiz (powerless) non-living creatures would not have been preserved, and living creatures would not have been able to lead their lives. This is because, along with all the other names, but especially with the manifestation of the name ‘Hafiz’, the balance of the universe and all the needs required for life are provided until the predetermined time (ajal) comes, and all the activities that man has undertaken and all his deeds are recorded and saved to be used at a specific time.

Again in the Risale Hashir (Treatise on Resurrection) Imam Bediuzzaman shows us another meaning of the name ‘Hafiz’by stating the following: “The memory of man, the fruit of the tree, the kernel of the fruit, the seed of the flower – all of these demonstrate the universality and comprehensiveness of the law of preservation.” (Risale-i Nur Collection / Dhulfiqar Book / Risale Hashir – 10th Word [Treatise on Resurrection] / The Seventh Truth)

‘Hafiz’ also mean the preserver of various kinds of creatures, some of them in seeds, some in kernels, some in sperm. Ustadh Bediuzzaman explains in the Flashes Book (Lam’aat) how plants transfer the genetic structure in their seeds from generation to generation thanks to the name ‘Hafiz’ by saying: “Through the manifestation and bestowal of the Name of Hafiz (Preserver), each of the seeds preserves and shows without confusion or defect the legacy inherited from its parent and origins.” (Flashes Book [Lam’aat] / 17th Flash / 15th Note / Risale-i Nur Collection)

Bediuzzaman explains in the Mathnawi al-Nuriyya that all the deeds of mankind are recorded and preserved by saying the following: “Know, O friend, that the One Who preserves a fig tree’s seed while it is changing into a fig, and does not allow it to rot in the ground, so that it can grow into a fig tree – that All-Preserving and Protecting One, Who protects all other plants and animals – will not neglect the deeds of humanity, His vicegerent on earth.” (Mathnawi al-Nuriyya Book / Shamma (The 9th Treatise)/ Risale-i Nur Collection)

At the same time, Ustadh Bediuzzaman explains subtly that the recording of man’s deeds is not only for the purpose of witnessing on the Day of Judgment, as is hsown in the following excerpt from the Letters Book (Maktubat): “For example, the people of Jannah will surely desire to recall their adventures in this world and recount them to one another. They will be exceedingly curious to see the images and pictures of those adventures, and if they watch them as though they were watching a cinema screen, they will enjoy it immensely. Since that is the case, as the ayah, (عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ۬ مُّتَقَـٰبِلِينَ )‘Joyfully, facing each other on thrones of dignity’ (Hijr, 15:47) indicates, there will be in Paradise, the realm of delight and happiness, the recounting of worldly adventures and scenes of worldly happenings, amid everlasting panoramas.” (Letters Book – Maktubat / 24th Letter / Second Station / Third Indication / from the Risale-i Nur Collection)

Just as people record the sweet moments they experience in the world in order to watch them and taste that same happiness again and again, insha’Allah the people of Jannah will also taste happiness when watching the sweet moments of their lives in the world that have been recorded by the manifestations of the name ‘Hafiz’, and also they will feel relieved that the hard and sorrowful days of their worldly lives are behind them.

Ya Hafiz! Preserve and protect us from the evils of jinn and humans, and help us in this world and in the akhirah (hereafter) with your beautiful name ‘Hafiz’. And make our feet steadfast in this religion. Amin. Amin Ya Mu’in.

“O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you from a painful punishment? [It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive (make jihad) in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know. He will forgive you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment.” (Saf, 61:10-12)

“And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.” (Anfal, 8:60)

“Fight against the mushriks (polytheists) with your wealth, your lives and your tongues.” (Abu Dawud)

“When you leave jihad, Allah makes abasement fall upon you (He makes you abased and disgraced). You cannot get rid of it until you return to your religion again.” (Abu Dawud)

In these verses and hadiths, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala shows us the way of mujahada (striving) which is a commerce that makes us gain happiness in this world, an eternal abode, an eternal happy life, and especially being able to see the divine beauty of Allah. It is only by such commerce and by no other means that we can gain these valuable things.

The word ‘jihad’ in the verses and hadiths is derived from the word ‘jahada’. Jahada means ‘to endeavour, to strive, to make an effort, to exert oneself’; and perseverance, zeal, and sacrifice. As a term jahada is defined in the following way, “Bazlu’l-majhudi fi husuli’l-maqsud”. In other words, it is to exert oneself to the utmost in order to achieve a goal. And this means to struggle against the nafs (soul), Satan, enemies of religion, and against mischief and immorality, evil and oppression. (Jihad wa’l-Qital Fi Siyasatu’l-Shariya, C:1, Beirut-1997, p. 38)

There are many verses and hadiths about the value and merit of mujahada. Those two verses and two hadiths we have given above clearly explain it. Now we will discuss the parts of the jihad and the ways it is implemented.

As it is well-known, an administration has to have a system which will protect the rights and the law, support the oppressed, and prevent the tyranny of the oppressor. Otherwise, that administration will either exist applying its own oppression and pressure, or be destined to collapse. It does not matter if this system is called jihad, or human rights, or a treaty like Hilf al-Fudul (Alliance of the Virtuous) defending the oppressed and the weak. To fulfil this duty, Islam, which is different from man-made systems in many ways, made jihad obligatory, which means guaranteeing the happiness in the world and hereafter, and preventing any kind of oppression and trouble.

Jihad is not oppression, but justice; not transgression, but defence; not to kill, but to protect life; not to violate the law and people’s rights, but to defend them. The proof of this is that during the 1400 years of Islamic rule, the lives of the innocent, the old, women, and children were protected thanks to jihad, whereas the world witnessed great atrocities and oppressions occurring under European dominance after the decline of Islamic rule. This fact is enough to prove our claim because over 75 million people were killed in the two World Wars, when the European civilization was dominant. This shows how much people are in need of the justice of jihad.

Where does this difference come from? It is because Islam is a divine religion, which encourages people to practise the mercy and compassion of the Prophets. The way of the Prophets is to show mercy and affection to everyone from lowest to the highest, so all people love it and accept it.

When the leaders follow the way of the Prophets, they rule with mercy and justice. But when the European civilization takes over the leadership, since it considers that the strong have the right to do as they please, it makes power a means of pressuring people, and tries to make itself accepted among the public by oppressing and dominating people.

We must pay attention to the point that ‘convincing the mind with proof and evidence’ is the principle of Islam. It is called spiritual jihad which is based on tabligh (conveying a message) and nasihah (sincere advice). Islam does not permit jihad with weapons, unless there is a definite necessity.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed the commanders he sent for jihad to do three things: “…When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya tax (paying which also means they must not harm anyone and must obey the state). If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands from them. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s help and fight them.” (Muslim, Jihad 3, [1731]; Tirmizi, Seerah 48, [1617])

An important event occurred regarding this matter in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which is related in a hadith. Usama bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “Rasulullah (PBUH) sent us to some tribes. Having learned that we were coming, they escaped. We chased one of their number. When we caught him, he said ‘La ilaha illallah’, but we killed him. Upon our return, we told the Prophet (PBUH) what happened.

He said, ‘Who will help you on the Judgement Day in the face of the value and greatness of the word that that man said?’

‘O Messenger of Allah, that man said it because of the fear of death,’ I answered.

The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘Have you opened his heart and looked at it that you know that he said it for any other reason? In the face of this ‘La ilaha illallah’, who will help you?’

He repeated this so many times that I said to myself, ‘If only I had accepted Islam after that day.’” (Muslim, Abu Dawud)

As we understand from the hadiths mentioned above, jihad is two parts: material and spiritual.

‘Material jihad’ is done when the army of Islam is compelled to fight to defend the honour of Islam and the rights of the oppressed. This is a means to save Muslims from worldly disasters and the pains of hereafter. This jihad is fardh al-kifayah (obligation of sufficiency). That is, if the army has the power to defend the religion and the sacred, and the country and the nation, jihad is no longer fardh (obligatory) for the general public. But if the army cannot carry out this duty, or, God forbid, if the country is occupied by enemies, the ‘material jihad’ becomes fardh al-ayn (an obligation on the self) for all. Every Muslim has to fight. Whoever dies in this jihad becomes a martyr which is a high degree. The wounded or the victorious become ghazi (a title given the Muslim warriors or champions).

‘Spiritual jihad’ is to convince people with ideas, and with logical and reasonable proofs, instead of using power and weapons against an enemy. And with the goals of real civilization and happiness, which are the cores of Islam, ‘spiritual jihad’ is also to work to rehabilitate our  own nafs (soul) first of all, and then other people who knowingly or unknowingly harm themselves and others materially or spiritually. In other words, it is to learn the commands and prohibitions of Allah and to apply them in our own lives. And it is to teach Islam to others and to strive to help them to live Islam themselves.

The ‘spiritual jihad’ is called the jihad al-akbar ( the greater jihad) in hadiths. Regarding the importance of ‘spiritual jihad’, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said the following while returning from the Battle of Tabuk, which had been full of great difficulties and hardships:

“Now we are coming from the lesser jihad and going to the greater jihad!”

His companions asked in astonishment, “O Messenger of Allah! Our situation is so bad. Is there any other jihad greater than this?”

And the Prophet (PBUH) answered, “Now we are going to the great jihad against the nafs (soul) and Satan.” (Suyuti, 2:73)

In another hadith the Prophet said, “Seeking knowledge is superior to performing prayers, fasting, going to hajj, and jihad for the sake of Allah.”(Kanzu’l Ummal, 10:28655) This is because to correctly perform the duties like prayers, hajj, or fasting, one has to ‘know’ that they are fardh (compulsory) and how they are performed. Moreover, if one become a means to someone’s embracing Islam, he does something which is ‘blessed than anything on which the sun rises and sets.’(Tabarani)

Some scholars say the following when explaining these hadiths: When engaging in the material jihad, a mujahid deals a blow to just one aspect of unbelief. If he wins, he can only defeat one part of unbelief. The student of knowledge, on the other hand, deals blows to every aspect of unbelief with the sword of spiritual jihad. If he wins, he can defeat unbelief in all its aspects.

As Sayyed Abdul Kareem al-Cili mentioned briefly in his book ‘Insan al-Kamil’ (The Perfect Man), since the ‘material jihad’ is the lesser jihad, someone who dies for the sake of it becomes a lesser martyr (shahid al-asgar). The ‘spiritual jihad’, however, is the greater jihad; so whoever dies for the sake of it becomes a greater martyr (shahid al-akbar).

The spiritual jihad is so much esteemed that the following verse clearly states it: “And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.” (Al Imran; 3:104)

We must also know that the most pleasurable life is the one spent struggling in the way of iman (faith). Therefore, wise people sacrifice their lives, their world and everything without hesitation for the sake of it.

The ‘spiritual jihad’ becomes fardh al-kifayah (obligation of sufficiency) on condition that there are enough scholars, and that the community’s demand for Islamic knowledge is met. When the scholars do this duty, ‘spiritual jihad’ is no more compulsory for the public. But if the scholars are not enough for this duty, or, God forbid, immorality and vice become common in the country, the ‘spiritual jihad’ becomes fardh al-ayn (an obligation on the self). Every Muslim has to learn knowledge and practise it in his life, and teach knowledge to others so that they practise it too.

Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi said the following while giving a sermon in Damascus in 1911: “In the past, Islam’s progress occurred through smashing the enemy’s bigotry and obstinacy, and through defence against their aggression, through weapons and the sword. Whereas in the future, in place of weapons, the immaterial and moral swords of real civilization, material progress, truth and justice will defeat and scatter the enemies.”(The Damascus Sermon) He also says that the ‘spiritual jihad’, which is the great jihad, is a doubled fardh al-ayn (obligation on the self) in this day and age.(The Damascus Sermon, Second Addendum)

Some years later, Imam Bediuzzaman explained this truth to his students as follows:

“My dear brothers! Our duty is to have a positive attitude, not a negative one. It is only to serve belief for the sake of Allah, and not to interfere in the work of the Creator. We are obliged to be patient and thankful in the face of any trouble in this service of faith which results in establishing order and tranquillity.

I have never submitted to any oppression or insult since my childhood. There have been many incidents showing that I do not bow to oppression. I did not stand up in the presence of the Russian commander, for instance. And I did not pay heed to the questions of the court-martial judges threatening me with execution. These show that I did not give in to oppression. However, for the last 30 years, for the sake of a positive attitude, and not to behave negatively, and not to interfere with the divine decree, I have responded with patience and acceptance to the cruel treatment I have received, like Cercis (peace be upon him), and like the Sahaba who suffered at the battles of Badr and Uhud.

An example of this is the fact that I did not curse the prosecutor, whom I proved wrong, showing his 80 mistakes in the court, who gave decision against us with his false claims. Because the real issue is the ‘spiritual jihad’; to help to put up barriers against the spiritual destruction of the time, and to help inner security by that means. Yes, our way has power, but this power is for protecting tranquillity. And it is a principle that “No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” (Fatir, 35:18) And ‘his brother, his descendants, or his children bear no responsibility for a criminal’s wrongdoings.’ For this reason I have worked for the protection of security my entire life. Our duty is to help to secure the inner safety. That is why there have hardly ever been civil wars threatening the security of the Islamic world. The indispensable condition of the ‘spiritual jihad’ is not to interfere with the divine role. Our duty is to serve; the result is given by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. We are only responsible for carrying out our duty.

I have drawn the lesson of acting with sincerity from the Qur’an, and I have said, like Jalaluddin Harzemshah, “My duty is to serve the faith; being successful depends on Allah’s will.” Attacks from outside are responded to with power, but inside it is not so. The correct inner attitude is to respond to spiritual destruction with spiritual manners like sincerity. The inner jihad and the outer jihad are totally different. Now that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala has given me millions of real students, we will maintain a positive attitude in order to protect the inner security. We do not run after worldly matters. But when we deal with them, we try to help people. We contribute to protecting the security in a positive manner.”(Emirdağ Appendix)

As a result, there are two fields of struggle to rid ourselves of our enemies’ harm, to protect our rights and to protect the oppressed. One is the material struggle with weapons. “The powerful become victorious,” is the principle of this struggle. So the only way to be triumphant in this field is to be powerful. Although it is obligatory that Muslim armies have material power to defeat the enemies, today’s Muslims have unfortunately failed to perform this obligation. For this reason, Muslims lose the struggle in the material arena. And since their enemies know this fact, they always try to draw the Muslims to that ground.

We have to be careful, and must not enter that field as long as we do not have to. Unfortunately some Muslims say, “The enemy has weapons, but we have our Lord,” and prefer to enter that arena contrary to the rules and practices of Allah. That is, although they do not have sufficient power, they try to fight against the enemy in vain. They do not know that someone may be rejected by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala by being made to fail, if they do not obey the rules and practices of Allah.

The second field of struggle is the spiritual one. It is the field of knowledge and thought, proof and evidence, real civilization and understanding, and the means to happiness in the world and the hereafter. In this arena we have the Word of Allah (the Qur’an), the hadith of the Prophet, and Islam, which organizes the life of the Muslims. No fault has appeared in these things for more than 1,400 years. Throughout history, Muslims have advanced and become civilized as long as they have held firmly to these three things. And whenever Muslims have been led astray from these things, they have declined and become underdeveloped.

This proves that thanks to reason and science, which will rule in future, Islam will become the real ruler. Because of this power, we as Muslims do not have any doubt that, with the help of Allah, we will always be victorious in this field of ‘spiritual jihad’ as we have been till today. It makes sense for us to draw our enemies to the second field. We must not enter the first where they can defeat us.

We ask Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala to bestow upon us the awareness of faith and Islam which will be the ruler of the future. Amin!

In Islam, knowledge is so important that the word ‘ilm (knowledge), including its derivatives, is mentioned 750 times in the Qur’an. Moreover, when we take into account the things which lead us to knowledge and are related to the word ‘knowledge’ like read, think, draw a lesson, mind, sight, wisdom, and thought, we see that one in every four verses is about knowledge, because the key to happiness in the world and the hereafter lies in knowledge. As great men have said, “The first and foremost religious duty is knowledge; and the first duty within the religious duty is sincerity.” Our biggest enemy is ignorance. It is not possible to attain material and spiritual happiness and victory without defeating this enemy.

‘Ilm is one of the divine attributes of Almighty Allah. The order in this universe indicates an All-Knowing Creator who has wisdom. “Say: Are those who know equal to those who know not?”¹ Our Lord has created this universe for man, and wanted him to reach perfection through knowledge. He has taught the first man and the first prophet, Adam (peace be upon him) the names of things, their attributes and the reason they were created; and so the Prophet Adam was exalted above the angels.

The first command in the Qur’an is ‘Proclaim’: “proclaim! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists).”² He is the Lord of the worlds. Look at the entire universe in His name; examine the divine arts and seals of oneness manifested in the worlds! Understand how He maintains the entire creation; believe in and obey Him! Inspect your own self, too. Who are you, where are you coming from, where are you going to, who is your owner? Discover! Consider and reflect by considering the mercy, favour, majesty, beauty, forgiveness, and wisdom! All these inspections lead us to ma’rifatullah (to know Allah) which is to rightfully acknowledge Him with His beautiful Names. The hadith, “It is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman to seek knowledge,”³ obliges us to acquire knowledge. And it includes all the ‘ilm such as knowledge of the Qur’an, Hadith (sayings or traditions of the Prophet), Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), Kalam (Islamic theology), and all others which enable us to develop strong belief and make us live accordingly. Therefore, if a man truly knows Allah, he really loves Him. Someone who loves Him does not fail to obey Him. “It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah.”⁴ A person who loves Allah is afraid to make mistakes, to disrespect Him, and to lose His approval and favour. If a man’s heart is deprived of knowledge, it gets sick and dies in the end. For this reason, “Man has come to this world to reach perfection through knowledge and worship. The basis, the treasure, the light, and the spirit of all sciences of truth is ma’rifatullah (to know Allah); and its fundamental principle is belief in Allah.”⁵

Credit: Let the Ideas Compete

The Inheritors of the Prophet

Allah has sent the prophets as teachers so that man will gain Allah’s approval of the knowledge he seeks. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I have been sent as a teacher to you.” ⁶ This duty of the Prophet continued with the Muslim scholars, as is shown in the following hadiths: “The scholars are the inheritors of the prophets,”⁷ and “The scholars of my ummah (community) are like the prophets of Bani Isra’il (the children of Israel).”⁸ The common aim of all the prophets and the scholars was to spread the truths of iman (belief), because both the purpose and the outcome of man’s being created is to have a strong faith by reaching perfection through knowledge.

Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, who came to help us in this age, was one of those scholars who spread the truths of faith, which are like remedies for the common spiritual illnesses of our time, and like the water of life for the minds and souls of today’s man who is as though stunned due to the weakness of his faith.

Imam Said Nursi wrote the Risale-i Nur treatises. He made tajdid (reforms) in Tasawwuf and ‘ilm al-kalam, and explained these two sciences to appeal to the understanding of today’s people in a Qur’anic way. Risale-i Nur is a tafseer which was directly written with istikhraj (by extraction) from the Qur’an al-Hakim; it is neither from the spiritual knowledge of the East nor from the sciences and philosophy of the West. Its truths are directly from the divine source, the Qur’an al-Karim.

Risale-i Nur has enabled us to attain the highest knowledges and truths in a very short time, as short as 15 months – which was like 15 years in the old days. It has claimed and proved that “one who reads these treatises for a year, comprehending and accepting them, may become a  scholar of real importance in this time.”⁹ Imam Nursi explained the true nature of knowledge as follows: “The light of conscience is religious sciences. The light of wisdom is positive sciences. When these two are combined together, the truth arises therefrom. The effort of a student grows through these two. If there is separation between the religious and positive sciences, bigotry arises from the first and disbelief from the second.”¹⁰ “Knowledge is of two kinds: one kind of knowledge is that it is enough to know once and to reflect a few times. The other kind is that the man always needs to reflect upon that knowledge, just as he needs food and water; he cannot say, ‘I have reflected once, it is enough for me’. So ‘knowledge of faith is of the latter kind. Hopefully The Words (the Risale-i Nur) is also of that kind for the most part.”¹¹

The Merits of being a Student of Knowledge

One of the best benefits of busying oneself with knowledge is to become a student of knowledge. The following hadiths explain a few of the merits: “Allah will make the path to the Garden easy for anyone who travels a path in search of knowledge. Angels spread their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of pleasure for what he is doing.”¹² and “Whoever wants to see someone that Allah has freed from hellfire, look at the scholars and the students of knowledge.”¹³

Imam Bediuzzaman draws attention to the students of knowledge: “Noble scholars like Imam Shafi’i gave much importance to ‘ilm; ‘Even the sleeping of the students of knowledge is counted as worship’.¹⁴ It is narrated that Imam Shafi’i said, ‘I can guarantee the sustenance of the students of knowledge’; because they have abundance and barakah (blessing) in their sustenance. Since this is the reality, and since the students of Risale-i Nur certainly deserve to be considered the students of knowledge of this time,¹⁵ if the topics of Risale-i Nur become the subjects of scholarly discussion, insha’Allah they may have the honour of being students of knowledge.” ¹⁶

The following hadiths express the value of ‘ilm and the gatherings to study it: “Seventy ranks separate a learned man from a (simple) worshipper”¹⁷ and “Those people who gather in one of the houses of Allah (masjids) and read the Qur’an and discuss its meaning and message, Allah sends upon them peace; His mercy covers them, the angels surround them and Allah remembers them in the company of His angels.”¹⁸ and “Allah’s Messenger happened to pass by two groups (of Muslims) in the mosque and he said: “Both of them are good, but one is superior to the other. One group is supplicating Allah and praying to Him. If He so wills, He will give to them, and if He so wills, He will withhold from them. So far as those who are acquiring the understanding of religion and its knowledge and are busy in teaching the ignorant, they are superior. Verily, I have been sent as a teacher.” He then sat down amongst them.”¹⁹

Two important conditions and effective ways of studying knowledge are discussing and carefully reading in the gatherings. Ibn Khaldun says in his Muqaddimah, “The easiest method to acquire ‘ilm is discussion and exchange of ideas; the most beneficial method is that the students often discuss and talk about knowledge in debate.” Ashab al-Suffa, a group of young men from Madinah, who were the first students of knowledge in Islam, used to apply this method in the gatherings of ‘ilm. They used to discuss the verses and the hadiths, and study the most correct meanings of them.

The ‘question-answer’ method enriches the studies of knowledge, too. “Knowledge is a treasury. The key to this treasure is to ask questions. Do not be too shy to ask questions, since four people get rewarded when a question is asked: the questioner, the respondent, the one who listens to them, and the one who likes them.”²⁰

The sahaba (companions of the Prophet), may Allah be pleased with them, used to ask the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) questions about the things they did not know. When the sahaba did not ask any questions, the Prophet would ask them a question, and then give the answer himself. Even the angel Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) came many times in the form of a man and asked the Prophet questions about various issues, which enabled the sahaba to benefit from the answers. It is said that, “the beginning of ‘ilm is silence, then comes listening, and then memorization, and then doing good deeds with the things learned; and finally teaching them to the people.” If we were to count the gatherings of knowledge, every place in which Allah is remembered, even our homes, could be counted in.

Imam Said Nursi addresses the mothers and the fathers regarding this issue: Let your homes be a madrasa al-noor and a school of knowledge so that you can completely practise this sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). So the children, the fruits of the sunnah, can intercede for you in the hereafter; and they become your real children (and inheritors) by taking from you the lesson of belief.”²¹

By the Pen

As we mentioned, the first command of the Qur’an is ‘Read’, furthermore, the importance of writing is stressed in the following verses, also from Surat al-Alaq: “Who has taught (the writing) by the Pen, Has taught man that which he knew not.” And at the beginning of Surat al-Qalam: “By the Pen and what they inscribe.” We understand from these verses that one of the important principles of being a student of knowledge is to write with the pen. ‘Ilm reaches perfection by writing.

Abdullah ibn Amr said, “Bind the knowledge”. When asked what ‘binding the knowledge’ means, he answered “writing it”. Writing is of such importance in the service of Risale-i Nur, which enables someone to study the knowledge of belief and the truths of the Qur’an, that Imam Nursi lays down the following condition for the ones who want to be students of Risale-i Nur: The most important duty of a person who accepts Risale-i Nur is both to write it using the Qur’anic script and to teach someone how to write it. Thus, he will assist the dissemination of the Risale-i Nur. The one who writes the Risale-i Nur and teaches someone to write it shall acquire the title of ‘Student of the Risale-i Nur. ²²

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References

1- Surat al-Zumar, 9

2- Surat al-Alaq, 1

3- Ibn Adiy; Bayhaqi

4- Surat al-Fatir, 28

5- The Words, Said Nursi

6- Abu Tâlib El-Mekkî

7- Abu Davud, Tirmizî

8- Razi, Tafseer: 8/302; Naysaburi, Tafseer: 1/264; Kashfu’l-Hafa: 2/64

9- Isahratu’l I’jaz, and the Flashes, Said Nursi

10- The Letters (al-Maktubaat)– 2, p. 387

11- Barla Appendix, Said Nursi

12- Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi

13- Khadimi

14- The Rays, Said Nursi

15- Kastamonu Appendix, Said Nursi

16- The Rays

17- Ibn Adiy

18- Muslim

19- Et-Targhib wa’t-Tarhib

20- Abu Nua’ym, Hilya

21- A Guide for Women, Said Nursi

22- Kastamonu Appendix, Said Nursi

Sayyid Sharif Jurjani says the following in Tarifat: Shafa’ah is to demand forgiveness for major sins.

Tahanawi says it is “a request to attain a good situation or to get rid of harm by way of invocation.” (Kashshafu Istilihatu’l-Funun / 1st Volume / p: 1034)

The translator of Kamus-u Muhit states: according to what the author states in Basair, it means (شفع) (شفاعه), a helper, an assistant or to ask forgiveness for and on behalf of the sinner.

In few words, shafa’ah means to seek help, wish something for somebody and to intercede.

When we use the term nowadays, shafa’ah means our Prophet’s making dua for his Ummah and his request to Allah (swt) so that his Ummah is forgiven on the Day of Judgment.

Deniers of Shafa’ah
As is well known, the only sect in the history of Islam that has denied the existence of the shafa’ah of our Prophet (saw), or other Prophets’ shafa’ah for their communities on the Day of Judgment, is the Mutazila sect. Ahl’al Sunnah ulama (scholars) refuted and disproved the ideas of this deviant Mutazila sect with both rational (aqli) and narrated (naqli) evidences.  Similarly nowadays, we encounter people who deny shafa’ah like the deviant sect, or people who suspiciously or out of curiosity ask questions about the subject of shafa’ah . We will do our best to shed light on the subject, mentioning the ayahs and ahadith about shafa’ah.
Shafa’ah on the Day of Judgment:
We can separate the people who will gather in the judgment field into three:

Disbelievers (Kuffar);

Those whose sins are more than their thawab who deserve jahannam even for a short time;

Those whose thawab are more than their sins who deserve Jannah.

Disbelievers are not worthy of forgiveness for their disbelief. There will not be shafa’ah for them. There are ayahs in the Qur’an intended for disbelievers rejecting shafa’ah for them. For instance this ayah:

(فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمۡ شَفَـٰعَةُ ٱلشَّـٰفِعِينَ (المدَّثِّر/٤٨

Then will no intercession of (any) intercessors profit them. (Muddaththir, 74:48)

As to those whose thawab are more than their sins that deserve Jannah, they don’t need shafa’ah after all, since they deserved it already.

As to those whose sins are more than their thawab that they deserve jahannam. There are so many expressions in ayahs in the Qur’an and in a lot of ahadith mentioning that our Prophet (or some other prophets) will intercede (in other words do shafa’ah) for the forgiveness of some of those people.

We will now mention the ayahs that are proofs of shafa’ah:

 لَّا يَمۡلِكُونَ ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةَ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ عِندَ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ عَهۡدً۬ا (مريم\٨٧) (1
“They will have no power of intercession, save him who hath made a covenant with his Lord.” (Maryam, 19:87)

2) (يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ لَّا تَنفَعُ ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةُ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ وَرَضِىَ لَهُ ۥ قَوۡلاً۬ (طٰه/١٠٩

“On that day no intercession availed save (that of) him unto whom the Beneficent hath given leave and whose word He accepted.” (Ta-Ha, 20:109)

3)  (لَا تَنفَعُ ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةُ عِندَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا لِمَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُۚ ۥ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَن قُلُوبِهِمۡ قَالُواْ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمۡۖ قَالُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِىُّ ٱلۡكَبِيرُ (سَبَإ/٢٣

No intercession availed with Him save for him whom He permitted. Yet, when fear is banished from their hearts, they say: What was it that your Lord said? They say: The Truth. And He is the Sublime, the Great. (Saba, 34:23)

4)   (مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦ‌  (البَقَرَة /٢٥٥

Who is he that intercedes with Him save by His leave? (Baqara, 2:255)

5) (مَا مِن شَفِيعٍ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ إِذۡنِهِ… (یُونس/٣…

“… There is no intercessor (with Him) saves after His permission…” (Yunus, 10:3)

6)  (وَلَا يَمۡلِكُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةَ إِلَّا مَن شَہِدَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ (الزّخرُف/٨٦

And those unto whom they cry instead of Him possess no power of intercession, saving him who beareth witness unto the Truth knowingly. (Zukhruf, 43:86) (These exceptions here are Prophets ‘Isa (a.s) and Uzayr (a.s) and the angels.)

7)  (وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ۬ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ لَا تُغۡنِى شَفَـٰعَتُہُمۡ شَيۡـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَن يَأۡذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرۡضَىٰٓ (النّجْم/٢٦

And how many angels are in the heavens whose intercession availed naught save after Allah giveth leave to whom He chooseth and accepteth. (Najm, 53:26)

8)  (يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَلَا يَشۡفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنۡ خَشۡيَتِهِۦ مُشۡفِقُونَ (الاٴنبیَاء/٢٨

 He knoweth what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him whom He accepteth, and they quake for awe of Him. (Al-Anbiya, 21:28)

In these ayahs, Allah does not say that “There will not be shafa’ah”, but rather He says, “Those whom Allah chooses and accepts will intercede”.

Our Prophet and Shafa’ah                                                                                                                                                                                                (وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ  وَلَوۡ أَنَّهُمۡ إِذ ظَّلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ جَآءُوكَ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابً۬ا رَّحِيمً۬ا(النِّسَاء/ ٦٤

We sent no messenger save that he should be obeyed by Allah’s leave. And if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come unto thee and asked forgiveness of Allah, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found Allah Forgiving, Merciful. (An-Nisa, 4:64) 

(فَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّهُ ۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمۡ وَمَثۡوَٮٰكُمۡ   (محَمَّد/١٩

So know (O Muhammad) that there is no God save Allah, and ask forgiveness for thy sin and for believing men and believing women. Allah knoweth (both) your place of turmoil and your place of rest. (Muhammad, 47:19)

The command given to our Prophet (saw) in this ayah “…ask forgiveness….” is a sign that Allah (swt) will accept the du’a. Because Allah does not break His word and reject the du’as after He says “ask forgiveness.” It does not make any difference if this seeking forgiveness du’a is for this world or not. It would be very wrong and a false assertion to say, “It is only for and in this world”.

What is meant for the Prophets’ shafa’ah on the Day of Judgment is their interceding for the forgiveness of their Ummah, making dua for their community so that they can attain the pardon of Allah. We have already mentioned above that the word ‘shafa’ah’ means to make du’a and to intercede. Claiming that Prophets would not make du’a on the Day of Judgment is a false statement and what is more it is a very dangerous assertion in that it is contradictory to the ahadith.

Allah mentions in Suratu’l Ma’ida that ‘Isa (a.s) says the following:

(إِن تُعَذِّبۡہُمۡ فَإِنَّہُمۡ عِبَادُكَ‌ۖ وَإِن تَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ (المَائدة/١١٨

“ If Thou punish them, lo! They are Thy slaves, and if Thou forgive them (lo! they are Thy slaves). Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, the Wise.” (Maeda, 5:118) Just as ‘Isa (a.s) makes du’a, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)’s du’a and supplications that is more comprehensive and extensive he makes for His Ummah and the acceptance of His du’a should not be denied either. Besides, while interpreting the following ayah;

(وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَتَهَجَّدۡ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةً۬ لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبۡعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامً۬ا مَّحۡمُودً۬ا (الإسرَاء/٧٩

And some part of the night awake for it, a largess for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised estate (Maqam Mahmud). (Al-Isra, 17:79) the ulama have interpreted it as referring to shafa’ah. Moreover, in his Tafsir book Ad- Durru’l Manthur, Imam Suyuti mentioned twenty ahadith proving that “Maqam Mahmud (Praiseworthy Station)” is Shafa’ah Uzma (Great Intercession).” (Vol.5)

Ahadith on Shafa’ah:

A great number of the ulama of hadith, especially Bukhari and Muslim, narrated many ahadith on our Prophet (s.a.w)’s making shafa’ah on the Day of Judgment. As the largest available unique collection of ahadith in the Islamic world, the fourteenth volume of Kanz Ummal Kitab is full of ahadith about the subject of shafa’ah. There are in fact 86 ahadith on shafa’ah, all of which would be able to lead those who have iman and conscience to reach to a conclusion on this subject.

Kattani states in his book Nazmu’l mutanasir fi’l ahadithi’l mutawatir that the following hadith, “For every prophet there is an invocation that surely will be responded to by Allah,” (or in another narration, “For every prophet there was an invocation with which he appealed to Allah, and his invocation was accepted (in his lifetime), but I kept my (this special) invocation to intercede for my followers on the Day of Resurrection”) is a mutawatir hadith and that it was narrated as sahih by Abu Huraira, Anas, Jabir, Abdullah b. Amr, Ubada b. Samit, Abu Said Al-Khudri and Abdurrahman b. Abi Uqayl.

In addition to this, the famous hadith regarding people going to the different Prophets on the Day of Judgment and finally coming to our Prophet seeking shafa’ah is narrated from twelve sahaba and is also a mutawatir hadith. The aforementioned book of Kattani can be referred to for more explanation on this subject.

It is a well-accepted method by all the ulama when making commentary on the Noble Qur’an to interpret the Qur’an first with Qur’an itself, and then with hadith, and then with the words of sahaba. It is considered to be dhalalah (error) to interpret the Qur’anic ayahs without reference to the sahih ahadith, or to interpret them in a way that opposes the sahih ahadith.

In short, the aforementioned ayat and ahadith make it crystal clear that the people who Allah (s.w.t) accepts and allows to do so, will make intercession.

General and Particular in the Qur’an

Some of the deniers of shafa’ah do so because they misunderstand the shafa’ah ayahs. Before proceeding to consider those misunderstood ayahs, we would like to explain one of the rules for understanding certain expressions, without which one cannot the understand Qur’an correctly.

There are some expressions in the Qur’an which, in spite of seeming to be general, in fact have exceptions and are assigned to specific conditions. A general hukm (provision) is sometimes assigned by another ayah or by ahadith and they are specified, but if there is no proof, then assigning and specification does not take place. People who do not know this could decide on a false hukm and thus go astray. They may also accuse other people who do not accept their ideas of deviance (as is sometimes the case with this subject of shafa’ah.)

For instance, a lot of ayahs in the Qur’an say, “Give zakah (alms).” While seemingly this command is a general command for all muslims, in fact this zakah is a particular order intended only for rich muslims. Likewise, in the surah Al-i Imran:    …(وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَاعَ إِلَيۡهِ سَبِيلاً۬‌… (آل عِمرَان/٩٧

 “…And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither…” (Al-i Imran, 3:97) In this ayah, the term ‘mankind’ is a general term. However, children and insane people (people with impaired mental faculties) are exempted from this command, while they are included in the term ‘mankind’.

Moreover;  (وَٱلسَّارِقُ وَٱلسَّارِقَةُ فَٱقۡطَعُوٓاْ أَيۡدِيَهُمَا جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَسَبَا نَكَـٰلاً۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ۬ (المَائدة/٣٨

“As for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands. It is the reward of their own deeds, an exemplary punishment from Allah. Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (Al-Maida, 5:38) The hukm in this ayah is general. According to the external and apparent meaning of this ayah, the hand of a person who stole an egg must be cut off, whereas according to ahadith statements, this general statement is assigned to ‘a specific amount’.

In Surat al-Baqara ayah 173, it is said that ٱلۡمَيۡتَةَ (dead animal flesh) is haram. Fish should have also been haram according to the apparent meaning of this ayah, but the ahadith sharif have qualified the ayahs by stating that dead fish flesh is permissible.

While ayah 228 in Surat al-Baqara, which commands divorced women to wait for three menstrual periods is general, Allah (s.w.t) has given this general ayah a specific condition by means of another ayah, ayah 49 of Surat al-Ahzab, which says that brides who were married, but did not consummate the marriage with the zifaf (consummation of marriage), do not have to observe this iddah period.

There are many examples in the books of usul al-fiqh of these ayahs that Allah reveals generally and then specifies by means of another ayah.

Shafa’ah (intercession) is also ‘generally’ negated by some ayahs. However, despite being seemingly general, these ayahs actually veil exceptions and specific conditions. The ayahs that we have mentioned above  make more specific the ayahs that seem to generally negate intercession with the expression “save (that of) him unto whom He permits”,  and Surah TaHa verse 109: “save (that of) him unto whom the Beneficent hath given leave and whose word He accepteth”.

Deniers of shafa’ah will put forward this ayah to us as a proof:

(يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِىَ يَوۡمٌ۬ لَّا بَيۡعٌ۬ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ۬ وَلَا شَفَـٰعَةٌ۬‌ۗ وَٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ (البَقَرَة/٢٥٤

“O you who believe! Spend of that wherewith We have provided you ere a day come when there will be no trafficking, nor friendship, nor intercession. The disbelievers, they are the wrong-doers.” (al-Baqara, 2:254)

In fact, this ayah is qualified by the ayah which follows it, which is al-Baqara, 255:

(مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦ‌  (البَقَرَة /٢٥٥

Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? (Baqara, 2:255) In other words, “There is no intercession without His permission.”

This is the measure according to which similar ayahs must also be evaluated.

Most of us notice the word tawafuq that Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi uses quite frequently in the Risale-I Nur collection. Since people had given wrong meanings to the word ‘coincidence’, and the word had come into common usage to the extent that it was endangering the faith, he wanted to attract people’s attention to the mistake, and as he intended to turn people from this mistake, Imam Bediuzzaman used the word tawafuq instead of coincidence. Therefore people reading the Risale-i Nur prefer the word tawafuq to coincidence.

Tawafuq has the dictionary meaning of “to be correlated to each other in some way” and “to be in a pleasant coherence, correspondence, and conformity with each other.” ‘Coincidence’ is defined as an accident, an incident happening by chance, and an encounter occurring without any planning.  There is nothing dangerous in this part of the matter. The real problem is the wrong meanings given to the word ‘coincidence’. For example, understanding such meanings from ‘coincidence’ as ‘an unconscious encounter’ and ‘conformity without a will behind it, happening on its own’ is quite wrong. The word ‘coincidence’ used in these meanings is in contrast with our faith.

 THERE IS NO PLACE FOR COINCIDENCE IN THE UNVERSE

There is the influence of the divine will on all the actions and phenomena taking place in the universe.  Without Allah’s universal will nothing happens. Not even a leaf falls to the ground without the order or permission of Allah. Now we will give some verses both to give an idea and to prove the point. For example the third verse of Surah Saba, “from Whom is not hidden the least little atom in the heavens or on earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the Record Perspicuous”. In the 21th verse of Surat Al-Hijr, “And there is not a thing but its (sources and) treasures (inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.” Our Lord says in the 59^th verse of Surat Al-Anaam, “With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. He knoweth whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf doth fall but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear (to those who can read).”

As can be understood clearly from the aforementioned verses, without the permission, order, will, power and knowledge of Allah, from the tiniest to the biggest, no movement, no action take place in the universe.  We Muslims believe in this truth. Therefore, we cannot use the word ‘coincidence’ which is used with the meaning of ‘unconscious encounter’ and ‘conformity without a will behind it’. Our faith does not allow that in any way. The ones who continue to use the word ‘coincidence’ because of ignorance and negligence may be excused to some extent.  But to use the word ‘coincidence’ intentionally,  believing in the meanings – ‘an unconscious encounter’ and ‘conformity without a will behind it, something happening on its own’ may put someone’s faith in danger. Such an understanding means to accept not completely but only partly that the All Glorious One has the absolute sovereignty, that his knowledge encompasses everything, that His will penetrates everything, and that His power has influence over all the creation at all times. Such a line of thinking damages the perfection of faith and the strength of the creed. The following truth, which Imam Bediuzzaman mentioned in the Treatise on Nature, emphasizes this dangerous point; “O man! You should be aware that there are certain phrases which are commonly used and which imply unbelief. The believers also use them, but without realizing their implications.” Because one step after this point one can fall into unbelief.

Since there is no coincidence in the universe and there is the absolute sovereignty of the divine power and will, everything comes into existence with His order, knowledge and permission. And there is no place in the universe without order. A perfect harmony and magnificent unity are visible to eyes that can see. There is a wonderful order, measure, and balance from the particles and atoms to the galaxies. The order, measure, balance, and harmony in the universe cannot occur without reason or accidentally. This shows that there is a knowledge, will, power and wisdom behind it. And this is the proof of the existence of the One with infinite knowledge, will, power and wisdom.

At this point Islam says that everything comes into existence with planning, creation, choice and measure of the divine dispensation. In other words, everything, every occurrence, even the simplest things according to us takes place with the dispensation and choice of the All Glorious One.  With this truth in mind, how can someone use the word ‘coincidence’? Can someone come across a coincidence with this meaning in the whole universe? The universe with all the different creations in it and the clearly seen order, balance and harmony in them with the testimony of the scientific realities prove that there is no coincidence in it.

If using the word ‘coincidence’ with such a meaning is so wrong, what is the right word to use? Is there a word that our faith and creed suggest us to replace ‘coincidence’? The answer is yes. So what is it then? It is tawafuq. Tawafuq is the most correct word. Since there is balance, harmony and order in the universe and they require conscious actions, tawafuq represents all these truths. Conscious balance, conscious order, and conscious harmony can only be explained by tawafuq. Because there are will, knowledge, wisdom and power behind tawafuq.  There is the intention of the All Glorious One, His choice, defining with His knowledge, organizing with his power behind tawafuq. Thus all the balances, orders, measures, similarities, correlations, coherence and harmonies in the universe show tawafuq. The word tawafuq used in this sense reminds people of Allah, leads them to Allah.

Answer:

Niyyah (intention of prayer):

Niyyah is the decision of the heart,the  declaration of the reasons behind each action. It means to intend saying ‘yes’ to Allah (SWT) by obeying His commands.

Iftitah Takbir (the Opening Takbir):

By saying Allahu Akbar (‘Allah is Greater’), we toss the entire world behind us with our hands and seek refuge in the mercy of Allah (SWT). It is to affirm that Allah (SWT) is the greatest by saying takbir (Allahu Akbar).

Qiyam (standing):

With this principle in salah (prayer), human beings represent the worship of the angels and of trees which stand and praise Allah continously. Qiyam is the human beings’ standing before the Eternal Being (SWT) with their bodies and hearts. The head’s being bowed in qıyam represents the lack of pride and modesty of the heart.

Qira’at (recitation):

Qira’at is to be grateful to Allah for His flawless perfection, inimitable beauty and infinite mercy, by saying Alhamdulillah (‘Praise be to Allah’). It is also to indicate that all deeds come into existence with the help of Allah and that praise is reserved for Allah alone. It is to be connected to the Eternal Being (SWT) by saying, “(O our Master!) You alone do we worship and from You alone do we ask for help” (iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka nasta’in).

Ruku’ (bowing):

In this state, human beings represent the worship of the angels who serve Allah in this position of bowing continously, and animals that are always standing in ruku’ on their four legs. Ruku’ means to glorify the great Creator with the entire universe while seeing our weakness and poverty by saying, “Subhana rabbiyal ‘azim”(Glory be to my Lord the Mighty)… and to struggle in order to grow its roots in our hearts, and in order to raise our head from ruku’ with the hope of attaining Allah’s mercy by repeating our mention of the greatness of Allah.

Sujud (prostration):

In this state, human beings represent the worship of the angels who serve Allah in sujud continuously and reptiles which seem to be in a constant state of prostration all their lives.
Prostration (sujud) is to abandon everything other than Allah (SWT) by saying, “Subhana rabbiyal a’la” (Glory be to my Lord the Most High) in modesty and awe before Allah’s flawless beauty, brilliance, holy names and attributes. “A slave becomes nearest to his Rabb (Lord) when he is in prostration. So increase supplications in prostration.”(Muslim)

Qa’da (sitting):

In this state, human beings represent the worship of the angels who serve Allah sitting, and also of the mountains, as rocks seem by their very shape to be sitting. A human being confirms that everything he owns belongs to Allah by reciting the tahiyyah (greeting) in this sitting position. He renews his faith by declaring the kalima-i shahadah (“There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger”). In salah there is a kind of Mi’raj for a believer, as the words of the tashahhud recall the holy conversation between Allah (SWT) and the Prophet Muhammad during the Mi’raj (the Prophet’s night journey and ascension).