BEHAVIOR OF ACCOUNTANTS

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 43
12/20/2016
The basic principle is that we pool our energy and spend it on good and beneficial projects. Beware of
distraction and scattering. A person has limited energy and ability, limited thinking and
understanding, limited logic and comprehension... If his determination is scattered here and there, he
becomes exhausted and stumbles in carrying out his necessary tasks, and may fail to do them
completely. Then work and pay off...whether people like your work or not. Whether they welcomed
you or frowned at you...we should not pay attention to that. Let us be water in the barren deserts...
Let us flow freely like rivers... Even if some consider it poison and refuse to drink it, we do not despair.
LET US ALWAYS BE DUST UNDER OUR FEET; BE DUST, BE DUST UNTIL ROSES GROW... LET US BE DUST,
FERTILE AND GIVING DUST...
Let us always be dust under our feet; Be dust, be dust until the roses grow... Let us be dust, fertile and
generous soil... Some may consider that soil barren and refrain from scattering seeds, there is no
harm... Let us scatter everything we have in that good land, and it does not matter to us whether or
not anyone after us will tend it. Let us be a cloud that covers the people with its shadow, then rain
trickles down upon their heads, and we do not have to worry about whether they built dams to take
advantage of that rain or not? Let us shout the most powerful words and the sweetest melodies, even
if they cover their ears or close their eyes out of reluctance, we do not care... Let us tirelessly strive to
make them hear the sweetest melodies with the sweetest phrases and the most delicate words.
Let us raise the pen and write with it phrases dyed with sincerity, colored with sincerity, decorated
with sincerity, printed with sincerity... and let God’s pleasure be the soul of those phrases... and we
do not care whether some of them praised them or not. If no one accepts it today, the fair
generations of tomorrow will embrace it. Let us be dust upon which feet can tread... Let us continue
to cover our faces with dust... and we do not care whether they know our destiny or not. Let us
scatter the seeds, and we do not care even if they claim that they are the growers... Let us build dams
that water their lands, and we do not care even if they say about themselves, “We are the
builders.” The words do not concern us, because what is important is doing what is necessary for the
sake of humanity.
LET US RAISE THE PEN AND WRITE WITH IT PHRASES DYED WITH SINCERITY, COLORED WITH
SINCERITY, DECORATED WITH SINCERITY, PRINTED WITH SINCERITY...
These meanings may seem - because I uttered them - faltering, pale and incoherent, just like me, but
in their origin they are the call of the prophets and their breath at all times: (And I ask of you no
reward for it. My reward is only from the Lord of the worlds)... We do not want any reward from
you... Act We, we accomplished, we established We said, “We paved the way, we were dust, we
delivered a message, we spread the truth, we served the truth... We do not want even an atom’s
weight from you in return for that.”
Professor Badi al-Zaman mentions the story of Habib al-Najjar in Surah Ya-Sin, which was said to have
taken place in Antioch, and the narratives say that they are messengers of Jesus - peace be upon
him... Two messengers come and then a third follows them. Habib Al-Najjar says: (Follow those who
do not ask you for a reward, and they are guided). These people have found the way, they are on
guidance, and they do not ask you for a reward.. If you must follow, then follow these people... Follow
those who do not expect anything from you, and do not covet anything from you. And do not follow
those who stare at you in the hope of praise, applause, or flattery in return for a favor they have done
to you... or who seeks to fill their bags and coffers with your money in exchange for their good deeds
to you... but follow these... follow the great prophets... follow their sincere heirs like Abu Bakr, Omar,
Othman, and Ali, may God be pleased with them. And he satisfied them all thousands of times... They
followed those who followed their path, such as Al-Jilani, Al-Shazli, Mustafa Al-Siddiq Al-Bakri,
Muhammad Bahaa Al-Din Al-Naqshbandi, Imam Al-Rabbani, Khaled Al-Baghdadi, Shah Wali Allah Al-
Dahlawi, Badi’ Al-Zaman Al-Nursi, and whoever followed them with goodness from among the stars of
guidance... These people left this world as they came. to her; They only have the shroud. They were
not bequeathed any of the worldly goods, not even an atom's weight. These are the ones to be
emulated... These considered the world to be a passing station... The Master of Messengers said:
“What do I have to do with the world? “I am in this world nothing but like a rider who took shade
under a tree and then departed and left it.” I have no connection to this world. My connection to it is
like a traveler who sat under a tree waiting to catch some breath and then left.
The value of the work is linked to its freedom from aphids.
Follow those who are like this, follow those who live like this... Those who follow their example never
lose... Let us do a lot of good work, and let us spread goodness and righteousness... Then we do not
wait for what we have done. We mentioned in one of the lessons: If you do a favor, or give alms, or
give charity, or do good to someone, or give someone a house, or pave a path... do not nullify this by
benevolence in word, deed, gesture, or even by your facial expressions while you look at him as if you
are saying: Did I not pave a path for you? ? Did I not build a house for you? If you did, you would have
made your work worthless and worthless.
The value of the work is linked to its freedom from aphids. God Almighty says: (Do not nullify your
alms); Do not invalidate what you offer as a symbol of your sincerity, and more clearly, do not
invalidate what expresses your magnanimity and symbolizes your honesty, publicly or implicitly, as a
gesture of gratitude or embarrassment. Likewise, do not expose your message to the misfortune of
blessing, nor by sending this message to all parts of the world, nor by opening yourself up to more
than 150 countries, or establishing more than a thousand schools... Rather, whenever the divine
blessings rain down upon you like rain, and wet you from the top of your heads to the soles of your
feet, bend down like a branch in humility. This is what is required to feel God’s blessings and to realize
his vast talents. That is, bowing and prostrating in humility... This bowing is an acknowledgment that
these blessings are not from us, but rather from Him, Glory be to Him. This spirit, the spirit of vow, is
the greatest motivation for those who have vowed themselves to serve the Qur’an. These votives
must never abandon it.
O God, bestow upon us the abundance of knowledge... bestow upon us Your blessings that brighten
our faces and Your fresh talents in our features, abundant rain that covers us from our heads to our
feet. O God, pour it upon us, for we are insatiable poor, and in response to every kindness from You,
“Is there more?” they chant.

I WANT CRAZY PEOPLE

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 14
02/22/2017
SINCERITY AND CERTAINTY
If a person asked for sincerity and certainty a hundred times a day, he would not be among those who
multiply. But what should the order be? A prayer of words or a prayer of action? I think that the
supplication of action is the principle, but it does not prevent the supplication of speech. What is best
is a supplication of words accompanied by a supplication of action. If my advice has any value to you,
then my first and last advice is to seek the pleasure of God Almighty. You may forget to ask for
Paradise in your supplications or for protection from Hell, but beware of forgetting to persistently
seek sincerity and certainty, because the matter cannot be forgotten. If sincerity fades and certainty is
lost in the individual, he may fall into a frightening void, as his words do not go beyond his throat, and
his actions do not express any noble meaning.
If a person asked for sincerity and certainty a hundred times a day, he would not be among those who
multiply.
ACCOUNTING
You said and you succeeded, you wrote and you were creative, you worked hard and achieved
everything you wanted... Then take the initiative to hold yourself accountable immediately, as this
may be a deception. Who knows, with success a door might open that throws you into the maze of
arrogance, arrogance, and hypocrisy, and the door of “be one of the people among the people” closes
with it. The pure ones shuddered from disappointment and failure, but their fear of success was
greater and more sublime. They planted the land, and as soon as it became green, fruitful, and
pleasant, they quickly began to cry, and their souls began to be held accountable, and they said in
awe, “What have we done to ourselves that caused the earth to shake, grow, grow, and become
beautiful?” Oh my God! Could this be a lure from where we do not know?
You said and you succeeded, you wrote and you were creative, and you were ambitious and achieved
everything you wanted... Then take the initiative to hold yourself accountable immediately, as this
may be a lure.
FREE YOUR MIND FROM WORRIES
The pride of humanity, may God bless him and grant him peace, before and after the blessed mission,
was full of worry and grief over the material misery and spiritual loss he saw prevailing over all of
humanity. The narrations say that before his prophethood, he would sometimes withdraw from
people and be alone with himself, contemplating the problems of humanity. As for the extent of his
concern after carrying the mission of the message, the Great Qur’an alerts him to it, saying: “Perhaps
you will rebuke your own soul in their tracks, if they do not believe in this hadith, out of regret” (Al-
Kahf: 6). Isn’t the verse with a deep meaning that shakes the heart and affects the core of the
conscience? Our most dangerous concern today is our freedom from worry. The worry that robs us of
sleep, disturbs our rest, and leaves us sleepless several days a week as we strive to implant the truths
of faith and the Qur’an in hearts and look forward to the conscience of human society responding to
them. If we do not sleep with such worry today, we will be bombarded with tasks that deprive us of
sleep tomorrow. And I say the truth; A person almost feels sorry when he does not see someone
feeling sad.
I WANT CRAZY PEOPLE
Crazy people I want, a bunch of crazy people... revolting against all familiar standards, exceeding all
known standards
Saturate yourself with the love of God to the point of madness, do not be tempted by His goodness
nor be tempted by His beauty, rise above all equations and rise above all standards, raise the slogan
of revolution against everything familiar, and chant as Rumi chanted, “Come to me, O human being,”
then bury yourself in oblivion. Call, as Bedi al-Zaman called, “Oh his humanity,” then go on and do not
think about your personal happiness. Yes, forget the comfort of life, forget the house and the
children, and follow the path of the arriving eminent people to be among the survivors.
Crazy people I want, a bunch of crazy people... revolting against all familiar standards, exceeding all
known standards. While people rush to temptations, they flee from them and do not pay attention to
them. I want a handful of those who were attributed to light-mindedness due to their intense
devotion to their religion and their attachment to spreading their faith. These are the “lunatics”
whom the Master of Messengers praised, as they do not think about their own pleasures, do not
aspire to position, fame, or prestige, do not desire the pleasures of the world and its money, and are
not tempted by family and children... O Lord, I beseech You... The treasures of Your mercy are
endless. Give all He asked for his request, but as for me, my request is a bunch of crazy people... Oh
Lord, oh Lord…

BEHAVIOR AND OPENING HEARTS

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 23
04/02/2017
There is no doubt that the secret that shook the entire corners of the earth at the hands of the eleven
apostles is their deep sincerity and sincere behavior that drives people to faith. Likewise, our
honorable companions, may God be pleased with them, when they set out in various parts of the
world carrying torches of faith in their hands, the greatest secret of hearts opening up to them with
acceptance wherever they went, lay in their sincere behavior that urged hearts to respond and
believe.
And so the locomotive of time moved, century after century, until it reached our present era.
Suddenly, Muslims increased in numbers, and their lands expanded in length and breadth, while the
spirit lost its flame in souls, and meanings extinguished their flame in hearts, so the balance between
quantity and quality was disturbed.
Today we have the thinking mind and we have the mastering logic, and we have surpassed our
ancient ancestors in the field of science, knowledge and technology in an enormous and
incomparable way. But there is a difference between our hearts and the hearts that were beating in
their wings. Today we are deprived of a great blessing that they possessed...the blessing of sensing
God in every beat of the heart, then that sensing is evident in the features of the face and its effects
appear in behavior. Yes, the beating and beating of the heart should have been reflected on our faces
and behaviour, and our appearance should have been a mirror of the certainty that is rippling within
us; Just like a clock, when its internal work is revealed in its external form in the form of a wondrous
system, where the hands move between seconds, minutes, and hours with extreme precision that
prompts one to say, “How great and how wonderful this creativity is!..” Be aware that the clock’s
internal engines are the true direction of its external system. .
The sources of vitality lie within man; In his heart, in his divine kindness, in his secret, in his secrets, in
his secrets, in his infinite depths. When these sources explode from the depths, their repercussions
appear in behavior on the limbs, features, and limbs.
Therefore, what is lacking in the Islamic world today is not science, technology, or money - there is no
doubt that each of these elements has an important role - but our real deficiency is honest behavior,
a pure state, and a deep and broad heart life that guides us in our standing and sitting and guides us
in our solution and travel. What we lack is an honest behavioral model that stimulates the sources of
faith in people's hearts and encourages them to believe in our eternal message.
ENDEAVOR AND REWARD
As much as a person needs the Qur’an, the Qur’an requires, in order to express itself and its essence,
sincere and pure people whose hearts have been tinged with the dye of the Qur’an and who have
read Qur’an. When the Book of God is placed in beautiful velvet pendants on high, ornate shelves, it
does not see the light except from time to time for hands to touch it in reverence, and lips to kiss it in
blessing, and return it to its place as an orphan, this means that he is a prisoner who cannot express
himself and reveal his truths, and how can he do that? And there is no one to represent his lofty
message?!
The Qur’an has been present and active in life throughout the centuries, and has been the guiding
guide and spirit for all of humanity since the first moment it was revealed on earth. Sometimes his call
went out in all parts of the world, echoing and resounding in time and place. At times his voice
became hoarse, his light faded, and he shrank into a depressing silence, when he was restrained from
speaking, placed in velvet shackles, shackled, and thrown into the dressing rooms as a miserable
prisoner.
For God’s sake, how can you expect to attain what the hard-working and suffering people attained
with hearts that crumbled and melted for the sake of the Qur’an, while your heart never crumbled for
its sake once and never melted for its sake? It is true that kindness and compassion may be shown to
his servant with gifts that he did not expect and kindnesses that he did not expect, but the rule says
that with the amount of effort and suffering, the gift and the reward are earned. So, hasten to revive
the nights with supplication and supplication. Dye the darkness of your night with the dye and light of
the day. You will find that God has dyed the darkness of your life and its nights with the brightest
lights of the day. And turn the nights of your world into white days, and you will find that God has
transformed the darkness of your hereafter into light. And know that the faces that wallow on the
thresholds of the Most Merciful, God will never let them down, nor disgrace them, nor allow them to
be trampled underfoot. But on the condition that you approach him with all your heart, and go to his
door with all your senses and chant: O Lord, who do I have except you?! Take my hand... O Lord, O
Lord...

SELFLESSNESS AND DIVINE SUPPORT

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 24
02/02/2017
We were lost, lost and displaced here and there, so God reached us with His mercy and brought us to
us, through His grace and generosity, areas of goodness and generosity that were impossible for us to
reach with our own strength and strength. We firmly believe that we are reveling in the shade of
divine providence. After emphasizing this fact, it is useful for me to draw attention to important
matters that must be adhered to so that the divine support and blessings that continue to fall on our
heads like rain these days do not cease:
SELF-EFFACEMENT
We must convince “ourselves” that we have no hand in the occurrence of this great good. All success
is a kindness from God, a favor from Him, and benevolence. If we believe in this, we will protect
ourselves from the impurities of polytheism and save us from the illusions that the soul keeps
pumping into us in order to exaggerate our selfishness. Rather, it is better to say: “In fact, if I had not
involved myself in this matter, he would have found men better than me in their loyalty and sincerity
in their representation, and the caravan would have traveled great distances many times what it has
traveled until today.” Alas, had it not been for my soul’s failure, the divine support would have been
manifested according to its sacred purity in the service of faith. Alas, its manifestations collided with
the viruses of my selfishness and destroyed my weakness and bad deeds. Yes, because of me, we
stumbled and were late to the places we intended, and we moved away from the places we dreamed
of.” Rather, this question should be repeated: “Oh soul, how many people have you killed to date!?
How many people were searching for the truth and stumbled upon you and lost them forever!?”
O hero who dedicated his soul to the truth! This is the anxiety that should swarm in your gut and
shake your being so that the manifestations of divine care do not cease. Then, the greater the success
achieved at your hands, the more you deny yourself, the more you erase yourself, you humble
yourself before God, you become broken before Him, and you become more enslaved to Him. It is
better for you not to be crushed under the weight of your selfishness. Instill this idea in your soul, and
establish it in your heart until it becomes part of your being and a dimension of your nature. The
Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, used to cry morning and evening, pleading and
saying: “O Ever-Living, O Ever-Living, by Your mercy I seek help. Set all my affairs straight for me and
do not leave me to myself for the blink of an eye.” If you take this supplication as your response, and
it does not leave your tongue or heart, then you will be protected from being crushed under the
hooves of an unruly soul.
SELFISH FANFARE
We must know with certainty that error and failure only occur with what our hands have earned, and
that the self is the greatest obstacle to every faith service. Whatever success and achievement is
achieved is purely a tribute from Him, the Almighty, for all goodness comes from God alone. As for
the saying: “I was given it based on knowledge that is with me” (Al-Qasas: 78), it was only said by
“Qarun” when he thought of himself as the source of livelihood and blessings. It is a phrase that every
Qarun and Pharaoh has continued to repeat throughout history. As for the prophets, led by the
Master of the Prophets, may God bless him and grant him peace, their word was one: “I do not
control for myself any benefit or harm except what God wills” (Al-A’raf: 188). Whoever says: “I did, I
accomplished, I succeeded, if it were not me...” means that he is stuck in a stagnant swamp of
Pharaonic thinking. Our Master, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, says,
“For God to guide one man through you is better for you than red camels.”
HOLY JEALOUSY
When the complete feeling settles in the heart of the believer that all goodness and all success come
from God alone, he refuses to let his constant preoccupation and concern be to talk about Him, Glory
be to Him, and to be jealous of every word said about others, His Majesty. Sometimes people come
and say at length, “Such-and-such a book was read to me by such-and-such a number of people...” or
“Such a number of highly educated people participate in my lessons...”, while the correct thing is to
always talk at length about the affairs of God, and to be very zealous in that. We often find that the
passion of fatherhood and motherhood dominates some of them. If children are mentioned in a
gathering, they take the opportunity to talk about their children. We also see people looking for
opportunities to talk about their writing skills and public speaking prowess. This is bad behavior that
does not befit a mature, alert person at all. It is better for us to wait for opportunity after opportunity
to talk about God Almighty. If loyalty is mentioned, for example, we should punctuate the speech and
say, “And who is greater in loyalty than God?!” God is the most loyal of those who are loyal!.. Then
we go on to talk about God Almighty’s loyalty to His servants. If one of them touches on the concept
of truth and its fulfillment for its people, for example, we must hasten to say: “And they have not
estimated God as He deserves” (Al-Zumar: 67). He brought us out of nothingness and gave us the
garment of existence. He did not leave us inanimate, but rather gave us life, and was not satisfied
with breathing the spirit into us. Rather, he honored us and raised us to the status of humanity, then
he honored us with faith, and his grace did not stop there, but rather he honored us by bringing us
into the service of faith and the Qur’an.” Yes, we have to confirm that, and we show unparalleled zeal
in this regard. 67), He brought us out of nothingness and gave us the garment of existence. He did not
leave us inanimate, but rather gave us life. He did not content himself with breathing the spirit into
our bodies, but rather honored us and raised us to the status of humanity. Then he honored us with
faith, and his grace did not end there. Rather, he honored us by bringing us into the realm of service.
Faith and the Qur’an.” Yes, we have to confirm that, and we show unparalleled zeal in this regard. 67),
He brought us out of nothingness and gave us the garment of existence. He did not leave us
inanimate, but rather gave us life. He did not content himself with breathing the spirit into our bodies,
but rather honored us and raised us to the status of humanity. Then he honored us with faith, and his
grace did not end there. Rather, he honored us by bringing us into the realm of service. Faith and the
Qur’an.” Yes, we have to confirm that, and we show unparalleled zeal in this regard.
How about we talk about this matter or that person, when there is one person who deserves to have
all the conversations around him day and night. Rather, if we hear someone say, “I gave a speech at
such-and-such a party, and the people were moved by my words and their tears flowed, and they said
such-and-such about my speech...” then our resentment should reach the point of illness and pain, so
we say, “What is the matter with this man who talks about himself for so long and attributes
goodness to it?” While God Almighty is the owner of all talents and blessings, and He is the only one
worthy of being talked about.”
LOOK WHERE YOU PUT HIM
If you want to know your position with God, look at where you have placed it in yourself. How much
do you love him? What kind of connection did you establish between you and him? You should always
monitor your behavior regarding this matter, and constantly remain vigilant and motivated. If our
relationship with Him is strong and strong, we will take advantage of every opportunity to reach Him
and talk about Him, and thus He alone will be known, He will be mentioned, He will be thanked, and
our heart will beat with Him in our standing and sitting, and we will see His effect on beings in every
blink of an eye, and we will close the doors of our contemplations. On everything else.
THE SECRET OF SUCCESS
The greatest means of bringing divine help and divine conciliation is establishing harmony and
achieving unity among members of society. The spoils of success have their losses. Its goal is to
consolidate collective awareness, preserve the secret of consensus and the spirit of agreement, and
stay away from all conflict and discord. If we become a unified entity and a harmonious whole,
kindnesses will descend upon us that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever
thought of, and we will have the ability to lift loads heavier than Mount Qaf. However, if consensus
disappears and the agreement evaporates, and only a few weak men remain around us, then divine
support will not come even if we exert our best efforts. If we cut the rope of agreement between us,
the wells of our strength and the sources of our energy will be cut off, and we will be the reason for
the interruption of the outpourings of mercy and help towards us. Therefore, we must focus all our
efforts to remain as solid as steel and connected to each other like a solid structure. And here is the
Qur’an announcing its eternal decree by saying: “The hand of God is above their hands” (Al-Fath:

WE CRIED FOR A LONG TIME

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 28
01/18/2017
Crying has become our destiny.. We have known nothing but crying for years and years.. We cried for
our human being who died, our building that was destroyed, our plow yard that was looted, our
hopes whose foundations collapsed, and our courage whose shadows faded. The Westerner whom
we thought had the lamp of our lives had fallen on the platform of the coffin long before us. He died
on that day when Nietzsche rose to dress God in the guise of death, declaring in his illusion that “God
is dead.” The dead person was none other than the Westerner himself, and our poor human being
with him... Our human being who sank into the swamp from where he thought he had emerged from
prison. A survivor...our frivolous, reckless human being who rebelled against everything and denied
everything. What kind of prison did he claim to have escaped from, and what kind of spoils did he
think he had obtained?! Far from it, far away... He did not escape from prison, nor did he gain luck...
Only the rhythm of his life changed, and he continued to hear the same noise, but in a different
pattern this time.
WE HAVE KNOWN NOTHING BUT CRYING FOR YEARS AND YEARS. WE CRIED OVER OUR HUMAN
BEING WHO DIED, OUR BUILDINGS THAT WERE DESTROYED, OUR FARMYARD THAT WAS LOOTED,
AND OUR HOPES WHOSE FOUNDATIONS COLLAPSED.
Yes, the witch Helena succeeded in winning a new heart by playing her violin. Is it any use if we know
the owner of that heart as long as the victor is Satan?! For Christopher Marlowe, the name of the
defeated was Dr. Faustus, while for Goethe it was only “Faust” without a title. But both naive lovers
had fallen in love with the “Hellenistic” queen?! Satan is Satan, but where are the conscious ones and
where are the attentive ones?! The day before yesterday he was a wooden horse in front of Troy,
yesterday he was a genie who devoured the West whole, and today he is a dragon that has crouched
on the ruins of all civilization... a dragon that overthrew all our hopes and extinguished all our
sensitivities.
Someone may emerge from among us and say: What do we have to do with the West’s trembling,
reeling, and falling? How can the croaking of frogs pollute the clear water?! But that was never the
case. The earthquake that occurred there demolished our homes and made their high places low. The
dams collapsed, the bridges collapsed, and the waves crashed... The mosque was lost, and the mihrab
was lost with it... And we were unable to remain outside of this red resurrection... I wish we had been
able to remain outside of it. We were unable to resist this terrible vortex with our values, which we
worked to develop and mature over centuries. The result was that it swallowed us up. What is painful
is that the cutter, grinder, and chewer were our teeth.
Then we went off crying for many years, lost and wandering, and our eyes poured torrents and flowed
like waterfalls. We cried over our ancient civilization and our lost glory, the crying of orphans who
were deprived of both father and mother. The friend refused to approach loyalty, and the enemy
refused to be satisfied with estrangement.. Time was frowning and frowning and we were completely
bankrupt.. And then we did not stop crying day and night. As clouds of groaning descended over us,
and waves of lamentation surrounded us, we laid out our worries on the cusp of the night and
shouted in pain:
Tomorrow, my homeland! And wrapped in the black curtains of the Kaaba,
And extend an arm to the Prophet’s garden,
And extend an arm to Karbala, to the scene,
And I appear to beings in this form... (Namik Kamal)
We cried out in pain and presented our situation to a high office, to whom we submitted our
complaints with tears and groans. Yes, we placed our hope in the King of the Kingdom and the One
who holds the reins of everything.. We sought high hopes as high as the minarets, despite our short
height and dwarf stature.. We sought to await that day when the wounded lion roars with a roar that
resounds throughout, saying: “Woe to you, be scattered.”.. We believed. By blowing the Spirit into
our hopes, and giving strength to our feet... We believed in our nation... We believed in our
humanity. We heard the melodies of optimism in every feather that struck our heartstrings, and we
saw before our eyes sparkling lights celebrating our rebirth.
The nights are filled with serenity and desolation,
I wish I could see, what newborn comes out of the womb of the night,
Before the day is born... (my womb)
This, while we were struggling with a thousand vortexes and whirlpools, the lights of dawn appeared
on the horizons, smiling at our generations. Despite this, we did not stop crying. Yesterday we cried
over the ruins of our homes, and today we cry over the blooming of the gardens with flowers. We cry
because the frowning clouds have disappeared. Our skies, after the eyes have dried up, have begun to
pour rain. And the delicious smells of spring have been lost throughout our lands. The universe and
space rejoiced with a new rebirth. We cry when we see chicks jumping here... and buds that have put
on their costumes there... and we cry over a thousand moans and groans here... and a thousand
pangs and pains there...
We are strangers of the age.. In our hands is a bouquet of roses.. Our eyes supply the roses with drops
of dew.. We stand before the door of the one who hastened to come in the depths of winter to bring
him the great good news.. “Behold, the flowers have put on their belts, the seeds have opened from
their ears, and the rose has emerged.” Her dimples dipped sweetly, the nightingale rang out its
melodious chirps, and the joy of spring flooded everywhere. When we brought you flowers, we
caused some of them to wither, and their seeds were vibrant when you scattered them with your
hands. We ask you, we ask you, do not blame us and do not blame us, since the sultan has the
behavior of sultans, and the servant has the behavior of slaves. We are strangers to this miserable
era. We were struck by violent storms. We were unable to rise to the heights of the heart and the
horizons of the soul, so that our decision could be settled in tranquility and serenity.
My lord, do not deprive your servant of your care.
Give him your care...
THE EARS ARE FULL AND THE EYES ARE HUNGRY
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 40
12/24/2016

If the servant combines “what he says with the situation,” his status will be elevated with his master,
and whoever’s status is high with his master, his status will rise in souls, and what he says will have an
impact on hearts. “The words and the situation” are two parts of “one tongue” that have the same
importance in elevating the truth, representing it, and communicating it... and if this tongue cracks
with the truth, it will shake hearts.
IF THE SERVANT UNITES “THE WORD AND THE SITUATION,” HIS STATUS WILL BE ELEVATED WITH HIS MASTER,
AND WHOEVER’S STATUS IS HIGH WITH HIS MASTER, HIS STATUS WILL BE ELEVATED IN SOULS.
This is the case with those who combine the adverb and the saying and do not separate them; His
words leave an indelible impact on hearts and are destined for eternity. In the narration, God
revealed to Jesus, son of Mary: “Exhort yourself with my wisdom, and if it benefits you, then preach
to the people. Otherwise, be ashamed of me.” In this, the clearest explanation of the secret behind
believing the word in action.
A person must, then, do what he believes in first, then go out to reveal - with detachment,
annihilation, and turning away from the self - the feelings that came from his chest, the echoes that
resonated deep within him, and the ideas that came to his mind as a result of doing what he believed
in. Indeed, let him be ashamed of the one who preaches - for example - about tahajjud and standing
while he is one of the heedless and asleep during his night, and likewise the one who preaches about
humility and submission while in his prayer he is heedless and distracted and does not adhere to the
proper etiquette and reverence before God, and does not say a word about “a vow of a lifetime to
others.” He had no “heart for others.” Yes, the Creator’s wisdom has decreed that the effect of a
statement depends on its penetration into the one who said it and his implementation of it. He said
warningly: “O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? (Al-Saff: 2-3).
Let no one be under the illusion that when the verse warns the believers and denounces them in the
form of a question, it says to them: “Stop saying what you do not do.” Rather, it says to them: “You
have become an interpreter of the truth with your words, so why do you not translate your words
into actions as well?” Speech separated from action is one of the greatest things that attracts the
wrath and loathing of the tyrant.” So, what is meant is not to prevent a person from saying what he
did not do, but rather to encourage him to do what he says... Action is worship and speech is worship,
so if he abandons both of them together, he has committed two sins and is deprived of “influence” in
two ways, and whoever abandons one of them has committed one sin and is deprived of “influence”
in two ways. One.
WHAT MANY ELOQUENT SPEECHES AND UNIQUE WORDS I HAVE HEARD TO DATE. OUR EARS ARE FULL, AND
OUR EYES ARE HUNGRY.
Yes, your saying why you did not do, or rather your neglecting to do what you say, brings divine
wrath, extinguishes the flame of your words, undermines people’s confidence in you, and turns your
expressions into dry vocabulary that will be destined by the ears for a long time, and then destined to
be forgotten forever.
I have known people who were characterized by silence, who only spoke sparingly, and when
necessary, their speech - often - was either an explanation of the meanings that were evident in their
authentic behavior, or a detail of deep feelings that lacked explanation, or a facilitation of facts that
were difficult to understand for those whose insight was blinded. How people stood amazed and
amazed as they listened to their silent speeches, that is, the speeches of the mouthpiece. Oh God,
how deep they have reached in their situation and heart, to the point that everyone who sits in front
of them and listens to them, how easy it is to understand them even if he does not know their
language, and thus increases his respect and appreciation for them. When we attended their
gatherings, we used to say: “We witnessed, we understood, we imbibed,” not “we heard, we learned,
we believed.” Their words were wisdom. If they remain silent, you will feel arrows in your depths
being shot by glances from them that you will see as God watching over them.
Yes, there are many springs and abundant springs that I passed by! But - alas - I could not fill my
bucket, so fooling around was my craft. Isn’t my disheveled condition evidence of my homelessness
and loss?! To this day, I still feel the impact of the silence of these divine people, who if they spoke,
their words were “wisdom,” and if they were silent, they filled with thought and contemplation.
What many eloquent speeches and unique words I have heard to date. Our ears are full, and our eyes
are hungry. I wish I saw Islam as a behavior that walks on the ground, not just words that are
repeated. Alas, words complain about their speaker, and speeches complain about their
preacher. Please do not blame me, because while I say what I say, I put myself on this same scale; Tell
me, where is the humility in the faces of the worshipers and readers, and those who stand as one in
the hands of God Almighty?! The meaning of appearing before God has no effect on our condition and
behavior, nor does fear appear in our features. It is as if our hearts are dead!
I WISH I SAW ISLAM AS A BEHAVIOR THAT WALKS ON THE GROUND, NOT JUST WORDS THAT ARE
REPEATED. ALAS, WORDS COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR SPEAKER, AND SPEECHES COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR
PREACHER.
Yes, if we are looking for a way to influence souls, it is the “state” language. Have you forgotten that
the nation of Muhammad - may God’s prayers and peace be upon him - only relapsed on the day it
mistook the “adverse” path?! Indeed, how few are the men of the situation today!.. And we have not
suffered defeat except for something that has befallen us among the men of the situation. I hate to
breathe despair into hearts... I only want to highlight this principle: “Return to oneself, renewal, and
constant awareness.” I believe that death is better than the life of those who are ignorant of essence
and self. Our Lord, grant us awakening and a return to self... otherwise, honor us by meeting you.

WHEN THE HEART STOPS BEING AFFECTED

Fethullah Gulen
04/01/2018
If a true believer hears someone insulting the Most High, the Almighty, or the Greatest Messenger,
may God bless him and grant him peace, his heart almost stops from the intensity of
emotion. Nevertheless, he controls his emotions, waits for his opportunity, and handles the situation
well with politeness, wisdom, and kindness in honor of the truth that must come to its place. He says:
“This is the politeness that the Beloved Chosen One, may God bless him and grant him peace, taught
us. I seek His satisfaction and His satisfaction in my loyalty to His Sunnah in dealing.” With these
cases,” and when his opportunity comes, he sets out to establish the argument, and is creative in
stating the truth in an easy and gentle manner that pulsates with love and mercy that inevitably
penetrate hearts.

BODY FITNESS AND SOUL FITNESS

Fethullah Gulen
12/26/2017
If one of the body's organs is idle for a long period of time, it becomes weak and debilitated, then it
completely malfunctions unless its owner realizes it. This is regarding physical fitness.
The same applies to spiritual fitness. There is an urgent need for continuous spiritual exercise to
maintain our performance in this regard. From here, the wisdom of praying at five times each day,
and the wisdom of fasting Ramadan for one month a year, is evident, in addition to voluntary prayers.
Hearts pulsing with faith throw their buckets into the “fresh, abundant spring” five times a day, and
come out of it with fresh, pure water with which to wash and purify themselves. Five times a day,
they seek to know God, feel Him deep within themselves, and renew themselves. We must look at
worship from the perspective of this wisdom, and link our standing, sitting, night, and day to Him,
Glory be to Him, so that we maintain our spiritual performance and our passion for the meanings of
our great religion.
INDIVIDUAL SELFISHNESS AND GROUP SELFISHNESS
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 63
04/12/2017
If we are entrusted with a responsibility in the service of faith - small or large - we must fulfill it
properly, be humble, saying: “Responsibility is higher than everything, and the self is lower than
everything,” and be aware of our job and position. The Creator may grant us a new revival, grant us
success, crown our work with success, and bestow upon us countless gifts.
DEPRIVATION OF GOD'S HELP. IF YOU WANT GOD’S CARE TO CONTINUE TO SHOWER UPON YOU IN YOUR
SUCCESSES, GIVE UP CLAIMING CREDIT FOR YOURSELF, WORK ON ERASING THE “I,” AND ATTRIBUTE THE CREDIT
TO THE PERSON WHO GIVES CREDIT.
At that time, one must be careful not to fall into the clutches of selfishness, whether individual or
collective, because selfishness is the reason for deprivation of God’s help. If you want God’s care to
continue to shower upon you in your successes, give up claiming credit for yourself, work on erasing
the “I”, attribute credit to the person who has the credit, and humble yourself before God.
AT THAT TIME, ONE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO FALL INTO THE CLUTCHES OF SELFISHNESS, WHETHER
INDIVIDUAL OR COLLECTIVE, BECAUSE SELFISHNESS IS THE REASON FOR DEPRIVATION OF GOD’S HELP.
This awareness - Omri - will enable us to overcome distances and move forward into the future with a
fresh spirit and ardent enthusiasm that never tires or gets bored.
ABOMINABLE GRACE
A blessing that distances a servant from his Lord is the greatest calamity he can be afflicted with. If
the blessing of a position in an administration, a position in an organization, a title in a university, or
prestige in a company makes us forget to mention our Creator, or amplifies the sense of heedlessness
within us, then it is a curse disguised as a blessing. Connect all your affairs to the pleasure of God,
adjust the compass of your heart in the direction of His satisfaction, your affairs will be set straight,
and you will be saved from the dangers of vengeance hidden in blessings.
CONTEMPLATION FUELS FEELINGS
If we want the spiritual feelings and intense emotions to remain burning in our hearts and not fade
away, and we want the love of striving and the enthusiasm for work to remain flowing in our veins,
then we must activate the “mechanism of reflection” and deepen the process of contemplation.
The word “contemplation” is from the form “tafa’il,” which means effort and more effort in work.
Therefore, if a person wants to be imbued with the characteristic of “contemplation,” he must
continuously practice contemplation, insist on looking at things from their different aspects, and
persevere in straining the brain in contemplation. Even headaches. Thus, contemplation becomes part
of human nature and one of his characteristics. Thinking is not the superficial relationship that a
person establishes between himself and what he sees or hears.
IF WE WANT THE SPIRITUAL FEELINGS AND INTENSE EMOTIONS TO REMAIN BURNING IN OUR HEARTS AND NOT
FADE AWAY, AND WE WANT THE LOVE OF STRIVING AND THE ENTHUSIASM FOR WORK TO REMAIN FLOWING IN
OUR VEINS, THEN WE MUST ACTIVATE THE “MECHANISM OF REFLECTION” AND DEEPEN THE PROCESS OF
CONTEMPLATION.
Contemplation is for a person to turn things around from the angle of the beginning and the angle of
the end together, and dive into the depths, discovering new structures, and moving the mind like a
shuttle between the causes and their results, and melting the meanings he has arrived at in the
crucible of his soul, and at the same time merging them with his intense feelings, and filtering them
with the filters of the major legitimate purposes, until they emerge. Fresh, pure and pure of any
blemish. Yes, reaching a high horizon of love and longing requires activating the thinking mechanism,
and maintaining that horizon also requires - activating the thinking mechanism, and continuing to do
so without interruption.
DIGGING IN THE LAND OF KNOWLEDGE
Research generates knowledge, and knowledge generates a longing for more, so do not stop digging
in the land of knowing God. Every new knowledge will arouse in you a new longing for more, and that
will lead you to persevere in digging, and digging to further longing for knowledge, and so on; Like the
example of a man who threw his bucket into a well, and when he pulled it out he found it overflowing
with water. He became more and more eager for more, so he repeated the same thing after another.
Whenever the well overflowed with giving, the man shook with joy and longing and shouted, “Is there
more?” The persistent insistence on digging in the land of knowledge, and one continues to insist on
digging until he becomes one of the heroes of “Is there more?”
BUT YOU ARE A PASSAGE
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 65
04/11/2018
A person must make every effort for the sake of God, but he must adhere to his limit in the presence
of God, be aware of his status, and be vigilant and cautious, not exceeding his limits and not
attributing to himself what is not within them. He must never attribute beauty to himself, and always
remember that it is not an appearance of beauty, but rather a passage to it at most. Because we are
not the origin of beauty. The origin of beauty is God, and beauty is not inherent in ourselves. Rather,
it appears sometimes and disappears at other times, like the rays of the sun reflecting on water
bubbles. The origin is the sun, but the bubbles are a passage for sunlight and nothing else. The level of
beauty is only befitting to the owner of beauty. Yes, we are not the source of beauty, and our beauty
does not come from us, but from Him, Glory be to Him. Whoever has this thought, God will bless him
in his deeds, and he will become the hero of the verse that says: (If you are grateful, I will certainly
give you more) and God will bestow upon him His blessings without interruption.
WHEN THE HEART STOPS BEING AFFECTED
If a true believer hears someone speaking ill of the Most High, the Almighty, or the Greatest
Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, his heart almost stops from the intensity of
emotion. Nevertheless, he controls his emotions, waits for his opportunity, and handles the situation
well with politeness, wisdom, and kindness in honor of the truth that must come to its place. He says:
“This is the politeness that the Beloved Chosen One, may God bless him and grant him peace, taught
us. I seek His satisfaction and His satisfaction in my loyalty to His Sunnah in dealing.” With these
cases,” and when his opportunity comes, he sets out to establish the argument, and is creative in
stating the truth in an easy and gentle manner that pulsates with love and mercy that inevitably
penetrate hearts.
GOD HAS DESIGNATED THE PROPHETS WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PERFECTION AND PERFECTION, BECAUSE
A RELIGION THAT IS MORE COMPLETE AND PERFECT CAN ONLY BE CARRIED BY GREAT PEOPLE WHO ARE IMBUED
WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PERFECTION AND PERFECTION. THE TRUST OF THE MOST PERFECT RELIGION IS
HEAVY AND CANNOT BE BORNE BY WEAK PEOPLE
ASPIRING TO THE PINNACLE OF THE PROPHETS
God has designated the prophets with the characteristics of perfection and perfection, because a
religion that is more complete and perfect can only be carried by great people who are imbued with
the characteristics of perfection and perfection. The trust of the most perfect religion is heavy and
cannot be borne by weak people. If those who walk in the path of the prophets want to be worthy of
carrying the responsibility of the most complete and perfect religion, then they must be like the
prophets and follow their example. They must pray to God to grant them the morals of the prophets,
to ask for determination like the determination of the prophets, a godliness like the determination of
the prophets, wisdom like the wisdom of the prophets, striving like the striving of the prophets, a
longing like the longing of the prophets, that is, they should aspire to perfection and perfection with
insistence in representing the meanings of faith, Islam, and charity. Yes, it is not permissible for a
person to ask for prophecy from God, as prophecy ended with the final Prophet, peace and blessings
be upon him, but it is permissible for him to ask to imitate the morals of the prophets. He can say: Oh
God, develop our talents, develop them more and more, there are no limits to your giving, honor us
with endless capabilities, always expand our capabilities, and guide us to harnessing them in the
service of your religion and the message of your prophets. Certainly, our statures do not amount to
being a “shadow” of those lofty statures and Sunni positions they have achieved, let alone
approaching their “origin.” However, the believer must be high-spirited like them, directing his gaze
to the peaks - like them - in his relationship with God. He seeks lofty goals with sincerity and
insistence so that he can fulfill his trustworthiness.
BEFORE THE MORTAL AND THE REST ARE LOST
Spiritual diseases are more dangerous to a person than physical diseases. Physical diseases cause pain
to a person’s body, and the most they do to him is to destroy his mortal life. As for spiritual diseases,
they do not stop at extinguishing the life of the heart in this temporary world, but rather extend to
destroying its eternal life. The matter is very dangerous, and requires insight into the virus at its
beginning and not allowing it to grow. Don't people take preventive measures to protect themselves
from cold viruses in the winter? They must also be careful of spiritual viruses in advance before they
spread through them and destroy their world and their lives
CONTEMPLATION FUELS FEELINGS
Fethullah Gulen
06/02/2018
If we want the spiritual feelings and intense emotions to remain burning in our hearts and not fade
away, and we want the passion for striving and the enthusiasm for work to remain flowing in our
veins, then we must activate the “mechanism of reflection” and deepen the process of
contemplation. The word “contemplation” is in the form of “activation,” which means effort and more
effort in work. Therefore, if a person wants to be imbued with the characteristic of “contemplation,”
he must practice continuous contemplation, insist on looking at things from their different aspects,
and persevere in straining the brain in contemplation. Even headaches.
Thus, thinking becomes part of human nature and one of his characteristics. Thinking is not the
superficial relationship that a person establishes between himself and what he sees or
hears. Contemplation is when a person turns things around from both the starting angle and the
ending angle, and dives into the depths, discovers new structures, moves the mind like a shuttle
between causes and their results, and melts the meanings he has arrived at in the crucible of his soul,
merging them at the same time with his intense feelings, and filtering them with the filters of major
legitimate purposes, until they emerge. Fresh, pure and pure of any blemish. Yes, reaching a high
horizon of love and longing requires activating the thinking mechanism, and maintaining that horizon
also requires - activating the thinking mechanism, and continuing to do so without interruption.

DIGGING IN THE LAND OF KNOWLEDGE

Fethullah Gulen
01/02/2018
Research generates knowledge, and knowledge generates a longing for more, so do not stop digging
in the land of knowing God. Every new knowledge will arouse in you a new yearning for more, and
this will lead you to persevere in digging, and digging to a greater longing for knowledge, and so
on; Like the example of a man who threw his bucket into a well, and when he pulled it out he found it
overflowing with water. He became more eager to increase, so he repeated the same thing after
another. Whenever the well overflowed with giving, the man shook with joy and longing and shouted,
“Is there more?” The persistent insistence on digging in the land of knowledge, and one continues to
insist on digging until he becomes one of the heroes of “Is there more.

ABOMINABLE GRACE
Fethullah Gulen
01/25/2018
A blessing that distances a servant from his Lord is the greatest calamity he can be afflicted with. If
the blessing of a position in an administration, a position in an organization, a title in a university, or
prestige in a company makes us forget to mention our Creator, or amplifies the sense of heedlessness
within us, then it is a curse disguised as a blessing. Connect all your affairs to the pleasure of God,
adjust the compass of your heart in the direction of His satisfaction, your affairs will be set straight,
and you will be saved from the dangers of vengeance hidden in blessings.

BEFORE THE MORTAL AND THE REST ARE LOST

Fethullah Gulen
01/17/2018
Spiritual diseases are more dangerous to a person than physical diseases. Physical diseases cause pain
to a person’s body, and the most they do to him is to destroy his mortal life. As for spiritual diseases,
they do not stop at extinguishing the life of the heart in this temporary world, but rather extend to
destroying its eternal life. The matter is very dangerous, and requires insight into the virus at its
beginning and not allowing it to grow.
Don't people take preventive measures to protect themselves from cold viruses in the winter? They
must also be careful of spiritual viruses in advance before they spread through them and destroy their
world and their lives.
ASPIRING TO THE PINNACLE OF THE PROPHETS
Fethullah Gulen
01/10/2018
God has designated the prophets with the characteristics of perfection and perfection, because a
religion that is more complete and perfect can only be carried by great people who are imbued with
the characteristics of perfection and perfection. The trust of the most perfect religion is heavy and
cannot be borne by weak people.
IF THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE PATH OF THE PROPHETS WANT TO BE WORTHY OF CARRYING THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE MOST COMPLETE AND PERFECT RELIGION, THEN THEY MUST BE LIKE THE PROPHETS AND FOLLOW THEIR
EXAMPLE. THEY MUST PRAY TO GOD TO GRANT THEM THE MORALS OF THE PROPHETS.
If those who walk in the path of the prophets want to be worthy of carrying the responsibility of the
most complete and perfect religion, then they must be like the prophets and follow their example.
They must pray to God to grant them the morals of the prophets, to ask for determination like the
determination of the prophets, a godliness like the determination of the prophets, wisdom like the
wisdom of the prophets, striving like the striving of the prophets, a longing like the longing of the
prophets, that is, they should aspire to perfection and perfection with insistence in representing the
meanings of faith, Islam, and charity.
Yes, it is not permissible for a person to ask for prophecy from God, as prophecy ended with the final
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, but it is permissible for him to ask to imitate the morals of
the prophets. He can say: Oh God, develop our talents, develop them more and more, there are no
limits to your giving, you honor us with endless capabilities. Always expand our capabilities, and help
us harness them in the service of your religion and the message of your prophets.”
IT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO ASK FOR PROPHECY FROM GOD, AS PROPHECY ENDED WITH THE FINAL
PROPHET, PEACE AND BLESSINGS BE UPON HIM, BUT IT IS PERMISSIBLE FOR HIM TO ASK TO IMITATE THE
MORALS OF THE PROPHETS.
Certainly, our statures do not amount to being a “shadow” of those lofty statures and Sunni positions
they have achieved, let alone approaching their “origin.” However, the believer must be high-spirited
like them, directing his gaze to the peaks - like them - in his relationship with God. He seeks lofty goals
with sincerity and insistence so that he can fulfill his trustworthiness.

LEAKS FROM ANOTHER WORLD

Fethullah Gulen
09/08/2018
The healing of the wound and its scars, then the fall of these scars, and the body’s repair of itself, is
evidence of the vitality of that wounded organ. Fruit refers to the tree that bears it, traces on the road
indicate the passerby, and water leaking from a place indicates the presence of water courses there.
Likewise, whoever looks at the human body sees traces, leaks, and restorations that make it
impossible for him not to acknowledge the existence of the afterlife.
How did the idea of immortality come to the mind of this person confined to limited molds? It cannot
be claimed that he arrived at this idea on his own. Just as there is no creature on Earth that can
inspire a person with this idea, then his feelings are nothing but messages sent to him from another
world. Just as the leakage of water is definitive evidence of water courses, so the leaks of eternity are
definitive evidence of the eternal world.
EVERY BEING IN EXISTENCE REFERS TO ITS CREATOR ON THE ONE HAND, AND REFERS TO ITS EXTENSION INTO
THE OTHER WORLD ON THE OTHER HAND.
Man reaps spiritual fruits that he cannot possess in the material world through his plastic faculties
and cults implanted in his inner world. Sometimes a person sets out, abandons the world with all its
trappings, and rises above it, achieving a higher status. This sublime state definitively indicates that
this person has a close relationship with an existence that is not restricted by this world of
“possibility,” that is, his existence is not possible but rather “obligatory.”
This limited world, which will be destroyed one day and will never be restored again, refers to a house
that will never be destroyed. Every being in this existence refers to its Creator on the one hand, and
refers to its extension into the other world on the other hand.

A SEAT IN EVERY HEART

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 67
07/29/2018
If people enter the homes of your hearts, they should not worry about remaining standing. Designate
seats in your hearts for everyone, no matter how different they are from you. Tell them with
confidence: “Your seat is reserved in our hearts.” Developing this spirit requires education. It requires
education in the family. It also requires that the street not corrupt that education. It needs the school
to transform that education into science. It needs the mosque to elevate that education to the
heights of the spirit. But if the family is deprived of this vision, if the streets are distorted, the mosque
is captive to stereotypes and formalities, and the school is devoid of heartfelt life, if everything
revolves around the self, matter, body and instinct, then it is impossible for this spirit to grow.
However, if they grow in an integrated manner, these spaces will support each other, and the space
built by the other will not be destroyed. The meanings that a person imbibed in his family
environment in the middle of the streets will not be wasted. Rather, the mosque will come to deepen
those meanings in his soul, and the school will come to nourish his mind and teach him how to read
the universal Sunnahs. Things and incidents, transforming him into a person who can read the
universe deeply. Then real deepening will come, and what has been built will not be demolished, the
street will not spoil what the family has planted, the mosque will not contradict the house, and the
school will not contradict the mosque. If these incubators and other incubators and spaces like them
move in one direction, man will be liberated from his physicality and earthiness - to some extent - and
will rise to the life of the heart and spirit. Then he will feel spaciousness in his heart, open his chest to
everyone, and seek to build bridges between himself and all people. Then real deepening will come,
and what has been built will not be demolished, the street will not spoil what the family has planted,
the mosque will not contradict the house, and the school will not contradict the mosque. If these
incubators and other incubators and spaces like them move in one direction, then man will be
liberated from his physicality and earthiness - to some extent - and will rise to the life of the heart and
spirit. Then he will feel spaciousness in his heart, open his chest to everyone, and seek to build
bridges between himself and all people. Then real deepening will come, and what has been built will
not be demolished, the street will not spoil what the family has planted, the mosque will not
contradict the house, and the school will not contradict the mosque. If these incubators and other
incubators and spaces like them move in one direction, man will be liberated from his physicality and
earthiness - to some extent - and will rise to the life of the heart and spirit. Then he will feel
spaciousness in his heart, open his chest to everyone, and seek to build bridges between himself and
all people.
WE MUST SHOW THE WORLD THAT ISLAM IS NOT A RELIGION OF VIOLENCE. EVEN THE WARS THAT THE
BELOVED CHOSEN ONE, MAY GOD BLESS HIM AND GRANT HIM PEACE, FOUGHT WERE DEFENSIVE WARS. WE
ARE AGAINST VIOLENCE, AGAINST CLASHES, AGAINST CHAOS, AND AGAINST ALL TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
When truth is a victim of style The Qur’an has praised this blessed nation, saying: “You are the best
nation brought forth for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and you believe
in God” (Al Imran: 110). O nation of Muhammad! You are the best nation created to carry people to
goodness. You encourage honesty and beauty according to the “correct principles” and spread them.
You seek to prevent evil, deviation, and bad deeds. You do this out of your faith. Yes, you will do this
job, it is an essential asset that you cannot give up. As for the “style”, you must adjust it according to
the “principles and universals” established by the scholars and innovators. Do not destroy the correct
principles with your bad behavior. Be careful not to violate the principles with stylistic errors. Make
sure you are guided by the “common mind.” Consult among yourselves and say: “There is an issue
that might provoke a reaction from people if it was presented in such-and-such a way. How should we
express it?”, until you arrive at a sound opinion about controlling the style.
A Muslim is not a terrorist We must show the world that Islam is not a religion of violence. Even the
wars that the Beloved Chosen One, may God bless him and grant him peace, fought were defensive
wars. We are against violence, against clashes, against chaos, and against all terrorist organizations.
Emphasizing these meanings is extremely important to reveal the bright face of Islam. There are so
many terrorists these days! There is absolutely no relationship between Islam and terrorism. Al-
Qatmir (meaning the author himself) said twenty years ago: “A true Muslim cannot be a terrorist, and
a terrorist cannot be a Muslim.” I announced it here (America), when the Twin Towers were struck (in
New York) more than 15 years ago. The same meaning has been stated many times and in various
ways. The pure name of Islam, the trust of the Messenger of God and the message of the Lord of the
Worlds, should not be distorted by criminal terrorist operations. Islam came to be the spirit of life, so
distorting it with terrorism is an unforgivable crime.
IF PEOPLE ENTER THE HOMES OF YOUR HEARTS, THEY SHOULD NOT WORRY ABOUT REMAINING STANDING.
DESIGNATE SEATS IN YOUR HEARTS FOR EVERYONE, NO MATTER HOW DIFFERENT THEY ARE FROM YOU. TELL
THEM WITH CONFIDENCE: “YOUR SEAT IS RESERVED IN OUR HEARTS.”
Religion is the life of life, its light and its essence.. The nation lives only by reviving religion within it.
Yes, reviving this world can only be achieved by reviving the human values of religion in souls. Work
to convince the world of the innocence of Islam from terrorism, no matter how much the percentage
of persuasion varies. What is important is that they be convinced, even if only by a percentage. This
will lead to a kind of solidarity in one way or another, to knees meeting knees, feet to feet side by
side, and people coming together in one row. After that, you can call this meeting “dialogue of
cultures” if you like, or “dialogue of understandings,” or “dialogue of religions.” It does not matter,
but its essence means “a world free of conflicts” or “a world of human beings who do not kill each
other.”

IN ORDER TO STOP YOUR TEARS, MY CHILD

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 66
07/06/2018
For your sake, we have set out on this path, to share your pain, relieve your pain, and fill your heart
with joy and happiness.. Do not blame us, my child. Yes, we were negligent. We were quick to come
to your aid when you needed it. But be confident that Jacob's pleas and groans, and Zuleikha's love
and longings, were tearing our chests and shaking them.
Whenever I see your delicate figure sighing with sadness and grief, my heart crumbles and scatters
like your scattered locks. How many times have I seen you look sad, with your head bowed, and my
eyes filled with tears, and I felt like my back was almost breaking with regret. Whenever I want to
quote a tune from your sad melody, I add it to my long-lasting groans, shouting your broken epic,
when your groaning burns my heart, and your pain grows in my eyes, and the expressions become
choked with words.
I was ashamed to extend my hand to you. I was ashamed to confront you with my fake pity. How
could they not, when they slaughtered you in front of my eyes? In front of my eyes, they cut your
forelock and threw you into this misery that you are suffering from. When they extinguished your
mind and fed your heart to your stomach, I saw everything with my own eyes, everything, but alas, I
could not extend my sinful hands to you to help you. I could not, even though your groaning reached
the sky!
Your fate is similar to that of Faust, but who is Mephisto who caused your misery? (1) Who is the
criminal who led you to this fate?
You were in a safe country.. a warm shelter that embraced you.. livelihood comes to you in
abundance, and life shines upon you with a smile. And then you descend into this land of loneliness,
and then remorse squeezes your heart, and you cry out, “I wish I had not come!” But... could you not
have come?
You came... and found a depressing emptiness prevailing everywhere... You searched left and right,
searching for a heart you were familiar with, but you returned from your search empty-handed and
disappointed... You called out, and the echo echoed... Your moans pierced the sky, and you found no
one near you... You let out one groan after another, and no one heard it except you. You.
Whoever seeks you will only satisfy the requests of your stomach. Do you know, my little one?! Your
groaning that melts the insides of my heart today has begun since that time. Since then, your exile
began and you became abandoned, during the period when you filled the world with laughter and
joy. Hands would pick you up and embrace you, enjoying your beauty and rejoicing in your smiles. I
was on the breasts, I was on the mouths, like a dewy rose. That care was for you, but it was devoid of
what your soul longed for. It was strange that I was without Anis, and I was alone without a
companion.
Your evening gave birth to your day, and your day paves the way for tomorrows with unknown
features and effects. You are at a crossroads, my child.
So allow me today to be your sacrifice in this difficult journey. Allow me to strike with my brush for
you, and reach my groaning into your soul. I was unable to seek you when you asked for relief in the
midst of storms and fires, so allow me to lay down my sinful head like pavement stones that you can
step on with your feet. I apologize to you in the name of all sinful criminals: So forgive, my child, those
who gave birth to you for fleeting pleasure, those who clung to your bone and flesh and neglected
your heart and conscience, and those who sacrificed your eternity. For the sake of a passing world,
and those who injected harshness, harshness, and rebellion into your heart, and were the cause of
your misery and misery.

Footnotes
(1) Note: “Faust” is the main character in the German folk tale about the German chemist Dr. Johann
Georg Faust, who achieves great success, but is dissatisfied with his life, so he enters into a contract
with the devil (Mephisto) to hand over his soul to him in exchange for obtaining absolute knowledge.
And all worldly pleasures. This story became the basis for various literary works by different writers
around the world. Perhaps the most famous of these works is the play Faust by the famous German
writer Goethe. (The translator)

THE SECRET OF CONQUEST

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 64
02/18/2018
The secret that shook the entire earth at the hands of eleven apostles is the depth of their sincerity
and the sincerity of their behavior, which stirred in the hearts of people the passion of faith. Likewise,
our honorable companions - may God be pleased with them - set off to various parts of the world
carrying torches of faith in their hands, and hearts opened to them with acceptance wherever they
settled. what is the secret? The secret lies in their honest behavior, which arouses joy and admiration
in the hearts and encourages them to respond to them.
THE SECRET THAT SHOOK THE ENTIRE EARTH AT THE HANDS OF ELEVEN APOSTLES IS THE DEPTH OF THEIR
SINCERITY AND THE SINCERITY OF THEIR BEHAVIOR, WHICH STIRRED IN THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE THE PASSION OF
FAITH.
This is how the locomotive of time moved, century after century, until it reached our present era.
Muslims increased in numbers and expanded their territory, while the spirit lost its flame in souls, and
meanings extinguished their flame in hearts, so the balance between quantity and quality was
disturbed.
Today we have the thinking mind, we have the mastering logic, and we have surpassed our ancient
ancestors in the field of science, knowledge, and technology in a tremendous way. But there is a
difference between our hearts and the hearts that were beating in their wings. Today we are deprived
of a great blessing that they once possessed. The blessing of sensing God in every beat of the heart,
then the manifestation of that sensing in facial features and the appearance of its effects in behavior.
Yes, the beating of our hearts should have been reflected in our faces and behavior, and our
appearance should have been a mirror of the sincerity and certainty that is rippling within us.
TODAY WE HAVE THE THINKING MIND, WE HAVE THE MASTERING LOGIC, AND WE HAVE SURPASSED OUR
ANCIENT ANCESTORS IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, AND TECHNOLOGY IN A TREMENDOUS WAY. BUT
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR HEARTS AND THE HEARTS THAT WERE BEATING IN THEIR WINGS.
Look at the watch, how its internal work is reflected in its external appearance in the form of a unique
system. See how the hands move between seconds, minutes, and hours with extreme precision. How
great and wonderful this creativity is, isn't it? But have you noticed that the internal motor sets the
external clock rhythms?
The sources of vitality lie within the human being. In his heart, in his divine kindness, in his secret, in
his secrets, in his secrets, in his infinite depths. When these sources explode from the depths, their
repercussions appear in behavior on the limbs, features, and limbs. What is lacking in the Islamic
world today is not science, technology, or money. Our real deficiency is honest behavior, a sincere
state, and a deep heart life that guides us in our standing and sitting and guides us in our solution and
travel. What we lack is an honest behavioral model that stimulates the sources of faith in people's
hearts and encourages them to believe in our eternal message.

BETWEEN CAUSES AND PARANORMAL

Do not think that the fruits of the call to God will come to you for free, without effort, through
supernatural miracles descending from the sky. No, be sure to take full account of the reasons so that
goodness will come to you in abundance. This is the basis of the law of nature and the law of the
universe.
THE SOURCES OF VITALITY LIE WITHIN THE HUMAN BEING. IN HIS HEART, IN HIS DIVINE KINDNESS, IN HIS
SECRET, IN HIS SECRETS, IN HIS SECRETS, IN HIS INFINITE DEPTHS.
Look at the plant, do you see it bearing fruit at once?! Rather, it requires a long period of care and
care until it germinates, grows, and produces its fruits. Likewise, the chick does not emerge from the
egg safely until after a specified time. If you are hoping for the fruit of your services in the arena of
calling to God, know that this will not happen except after you commit to all the right reasons and the
right methods that are consistent with the nature of those services.

DO NOT THINK THAT THE FRUITS OF THE CALL TO GOD WILL COME TO YOU FOR FREE, WITHOUT EFFORT,
THROUGH SUPERNATURAL MIRACLES DESCENDING FROM THE SKY. NO, BE SURE TO TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF
THE REASONS SO THAT GOODNESS WILL COME TO YOU IN ABUNDANCE.
The opposite is the pursuit of dreams that never come true. Do you think that God will change His
cosmic law for the sake of the darkness of our eyes, when He did not change it for the sake of His
prophets, but even for the sake of His most honorable beloved and greatest Messenger, may God
bless him and grant him peace?! All the prophets, led by the Master of the Prophets, peace and
blessings be upon him, worked hard and struggled with wisdom for many years, patiently and
persevering until divine kindness brought victory and success from the Almighty and the fruit of that
long struggle. Therefore, whoever wants success and prosperity should follow the path of the
prophets.

CASE OWNER
All those who are destined to be “examples” in any faith service must truly be “men of service” with
all their being, and in every aspect of their lives. They must strive day and night without stopping. No
one should see them sleeping. Rather, if possible, let them spend three hours of their day for sleeping
and two hours for all their affairs, then let them go out and work for what remains of their time. Only
with this level of performance can they be an “example” for those around them, and they will have
fulfilled their responsibility.

ALL THOSE WHO ARE DESTINED TO BE “EXAMPLES” IN ANY FAITH SERVICE MUST TRULY BE “MEN OF SERVICE”
WITH ALL THEIR BEING, AND IN EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIVES.
Heroes who have dedicated themselves to service according to these standards must sometimes
make mistakes on their way home. The “service man” must turn his back on everything that distracts
him from his cause, and must never be held captive by any restriction that prevents him from seeking,
be it a house, wealth, or anything else. The “owner of the case” has no private life, except for some of
his necessary affairs.

I WISH I WAS A MOANER

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 70
02/11/2019
How I wished I could moan in the hearts of those who cry and be broken with worry... to be groaning
and show you what it's like to be broken with worry, but my heart was hard and I couldn't break
through its hardness. I didn't know how to say what I wanted. I couldn't be a whiner. I couldn't help
you. I couldn't. To take your hands.. You should have been light, to have been clouds, to have stormed
with your horses fires that scorched the sky with flames here and there.. But you will certainly storm
it, a day will come when you will storm it. The days are waiting for your arrival, and you are rushing
towards them. Time is sad, time is broken-hearted, time has spread its handkerchief like a beggar at
one of life's turning points, waiting for someone to give alms to a handful of sadness, waiting for a
handful of worry. You will put your hands into your hearts as you do when giving alms to a beggar,
and spread your sufferings and the pain of your hearts on his handkerchief. Rather, you will send rains
of mercy, and then the fires of temptation will be extinguished, and then the fires of suffering that
have been burning for three centuries will be extinguished.

A MAN SWIMS WITHOUT KNOWING HOW TO SWIM

Fethullah Gulen
 Issue 69
09/12/2018
Our condition in following in the footsteps of the prophets and those of the greats who followed in
their footsteps is similar to the condition of someone who threw himself into the sea without knowing
how to swim. He kept floundering here and there to no avail. When the people of the craft saw him,
they said: “This man does not know how to swim. Come, let us save him.” This is the case of someone
who wants to walk in the path of the greats. He says: “Oh God, I have no power to walk on this path,
but I love its people. I vowed myself to walk with them. I looked at the great prophets, the noble
saints, and the honorable righteous people, and I found them swimming in this sea. All my hope, O
Lord, is that I will be with them even if I cannot swim like them.” Then he throws himself into this sea.

God Almighty will not let a servant who is addressed with this feeling drown. Rather, He will take his
hand and save him, and open horizons for him that he had not anticipated. He turns a shine into a
sun, a drop into a sea, and everything out of nothing. What is important is that we be in this
awareness, erase ourselves, and renounce the claim of selfishness.

THE ONLY BOOK IN THE WORLD

The Qur’an is a “trust”... a trust that requires memorizing its “texts” and correctly understanding its
“meanings” in minds and hearts. Whoever does not know the meanings of the Qur’an does not truly
know its value. Preserving the Qur’an does not mean listening to it or reading it only. Preserving it
means reviving its meanings throughout society, preventing those meanings from fading or pale in the
hearts, and doing everything possible to make it “the only book” in the world. If we do not preserve it
according to this standard, and limit our preservation to placing it in ornate silk covers that are hung
over our heads in the bedrooms, then we have neglected our rights and betrayed our trust.

DEEP CONFRONTATION
We are in dire need of reviving the nights. We need to be alone with God Almighty, in need of true
heartfelt awakening in the hands of God Almighty. We need to insist in our servitude on the meaning
of “benevolence.” We need this most. In the face of these terrible storms that are raging around us, in
the face of successive tsunamis and horrific hurricanes, in the face of the inability of giant trees to
withstand and their collapse in front of them, in the face of all of this, we need to adhere to God’s
commands more deeply and seriously.

Trees whose roots do not extend deep into the soil collapse with the slightest storm. You must
deepen your relationship with God without stopping. Be like trees with deep roots. Those who attack
you today are deep in practicing hostility and injustice against you, they are deep in your love of
scheming to annihilate you. Unless you confront them with the same depth in your relationship with
God, unless you persevere and persevere in steadfastness, the storms will throw you away, and you
will scatter like autumn leaves. God has kept you safe until today. If you continue with this sincerity
and detachment, high performance, profound behavior, and belief in the “dream goal,” and
steadfastness and adherence to it, then God will meet every step toward Him with steps, and He will
meet walking toward Him with jogging... You make something the size of a drop and He makes it ten
drops, or even a hundred drops. According to your sincerity and the depth of your intention.

THE REALITY OF LONGING FOR HEAVEN

We have one hope: Oh God, our longing to meet you and to meet your beloved saves us from longing
for anything other than you. Oh God, grant us a longing for you and for your beloved that takes over
our hearts, a longing that erases from our hearts all longing for others. O Most Merciful One, empty
our hearts of all other longings. Remove even the longing for Paradise if it is a longing for itself. Yes,
Paradise has value, but its value is not in itself. We long for it because God’s beauty is there, His
satisfaction is there, the great prophets are there, and those whom God loves are there. Our longing
for Paradise is for the sake of Him, Glory be to Him, and out of honor for these great people.
Otherwise, our love in which we wander is God, U, God.

THE QUR’AN AND THE REASONABLENESS OF RESURRECTION AFTER DEATH

Fethullah Gulen
07/10/2018
Resurrection is an inevitable reality, and it is a fact unanimously confirmed by positive sciences and
scholars. However, scientists expect this to happen in the distant future, while it could occur at any
moment as a result of one of the many exceptional events that occur on Earth every day.
If, for example, the moon, which was separated from the earth in a distant past, wanted to return to
its mother’s chest again, this would lead to a massive explosion that would destroy the earth
according to atomic laws.
It was mentioned in the Prophetic hadith that when the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him
peace, was explaining to our mother Aisha, may God be pleased with her, the word “darkness” in the
Almighty’s saying: (And from the evil of darkness when it approaches) (Surat Al-Falaq: 113/3), he
pointed to the moon and said: “O Aisha, seek refuge in God from the evil of this, for this is the
darkness when it sets.” [1] Therefore, people of experience and knowledge considered seeing the
moon in a dream a sign of evil, and seeing the sun a sign of good, and interpreted the visions based on
that.

IT IS THE CREATOR WHO RAISES PLANTS EVERY SPRING AND SPREADS THEM BEFORE OUR EYES TO INEVITABLY
REVIVE THE DEAD AND RAISE THEM AGAIN.
The resurrection may be caused by a comet colliding with the Earth, or by a faulty nuclear test.
Whatever the apparent reasons, the power that controls the influences spread within all these events
will order the blowing of the images one day, and the great resurrection will inevitably take place.

From atoms to galaxies

The Holy Qur’an dealt with the reality of resurrection after death from the angle of “standard
representation and presenting an analogue.” Through this angle, the Holy Qur’an proves the existence
of resurrection and resurrection, as it presents evidence from the vast universe at times, and evidence
from the small world of the atom at other times. It also combines the great verses of the universe and
the wonders of the atom in one context, and this is what we call “total evidence,” as it is done It
emphasizes creation in its absolute sense, and below we try to explain what we have mentioned:

The Holy Qur’an provides compelling evidence for the existence of the Resurrection through the
standard representation through the verses of the universe: (It is God who raised the heavens without
any pillars that you can see. Then He settled upon the Throne and subjugated the sun and the moon,
each running for an appointed time. The righteousness of the matter explains the signs in detail, so
that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.” (Surat al-Ra’d: 13) /2).

God, who will resurrect people and gather them again, raised the sky without any pillars that we see,
and established for it a system in which the stars move and run until their appointed time. There is no
doubt that you are amazed at the height of this sky without pillars, and you are astonished by its
constant movement without any glitch or lethargy! Then God - whatever the meaning of “istiwa” may
be, despite the disagreement mentioned in the fundamentals of religion - ascends the throne and
carries out His rule from there, and thus He harnesses the sun and the moon and gives you the reins
to benefit from them... All of this is done with precise calculation so that the Lord of Glory will show
you the wonders of wisdom from His infinite knowledge.

IS THE ALMIGHTY GOD WHO ESTABLISHED THE PALACE OF THE UNIVERSE INCAPABLE OF BUILDING OTHER
PALACES FOR THE CHILDREN OF ADAM IN PARADISE?
Yes, resurrection and resurrection are a promise from God Almighty, for He is the One who reveals
the signs of His power in everything, and He is the One who organizes everything on earth and
heaven. He details His signs for you so that you can realize His power and greatness, and so that you
can think, contemplate, and truly believe that you will return to Him one day, no matter how long it
takes.
We believe in the afterlife, and we also believe in the oneness of God Almighty... and that the
Almighty, with the greatness of His lordship and the holiness of His wisdom, will command the
resurrection to take place in the manner He wills.

(On the Day when We will roll up the sky like the rolling up of a scroll for the Book, just as We initiated
the first creation - We will return it as a promise upon Us. Indeed, We will do it.) (Surat Al-Anbiya:
21/104); That is, we are the ones who will fold the sky like a bookcase folding books and take them
out of the state they are in now. Then they will lose their movement and heat and then stop rotating.
We will fold the book of the universe that we took out of its wallet and spread before your eyes, then
return it to its wallet as we started it at the beginning of its creation, for all creatures It will return to
its first creation in the end. Just as the causes were silent at the first creation, they will also be silent
at the second creation. Then we will open the book again as we folded it, and create atoms again.

(Have they not seen that God, who created the heavens and the earth, and was not conscious of their
creation, is able to give life to the dead? Indeed, He is capable of all things.) (Surat Al-Ahqaf: 46/33); Is
God Almighty, who created the heavens and the earth and directed them within a wonderful system
without any awareness or fatigue, is He not able to revive the dead again? Look closely at the beings
and meditate on them well, and you will clearly see God’s power in everything. He, the Almighty, is
never touched by fatigue and never needs rest. And in another verse, the Almighty says: (And We
created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days, and no vainness touched
Us.) Surah Q: 50/38).

Yes, isn't God able to resurrect the dead again?

JUST AS GOD REVIVES DRY, DEAD TREES, HE WILL REVIVE YOU AGAIN IN THE SPRING AFTER YOUR DEATH AND
BURIAL IN THE GROUND.
The analogical representation in the Holy Qur’an is a clear reasoning method, through which evidence
and proofs are presented from the vast world in which we live to clearly prove the creativity of God
Almighty, and to prepare minds to believe in the creation of the universe anew, and then man
becomes more certain of the Day of Resurrection and Resurrection.
(Is not He who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the like of them? Indeed, He is the
Creator, the All-Knowing) (Surat Yasin: 36/81), (Are you more severe than creation or poison?) He
built it (Surat An-Nazi’at: 79/27).

Are you more creative than the creation of the jinn and the creation of all the laws and regulations
that surround man? Is the Almighty God who established the palace of the universe unable to build
other palaces for you in heaven?
(And among His signs is that you see the earth subdued, and when We send down water upon it, it
shakes and shudders. Indeed, He who gave it life is indeed the One who gives life to the dead. Indeed,
He has power over all things. Yarr (Surat Fussilat: 41/39).

When the soil of the earth dried up and became barren; She appeared - like a human being who
acknowledges his inability before his Lord - before God, humble and submissive, asking Him for a
supply of rain and water. He bestowed rain on her, and she revived, vibrated and moved. Then the
seeds began to crack, and the buds began to emerge from under the ground, and soon the earth
turned into breathtaking greenery and lush gardens, and this is evidence of God Almighty is able to
revive the dead just as He revives the dead earth in every spring. Yes, whoever raises these plants
every spring and spreads them before your eyes will certainly revive the dead and raise them again.

IS GOD, WHO CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH AND DIRECTED THEM ACCORDING TO A WONDERFUL
SYSTEM WITHOUT ANY AWARENESS OR FATIGUE, NOT ABLE TO REVIVE THE DEAD AGAIN?
So, just as God revives dry, dead trees, and insects and vermin that are drowned in the slumber of
death, He will revive you again in your fall season, after you die and are buried in the dirt and buried
in the ground.
God Almighty said: (O people, if you are in doubt as to the Resurrection, then indeed We created you
from dust, then from a drop of drop, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh formed and
undeveloped. A covenant that We may make clear to you, and We confirm in the wombs what We
will, for an appointed term, then We bring you forth as infants, then that you may reach your
maturity. And among you is some who die, and some of you. Who He will be returned to the most
despicable of people so that he will not know anything after his knowledge. You will see the earth
lifeless, but when We send down water upon it, it shakes and grows and grows. “Every pair is joyful”
(Surat Al-Hajj: 22/5).
It was stated at the end of the verse that you see the earth as if it were lifeless and barren, incapable
of germination and giving, and as soon as we send down abundant water from the sky upon it, it
begins to move and shake, and its plants sprout strongly and its crops grow rapidly. Yes, God Almighty
creates two pairs of everything, and the hand of power draws stunning scenes of beauty that delight
hearts and dazzle eyes.
(This is because God is the Truth and that He gives life to the dead and that He has power over all
things) (Surat Al-Hajj: 22/6); Everything that you see is true because it is from God Almighty. He is the
one who will revive the dead and He has power over all things. He reveals to you His power through
the manifestations of His creation, and through His management of thousands of facts and events
that surround you.

(And that the Hour is coming, about which there is no doubt, and that God will raise up those who are
in the graves) (Surat Al-Hajj: 22/7); There is no doubt that all of these verses refer to the coming of
the Hour, and confirm that God Almighty will raise all those in the graves again and gather them
again.
What is clear in all of these verses is that God Almighty confirmed the resurrection through the events
that occur in the land on which we live. Just as God Almighty revives the seed and makes it grow in a
new spring after it rots and dies under the ground, so He will revive the human being whose body is
destroyed and scattered in the grave. On the day of resurrection and resurrection, which is his second
spring.

The world of the atom and the beginning of creation, This is the amazing method of the Qur’an in
explaining issues and persuading minds. Whether the addressee is a philosopher or a shepherd, there
is no method that surpasses its method of presentation, persuasion and influence. The Qur’an has
settled the issue and settled it, and what is written or said about the subject by us humans is only an
explanation or explanation. A detail of what the Great Qur’an mentioned and nothing else.
In the same context, we find that when the Glorious Qur’an wants to prove the Great Resurrection
through psychological evidence, it turns our attention to the world of the atom and opens our minds
by saying: (Just as He began with you, you will return) (Surat Al-A’raf: 7/29); Just as God Almighty
created you the first time from dust, then from a sperm, then from a clot, then from an embryo, so He
will bring you together and return your atoms to their origin again and will create you anew.

RESURRECTION IS A FACT CONFIRMED BY POSITIVE SCIENCES, BUT THEY EXPECT IT TO HAPPEN IN THE DISTANT
FUTURE, WHILE IT MAY HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT AS A RESULT OF AN EXCEPTIONAL EVENT.
God Almighty says: (Have man not seen that We created him from a drop of drop? Then, behold, he is
an open adversary. * And he sets for us an example and forgets his creation. He said, “Who can revive
bones when they are rum?” Yam * Say, “It is He who created it the first time to give life to it, and He is
All-Knowing of every creation” (Surat Yasin: 36/77-79) ; The infidels of the first centuries and the
remnants of the infidels of this century speak the same language and in the same style, saying: “Who
can collect these bones and breathe life into them after they have become ashes?” The Qur’an
answers them, saying: “Say, ‘He who created it the first time will give life to it.’”

And God Almighty says: (He who made fire for you from the green tree, so behold, you kindled from
it) (Surat Yasin: 36/80); The Lord of Glory is the one who brought forth fire from the green, moist
trees, while the rule states that the two extremes should not meet, but the One with eternal and
everlasting power here combined the two extremes with ease, and it is known to the Arabs that the
trees of markh and afar, from which water drips, are quick to quench and ignite; If one of its sticks is
touched against the other - while it is dripping water - fire is generated between them.

Thus, God, whose greatness was revealed in this tree, is able to gather the worn-out bones and
breathe life into them again, and thus to revive man and bring him to a second life once again.
Stages of creation
22/5); That is, if you are in doubt about the gathering and resurrection, then look at this event that is
occurring in your essence, and consider this following psychological evidence:
God Almighty created you initially from dust, and made the leaven for your essence from some
elements scattered in the earth, and mixed these elements together to form a protein soup, then
breathed the soul into it so that it turned into a drop of degrading water, then into a leech, a created
and uncreated embryo, and when you became... The embryo of your creation or your death; That is,
some of you fell from your mother’s womb before completing your pregnancy, and some of you
continued your journey and took on an image that fit the seed of your essence and attained the honor
of being honored with the secret of “the best correction.”

IF THE MOON, WHICH WAS SEPARATED FROM THE EARTH IN THE DISTANT PAST, DECIDED TO RETURN TO ITS
MOTHER AGAIN, THIS WOULD LEAD TO A MASSIVE EXPLOSION THAT WOULD DESTROY THE EARTH ACCORDING
TO ATOMIC LAWS.
Yes, God, Blessed and Most High, allows whatever He wishes in the wombs for a specified period.
Sometimes the fetus aborts while it is in its third or fourth month, or it comes to life and is born in the
seventh month, or it continues its development until the ninth month, and you, oh whom We created
as innocent and pure children, then follow the path of life in the hope of reaching the goal for which
you were created. But some of you die early, and some of you have extended days and are returned
to the most miserable age. Your legs become weak, your backs become injured, your stature stoops,
your heads turn gray, and you become defeated by old age, retreating. Your whole life has become
suffering, so that you know that you are not worth anything, no matter how high your status is. You
begin life as helpless children, and you leave it as helpless children, but with a beard this time. .

God Almighty says: (Does man think that he will be left in vain? * Was he not a drop of semen from
the sperm of the right hand * Then he was a clot and He was created and He formed Himself * Then
He made of Him a pair, the male and the female * A He is not able to give life to the dead” (Surat Al-
Qiyamah: 75/36-40); God, who moved you through various stages of creation until He formed you
into this wonderful form that you are in, cannot resurrect you again?

BEAUTY CALLS FOR IMMORTALITY

Fethullah Gulen
09/23/2018
Let us stand in a season of spring and listen to the birds chirping and the murmur of the water, let us
see the beauty of the breathtaking emerald green of the trees and plants, let us follow the sunrise
and sunset, let us enjoy the view of the moon on a full moon night, and let us contemplate all the
wonderful beauties of the universe.
All these picturesque scenes, and others like them, are nothing but manifestations of the beauty of
God Almighty. As God Almighty spreads before our eyes the beauty of His sublime self through these
harmonious and harmonious images, we stand amazed and taken with all our senses by the sublimity
of this beauty. God Almighty wants us to know Him, and we seek to know Him.
JUST AS WE WERE DAZZLED BY THE MANIFESTATIONS OF HIS BEAUTY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THIS WORLD, WE
WILL ONE DAY BE DAZZLED BY LOOKING AT THE BEAUTY OF THE HOLY SELF, IMMERSED IN ECSTASY BEYOND
ECSTASY.
But the Most High, Glory be to Him, is beautiful if He lowers the curtain over us while we witness
these beauties, and leaves us in the depths of deprivation. Then the blessing would turn into a curse,
love into a calamity, and the mind into an instrument of torment and suffering. God forbid that He,
Glory be to Him, would do that and replace beauty with ugliness. In addition, what makes a blessing a
true blessing, and opens the door to the mind to enjoy it, is the permanence of those blessings.
Therefore, our great Lord will open another abode in order to show us His eternal and eternal beauty,
and send us to that abode, and reveal to us His immortal blessings, His wonderful beauty, and His
unique perfection.

Then the beauties and beauties created by Him, may He be glorified and exalted, are countless. This
calls for an eternal world in which these fleeting virtues of this mortal world become eternal. Yes, just
as we were dazzled by the manifestations of His beauty spread throughout this world, we will one day
be dazzled by looking at the beauty of the Holy Self, immersed in ecstasy beyond ecstasy: “Faces that
day will be radiant * looking to their Lord” (Surat Al-Qiyamah: 22-23).

PRIDE AND RECKONING

Fethullah Gulen
 09/16/2018
The One who showered us with blessings from the top of our heads to the soles of our feet has glory
and majesty. Just as He did not share these blessings with anyone else, He is also not willing to let
others be thanked in return for these blessings. For He, the Almighty, is possessed of jealousy and
tyranny over those who deny His blessings and deny them.
There are many people, despite being blessed with thousands of blessings, who deny them and offer
their worship and servitude to anyone other than God Almighty, so they close their eyes and turn
their gaze away from all the blessings that God has been honored with only so that they may know
Him and worship Him. Likewise, many unbelievers, oppressors, tyrants, and tyrants will die and leave
this world without any punishment or account.

GOD’S GLORY AND MAJESTY REQUIRE DISCIPLINING AND PUNISHING THE IMMORAL, IF NOT IN THIS WORLD,
THEN IN THE HEREAFTER.
But God’s glory and majesty require disciplining and punishing these immoral people, if not in this
world, then in the hereafter. Where the oppressor receives his punishment, and the oppressed
receives his reward. Yes, a day will come when those who are thankful to God for His blessings, those
who are grateful to Him for the kind of blessing they have been granted, will be called to: “Eat and
drink happily for what you did in the past days” (Surat Al-Haqqa: 69/24).
God Almighty says in the Holy Hadith: “I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has
seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever imagined” [1] .

Attentive and humble souls who perform profound and noble deeds do not occur to a human heart,
are not heard by ears, or seen by eyes. So she dives into the depths of herself and then dives, and
overflows with worldly existences, far removed from heedlessness, feeling God’s oversight over her
and her presence in His hands at all times.. Those souls will be rewarded in the same way as their
deeds, and God will delight their eyes with surprises that they did not expect.
Those who set out to contemplate the truth of things and the secrets of events, and travel long
distances with their thoughts, will certainly not be treated like someone who spent his life in this
world devoid of any thought.

THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY AND THE CONTOURS OF OUR SELF-CARD

Fethullah Gulen
11/03/2019
The meaning that we mean by “self-being” is to highlight our inner identity woven from the
inheritance of our own civilization and our own culture, and make it the “axis” around which we
revolve.
Perhaps some circles these days understand the word “subjectivity” to mean the folkloric
performances that have no relation to the “moral” roots of our nation, the “instincts” that overflow
when human masses feel the need to satisfy their “physical” whims, and the ceremonies that are held
on occasions of eating and drinking. Holidays and weddings.

THE MEANING OF “SELF-BEING” IS TO HIGHLIGHT OUR INNER IDENTITY WOVEN FROM THE INHERITANCE OF OUR
OWN CIVILIZATION AND OUR OWN CULTURE, AND MAKE IT THE “AXIS” AROUND WHICH WE REVOLVE.
But we mean by the expression “self” a broader, more comprehensive and deeper meaning. It is a
“phenomenon” that took effect in all segments of society, and was nourished by the nation’s
memory, feelings, and conscience over time until it reached our era. It was reflected in and
represented by the nation’s feelings, ideas, language, and artistic perceptions, and we lived it in our
customs, customs, and traditions as the most important depth of life in the world. Every time; We
sense and sense it in every unit of life, on every page, every stage, and every station. From the care
we receive in the arms of our mothers to the behaviors of our ancestors that are imbued with the
spirit of compassionate fatherhood that reflects our own nature... and from the nature of our
educational programs and their contents in our own spirit to the educator infusing this spirit to the
fullest... and from the forms of cooking in our kitchens to our actions in our fields and farms... and
from our standing. And from our sitting in our offices to our professional ethics... and from our
methods of speaking and writing to our relationships with others.
Some may not realize in the short term the practical or social benefits of living in a “self-centered”
atmosphere. But it is natural and self-evident that in the long run, and with insistence on it, its vital
importance will appear in all stages of progress.
In this context, we must continue to walk within the framework of our religion, heritage, customs,
customs and traditions, taking into account the new interpretations of time. Over time, our self-values
will become an integral part of our character. What we copy from the outside will be colored by us
and we will adopt it and become an important color of the lines in the fabric of our self-atlas.
Intellectual and cultural.

ASPIRING TO THE PINNACLE OF THE PROPHETS

Fethullah Gulen
03/08/2019
God has designated the prophets with the characteristics of perfection and perfection, because a
religion that is more complete and perfect can only be carried by great people who are imbued with
the characteristics of perfection and perfection. The trust of the most perfect religion is heavy and
cannot be borne by weak people.

IF THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE PATH OF THE PROPHETS WANT TO BE WORTHY OF CARRYING THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE MOST COMPLETE AND PERFECT RELIGION, THEN THEY MUST BE LIKE THE PROPHETS AND FOLLOW THEIR
EXAMPLE. THEY MUST PRAY TO GOD TO GRANT THEM THE MORALS OF THE PROPHETS.
If those who walk in the path of the prophets want to be worthy of carrying the responsibility of the
most complete and perfect religion, then they must be like the prophets and follow their example.
They must pray to God to grant them the morals of the prophets, to ask for determination like the
determination of the prophets, a godliness like the determination of the prophets, wisdom like the
wisdom of the prophets, striving like the striving of the prophets, a longing like the longing of the
prophets, that is, they should aspire to perfection and perfection with insistence in representing the
meanings of faith, Islam, and charity.

Yes, it is not permissible for a person to ask for prophecy from God, as prophecy ended with the final
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, but it is permissible for him to ask to imitate the morals of
the prophets. He can say: Oh God, develop our talents, develop them more and more, there are no
limits to your giving, you honor us with endless capabilities. Always expand our capabilities, and help
us harness them in the service of your religion and the message of your prophets.”

IT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO ASK FOR PROPHECY FROM GOD, AS PROPHECY ENDED WITH THE FINAL
PROPHET, PEACE AND BLESSINGS BE UPON HIM, BUT IT IS PERMISSIBLE FOR HIM TO ASK TO IMITATE THE
MORALS OF THE PROPHETS.
Certainly, our statures do not amount to being a “shadow” of those lofty statures and Sunni positions
they have achieved, let alone approaching their “origin.” However, the believer must be high-spirited
like them, directing his gaze to the peaks - like them - in his relationship with God. He seeks lofty goals
with sincerity and insistence so that he can fulfill his trustworthiness.

IS CIVILIZATION BORN SUDDENLY?

Fethullah Gulen
02/25/2019
The civilizations that astounded minds and dazzled eyes with their cultural richness did not suddenly
appear in Rome, Athens, Egypt, or Babylon without any introductions.
Culture everywhere was born after a long incubation in the world of individuals’ feelings and
thoughts, and in the fertile slopes of public conscience. It drew directly from internal sources, and
from external sources after filtration and filtering. It grew until, after a long time, it became an
important depth to the natures of peoples and an apparent color of their lives. Then it surrounded
Throughout life, even if tongues did not always speak about her, she dominated her life in the temple,
school, street, home, cafes, and bedrooms, to the point that even if people did not obey her willingly
and consciously, she would subjugate them with a secret, spontaneous force that captured their will.
Any nation that has established its foundations on such a cultural basis with such sobriety will, over
time, reach a level of maturity such that it will be natural for it to overcome all obstacles that stand in
its way, such as ignorance, poverty, fragmentation, laziness, and external pressures.
Culture is born after a long incubation in the world of individuals’ feelings and thoughts, and in the
fertile foothills of public conscience.
Rome, Athens, Egypt, and the Ottomans are good examples of this. Regarding recent history,
Germany is considered a good model, had it not exhausted itself by engaging in World War II-type
adventures.

After World War II, Germany turned high and low, its economy became rubble, foreigners dominated
its national sovereignty, society was divided into warring camps in the psychological atmosphere
generated by defeat and misery, and that country from lowest to highest became a captivity camp.
But at the same time, their hearts were beating with determination, and their visions were filled with
love for Greater Germany, and they were fully confident that their muscle strength and intellect were
sufficient to achieve this. They were certain that if Germany was to survive this field of death, it would
survive with its vital energy and stable, established culture.
This is what actually happened. Yes, the German people turned their faces to their moral roots, and
rationally benefited from the social, psychological-social, and socio-cultural conditions, and became
among those who read and interpreted the conditions of the last half of the last century for the sake
of their interests, in an unprecedented way.

AN ENVIRONMENT THAT NURTURES GENIUSES

Fethullah Gulen
02/20/2019
The so-called “advanced” societies in our contemporary world were in their past suffering from what
we are suffering from today, floundering like us, and burning in the fire of torment like ours. Then
days came in which the doors of innovation were wide open, thanks to the passion they enjoyed for
research, passion for knowledge, seriousness in work, and rewarding those who achieved success
with the greatest rewards. Success after success emerged, which led to more aspiration and renewed
determination. For them, the environment became a sponsor of the sparks of genius, so invention
after invention came from steam machines to textile factories, from research laboratories to printing
presses, and after a while they reached the era of science and electronic minds.
Genius in a land other than its own is doomed to be like eaten wheat, just as a seed is doomed to
perish in a land where it is not nurtured by air or water.

HONORING SUCCESS
And when those who valued science in those days took the initiative to reward those who made
discoveries, inventions, and scientific research, they became a means for the emergence of great
capabilities everywhere so that they would find their opportunity to grow and develop. It was as if the
outskirts of their country were an exhibition of wonders for the works of their geniuses who knew no
apathy.

Just as scholars such as Ibn Sina, Al-Farabi, Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Razi, and Al-Zahrawi appeared
successively in our Islamic world during the establishment of a similar environment and environment,
so the West made good use of its inherited gains in the widest possible way in that environment, and
was able to characterize the last centuries with its characteristic.
The extraordinary successes that were achieved yesterday and are being achieved today are linked to
the social structure that generates genius and the environment that nurtures capabilities.
Therefore, it is a mistake to limit the present “West” to the effects of the efforts of scientists with high
capabilities, such as Copernicus, Galileo, Leonard da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante or Edison, Max Planck,
and Einstein. Neither yesterday’s “scientific renaissance” nor today’s scientific and technological
boom can be attributed to the endeavors of a few like them alone. Otherwise, we will face problems
that we cannot explain in light of the law of “cause and effect.”

ENVIRONMENT AND GENIUS

The extraordinary successes that were achieved yesterday and are being achieved today, and the
major global formations, are linked - in addition to the genius and brilliance of individuals - to the
social structure that generates genius, the appropriate environment for raising discoverers, and the
environment that nurtures capabilities.
Talk about the nurturing environment still occurs wherever mention is made of the determination,
diligence and effort of those with great preparations. Rather, the resourcefulness of those with great
talents and lofty geniuses often explodes as much as the general environment allows. Expecting
anything contrary to this is also useless today, because no one has the power to change the rules of
“innate Sharia.” Whoever fights against universal laws will fall defeated, sooner or later.
We must search for our future aspirations at a point where a good environment meets the passion for
science, the determination to work and systematic research.
Genius in a land other than its own is doomed to be like eaten wheat, just as a seed is doomed to
perish in a land where it is not nurtured with air, water, and development energy.

Therefore, we must search for our future aspirations at a point where a good environment meets the
passion for science, the determination to work, and systematic research. If a good environment
stimulates scientific passion and inflames the will to strive and achieve, sensitive hearts will feel this in
the depths of their being through a process of supernatural absorption, then evaluate it, and then put
it into practice within the framework of a specific methodology. After that, the “good circle” works to
advance new inspirations, repercussions, combinations, and analyzes followed - constantly and
steadily - by intellectual efforts and systems that are consistent with our intrinsic components and
compatible with our principles and civilizational visions.

TRAINING GENERATIONS TO EMERGE FROM THE NARROWNESS OF THE BODY TO THE

SPACIOUSNESS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE UNIVERSE
Fethullah Gulen
02/18/2019
The most effective and useful thing in building the present generation is facilitating their movement
between their inner worlds and the realities of existence by stimulating the resolve of organized
thinking in them, and enticing them to believe, learn, examine and think by training them to read
horizons and souls like an open book.
We must present these aforementioned perceptions to the horizons of their perceptions and minds
through visual and audio means, and transport them to broader worlds by saving their souls from the
narrow physical prison. Then removing the turmoil and cruelty from their souls, and awakening their
burning hearts with a longing for beyond horizons, for the most beautiful, most delicate, hidden, most
magical and meaningful human aspirations. If we succeed in this, we will have heralded their revival.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND USEFUL THING IN BUILDING THE PRESENT GENERATION IS TO FACILITATE THEIR
MOVEMENT BETWEEN THEIR INNER WORLDS AND THE REALITIES OF EXISTENCE AND TO TRAIN THEM TO READ
HORIZONS AND SELVES AS AN OPEN BOOK.
Souls that have not acquired lightness through purification through faith, knowledge, and love will
never be able to fly in the skies beyond the horizon. Rather, give up flying in the skies beyond the
horizon, for those hungry souls never stop being polluted by worldly desires, so their hearts are filled
with grudges and overflowing with hatred, and the system of the soul falls captive in the grip of the
system of the soul, and they do not do more than eat, drink, sleep, sit, and stand, so they become
slaves to the body that refuses to be freed!
The unique truth that the human spirit receives from both faith and knowledge and the heart’s
attachment to God is love, while hatred, hatred and aspects of human weakness are inevitably
eliminated by the arrival of these lofty values. Yes, the meanings of faith, knowledge, and love unite
man and the universe, and at the same time save him from the torment and pain of multitude,
dissolving his loneliness and inner loneliness in the elixir of “with” the Almighty God, transforming his
life into eternal pleasure and immortal ecstasy, making him sip it cup after cup.

THE UNIQUE TRUTH THAT THE HUMAN SOUL RECEIVES FROM FAITH, KNOWLEDGE, AND THE HEART’S
ATTACHMENT TO GOD IS LOVE, BUT HATRED AND HATRED DISAPPEAR WITH THE ADVENT OF THESE LOFTY
VALUES.
The generations setting out for tomorrow, equipped with this device and provided with this provision,
spread and migrate to the four corners of the earth with deep love and great longing and without
being drawn to gain or gain, but rather for the sake of elevating the entire human race to human
perfections. With a complete distance from the aspirations of fame and glory, you will endure the
harshest circumstances and undertake the heaviest work and then leave without looking back or
caring about praise or flattery.
These people, wherever they go, will paint every eye and every heart with colors of respect and fear
that are apparent and overflowing from their actions, even if they do not talk about religion, or do not
utter a word about religiosity. Everyone who comes in contact with them will be opened to the vast
and rich horizons of the “spirit,” instead of the relative and short-dimensional truths of matter, and
will reach a breadth that exceeds imagination in the world itself, and will attain a “throne of a
kingdom” that words cannot describe.

CONCERN IS THE MOST ACCEPTED SUPPLICATION

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 93
08/22/2023
The state of duress and helplessness is a stage full of worry and sorrow on the individual and social
levels. Concern is the most accepted supplication by God Almighty. Sometimes the nation
experienced periods of anxiety and sorrow. Its members feel helpless, their hope and hope are cut off
in everything, and they writhe inside. If these people in such a situation did not complain or complain,
but rather only presented their situation to their Lord, and raised their hands to Him in supplication
and supplication to Him, then this situation would be like the most acceptable supplication for them.

In fact, if social conditions worsen and become troubled, and the clamor of the oppressors becomes
louder in all parts of the world, and the groans of the oppressed become louder, and the concerns
overwhelm societies, God Almighty will save believing hearts from this humiliation in which they have
fallen and pave the way for them to inherit the earth, and this will not be achieved except after it is
cut off. Paths with those believing hearts and they turn to their Lord with the supplications of those in
need. The truth is that not turning to the Truth, Glory be to Him, with pure monotheism, may be a
betrayal of trustworthiness. Because this trust is only given to those who have been exposed to trials
and who have suffered from worries and sorrows. It is very difficult to preserve the blessings that
have been bestowed upon us in a time of rest and peace, and this fact is expressed by the popular
proverb “What is brought by the easy is lost by the easy.” Inherited money is greatly neglected by the
heirs who scatter it here and there because they do not know its value.

Therefore, today's Muslims, who wish to be faithful to trustworthiness and embrace the issue of
service for the sake of God, as indicated by our Lord, Glory be to Him, in His saying: (Indeed, the earth
is inherited by My righteous servants) (Al-Anbiya: 105 ) ; That they should strive to reconcile their
feelings, feelings, thoughts, actions, and actions, and that they should feel a sense of helplessness,
poverty, and intense need for their Creator, the Almighty, and that they should turn to Him, Glory be
to Him, the Most High, with their supplications and supplications in pure monotheism and absolute
helplessness.

Grab the misery

Islam seeks to remove misery, decadence, and humiliation from souls, by removing material causes
and motives, and by stimulating the power of the individual will with feelings of faith, knowledge, and
benevolence. Yes, protecting the soul from all kinds of baseness, misery, and decadence comes by
resorting to the brilliant armor made up of strong faith, extensive knowledge, and constant
monitoring. With these preparations, the soul achieves satisfaction and reassurance, opening the
human eye to extremely important life matters that go beyond the matters of the body and
physicality in vast dimensions. On the contrary, for those who are deprived of being equipped with
this device, it is extremely difficult for them to preserve human values and remain steadfast for a long
time. The misery and degradation of the soul distances the individual from his self, so he is vulnerable
to drifting here and there, fitting into this or that mold, and is drawn into an inevitable schizophrenia
of falling into service at the doors of the masters, and becoming enslaved to them sooner or later.
EFFECTIVE PATIENCE
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 92
06/06/2023
The nation of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, is the best nation ever created
for mankind, and God Almighty has linked this description of charity to its capacity as commanding
good and forbidding evil in addition to the quality of faith. In other words, he linked it to spreading
goodness and protecting people from the harms of evil. From this perspective, if the believer wants to
raise an exemplary generation that even the angels will admire; To contribute - by enjoining good - to
adorning people with virtues and virtues, and to seek - by forbidding evil - to rid people of vices, and
to prevent them from what God Almighty and His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him
peace, and sound reason and human nature, denounce and despise.

Warning against evils and sins has well-established ways, special channels, and clear boundaries. We
must not forget that the position that must be taken when forbidding evil is not directed at the
person himself, but rather at the bad characteristics present in him. In other words, every bad
characteristic is like a virus that infects humans. The original purpose of forbidding evil is to eliminate
that virus, not its carrier, so that the individual regains his health, well-being, security, and
reassurance again. Therefore, the believer stands in the face of reprehensible qualities, and even
declares war on them, but he must be merciful to the greatest extent to those who carry them, and
use soft language and manner towards them, to the extent that when you warn the perpetrators of
evil deeds about what they are doing, you must not be aware of whether you oppose them or not. .

Yes, you should move and act like this in a gentle and precise manner, so that they may quickly and
unconsciously get rid of those reprehensible qualities which they carry, and strip them off of them just
as they strip off their clothes; Behaving like this is one of the necessities and constants of behavior
and the Prophetic approach, may God bless him and grant him peace.

If you respond to negative attitudes and behaviors with similar ones, you will multiply them more
instead of preventing them, especially in our era in which negativity is always pumped into people.
Which led to them practicing many outcast behaviors and behavior, and this is a very dangerous issue.

So, be - as our Lord Jalaluddin Rumi described and intended - a sun that treats everyone with
compassion and mercy, a dust that is trampled by feet out of humility and gentleness, rain that
waters plants and trees with generosity and assistance, trees that are beneficial to others with shade
and fruits, and a night that hides everything as a veil for faults, dead, far from harshness and
nervousness. And an environment full of tolerance and forgiveness... You should also maintain the
same attitude, especially towards those who are far away from you and have slipped into a group of
mistakes and missteps due to the instigations of the devils and the temptation of the soul that is
inclined to do evil, even though they are turning to the same qiblah that you are turning to, and they
prostrate with you where you prostrate.

You must remain steadfast in your position and maintain your approach to them even if they are far
from you. Because if you are an inch away from them - whenever they are an inch away from you -
the distance will double and the gap between you will become wider. However, if you stand firm in
your position, the distance between you will decrease, and this distance will become a mistake that is
limited to them and not to you. If one day they regret it and want to go back, they will not suffer
much in avoiding their mistakes. What they committed, and in order to achieve this they do not have
to use various flimsy arguments and arguments. It is not good to exaggerate and expand sedition, but
rather what is important is to confront it with the shield of intelligence and eliminate it.
Some may consider taking a stance towards this type of people as one of the necessities of protecting
their honour, glory and pride, but the pride of humanity, may God bless him and grant him peace, the
crown and pinnacle of honor and glory, took a step back in some sensitive situations when the matter
called for it. Thinking about the gains and benefits he would gain later... In this way, he taught us that
retreating a little when necessary is one of the Muslims’ strategies.
THE WORLD IS A PASSAGE
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 91
04/03/2023
We have to act like this; We go out to the markets and the streets where the grapes flow as rivers,
and we, as students and professors, continue to go to schools and universities, and perhaps for this
we endure a lot of moral and material harm. This may block in our faces the paths leading to
guardianship and closeness to Him, the Almighty, voluntarily or involuntarily, but we must sacrifice
even some feelings of divine blessings. Just as the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant
him peace, returned from Paradise - during the ascension - and was not affected by its adornment
and beauty, so we must imitate the character of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him
peace, and try to represent the great truth that the best of blessings and peace be upon him brought.
And those who stand in this world are like those who stand on embers of fire, such people can never
look at the mortal face of the world, nor can they occupy their hearts with it, and if they are always
among creatures, they are always with the Creator of creatures, the Almighty.

The Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, did not think about the world even when it
approached him with its illumination, and he did not think about benefiting from it despite the
possibility of doing so. He, may God bless him and grant him peace, left this world just as he came to
it. He came to it and they wrapped him in a piece of cloth, and he left it and they wrapped him in a
similar piece of cloth.
Be like your Messenger: Do not let your elite be troubled by the desires of the world. He, may God’s
prayers and peace be upon him, practiced absolute submission to God Almighty throughout his life.
He lived in peace, always trying to gain the satisfaction of God Almighty and save humanity. His peace
was not disturbed by the desires and pleasures of the world. He established the system of Islam and
implemented it in his home. When some of his wives asked him to take their share of the world and
its adornments, he isolated them for a while, until he, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him,
gave them a choice - by order of God Almighty - between staying with him and being content with
what he had or releasing them with kindness. At that time, the wives of the Messenger, may God’s
prayers and peace be upon him, preferred to stay with him and endure the hardship of living. With
him on the blessings and pleasures of the world. In the meantime, Omar, may God be pleased with
him, entered upon the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, while he was in
his room separating from his wives. He saw the traces of mats on his side and cried. Then the
Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “What makes you cry?” Omar,
may God be pleased with him, said: O Messenger of God, Chosroes and Caesar are in what they are
doing, and you are the Messenger of God! He, may God bless him and grant him peace, said:

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, did not leave the world. Rather, he
saw and demonstrated all the divine truths manifest in the universe, and conveyed them and
communicated them to the entire world with his armies that set off to all parts of the earth, carrying
Islam with them and erecting its banner everywhere.
There is a conclusion reached by some contemporary sociologists: Until the era of the Messenger of
God, may God bless him and grant him peace, humanity had recorded an advance of 25 percent, but
thanks to him and during his era - that is, in a short period - it was able to increase this percentage to
50 percent, and humanity had not been able since his era until Now, except for recording an increase
rate of only 25 percent, and it is expected to reach the remaining percentage in the future, and thus
the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, crossed a distance in a quarter of a
century that humanity could not reach for several ages, and it was proven that he is the role model
and role model for all generations until The Hour of Resurrection.
He did not isolate himself and did not abandon the world - we repeat this again - but rather he knew
how to direct his nation in the right direction, and to what importance should be given and in what
proportion.
(*) Integrity in work and advocacy, a series of puzzling questions of the era (3), Muhammad Fethullah
Gulen,
BE A SUN
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 90
04/12/2022
Be a sun, whether people benefit from it or not, there is no harm. Be water, whether people drink
from it or refuse to drink it. Do not despair. Be dust, whether people scatter seeds in its interior or
not, you do not care. Be a fruitful tree, providing shade. Whether people are under its shade or not, it
does not matter to you.. What is important is that you are.. that you exist.. and if you are tinged with
obliteration, you are the winner.. A person must do, of his own free will, what must be done for the
sake of his ideal goal, and proceed with ardent enthusiasm to another task without waiting. Harvest...
the basis is good work, then moving on without looking back. Scatter the seeds in the ground, and let
those who reap after you reap.

Do not say, “I must reap.. I must receive the prize.. people must praise me.. they must appreciate
me.” Rather, say, “I do not want anything in return for that, not even the weight of an atom.”
Working without compensation lightens a person's burden. While acting out of greed for praise or
applause is humiliation and an insult to one’s being. A person should not extend his hand as a beggar
asking for his reward from others, because he is a dear and honored creature. Since man is a divine
creation, asking someone other than God is an insult to His creation.
Man was created dear, and he should not extend his hand to a creature like him. He should only ask
his Creator. If you go to the afterlife with a strong connection to God, that is more than enough for
you. You have no need for the support of others at all. Perhaps this is the most important advantage
of souls who have dedicated themselves to serving humanity.

Man is a mirror
If we cannot express ourselves honestly, waiting for others to change will become meaningless. Man
is the only mirror that can reflect the manifestations of the Divine Self with His Most Beautiful Names
and Sublime Attributes. Therefore, our relationship towards man means our relationship with the
creation of God Almighty, as that relationship is a standard for the perfection of our respect for God
Almighty.
Because we did not express the values of Islam seriously, others saw Islam as it was not what it was,
and they were faced with a torrent of black confusion... Look, you will see this black torrent around
you, blackening the faces. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, says: “This matter
will reach them as far as night and day have reached” (Narrated by Ahmad), meaning that the name
Muhammad will reach every place where the sun rises. Tell me, haven't you spread throughout the
earth and everywhere the sun shines? On the one hand, this concern represents the purification of
our souls, and on the other hand, it leads us to a higher and honorable goal in which we can serve.

It is a new life of the heart, represented by faith in God, and by the brush of knowledge of God that
strikes the strings of the heart as we walk.. On the way to Him, Glory be to Him, a bundle of shades of
knowledge coming to our hearts will appear to us in every step we take. But if we stop where we are
and be satisfied with what exists, this will express our lack of resolve, and we will be like trees that
have dried up in place, and what others of us saw yesterday, they must see something else today. We
must offer them something different and new, so that they will be attracted to what we offer, and
through their attraction, they will reach God and the horizon of salvation.

As for our relationship with those who are closer to us than ourselves, we must re-establish it. We
must overcome our distance from Him in order to gain closeness to Him, the Almighty. If we have
scattered the earth like seeds, then we must imitate the seeds in their advancement and growth. And
if we have planted them in various parts of the world, then we must produce beneficial fruits. Oh
God, take our hands, for without you we are nothing.

ALLOCATE SEATS IN YOUR HEARTS FOR EVERYONE

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 89
09/13/2022
When people enter your hearts, they should not worry about staying standing. You must make room
in your hearts for everyone, no matter how different their thoughts and feelings are. Tell everyone
with confidence, “We have allocated a seat here for you too.” Developing this spirit requires
education; It requires education in the family, and it requires that the street not corrupt that
education, and it needs the school to transform that education into science, and it needs the mosque
to elevate that education to the heights of the spirit. However, if the family is deprived, the streets
are polluted, the mosque is captive to stereotypes, and the school is devoid of spiritual and heart life,
and if everything revolves around matter, nature, and situation - I do not claim that it is so, but rather
I say “if it is so” - then the goal will not be achieved... As for If what is intended is accomplished, these
elements will support each other, and one party will not destroy what the other built. Then the values
that the individual received in his home and family environment will not be wasted. They will not be
wasted in the street, like dice in a gambling table. Rather, the mosque will come to deepen those
values spiritually, and the school will come to teach him how to read cosmic laws, things and events,
and transform the student into a person who reads the universe deeply, and thus deepening is
achieved. Then what was built will not be demolished, the street will not spoil what the family has
planted, the mosque will not conflict with the home, and the school will not conflict with the family...
If it all goes in one direction, the person will get rid of his physicality and clay - to some extent - and
rise to the life of the heart and soul. Then he feels a spaciousness within himself, so he opens his
chest to everyone, and seeks to establish bonds between himself and all people.

Commitment to good faith, God brings the living out of the dead, He brings the dead out of the living,
He brings the day out of the night, and He turns winter into spring... It is necessary in this matter for a
person to always adhere to good faith in God. Our Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant
him peace, says: “Having good thoughts in God Almighty is good worship” (Narrated by Abu Dawud);
Good faith in this narration is mentioned in general terms. It focuses specifically on good faith in God
Almighty, good faith in the Divine Self, and good faith in our Master, the Spirit of Al-Anam, may God
bless him and grant him peace.

It is self-evident that believers’ good thoughts about one another can be found within the category of
“good thoughts are part of good worship.” This is because even in an era in which the areas have
become dark, winter has arrived, and the corners are filled with the groans of the oppressed, you look
and see a rectangular twilight on the horizon, to the point that even the most blind person, when he
looks, says: “By God, the sun will rise from behind this,” because it is a rectangular twilight that does
not lie. Not only is the twilight rectangular, but the “false dawn” does not lie either. Even though it is
a lie, “the true dawn” is the truest witness to it. If the false dawn appears, this means that the true
dawn is coming behind it, with God’s permission and providence.

From this standpoint, we must always look to the future with hope. To be viewed through the lens of
good faith in God Almighty. Your good faith in God Almighty is like a lens that never errs. With God’s
permission and care, you will see the issue in this way. Therefore, we must be full of good faith in the
matter that the Divine Essence will never waste the actions of those who say: “O God, I hope in all my
work, sincerity, Your satisfaction, and the salvation of love and longing.” God Almighty will not
disappoint those who seek Him, nor will He make them stumble on their way. We must have good
faith that He will make them flutter like doves in places where this is impossible, and enable them to
reach Him. I ask God not to deprive us of His care, and to always fill our hearts with good thoughts,
hope and hope.

GENTLENESS OF MANNERS
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 88
05/24/2022
Etiquette of behavior and social relations is for a person to be chaste, modest, courteous, and
respectful when dealing with others, and to avoid, as much as possible, hurtful and harsh behavior,
even in the face of bad dealings or bitter incidents, and to ensure that his words and actions are based
on circumstance, tenderness, and sincerity.
The Islamic world has established a civilization of literature and gentleness that even the angels envy
it. Unfortunately, it lost that characteristic after a certain period, as if it began to live in a new pre-
Islamic era, similar to the era that humanity lived before the era of happiness, because all the values
that we adopted in this era were damaged - as The Turkish Islamic poet Najib Fadel says: With
successive blows until it crumbled and collapsed.

Yes, the twentieth century witnessed the collapse of all our personal values. Starting from the
doctrinal system that was based on our spiritual and moral roots, to our devotional life, to our
concept of etiquette and social relations. When we severed our connection with our religion, we lost
our values of etiquette and social relations, and we lost our discipline and terminology. We lost them
and became strangers to our cultural and intellectual world in our dealings with others, starting from
when we stand and sit down to the way we speak and address.

So, what needs to be done? First, we must show proper respect for what a human being is; Because
man is a generous creature who must be respected and appreciated. God Almighty says: (Indeed, We
created man in the best of manners) (Al-Tin: 4), and here our Lord Almighty explains that man is a
generous creature endowed with a value above other values, and in his nature he expresses such a
value. It is no secret to you that when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace,
passed by a funeral, he stood up and was told: He is a Jew, so he said: “Isn’t that a soul?” (Agreed
upon), and therefore you must not give up your respect for this human being whom God created to
be honorable, even if he mistreats you, even if some people belittle your values and misbehave with
God and His Messenger, so you must maintain your manner with them, preserving your honor and
honor, and you must not forget that you are Muslims. Equipped with Muhammadan literature and
Q'uranic morals; Meaning that your morals are the morals of the Qur’an, so how can you behave like
others?!

In fact, the true believer’s heart almost stops if someone speaks ill of the Divine Essence or the Most
Noble Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace. However, despite everything, he deals
with politeness and kindness, and says: “I must deal here in accordance with the politeness that my
Lord and Messenger taught me, and to respond without deviating from the law.” This framework is
not only that, but it tolerates all kinds of negativity in order to please God and His Messenger. It
tolerates but does not hesitate to explain the truth of the issue to its addressee in a soft and gentle
manner full of love and compassion.

Yes, a person must make his respect for others a basic rule in his life, and respect everyone according
to their level and the characteristics they possess. For example, he must move in his respect based on
the fact that this person is a “slave of God” even if he is not a believer, or that he is a “slave who
believes in God,” or that he is “a servant who truly believes in God,” or that he is “a servant who truly
believes in God and shares the same fate with him.” Or he races to the same goal with you... and thus
a person’s respect for others doubles according to his level, and reaches a value that exceeds all
values.

Yes, in the beginning, such a feeling of respect must appear within us, so that our voice and our
breath become the voice and breath of this feeling.. I know families in which brothers address each
other as “Mr. so-and-so and Mrs. so-and-so,” and this stems from the upbringing that has settled
within these families. No matter how big or small that brother is, it is his right, and it is a requirement
of human respect for man, to be addressed with these types of titles...and so you must believe in this
truth first and then pronounce it.

For example, if reporters working for a television channel were keen to address each other as “Mr.
The speech initially has some affectation and affectation, but with time this suspicion disappears.
Therefore, whatever way we express our self-respect, we should revive and activate such ways in our
lives. The basic principle is that we feel within ourselves our own values, and express ourselves in an
atmosphere of respect and appreciation. Therefore, it is not right for anyone to utter obscene, ugly
words that hurt others and disturb their hearing.
HOW DO WE BUILD GLOBAL PEACE?
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 87
12/10/2021
The issue of collecting the scattered and dispersed parts, putting them together and returning them
again to their original identity is subject to a process of restoration and repair that takes a very long
time due to the great extent of the vandalism. This matter may not be possible for an entire
generation. Because time and general conditions have their important influences and interventions,
and everyone adds his breath, voice, and opinion to the matter, and in light of globalization, it is not
easy at all to find our own voice and our own tone among the voices of this choir... and this type of
development is linked to time.

There is a responsibility that falls on the shoulders of those who have dedicated themselves to serving
the truth and the truth towards the people of our time who attack each other out of endless greed,
run to eat each other, and divide and tear countries apart by igniting the fuse of wars... This
responsibility lies in establishing bridges that will not collapse between people, and establishing
bonds of connection. Very powerful, and to contribute in this way to the formation of an atmosphere
of general peace in the entire world.. There is a great need to demonstrate the means of human
livelihood, and to remind once again that all of humanity is the descendants of Adam, peace be upon
him. If it is impossible to establish such an atmosphere of peace in a world in which hostilities and
conflicts are always aroused, and lethal weapons are produced everywhere; No one will be able to
live his life in safety and security.

Instead of conflict, rivalry, demolition, tyranny and control over them, it is necessary to reveal to them
the horizon of cooperation and fraternal solidarity. However, this must also be done according to the
circumstances and conditions of our contemporary world. From this standpoint, those who seek to
provide peace and peace in the entire world must move in accordance with the necessities of the
modern era, and seek to provide what they can of this without separation from reality and facts.

Achieving this depends on the quality of the upbringing of the cadres, their complete material and
moral preparation, their mental, intellectual and logical maturity, and their possession of acquisitions
that enable them to read the legislative and formative orders correctly, evaluate them correctly, and
put everything in its appropriate place.

These cadres must be able to read the formative orders according to the vision given to us by the Holy
Qur’an, and relate everything in the universe to its Creator; Free from naturalistic, positivistic, and
materialistic views, they are able to read what these things really mean to their Maker and to their
Creator. That is, their mental and heart worlds must be open to what is beyond nature as well, in
addition to nature. This is because their ability to transform the crises that occur and come from the
right and the left into bundles and packages of knowledge and wisdom, and their achievement of
promotions in the ranks of certainty, is dependent on this.

Acting style, It is very important for reform champions to recognize the problem in a situation like
this, and to continue their efforts to fix it in a manner consistent with the spirit of the times. To begin
with, they must fully represent Islam in its promising and encouraging face, and after that they must
deliver the truth and truth to the needy and thirsty breasts without coercing anyone, nor making the
religion based on facilitation more difficult, nor alienating people, nor sacrificing principles in favor of
related issues. In the branches, they must focus primarily on the basic issues called necessities and
needs at the level of the nation and humanity alike, starting with our family life, and there should be
no conflict over the branches and details.

What falls on the Muslim’s responsibility, as a matter of principle, is to apply with complete and
complete sensitivity all issues related to the religion, starting from the Sunnah and ending with
etiquette. However, we must present them and present them to others in a facilitating and missionary
manner consistent with the commandments of our Master, the Messenger of God, may God bless him
and grant him peace. We must not fall short. Definitely in the fundamentals, and not to be too strict
in issues related to the branches, and not to alienate people from religion by clinging to such things,
and not to make them flee from us. On the contrary, we must be missionaries, facilitators, authors,
and lovers.

MAN'S HIGHEST PURPOSE

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 86
10/11/2021
The feeling of passion is an important factor that arouses in a person the desire to reach the truth,
and ignites within him the flame of passion and longing for research and study. Therefore, a person
must use such an important feeling for the sake of a lofty goal, and in my opinion, this goal is to know
God (the Supreme Self) who created man from nothing, and honored and honored him over all his
creatures, and made this world a passage to Paradise and a farm to the afterlife. He adorned the
universe with His beautiful names and sent guiding messengers who did not mislead. They removed
the veil from the eyes until they saw everything as it really is. Hence, a person must arouse the feeling
of passion in him throughout his life, and strive to know the Divine Self, which is free from quantity
and quality, to the best of his ability.

It says in the narration: “Think about God’s blessings, and do not think about God” (1). This prophetic
statement is considered a standard for us in this context. Some people, due to the breadth of their
hearts and the depth of their feelings and thoughts, may feel some things that are beyond quantity
and quality with regard to the Pure Self (the Divine Self), but these truths that they feel are not
available to everyone. For this reason, we must take into account the limit set by the pride of
humanity, and revolve around names and attributes. Because, Glory be to Him, sights do not perceive
Him while He overtakes sights. (Al-An'am: 103) Sights do not perceive Him because He transcends the
boundaries of everything, for He is the ocean, and the ocean has no way of being encompassed by
those who are surrounded at the same time. Therefore, a person must be aware that his knowledge
has a limit and a specific nature, and he must recognize what is permitted for everyone.

Professor Nursi, may God have mercy on him, draws our attention to this sublime truth, that is, the
purpose of man’s creation, by saying: “Know with certainty that the highest purpose of creation, and
the greatest result of human nature, is faith in God... And know that the highest level of humanity,
and the best position of humanity, is knowledge of God, which In that faith... And know that the
brightest happiness for mankind and the jinn, and the sweetest blessing, is the love of God emanating
from that knowledge... And know that the purest pleasure for a person’s soul, and the purest joy for
his heart, is the spiritual pleasure that emerges from that love” (2)... And so He made Professor Nursi,
spiritual taste is a goal alongside faith in God, knowledge of God, and love of God. If you wish, you can
ask for this in this world or postpone it until the afterlife, but we must know that the manifestation of
spiritual taste in your souls may push you to further research and study based on the idea "are there
more?".

If we truly know God Almighty with such depth of knowledge, then I believe that we will improve our
life planning, and we will strive to follow this path, and we will be overcome by a feeling of conveying
what we have known and felt to others. Most likely, such depth of knowledge is behind the love of
our masters, the honorable companions and disciples. Luxury for that matter.
Yes, they knew God Almighty well, and felt Him with certainty, and thus faith deepened in their
hearts. As a result of this, this faith aroused a moral tension within them that made them say: “How
can we tell people about the Divine Essence that manifests itself and resounds in its various
manifestations within us?” .
The more a person understands, with belief in God, the pillars of faith and Islamic foundations as they
truly are, the more he feels an intimate relationship with them. For example, if a person feels a desire
to know the destiny of the Master of the Worlds, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him before
his Lord, and to explore the depths of the true essence expressed by Muhammad’s message for
humanity, then he seeks to know Him, a knowledge befitting his true essence, and with time the
person feels that the Prophet is He became a guide guiding him in all his circumstances and actions.
Yes, the more we know the pillars of faith and Islam, the more our understanding of the harmony and
harmony between our nature and the aesthetics of these pillars increases. And whoever feels all this
in his conscience, he turns to his Lord and says: “My God, I have sacrificed my soul and my soul for
You. You have done good to us by introducing us to You and Your Messenger, and if it was to this
specific extent, praise be to You thousands of times for all of this!” Then he works to dig more and
more into the land of knowledge until His knowledge increases. Suppose you lower your bucket into a
well and start drawing water. Every time you draw from the well, other springs gush forth from it, and
every time the water flows, a feeling of joy and joy overwhelms you. Thus, an overwhelming feeling of
longing and longing arises in you, and you become one of the heroes of: “Is there more?

PRAYER COMBINED WITH FEELING AND AWARENESS

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 85
01/08/2021
It is very important that every word the preacher says stems from his feelings. Yes, feeling must mark
every word that comes out of a person's mouth; Because Master Sadat, may God bless him and grant
him peace, said: “God does not answer a supplication from a heedless, distracted heart.” (Narrated by
Al-Tirmidhi). Hence, a person must feel deeply in his conscience, every word that comes out of his
mouth, and be aware of what he is asking. In this regard, we must be aware that some danger may
befall the person from whom supplication is asked, which is that some may ask for supplication from
a person whom they think highly of, because they know about him that he has been working in the
path of God for about forty or fifty years. There is no doubt that the good opinion of such a person,
who has been living on this straight path for about forty or fifty years, is a normal matter in itself, so it
should not be underestimated at all, because underestimating such loyalty and devotion is, in a sense,
considered underestimating the pleasure of God Almighty, and doing evil. Be kind to Him, Glory be to
Him. Rather, I must not look at this person’s sincerity in his goal or not, nor the extent to which he
comprehends this goal with all its main axes, nor the amount of work he has done to achieve this
goal; Rather, I have to strip the matter of all this, and look at the fact that that person stood in front of
the door at which he was supposed to stand, and that he remained throughout his life with his head
on its threshold. For example, His Eminence Professor Nursi - may God have mercy on him - remained
from the beginning of his life until It ended with him remaining firm on his position and never
changing it, so his position was greater than the many supplications that you recite for hours.
Yes, others may fulfill their will and then turn to that person and ask him to pray. In this situation, that
person must remain humble and humble and not go beyond his limits, and ask God for what he
wants, saying: “Oh God, do not deny their opinion of me, for I am ashamed of indifference.” By
people and turning away from them.. If this person’s prayer happens to be answered, he should not
forget that the whole matter is in the hands of God Almighty, and attribute the response to the
people’s good opinion of him, and their sincere turn to their Lord Almighty. If a person looks at the
matter in this way, he will not be tainted by polytheism and selfishness will not interfere with him.
Everyone must act with caution. If God Almighty grants healing at the hands of someone, let him
acknowledge the credit for that to God Almighty. For example, if a person puts his hand on a sick
person, he should say:

We must note that some people opening private houses for supplication and fortune-telling, writing
syllables for those who come and go, and practicing this job are not part of Islam in any way. Islam has
clarified the places and methods of supplication, but neglecting this work and claiming that healing
can only be achieved by this means is a great danger and a great crime. It makes a person attribute to
himself things that are only befitting to his Lord Almighty. For this reason, the believer must always be
careful, consider himself an ordinary human being, and achieve such awareness and extreme
sensitivity throughout his life.

THE QUR’AN IS THE PINNACLE OF SOLID THOUGHT

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 84
04/07/2021
The Qur’an is the shining light of words and letters in the world of eternity and eternity. It is the voice
of the kingdom that addresses the thoughts and feelings of humans and jinn. And when the promised
day came and it turned into a pearl of extraordinary beauty in the most beautiful and purest shell, the
heroes of eloquence and literature saw in it an unfading beauty and an unfading beauty. Goblins and
evil spirits, even though it - that is, the universe - is considered a book in which every line reveals a
secret of the highest heaven, and the lines and papers of this universe will remain scattered and
dispersed until the day comes when the Qur’an turns into a light pouring down on the face of this
existence.

LIGHTS ON THE EYES OF THE HEART

People agree - except for those with preconceived notions - that when the Qur’an shone like a bright
sun, the black clouds that were perched on the world dissipated, and the dazzling beauty of existence
appeared, and all things were transformed into paragraphs, sentences, and words of a book that was
enjoyable, sociable, and joyful for its reader... When his voice rang, lights poured into the eyes of The
heart, the feelings that rose and glowed in the souls, and the tongues that became the interpreter of
these feelings, began to sing songs of light.
Yes, starting from the day when eyes and hearts were illuminated and enlightened, how many riddles
in the universe had been waiting for a solution for thousands of years, and how many complex
problems intertwined with each other were waiting for solutions, one after the other, and the correct
relationship between man, existence, and the Creator became clear. The clarity of the full moon, and
all the mysteries and mysteries dressed as meanings and organized in the orbits of wisdom.

THE QUR’AN IS THE BASIS OF EXPRESSION

The Qur’an is the pinnacle of solid and correct thought, the foundation of precise expression, and the
base of logical expression. Just as this great Criterion was the master of the heavenly and non-
heavenly books, his first addressee was the master of the prophets and messengers. The previous
books came to place signs and flags on his path, while the books that came after him were to explain
him and create margins and footnotes, each according to the map of his soul and the richness of that
soul. Those before him knew him by his image in which he preached this message to the prophets,
and those who came after him knew him by his tangible, sublime image. They saw the great impact he
had and the great revolution he achieved, so they bowed before his incomparable eloquence and
recognized him as the authority of the word and the rhetorical miracle.
THE DISEASE OF ATHEISM AND ITS CURE
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 83
06/05/2021
The heart and conscience of the addressee must be touched when speaking to him. Every sentence
must begin and end with honesty and love, and must not contain any insult to his personality or insult
to his ideas. Otherwise, our conversation with him will lose its influence, and may even make him our
enemy. The guide must act like a compassionate doctor who insists on treating his patient; He has
compassion for him, listens to him, and feels his moral pain as an honest communicator and as a man
searching for truth and reality. If the voice and speech are in harmony in such an atmosphere, the
meanings will flow into the addressee’s heart like Zamzam water to purify it, and here we can be sure
that we have reached his heart. We should not lose sight of an important point, which is that when
our addressee leaves us, he must leave with good impressions of us. About the sincerity of our
actions, about the brightness of our eyes, about our sincerity... If he expressed his desire to meet with
us again, we would be sure of successfully delivering most of what we wanted.
Appreciate who you talk to

Do not criticize the wrong ideas of the addressee or his incorrect statements in a way that hurts his
ego, and do not belittle him in front of others. If our goal is to reach his heart, then we must sacrifice
our own arrogance, or even what hurts our dignity, and we will not be able to make him accept
anything from us if we hurt his dignity.
Do not introduce them to people who are not serious, Do not introduce them to people who are not
serious in their behavior and incorrect in their thoughts. It is known that getting to know people
whose orientation towards their Creator, Glory be to Him, is weak will bring absolutely no benefit,
especially those who claim to be religious but are deprived of the love of worship, and whose
thoughts and feelings are turbid, so one must be completely careful not to introduce them to people
like these.

Leave them free to speak, Allow them the opportunity to speak from time to time to express their
feelings, as they are human beings and must be given the opportunity to express their thoughts. It is
true that listening to false thoughts wounds the soul and disturbs the peace of thought, but it is our
duty to be patient and endure the pain in order to gain a new heart. Otherwise, if we do not give him
the right and opportunity to express his opinion and clarify his thought. How many mentors have
become known for monopolizing the conversation and have become hated because of it, despite their
tremendous efforts, they are unable to reach any positive results.

It is useful for the guide to mention during his speech that the ideas he presents are not his own, and
that many of the great past and present thinkers share them, and that many of the thinkers currently
present, with the exception of a very small group, are of sound faith, and he mentions their names
and gives them examples. So that his words do not remain abstract words.
We summarize the topic and say: After determining the position of the denier, the foundations of
faith are the first thing that must be mentioned to him, and after ensuring the stability of faith in his
heart, other issues can be touched upon. Otherwise, presenting issues in the wrong order is similar to
offering dessert first at a feast, or similar to offering meat to someone. Horse, grass to dog, and such
an incorrect arrangement does not bring any results, but rather gives the addressee a negative
impression.

MAN IS THE SOURCE OF PROBLEMS AND THE SOURCE OF SOLUTIONS

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 82
02/15/2021
The problems are many and there has never been a time without problems. However, if problems are
to be solved one day, they will be solved by individuals without problems... individuals who have
solved their internal problems, that is, the world is no longer a problem for them, the husband and
children are no longer a problem for them. Silver and branded horses And livestock and crops (Al
Imran: 14) ; Everything in this world of temptations and obstacles, everything that hinders men in
terms of boys and women, or everything that hinders women in terms of money and men, are all a
test and a test unless they are used in their proper place.

If a person does not overcome these problems in himself, then he is the problem. External problems
actually stem from his own problems. The Earth did not know the concept of “problem” except with
man. In other words, the problem came down to earth with the human Adam (with our commitment
to reverence the status of prophethood). Before Adam came to Earth, there were no problems with
the dinosaurs that lived on it, neither rhinos nor elephants had any problems, nor did plants have any
problems with trees, nor did trees have any problems with plants. The problem came down to earth
with man.

To remove the problem that came with man, God sent the prophets and the level of man was raised
through his upbringing and education, and then the process of solving the problems began. Today,
before solving the problems inherent in the human being, resort is made to solving the economic
problem, the social problem, the political problem, and the problems related to education. But as long
as man is infested with problems, he will spread viruses and infect everyone, and every attempt at
construction and reform will end in failure.

Your greatest mission is to solve your own problems first, then move on to solve the problems of
others. Can you say that you have solved your problems? That is, the house is no longer an obstacle to
you, married life and children are no longer an obstacle to you, the salary is the same whether it is or
is not... Do you say, “No problem, I will work as a porter to cover my needs, it does not matter,
whether that position was or was not, I will beg and clean the toilets of the mosques.” To secure my
livelihood, no problem.” If you have transcended yourselves to this extent, and surrendered your
affairs to God, and your surrender became trust, and trust turned into delegation, then I am certain
that you have truly solved your problems.
Then what should I do? I kiss your forehead and say, “Walk with God’s blessing. You are ready to solve
the problems spread throughout the world.” When you solve your own problems, then there will be
no problems left either in the state or in society. But if we are struggling with the problem of seeking
salary, family, position, etc., then there is no need for discussion.

Many people come to me, and one of them says, as if the resurrection has taken place: I have not had
a child. If you had prayed for me, I beg of you. We have lost peace at home, and I am in constant
quarrels with my wife. Here is a problem, and there are countless other problems like it. Individuals
who stumble upon simple problems like these cannot solve society's problems. Unfortunately, those
who today undertake to solve problems stumble upon problems of this kind. What if the doctor is
sick? A doctor treats people while he is sick; Yes, a sick person infects others with his microbes
thinking that he is healing them.

Your greatest mission is to solve the problem that the Earth has experienced with man. If you solve
the “human problem,” then you will understand the meaning of the hadith, “As you are, he will be
appointed over you.” As you are, your economic, administrative, and political situation will be, and as
you are, your affairs will be managed.
Do not look for the problem outside, the problem is within us, and when we solve it within ourselves,
the external problems will be automatically solved.

GOOD NIGHTS
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 80
11/16/2020
I think that we are suffering from a major problem in our lives today, which is that we do not know
God as we should. We do not appreciate Him properly, we do not feel His greatness in our
consciences, and we do not love Him above all things. When someone we love comes to our minds,
our emotions vibrate with longing for him, but when he comes to us, In our mind, God Almighty, this
does not happen, even if it does happen, it is a fleeting moment that hardly extends or lasts.

We do not remember God as we remember others and our feelings are moved by them.. I am
ashamed to ask you a question in which I see a kind of infringement and insult to your feelings.
The year contains 365 days and nights. How many nights have we woken up with our hearts burning
with longing for God, and we have been terrified to prostrate before Him, repeating: O Lord, I miss
you, I long for your connection.. My heart is crumbling with longing, my heart is melting with love..
When is the time for connection, O God? How many good nights are like this out of 365 days?
How many nights have hearts burned with longing, overflowing with love, and whispering to the
places of prostration words that had never been heard before? How many happy nights have tears
flowed in longing for God?

A VIRUS THAT KILLS THE SOUL OF ANY BUSINESS

People must be careful not to pollute their tongues, because polluting the tongue leads to polluting
the heart. What does not corrupt the heart does not corrupt the tongue. He has a corrupt heart, and
his tongue is always busy with criticism and backbiting. There is no intercession for him to say, “My
heart is clean.. I serve God.. I am searching for the path of service.” No one will believe him. Purity of
heart produces pure words and pure thoughts.

To produce positive ideas, alternative ideas, to present our ideas to public opinion and consultation
councils, to defend our ideas in accordance with the principles, and in a manner consistent with the
literature of discussion and debate. If our ideas are not accepted, let us present them again at another
time and in another manner. Let us present our idea in the manner of declension that the Qur’an
teaches us, but let us avoid backbiting, and let us stay away from negative criticism... because that
takes away the goodness and blessing from the service that we perform.

There is no good in a work that is tainted by criticism and backbiting. Rather, if our work were as great
as the work of our master Gabriel, may God bless him and grant him peace, and you attained
immortality and worked for the duration of eternity, and were sincere in your work with utmost
sincerity, and reached the pinnacle of sincerity, I say to you, and perhaps I swear to you, but I swear
to you, by God, by God, and by God, You will not find any good or blessing from that service.
If this service of yours was represented by angels like Gabriel, Michael, Israfil, and Azrael, peace be
upon them, and they criticized each other for enforcing the impossible, and backbited each other, you
would not gain any good or blessing from this service. You work day and night, crossing mountains
and deserts, but you do not advance an inch. .

EXAMS AND DIVINE KINDNESS

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 79
08/29/2020
The ancients say: “As we work hard, greatness is gained.” That is, all successes - material and moral -
are proportional to the hardships expended for them. Who knows the amount of pain and suffering
that a seed endures under the soil until its head emerges as a plant above the soil, as it splits and
endures the pain of penetrating the soil and prepares to receive and prepare for the sun’s rays. All
these efforts and pains are the pains of birth and the struggle for existence and rebirth, so they are
extremely important.

The more the blessings and favours of God Almighty rain down upon us, the more burdensome our
task becomes and the more severe the tests become. We must fully realize that this high rank that
God Almighty has bestowed upon us in His generosity is not due to any virtue or personal ability in us
at all, but rather we must look at it as a divine kindness and evaluate it accordingly. Images of beauty
and goodness always pass us by, and when they pass, they knock on our doors. Because we need it
more than others and we cannot be a manifestation of this beauty with our personalities, and all
these beauties are reflected on us like the reflection of the sun’s rays on drops of water.

The love of money is a picture of the exam, The love of money and material benefit is a form of test in
the life of the group, and the disputes and rivalries that exist between politicians stem from this
aspect and from these negative and destructive ideas that are based on the dispute over material
benefits. This is because there are many eyes that yearn for certain positions, and there are people
with whims and desires who cannot be satisfied and who chase after their personal benefits and
interests. Which leads to unity turning into difference, and unity and cooperation turning into division
and discord, while all work and all sacrifices must be performed for the sake of God Almighty without
expecting reward or gratitude from anyone. If this were done, many would pass the test of material
benefits that lead to discord and discord.

Were the Companions subjected to testing by one another?

The questioner asks whether the honorable companions were subjected to testing one another, so let
us pause here for a moment and say:
It was not possible to exempt the Companions from such an examination. This is because they
achieved the highest ranks in moral life, so they had to be exposed to the most difficult test, especially
since the jurisprudence that appeared later regarding state administration made these tests more
difficult and more severe. But with the weight of the test, my companions did not deviate from
seeking the path of truth, and when it became clear to some of them that they were not on the right
path, they sheathed their swords in a situation that was not easy to sheath them.

Our mother Aisha, may God be pleased with her, realized her mistake when she stood in front of
Imam Ali bin Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, and she remembered that the Messenger of
God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, had implicitly referred to this matter before he
moved, so she rode her animal and returned with deep regret. (Sahih Ibn Hibban).

Al-Zubayr bin Al-Awwam, may God be pleased with him, was a brave and chivalrous man. He
converted to Islam when he was eight years old, and emigrated when he was eighteen years old. His
uncle used to hang him on a mat, smoke over him with fire, and say: Return to disbelief, and Al-Zubair
would say: I will never disbelieve” (Narrated by Al-Tabarani), and peace and blessings of God be upon
him used to say: “Every prophet has a disciple, and my disciple is Al-Zubayr bin Al-Awwam” (Narrated
by Al-Bukhari), drawing attention to his courage.

TRAINING GENERATIONS TO GET OUT OF PHYSICAL DISTRESS

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 77
04/06/2020
The most effective and useful thing in building the present generation is facilitating their movement
between their inner worlds and the realities of existence by stimulating the resolve of organized
thinking in them, and enticing them to believe, learn, examine and think by training them to read
horizons and souls like an open book.
We must present these aforementioned perceptions to the horizons of their perceptions and minds
through visual and audio means, and transport them to broader worlds by saving their souls from the
narrow physical prison. Then removing the turmoil and cruelty from their souls, and awakening their
burning hearts with a longing for beyond horizons, for the most beautiful, most delicate, hidden, most
magical and meaningful human aspirations. If we succeed in this, we will have heralded their revival.

Souls that have not acquired lightness through purification through faith, knowledge, and love will
never be able to fly in the skies beyond the horizon. Rather, give up flying in the skies beyond the
horizon, for those hungry souls never stop being polluted by worldly desires, so their hearts are filled
with grudges and overflowing with hatred, and the system of the soul falls captive in the grip of the
system of the soul, and they do not do more than eat, drink, sleep, sit, and stand, so they become
slaves to the body that refuses to be freed!

The unique truth that the human spirit receives from both faith and knowledge and the heart’s
attachment to God is love, while hatred, hatred and aspects of human weakness are inevitably
eliminated by the arrival of these lofty values. Yes, the meanings of faith, knowledge, and love unite
man and the universe, and at the same time save him from the torment and pain of multitude,
dissolving his loneliness and inner loneliness in the elixir of “with” the Almighty God, transforming his
life into eternal pleasure and immortal ecstasy, making him sip it cup after cup.

The generations setting out for tomorrow, equipped with this device and provided with this provision,
spread and migrate to the four corners of the earth with deep love and great longing and without
being drawn to gain or gain, but rather for the sake of elevating the entire human race to human
perfections. With a complete distance from the aspirations of fame and glory, you will endure the
harshest circumstances and undertake the heaviest work and then leave without looking back or
caring about praise or flattery.

These people, wherever they go, will paint every eye and every heart with colors of respect and fear
that are apparent and overflowing from their actions, even if they do not talk about religion, or do not
utter a word about religiosity. Everyone who comes in contact with them will be opened to the vast
and rich horizons of the “spirit,” instead of the relative and short-dimensional truths of matter, and
will reach a breadth that exceeds imagination in the world itself, and will attain a “throne of a
kingdom” that words cannot describe

METHOD IN CRITICISM
Fethullah Gulen
Issue 75
12/25/2019
There is an important factor that must be taken into account in criticism in order for others to accept
it, which is the method used in it. The way of speaking is very important, as much as the correctness
and reasonableness of the words presented. In order for the criticism not to disturb the party directed
at it, the style must be correct and the style of presentation humane as well. If this happens, your
suggestions and ideas that aim to solve the problem or correct the error will be taken into account,
and they will even be able to be A means of achieving a state of relief.
Therefore, it is important to take into account the general condition of the addressee before
criticizing him, and to use the method that suits him. If the addressee cannot understand what we are
saying, then there is no point in speaking. Because the words said to such a person will provoke him,
and will stir up feelings of disrespect for the truth.
Sometimes the method we use is more of an obstacle between us and the addressee than the subject
itself in which we criticize him, which leads to him rejecting and not appreciating criticism at all. If we
direct criticism at him in the form of a heavy hammer, as if we were hitting him on the head with it,
the words we say will give him a spiritual shock. Even if such a person believes that what we say is
true, he may not want to accept it because he is upset by the way we speak. Rather, he may invent
different types of philosophies to prove that he is right or to disguise falsehood as truth, and thus we
have made him a representative and spokesman for satanic observations and opinions.
In addition to the importance of the issue of criticism and its method, there is another importance
specific to the person of the critic. To the extent that a person who strongly objects to what we say to
him may accept it himself and be happy with it when he hears it from another person, and this is
related - to some extent - to the relationship between the critic and the criticized. A person may view
the criticism of those he loves as a form of appreciation and praise. Therefore, we must not insist on
reminding ourselves of some of the behaviors that we see as wrong, nor be stubborn in this matter.
Rather, we must refer the matter to those who we see as more effective and influential than us. If
what is important is that some breasts accept the truth and stand up for the truth, then what is the
importance of those who express it? about him?!
There is another point that must be taken into consideration in terms of approach, which is if the
addressee will be upset if we tell him directly about his mistakes, then we can look for an
environment from which he can learn the lesson, and talk to the audience; It happened several times
that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, used the same method to talk
about mistakes he saw. He, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, gathered his companions in
the mosque because of a mistake he saw on the part of one of the people. He spoke in general, not in
particular, and thus the person who made the mistake was able to realize his mistake and correct it
without being harmed. Himself and not be harmed.
In today's world, which is full of selfishness, it has become extremely important to pay attention to
such minute details when it comes to criticism. You see that selfish people - like the icebergs at the
poles - are completely unable to bear criticism and criticism. If we want, at this stage, not to disdain
the truth and truth, we must find... The procedure and method that we believe is correct and
effective in this regard.

THE SECRET OF SUCCESS

The greatest means of bringing divine help and conciliation is establishing harmony and achieving
unity among members of society. The spoils of success have their rewards, and their rewards are the
consolidation of collective awareness, preserving the secret of consensus and the spirit of agreement,
and staying away from all conflict and discord. If we become a unified entity and a compatible whole,
kindness will descend upon us that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever
thought of, and we will have the ability to lift loads heavier than Mount Qaf. However, if consensus
disappears and the agreement evaporates, and only a few weak men remain around us, then divine
support will not come even if we exert our best efforts. If we cut the rope of agreement between us,
the wells of our strength and the sources of our energy will be cut off, and we will be the reason for
the interruption of the outpourings of mercy and help towards us. Therefore, we must focus all our
efforts to remain as solid as steel and connected to each other like a solid structure. And here is the
Qur’an announcing its eternal decree by saying: (The hand of God is above their hands) (Al-Fath:

HOW DO WE WITHSTAND HURRICANES?

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 74
10/24/2019
We are in dire need of reviving the nights.. We need to be alone with God.. We need true heart
alertness when we stand before Him, Glory be to Him.. We need to insist in our servitude on the
meaning of “benevolence,” which you know well.. We are in need of That's the greatest need.
In the face of these terrible storms that are raging around us, in the face of successive tsunamis, in the
face of horrific hurricanes, in the face of the inability of giant trees to withstand and their collapse, in
the face of all of that, we need to cling to God’s commands with great strength and seriousness. As
one of the greats said, “If you fear God’s punishment, adhere to His commands.” Trees throw their
roots into the depths so that they do not collapse.
Trees near water do not have roots that extend deep into the soil, they collapse immediately with the
slightest storm. You must deepen your relationship with God without stopping. Be like trees with
deep roots. Those who attack you today are going deeper into practicing hostility and injustice against
you, deeper into plotting to annihilate you... Unless you confront them with the same depth, and
unless you stand firm and persevere in steadfastness, the storms will throw you away, and you will
scatter like autumn leaves.
God has included you in His protection until today. I ask Him Almighty to continue His protection over
you.. If you continue with this sincerity and detachment, this high performance and profound
behavior, and faith in this “goal dream,” and steadfastness and adherence to it, then God will meet
every step toward Him with steps. Walking to him by jogging... You make something the size of a drop
and he makes it ten drops, or even a hundred drops, according to your sincerity and the depth of your
intention.
Be careful of the depth in your servitude. Give sincerity special attention. Sincerity gives depth its true
value. An atom of sincere work is preferable to tons of insincere work, says Professor Nursi. Seek
God’s pleasure in your actions. If He is pleased with you and accepts you and His wisdom requires
that, He will direct people’s hearts towards you with acceptance, even if you do not ask for it. Let our
primary goal in this blessed service be to achieve His pleasure, Glory be to Him, and nothing else. The
matter is guaranteed by God’s care, so we must be diligent and perfect, and we must also be sincere
and impartial.

DO NOT DESTROY ASSETS WITH YOUR BAD BEHAVIOR

Didn't the pride of humanity, peace and blessings be upon him, say that they will attain this religion as
far as night and day reach? The Qur’an has praised this blessed nation (You are the best of nations
brought forth for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and you believe in God)
(Al Imran: 110). O nation of Muhammad! You are the best nation created to carry people to goodness.
You encourage honesty and beauty according to the correct principles and spread them. You seek to
prevent evil, deviation, and bad deeds. You do this out of your faith.
Yes, after the hypocrites were mentioned with their descriptions, the believers were mentioned with
these lofty qualities. There are many places where believers are mentioned and charged with the
mission of spreading the truth and keeping people away from evil. You will carry out this
responsibility. This is a must, this is a basic asset. As for the style, you must adjust it according to the
principles established by the mujtahids, and according to the universals clarified by the innovators
whom God sends in every century.
Do not destroy the principles and principles with your bad style. Beware of violating the principles
with stylistic errors. This is a very important topic. Make sure to be guided by common reason.
Consult among yourselves and say, “There is an issue, but presenting it may provoke a reaction from
people, so how do we express it?”
This is one of the basic dynamics that maintain your vitality.. There is another matter, which is that
you present these virtues in various exhibitions, presenting them in behavior, state, and compliance
to all people.. The point is not the abundance of talk on pulpits. The basic principle is that you should
imitate, “When one is seen, God is mentioned.” This is one of the prominent characteristics of the
great men in science. Whoever, if you see him, reminds you of God, this is the true believer.
O one who, when he prostrates, God is revealed. This was said about our master, the Messenger of
God, may God bless him and grant him peace. The Holy Qur’an describes his movements during
prostration. God Almighty says: (And your shifting among those who prostrate.) (Al-Shu’ara’: 219).
Indeed, God Almighty sees how you shift among those who prostrate in order to perform the task of
worship to the fullest extent. He sees how you exert yourself so that these prostrating people are
truly servants of God. Seeing you in this state of burning, he will wonder, “What is the story? Why are
you like this?” This question is an opportunity to express your case, an opportunity to clarify, explain,
or put a footnote on your behavior.. A golden opportunity to talk about the truth, and this is what is
required.

THE ONLY BOOK IN THE WORLD

Fethullah Gulen
 09/09/2019
The Qur’an is a “trust.” Trust requires memorizing its “texts” and correctly understanding its
“meanings” in minds and hearts. Whoever does not know the meanings of the Qur’an does not truly
know its value. Memorizing the Qur’an is not just by listening or reading it. Preserving it means
reviving its meanings throughout society, preventing those meanings from fading or pale in the
hearts, and doing everything possible to make it “the only book” in the world.
If we do not preserve it according to this standard, and limit our preservation to placing it in ornate
silk covers that are hung over our heads in the bedrooms, then we have neglected our rights and
betrayed our trust.

THE PATH OF THE PROPHETS

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 22
05/09/2019
If you dream of harvesting ripe fruits in the work of guidance and preaching, do not think that they
will come to you for free as a result of supernatural things descending upon you from the sky. Rather,
be careful to take the full reasons so that goodness will come to you in abundance. This is the basis of
the law of nature and the law of the universe. Look at the plant, do you see it bearing fruit at once?!
Rather, it requires a long period of care and care until it germinates, grows and bears fruit.

IF YOU DREAM OF HARVESTING RIPE FRUITS IN THE WORK OF GUIDANCE AND PREACHING, DO NOT THINK THAT
THEY WILL COME TO YOU FOR FREE AS A RESULT OF THE SUPERNATURAL DESCENDING UPON YOU FROM THE
SKY. RATHER, BE SURE TO TAKE THE REASONS.
Just like the egg whose chick does not emerge safely until after a prescribed time. If you are hoping
for a good outcome for your services that you provide in the counseling arena, know that this will not
happen unless you commit to all the right reasons and the right methods that are consistent with the
nature of those services. The opposite is the pursuit of dreams that will never come true. For God’s
sake, do you think that God will change His cosmic law for the sake of the darkness of our eyes, when
He did not change it for the sake of His prophets, but even for the sake of His most honorable beloved
and greatest Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace?! The truth is that all the prophets,
led by the Master of the Prophets, may God bless him and grant him peace, worked hard and
struggled wisely for many years, being patient, steadfast, and persevering. Then divine kindness came
as victory and success from God Almighty, as a result of that long struggle. Therefore, whoever wants
success and prosperity should follow the path of the prophets.

ROLE MODELS AND SERVICE

Those who are destined to play the role of “role models” in any faith service must truly be “men of
service,” with all their being, and in every aspect of their lives. They must work day and night without
stopping, and no one should ever see them sleeping; Rather, if possible, let them spend three hours
of their day for their sleep and two hours for all their affairs, then let them go out and work as
servants during what is left of their time. Only with this level of performance can they be an
“example” for those around them, and they have fulfilled their responsibility. I suspect that heroes
who have dedicated themselves to service according to these standards will sometimes miss their
way home. The “service man” must turn his back on everything that distracts him from his cause, and
must not be held captive by any restriction that prevents him from ever striving, whether it be his
home, family, work, or anything else... The “case man” does not, in fact, have a private life. Oh God,
except in some of his necessary affairs.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT A PERSON HOLDING BACK HIS ANGER AND SUPPRESSING HIS RAGE IN THE FACE OF
THE ABUSES AND ANNOYANCES HE ENCOUNTERS IS CONTRARY TO HIS NATURE, BUT WHAT IS REQUIRED OF HIM
IS THIS VERY ACTION. MOREOVER, BEING DEVOID OF THE SENSE OF ANGER IS A DEFICIENCY AND NOT A VIRTUE
AT ALL.
REPRESSING ANGER AND HEROISM
There is no doubt that a person holding back his anger and suppressing his rage in the face of the
abuses and annoyances he encounters is contrary to his nature, but what is required of him is this
very action. Moreover, being devoid of the sense of anger is a deficiency and not a virtue at all. In
such cases, the Qur’an asks us to suppress our anger, contain our anger, and be patient with the
reasons that angered us. There is a big difference between a complete absence of anger and
suppression of it. Whoever is not angry will not receive any reward for that, because he is afflicted
with an abnormal condition. As for the person who paid attention to himself and found it boiling and
on the verge of exploding like a volcano, he rose quickly and controlled its revolution and suppressed
the fires of its rage... This person may rise to the position of guardianship as a result of this heroic
stance...

THE SECRET OF SUCCESS

Fethullah Gulen
08/22/2019
The greatest means of bringing divine help and divine conciliation is establishing harmony and
achieving unity among members of society. The spoils of success have their losses. Its goal is to
consolidate collective awareness, preserve the secret of consensus and the spirit of agreement, and
stay away from all conflict and discord. If we become a unified entity and a harmonious whole,
kindnesses will descend upon us that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever
thought of, and we will have the ability to lift loads heavier than Mount Qaf. However, if consensus
disappears and the agreement evaporates, and only a few weak men remain around us, then divine
support will not come even if we exert our best efforts. If we cut the rope of agreement between us,
the wells of our strength and the sources of our energy will be cut off, and we will be the reason for
the interruption of the outpourings of mercy and help towards us. Therefore, we must focus all our
efforts to remain as solid as steel and connected to each other like a solid structure. And here is the
Qur’an announcing its eternal decree by saying: “The hand of God is above their hands” (Al-Fath:

POLLUTION DESTROYS EVERY BUSINESS

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 72
01/07/2019
Everyone must be careful not to pollute his tongue, because polluting the tongue is part of polluting
the heavens. What does not corrupt the heart does not corrupt the tongue. He has a corrupt heart,
and his tongue is always busy with criticism and backbiting. It will not intercede for him to say, “My
heart is clean, I serve God, and I seek the path of service.” No one will believe him.
Purity of heart produces pure speech and pure thoughts. Let us produce positive ideas, alternative
ideas, let us present our ideas to public opinion and consultation councils... let us defend our ideas
according to the principles, and in a manner consistent with the literature of discussion and debate. If
our ideas are not accepted, let us present them again at another time and in another manner. Let us
present our idea in the “conjugation” style that the Qur’an teaches us, but let us avoid backbiting and
stay away from negative criticism. Because it goes well and blessed the service we do.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SUCCEEDED AS YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED, AND ACCOMPLISHED AS YOU HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED... BUT WERE LET DOWN BY THOSE WHO SUCCEEDED THEM, AND DID NOT MAINTAIN THEIR
ACHIEVEMENTS. BEHIND THESE GOOD PEOPLE WERE PEOPLE WHO HAD NO SERIOUSNESS IN THEIR PRAYERS
AND NO SINCERITY IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. THEY WERE PRISONERS OF PASSION AND DESIRES,
LIVING TO SATISFY THEIR BODIES AND SATISFY THEIR BODIES, SO THEY ROLLED INTO THE ABYSS OF ERROR AND
ERROR.
There is no good in a work that is tainted by criticism and backbiting. Rather, if your work were as
great as the work of our Master Gabriel, peace be upon him, and you attained immortality and
worked forever, and were sincere in your work with utmost sincerity, and reached the pinnacle of
sincerity, I say to you - and perhaps I swear to you - nay, I swear to you, by God, by God, and by God,
you will not reap any goodness or blessing from it if Pollution by backbiting. If this service of yours
was represented by angels like Gabriel, Michael, Israfil, and Azrael, peace be upon them, and they
criticized each other - assuming it is impossible - and backbited each other, you would not obtain any
good or blessing from it. You work day and night, crossing mountains and wastelands, but you do not
advance an inch.

STABILITY AND SLIP

You may build a residence, and you place one brick on top of another, and the building becomes
upright and stable, but in “faith service” you work with man, and man has a tremendous willingness
to slide at any moment. You are doing work with people whom you let follow Gabriel, peace be upon
him, and suddenly you find that they have retreated and started following Satan.
Stopping is collapse.. If you stop in your individual or social life, everything collapses.. If you stop in
your faith service, everything collapses.. God Almighty says: (And there came after them a succession
who neglected prayer and followed lusts. They will meet destruction.) (Maryam: 59).

EVERYONE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO POLLUTE HIS TONGUE, BECAUSE POLLUTING THE TONGUE IS PART OF
POLLUTING THE HEAVENS. WHAT DOES NOT CORRUPT THE HEART DOES NOT CORRUPT THE TONGUE.
How many people have succeeded as you have succeeded, and accomplished as you have
accomplished... but were let down by those who succeeded them, and did not maintain their
achievements. Behind these good people were people who had no seriousness in their prayers and no
sincerity in their relationship with God. They were prisoners of passion and desires, living to satisfy
their bodies and satisfy their bodies, so they rolled into the abyss of error and error.
It is easy to be something, but it is very difficult to maintain that thing. You may be among the first in
the call, and you become arrogant and boastful, and you work to impose yourselves on others, saying:
“Everyone must hear me and obey me.”
You work and work, but no result seems in sight. You walk and walk, but there is no light at the other
end of the tunnel. You feel frustrated and retreat, while there is only one step left. Grind your teeth
and take another step, and the light in front of you will embrace you.
Your confidence may be shaken at some point, when your work does not lead to results. You say:
“Here we have been working for years, working hard, but where is the result?” What's wrong with
you people? The result is not your responsibility, and is not in your power at all. The result is under
God's protection. Do your duty and do not interfere in the affairs of God. Do your job and do not
interfere in God's affairs, but most people make mistakes.

AN OUNCE OF PURE WORK

Fethullah Gulen
Issue 71
04/25/2019
Be careful of depth in your servitude... Pay special attention to sincerity... Sincerity gives depth its true
value. An atom of sincere work outweighs tons of insincere work. Seek God’s pleasure in your actions.
If he agrees and the whole world gets angry, it doesn't matter. If he accepts and the whole world
rejects, then it doesn't matter. If God is pleased with you and accepts you, and His wisdom requires
that, He will direct people’s hearts towards you with acceptance even if you do not ask for it. Let our
primary goal in this blessed service be to achieve His pleasure, Glory be to Him, and nothing else. The
matter is guaranteed by God’s care. We must be diligent and perfect, and we must be sincere and
impartial.
IF THEY GAVE ME THE MEDAL “CONQUEROR OF THE WORLD”
The world is not worth staying in if we do not suspend our lives in it with a lofty goal. This is the
conviction of Al-Qatmir (meaning himself). Yes, if I do not introduce the world to the King of kings,
Glory be to Him, and do my best to do so, if I do not instill love for the Beloved Chosen One, may God
bless him and grant him peace, in hearts, if I do not work to guide people to God, if I am not obsessed
with such a lofty goal - I hope you’ll excuse me, I will say something. I always say it to myself - I would
consider myself a donkey even if they gave me the title of “Conqueror of the World.” The Beloved
Chosen One, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, commands us - may my soul be sacrificed for
him - to “love God to His servants and God will love you.” Instill His love in your hearts and God will
love you. There is a special encounter. Approach God with a drop and He will meet you with a sea.
Approach Him with an atom and He will meet you with a sun. Approach Him with a mortal world and
He will give you an immortal world.
REMOVING BARRIERS BETWEEN SERVANTS AND THE LORD OF SERVANTS
There is a concept that expresses our philosophy in the “Call to Service” that we always repeat:
“Living for others.” Yes, to say that I live in order for people to live, but I live in order for people to
communicate with God, for the hearts of the servants to connect with God, for the barriers between
the servants and the Lord of servants to be removed, and then whatever happens to me happens
after that, I do not care; The oppressor comes and kicks me, there is no harm. He confiscates my
property. That's okay. Others come and declare me a terrorist. Their fools slander us that we are a
misguided group... Let them say whatever they want. Everyone works in his own way, everyone
expresses his own personality. Do not care, do not care, close your eyes to them, (And when they pass
by idle talk, they pass by with honor) (Al-Furqan: 72). Sincere servants of God, when they are harassed
by trivial phrases or foolish behavior, they pass them by with reverence. If you hear trivial words from
these ignorant people, say “Peace” to them and continue on your way, as Surat Al-Furqan teaches us.
THEY CONFISCATED HIS PROPERTY, HE SAID
I heard repeatedly from more than one of the brothers in the service movement; Of those who were
heroes in giving, giving, and spending, and whose property was unjustly confiscated by the Turkish
government recently, he says: “I started my work as a simple employee, then I came to Istanbul, I
bought land with my modest earnings, the land brought forth another land, the land gave birth to a
building, the building gave birth to another building, and from With its proceeds, other buildings were
built, including villas, and giant mosques were built, as well as what was built in South Africa. God was
the giver at that time, and today he takes it away,” he says with a smile. He says, “My heart is at
peace. God gave and God took.” He is not satisfied with this, but rather justifies the taking, saying:
“Perhaps some personal luck was mixed with this gain, perhaps the reckoning for it will be difficult in
the other house, so God took it here to spare me from the reckoning there.” This is the thinking of
your champions of spending.
In the first moments of shock, one must adhere to patience. The pride of humanity, may God bless
him and grant him peace, says: “Patience is only at the first shock” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari). When
they stab you with a needle, grit your teeth and do not say “F.” We will continue like this. We will be
patient during the first shock and after it and will not complain. We saw the severity of time, in God
we put our trust.
Our Lord, we trust in You, and to You we turn, and to You is the final destination. God is enough, and
yes, the agent. Yes, the Lord, and yes, the Supporter.. These are our breaths that we repeat.. Allah is
sufficient for us, there is no god but Him, in Him I trust and He is the Lord of the Great Throne. And
with these words we will end our lives.

QUESTIONS ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE CULTURAL SELF

Fethullah Gulen
03/24/2019
The interpretation of any political, economic, or administrative dilemma that a country suffers from is
based on the political, economic, and administrative conditions in which it is floundering. It is correct
to some extent, but it is plagued by shortcomings in many ways.
SPIRITUAL ROOTS
Yes, exerting efforts, diverting effort, producing knowledge, and creating different types and
alternatives of projects and programs in every field are extremely important, but there is something
more important than that that one should exert effort for and take care of, which is the nation’s
culture and its spiritual roots. If a nation decides to confront the challenges of its time, it must not
neglect its spiritual roots in all its social, economic and political activities, and it must never forget the
decisive and vital role of its own culture.

IF A NATION DECIDES TO CONFRONT ITS ERA, IT MUST NOT NEGLECT ITS SPIRITUAL ROOTS, NOR FORGET THE
DECISIVE AND VITAL ROLE OF ITS OWN CULTURE.
It is true that whenever there is talk about change and development in our country, the focus is on
“our own culture,” but we cannot talk about a sustainable and systematic initiative in this field. The
(traditional) schools, corners, and hospices that educated the architects of our visions and the
workers of our spirit in the past did not succeed in producing projects that would take us into the
future, but rather were crushed under the rubble of their rubble. As we say this, we are confronted by
a principle that strikes our lips and prevents us from saying something, which is: “Remember the
virtues of your dead and abstain from their faults” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi).

SELF-CRITICISM
We, in turn, say: “The events of history do not repeat themselves, no matter how similar they are to
each other. The principle is that we should consider its lessons, not learn lessons from them.” Then
we refrain from the criticisms and questions that we want to pose to them and direct them to
ourselves. We say that those who preceded us became extinct because they deviated from the
purpose of their existence, and we are in the same position today. It is therefore more appropriate to
criticize our mistakes instead of being preoccupied with their mistakes, even if we accept that they
occur.

TELL ME - PLEASE - WHAT HAVE WE DONE? CAN WE CLAIM THAT WE HAVE FULFILLED OUR RESPONSIBILITIES?
Let us assume that they neglected the sources from which they drew, and thus they were the cause of
the desertification of our nation. But tell me - please - what have we done? Can we claim that we - as
peoples - have fulfilled our responsibilities? Or do we claim that we have managed state institutions
as required by the era? Please advise me! Who can say that schools, over such a long period of time,
have achieved the desired results? It is true that many young people have achieved higher education
in Paris, London, Munich and New York, but have they become useful members of their society?
Rather, most of them returned to their country with different dreams (fantasies), and brought home
difficult dilemmas under the influence of trends such as Anglo-Saxonism, Nazism, and Slavism, or
capitalism, liberalism, and communism? They increased the turmoil, and increased the severity of the
estrangement from oneself. We still hope and hope that the situation will not continue like this.

POSITIVE SIGNS
The truth is that there are many reasons for hope and optimism. Above all, we became aware during
this period of the treachery and injustice that befell us. This bittersweet photo album can inspire us
with different images from now on. Our attachment to building bridges of friendship with France,
Germany, England, and America, our disappointment, our helplessness, and the experiences we
gained in the midst of fighting hundreds of negatives, have turned into a serious spiritual tension that
can generate an openness similar to “centrifugal force.” But it is our responsibility to make good use
of this tension.

THE TIME HAS COME TO TAME THE SCIENCES AND EXPERIMENTS THAT SCHOOLS HAVE INSPIRED BY KNEADING
THEM INTO THE DOUGH OF OUR OWN SOULS, AND NOURISHING THEM WITH THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR OWN
CULTURE.
The school has borne fruit within its limits. Now is the time to tame the sciences and experiments that
schools have inspired by kneading them into the dough of our own souls, and nourishing them with
the foundations of our own culture. This is because if we are determined to move forward into the
future, it is inevitable that we be subjective in logic, rational judgment, and method, by investing our
scientific and experimental accumulation in its appropriate places. School may provide a person with
scientific, social, economic and political expertise and experiences. But its acceptance by all segments
of society and its continuity are linked to its combination and integration with the moral roots of
society and its intellectual structure.

Therefore, the dilemma of those like us from underdeveloped countries is their inability to discover
the truth of school in its spirit and meaning, but rather - rather - it is a cultural dilemma in its origin. It
is necessary and necessary for this problem to be solved on the ground in which it arose.

TRADING YEAR AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE THIRD MILLENNIUM

Fethullah Gulen
03/23/2019
What history has known of reaching pinnacles and pinnacles for some peoples and nations did not
happen all at once and in one era. Rather, as is the case in Earth physics, the pinnacles and pinnacles
kept exchanging their locations with the plains, steppes, or seashores, and the deep depths with the
mountains and hills.
Those who appeared on the stage of history one day disappeared one after another, then were
followed by others who came after them in a non-stop historical debate. While time - in the midst of
its flow - was offering bouquets of flowers of interest to one sect, it was imprinting the seals of
administration on another sect. Nations may have jumped from one peak to a higher peak, while
other nations were unable to put their heads into a hole to protect them, even though they were all
living in one era of time. Therefore, the Middle Ages are not considered dark centuries for all nations,
just as the age of technology and science in which we live is not considered a light for all societies.
THE HISTORICAL CYCLE KEEPS REPEATING ITSELF. THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE TO PEAKS HERE OR THERE, BUT
THE RISE AND FALL HAVE NEVER BEEN LIMITED TO A SINGLE CONTINENT OR A SPECIFIC ERA.
Yes, the historical circulation keeps repeating itself in a similarity approaching symmetry. An
escalation to peaks has appeared here or there, in this and that era, but neither the rise nor the
decline has ever been confined to a continent in itself and in a specific era.
And so it is today; In the first decades of the twenty-first century, you see people in countries around
the world racing ahead of the times and ahead of others by leaps and bounds that amaze the mind.
They step on the moon with one foot, and another planet with the other, while thousands of those
who were disappointed in the dark lands of the earth groan in pain in the clutches of nomadism and
misery inherited from a thousand years ago.
Moreover, we should not doubt that our people, especially the younger generations, will soon have
the final say in the years of the third millennium, unless adverse winds blow and the gains
accumulated so far are dissipated in one way or another.

WHAT WILL DETERMINE THE FEATURES OF OUR EXPECTED REBIRTH IS THE INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL LEVEL
OF OUR CONTEMPORARY MAN, HIS HUMAN DEPTHS, AND HIS SPIRITUAL BREADTH.
Today's generations, who are imbued with faith and persevere in walking the path, and are motivated
by complete spiritual motivation in preparation for confronting the injustice and oppression that have
befallen them for centuries, their motivation provides important signs of the radical renewals that will
take place in all classes of society at the beginning of the third millennium. When the season arrives,
faith, determination, steadfastness, the love of truth, and systematic thought will bear fruit - knowing
that each of them is a potential energy of power in itself - and we will experience “multiple
emanations” that embrace all the units of life.
What will determine the features of this “resurrection” as old as human history and whose bright,
happy destiny is considered to be the intellectual and cultural level of contemporary man, his human
depths, his metaphysical breadth, and his spiritual spaciousness.