Bediuzzaman’s Birthday Memorial Service at Nurs Village

The service was attended by many participants from nearby cities as well as by many guests from around the Muslim world. One of the esteemed participants at the event was Mehmet Firinci, one of Bediuzzaman’s students.

After readings from the Qur’an and the Risale-i Nur, the participants prayed the Noon Prayer together and then partook of refreshments. God Willing, this memorial service, which was also attended by the family and relatives of Bediuzzaman, will hence be held every year in the first week of the month of September.

The Executive President of IFSC, Said Yuce, gave the following address to the participants in Nurs:

“The memorial services had been suspended, but now they have resumed again. We are very happy. Truly Bediuzzaman Said Nursi is a great and esteemed scholar who has made his mark in the 20th and 21st century. He is a magnificent person that has been born and bred from this land and of Anatolia. The Risale-i Nur, the Qur’anic exegesis that Bediuzzaman wrote 100 years ago, has today continued to enlighten and illuminate not only our country but also the whole muslim world as well as many human beings across the globe. His works have hence been translated and published in 55 different languages. Such works have not only targeted Anatolia, but have been written as a means of medicine and as a cure for the various spiritual sicknesses that afflict the entire muslim world. Said Nursi emerged from this village of Nurs and hence for 80 years demonstrated and personally put into practice all the principles of ‘positive action’ (Musbet Hariket). He never got involved in any negative action and never wished for his students to meddle in negative activity. Nursi stated that ‘We are the spiritual wardens of public order and peace’. In all times he was supporting the lawful strength and security of our nation, our army, and our people. The sincere students of the Risale-i Nur may not have access to the laws and weapons of the state, yet with the Risale-i Nur in their minds and hearts they can surely bring about peace, security and welfare without such state implements. Today, wherever there is terror, anarchy and security problems in our world there is a unique remedy provided by the Risale-i Nur that can be placed into peoples’ hearts and which can act as a spiritual protection and prohibitive against such destructive tendencies. With such spiritual protections and secure defences placed in the hearts, people will keep clear and avoid all forms of misdeeds.”

Sabri Okur, one of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi’s relatives, expressed the following thoughts to the crowd of attendees at Nurs village: “As you are aware, the last time this memorial programme was organized was four years ago. Because of the occurrence of various events, we didn’t arrange this event for a few years. But thanks to God, with the end of such incidents and the advent of greater security, calm and public order we have commenced these programmes once again. From now on, on the first Sunday of eachSeptember we will carry out this service and programme. We have participants who have come from Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, America, Iraq, Georgia as well as other corners of the globe. A year after our organized event in this place there will be Risale-i Nur reading circles done in the name of and for the sake ofthe remembrance of Bediuzzaman. Nur students from every part of the globe will be able to visit the place of Bediuzzaman’s birth as well as to meet each other. Our wish is that such meetings and gatherings here will be a means towards peaceful community, Islamic unity, as well as security and welfare. We all wholly wish for the Muslim world to break free from its current conditions and to truly provide unity and peace for all the people and communities. God willing, these study circles will be a means for this positive development and thus keep these programmes continuing into the future. Already these lessons from the Risale-i Nur are being read in every corner of the world. The Risale-i Nur has also been translated into many different global languages. Such a treatise is a most appropriate lesson for this century. Therefore we need every person who carries faith (Iman) to utilize and take benefit from the Risale-i Nur. Today there is a tremendous light illuminating Turkey. Yet we are not aware of its presence. Firstly, our President has seriously and sincerely taken interest and protected the Risale-i Nur. Officials in the government personally gave instructions relating to its publication. Now are Diyanet Department is publishing it. God Willing our wish will be carried out so that Risale is also officially taught to students at schools. All the young people from each region of our country need to take benefit from the Risale-i Nur. This is because already the whole world is benefiting from it. Since such a work came from our lands, why should we not take advantage of it?”