The Istanbul Foundation for Science and Culture hosted a group of teachers from Iraq for the purpose of facilitating Risale-i Nur inspired educational outreach.
06.09.2018
The one-week education programme was directed by Ihsan Kasim Salihi, who addressed the participants with the aims and objectives of their week at IFSC, stating:-
“The aim of this programme is not to simply give lessons from the Risale-i Nur, but rather it is to utilise the Risale-i Nur and its principles as a means of increasing our belief in God and spiritual life”.
He added that “Throughout this programme, our intended aim is to reach the point where we can apply to our lives the truth and meaning of the Prophetic Hadith ‘Worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He is able to see you’.
“It is possible to gain extra benefit from our lessons through adopting the style and wording of the Risale-i Nur, because those being addressed by these lessons are first and foremost, our own souls and egos. Others will gain benefit from the Risale-i Nur after we have first addressed and prevailed over our own souls. The Risale-i Nur focuses first on persuading and convincing the soul of the writer and author, and it is through this method that it appeals to and addresses others”.
Diyar Cabbar Muhammed, a mathematics teacher and programme participant, gave the following summary of his thoughts after attending the first lesson:-
“When we look at the Risale-i Nur we can see an echo of the method and tone of the Qur’an. For example, though there are no tangible personalities within the Risale-i Nur it still addresses an audience that is passive or unknown to it. For example, at the beginning of The Words there is a statement that says ‘Oh friend, you wanted some advice from me’ which seems to address an indeterminate individual. This seems to echo the verse from Surah Yasin in the Qur’an where it also addresses an indeterminate subject, ‘And there came from the farthest end of the city a man, running... He said, "O my people, follow the messengers.’”
After the reading of the First Word from the Risale-i Nur, Arabic teacher Mustafa Abdullah Salih gave the following comments:
“Prior to the lesson that we just had on the meaning of ‘Bismillah’ I actually knew that all creatures act under the command of and in service of Allah. However, Said Nursi’s explanation of the way in which God’s creatures act in His name is so beautifully articulated that I now feel I have reached the level of feeling the truth of this matter deeply rather than simply the surface knowledge. I have really come to perceive deeper the way that creatures act with the name of Bismillah”.
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