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Risale-i Nur Collection, The Short Words: “O you people! Worship your Sustainer, Who created you and those who came before you that you may attain to fear of God, Who made the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a dome; and sent down rain from the sky, and brought forth with it all manner of fruit and crops for your sustenance. So make nothing the peer or partner of God now that you know.” (Quran 2:21-22) “How worship is the cause of personal attainment and perfection: Consider this: together with being physically small, weak, and powerless, and being one of the animals, man bears within him an exalted spirit, and has vast potentiality, unrestricted desires, infinite hopes, uncountable ideas and unlimited powers, and he has a nature so strange he is as though an index of all the species and all the worlds. As for worship, it expands his spirit and raises his value; it causes his abilities to unfold and develop, allowing him to become worthy of eternal happiness. Worship is also a means of rectifying and purifying his inclinations, and of realizing his hopes and making them fruitful, and marshalling his ideas and setting them in order, and also of reining in and limiting his three powers of appetite, anger, and intellect. Worship also removes the rust of nature from his members, physical and spiritual, each of which when transparent is like a window onto his private world and that of humankind. Also, when performed with both conscience and mind and heart and body, worship raises man to the dignity of which he is worth and to his appointed perfection. It is a subtle, elevated relation, an illustrious lofty connection between the bondsman and the One Worshipped. This relation constitutes the utmost degree of human perfection.” -Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (from the Risale-i Nur Collection, The Short Words) Dr. Osman Birgeoglu Look at the new life after death…our transition to eternal will be similar!  ]]>

Sincerity and Brotherhood and I realized that what Bediuzzaman said is very applicable to the current problems we are witnessing here and around the world. For this reason, we chose Sincerity and Brotherhood  for our book of the month. I encourage all of us to deeply reflect on the following wisdom of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, and please share this important material with your friends. We all know how much humanity is hurting today and needs this timeless advice: “The time for enmity and hostility has finished. Two world wars have shown how evil, destructive, and what an awesome wrong is enmity. It has become clear that there is no benefit in it at all. In which case, on condition they are not aggressive, do not let the evils of our enemies attract your enmity. Hell and Divine punishment are enough for them. Sometimes, man’s arrogance and self-worship cause him to be unjustly hostile towards believers without his being aware of it; he supposes himself to be right. But this hostility and enmity is to slight powerful causes of love towards the believers, like belief, Islam, and fellow-humanity; it is to reduce their value. It is a lunacy like preferring the insignificant causes of enmity to the causes of love, which are as great as a mountain. Since love and enmity are contrary to one another, like light and darkness, they cannot truly combine. The opposite of whichever is predominant in the heart cannot at the same time be truly present.” -Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (from Sincerity and Brotherhood ) Dr. Osman Birgeoglu ]]>

Prophet Abraham teaches us obeying God’s commands.

Prophet Moses tells us about Eternal Life.

Prophet David delivers the Psalms to us.

Prophet Jesus teaches us about Judgement Day.

Prophet Muhammad talks about the Afterlife’s 50,000 year-long accounting we will all face.

The Prophets and Messengers are trustworthy. We need to believe these great Envoys of God and prepare ourselves accordingly. Not to prepare ourselves for our future is not wise. Like preparing ourselves for a summer travel, we need to be prepared for the long journey towards Eternal Life. We cannot afford not to take them seriously. Next time we look at the sky, we should try to remember this: there are many things we do not see that the experts do. We should heed their words, whether worldly or otherworldly, and be grateful that such excellence is delivered to us as good news. Remember to find out more good news from the otherworld through God’s Messengers. Dr. Osman Birgeoglu                                                                             NASA Hubble Telescope image of interacting galaxies Arp 273]]>

 

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Blue mosque in Istanbul, spring 2002 author T. Moravec]]>

 1) One day, Bayram Yuksel Agabey said, “Bediuzzaman would always  walk most tenderly and respectfully when stepping on the rocks  climbing the mountains of Barla or Emirdag.” After hearing that story  (again, this was many years ago), I thought to myself, “wow!”.  This  story opened my heart and allowed me to deepen my awareness and  sensitivity towards inanimate beings. 2) Another time, I heard one of the Agabeys sharing Bediuzzaman’s  memories. One thing he said was, “Bediuzzaman was not  permitting any of his students to break light bulbs which were thrown  away.” (It was a common thing among children to blow up old, burnt out light bulbs by say, throwing them against rocks, walls, anything where they’d make a loud sound.) 3) In the good old days, we didn’t have much isolation within the houses. The windows and doors were frequently left open during summer months. Flies, which were particularly abundant and bothersome in the summer, would easily enter and continue to buzz around us. However, Bediuzzaman was protective of the flies and did not permit his students to harm them. There are quite a number of incidents involving flies with several of Bediuzzaman’s students. Once, I was told that Bediuzzaman said, “do not bother my little birds.”  Whenever flies become bothersome, I always remember what I’ve learned from Bediuzzaman’s close students. 4) As I sit here writing the above memories, one memory in particular just came to me. Molla Hamid Agabey would often speak about Bediuzzaman’s early life. One time, I remember a story of Molla Hamid Agabey; the story goes as follows: One day, Bediuzzaman’s students prepared a meal for themselves in the little house (such houses are now called dersane) they were living in.  After the meal was ready, they left the house to get something. When they returned, they found the door wide open and the meal had been eaten by a wolf.  The students were so disappointed and upset, and they were very angry with the wolf.  They kept talking and talking against the wolf.  Bediuzzaman came and inquired what they were complaining about. Upon hearing the story, Bediuzzaman told them, “do not back-bite the wolf! It’s your own fault you left the door open.”  (As we see here, Bediuzzaman did not allow back-biting against even animals.) 5) In those early years of Bediuzzaman’s life, Bediuzzaman was telling his early students, like Molla Hamid Agabey, regarding the wild-growing fruits found in the mountains and valleys as follows: “do not eat them, they are the sustenance for the wild animals.” I recall especially how delicious the wild pears were, which we were eating before we knew of this story.  I soon learned of the story and ever since I think of this powerful advice by Bediuzzaman. I ask that we continue to think about the ramifications of the principles contained in just these few, small treasures. The wisdom is endless, the benefits are saintly, and the implications are far-reaching for all life on this planet. I have more stories from my many years with the Agabeys.  I will try, inshallah, to share most of them as we go along… Dr. Osman Birgeoglu P.S. Bediuzzaman’s early teachings took place around this mountain, Mt. Ararat. Three pictures of this mountain are the least I can include to honor the good old days of Molla Hamid Agabey with Ustad Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. ]]>

Indeed, We sent the Qur’an down during the Night of Power. And what can make you know what is the Night of Power? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.” Abu Hurayra said that the Messenger (ASM) said: “Whoever prays during the Night of Power with faith and hoping for its rewards will have all of his or her previous sins forgiven.” (Bukhari, Fadl Laylat al-Qadr) Hadrat ‘Aisha reported: “I asked the Messenger of Allah: tell me what should I say (pray) on Lailatul Qadr if I know which night it is?” He said: say, “O Allah, You are forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me.” [Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol 2, page 191] Ustad Bediuzzaman Said Nursi discusses the Night of Power in the following excerpt: “And on the Night of Power, each word is counted as thirty thousand merits. Indeed, the All-Wise Qur’an, each of whose words yields thirty thousand eternal fruits, is like a luminous Tree of Tuba that gains for believers in Ramadan millions of those external fruits. So, come and look at this sacred, eternal profitable trade, then consider it and understand the infinite loss of those who do not appreciate the value of those words. To put it simply, the month of Ramadan is an extremely profitable display and market for the trade of the hereafter. It is an extremely fertile piece of land for the crops of the hereafter. For the growth and flourishing of actions it is like April showers in the spring. It is like a brilliant holy festival for the parade of mankind’s worship in the face of the sovereignty of Divine dominicality. Since it is thus, mankind has been charged with fasting in order not to heedlessly indulge the animal needs of the instinctual soul like eating and drinking, nor to indulge the appetites lustfully and in trivialities. For, by temporarily rising above animality and quitting the calls of this world, man approaches the angelic state and enters upon the trade of the hereafter. And by fasting, he approaches the state of the hereafter and that of a spirit appearing in bodily form. It is as if man then becomes a sort of mirror reflecting the Eternally Besought One. Indeed, the month of Ramadan comprises and gains a permanent and eternal life in this fleeting world and brief transient life. ” -Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, from the Risale-i Nur Collection, Twenty-Ninth Letter. Dr. Osman Birgeoglu [caption id="attachment_2467" align="alignleft" width="800" caption="NASA image of the Andromeda Galaxy"][/caption]

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“The Quran is in Fatiha; the Fatiha is in Besmele (Bismillahirrahmanirrahim).”  –Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, from the Risale-i Nur Collection, 25th Word. “Bismillah brings God’s help and concern. And that Divine concern becomes like a helping spirit for the person’s affairs. Therefore, noone should leave any of his or her affairs without Bismillah.” -Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur, Signs of Miraculousness Before the revelation of the Quran, God’s Most Noble Messenger used to say, “Bismikallahumma” (in the Name of our Lord). Then God Almighty revealed to him the Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (in the Name of God, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate). Subhanallah, what a difference! One is man-made; the other is God’s Word carrying enormous power. Dr. Osman Birgeoglu  ]]>

In Turkey, people break their fast at sunset with a meal (“Iftar”) which commonly includes a special freshly-baked flat bread  called “pide”. The atmosphere is carnival-like as the mosques are lit up and colored lights are strewn on trees and buildings. Booths in the streets sell religious books, treats and things for children. The mosques also fill up quicker than normal as people come to pray and listen to recitations of the Qur’an. In Lebanon, Egypt, as well as in Turkey, drummers go around town beating their drums and chanting Ramadan songs to wake people up for the early morning meal of “sahur”. With modern technology, though, this tradition is fading in the cities, but it still remains popular in the smaller towns and rural areas. In Egypt, the symbol of Ramadan is the “Fanoos Ramadan”, which is a brightly colored lantern. The lanterns are put up on balconies and in the streets. Children love them and they commonly carry them around and sing Ramadan songs. In Malaysia and Indonesia, the brightly colored festivities continue. In Indonesia, a carnival called “Dorderan” is held right before Ramadan for people to prepare for Ramadan. Additionally, the first three to five days of Ramadan is a holiday. Some schools even give the whole month off for students. In Malaysia, Eid ul-Fitr, the celebration after Ramadan, is known as Hari Raya. Muslims there celebrate this day by opening their homes to family and friends and serving lots of food. Guests bring a small gift of sweets or fruit. Even the king and queen and the prime minister and his wife have open houses for all who want to attend. In the United States, it is of course different for Muslims during Ramadan. As most are not Muslim, the same sense of celebration is only apparent in the Muslim communities, but it is not a widespread, public phenomenon. However, mosques in the United States perform a similar role as the ones in Muslim countries. In fact, many Muslims in the US go to mosques in the evenings for Iftar. Last night, President Obama himself offered Iftar to Muslim American leaders. Regardless of wherever Ramadan is celebrated, the most important thing for Muslims during this Holy month is to get closer to God through prayer. Additionally, family ties are strengthened and charity is emphasized, while fasting facilitates an awareness that God is provider of all things. Muslims are very much attuned to the fact that during Ramadan the rewards for their good deeds are multiplied 1,000 (and 30,000 times on the single, unspecified Night of Power). Dr. Osman Birgeoglu [caption id="attachment_2390" align="alignleft" width="660" caption="Ramadan in Jerusalem"][/caption]     Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb5ptAq7DrQ http://www.sensesofmalaysia.com/latest_article2.php http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/aljarf/Activities/Nicenet%20posts%20-%20Ramadan%20in%20Islamic%20countries/Nicenet%20team%20post%20-%20Ramadan%20in%20Indonesia.pdf http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=7&id=10428 http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/Religion/ramazan.html]]>

ability to know and find God. This choice is a great tragedy and results in not only permanent misery for those who choose this, but it also affects the entire world we live in, precisely because God designed this world as a carefully interwoven and interdependent tapestry.  If the ego does not submit to God, it is a dangerous choice. Without submission, the ego claims: ownership, self-subsistence, authority, and godliness over self. Only with faith in God may we as humans come to realize a number of critically important things:

• We are never alone, God is always with us.
• We are not the owners of anything, God is.
• When we ask God for help, He answers us each time.
• God is the Provider of all things.

We may visit Bediuzzaman Said Nursi‘s words from the Risale-i Nur to gain further insight: “Belief makes man into man, indeed, it makes man into a king. Since this is so, man’s basic duty is belief and supplication. Unbelief makes man into an extremely impotent beast.Out of thousands of proofs of this matter, the differences in the ways animals and man come into the world are a clear indication and decisive proof. Yes, these differences show that humanity becomes humanity through belief. For when animals come into the world, they come complete in all points in accordance with their abilities as though having been perfected in another world; that is, they are sent. They learn all the conditions of their lives, their relationships with the universe, and the laws of life in either two hours or two days or two months, and become proficient in them. Animals like sparrows and bees acquire in twenty days the power to survive and proficiency in their actions that man only acquires in twenty years; that is, they are inspired with them. This means that the animals’ fundamental duty is not to be perfected through learning and progress by acquiring knowledge, nor to seek help and offer supplications through displaying their impotence, but in accordance with their abilities to work and act. Their duty is active worship.” “This means that man came to this world to be perfected by means of knowledge and supplication. In regard to his nature and abilities everything is tied to knowledge. And the foundation, source, light, and spirit of all true knowledge is knowledge of God, and its essence and basis is belief in God.” “Say, ‘My Sustainer would not concern Himself with you but for your supplication,’ ” which has the meaning of:  What importance would you have if you did not offer Me supplications? He also commands: “Call upon Me and I will answer you.” If you say: “We frequently offer supplications, but they are not accepted. But the verse is general, it states that every supplication is answered.” The Answer: To answer is one thing, to accept is something quite different. Every supplication is answered, but its being accepted and exactly what was sought being given is dependant on Almighty God’s wisdom. For example, if a sick child calls the doctor, saying: “Doctor! Doctor!”, and he replies: “Here I am, what do you want?”, and the child says: “Give me that medicine!”,  the doctor will either give him exactly what he asks for or something better and more beneficial for him. Or knowing that it is harmful for his illness, he will give him nothing.” -Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, from the Risale-i Nur Collection, excerpts from the Twenty Third Word Dr. Osman Birgeoglu ]]>