Editorial

In Islamic literature tajdid is a concept used to mean the revival of the
relationship between life and religion in a faithful way to its origin; to express
attempts to protect the roots and essence of the religion and to describe
the acts of reviving religion by explaining it with new ways and arguments
that are appropriate to the understanding of people and the circumstances
of the age without making any changes in the essentials of the religion. This
concept has come to our agenda once more due to the crises experienced in
many areas in the Muslim world in recent years. The lack of intellectual and
permanent solutions against stagnation and deterioration which threatens
majority of Muslim societies and indicate a general decline, brings about
the need for developing new paradigms that can shape our future. The
concept of tajdid and the Risale-I Nur which possesses such characteristics
need to be studied from different perspectives.
As a matter fact, the Muslim world, which has toils desperately for a
few centuries to get rid of the web of secular ideologies, is in search of new
ways and methods to get out of the ambiance of tyranny, oppression and
despotism and to break the fetters of ignorance, poverty and disagreement
put upon its feet. In these circumstances and time period, where secular
perceptions have become wide; religion has been weakened; and many questions
have been asked in relation to the essence of the religion due to the
recent developments in the Middle East, the questions such as how we
should set up a methodical and systematic relationship between religion
The Risale-i Nur as a
movement of tajdid
(revival) of Islam
and life; how belief can be transferred into life in a faithful way to its origin;
how the piety of the Muslims can be strengthened when they grapple with
weaknesses at faith, morals and worshipping, should be handled through
methods put forward by Risale-I Nur.
The existence of different methods for regulating relationships between
religion and politics or state; the lack of methods that would lead man and
humanity to salvation at a time where models have gained importance;
many century-long appearance of backwardness by the Muslim world; the
vicious circle concerning education which can save our people from the
claws of ignorance; weakness in faith and morality which threatens individuals,
families and society: never ending wars and disagreements and many
other problems make it necessary to consider Risale-I Nur as a method
and a model in understanding and explaining Islam to others within the
framework of tajdid.
Hence Risale-i Nur Institute has decided the topic of the 10th Congress
of the Risale-i Nur to be “The Risale-i Nur as a Movement of Tajdid”.
In the congress made in Istanbul between the dates of 28-29 March 2015
different aspects of Risale-i Nur concerning the revival of Islam have been
studied by five different workshops. In the congress it was aimed to help
Muslim societies in general and specifically our society to be able to set up
their relationship with the true and original Islam.
How are the relationships between religion and politics, which have
become a battlefield, going to be determined in a democratic society and
according to what criteria are important questions recently being asked
alongside controversial policies, whether religion must be used for politics
or politics must serve atheism. As suggested in the Risale-I Nur, the
possibility of making politics serve religion, the relationship of religious
identity with the state, government and Jemaah relationships, the approach
of Risale-I nur against the political Islam which aims at capturing power
to serve religion, and individuals’ status against government and state, and
the approaches assumed by the Risale-I Nur on these issues are the main
issues discussed at the first workshop entitled “Considerations on Religion-
Politics-State in the Risale-I Nur”.
In fact tajdid which means providing the efficiency of the original religion
is also expressed by Bediuzzaman Said Nursî with the words “the true
Islam and the truthfulness worthy of Islam.” There are increasing questions
being raised in terms of trends and methods of how to learn, explain and
realize religion in the present Muslim world. Also the issues such as the
most appropriate educational system to train individual, family and society,
the ways of getting rid of the dark ignorance which prevailed the Muslim
world for a few centuries, the messages and solutions that the Risale-I Nur
offers to the modern man and society differently from its contemporaries
in terms of education were among the topics discussed at the workshop
entitled “Methods of Spreading Islam and Education in the Risale-I Nur”
Our journal Köprü publishes this month the declarations of the 10th
Congress of the Risale-I Nur and the papers presented at the two workshops
mentioned above. We hope to address our readers in the next issue
8 with the remaining papers presented at the Congress.