Editorial

The concept of civilization, which has become the subject of very different perceptions and definitions throughout the history of thought, has been used to express the development in social, political, economic, technic, artistic and aesthetic fields in conjunction with urbanization phenomenon. With the aim following the footsteps of an understanding of a new civilization which can bring peace to the humanity facing new crises in many areas, rather than inquiring into the etymologic roots of the concept or bringing up the intellectual discussions held on this concept once again, the Institute of Risale-i Nur organized the 7th Congress of Risale-i Nur under the title of “Said Nursi’s Understanding of Civilization.” The Congress was accomplished in five different workshop studies at the International Sarajevo University between the 23rd and the 25th of March 2012 in Sarajevo. This issue covers some of the papers presented in the Congress.
The year 1912, which corresponds to Bediuzzaman’s Journey to the Balkans, is a period which the Ottoman State was having great economic, military, social and cultural troubles. In these years the Ottoman State, which lost its doors opening to the West and opened its doors to the positivist movements of the West, met the crises in areas of culture and civilization. The materialist and positivist civilization understanding which lies in the essence of these crises started to be discussed in terms of its destructive results after its sovereignty of more than a few centuries.
Our century’s understanding of a secular civilization devoid of divine messages presented a world picture suffering from many different problems. Although today men have progressed greatly in science and technology and
Said Nursi’s Understanding of Civilization
achieved what they had wanted materially, regressed in their inner world by losing the meaning of existence. They fell into the clutches of money, power, career and entertainment by losing their basic values concerning the good, the beautiful and the moral. The humanity, which has become selfish and dissipated with hedonism and utilitarianism, has faced social, cultural and economic crises. In Bediuzzaman’s words, mankind which became so cruel as to vomit all the savagery of the past centuries at one time by causing the wars which ended up with the deaths of millions of people, has spread phenomena like violence and terror which threaten the climates of peace.
As the Institute of Risale-i Nur, we aimed to search for a humanity capable of learning lessons from mistakes, the possibility of a world in which mankind can give meaning to its existence, fix its relations with the Creator, sustain its living in a true freedom without being the slave of material. We took as our starting point Said Nursi’s Understanding of Civilization which is based on the Quranic civilization that promises mankind justice, virtue, brotherhood, solidarity, love of truth, true liberty, and spiritual supremacy. We discussed the subject within the framework of certain questions and key concepts in five workshops. We believe that the papers presented, the declarations made and proceedings to be published will uncover to a large extent Said Nursi’s Understanding of Civilization.
As we leave you alone with the journal, hoping that the 7th Congress of Risale-i Nur will lay the ground for the truths that will bring mankind happiness and will lead to a world of virtue, morality, and justice. We wish to meet you in the 119th issue that will contain the proceedings and declarations of the 7th Congress of Risale-i Nur discussing the Quranic civilization.