Said Nursi: Makers of Islamic Civilization

Said Nursi (1876-1960) was the most influential figure in twentieth century Muslim scholarship. He was the founder of what is arguably Turkey's most important popular religious grouping, the Nur Movement ('Nurculuk'), which sought--and seeks--to foster Islamic sensibilities through a system of education based on Nursi's ideas. But for many of his disciples, who number now in their millions, Said Nursi represents a great deal more than just a religious instructor. As they see it, he was also the prophesied "renewer," the "mujaddid," who--according to Muslim tradition--would appear at the beginning of each century to revive Islam and reinterpret the tenets of the Qur'an according to the needs of the day. Yet for all who revere him, Nursi has as many detractors. To some, he was a hypocrite and a liar: a man whose life was full of contradictions. To others, a Kurd in the pay of the Communists and an overt proponent of anarchy. In so many ways his life and what he stood for echo the increasingly dangerous polarization in Turkey between Islamic traditionalism and the secularism established by Ataturk. This short book offers a sure guide to the fierce debates surrounding Said Nursi's life, thought and major writings. It will be indispensable reading for all those interested in Turkey, and in the bitter power struggles within the country between "religionists" and "secularists."