Journey to Noble Ideals - Droplets of Wisdom from the Heart

275 Pages·6.218 MB·English

by  Fethullah Gulen

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I
JOURNEY TO
i
NOBLE IDEALS
M. FETHULLAH GULEN
Journey to Noble ldeals\s a compilation of speeches
Gillen delivered in Pennsylvania, USA, between
2012 and 2013. The book provides guidelines to
build our individual ladders to self-discovery. In
Gulen's prescription, climbing this ladder requires
"lifelong contentedness," “a spirit of chivalry,"
"becoming soil to grow roses," "balance and mod­
eration," "being self-critical," "not to be dizzy with
worldly pleasures," and "sincerity of intention."
Nourished from a millennium-old accumulation of
knowledge and tradition, Gillen speaks of preserv­
ing one’s "chastity of thoughts" but not lagging
behind, and instead soaring across the "horizons of
spiritual knowledge." For Gillen, a healthy society is
built on a "happy marriage," observing the "rights
of neighbors," "sound reason," "retreats to read,"
and "asking for forgiveness." Above all, his faith
rests on a firm belief that "God is sufficient" for all.
This work will be a source of inspiration for all the
travelers journeying to noble ideals.
01141
CDA
11 CDA
ISLAM / SPIRITUALITY I PHILOSOPHY
ISBN 978-1-59784-348-5
.................................................
«HRA>
9 7 8 1597 84348 5 55 11449955 I
www.tughrabooks.com
US$14.95
The broken jug
The phrase "Broken )ug” is a valuable metaphor
and a symbol worth pondering upon. It gets its
name from the following tale by Rumi:
Once upon a time there was a Sultan who set up
his marquee on a hill overlooking the Euphrates.
The people of the land dearly loved this Sultan, a
great man who not only conquered their lands, but
also their hearts. They desired to be known and
loved by this auspicious man. For this reason, they
would come to his presence and offer him gifts.
On one such day, when the rich and wealthy were
presenting the Sultan with precious gifts, a poor
man went in search of finding a present fitting
for the Sultan. When he couldn't find a valuable
enough gift, he remembered the broken jug lying
on one corner of his home. He filled the jug with
ice-cold water from his village and set off to see
the Sultan. Soon after, he came across a villager
who asked him where he was going, and when
the poor man answered, the villager mockingly
said, "Don’t you know, the Sultan owns and is
presiding over the water source of these lands?
The water from your village is also his. He does
not need whatever is left from your broken jug!"
The poor man blushed and said "So what? To
the Sultan belongs the noblest of manners, just
as servitude befits a slave. Even if I don'thave a
gift valuable enough for the Sultan, thisToroken
jug filled with his water symbolizes my heart
filled with his love, and that is why I will go and
present this to him."
just like this poor man, Gulen is a self-attrib­
uted "slave" who is offering his humble ser­
mons as his only gift to God Almighty, and to
the benefit of others.
• *3s^
JOURNEY TO
NOBLE IDEALS
I
THE BROKEN JUG SERIES - 13
)
JOURNEY TO
NOBLE IDEALS
Droplets of Wisdom from the Heart
M. Fethullah Gillen
TUGHRA
BOOKS
New Jersey
3
Copyright © 2014 by Tughra Books
Originally published in Turkish as Mefkure Yolcidugu (Kmk Testi-13), Nil Yayinlan,
Istanbul, 2014
17 16 15 14 1234
i
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any in­
formation storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the Publisher.
Translated by Korkut Altay
Published by Tughra Books
345 Clifton Ave., Clifton,
NJ, 07011, USA
www.tughrabooks.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available
ISBN: 978-1-59784-348-5
Printed by
Imak Ofset, Istanbul - Turkey
Contents
Preface .vii
God Is Sufficient for Us ..1
The Most Eloquent Invitation for Divine Providence ..7
Spirit of Chivalry 15
The Architects of Thought Who Will Build the Future 23
Lifelong Contentedness 29
Not Inclining Towards Those Who Do Wrong 33
Becoming the Soil for Roses 37
Crying of Those with Sad Hearts .41
Balance and Moderation .47
Exaggerated Compliments .53
Enemies of a Happy Marriage .................................................... .57
Self-Criticism and Asking Forgiveness from God .63
Key Concepts for Interpreting Existence .71
Horizons of Spiritual Knowledge .77
Those Who Become Dizzy with Worldly Pleasures and Remain Behind .83
The Qur’an and Scientific Discoveries .89
Transforming Knowledge into Practice .97
Rights of Neighbors 103
A Social Disease That Paralyzes Sound Reason: Bigotry 109
Vigilance against Transgression 115
Offhanded Attitudes toward the Sunnah . 121
The Role of the Spiritual Guide........................................................................... 127
Our Era and the Ways Leading to God 133
Worldly Means and the Criteria for Planning the Future 139
Chastity of Thoughts .147
Keeping up Sincerity of Intention and Having a Consciousness of Self-Criticism .153
vi Journey to Noble Ideals
Temporary Retreats in Serene Corners and Reading Sessions................ 157
True-Hearted, but Not a Chauvinist.......................................................... 163
The Luminous Spiritual Bonds between Muslims..................................... 169
Problems Settled within the Individual and Reforming the Society....... 175
Respect for the Sacred................................................................................... 183
A Builder of Spirituality: Muhammed Liitfi Efendi, the Imam of Alvar 189
In Order Not to Feel Remorse When It Is Too Late................................ 197
Saying “I Wish...” in die Sense of Asking Forgiveness............................. 203
A Time to Listen to Our Souls: The Three Months................................. 205
Asking Forgiveness-1.................................................................................... 209
Asking Forgiveness-2.................................................................................... 215
Different Kinds of Tests the Devoted Souls Go Through........................ 223
The Carnal Soul, Satan, and Those Who Straddle the Fence.................. 229
Essentials for Fruitful Criticism.................................................................... 235
Relation of Living on Pure Sustenance and Doing Good Deeds............ 241
Considerations of Eid.................................................................................... 249
References. 254
Index... 258
Preface
" "W y cause!" cried out Bediiizzaman when he tripped over a
I I rock and fell off the high bluff of the Van Castle where had
JL T A gone on a meditative retreat. Miraculously, after a some­
what physically impossible death-defying tumble, Bediiizzaman (d.
1960), one of the most notable Islamic scholars of 20th century Tur­
key, landed at the mouth of another cave only three meters below. Still,
it is remarkable that in a moment when death appeared so imminent,
he remembered his "cause." What would make him do this? Would
you be able to do the same? Do you have such a cause in your life? Do
you have a purpose in your life? A purpose, not in the sense of achiev­
ing career goals, obtaining the power boat you have always wanted
to own, or seeing your team break its losing streak to nab the cham­
pionship title, but something deeper, something higher. What is that
lifetime dream or the inner call hidden deep in your heart that would
make you feel complete if it were to come true? If you do not have such
a cause, or even if you have never thought about it, do not worry: you
are among the overwhelming majority—or maybe you should worry,
for it shows you live only for each day.
This book aims to raise awareness about that call. It is an aware­
ness of an inner craving—whether we are aware of it or not—that is
always right inside our chest. It is a permanent call, which we ignore
more often than not, or work hard to suppress and turn away from.
Whatever achievements we might attain in this life are unable to
respond to it fully, for ephemeral things are unable to satisfy a per­
manent drive. Can you hear that call? Can you decipher its message?
It would seem that a lack of a well-established and worthwhile
purpose lies at the very heart of many of the personal and social prob­
lems we face today. Graduating from college, deciding on a career, find-
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viii Journey to Noble Ideals
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ing a job, traveling around the world... These are human conditions
and short term goals, changing and evolving as we grow, and after
1
each one is attained, we ask ourselves "Now what?" We are born into
this world, grow from a child into a young man or woman, a college stu­
dent, a professional, a father or a mother, an older person, and then we
die... And then what? What is the meaning of this universe, and then
what comes after it?
Pursuing a dream or an ideal is necessary for a meaningful life,
but it begs the question about the nature of this ideal. Hitler had an ideal
too, and he devoted his life to what he called "My Struggle" (Mein
Kampf). Genghis Khan's great ambition was to conquer the world; he
believed he'd been sent to be "God's punishment" over mankind for
their sins.
On the other hand, you have the example of Prophet Muhammad,
peace and blessings be upon him, who did not hesitate even for a
blink of an eye when he rejected the best of all attractions this world
can offer, such as titles and wealth, and said, "Even if they gave the sun
to my right hand, and the moon to my left hand, I will not renounce
my mission." When Dr. Martin Luther King cried out "I have a dream,"
he was not speaking of an illusion, nor was he giving the glad tidings
of a false dawn, for his words resounded on the foundations of a life­
time's commitment, sweat, and candor.
So, what makes a goal an admirably virtuous one?
In this volume, Fethullah Gillen—a master in diverse fields of
knowledge, an authority in religious thought, and a man who has devot­
ed his entire life to a higher cause—offers us some useful devices to
decipher that inner call, and to do it virtuously. To understand this
calling, this is not the only book that you can hold in your hands, but
a good number of Gillen's works are dedicated to discovering a high­
er purpose. His books are like signposts for seekers of a cause in this
life, and each title is a milestone for a new phase. Gillen wishes peo­
ple to become aware of their spiritual capacity and to explore the
Emerald Hills of the Heart; he encourages them to work hard to unleash
that capacity, so they can erect The Statue of Our Souls; he rejects
being egotistical in order to pursue a selfless life So That Others May