Fethullah Gulen is an individual who has dedicated himself to servant hood of the Almighty and service to humanity – to loving the Creator by serving the created. He has always envisaged a sound and safe environment for his fellow human beings – initially advocating for people to come together to solve Turkey’s problems and then speaking to the whole world.
Fethullah Gulen's message has been simple – live so that others may live. Simple in concept and for those selfless spirits who weave their lives around an atmosphere of good works – simple to implement. Putting others before oneself has been the center piece of Fethullah Gulen’s thoughts and writings. He has emphasized the importance of sacrificing for the sake of others in the hope of gaining God’s good pleasure. For Fethullah Gulen , it is God that is the foci of our existence, the center to which we turn and the qibla(direction) that our hearts should turn. When this qibla is indeed the Almighty than no problem can remain a barrier to gaining His pleasure. Gulen, like many greater spiritual people and thinkers before him continually emphasizes this point.
Through his love of God, Gulen has brought together people from all walks of life. He has inspired what were traditionally considered to be polarized groups in Turkey to come together – amongs them Turks and Kurds, Alevis and Sunnis, the political Left and Right, Religious and Secular and Muslim and Non-Muslim. He is now highly regarded amongs numerous mainstream groups in Turkey as a voice of balance from which all can learn.
Fethullah Gulen’s message did not remain in Turkey. Those close to him and those that came across his sermons (on cassette or video) were inspired to reach out to all communities around them. This initially started with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent possibbility of re-union of old Turkic brothers by way of Turkey reaching out to the numerous Central Asian states. Business people help set up businesses in these former Turkic republics and then helped support educational institutions in these countries. Similar projects then spread around the world.
One aspect – along side the altruistic feelings that Fethullah Gulen espoused so eloquently – was that of the concept of hijrah. Fethullah Gulen has a great love of the Almighty and His Final Messenger – Prophet Muhammed. In this light Mr Gulen has dedicated his time to understanding the universe and its complex tapestry. Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, has been the beacon that has guided Gulen in his journey to understand the universe. The concept of hijra is not new to humankind. We have seen it in the life of Prophet Muhammed, Jesus and Mosses (peace be upon them all). From time immemorial people for the sake of Divine love and humanity have moved from one place to another to help serve others. Gulen’s message though has been unique in the modern context. He has re-invigorated the tradition of hijra – immigration for the sake of serving God– and joyfully encouraged it for the selfless reason of serving others. It is within this context that so many – young and old, male and female – have left behind their worldly possessions, their love of comfort ,their families, friends ,careers and businesses to move and travel to all corners of the world to satisfy one dire urge to please the Creator. In so doing they have arrived in strange places to meet with ‘strange’ people that neither speak their language or understand their customs. But despite the difficulties they have arrived to open arms – since the language they spoke was not one with the tongue, but of the heart.
Yes, it is this language that has opened so many doors to those who have pocessed the ‘miracle’ of love. The love that requires nothing in return, the love that is purely for the sake of the Creator, the love that places warmth in the hearts of those around them, the love that perpetuates and continues to grow,illuminates and transforms the world around them. Such love changes the barren landscape so that it overflows with life and - with service within a framework of humility and knowledge.
Yes, Gulen has inspired a generation or two. He has inculcated in them a love that even Rumi might be jealous of, a love that lifts all to higher plateaus of understanding and tolerance but while all the same serves everyone without prejudice. Like the oceans it accepts all as its guests without question and cleanses them. Gulen has played a role in purifying the intentions and thoughts of many and transforming them to beacons of light and people of action who will forever be remembered as knights of goodwill.
