Risale-i Nur Academy
Said Nursi’s Arguments
for the Existence of God in Risale-i Nur
Risale-i Nur Academy
Contemporary Sufism: The Relation between Self and Ego
from Nursian Perspective
Risale-i Nur Academy
Approaching Quranic Stories from the perspective of Risale-i Nur
Course Abstract
This subject explores the arguments for and against the existence of God with Nursi in focus. It starts with the Ancient Greek philosophy to understand how the argument started in post Judaic world. It moves into middle ages with Western and Islamic tradition. It also looks at the modern times.
The course explores how Nursi argued for the existence of God and how he tackled the atheistic proposals
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
* be able to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the philosophical arguments for the existence of God.
* be able to analyse critically arguments for and against the existence of God.
* be able to discuss critically different philosophical views.
* be able to demonstrate independent research, organisation, written and oral communication skills through the presentation of a substantial work.
Prescribed Text
There is no prescribed text. However, there are weekly readings, and Power Point presentations which will be made available throughout the course.
Weekly Schedule
Week 1: God Question: The Background
Week 2: Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God
Week 3: Teleological (Design) Argument
Week 4: Moral Argument
Week 5: Divine Revelation
Week 6: Argument from Religious Experience
Week 7: Suffering, good and evil
Week 8: Atheism vs Theism. The clash
Course Abstract
This subject elaborates the concept of self nafs in relation to the Divine Concept marifah from the time of Ancient Greek Philosophy to the modern time. Although, in the Islamic tradition, Classical Muslim Scholars adopting Qur’anic terminology only and Muslim Philosophers following Aristotelian terminology. Nursi employs both terminologies to obtain the ultimate frame of the concept of Self nafs in respect to Divine Concept.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
* be able to penetrate the Qur’an and Islamic texts and analyse the concept of the Self nafs in relation to Divine knowledge marifah systematically.
* be able to be critical while reading Islamic texts.
* be able to discuss critically different views.
* be able to demonstrate independent research, organisation, written and oral communication skills through the presentation of a substantial work.
Prescribed Text
There is no prescribed text. However, there are weekly readings, and Power Point presentations which will be made available throughout the course.
Weekly Schedule
Week 1: What is Self nafs?
Week 2: The Self in Philosophy: Aristotelian categorisation; Vegetative Soul, Animal Soul and Human Soul.
Week 3: The Self nafs in the Qur’an: The Evil Commanding oul nafs al-ammarah, Self-critical Soul nafs al-lawwamah and Tranquil Self nafs al-mutmainnah.
Week 4: Two essential concepts to understand Nursian approach to the self nafs:
1- The self-referential meaning
2- The other-indicative meaning
(12th Word)
Week 5: Nursian approach to the concept of Self nafs 1
(6th Word, Signs of Miraculousness: exegesis of Surah Al- Fatiha)
Week 6: Nursian approach to the concept of Self nafs 2
Nursi combines the philosophical terminology and the Qur’anic terminology into one formula
Week 7: Purification of the Self Nafs in Nursi
Week 8: Conclusion
Course Abstract
Throughout history of the Quranic exegesis there has been various approaches to Quranic stories. Some focus on historical perspective to identify historical details such as the place, events, and the time period it took place, etc. Apart from being historical events, from Nursian perspective, prophetic stories illustrate archetypal characters of the Qur’an regardless of time and space. They represent a reality, a model which is applicable to all persons in all conditions. Nursi approaches the stories of the Qur’an from the lenses of wisdom, through allegorical stories and metaphors that carry universal messages to humanity, independent from history. Following the Qur’anic guidelines, his understanding of these stories relates to all human beings ‘here and now’.
Course Design
This course is designed with Deep Pedagogy. It is interactive in nature balancing the lecture and discussion time. Students will be primary curriculum builders and they will be supported to carry out individual or group projects based on Quranic stories from Nursian approach.
In the first half of the semester there will be an in-depth study of Nursian approach to Quranic stories such as the story of Job and Jonah, Adam and Eve, Story of Joseph comparatively from other commentaries of the Quran.
In the second half of the semester students will be guided to choose a Qur’anic story, implement Nursian Approach to the chosen story, and present their findings in class.
The class will support students’ progress in English.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
Prescribed Text
There will be texts from the Qur’an, Qur’anic commentaries and Risale-i Nur as prescribed texts. Power Point presentations which will be made available throughout the course.
Weekly Schedule
Week 1: Orientation week
Week 2: Why stories/parables in the Quran?
Week 3: First Gleam, the story of Job from Nursian perspective
Week 4: Second Gleam, the Story of Jonah
Week 5: Nursian approach to the Miracle Stories in the Quran
Week 6: Nursian Approach Story of Adam and Eve
Week 7: Nursian approach to the story of Joseph
Week 8: Nursian Approach to the story of Khidr and Moses
Week 9: Student reflection essays and Presentations
Course Abstract
Both through his books and through the memoirs of his students we learn of a series of visionary projects Bediuzzaman Said Nursi wanted to realize. Some of these projects were left to the followers of the Epistles of Light as a kind of last will of Nursi. There had been attempts to actualize some of these projects, like the most known Madrasa al-Zahra, Nursi’s visionary seminary where religious and positive sciences would be thought simultaneously. Unfortunately, none has been fully accomplished, and some were altogether abandoned, if not forgotten. In this course we will try to learn about these visionary projects and Nursi’s expectations of the outcomes from these projects.
Course Objectives
Weekly Schedule
Week 1: Collective Commentary Writing – A project calling for establishment of a sublime assembly of scholars from all disciplines to write a modern commentary to the Qur’an.
Week 2: Madrasa al-Zahra Project – A project to establish higher education institutions where positive and religious sciences would be taught together.
Week 3: Muslim – Christian Alliance Project – First attempts to establish bridges of dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Muslims; a reinterpretation of the eschatological traditions of Islam so as to promote a Muslim – Christian alliance against persecution and anti-religious ideologies.
Week 4: Shura and the United Islamic Republics – Establishment of an Assembly of Scholars from all around the Muslim World that will lead to unification of hearts and minds and to the apolitical non-territorial collective called the United Islamic Republics.
Week 5: Three Books on Heavens, Earth and Humanity – The three books planned and promised to be written after the three introductions of the Deliberations (Muhakemat). These three books would be about the Sky (Heavens), Earth and Humanity and Nursi gave occasional would-be content.
Week 6: Tajdid Through Conduct Project – A project laying the stones of reopening of the gates of ijtihad through determination and elimination of the obstacles and a renewal of Islamic thought through actions.
Week 7: Universal Peace – Establishment of a teleological reading of the Muslim eschatological tradition whereby human history is evolving towards the ultimate goal of universal peace and training of a generation that will deliver that goal.
Week 8: Other Less Known Projects of Said Nursi – Sunni-Shiite Dialogue; A Thesaurus that would show all the words corresponding to a particular meaning; Linking the Logic books written by Old Said with the Epistles of Light; The Tawafuq (Synchronicity) Qur’an and others…
Emine Eroglu, Seyid Erkal, Kerim Balci, Dr. Hakan Gok and more.
If you need advice on our program or registration, please feel welcome to contact us.
