The Moroccan philosopher Taha Abdurrahman argues that Bediuzzaman Said Nursi redefined the relationship between philosophy and wisdom, and that his Qur'an-centred approach evolved into an intellectual movement that has resonated across the world.

Pakistan's national poet Muhammad Iqbal says in one of his couplets:

"You carry a basket full of bread upon your head, yet you go begging others for bread."

As a nation, our situation resembles this description. Said Nursi was born on these lands and devoted his entire life to the service of faith. As he himself expressed, there was hardly any hardship he did not endure or persecution he did not suffer in this cause. He was a distinguished Islamic scholar, a mujtahid and a mujaddid. Yet he has never received the recognition he truly deserves from many within our own religious institutions, academic circles and intellectual community.

Abroad, however—particularly throughout the Arab world and the Maghreb—his ideas have been far better understood, appreciated and respected. Risale-i Nur Research Centres have been established in countries such as Indonesia, Sudan and Uganda, where the Risale-i Nur Collection is taught as part of academic curricula. In contrast, these works were banned by the Turkish state for many years. Their author, Said Nursi, together with numerous students of the Risale-i Nur, was imprisoned, and an almost systematic campaign was waged against the collection. Even today, this reserved attitude continues among certain circles within the official religious establishment and sections of the intellectual community.

Moroccan Intellectuals Also Came to Know Bediuzzaman

As Said Nursi has become better known throughout the Islamic world, appreciation of his thought has continued to grow, earning increasing recognition within academic circles. One of those who acknowledged his intellectual significance is the renowned Moroccan philosopher Taha Abdurrahman.

While seeking to formulate an authentic philosophy rooted in Islam, Taha Abdurrahman's intellectual journey eventually intersected with that of Said Nursi. He first became acquainted with Nursi in March 1999 during the conference entitled "The Renewal of Islamic Thought in the Fourteenth Hijri Century: Bediuzzaman Said Nursi," jointly organised in Rabat by the Faculty of Letters of Mohammed V University and the Istanbul Foundation for Science and Culture. This conference marked a significant milestone in introducing Said Nursi to Moroccan intellectual circles.

From that time onward, Taha Abdurrahman developed a profound admiration for Said Nursi. What impressed him most was the Risale-i Nur's scholarly method of strengthening faith through rigorous intellectual argument and reasoned exposition.

What Is the Secret Behind This Collection?

After becoming acquainted with both the Risale-i Nur and its author, Taha Abdurrahman carefully studied the Arabic translation prepared by Dr. Ihsan Qasim al-Salihi. The more he read, the deeper his admiration became. Yet one question continued to occupy his mind.

My esteemed teacher, who presented me with the book Said Nursi, Philosophy and Wisdom and who later earned his doctorate in theology at Eskişehir Osmangazi University, travelled from Egypt to Morocco under difficult circumstances while pursuing his studies. He spent about a week as Taha Abdurrahman's guest and presented him with a set of the Arabic translation of the Risale-i Nur.

During their conversations, Abdurrahman repeatedly asked whether Said Nursi had a particular litany (awrād) that he recited regularly. My teacher replied, "The Jawshan al-Kabir together with the supplications and invocations contained in Hizb al-Haqā'iq al-Nūriyya."

Upon hearing this, Abdurrahman exclaimed:

"Now everything makes sense. The true source of this magnificent collection is precisely these supplications and remembrances of God."

The Three Weaknesses of Philosophy

Taha Abdurrahman maintains that Said Nursi offers one of the clearest explanations of the concepts of philosophy and wisdom (ḥikmah). According to Abdurrahman, Said Nursi criticises philosophy from three principal perspectives: logical, moral and symbolic (ishārī).

From the logical perspective, philosophy remains limited in its ability to grasp ultimate reality and often leads people into error. From the moral perspective, Said Nursi argues that philosophy may give rise to ethical weaknesses such as pride and the worship of the ego. From the symbolic perspective, philosophical thought resembles a traveller struggling to find his way in darkness, whereas wisdom illuminates the path and guides humanity with clarity and certainty.

The Difference Between Philosophy and Wisdom

Taha Abdurrahman further clarifies Said Nursi's distinction between philosophy and wisdom by examining the respective points of departure and ultimate aims of these two disciplines.

According to this distinction, philosophy arises from human wonder and seeks to investigate the extraordinary aspects of existence. Wisdom, however, leads the human mind to contemplate the existence of God and the divine purpose underlying creation, inspiring a far deeper sense of awe and admiration. By emphasising this superior dimension of wisdom, Said Nursi argues that the Qur'an never leaves the human intellect without guidance.

The Qur'an Provides the Answers to Life's Fundamental Questions

According to Said Nursi, one of philosophy's principal methods is to raise questions and seek satisfactory answers. The Qur'an presents the most perfect examples of this approach. Fundamental questions such as "Where have you come from? What are you doing here? Where are you going?" are answered in a deeply satisfying manner through the Qur'anic message. Unlike purely philosophical inquiry, this approach satisfies not only the intellect but also the heart.

Said Nursi also acknowledges that during the period he later referred to as "The Old Said," he devoted considerable attention to philosophy. As he writes:

"Forty or fifty years ago, the Old Said was deeply engaged in the rational sciences and philosophy. In his search for the reality of realities, he sought a path similar to that of the people of spiritual truth and the Sufi orders. Yet, unlike many Sufis, he could not be content with a journey of the heart alone, for his intellect and reason had been wounded, to a certain extent, by philosophical thought and therefore required healing."

"Unify Your Direction"

Indeed, while searching for a remedy for these intellectual wounds, Said Nursi explains that he wished to follow those who had attained the truth through both intellect and heart. However, he found that each spiritual path possessed its own unique attraction and excellence, leaving him uncertain as to which path he should follow.

At that point, he relates that Imam Rabbani addressed him, in a spiritual manner, with the advice:

"Unify your direction (Tawḥīd al-Qiblah)."

Wisdom Is Superior to Philosophy

Another significant aspect of Said Nursi's distinction between philosophy and wisdom is the hierarchical relationship between them. In his view, wisdom always stands above philosophy. While human philosophy places primary emphasis on human reason, divine wisdom satisfies both the intellect and the heart. Reason, therefore, should follow the guidance of revelation. For human beings to attain genuine spiritual maturity, philosophy must ultimately be guided by reason enlightened through divine revelation, rather than functioning independently of it.

The Qur'an Is the True Guide

Wisdom directs the human being through the perspective of ma'na-yi harfī (seeing things as signs pointing beyond themselves), whereas human philosophy adopts the perspective of ma'na-yi ismī (viewing things as self-sufficient entities). According to Said Nursi, a mind guided by wisdom comprehends the meaning of creation and thereby satisfies both the intellect and the heart.

While engaged in this spiritual quest, Nursi relates that an inspiration came to his heart: "The true guide is the Qur'an; unity of direction can only be achieved through this true guide." Thus, he found in the Qur'an what he had long been seeking and entered the path of truth under its guidance and instruction.

Philosophy Is Limited; Wisdom Is All-Encompassing

Taha Abdurrahman regards Said Nursi's understanding of the relationship between philosophy and wisdom as nothing less than an intellectual revolution. By describing human philosophy as limited and confined, while presenting Qur'anic wisdom as comprehensive and all-embracing, Said Nursi demonstrates the superiority of wisdom.

This perspective offers a path through which human beings may find fulfilment not only intellectually but also spiritually and emotionally. A worldview centred upon wisdom thus provides guidance that secures both worldly well-being and eternal happiness.

Philosophy Is Subordinate to Wisdom

According to Taha Abdurrahman, Said Nursi conceives the relationship between philosophy and wisdom in the following way: philosophy should serve wisdom, or, more precisely, wisdom should supersede philosophy.

Whereas earlier intellectual traditions generally regarded philosophy as encompassing wisdom, Said Nursi clearly distinguishes between the two. In the classical philosophical framework, wisdom was often subordinated to philosophy. Nursi, however, reverses this relationship, maintaining that philosophy must instead become subordinate to wisdom.

Said Nursi's Influence Has Crossed All Boundaries

Taha Abdurrahman concludes his book Said Nursi, Philosophy and Wisdom with the following assessment:

"It is evident that the influence of Said Nursi's works is by no means confined to Turkey. Nor is it limited to an Islamic world that has become fragmented and lost its way. On the contrary, this influence extends across the entire world, seeking to liberate both intellectual elites and ordinary people from the domination of a philosophical outlook that has undermined human existence in this world. Said Nursi has opened the way towards the renewal of humanity, enabling human beings to realise the potential of becoming entirely new persons in another world."