Istanbul – Naciye Kaynak

Visiting Damascus at the invitation of Syrian Minister of Awqaf Abu’l-Khayr Shukri and holding a number of meetings there, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Görmez made the Umayyad Mosque his final stop in the country. Addressing those present at the mosque after the Friday prayer, Görmez drew attention to Bediuzzaman Said Nursî’s Damascus Sermon and the recommendations contained in it.

Bediuzzaman’s Message from Damascus

Referring in his speech to the sermon delivered by Bediuzzaman Said Nursî at the Umayyad Mosque in 1908, Görmez said:

“About 115 years ago, at a difficult time when the Islamic Ummah was going through one of its most severe trials, this city and this Umayyad Mosque witnessed a great gathering. Distinguished scholars from all corners of the Islamic world had gathered in Damascus. Among them was a young scholar from Turkey, from Anatolia, from the very lands from which I have come to stand before you today. His name was Said. From the pulpit of this blessed mosque, before a gathering of great scholars and thousands of Muslims, he delivered the historic sermon that would later become famous as the Damascus Sermon.”

A Call to Hope for the Ummah

Görmez stated that in the Damascus Sermon, Bediuzzaman Said Nursî reminded the Ummah of a number of great truths that remain relevant today. He continued:

“Foremost among these was the need to kill despair and revive hope. Despair is not part of the character of believers. Losing hope in the mercy of Allah is not part of the moral character of people of faith.”

The Disease and the Cure Remain the Same

Görmez noted that Bediuzzaman identified “ignorance, poverty and division” as the three great enemies facing the Islamic world and pointed to “knowledge, action and unity” as what is needed to overcome them. He said:

“How much our situation today resembles the condition of the Ummah in the days when Bediuzzaman uttered these words. These illnesses are still obstacles to our progress. And their cure remains the same: knowledge to dispel ignorance, work to overcome poverty, and unity to turn the page on division and fragmentation.”

If Damascus Rises, the Ummah Will Rise

Görmez also spoke about the significance of Damascus in the Islamic world. He said:

“Damascus carries the trust of Jerusalem. Damascus is the gateway to Jerusalem. It lives in the shadow of the sacredness of Mecca. It breathes the spirit of Medina al-Munawwarah. In the heart of Damascus lies the spirit of Istanbul. Damascus is a bridge connecting the different ends of the Islamic world. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, if Damascus rises, it will not be merely a city that rises. Along with it, the memory of an Ummah will rise. A new hope will be born in the hearts of Muslims.”

Haber Merkezi