NEW BOOK: Embracing the World: Fethullah Gulen's Thought and Its Relationship with Jelaluddin Rumi and Others by Dr Ori Soltes

This book is not a comprehensive study of Rumi and Gülen, but it seeks to explore the places where the thought of the one is echoed in the thinking of the other, either overtly or indirectly —and to note ways in which the opposite is true: that Gülen diverges from Rumi. The book is also seeking to suggest some of the larger contexts in which the thinking of both resides. Given the wide-ranging aspects of their respective writings, it should not be surprising if, minimally, we can find important foundation stones in both philosophy and theology in the edifices that they each construct.

More info:http://bit.ly/RForisoltesBO

FETHULLAH GULEN - Sufism And Its Origins

Sufism And Its Origins
M. Fethullah GULEN

See also Dr Zeki Saritoprak's FETHULLAH GULEN: A sufi in his own way -  LINK














 





Sufism (tasawwuf) is the path followed by Sufis (adherents of Islamic mysticism) to reach the Truth-God. While this term usually expresses the theoretical or philosophical aspect of this search, its practical aspect is usually referred to as "being a dervish."


WHAT IS SUFISM?

Sufism has been defined in many ways. Some see it as God's annihilating the individual's ego, will, and self-centredness and then reviving him spiritually with the lights of His Essence so that he may live according to His will. Others view it as a continuous striving to cleanse one's self of all that is bad or evil in order to acquire virtue.

Junayd al-Baghdadi, a famous Sufi master, defines Sufism as a method of recollecting "self-annihilation in God" and "permanence or subsistence with God." Shibli summarizes it as always being together with God or in His presence, so that no worldly or other-worldly aim is even entertained. Abu Muhammad Jarir describes it as resisting the temptations of the carnal self and bad qualities and acquiring laudable moral qualities.

There are some who describe Sufism as seeing behind the "outer" or surface appearance of things and events and interpreting whatever happens in the world in relation to God. This means that a person regards every act of God as a window to "see" Him, lives his life as a continuous effort to view or "see" Him with a profound, spiritual "seeing" indescribable in physical terms, and with a profound awareness of being continually overseen by Him.

All of these definitions can be summarized as follows: Sufism is the path followed by an individual who is seeking to free himself or herself from human vices and weaknesses in order to acquire angelic qualities and conduct pleasing to God. Such a goal can be realized by living in accordance with the requirements of God's knowledge and love, and in the resulting spiritual delights that ensue.

Sufism is based on observing even the most "trivial" rule of Shari'a in order to penetrate their inner meaning. An initiate or traveler on the path (salik) never separates the outer observance of the Shari'a from its inner dimension, and therefore observes all of the requirements of both the outer and the inner dimensions of Islam. Through such observance, he or she travels toward the goal in utmost humility and submission.

Sufism, being a demanding path leading to knowledge of God, has no room for negligence or frivolity. It requires that the initiate should strive continuously, like a honeybee flying from the hive to flowers and from flowers to the hive, to acquire this knowledge. He should purify his heart from all other attachments, and resist all carnal inclinations, desires, and appetites. He should lead his life in a spiritual manner, always be ready to receive divine blessing and inspiration, and in strict observance of the example left behind by Prophet Muhammad. Convinced that attachment and adherence to God is the greatest merit and honor, he should renounce his own desires for the demands of God, the Truth.

After these [preliminary] definitions, we should discuss the aim, benefits, and principles of Sufism.

Sufism requires the strict observance of all religious obligations, an austere lifestyle, and the renunciation of carnal desires. Through this method of spiritual self-discipline, the individual's heart is purified and his senses and faculties are employed in the way of God, which means that he can now begin to live on a spiritual level. Sufism also enables man, through the constant worship of God, to deepen his awareness of himself as a devotee of God. It enables him to renounce this transient world and the desires and emotions that it engenders, and awakens him to the reality of the other world that is turned toward God's Divine Beautiful Names.

Sufism allows the individual to make this transition, for it develops the angelic dimension of one's existence and enables the acquisition of a strong, heart-felt, and personally experienced conviction of the articles of faith that he had accepted only superficially.

The principles of Sufism may be listed as follows:

1. Reaching true belief in God's Divine Oneness and living in accordance with its demands.

2. Heeding the Divine Speech (the Qur'an), and discerning and then obeying the commands of the Divine Power and Will as they relate to the universe (the laws of creation and life).

3. Overflowing with Divine Love and getting along with all other beings in the realization (originating from Divine Love) that the universe is a cradle of brotherhood.

4. Giving preference or precedence to the well-being and happiness of others.

5. Acting in accord with the demands of the Divine Will-not with the demands of our own will-and living in a manner that reflects our self-annihilation in God and subsistence with Him.

6. Being open to love, spiritual yearning, delight, and ecstasy.

7. Being able to discern what is in hearts or minds through facial expressions and the inner, Divine mysteries and meanings of surface events.

8. Visiting spiritual places and associating with people who encourage the avoidance of sin and striving in the way of God.

9. Being content with permitted pleasures, and not to taking even a single step toward that which is not permitted.

10. Continuously struggling against worldly ambitions and illusions that lead us to believe in the eternal nature of this world.

11. Never forgetting that salvation is possible only through certainty or conviction of the truth of religious beliefs and conduct, sincerity or purity of intention, and the sole desire to please God.

Two other elements may be added: acquiring knowledge and understanding of the religious and gnostic sciences, and following the guidance of a perfected, spiritual master. Both of these are of considerable significance the Naqshbandiyah Sufi order.

It may be useful to discuss Sufism according to the following basic concepts, which often form the core of books written on good morals, manners, and asceticism, and which are regarded as the sites of the "Muhammadan Truth" in one's heart. They can also be considered lights by which to know and follow the spiritual path leading to God.

The first and foremost of these concepts is wakefulness (yaqaza), which is alluded to in several Prophetic sayings (hadiths): "My eyes sleep but my heart does not," and "Men are asleep. They wake up when they die."

THE ORIGIN OF SUFISM

As the history of Islamic religious sciences tells us, religious commandments were not written down during the early days of Islam; rather, the practice and oral circulation of commandments related to belief, worship, and daily life allowed the people to memorize them. Thus it was not difficult to compile them in books later on, for what had been memorized and practiced was simply written down. In addition, since religious commandments were the vital issues in a Muslim's individual and collective life, scholars gave priority to them and compiled books on them. Legal scholars collected and codified books on Islamic law and its rules and principles pertaining to all fields of life. Traditionists established the Prophetic traditions (hadiths) and way of life (sunnah), and preserved them in books. Theologians dealt with the issues concerning Muslim belief. Interpreters of the Qur'an dedicated themselves to studying its meaning, including issues that would later be called "Qur'anic sciences," such as naskh (abrogation of a law), inzal (God's sending down the entire Qur'an at one time), tanzil (God's sending down the Qur'an in parts on different occasions), qira'at (Qur'anic recitation), ta'wil (exegesis), and others. Thanks to these universally appreciated efforts, the truths and principles of Islam were established in such a way that their authenticity cannot be doubted.

While some scholars were engaged in these "outer" activities, Sufi masters were mostly concentrating on the pure spiritual dimension of the Muhammadan Truth. They sought to reveal the essence of man's being, the real nature of existence, and the inner dynamics of man and the cosmos by calling attention to the reality of things lying beneath and beyond their outer dimension. Adding to the Qur'anic commentaries, the narrations of the Traditionists, and the deductions of the legal scholars, the Sufi masters developed their ways through asceticism, spirituality and self-purification-in short, their practice and experience of religion. Thus the Islamic spiritual life based on asceticism, regular worship, abstention from all major and minor sins, sincerity and purity of intention, love and yearning, and the individual's admission of his essential impotence and destitution became the subject-matter of Sufism, a new science possessing its own method, principles, rules, and terms. Even if various differences gradually emerged among the orders that were established later on, it can be said that the basic core of this science has always been the essence of the Muhammadan Truth.

The two aspects of the same truth-the commandments of the Shari'a and Sufism- have sometimes been presented as mutually exclusive. This is quite unfortunate, as Sufism is nothing more than the spirit of Shari'a, which is made up of austerity, self-control and criticism, and the continuous struggle to resist the temptations of Satan and the carnal, evil-commanding self so as to be able to fulfill religious obligations. While adherence to the former has been regarded as exotericism (self-restriction to the outer dimension of religion), following the latter has been seen as pure esotericism. Although this discrimination partly arises from assertions that the commandments of the Shari'a are represented by legal scholars or muftis, and the other by the Sufis, it should be viewed as the result of the natural, human tendency of assigning priority to that way which is most suitable for the individual practitioner.

Many legal scholars, Traditionists, and interpreters of the Qur'an produced important books based on the Qur'an and the Sunna. The Sufis, following the methods dating back to the time of the Prophet and his Companions, also compiled books on austerity, the spiritual struggle against carnal desires and temptations, states and stations of the spirit. They also recorded their own spiritual experiences, love, ardor, and rapture. The goal of this literature was to attract the attention of those whom they regarded as restricting their practice and reflection to the "outer" dimension of religion, and directing it to the "inner" dimension of the religious life.

Both Sufis and scholars sought to reach God by observing the Divine obligations and prohibitions. Nevertheless, some extremist attitudes-occasionally observed on both sides-caused disagreements. Actually there was no substantial disagreement, and it should not have been viewed as a disagreement, for it only involved dealing with different aspects and elements of religion under different titles. The tendency of specialists in jurisprudence to concern themselves with the rules of worship and daily life and how to regulate and discipline man's individual and social life, and that of Sufis to provide a way for man to live at a high level of spirituality through self-purification and spiritual training cannot be considered a disagreement. In fact, Sufism and jurisprudence are like the two schools of a university that is seeking to teach its students the two dimensions of the Shari'a and to enable its students to practice it in their daily life. One school cannot survive without the other, for while one teaches how to pray, how to be ritually pure, how to fast, how to give charity, and how to regulate all aspects of daily life, the other concentrates on what these and other actions really mean, how to make worship an inseparable part of man's existence, and how to elevate man to the rank of a universal, perfect being-a true human being. That is why neither discipline can be neglected.

Although some self-proclaimed Sufis have labelled religious scholars as "scholars of ceremonies" and "exoterists," real, perfected Sufis have always depended on the basic principles of the Shari'a and have based their thoughts on the Qur'an and the Sunna. They have derived their methods from these basic sources of Islam. Al-Wasaya wa al-Ri'aya (The Advices and Observation of Rules) by al-Muhasibi, al-Ta'arruf li-Madhhabi Ahi al-Sufism (A Description of the Way of the People of Sufism) by Kalabazi, al-Luma' (The Gleams) by al-Tusi, Qut al-Qulub (The Food of Hearts) by Abu Talib al-Makki, and al-Risala (The Treatise) by al-Qushayri are among the precious sources where Sufism is dealt with according to the Qur'an and the Sunna. Some of these sources concentrate on self-control and self- purification, while others elaborate upon various topics concerned with Sufism.

After these great compilers came Hujjat al-Islam Imam al-Ghazzali author of Ihya' al-Ulum al-Din (Reviving the Religious Sciences), his most celebrated work. He reviewed all of Sufism's terms, principles, and rules, and, establishing those agreed upon by all Sufi masters and criticizing others, united the outer (Shari'a and jurisprudence) and inner (Sufi) dimensions of Islam. The Sufi masters coming after him presented Sufism as one of the religious sciences or a dimension thereof, promoting unity or agreement among themselves and the so-called "scholars of ceremonies." In addition, they made several Sufi subjects, such as the states of the spirit, certainty or conviction, sincerity and morality, part of the curriculum of madrassas (institutes for the study of religious sciences).

Although Sufism mostly concentrates on the inner world of man and deals with the meaning and effect of religious commandments on man's spirit and heart and is therefore abstract, it does not contradict any of the Islamic ways based on the Qur'an and Sunna. In fact, as is the case with other religious sciences, its source is the Qur'an and the Sunna, as well as the conclusions drawn from the Qur'an and the Sunna via ijtihad (deduction) by the purified scholars of the early period of Islam. It dwells on knowledge, knowledge of God, certainty, sincerity, perfect goodness, and other similar, fundamental virtues.

Defining Sufism as the "science of esoteric truths or mysteries," or the "science of man's spiritual states and stations," or the "science of initiation" does not mean that it is completely different from other religious sciences. Such definitions have resulted from the Shari'a-rooted experiences of various individuals, all of whom have had different temperaments and dispositions, over the centuries. It is a distortion to present the viewpoints of Sufis and the thoughts and conclusions of Shari'a scholars as essentially different from each other. Although it is undeniable that some Sufis have been fanatic adherents of their own ways, and that some religious scholars (i.e., legal scholars, Traditionists, and interpreters of the Qur'an) have restricted themselves to the outward dimension of religion, those who follow and represent the middle, straight path have always formed the majority. Therefore it is wrong to conclude that there is a serious disagreement, which most likely began with some unbecoming thoughts and words uttered by some legal scholars and Sufis against each other, between the two groups. When compared with those on the side of tolerance and consensus, those who have started or participated in such conflicts are very few indeed. This is natural, for both groups have always depended on the Qur'an and Sunna, the two main sources of Islam.

In addition, the priorities of Sufism have never been different from those of jurisprudence. Both disciplines stress the importance of belief and of engaging in good deeds and good conduct. The only difference is that Sufis emphasize self-purification, deepening the meaning of good deeds and multiplying them, and attaining higher standards of good morals so that one's conscience can awaken to the knowledge of God and thus embark upon a path that leads to the required sincerity in living Islam and obtaining God's pleasure. By means of these virtues, man can acquire another nature, another heart, a spiritual intellect within the heart, a deeper knowledge of God, and another "tongue" with which to mention God, he can observe all Shari'a commandments based on a deeper awareness of, and with a disposition for, devotion to God.

An individual practitioner of Sufism can use it to deepen his or her spirituality. Through the struggle with one's self, solitude or retreat, invocation, self-control and self-criticism, the veils covering the inner dimension of existence are torn apart, enabling the individual to acquire a strong conviction of the truth of all the major and minor principles of faith.

OTHER WRITING OF FETHULLAH GULEN

• The Necessity of Interfaith Dialogue by Fethullah Gulen
• A Movement Originating Its Own Models by Fethullah Gulen
• Mevlana Jalal al-Din Rumi by Fethullah Gulen

Press & Media  - Washington Post, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Foreign Policy, The New Republic, Prospect, PBS TV, NPR Radio, The Age, Forbes, LA Times, Reuters

Rumi Forum sites:

• HD videos    
• Youtube videos
• Picasa photos
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Podcast

SOURCE: http://www.fountainmagazine.com/article.php?ARTICLEID=616

ARTICLE Fethullah Gulen: Following in the Footsteps of Rumi by Thomas Michel

Fethullah Gulen: Following in the Footsteps of Rumi*

by THOMAS MICHEL *note: see Dr Michel's video about F. Gulen below the article 1. The need for a modern spirituality Among the medieval mystical poets, the one who speaks most clearly and directly to the modern world is Jalaluddin Rumi, known simply in the Muslim world as “Mevlana,” Our Master.  The depth of his spiritual experience, his original and arresting poetic images, his obvious sincerity and openheartedness, and his ability to transcend cultures, time periods, and religions, all go together to make Mevlana one of the most accessible and influential of Muslim thinkers who speak to us from the past. The number of internet webpages devoted to translations of Rumi’s poetry into European languages is evidence of the extent to which Mevlana is known and loved in the West, but in the Muslim world, the influence of Mevlana on modern thinkers and scholars, as upon the ordinary Muslim worshiper, must not be underestimated.  While those who can read and appreciate his poetry in the original Persian may be relatively few, Mevlana’s works are known through poetry recitations, classical performances of their musical settings, and through the many translations of his poetry into Turkish, Arabic, Urdu and other Muslim languages.  I have seen verses of Rumi decorating dishes, wood panels, horse carts and their modern equivalent, minibuses.  The dervishes of the Mevlevi tariqa communicate in a non-verbal way Rumi’s message of tolerance, peace, and deep absorption in the Divine. One of the modern Muslims who have appropriated Rumi’s attitudes and integrated them into their own understanding of Islamic faith and practice is the Turkish scholar and religious leader, Muhammad Fethullah Gulen*.  The correspondence of Mevlana to Gülen is that of kindred spirits who, across the centuries, share an interpretation of the Qur’anic message as well as a commitment to communicate that message effectively to people of their respective ages.  In his sermons and written works, Gülen frequently cites Rumi’s behavior and attitudes to illustrate his message; in the book Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, Gülen cites Rumi over 15 times to exemplify his themes of civilizational dialogue.  In his work on the Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, Gülen cites Mevlana more often than any other saint or spiritual writer as he seeks to initiate the seeker into the mysteries of God's love. What does Mevlana mean for Fethullah Gulen?  Where does he see the affinity between his own understanding of Islam and that expounded and exemplified by Rumi?  What are the lessons that can be learned from Rumi?  Why does Gülen consider Rumi a worthy exemplar for the modern Muslim?  I believe that these points of contact can be found in four areas. 1. Rumi as the model of tolerance and dialogue.  In discussing Said Nursi’s proposal to undertake dialogue and cooperation with true Christians, Gülen states that in this Nursi is acting in a similar manner to Rumi who described himself as a compass, with one foot fixed firmly in the center while the other turns in a broad arc to complete a full circle.  The foot planted resolutely in the center which never changes position is the faith conviction by which one is united to God as the unmoving heart and center of one’s existence, while the other foot moves in a “broad circle that embraces all believers.”[i]  Gülen endorses Nursi’s view that the days of the use of force are over; today’s methods of persuasion are those of dialogue, scientific argumentation and rational debate. Such a mode of discussion is for Gülen the only manner of confrontation which fits properly the nature of Islam: The truth is that there is no harshness or bigotry in Islam.  It is a religion made up entirely of forgiveness and tolerance.  Such pillars of love and tolerance like Rumi, Yunus Emre[ii], Ahmed Yesevi[iii], Bediüzzaman [Said Nursi][iv] and similar figures have expressed this aspect of Islam most beautifully and they have gone down in history as examples of this affection and tolerance.[v] 2. Rumi as one of the great saints produced by Islam.  If Gülen understands Islam to be a religion consisting entirely of forgiveness and tolerance, he looks back in Islamic history at those figures who best embodied these values. Foremost among them is Mevlana, whom Gülen calls one of “the people of love.”[vi]  About such, he has this to say: “Being the embodiments of sincerity, Divine love, and purity of intention, the Sufi masters have become the motivating factor and the source of power behind the Islamic conquests and the Islamization of conquered lands and peoples.”[vii] For Gülen, Rumi represents the “true face of Islam,” what the Islamic revelation and tradition is actually about.  Gülen elaborates his point as follows: If one were to seek the true face of Islam in its own sources, history, and true representatives, then one would discover that it contains no harshness, cruelty, or fanaticism.  It is a religion of forgiveness, pardon, and tolerance as such saints and princes of love and tolerance as Rumi, Yunus Emre, Ahmed Yesevi, Bediüzzaman and many others have so beautifully expressed.[viii] According to Gülen, men like Rumi and Yunus Emre have left their mark on Islam as understood and practiced in Turkey.  The great honor and affection shown to mystical poets and saints by Turkish Muslims is evidence of the esteem in which such holy men are held and an indication of the attitudes and values according to which Islam is meant to be lived.  As Gülen puts it, the message of Islam for which modern people are thirsting is its teaching of peace, tolerance and love; the mission of Muslims today is thus to invite people to discover this message by the way that Muslims themselves live their beliefs. Even though there are naturally exceptions, the interpretations of Islam held by Turkish scholars are tolerant.  If we can spread the understanding of Islam held by the pillars of affection like Rumi and Yunus Emre throughout the world, and if we can get their message of love, dialogue and tolerance to those people who are thirsting for this message, then people from all over the world will come running into the arms of this love, peace, and tolerance that we represent.[ix] 3. Rumi as the saint who longed to be united to God.  For Gülen, Mevlana is someone who was able to express the fundamental pain and sorrow of human life in this world.  For Rumi, that pain is rooted in the separation of the soul from its deepest desire, that is, for unity with the Divine Beloved.  This yearning of the soul for its true home forms the opening verses of Rumi=s masterwork, the Mathnawi.  To Rumi, the notes of the flute are like the sound of human groans, and readers of the Mathnawi are invited to imagine the reed flute being cut and plucked from its roots in the reed bed.  Its sad sounds represent the longing of the reed flute to return to its origins where it feels it belongs.  The application of this image to the human condition is not hard to conceive for, like the flute, the human soul has been snatched from its true home in the presence of God; it is presently wandering lost and far from home and is forever longing to return to the source from which it sprang.  Gülen speaks of ...the yearning produced by separation from the Beloved after meeting with and gazing upon Him in the past eternity.  The sighs that the flute of Rumi uttered, and the creaking, painful sounds heard by Yunus Emre from the revolving water-wheel express such a separation.  These sighs will continue until the final union or meeting with Him.[x] Such sorrow and feelings of separation are felt only by those who know God directly.  Someone who has been blessed by being allowed to experience oneness with the Divine Lover will be like a “spiritual drunkard,” living from then on with a longing to be fully united to the Beloved.  Gülen notes that only one who has reached this rank of sanctity can properly describe the profundity of his thoughts and feelings.  He cites Rumi’s verses in the Mathnawi to illustrate his point: Those illusions are traps for saints, whereas in reality They are the reflections of those with radiant faces in the garden of God.[xi] Gülen’s point, beautifully expressed by Rumi, is that the longing to be united with God produces a sorrow and world-weariness which to those who did not know better would appear as unhappiness and despair.  Those who have not been initiated into the mysteries of Divine love must necessarily judge by appearances rather than the deeper reality.  However, for those who have arrived at the truth, like Mevlana, they see that such superficial sadness masks the radiant faces of those who have come into the “garden of God,” that is, God’s loving presence. Gülen makes the point elsewhere that the longing and sorrow expressed by Rumi truly embody the human condition, the state of distance and lack of fulfilment in which we all live.  Absence, it is true, makes the heart grow fonder, but the deepest desire of our hearts cannot be achieved here on earth.  Whether or not we are aware of it, we are all longing to be in that loving union with God which is true peace and our heart’s true home; until that is achieved, no one can be satisfied with transient and ephemeral substitutes.  As Gülen states: Our tongues speak sometimes of love and sometimes of weariness; though love and weariness cause pain to others, in them we always hear, like Rumi, the poem of longing for the realm that we have left to come here.  Love and weariness to us are like a plea from the tongue of the soul, stemming from a sorrowful desire for eternity.[xii] The other side of the coin consists of those fleeting moments of joy by which God blesses the one who is seeking to be united with Him.  Rumi refers to these states of soul (hal/ihwal) as the “wedding night,” depicting the state of grace when those on the spiritual path find themselves rushing headlong to embrace the Beloved. “They try to find satisfaction for the desire of reunion in their soul.  They keep running toward Him, sometimes flying, sometimes limping on the ground, unified with everyone and everything.”[xiii]  Gülen points out that the same image of the wedding night, the fulfillment of love, is used by Mevlana to indicate death, when the seeker, freed from the shackles of mortality and earthly bonds, transcends all obstacles separating the soul from a loving union with the Divine Beloved. Sorrow which arises from separation from the Beloved and which gives give rise to a longing to return to God is the source of greater love and happiness in one’s life.  The pain of separation from God must not be rejected or denied, but rather accepted as expressive of the human state and a strong motivation for a fuller absorption in the Divine.  Rumi puts it as follows: I've broken through to longing now, filled with a grief I have felt before, but never like this. The center leads to love . . . Hold on to your particular pain. That too can take you to God." One must not think that Rumi, in his day, and Gülen, in modern times, are proposing a life-denying spirituality in which a person turns one=s back on the exigencies of reality and practical living in this world.  Gulen quotes Mevlana to say: One wise and sensible prefers the bottom of the well, For the soul finds delight in privacy (to be with God). The darkness of the well is preferable to the darkness people cause... One must seclude oneself from others, not from the Beloved.[xiv] In his commentary on these verses, Gülen explains that the purpose of seclusion is to purify the heart of all love which is not for God so that one might live united with the Beloved in the midst of daily activities.  This is a restatement of what is affirmed in the compass image, portraying the true lover as one whose union with God frees him to embrace humanity wholeheartedly.  As Gülen explains: Those who always feel themselves in the presence of God do not need to seclude themselves from people.  Such people, in the words of Rumi, are like those who keep one foot in the sphere of Divine commandments and turn the other, like a compass needle, throughout the world.  They experience ascension and descent at every moment.  This is the seclusion recognized and preferred by the Prophets and saints.[xv] 4. Rumi as teacher of virtue.  Gülen also sees Mevlana as one who teaches and exemplifies the virtues needed to progress on the path toward a union of love and will with God.  He enlists Rumi=s advice at the very beginning of the spiritual path and cites Mevlana=s words on the need for repentance. If one does not feel remorse and disgust for errors committed and if one is not apprehensive of falling back into ones old ways of living, in short, if one has not made a serious act of repentance, one=s persistence in following the spiritual path will be shallow and unstable.  Gülen sites Rumi as follows on the need for a deep commitment to repent : I have repented and turned to God so sincerely that I will not break [the vow of repentance] until my soul leaves my body. In fact, who other than an ass steps toward perdition after having suffered so much trouble [on account of his sins]?[xvi] A second virtue essential for progress in spiritual life is that of sincerity.  It is so easy to fool onself and even easier to deceive others that if one is not sincere, one may find oneself performing religious duties to be seen by others.  As Rumi puts it: You should be sincere in all your deeds, So that the Majestic Lord may accept them. Sincerity is the wing of the bird of the acts of obedience. Without a wing, how can you fly to the abode of prosperity?[xvii] Gülen elaborates on this by adding two hadiths from the Prophet in which he states: Be sincere in your religion; a little work (with sincerity) is enough for you and Be sincere in your deeds, for God only accepts what is done with sincerity. A third virtue stressed by Rumi is humility.  Rumi does not present himself as a great saint or someone who has achieved a deep spiritual level, but sees himself rather as a simple servant of God.  He reiterates his servant status to emphasize his standing before God: I have become a servant, become a servant, become a servant; I have bowed and doubled myself up with serving You. Servants or slaves rejoice when they become emancipated; Whereas I rejoice when I become a servant of You.[xviii] Gülen is aware, as was Rumi before him, that spiritual pride, or boasting about one=s religious experiences, is an all-too-common failing among those involved in religious practices, one which leads to an arrogant service of oneself rather than of God.  Gülen quotes Rumi regarding this danger to the effect: AIf the king=s courtier behaves in an affected manner to attract the king=s attention, you must not attempt to do so, for you do not have the document (to justify your doing so). O one who cannot be freed from the restrictions of this transient life, how can you know what (the stations of) annihilation, drunkenness, and expansion mean?[xix] One could go on at length to multiply instances of how Fethullah Gulen* employs the teaching of Jalal al-Din Rumi to teach the practical virtues needed for a rich spirituality.  In his work, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, Gülen refers to Rumi more often than to any other spiritual author.  He cites the advice of Mevlana to illustrate his teaching on poverty (p. 171), on the need for austerity and periods of retreat (p. 17) and the value of temporary seclusion (p. 18), on the importance of self-supervision (p. 58), patience (p. 103), truthfulness (p. 86), and reliance on God (p. 70).  Rumi offers the criteria for judging the value of work (p. 126) and for appreciating a proper attitude toward worldly possessions (p. 43). It is clear from Gülen=s writings that he has spent much time perusing the poetry of Rumi and has reflected deeply on his spiritual insights.  It is not an exaggeration to say that Gülen is a modern Muslim scholar whose life work of promoting an Islamic appreciation of love, tolerance, and universal peace is in fact a renewed interpretation for our times of the central insights of Mevlana.  One can give the last word to Our Master Rumi himself to show the attraction of Rumi=s thought for modern Muslim thinkers like Fethullah Gülen*: Stay in the company of lovers. Those kinds of people, they each have something to show you. *see also the below writings of Fethullah Gulen The Necessity of Interfaith Dialogue by Fethullah Gulen A Movement Originating Its Own Models by Fethullah Gulen OTHER ARTICLES BY THOMAS MICHEL 1  Core Values of the Gülen Movement: Worship and Servanthood 2  Love and Truth in Democratic Societies: Fethullah Gülen and Pope Benedict XVI on Social Questions 3  Fighting Poverty with Kimse Yok Mu 4  Fethullah Gulen: Following in the Footsteps of Rumi 5  Fethullah Gulen as Educator 6  The Gulen Movement: A Sufi-type Spirituality for Modern Societies 7  Two Frontrunners for Peace: John Paul II and Fethullah Gulen 8  Islam in the Age of Global Challenges: Alternative Perspectives of the Gülen Movement 9  Foreword to the book: Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance  10  The Wing of the Bird: Gülen on Sincerity 11  Sufism and Modernity in the Thought of Fethullah Gulen 12  The Contribution of Interfaith Dialogue to Peace Buildin  13 The Gülen Movement: Its Contribution at a Time of Global Tensions 14  The Gülen Community: a Dynamic Muslim Movement of Peace and Dialogue 15  What are the Paths to Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue 16  Peace and Dialogue in the Plural Society: Common Values and Responsibilities 17  Muslim Peace Leaders, Medieval and Modern: Rumi and Gulen 18  Gulen's Pedagogy and the Challenges for Modern Educators ARTICLE SOURCE: http://www.thomasmichel.us/fethullahgulen-rumi.html NOTES [i].M. Fethullah Gülen, Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, Light: Somerset, N.J., 2004, p. 199. 2.The poet Yunus Emre, 1238-1320, was one of the first mystical poets to compose his works in the spoken Turkish of the time. 3.Ahmad Yesevi (Yasawi), from modern-day Kazakhstan, was the first Sufi poet to write his mystical works in Turkish.  He founded a Sufi confraternity, the Yasawiyya, which has been widely diffused throughout the Turkic world. 4.Said Nursi, 1878-1960, a prominent scholar and author of the Risale-i Nur, a 6600-page commentary on the Qur’an which has influenced millions of modern Muslims. [v]. Ibid., p. 179. [vi].Ibid. p. 93. [vii].M. Fethullah Gülen, Prophet Muhammad The Infinite Light, Izmir: Kaynak, 1998, 2: 154. [viii].Toward a Global Civilization, pp. 58-59. [ix].Ibid., p. 181. [x].M. Fethullah Gülen, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, Fairfax, Va.: The Fountain, 1999, p. 157. [xi].Key Concepts, p. 15. [xii].Toward a Global Civilization, p. 155. [xiii].Ibid., p. 97. [xiv].Key Concepts, p. 18-19. [xv].Ibid., p. 19. [xvi].Ibid. p. 3. [xvii].Ibid. pp. 61-62. [xviii].Ibid., p. 55. [xix].Ibid., p. 116.