====== Compassion ======

  * Cherishing a selfless [[love|love]].

  * “Divine **Compassion**: We see this in the subtleties of kindness, fine points of affection, and rays of **compassion** on the face of the human comprehensive nature. The referent is the All-Compassionate, in //In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate//.”((Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, //The Words//, New Jersey: The Light, 2013, p. 6.))

  * “The Gracious All-Merciful One, Who causes everything to serve [[life|life]]; Who demonstrates His **Compassion** in the self-sacrifice, the extraordinary sweetness of **compassion**, of motherhood in plants and animals; Who subjects animate [[life|life]] to humanity and thereby displays our importance and status as the finest and loveliest weave from the Divine Lordship as well as His Mercy’s brilliance—that One has, due to His absolute lack of need, made His Mercy an acceptable intercessor for His animate creatures and humanity. So, if you are truly human, say: In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, and find that intercessor.”((Ibid., p. 8.))

  * “The seal of Mercy and Divine Oneness is impressed upon the earth and upon humanity’s nature. The mercy stamped upon us is not less than the **compassion** and mercy stamped upon the universe.”((Ibid., p. 8.))

  * “As a mother’s **compassion** is only a small spark from God’s **Compassion**, people of perfection take great pleasure in their [[helplessness|helplessness]] and fear of God.”((Ibid., p. 45.))

  * “There are many ways to Almighty God. All true ways have been derived from the Qur’an, but some are safer, more comprehensive, and direct than others. The way I have derived from the Qur’an depends upon our perception and admission of our innate impotence or [[helplessness|helplessness]] and [[poverty|poverty]] before God’s Might and Riches, and upon affection and reflection. This way is as sure as the way of [[love|love]], or even safer, for it elevates you so as to be loved by God on account of your sincere [[devotion|devotion]] to Him. Your perception and admission of your impotence leads you to the Divine Name the All-Merciful. Affection is more effective than [[love|love]] and leads to the Name the All-Compassionate. Reflection is brighter and more comprehensive than [[love|love]], and leads to the Name the All-Wise.”((Ibid., p. 494.))

  * “A woman’s greatest charm and beauty lie in her lovable good conduct accompanied with the kindness and grace particular to womanhood, and in her elevated, serious, and sincere **compassion**. That beauty of **compassion** and good conduct increase until she dies. It is through the [[love|love]] and [[respect|respect]] for her **compassion** and good conduct that one can observe her rights to the end. If she is loved because of her physical beauty, she is deprived of her rights and the [[love|love]] and [[respect|respect]] due to her at a time when she needs them most.”((Ibid., p. 653.))

  * “... a sensible man does not build his [[love|love]] for his companion for [[life|life]] on her physical, brief beauty, which will last only five to ten years. Rather, he should build it on her **compassion** and good conduct that is particular to womanhood, which are the best and most permanent of beauties, so that when that helpless one gets older, her husband’s [[love|love]] for her may persist. For his wife is not merely his temporary helper or companion in this worldly [[life|life]], but an eternal, lovable companion of [[life|life]] for all eternity. Therefore, as they grow older, they should increasingly [[love|love]], [[respect|respect]], and show **compassion** to each other. Modern family [[life|life]], which is subject to an eternal separation after a temporary, animal companionship under the veil of [[civilization|civilization]], is being destroyed at its very foundations.”((Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, //The Gleams//, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2013, p. 283.))

  * “The Qur’an is the unique book commanding true [[justice|justice]], real freedom, balanced equality, goodness, honor, virtue, and **compassion** for all creation. It is also the matchless book forbidding oppression, polytheism, injustice, ignorance, bribery, interest, lying, and bearing false witness.”((M. Fethullah Gülen, //Pearls of Wisdom//, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2013, p. 4.))

  * “... those who criticize the volunteers do not pay [[attention|attention]] to their religious devotion but only see their efforts for [[dialogue|dialogue]] with others from a narrow-minded perspective. However, in our time when the world is full of antagonism and weapons of mass destruction, [[dialogue|dialogue]] activities centered around [[love|love]], [[respect|respect]], **compassion**, and [[tolerance|tolerance]] are very important.”((M. Fethullah Gülen, //Endeavor for Renewal//, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2015, p. 235.))

  * “We should acquire the character traits of God, and be **compassionate** and merciful. Otherwise, people may say, ‘Since God is the All-Benevolent, the Companion, the All-Subtle, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, why don’t you try to take your share of His manifestations in that spacious sphere?’”((M. Fethullah Gülen, [[https://www.herkul.org/tag/sefkat-ya-hu/|“Şefkat Yâ Hû!”]], Bamteli, 24 Ocak 2016.))

  * “In fact, the essence of our path is **compassion**. The course of action of those who are in this service of faith and the Qur’an is [[contemplation|contemplation]] and their vision is **compassion**. If these two main lines are maintained, the meaning of [[helplessness|helplessness]], [[poverty|neediness]], [[enthusiasm|enthusiasm]] and gratitude become clear.”((Ibid.))

===== See Also =====

  * [[contemplation|Contemplation]]
  * [[enthusiasm|Enthusiasm]]
  * [[love|Love]]
  * [[thankfulness|Thankfulness]]

===== Further Reading =====

  * M. Fethullah Gülen, [[https://fountainmagazine.com/1993/issue-1-january-march-1993/compassion|“Compassion”]], //The Fountain//, January-March 1993.

===== External Links =====

  * Daniel Goleman, [[https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_goleman_why_aren_t_we_more_compassionate/|“Why aren’t we more compassionate?”]]
  * Karen Armstrong, [[https://www.ted.com/talks/karen_armstrong_my_wish_the_charter_for_compassion|“My wish: The Charter for Compassion”]]
  * M. Fethullah Gülen, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBYGS6lZ-0o|“Women: Heroines of Compassion”]]

===== Other Languages =====

  * [[https://nl.hizmetpedia.org/doku.php?id=mededogen|Nederlands]]
  * [[https://tr.hizmetpedia.org/doku.php?id=sefkat|Türkçe]]

===== Footnotes =====