The Talk of the Beloved

“The talk of the Beloved is perhaps one of the most basic concepts that defines Fethullah Gülen Hodja Effendi’s¹⁾ life. Almost every gathering in which he is present turns into a talk of the Beloved. No matter what subject is opened, the topic is brought to the talk of the Beloved in some way. With his satisfying and persuasive style, he offers beams of spiritual knowledge to those present.”²⁾

“… when we get together, we should not waste our time with the news. We should always make a talk of the Beloved and insist on deliberation. Even when we come together with the intention of consultation to discuss some issues, we should devote a large part of our time to the reading and understanding of certain works that will introduce us to our Lord and enable us to reconsider our servitude.”³⁾

“I beg of you, when we come together, let our talks always be the talk about the Beloved. In other words, let’s turn and bind our words to God and His Messenger. Let’s talk about the religion of Islam and not allow for even a drop of superfluity. Let’s not forget that the minutes of our lifespan are limited. Let’s not waste them.”⁴⁾

“… a believer should seek liveliness in faith and increase in certainty sometimes by making use of books, by considering the fruitful lives of the Righteous Scholars of the early period of Islam (the first three generations that followed the Prophet), sometimes by reflections and talks of the Beloved, and sometimes by remembrance and recitations.”⁵⁾

“… the way to make our gatherings fruitful is to bring the words to the ground of contemplation, where we will always think about God, may He be glorified and exalted, and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and to turn conversations and discussions to the talk of the Beloved.”⁶⁾

“If we wish to make our values into a depth of our character, then we need to keep up engaging our own sources of spiritual nourishment ceaselessly, always bring the issue to the talk of the Beloved, and orient all of our conversations toward these.”⁷⁾

“… like an insatiable journeyer asking for more, one must run from one range to another. To put it in an oft-repeated phrase: it is necessary to relate every issue to talk of the Beloved, and thus deem about Him every day with fresh acquisitions, and make Him once more the subject of a lively discussion.”⁸⁾

“… the indication of greatness is modesty and self-effacement. And the indication of worthlessness is vanity. So true knowledge is a person’s being able to crown the knowledge he has with these considerations. And this can be achieved by people who have sipped perfection, attained maturity, and turned their theoretical knowledge into practical deeds. Although Muhammed Lütfi Effendi was a blessed person who sat and devoted some six hours a day to engaging in wisdom, knowledge, and the talk of the Beloved (contemplative dialogue), he would still say: ‘Neither do I have knowledge nor good deeds, / Nor do I have any power for goodness and devotions / Immersed in rebellion, I have a lot of sins / I don’t know what will become of me, on the day of reckoning.’”⁹⁾

“(Today’s devotees) … abhor being idle or wasting their lives. They are always active in restoring worldly and religious life by composing something if they are literate, or by presenting a pen to those who are literate; they always strive to continue to make their contributions in the caravan of service. They love knowledge, respecting the wise ones, making friends with sensitive people, and continuously mentioning the Beloved One in their conversations.”¹⁰⁾

“(The faithful servants at the Gate of the All-Just One) … display faithfulness all the time. Despite the fact that they always seriously long for His Company, never ever do they whine. They remove all expectations that are not of Him from their minds, and think only of His Presence. Their conversations become those of the Beloved, and thus, their voices gain an angelic profundity.”¹¹⁾

“The Emerald Hills of the Heart is a stand of the talk of the Beloved, which draws us back to our purpose of existence and connects all of our human interests to the beyond, at a time when worldly and material occupations that enslave our intellectual, mental and spiritual interests are intensified to the greatest extent possible.”¹²⁾

M. Fethullah Gülen, “Internalizing Islam”

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