wisdom

Wisdom

“Wisdom is to know the truth of things, their qualities, characteristics, and values as they are; It is knowing the relation between the causes and effects, the secrets of the order in existence, and to act according to the requirements.”¹⁾

“There are four pillars of morality: Wisdom, blessed courage, chastity, and justice.”²⁾

“Wisdom, meaning knowledge, the understanding of Divine commandments, of philosophy, of the real reasons for the existence of events and of things, and grasping the goals and benefits in religion, has been interpreted by the exacting scholars of truth as being able to combine useful knowledge and righteous deeds in life. Righteous deeds are the willed outcome of knowledge applied, and the beginning of new Divine gifts.”³⁾

“… some scholars deal with wisdom in two categories, namely practical and theoretical, as they have done with reason. Theoretical wisdom is the effort that one makes along with a God-given ability to observe things and events as if they were an exhibition. It is also an attempt to penetrate the meaning behind and purpose for such events in order to study and read them like a book, to listen to them like a symphony, and to study and try to understand the mysterious relationship between the physical and the metaphysical realms of existence. As for practical wisdom, it is worshipping to discover and turning to the Owner of this exhibition, the Author of this book, the Composer of this symphony, running to Him in love and yearning, and deeply experiencing the awe and amazement of being in His Presence. So, to sum up, wisdom begins with reflection, curiosity, wonder, and the zeal to study and search, and continues with obedience and worship, ending in spiritual pleasures and eternal happiness.”⁴⁾

“Wisdom means the subtleties and mysteries of the Qur’an. Since the Qur’an is, in one respect, the correlative of the book of the universe and, in another, its interpretation and explanation, its subtleties and mysteries are also those of the book of the universe.

The Qur’an indicates this in the verse (2:269), He grants the wisdom to whomever He wills, and whoever is granted the wisdom, has indeed been granted much good.

Wisdom means Prophethood and the meaning of Messengership. The scholars of the Hadith have interpreted it as Sunna (the way of the Messenger). The verses, God granted him (David) kingdom and wisdom (2:251), and We granted Luqman wisdom (31:12), refer to this meaning.

Wisdom, in both its theoretical and practical aspects, means goodwill, which is mentioned in: Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation and preaching (16:125).”⁵⁾

“The principal sources of wisdom are Divine Revelation and inspiration. This means that all the Prophets and all the spiritual guides, each according to his rank, are also sages or wise people whose special property is wisdom.”⁶⁾

“ … existence is a book or an exhibition of wisdom, with the Qur'an being its voice or translator or description.”⁷⁾

“… wisdom develops in the bosom of contemplation.”⁸⁾

“A true person of ideals is also a person of wisdom. While observing everything from the comprehensive realm of reason, they also assess everything with the measures of their appreciative heart, testing them through the criteria of self-criticism and self-supervision, kneading and forming them in the crucible of reason, and always trying to possess and take further the radiance of the mind and the light of the heart in equal harness.”⁹⁾

“Divine Wisdom is closely related to creation. Ibrahim Haqqi of Erzurum states this truth as follows: ‘In whatever He does there are instances of wisdom; He does nothing in vain.’”¹⁰⁾

“This world is the realm of Wisdom; the Hereafter is the abode of Power. So, in accordance with the requirements of Divine Names such as the All-Wise, the All-Arranging, the All-Disposing, and the All-Nurturing, creation in the world is gradual and extends over a certain period of time.”¹¹⁾

“… Divine Power, Wisdom, and Truth are free of fault.”¹²⁾

“… scientists have advanced greatly in their detailed explanations of beings’ structures and natures, but are more backward than a simple believer in the exalted Divine sciences and eschatology, (which are the real wisdom).”¹³⁾

Footnotes

¹⁾

Zafer Erginli, Metinlerle Tasavvuf Terimleri Sözlüğü, İstanbul: Kalem Yayınevi, 2006, p. 374.

²⁾

Ebu Hamid Muhammed b. Muhammed el-Gazali, İhya-u Ulumi’d-Din III, Beyrut: Dâru Sâdır, 2000, tr. Ahmed Serdaroğlu, İstanbul: Bedir Yayınevi, 2002, p. 67.

³⁾

M. Fethullah Gülen, Emerald Hills of the Heart: Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, vol. 2, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2011, p. 26.

⁴⁾

Ibid, p. 26.

⁵⁾

Ibid, p. 26–27.

⁶⁾

Ibid, p. 28.

⁷⁾

Ibid, p. 30.

⁸⁾

M. Fethullah Gülen, İstikamet Çizgisi (Kırık Testi-17), New Jersey: Süreyya Yayınları, 2020, p. 153.

⁹⁾

M. Fethullah Gülen, The Statue of Our Souls, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2009, p. 125.

¹⁰⁾

M. Fethullah Gülen, Kendi İklimimiz (Prizma-5), İstanbul: Nil Yayınları, 2007, p. 171.

¹¹⁾

Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, The Words, New Jersey: The Light, 2013, s. 126.

¹²⁾

Ibid., p. 187.

¹³⁾

Ibid., p. 370.

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Wisdom

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