Journals

AT THE VANGUARD OF CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM THOUGHT
READING SAID NURSI INTO THE ISLAMIC TRADITION
The Kurdish-origin Turkish scholar of Islam Said Nursi’s (1878–1960) system of theological contemplation (tafakkur) innovatively expands the limits of Muslim religious thought from within the Islamic tradition. It incorporates aspects of the Muslim creed that scholars of dialectical theology (kal:m) have conventionally substantiated based on textual evidence as opposed to rational proofs, such as resurrection or the existence of angels, into the realm of rational argumentation. And it bolsters the place of contemplation in Sufi practice, if we understand Sufism (taBawwuf) in its broadest sense as seeking excellence through knowledge of God (ma6rifat All:h). As such, Nursi stands at the vanguard of contemporary Muslim thought.

Author: Tuna, Mustafa

Publisher: Journal of Islamic Studies
Publication Year: 2017
Journal Issue Number: 28:3
Journal Page Number: 311–340

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Tuna [2017] Reading Nursi in Islamic Tradition.pdf