WHAT KIND OF TURKISH ISLAMIC UNION?

The First World War and the Second World War taught humanity a lesson in the form of wanton slaughter on a global scale, major European cities reduced to rubble, flattened housing estates, and genocidal concentration camps. The West, caught in the middle of these wars, drew a very important lesson from these tragedies: form alliances in order to have an efficient, easier, and quicker conflict-resolution mechanism. Other European countries had tried to form alliances in the past, but these were never long-lived either because of a conflict of national interest or for some ideological reason. This time, the West knew that the desired union had to be more than just an economic or a joint defense pact; it had to be a union established upon common cultural values. Obviously, this is a lengthy process.

And when your Lord announced: “If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe.” (Surah Ibrahim: 7)

These wars devastated Europe's economy and industry. The survivors had to rebuild hundreds of cities, repair infrastructure, and reestablish a functioning education and health system. The war was over, but now the colonies were demanding independence. It appeared to be a hard job to create stability as well as a union amidst all of this disorder. The first step in this direction was the European Coal and Steel Federation, formed in 1951 primarily to serve and develop industry. This union eventually became the European Economic Community (EEC), then the European Community (EC), and finally the European Union (EU). Eventually, it became a strong union in which products, services, capital, and labor freely circulate between member states; a union having a common currency, compatible laws, and even state bureaucracies. Today, the EU is one of the major players on the international political stage.

The military, political, and economic unity of the Islamic world will enable a better use of the available resources and allow it to accomplish major cultural and economic development.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY DENGE TV, JULY 2008 Adnan Oktar: Although Muslim countries have enormous revenues, their peoples are poor. That is so, the people are poor in just about all Islamic countries. And they have a low quality of life. That is generally the case. But there is no reason for this. If a Turkish-Islamic Union is set up, if a rational Turkish-Islamic Union Parliament is established, then these problems will be totally resolved. And the global rule of Islamic moral values will be a matter of moments. It will happen like lightning. That is why we must concentrate on union. We must bring all the Turkic states, almost all of which are Muslim, and all Muslim states, under a single roof, and bring them into a great structure like a Turkish-Islamic NATO or a Turkish-Islamic Common Market. We must keep them all as separate nation states; in other words, there is no need to change the states. We must base ourselves on reason, honesty, love and fervor within the system. It is essential to get rid of the official mentality. That breaks the spirit. The official spirit must be avoided. Love one, and sincerity two. These things must be resolved with love and sincerity.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY KRAL KARADENIZ TV, JANUARY 2nd, 2008 Adnan Oktar: Our nation has an ideal in the hearts of everyone, from 7 to 70. We know this right from childhood; Turkish Islamic Union. We are the children of the Ottomans. We are their descendants. We will do what our grandfathers did. All the conditions for the formation of the Turkish-Islamic Union have now come about. Once the Turkish-Islamic Union is established and borders are opened, by Allah's leave, it will include Iraq, Syria, Azerbaijan, Turkistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia and the Caucasus. That will be our day for rejoicing. We will get in our cars from here and go right as far as the Caspian, where we will lay our tables by the shore and have dinner. From there we will move on to Turkistan, and from there to Armenia and everywhere. We will just have to salute at the border crossings, that is all. There will be no need for passports or visas. The border points will have to be at least 10 meters across, from one end to the other. What is great about this union is that there will be no racism, only love... What I am talking about has the idea of a fervent love, a love of Allah and helping His servants. This is a system that also embraces Christians and Jews. A system that embraces the whole Arab world, the whole Islamic world, with that warm love inspired by Islam... This Turkish-Islamic Union is a spirit coming to us from the Ottomans, from our forefathers. It is a spirit taught to us by our forefathers. This blessed and delightful union will definitely come about. That is our destiny. But it is a question of love and desire. Once 90% of people in Turkey want it, the matter will be over and done with. Once it has happened in people's hearts, opening up the borders will not take even 10 minutes. Opening up the borders is not the problem, it is essential for this to be accepted and become a reality in people's hearts. It will take just 10 or 15 minutes at most to open up the borders.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has 56 member states and is the largest Muslim organization in terms of number of members and of geography. In addition, there are several regional military and trade alliances between neighboring Muslim nations, each of which fulfills important functions and represents a positive development. However, the Islamic world needs a more comprehensive union, one with permanent institutions empowered to take binding decisions, develop and implement common policies, represent the entire Islamic world, and produce solutions for all Muslims rather than just in a few regional hotspots. This union's power must be economic, military, and social. The existence of such a union will create an environment of mutual trust and agreement so that a sense of solidarity will develop. Accordingly, the member states' security concerns will be addressed, and the resulting extensive cooperation will result in higher standards of living in the member states. Acting as one body in all affairs concerning it, either directly or indirectly, this world will be able to develop strategies that are in the Islamic world's best interest.

In the second half of the twentieth century, developments in Palestine, Bosnia, Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh, Kashmir, and Aceh brought an important truth home to the Islamic world. In these regions, where thousands of civilians lost their lives, countless children were orphaned and savagery and violence reached shocking levels, the West either did not react at all or was slow to take preventive action. Such indifference reminded the Muslims once more that all of them are responsible for protecting the rights of other Muslims and meeting their needs. Therefore, the Islamic world has be very responsive and proactive, for only united Muslim nations can guarantee the safety of all Muslims by speaking for all Muslims in the international political arena with one voice.

The Islamic world has to become one bloc in terms of military, politics, and economics. An Islamic world united from within will ensure world peace and prevent radicals from moving toward a clash of civilizations based upon their ideologies of self-interest and conflict.

The Turkish Islamic Union's General Structure

The Turkish Islamic Union must have a structure that preserves member states' independence, national borders, rights, and interests. Each sovereign state must strive to unite under a shared Islamic culture, develop common policies, and establish the legislative and administrative organs that will implement them. The purpose here is not to achieve a structural merger of states, but to unite behind common policies and interests in order to achieve the political power that such a union would have.

In such a union, the world's Muslims will be in direct touch with one another, know each other's problems intimately, and help one another. Separatism, factionalism, and fanaticism will be put aside for the principle of Muslim unity. The fact that the Islamic world has not been able to reach consensus among the different views, systems, and models that characterize its members has prevented it from acting in unity. The proposed union's call for unity will not be made according to race, economic condition, or geographical location, and all animosity arising from differences of race, language, or culture will cease under the umbrella of this union. Its members' sense of unity will not be based upon the superiority of one culture, nation, or group over another, but upon the spirit of solidarity engendered by equality, compassion, love, and friendship.

One of the primary reasons for establishing the Turkish Islamic Union is to create a central authority capable of directing the general Muslim population. For this reason, the central authority must have a structure that reaches all Muslims or, in other words, must be able to accommodate all different views under its umbrella. The Turkish Islamic Union must be based on Islam's central tenets, receive practical as well as theoretical differences in views with compassion and understanding, and successfully turn these differences into cultural diversity and wealth. These differences must not be allowed to obstruct the application of political will and joint action. All disputes between Muslim nations must be resolved, and their differences must be settled within the framework of this central authority. An Islamic world that can manage its internal affairs will be able to resolve potential differences with other civilizations easily and to produce the joint policies that its central authority will implement and administer.

The Islamic world has many issues that need to be resolved and that are continuing problems for the international community: such political tragedies as Palestine, Kashmir, and Iraq; the ideological war on terrorism; and such social issues as underdevelopment, poverty, health, and education. These main topics are not regional or local matters; rather, they have a direct bearing on all Muslims. Given this reality, the Islamic world must achieve solidarity in order to resolve them. No one can suggest that what happens in Palestine concerns only the Palestinians, that the innocent Muslim Kashmiri civilians suffering from oppression should sort themselves out, or that starving children in some Islamic country are only the responsibility of the country in question. Muslims cannot accept this situation as a matter of faith. of faith.

Allah calls to the Abode of Peace and He guides whom He wills to a straight path. (Surah Yunus: 25) Make allowances for people, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant. (Surat al-A’raf: 199)

However, Muslims have failed to form a strong alliance among themselves and so other—and non-Muslim—countries are offering solutions to these and similar problems. The proposed solutions, however, do not have the Muslims' best interest at heart, or else offer only short-term solutions. In many conflict-riven regions, the Muslims' relative weakness prevents them from having any real voice at the negotiating table. In addition, the so-called peace plans often incorporate certain clauses that do more harm than good. The Islamic world has an obligation to produce a joint action plan to safeguard the affected Muslims' rights.

The number of issues awaiting resolution by the Turkish Islamic Union indicates that it will have a busy schedule. To function efficiently, it needs to have a permanent operational headquarters, form the legislative and administrative organs that will coordinate their activities (including their subdivisions), and ensure that these institutions will function properly. The infrastructure that will deliver the right decisions at the right time must be built, the union must inspire trust with its activities, and its members must be reassured that their rights are fully protected.

The Turkish Islamic Union must have the flexibility to adapt to changing political conditions and the foresight to develop appropriate strategies. The need for an active central authority that can take the initiative, instead of giving reflexive responses to world events or being content with either criticizing or voicing opinions, is obvious. This center must shoulder the responsibility for coordinating, supervising, and serving the interest of all member states equally. It must consider all developments objectively and be guided by the Islamic world's demands. A Turkish Islamic Union that can arbitrate between member states, resolve their conflicts of interests, and protect Muslims in their dealings with other nations will increase the Islamic world's cultural, economic, and political influence.

For the Turkish Islamic Union to become a united force and a unifying structure, it must protect modern social values, respect the human rights of all people, and be based on democratic principles. Not surprisingly, all of these values are central to Islamic morality.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY TEMPO TV, DECEMBER 3rd, 2008 Adnan Oktar: Love is the most powerful weapon. There is no door that love cannot open. They need to use love, not bombs or weapons. Love can bring any country to its knees and make any country its captive. For example, will America permit the Turkish-Islamic Union? Yes, but we need a weapon. And what is that weapon? Love. America cannot stand up to love. Russia cannot stand up to love. China cannot stand up to love. Once there is love and goodwill there is no country that will not agree to the Turkish-Islamic Union. But we need complete sincerity and an intense love of people and to make no distinctions between people. We must treat them all with love and affection as servants created by Allah.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY TIMOTHY FURNISH, DECEMBER 14th, 2008 Adnan Oktar: In the union I am talking about, love, peace, brotherhood, rational thinking and attaching importance to art and beauty predominate. Attaching importance to well-being, peace, human freedom and democracy predominate. A deep love and respect for Christians and Jews predominate. In my way of thinking, for example, Armenians and Israel are also in the Turkish-Islamic Union. There is therefore no claim of any racial, bloodline or genetic superiority. There is a union of love and affection. There is therefore no harshness, nothing to make people worried or uneasy. It is a system that strives for human happiness and joy.

A Peaceful and Harmonious Turkish Islamic Union

The Turkish Islamic Union must work to bring peace to all people, not just Muslims, and compassionate and peaceful in its decisions and practices. The core of Islam is the good morality revealed in the Qur'an, which requires Muslims to be friendly, gentle, compassionate, just, understanding, patient, and devoted. Islam invites people to a peaceful world:

O you who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of satan. He is an outright enemy to you. (Surat al-Baqara: 208)

Muslims are defined as people who obey Allah's commands, try to practice the Qur'an's morality diligently, make the world a nicer place, build it up, and deliver peace and happiness. They strive to do good, pleasant, and nice things for people, and make a great effort to reflect our Lord's infinite compassion and mercy. Allah told His followers to be good to people, take an interest in his or her surrounding environment, and call people to the right path. Allah describes in the following verse the difference between people who have no positive effect on their surrounding environment and those who always try to do good:

Allah makes another metaphor: two men, one of them deaf and dumb, unable to do anything, a burden on his master, no matter where he directs him he brings no good. Is he the same as someone who commands justice and is on a straight path? (Surat an-Nahl: 76)

The message of this verse must guide the Turkish Islamic Union, which must be a platform for implementing Islamic morality's understanding of devotion, unity, friendship, honesty, justice, loyalty, fidelity, and service. Islamic morality guarantees people's freedom of thought and life, discourages tension and dispute between people, and even forbids suspicion, negative thoughts and words about one another. Our envisaged union must be formed by Muslims who operate on that basis and work for world peace.

The Qur'anic morality requires that Muslims refrain from war and conflict and resolve disputes by dialogue and agreement. In the Qur'an, Allah considers war to be an unwanted necessity and a last resort that must abide by strict humanitarian and moral rules. Muslims are charged with always siding with peace and agreement, and fighting only in self-defense if attacked by the enemy. Allah reveals that it is evil-doers who begin war and that He does not like them:

Each time they kindle the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it. They rush about the land corrupting it. Allah does not love corrupters. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 64) 

Our Prophet Muhammad's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) life shows that war is only fought for defensive purposes when all else has failed. The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) over a period of 23 years. For the first 13 years, Muslims lived as an oppressed minority community under pagan rule. Many Muslims were physically tortured, some were killed, and others had their property looted. As a community, they were constantly exposed to humiliation and threats. Nevertheless, they remained peaceful and continued to invite the pagan Meccans to peace. When the oppression reached unbearable levels, the Muslims migrated to Yathrib (later Madinah), where they found freedom and friendship, and where they gradually established their own rule. Not even then did they declare war on the aggressive pagans of Mecca.

The nature of an Islamic society is measured and balanced, for people are invited to do good and commanded to refrain from evil. Allah states in Surat al-Baqara: 143 that Muslims are witnesses as well as role models to people as a "middlemost community." Allah reveals in another verse that they are required to be an example of good for humanity:

You are the best nation ever to be produced before mankind. You enjoin the right, forbid the wrong, and believe in Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran: 110)

An organization formed by Muslims who abide by Allah's teaching is obviously required to protect and represent this good morality and show the Turkish Islamic Union's way forward. It must first resolve intra-Muslim disputes and deliver peace to the Islamic world, oppose any movement that incites violence and war, and constitute a preventive force against all warmongers. Furthermore, it must cooperate with the international community on terrorism and international crime, as well as on matters of general concern (e.g., weapons of mass destruction), and even lead the fight against these threats.

A Generator of Solutions

We have briefly mentioned some problems (e.g., Palestine, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Iraq) that the Turkish Islamic Union could resolve quickly. Thus, once it is established, this union will have to shoulder huge responsibilities and become an organization that can generate realistic and appropriate solutions.

The current situation has a negative effect not only on Muslims, but also on many innocent people around the world. Untold millions continue to suffer from the curses of corruption, poverty, immorality, the unfair distribution of wealth, ruthlessness, tyranny, conflict, and injustice. Babies die because there is no food, children and the elderly are left to fend for themselves on the streets, refugees are forced to live in tents or barracks, and sick people cannot afford any medical treatment—all of these problems affect not only the Islamic world and the underdeveloped world in general, but also, to a lesser extent, the developed world.

Many innocent and needy people are waiting for a helping hand. The Muslims' responsibilities in this regard are as follows:

What reason could you have for not fighting in the Way of Allah—for those men, women, and children who are oppressed and say: "Our Lord, take us out of this city whose inhabitants are wrongdoers! Give us a protector from You! Give us a helper from You!?" (Surat an-Nisa': 75)

The Turkish Islamic Union will resolve the disputes between Muslims and non-Muslims as well as conflicts between Muslims. Currently, even intra-Muslim disputes are being resolved by Western countries or international organizations under their control. Foreign powers, unfamiliar with Muslim history and culture, do not appear to be capable of delivering appropriate solutions, even if they do provide some little help from time to time. Muslim nations should solve their own problems, for then their problems will not be dragged into the international arena, the proposed solutions will be in their interest, and a united Islamic world will send out a message of power and stability. One of the Islamic world's greatest troubles is its current inability to produce such common policies and effective strategies even on matters of direct concern.

Hungry and poor people need every kind of help.

The Turkish Islamic Union must find solutions for the Muslim nations as well as for all people seeking peace and security. Each nation has its own political, demographic, and economic problems, and different regions have their own regional problems too. Although each of these problems requires different solutions and measures, the fundamental problems and their solutions are everywhere the same. Much suffering and trouble is caused by the fact that the Qur'an's morality is not practiced as it should be, which means that the required solutions are not devised according to its guidance. If just and realistic solutions are to be reached, such qualities as open-mindedness, flexibility, and free thinking, together with honesty, devotion, justice, and helpfulness, all of which are derived from the Qur'an's morality must guide the Muslims.

There is an important link between solving economic problems and social morality. For instance, one of the greatest economic problems is social injustice, which is essentially a moral problem. There can be no social injustice in an Islamic society, for Allah requires that all surplus goods or wealth be shared with the needy and prohibits conspicuous consumption. Financial means should not constitute the basis for privilege and become a value shared by the few, for the Qur'an's morality requires social solidarity and awareness of one another's needs. Sincere Muslims have such a devotional character that they give their food first to the poor and the captives, even if they are in need themselves. They do so only to earn Allah's good pleasure, for:

They give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captives [saying], "We feed you only out of desire for the Face of Allah. We do not want any repayment from you or any thanks." (Surat al-Insan: 8-9)

The solidarity and cooperation between individuals can easily be achieved in international relations, for Islamic morality will guide the union's member nations. It is intolerable that some countries enjoy exaggerated luxury while, in another country, thousands of newborn babies die of starvation. Every conscientious person should be disturbed by this situation.

Many charitable and international organizations are actively seeking to assist these poor and suffering nations. However, their efforts usually do not go beyond delivering aid packages to the affected regions. And, this aid often does not reach its intended recipients due to the failures of the underdeveloped nation's system and their mafia or gang-type organizations. All of these must be eradicated, and a new mentality based on conscience and common sense must be nurtured through mass education campaigns.

When wastefulness is prevented, when solidarity develops and sharing is encouraged, and especially when people have learned to be guided by their conscience, such economic imbalances can be eradicated. The most suitable structure to implement these solutions will be the Turkish Islamic Union.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY TURKMENELI TV, APRIL 22nd, 2008 Adnan Oktar: The most perfect thing to do is to set up the Turkish-Islamic Union. To assume the leadership of all Islamic countries and all Turkish provinces, because all Turkish provinces are generally Muslim. But at the same time, Turkey must play the role of older brother in the region. It must defend Armenian interests and strive to enrich them, too. It must bring peace to Palestine and Israel and the whole region and act as older brother to the region. That is the most urgent task. It is also very important in terms of the EU. Being freed from terror and the fear of terror will be a great blessing and luxury for them. The Turkish-Islamic Union will make that very sure and sound. All the sufferings and disorder in the Islamic world will end. Turkish-Islamic states will move toward a civilization on the European scale, or even greater. That is because the Turkish-Islamic countries are potentially very wealthy. The area is very wealthy. But they are not well-organized. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, for example, are places with a huge potential. Their union means the greatest civilization in the world.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY AZERBAIJAN APA NEWS AGENCY, AUGUST 16th, 2008 Adnan Oktar: The time when there is no Turkish-Islamic Union will always be one of suffering. There is no way around it. We see it in the Caucasus and elsewhere. We can still see it. It cannot be stopped, the bloodshed cannot be stopped. The only answer is the Turkish-Islamic Union. Any delay will leave people suffering a great scourge. We must strive for this with all our might, as a nation, as the Turkish nation. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, East Turkestan, all the Turkic states, Kyrgyzstan, we must all come together and resolve this as a matter of urgency. Every passing day works against us, may Allah forbid. It is the lack of a Turkish-Islamic Union that lies behind the bloodshed in Georgia, the troubles in Abkhazia, the sufferings of the Russians and all the rest. If Turkey were to propose today to Azerbaijan that we unite as "two states, one nation," believe me that a positive response would be forthcoming within 24 hours, insha'Allah. The same with Syria, and with Iraq. There is no Islamic country or Turkic country that will not accept it. One would have to have a psychological disorder to reject such a plentiful, excellent and peaceable union. It is inconceivable. We are proceeding in the favor of the whole world, and insha'Allah this union will come about. Allah is showing us the signs. As well as what happens in the lack of such union.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY RADIO RFA (Radio Free Asia), JUNE 14th, 2008 Adnan Oktar: This is not a colonialist or selfish union. It is a union of love and friendship, a union of solidarity and understanding, of moderation, built on a basis of laicity. In other words, it will be grounded in laicism, and this is most important. As long as it is laicist, peaceful and a pro-democratic system, there is no reason for China to be worried by it. This will also allow Israel to relax. It will mean the immediate end to all the conflict in the region. Because, as you know, Palestine is suffering; but Israel is suffering, too, and there is the ever-present possibility of a bomb dropping on their heads. Israel lives behind walls. They are literally prisoners; they have made themselves prisoners. They have locked themselves behind walls. Let us tear those walls down. Let commercial vehicles roll up there. Let busses and lorries go there. Let ships go, by sea. Let things be made easier. China too needs to be convinced and this may be more through the work of non-governmental organizations, of course. … This is an idea that will free China from those unnecessary fears and enable it to abandon these classic policies of state. In classic state policy wherever there is some benefit to you, you go and invade it. You crush the inhabitants and live there yourself. But there is no need to suck blood in order to live. You can do it with love and friendship. It is vampire bats living on sucking blood, it doesn't suit China to live so. ... There is pan-Turkism and pan-Islamism, but there is also the Turkish-Islamic Union. In pan-Turkism if someone so wishes he can interpret this as meaning the Turkish race is superior to the other races of the world and that the other races will be its slaves. People would naturally be afraid of that. Or they may think of it as an Islamic Union. People might try to turn that into a ruthless system in which very harsh rules apply. We have seen this in the dark times of history. We have seen it in past times. But neither is what I am referring to here. For one thing, there is the guarantee of laicism. The system will be entirely founded on laicism, and that is most important. A Buddhist will be a first-class human being, an atheist will be a first-class human being, a first-class citizen. Muslims will be first-class citizens. Christians will be first-class citizens. Jews will be first-class citizens. And it is laicism that will bring this about. There will be a joyful, loving atmosphere and security, and of course a powerful military union, a military establishment, wherever there is terror. There will be no need for bloodshed. You will just tell people to give terror up. And they will. Nobody will persist in the face of deterrent force. Wherever there may be terror in the world the matter will come to an end when you call to the individual and ask him to stop, because the Turkish-Islamic Union will be a militarily implacable and very powerful one. Whoever it asks, there the matter will end. And conflict will therefore end. Injustice will end. Nobody will therefore object to it.

Private and Individual Rights Must Be Just and Respected

In a society shaped by true Islamic morality, individual rights and freedoms are very important. Personal rights and freedoms are guaranteed so that people can live a free and dignified life. Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that all people are equal in His Presence, for superiority is based upon one's awareness of Allah, and He commands Muslims to be just, compassionate, forgiving, and understanding toward people. Therefore, they must respect differences and be fair when evaluating them.

Our Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) practices in the first Islamic society (Madinah) have shown the way for all Muslims with regard to social structure and governance. The "Constitution of Madinah," considered the Muslims' first constitution, reflects an advanced level of understanding of law and exemplifies Islamic society's sense of justice and individual rights. Under it, all people of whatever religion were given their fundamental rights and freedoms, and people's property, life, family, and places of worship were safeguarded. With this agreement, everyone could live under one political entity and peace was brought to tribes that had been feuding with one another for many years. Outside of the Constitution of Madinah, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) always treated the pagans fairly, honored their pleas for safety and protection and desired friendly and civilized relations between people.

Fourteen centuries ago, Islam brought such values as individual rights, law and order, equality before the law, and economic freedom to humanity. As Islam spread, the justice that prevailed throughout its domain became the envy of all nations. This sense of justice, which is still remembered today with respect and approval by many Western thinkers, led many people and nations to embrace Islam and welcome Muslim rule. Our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) practiced the Qur'anic system of justice in the best possible way, and his Companions and Muslims in general continued to practice this superior morality. This enabled the Muslims to become a community that achieved justice between people:

Among those We have created there is a community who guide by the Truth and act justly according to it. (Surat al-A'raf: 181)

Oil complexes in Azerbaijan and Indonesia.

Islam teaches freedom of thought and participation in government. A broad-based consultation process is one of Islam's most fundamental social requirements, for Allah commands Muslims to govern by mutual consultation, namely, to discuss their affairs among themselves:

[Believers are] those who respond to their Lord and perform prayer, manage their affairs by mutual consultation, and give of what We have provided for them. (Surat ash-Shura: 38)

When action follows consultation, all individuals will have had an equal right to voice their opinions and then to consider the matter from many different perspectives. This reduces the possibility of error and, therefore, results in an agreed-upon and appropriate decision.

The degeneration and moral collapse in societies where people are far removed from religion's morality is a major problem in many countries.

The most important aspect of consultation is that each representative does his or her best to respect and understand the different viewpoints. Their main concern is to find the right ideas, rather than who proposed them. In other words, consultation's main purpose is to make those decisions that are in society's best interest. Islamic morality requires that Muslims not insist upon their own views, but adopt the view that is closest to their conscience and justice. Muslims must refrain from the insistence and pride inherent in thinking that "my views are the best, my views must be recognized by all," for such behavior does not please Allah. Muslims must know that that there is always someone who knows more than they do, and that it would be a grave error to insist that their own ideas are the best:

Over everyone with knowledge is a knower. (Surah Yusuf: 76) 

The Islamic principle of consultation is a leading light for the Turkish Islamic Union, which must be built on a political culture of free speech without fear of recrimination, where their rights are safeguarded, and where everyone's views are listened to with equal respect. In this way, its member nations will develop societies in which people respect each other's views; where equality, justice, and freedom rule; and where oppression and injustice are eradicated. Such achievements will enable the Islamic world to guarantee the Muslims' safety and happiness, and also will become the driving force of our world's culture and civilization.

Projects of "greening the deserts" play an important role in the Muslim world's economic recovery. The projects carried out in Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco have been quite successful. Economic cooperation among Muslim countries will yield better results in similar projects.

The Ultimate Goal: Developing the Islamic World

The Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, 452 meters tall, are the second tallest buildings in the world. ... He gave you refuge and supported you with His Help and provided you with good things so that hopefully you would be thankful. (Surat al-Anfal:26)

One of the Islamic world's most serious problems is its general underdevelopment. Therefore, one of the Turkish Islamic Union's priorities must be to develop the Islamic world by supporting the poorer countries and resolving their economic problems. This can be done by fighting poverty,—encouraging new investments, creating jobs,—achieving law and order throughout society, removing economic injustice and guaranteeing social justice, and strengthening international as well as regional cooperation and dialogue.

Problems and tensions within the Islamic world caused by financial inequality must be reduced. A union and cooperation between Muslim nations in the economic, political, and, most importantly, the cultural arenas will enable the underdeveloped nations to advance rapidly. Moreover, those that have the necessary infrastructure in place will be enabled to maximize their productivity. Such a union will benefit economic growth and scientific and technological development.

Economic growth will increase investment in science and technology, and technological advancements will fuel further economic growth. Economic development will raise educational standards, and society will develop in many ways. Under the umbrella of the Turkish Islamic Union, individuals will be able to travel freely without the obstacles of visas or borders, and a system of free trade and enterprise will drive the Islamic world's rapid growth and development.

This development will naturally result in the Islamic world's modernization and reaching the standards found in the developed world. While Islam's economic principles diverge from the hedonism that dominates the majority of the West, free trade is just as essential to Islamic societies as it is to Western societies. Islam recognizes everybody's right to private ownership and free enterprise, but Islamic morality places certain responsibilities on individuals in order to achieve social justice. The poor have a share in the wealth of the rich, but not in the form of enforced taxation. Rather, the rich give this share to the poor willingly because of their beliefs. Islam's version of social justice is not achieved by central planning and enforcement, as socialism proclaimed but failed to deliver, but by the society's dominant moral values. Islamic morality also prevents the rich from indulging in conspicuous consumption and extravagance.

Islamic morality instructs people to avoid waste and extravagance. This is a key element in establishing social justice in Islamic societies. Social justice in Islam can be established by the society's prevalent moral values. Consequently, living by the Qur'an's values and Islamic unity will cause the Islamic world to become more prosperous.

The materialistic social model encourages consumption, selfishness, and the ruthless oppression of others by individuals who have lost their respect and love for their fellow citizens. Over the past two centuries, this social model has come to dominate the majority of the Western world and has eroded its moral values. As a consequence, many Western countries are forced to fight widespread drug abuse, prostitution, corruption, gambling, alcohol abuse, and organized crime. Furthermore, weakening religious beliefs has created an identity crisis: Materialist philosophies, which assert that the purpose of life is to acquire material wealth and live a life of pleasure, cannot satisfy people's spirituality and so end up creating a void of aimlessness. Under the banner of freedom, its adherents abandon themselves to their own selfish desires.

... so that it (booty) does not become something which merely revolves between the rich among you... (Surat al-Hashr: 7)

Islamic morality, on the other hand, frees people from all kinds of worries and anxieties that trouble their minds. Believers only heed Allah and seek to win only His good pleasure. Fully aware of their responsibilities to our Lord, they live by their conscience at all times and, as such, are content and well-balanced individuals. They offer their environment goodness and beauty. This morality frees people from the pressures of envy, excessive desire, fear of the future and death, and other attitudes and fears that are incompatible with religious morality. Freed of these negative characteristics, they experience the freedom and peace derived from submitting to Allah.

Therefore, the development and advancement encouraged by the Turkish Islamic Union will not be identical to the development envisaged by the West. During its period of development, the West experienced great social injustice. For instance, the driving force of development in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century England was ruthless exploitation. The working classes endured terrible working and living conditions. Children as young as 7 or 8 were made to work in filthy coal mines for 16 hours a day; many of them died before they were 20 years old. In the 1840s, the average life expectancy of coal miners fell to an average of 17 years.16 On the other hand, the rich lived in excessive luxury and extravagance. All industrialized Western countries went through these horrific experiences, and they built themselves upon the exploitation and oppression of millions of poor people.

The developmental model of a society dominated by Islamic morality will comprise social justice. The West suffered great injustice during its own development because its leaders adhered to materialism's misconceptions of human nature. Islamic morality, however, requires people to be entrepreneurs and pioneers in all fields, as well as compassionate, selfless, and just to others. Throughout the rise of Islamic civilization, Muslims were world leaders in economics and very successful traders. However, the resulting wealth did not remain in the hands of the few, but spread throughout society. Such social aid institutions as charitable organizations, social complexes, soup kitchens, caravanserai (large inns), public baths, and libraries show that wealth and culture did not remain in the hands of a few Muslims, but were accessible to all. The envisaged Turkish Islamic Union must adopt this developmental model.

Nadir Divan Begi Madrasah, 1622, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Alaaddin Caravanserai, 1229, Aksaray, Turkey. A caravanserai dating back to the 17th century, Punjab, India. Sher-Dor and Tilla Kari Madrasah, Samarkand, Uzbekistan. They will ask you what they should give away. Say, “Any wealth you give away should go to your parents and relatives and to orphans and the very poor and travelers.” Whatever good you do, Allah knows it. (Surat al-Baqara: 215) The metaphor of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is that of a grain which produces seven ears; in every ear there are a hundred grains. Allah gives such multiplied increase to whoever He wills. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.(Surat al-Baqara: 261)

Another aspect of this developmental model is open-mindedness. Islamic morality requires Muslims to be open-minded or, in other words, that they maintain relations with other cultures and benefit from their achievements. For this reason, Muslim thinkers and scientists examined earlier Greek, Chinese, Roman, and Indian scholarly works, from which they acquired knowledge and then developed and enriched with an Islamic understanding. The Islamic world of today must examine other cultures, in particular those of the West, benefit from their accumulated knowledge, and then use and advance them further for their own—and humanity's—benefit.

Trying to isolate the Islamic world from other cultures making it self-contained will not benefit Muslims. Islamic morality demands that technology be used to the full. For instance, Muslims must build their own film industry to teach humanity righteousness and goodness, as a counterweight to films that seek to impose a materialistic twist on Islamic morality. If some art trends contain negative influences, Muslims must produce a more beautiful and splendid art form. If people admire the impressiveness, cleanliness, comfort, and liveliness of cities, Muslims must build even better cities and make the world an even better place in which to live.

Surely Muslims can build a civilization comparable to the great Islamic civilization of the past, but to do so they must live according to the aesthetics and artistry, open-mindedness, moderation, and justice of the Qur'an's values. Islamic art, culture, and civilization will not only bring prosperity to Muslims, but to all of humanity. The world's greatest libraries, most stunning architecture, cleanest streets, the brightest lit roads, and best schools, universities, and hospitals will be built by Muslims, and all people will have equal access to them.

The rise of Islamic civilization is possible under the leadership of an Islamic central power, and the twenty-first century can be an enlightening one for the Islamic world. At a time when globalization is gaining momentum, Muslim nations must resolve their conflicts; enter into joint scientific, technological, and trading ventures; and combine their forces in the interest of all Muslims.

The United Arab Emirates Ubudiah Mosque, Malaysia. Good land yields up its plants by its Lord’s permission, but that which is bad only yields up scantily. In this way We vary the Signs for people who are thankful. (Surat al-A’raf: 58) We did not create the heavens and earth and everything between them, except with truth. The Hour is certainly coming, so turn away graciously. (Surat al-Hijr: 85)

Finally, it must be stated that Muslims do not divide the world into two opposing poles: "Westerners" and "Muslims." First, the majority of Western people are People of the Book and therefore share many of the Muslims' moral and religious values. That is why many aspects of Western culture (e.g., freedom of belief, democracy, and family values) are central to Islamic morality as well. On the other hand, many people in the West have chosen Islam as their religion and continue to do so. Considering that the Qur'an's values have so far not been made available correctly and comprehensively in the West, it is realistic to expect many more people to embrace Islam. Muslims must adopt this attitude to the West and its culture. Also, they must remember that some circles have been under the influence of materialistic philosophies for over two centuries, and that they still need to be freed from their prejudices. This is the responsibility of Muslims.

Ubudiah Mosque, Malaysia. (left) Iran (right) If you tried to number Allah’s blessings, you could never count them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat An-Nahl: 18) Allah knows what you keep secret and what you make public. Those you call on besides Allah do not create anything. They are themselves created. (Surat an-Nahl: 19-20)

 

WHY A TURKISH ISLAMIC UNION?

Many contemporary philosophers think that the future of the Islamic world has a direct bearing on world peace and security, for it is potentially a serious power. Approximately one-fourth of humanity follows Islam, their lands contain rich natural resources, and the entire region has a great strategic importance. Until the Second World War, most Muslim countries were European colonies. Some of them had to undertake wars of liberation to gain their independence. This situation changed the look of Islamic geography. However, the real change took place after the cold war ended. Until then, the Islamic world was considered in terms of Africa, the Middle East and Asia; now, it has become more of a Eurasian affair with Albania and Bosnia to the west and Chechnya and Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to the east. In the 1980s, Turkey was the only Muslim country represented in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Now there are nine Muslim countries:Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.8

Such changes in the Islamic world's demographic distribution have had an impact on the term "Islamic geography." Until the beginning of the twentieth century, except for short-term invasions, Muslims for the most part lived on Muslim soil under Islamic rule. From the beginning of the twentieth century onward, Muslims have migrated by choice to Europe and America, where they gradually became significant minorities. Currently, Islam is the fastest growing religion in those lands. This increase has enabled these Muslims to play a more active role in Western society and politics.

The Islamic world, which covers a vast geographic area, enjoys great wealth, with abundant natural beauty being the foremost. Under the Turkish Islamic Union, the Islamic countries will put these resources to better use. If you tried to number Allah’s blessings, you could never count them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat An-Nahl: 18)

Therefore, Islamic geography does not only refer to Muslim-majority or Muslim-ruled lands, but comprises a much greater area. From the Caucasus to Tanzania, and Morocco to Fiji, the Islamic world now stretches over a huge area and covers the lands that gave rise to the greatest civilizations in history. The region's geopolitical, cultural, and geo-economic qualities place this geography on the agenda of international relations and world politics even today.

Buddhism used to be widespread in the Maldives, a land known for its striking natural beauty. Later on, its people embraced Islam due to the missionary activities of Muslim travelers. Today, nearly all of its people are Muslims. Today, nearly all of its people are Muslims.

The crossroads and transit routes of world trade are located within this area. Considering that the canals and straights joining the Black and Mediterranean seas, the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean are under Muslim control, the Islamic world's importance in terms of global balance becomes better understood. Additionally, the world's richest lands, in terms of such strategically important natural resources as oil and natural gas, are located in Muslim countries. The effective use of these resources represents a strategic opportunity for the Islamic world to increase its impact on world politics.

Islam is the world's most rapidly spreading religion. This map shows the general distribution of Muslims. Oil complexes in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The current situation clearly suggests that Muslims will influence the developments of the twenty-first century in one way or another. However, what really matters here is that this influence must benefit the Islamic world in particular and humanity in general. The first thing that comes to mind at this stage is whether the Islamic world can play such a role, given its present condition. No doubt, Muslims have the necessary ability and awareness to shoulder this responsibility. However, looking at Muslim nations today reveals many problems, among them the lack of established democracy, the inability to keep up with technological progress, and an underdeveloped economy. An Islamic world preparing to play an active role in world politics must solve these and similar problems first.

Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together, and do not separate. Remember Allah’s blessings to you... (Surah Al ‘Imran: 103)

The Islamic world's disunity and fragmentation is an even more urgent and vital problem that must be resolved. The fact that the Muslims have not been able to create a powerful and active Islamic Union is a major contributor to many of today's ills. When a strong Turkish Islamic Union is formed, such problems will either not arise or will be resolved far quicker than anticipated.

It must be stated here that the diversity found in the Islamic world, as well as the existence of various schools of Islamic thought, is not an issue in this regard. Likewise, unity does not equal the same practice or system. Rather, this diversity must be united under the umbrella of faith and on the basis of mutual compassion and solidarity. Differences of thought, practice, or point of view are normal and common in all societies. Islamic morality requires that Muslims never forget that they are all brothers and sisters, irrespective of their differences. Whatever the race, language, nation, or branch of Islam one might follow, all Muslims are brothers and sisters. Therefore, such differences must be appreciated as a source of richness instead of as a source of potential conflict and fragmentation. Such a mistaken view only diverts one's attention from the real issues and delays urgently needed and important preventive action.

Subsequent chapters will deal with the need for a Turkish Islamic Union and what it will mean for world peace from economic, sociological, and political perspectives. However, first we must investigate the process that led to the Islamic world's disintegration and how this development can be reversed.

The Causes of Fragmentation

The Islamic world began to disintegrate during the early years of the twentieth century. Until then, Muslims of different sectarian persuasions, races, and languages lived together in harmony and safety under the rule of Islam, and they were strong.

The twentieth century was one of oppression, violence, war, and conflict. Millions of innocent people lost their lives.

One of the most destructive movements of the nineteenth century, radical nationalism, had a powerful impact on the Islamic world, for some Muslims fell under the influence of the Western ideologies imposed upon them. With the weakening and then collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the vast majority of Muslim lands were colonized by Europe and the Soviet Union. Before the colonialists withdrew decades later, they drew up artificial borders and thereby created many new countries. When combined with the radical nationalism disseminated among Muslims, the region turned into a quagmire. Ethnic differences became sources of conflict, and the different Muslim ethnic groups, who had lived in the same land until recently, suddenly found themselves living on different sides of these artificial borders. Soon, these artificial nations began disputing with each other over borders and other matters, and feelings of hostility arose. Some of these disputes even escalated into full-scale brutal wars, as in the Iran-Iraq war. A 100-year long period of instability had begun.

All race-based theories, such as those adopted by Hitler, are great misconceptions. No race is inherently better or superior to another.

One's love of nation, people, and independence is a proper and honorable feeling. However, nationalism becomes intolerable when love turns into fanaticism. If someone feels hostile toward other nations without due cause, he will, in the interest of his own country, disregard the rights of other nations or people. As a result, one country will seek to acquire or plunder another country's land, and thereby become intolerable. Likewise, if people turn their love for their own nation into racism, claiming to be genetically superior, they will have developed an insupportable idea. It is also an error to turn nationalism into a racist ideology, for this damages the Islamic principle that "all Muslims brotherhood and sisters," or to let animosity do away with it for good.

Allah points out this wrong attitude, known as "fanatical rage," and reveals that it is an aspect of ignorance. In the Islamic context, ignorance means people and societies that are far removed from the true religion, as Allah makes clear in the Qur'an:

Those who do not believe filled their hearts with fanatical rage—the fanatical rage of the Time of Ignorance—and Allah sent down serenity to His Messenger and to the believers, and bound them to the expression of heedfulness, which they had most right to and were most entitled to. Allah has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Fath: 26)

Allah speaks of fanatical rage on the one hand and, on the other, that He gave believers serenity. The frame of mind of people who become angry and aggressive out of love for their own nation is against Islamic morality. The nationalism that developed in nineteenth-century materialist Europe was aggressive and radical. And this was the type of nationalism exported to the Islamic world and to many other lands, where it has caused nothing but conflict and political instability.

It is against Islamic morality to distinguish between people according to race or to allow ethnic differences to engender strife. Our Lord says in one verse: :

O Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah's Sight is the one of you who best performs his duty. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat: 13)

Allah also reveals that racial and national differences are among His signs. These differences are not to be sources of conflict and hostility, but rather of richness and diversity:

"Collision of Arab Horsemen." Oil painting on canvas, The Walters Art Gallery, Maryland.

It is against Islamic morality to distinguish between people according to race or to allow ethnic differences to engender strife. Our Lord says in one verse:

O Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah's Sight is the one of you who best performs his duty. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat: 13)

Allah also reveals that racial and national differences are among His signs. These differences are not to be sources of conflict and hostility, but rather of richness and diversity:

Among His Signs is the Creation of the heavens and Earth, and the variety of your languages and colors. There are certainly Signs in that for every being. (Surat ar-Rum: 22)

History is full of examples of Islam's ability to resolve ethnic differences. Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) warned his Companions to avoid tribal or racial separatism; dividing people according to race, sex, language, or clan; and distinguishing between people according to financial means. In his Farewell Sermon, he proclaimed: "O people! Verily your Lord is one and your father is one. All of you belong to one ancestry of Adam, and Adam was created out of clay. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab, nor for the white over the black nor for the black over the white, except in [terms of] piety. Verily, the noblest among you is he who is the most pious."9

Tens of thousands of Muslims lost their lives in the Iraq-Iran war.

The continuing conquests under our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the four rightly guided caliphs greatly expanded the borders of the Islamic world, and many different nations united under the flag of Islam. The Middle East, until then full of tribal wars and unrelenting blood feuds, found peace, and the inter-Arab tribal wars ceased both at home and abroad. Ongoing warfare between Christian sects was resolved peacefully, and tribes that had been mortal enemies learned to respect each other's rights and lived under the Islamic flag.

Muslims of today must acquire the same outlook. In their mutual relations, faith and good character are important, not race, ethnic origin, language, financial means, status, or office. Love between sincere believers develops through their fear and awareness of and true love for Allah, and good deeds and a good character. If people dedicate themselves to the path of Allah, follow it in all their actions and behavior, and do good in the hope of acquiring Allah's good pleasure and mercy, other believers will love and respect them. As a result, their skin color, race, or financial status will be irrelevant and have no bearing on the love others feel for them. The same criteria must be true for relations between Muslim nations, which must be based on the Qur'anic insight that Muslims are one another's helpers and guardians.

One of the foremost reasons for the Islamic world's current fragmentation is its lack of this consciousness, the disregard for Islamic morality, and the effect of irreligious ideologies and movements. Some intellectuals were misled by various European philosophies and ideologies, which were full of errors, and believed that introducing them into the Islamic world would aid its progress. The damage caused by this historic mistake are still visible today. Instead of the justice, devotion, compassion, open-mindedness, and progressive thinking brought by the Qur'an's values, the attempted imposition of false philosophies and ideologies have replaced the order and solidarity of the Islamic world with disorder and disunity. In some countries, models opposing the Qur'an's values were developed in order to end the disorder. However, this only brought about despotic regimes that oppressed the people.

It is important to learn from these past mistakes when choosing a new strategy and to be aware of misleading manipulations and suggestions. History clearly shows that the Islamic world can rise again only if it returns to its own central tenets and values, the most important of which is Muslim unity and solidarity.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY AL BAGHDADIA TV, JUNE 29th, 2008 Reporter: Muslims are being massacred. First in Bosnia and now in Iraq and Afghanistan. What do you think should be done in Palestine? Adnan Oktar: It is a sin for Muslims not be united and act as one. It is unlawful. According to the Qur'an, it is obligatory for Muslims to act together as one as brothers, for them all to be brothers to one another and to gather around a single leader. But Muslims are not doing that. As they fail to do that, it opens the way to all kinds of affliction. Muslims will abide by that obligation. What I am saying is that a Turkish-Islamic Union must be established under Turkish leadership, under the leadership of the Turkish nation. All countries will still be nation states in it. Every state will act freely domestically, but they will have a spiritual leader at their head. The Christians have a leader, the Pope. Muslims must also have a spiritual leader. This disorder and corruption will easily come to an end if there is a leader at the head of this spiritual union. In that event, if even a hair of Muslims' heads is harmed anywhere in the world, the incident will be stopped at once since all Muslims will act as one. But if they are fragmented, if they act in such a way as to make a policy of divide and rule possible, then it is easy to swallow the small pieces up. But it is impossible to swallow up the Muslim world as an entire block. Muslims must fulfill this obligation without delay.

Example from History: The Islamic Union of Salah ud-Din al-Ayyubi (Saladin)

The Islamic world's stance against the Crusaders is an important example in this regard. When the armies of the First Crusade reached the Middle East, the Muslims were divided into fractions stemming from various disputes and arguments. This disunity prevented them from putting up an effective resistance, and so the barbaric European invaders were able to create an empire centered on Jerusalem after slaughtering the native population. However, decades later, the Muslim commander Saladin united the different Muslim groups under his command and defeated the invaders.

A painting showing the Crusaders' 1099 massacre and destruction during their invasion of Jerusalem.

Nevertheless, defeating the Crusaders was not going to happen overnight. Saladin not only united the Muslims under one flag, but also started a scientific and moral awareness. The Encyclopedia Britannica says:

It was an essential part of his [Saladin's] policy to encourage the growth and spread of Muslim religious institutions. He courted its scholars and preachers, founded colleges and mosques for their use, and commissioned them to write edifying works . . . Through moral regeneration, which was a genuine part of his own way of life, he tried to re-create in his own realm some of the same zeal and enthusiasm that had proved so valuable to the first generations of Muslims when, five centuries before, they had conquered half the known world.10

When this moral, scientific, and religious regeneration combined with political unity, Islamic civilization rose once more. Saladin, commanding a united Islamic army, defeated the disbanded and demoralized Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 and freed almost all of the occupied Palestinian land, including Jerusalem.

One of the most prominent aspects of Saladin's Islamic Union was that it represented the Qur'anic ideals of justice, moderation, and peacefulness. While best known for this military victory, Saladin was also very forgiving and just toward the Crusaders as well as all other Christians. Even though the Crusaders had inflicted unspeakable cruelty on the Muslims, Saladin exacted no revenge upon them, and no civilian was harmed when he freed Jerusalem. In addition, he maintained his authority over the radicals within his own ranks. Following the slaughter of 3,000 innocent Muslim civilians at Castle Acre, ordered by King Richard the Lion-Hearted, commander of the Third Crusade, some Muslims demanded revenge: They wanted to massacre Jaffa's (today's Tel Aviv) Christians. Saladin successfully calmed his soldiers down and extinguished their bloodlust, and so guaranteed the safety of Jaffa's Christians.

The borders of the Ayyubid Sultanate before and after Saladin's reign.

In the end, Saladin brought peace to the Holy Land by granting the Crusaders some privileges and concessions. On 28 August 1192, the two parties agreed upon and signed a peace treaty. Saladin made a great gesture: He invited the Crusader's commanders, who had killed thousands of Muslims in their quest to conquer Jerusalem, to stay there as his guests. Those Crusaders visiting Jerusalem were astonished by the Muslims' great forgiveness, compassion, and justice. On one occasion, upon learning that his former enemy King Richard was sick, Saladin sent his own physician to treat him, along with some ice to reduce his temperature. Saladin became a legend throughout Europe for his righteous character, which was based on the Qur'an's values.

In short, Saladin's Islamic Union gave the Muslims power and victory, as well as the opportunity to realize the justice, compassion, and peacefulness central to Islamic morality. Muslims were moved to serve Islam, prevent some radical movements from spreading among Muslims, and live according to the Qur'an.

Eight centuries have passed since the time of that Islamic Union. Today's Muslims need an Islamic Union for the same reasons as they did back then. Although the Islamic world is not under attack by a coalition army, as it was at the time of the Crusades, it is facing many threats. Furthermore, the Islamic world has fallen behind other civilizations in terms of science, technology, culture, art, and thought. Ever since the nineteenth century, the Islamic world has been seriously harmed by the many false ideologies and philosophies produced elsewhere, imported into its midst by misguided people, and spread among those who were not familiar with the Qur'an's values. On the other hand, some radicals who claimed to represent Islam while doing their best to subvert its morality, often unknowingly helped those who were consciously sewing the seeds for later conflict.

For all of this to end, Muslims must rebuild their civilization so that it can once again guide the world, light the path, and deliver peace and justice. But if this vision is to become a reality, they must follow Saladin's method: working for the rebirth of Islamic morality, knowledge, and faith, and achieving the Islamic world's political union.

Uniting with Respect for Differences

The necessity for such a union is based not only on the need for a political solution to end the current situation; rather, and more importantly, unity is a requirement of being a Muslim. As in all areas of their lives, Muslims have to abide by the Qur'an's values in their national and international policies. As this morality requires the Islamic world's reunification as a priority, taking Islamic morality as the guiding principle will make this alliance possible, as well as long-lived and active.

Chapel at Bethlehem, Thomas Allom Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other... ... The noblest among you in Allah’s Sight is the one of you who best performs his duty. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat: 13)

Islamic morality requires Muslims to be conciliatory at all times and to be brothers and sisters in faith, as well as in solidarity and union. Allah commands the believers to: "not quarrel among yourselves" (Surat al-Anfal: 46), for doing so will only weaken them. Allah commands the following in another verse:

Do not be like those who split up and differed after the Clear Signs came to them. They will have a terrible punishment. (Surah Al 'Imran: 105)

It is impossible for Muslims who have common sense and conscience not to unite with other believers or to be engaged in an ongoing dispute with them. This is true on an individual basis, as well as on the level of communities and nations. Allah points out this fact in the Qur'an and forbids Muslim nations to be unfair or hostile to one another. Allah states that those who engage in such harmful activity must be stopped, and instructs other Muslim nations to "make peace between them":

If two parties of the believers fight, make peace between them. But if one of them attacks the other unjustly, fight the attackers until they revert to Allah's command. If they revert, make peace between them with justice and be even-handed. Allah loves those who are even-handed. (Surat al-Hujurat: 9)

Of course, there can be cultural, traditional, and local differences of attitude and practice between Muslim nations due to different views, interpretations, and schools of thought. Such things are natural. However, these differences should not lead Muslim nations to antagonize one another, end their mutual dialogue, and consider the other nation as foreign and hostile, instead of agreeing on their common values. Doing so only leads to intolerable situations.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY DENGE TV, DECEMBER 9th, 2009 Adnan Oktar: This spirit of opposition stemming from this sectarian difference needs to be eliminated. Shiites, Alawites, Bektashis and Wahabbists are all our brothers. They are all spotless, honest, pious believing people. They all have a profound love of Allah and the prophets. They are therefore a blessing for us, our brothers. They are all a blessing. That idea of opposition needs to be eliminated. Once Islamic moral values spread across the Turkish-Islamic world this will lead to industriousness, activity, clarity of mind, discipline, trust in Allah, cleanliness, quality and profound reason. The whole region will enjoy the resulting abundance and beauty. The Christian world and the Jews will also benefit from it. This needs to be hastened.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY INDONESIA'S ANTARA NEWS AGENCY, SEPTEMBER 16th, 2008 Adnan Oktar: For one thing, they must love one another, and there must be no sectarian differences. Alawite, Sunni or Shiite, we are all brothers. They must have joyous, loving ties to one another. The coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is imminent. The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return at any moment. They will see that what I am saying is true within the next 10 years. All of the signs have come about. People must joyously prepare for the Turkish-Islamic Union. By Allah's leave, our lives in Paradise will also be most delightful, insha'Allah. We may hope for that from Allah if we make such genuine efforts. We are entities for whom eternity has already begun. We are entities who will exist for all eternity, once we have been created. Insha'Allah, we will live on in Paradise. But it is essential that we be completely honest, that we love one another with a great fervor. We must bow our heads to Allah. We must strictly follow the Qur'an and live by the morality revealed in it. When people do that, their hearts can be at peace, insha'Allah.

Allah warns Muslims away from such mistakes and reveals the People of the Book's (the Jews and Christians) errors in this respect as an example of what can happen. Allah states in Surat al-Bayyina: 4 that they were divided among themselves and went their own ways, even though they received Clear Signs to the contrary. Allah states in other verses that the causes for this split were such evil character traits as envy, injustice, and rebellion against truth. The following are some of these verses:

They only split up after knowledge came to them, tyrannizing one another … (Surat ash-Shura: 14)

The religion with Allah is Islam. Those given the Book only differed after knowledge had come to them, envying one another. As for those who reject Allah's Signs, Allah is swift at reckoning. (Surah Al 'Imran: 19)

Jewish and Christian history is full of conflict because of this continuing disunity. Christianity's first 16 centuries also can be described as the history of warring Christian sects. Even small differences in interpretation led to mutual accusations of heresy. Over time, the Catholic Church gained the upper hand and began to persecute other religious schools of thought that it considered heretical, such as Docetism, Montanism, Adoptionism, Sabellianism, Arianism, Plagiarism, and Gnosticism. The Catholic Church's persecution of such religious denominations as the Cathars and the Bogomils from the eleventh century onward, as well as the century-long bloody war between the Protestants and the Catholics, coincide with the darkest era of European history. It is interesting to note that European civilization began to rise after this sectarian warfare ended. As political scientists acknowledge, modern Europe was only born after the various Christian sects agreed to mutual compassion at the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.

People diverge in their religious practices and understandings because they do not practice morality, as commanded by Allah. This morality recognizes modesty. Those who distance themselves from this modesty perceive their own ideas as the ultimate truth, disregard those who think differently, and feel animosity toward them. Since they do not doubt the truth of their own views, they do not question themselves and so cannot improve themselves and find the truth. Allah describes those who only value their own opinions in the following way:

They disagreed and split up, dividing into sects, each party exulting in what it had. (Surat al-Muminun: 53)

Humayun's Tomb, India. One of the most important works of the Mughal Empire. ... You were on the very brink of a pit of the Fire and He rescued you from it. In this way Allah makes His Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will be guided. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 103)

Muslims who fear and respect Allah, and who believe that they will have to account for their actions on the Day of Judgment, must be aware of this situation. Those who realize the importance of this matter must warn other Muslims about the dangers of disunity, fragmentation, and segregation, and work for Muslim unity under the Qur'an's values.

Exemplary Muslims approach other people with love, compassion, and mercy, for they view all people as manifesting some of our Lord's names and attributes. They consider all people who share the same belief, and who believe in the Qur'an, obey Allah's commandments, and abide by the Sunnah of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), as their brothers and sisters, and never forget that they are one another's guardians. They must refrain from factionalism rooted in cultural, traditional, or differences of opinion and, instead of making an issue of them at every opportunity, must support unity under the Qur'an's values. Muslims must support one another in this union and be compassionate and understanding when dealing with disputed matters. As we pointed out previously, sincere Muslims who are aware of this issue's importance, as well as the Islamic world's leading thinkers and intellectuals, are especially obligated to work resolutely for Muslim solidarity and unity. A solidarity based upon love, respect, and compassion must be established in the Muslim world.

At its core, Islamic morality envisages religious unity and common values, rather than disputes and segregation. The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) showed the way for Muslims with the following hadith:

I have left among you the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Apostle. If you hold fast to them, you shall never go astray.11

We just have to abide by this advice. Our Lord commands all believers to follow the true religion and refrain from disunity. Allah says:

He has laid down the same religion for you as He enjoined on Noah: that which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: "Establish the religion and do not make divisions in it." What you call the idolaters to follow is very hard for them. Allah chooses for Himself anyone He wills, and guides to Himself those who turn to Him. (Surat ash-Shura: 13)

Fostering a Sense of Unity

"The city of Faytoum." Paul Renoir, Mathaf Gallery, London.

Unity requires awareness, devotion, allegiance, and loyalty. Allah prescribes unity for Muslims and reveals that satan will attempt to create conflict in order to prevent this unity. Muslims are obliged to refrain from hurtful words, anger, disrespectfulness, and all other behavior that could damage this sense of unity when dealing with fellow Muslims. Each Muslim is required to be devoted to others, patient, work for the good of others, and loyal and true. All Muslims must adopt these superior qualities.

A good example of this is the relationship between those Muslims who emigrated to Madinah with our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and those Muslims who were already settled there. The Muslims who pledged their allegiance to our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in Madinah welcomed the Meccan migrants in the cause of Allah in the nicest possible way and took good care of them. These two different communities, which had no mutual tribal bonds, considered loyalty to Islam to be the only important yardstick. The Muslims of Madinah proved their loyalty by opening their homes, sharing their food, and considering the migrants' needs before their own. Our Lord reveals their good conduct in the Qur'an:

Those who were already settled in the abode, and in faith, before they came, love those who have emigrated to them; do not find in their hearts any need for what they have been given; and prefer them to themselves, even if they themselves are needy. It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. (Surat al-Hashr: 9)

"Interior of the Mosque of the Metwalys," by British painter David Roberts. Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not quarrel among yourselves lest you lose heart and your momentum disappear. And be steadfast. Allah is with the steadfast. (Surat al-Anfal: 46)

The exemplary and superior character demonstrated in this verse reveals how the relationship between two Muslim communities should be. Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) describes solidarity in the following hadith:

Muslims are like one body. If the eye is sore, the whole body aches; if the head aches, the whole body aches.12

The love between Muslims and the absence of any ill-will are great gifts of Allah. Allah says the following about this gift, which will be completely fulfilled in Paradise:

We will strip away any rancor in their hearts—brothers, resting on couches face-to-face. (Surat al-Hijr: 47)

Therefore, Muslims must act with the awareness that solidarity, fraternity, and a sense of belonging are gifts that must be protected by means of patience and strong will. Allah also reveals the importance of this unity in the following verse:

So heed Allah and put things right between you. Obey Allah and His Messenger if you believe. (Surat al-Anfal: 1)

Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) states the importance of unity in the following hadith:

Do not envy one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another, and do not undercut one another. Rather, O servants of Allah, be brothers…13

Muslims are always obliged to be forgiving, but if the other party consists of Muslims, the first party must be even more patient. They must remember that the second party consists of fellow Muslims, and that both parties fear Allah, obey the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and abide by the Qur'an's definitions of right and wrong. All Muslims know that they must have only goodwill toward their fellow Muslims; that they should be considerate; and that they should respond with patience, compassion, and love when disagreements arise. Allah reveals the prayer of Muslims for their fellow Muslims:

Those who have come after them say: "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put any rancor in our hearts toward those who believe. Our Lord, You are All-Gentle, Most Merciful." (Surat al-Hashr: 10)

The prevalence of violence and cruelty reveals dimensions of the responsibility upon Muslims.

Just as Muslims are obliged to mediate in friendship between their each other, they are obliged to resolve any dispute between two Muslim communities. Allah says:

The believers are brothers, so make peace between your brothers and heed Allah, so that hopefully you will gain mercy. (Surat al-Hujurat: 10)

Clearly, this mentality creates a very strong sense of belonging and unity, for our Lord states:

Allah loves those who strive in His Way in ranks like well-built walls. (Surat as-Saff: 4)

A view from the Great Mosque in Damascus. Do you not see how Allah makes a metaphor of a good word: a good tree whose roots are firm and whose branches are in heaven? (Surah Ibrahim:24)

This ideological struggle against irreligious philosophies and ideologies is a duty of all Muslims. No doubt, it is a historical mistake to develop a closed community struggling with internal affairs instead of shouldering the responsibility of this ideological struggle to bring light to an otherwise dark world. At present, humanity, especially the oppressed Muslims, is looking for a way out of this situation and is awaiting the arrival of a guidance that will bring peace, happiness, and justice to the world and remind all people of the true purpose of their existence. This guidance is the responsibility of the Islamic community, and all Muslims are obliged to act with awareness.

The fact that violence, terror, cruelty, fraud, dishonesty, immorality, conflict, and poverty are common proves that the world is full of "corruption." In the face of this reality, many issues that have become a problem among Muslims lose their importance. All of this cruelty and degeneration feeds off the false systems established by those who deny Allah's existence and unity and do not believe in the Hereafter. Therefore, people of conscience must unite in righteousness.

This unity will be one of the most important phases in the defeat of irreligious ideologies. Our Lord points out the nonbelievers' alliance and reveals the necessity of Muslim friendship and solidarity in order to rid the world of cruelty. Allah says:

Those who do not believe are the friends and protectors of one another. If you do not act in this way [protect each other], there will be turmoil in the land and great corruption. (Surat al-Anfal: 73)

Given that the Muslims have such a large responsibility, they must unite. If situations prevent them from doing so, they should consider the following questions:

"Is this issue more important than the unity of Islam?"
"Is it beyond resolution?"
"Is it acceptable to dispute with another Muslim community instead of working against irreligious ideologies?"

Everybody who answers these questions conscientiously will know that the higher priority is to refrain from endless disputes and to establish a union based on the Qur'an's values.

Muslims must never forget that satan is always working to cause enmity between Muslims in order to prevent their unity and solidarity. Our Lord warns believers of this danger:

Say to My servants that they should only say the best. Satan wants to stir up trouble between them. Satan is an outright enemy to man. (Surat al-Isra': 53)

With this verse, Allah advises Muslims to avoid directing hurtful, mocking, harsh, and accusing words against other Muslims and points out the need for decent conduct in the pursuit of unity.

By acting in a spirit of unity and cooperation, the Muslims will set a very good example for all other societies. The essentials of the Qur'an's values, such as justice, compassion, love, and understanding will spread to the rest of the world. In other words, Muslim unity will be a blessing for all of humanity.

In the Qur'an, Allah also points out that such disputes and other damaging behavior impair one's sense of belonging and weaken the Muslims' power. Our Lord says:

Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not quarrel among yourselves, lest you lose heart and your momentum disappear. And be steadfast. Allah is with the steadfast. (Surat al-Anfal: 46)

As stated earlier, this is true for Muslim individuals as well as Muslim nations. If the Islamic world wants to erect a powerful, stable, and prosperous civilization that guides and illuminates the world in every aspect, it must act in union. The lack of such a union is responsible for the Islamic world's discord and separation, the absence of a common voice, and the defenselessness of innocent Muslims. Countless poor women, children, and elderly people are desperately in need of rescue from oppression in Palestine, Kashmir, East Turkistan (home of the Chinese-ruled Muslim Uighur people), the southern Philippines (home of the Muslim Moro people) and many other regions. The responsibility for these people belongs to the Islamic world before anyone else. Muslims must never forget the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) following words:

A Muslim is a Muslim's brother. He does not wrong him or abandon him.14

The Islamic world must put its various disputes aside and remember that all Muslims are "brothers" and "sisters" so that it can provide role models who reflect the true character of Islam and its ideals. This unity of the believers is a gift and grace of Almighty Allah. Sincere Muslims must thank our Lord for these benefits and obey His command "not to separate":

Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together, and do not separate. Remember Allah's blessing to you when you were enemies, and He joined your hearts together so that you became brothers by His blessing. You were on the very brink of a pit of the Fire, and He rescued you from it. In this way Allah makes His Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will be guided. (Surah Al 'Imran: 103)

Unity Will Make the Muslims Strong

As mentioned earlier, quarrels and disputes cause internal disintegration, which weakens Muslims' spiritually. This is one of the many secrets that Allah reveals to believers, and it points to another important reality: Just as disputes and quarrels weaken them spiritually, unity and solidarity strengthen them. Allah tells Muslims to unite and resist when they are wronged (Surat ash-Shura: 39). This Divine order contains great wisdom. For instance, destroying irreligious ideologies will be possible only when the Muslims unite.  

However, what truly makes the believers' union so strong is their faith and loyalty. Since only genuine faith can engender true friendship and alliance, Muslims must love one another with a pure heart and for the good pleasure of Allah, without the slightest selfish interest. A union built on the strongest foundation known to humanity—the fear and love of Allah—will never shatter, unless Allah wills otherwise. Such a strong alliance will naturally give the Muslims rarely achieved power. With the following verse, Allah points out that success does not depend upon a group's size:

How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by Allah's permission! Allah is with the steadfast. (Surat al-Baqara: 249)

A union of Muslims based on faith and devotion will provide them with the necessary enthusiasm and willpower for great success.

We purified their sincerity through sincere remembrance of the Abode. In Our eyes they are among the best of chosen men. (Surah Sad: 46-47)

In another verse, Allah reveals that although the deniers appear to be united, they have not achieved true unity:

Their hostility toward each other is intense. They are full of bravado in each other's company. You consider them united, but their hearts are scattered wide. That is because they are people who do not use their intellect. (Surat al-Hashr: 14)

Irrespective of how solid a union appears to be, it is in fact very unstable if it is not built on sincerity and genuine intentions, for this means that it is based only on various interests. And, when any of these interests is threatened, the union will fall apart quickly. Since Allah has revealed this secret in the Qur'an, the Muslims' union is not shaken by worldly losses; rather, it is strengthened. This awareness makes the union very solid. The great Islamic scholar Said Nursi uses the following example to explain why a union formed by sincere  Muslims will be strong:

So we are surely in need of solidarity and true union, obtained through gaining sincerity—for the mystery of sincerity secures through four individuals the moral strength of one thousand one hundred and eleven—indeed, we are compelled to obtain it.
Yes, if three alifs [the letter "A" in Arabic which takes the shape of a single vertical stroke, like the letter "I" or the number 1] do not unite, they have the value of three. But if they do unite, through the mystery of numbers, they acquire the value of one hundred and eleven. If four times four remain apart, they have a value of sixteen. But if, through the mystery of brotherhood and having a common goal and joint duty, they unite, coming together shoulder to shoulder on a line, they have the strength and value of four thousand four hundred and forty-four. Just as numerous historical events testify that the moral strength and value of sixteen self-sacrificing brothers have been greater than that of four thousand.

The underlying reason for this mystery is this: Each member of a true and sincere union may see also with the eyes of the other brothers and hear with their ears. As if each person of a true union of ten has the value and strength of seeing with twenty eyes, thinking with ten minds, hearing with twenty ears, and working with twenty hands.15

The subjects we have explored so far show the need for Islamic world's unity and the nature of such a union. The rest of the book will deal with the features of this Turkish Islamic Union.

 

ISLAM ILLUMINATES THE WORLD

Before the advent of Islam, ignorance prevailed over Arab society. Recite: In the Name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clot of congealed blood. Recite: And your Lord is the Most Generous, He Who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know. (Surat al-'Alaq: 1-5)

Allah's revelation of the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace ) fourteen centuries ago, together with the morality of Islam, taught the violent, barbaric, and ignorant people of the region peace, reason, and civilization.

At the beginning of the seventh century, Arabia was one of the world's most disordered places. Many tribes lived on these lands, and each of them worshipped a different idol. They would declare war on each another, shed much blood, and even kill children for their misguided beliefs and idols. Their belief system exalted ruthlessness, hate, and violence instead of love, compassion, and kindness. Women were considered lower beings, and the poor and the slaves were ruthlessly exploited.

This dark and bloody world changed entirely with the arrival of Islam and its moral codes. Although the Arabs were the first to join Islam, many other nations soon embraced the light brought by its morality. The Qur'an's revelation enabled Muslims to achieve unequalled progress in science, culture, thought, and art. With the revelation of the Qur'an's first verse, the people of the region, who until this event had been stuck in a vicious circle of dark ignorance and bloody violence, were invited to read and think for the first time:

Recite: In the Name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clot of congealed blood. Recite: And your Lord is the Most Generous, He Who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know. (Surat al-'Alaq: 1-5) 

The structure of Arab society began to undergo a complete transformation with the arrival of Islam. For instance, Arab tradition decreed the death of all prisoners of war, whereas our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), guided by Allah's revelation, ordered such prisoners to be treated well and fed from the Muslims' own rations. Allah reveals these Muslim qualities in the following verse:

They give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captives. (Surat al-Insan: 8)

The only thing required of such prisoners was that if they could read and write, they had to teach these skills to the Muslims. Perhaps for the first time ever, Arabia was witnessing compassion, forgiveness, and civilization. As a result, it experienced one of its greatest periods of cultural advancement.

As the years passed, Islam's justice and high morality spread in waves across Arabia. The Muslims' fairness, honesty, and determination attracted many Arab tribes. The mighty Muslim army marched on Mecca in 630. Its idolatrous Meccans feared the vengeance that the Muslims would wreak upon them as retribution for their past cruelty. According to Arab tradition, the men of the defeated tribe were killed and the women and children enslaved. But our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) reflected Allah's mercy by announcing that no one in Mecca would suffer retribution and that no one was to be forced to accept Islam. This act of forgiveness and compassion has attracted the attention of Western historians. In PBS documentary Islam:Empire of Faith, Michael Sells, a lecturer at Haverford University, relates our Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) virtue in the following way:

When Mohammed came into Mecca, he not only did not carry out a bloody revenge, but actually embraced the very Meccans who had fought him for three years and attempted to annihilate him. It was very shocking to the people in his milieu. So within the very founding of a religion, one finds episodes of great generosity, often extraordinary acts of kindness and mercy.1

The important thing was to free the Meccans of their false beliefs. Therefore, our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) headed straight for the Ka`bah, entered the holy mosque, and destroyed all of the idols inside. This event marked the end of idolatry and ended all of the cruelty, injustice, barbarism, and violence committed on its behalf. After being educated by the Qur'an, the Arabs replaced all of the pre-Islamic era's injustice, exploitation, and blood feuds with a new order based on respect, love, compassion, and justice among all people.

This era was later known as the "Blessed Period."

Justice and Compassion in Islamic Morality

Islam's rapid spread continued even after the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) death. Within a few decades, Islam spread to all of Mesopotamia and North Africa, and reached Spain in the west and India in the east.

The Arabs, who had been tending their flocks in the desert just a few decades ago, were now the rulers of an empire due to the reason, culture, and awareness they had acquired through Islam. This was the fastest growing empire ever. Within 100 years, the Muslim empire spread over an immense area and firmly established itself. In this huge geographic area, many different religious denominations existed side by side. Most of them, however, were composed of Christians and Jews. The Muslims, as a general rule, were always very compassionate toward all religious groups in their lands, did not force people to embrace Islam, and respected every person's freedom of conscience, for Allah says:

There is no compulsion where religion is concerned. (Surat al-Baqara: 256)

Churches and synagogues were protected. At a time when enforced proselytization was a common practice, such compassion was unique.

One of the most extraordinary examples of this compassion was the conquest of Jerusalem. The patriarch of the city's Church of the Holy Sepulcher feared that his church would be destroyed by the Muslims. Thus, Caliph `Umar visited the church and said that there was nothing to worry about. When the time for prayer came, he asked the patriarch for permission to leave so that he could pray nearby. The al-Aqsa mosque was built later on that very spot.

The Dome of the Rock Say: “We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes; and what Moses and Jesus and all the Prophets were given by their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. We are Muslims submited to Him.” (Surah Al ‘Imran: 84)

The Muslims gave Jerusalem one of the world's most spectacular works of architecture: the Qubbat as-Sakhrah (Dome of the Rock), which was built on the rock believed to be the place from where Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) ascended to the heavens. The stunning motifs and golden dome of this architectural masterpiece reflects Islam's sense of art and civilization.

In this environment of compassion, non-Muslims were even given the democratic right to voice their complaints. During the Umayyad era, many Christians in Damascus (Sham) occupied important positions in the state bureaucracy and fulfilled their religious obligations as they wished. Some wrote even books that criticized Islam and Muslims without fear of retribution.

At the same time, Europe was governed by a dark fundamentalism and barbarism. The Catholic Church was oppressing the Jews and even Christians of other denominations. Forced proselytization, as well as torture and murder in the name of religion, were common. On the other hand, Muslims have always treated the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) with compassion, for Allah orders this in the Qur'an.

The St. John church of Damascus is another example of this compassion. The Muslims who conquered the region began to perform their Friday prayers in the church, and allowed the Christians to continue to use it for their Sunday services. Two separate faiths were sharing peacefully the same sanctuary. As the number of Muslims in the city grew, the Muslim leadership bought the church from the Christians with their consent. Next door, a mosque was built, and the décor of the forecourt buildings was enriched by Islamic motifs. Byzantine-era pillars were decorated with stunning examples of Islamic art.

Throughout the history of Islam, its compassion toward Jews and Christians continued. Jews fleeing the terror of the Spanish Inquisition found refuge and peace on Ottoman soil. The source and reason for such compassion was the morality of the Qur'an, for Muslims are told:

Only argue with the People of the Book in the kindest way—except in the case of those of them who do wrong—saying: "We believe in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one, and we submit to Him." (Surat al-'Ankabut: 46)

Muslims and Science

SOME MUSLIM SCIENTISTS Ibn an-Nafis Thabit ibn Qurra Ibn Sina Al-Kindi Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi Muhammad Zakariya ar-Razi Ali Kushji Al-Battani

One of the lights of Islamic morality that illuminated humanity's path was scientific thought. Pre-Islamic Arab and some other Middle Eastern societies had never been concerned with the universe and how nature came to be or how it works. But this attitude changed with the Qur'anic revelation, for Allah tells people to inquire into the origins of the heavens and Earth:

[People with intelligence are] those who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the Creation of the heavens and Earth [saying]: "Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Surah Al 'Imran: 191)

Miniature paintings showing the astronomical works of Muslim scientists.

This awareness started the scientific rise of Islamic civilization, and it then embarked upon a scientific journey like none ever seen before that time. Its powerhouse was Baghdad, capital of the Abbasid Empire and the Islamic world. Scientists, thinkers, researchers, and other scholars from all over the Islamic world came together in Baghdad's famous Dar al-Hikmah ("House of Wisdom") to research and investigate the secrets of Allah's universe.

This awareness that Muslim scientists acquired by adhering to the Qur'an's morality enabled history's most rapid leap in scientific progress until that time. Open-mindedness, a wisdom Muslims are taught by the Qur'an, enabled them to analyze and then develop further the scientific achievements of other civilizations without prejudice. Muslim scientific records were full of observations, experiments, calculations, and research on various subjects. In the schools of science, women were entitled to the same education as men and made their own scientific contributions.

Muslim mathematicians developed the decimal number system and invented algebra and trigonometry. Muslim scientists were very keen on astronomical observations, and thus discovered and established the principles of modern astronomy. Muslim scholars calculated the moon's orbit around Earth and recorded the formulas. The spectacular works of architecture throughout the Islamic world were made possible only by the scientific infrastructure put in place by the Muslims.

	While Muslims treated their patients in extremely clean and well-kept hospitals, patients in Europe were abandoned to death. A front view of the famous Mansur Hospital at that time (to the left). The picture showing the streets of Venice at the same period reveals the civilizational gap between the two worlds.
	Muslim scholars in the field of medicine had a high level of knowledge. Their works became basic reference books throughout Europe. The diagram used by Muslim scientists in treating broken bones (at the bottom). Drawings of Muslim scholars showing human anatomy and the digestion and circulation systems (to the left).

Examples from Muslim scientists' works Apparatus designed by al-Haskafi to measure changing water levels. The drawings used by Muslim scientists to calculate solar and lunar eclipses.

Some of the Muslims' greatest achievements were in the field of medicine. Back then, ignorant Europeans considered illnesses to be a curse of evil spirits and so did not even have the concept of treating or actually curing the afflicted people. Muslim scientists, however, reached the research-based conclusion that illnesses were caused by tiny creatures invisible to the naked eye and that patients needed to be isolated from healthy people during their treatment. The world's first modern hospitals were conceived in this way. Muslim hospitals had different wards for different illnesses, and Muslim doctors had scientifically developed methods of treatment. Muslims treated mental illnesses with music and therapy, while Europeans believed that the mentally ill were satan's slaves and so burned them at the stake. Muslim reference works on the human anatomy were so accurate that they were used for 600 years in Europe's faculties of medicine.

Ibn Sina's notebook in the National Museum of Damascus.

A documentary about the world of Islam, prepared for the BBC by the commentator Terry Jones, says the following on the high scientific standards of Islam:

One philosopher from the town of Harran for example had already correctly calculated the distance from the earth to the moon. Well another had suggested that if you could divide the atom, you'd release enough power to destroy city the size of Baghdad. In this medical school built here in Damascus in 1154, doctors were already teaching anatomy, inventive medicine, hygiene surgery, the circulation of the blood, centuries before Harvey.2

Centuries before their European counterparts, Muslim physicians knew about blood circulation and took their patients' pulses during their examinations. Childbirth took place under the most hygienic conditions possible at the time. Surgical instruments, as depicted in medical books of the era, are evidence of advanced medical knowledge.

Muslim scientists made important discoveries in optics and the nature of light. The first person to reveal the eye's structure in detail was Ibn al-Haytham, whose extraordinary research on lenses cleared the way for the camera's invention. Muslim physicians discovered the reasons behind sight impairments and performed successful cataract surgery 1,000 years before any European physician.

The great scientific heritage of the Islamic world made the European Renaissance possible. Christian scientists established European schools of science with the knowledge and methods acquired from Muslims. The light of Islam also illuminated them.

The Splendor of Islamic Civilization

We placed between them and the cities We had blessed other clearly conspicuous cities, making them measured stages on the way: "Travel between them in safety by night and day." (Surah Saba':18) The Taj Mahal, India

One quality acquired from Islam's morality is the high sense of art and esthetics. The Qur'anic depictions of Paradise are pictures of the highest quality, finest taste, and stunning grandeur. Muslims had this sense of art in their hearts, which is reflected in their work, and thus the lands they ruled became the world's most modern and select regions. When Islam spread outward in all directions, it brought prosperity and development with it.

Muslims took civilization wherever they went. They designed an effective water purification system for the drinking water requirements of a Tunisian town. Water was stilled and purified in two large basins and then brought into the town by an enclosed pipe system. Only centuries later did Europeans began to concern themselves with such things. Muslim engineers in Syria designed a fantastic system of watermills to deliver water to the cities.

The capital of the Islamic world, Baghdad, was the world's most splendid and modern city. Urban planning and architecture were stunning. A traveler visiting Baghdad wrote the following:

All the exquisite neighborhoods covered with parks, gardens, villas and beautiful promenades are filled with bazaars and finally built mosques and baths. They stretch for miles on both sides of the glittering river.3

Andalusia (Muslim Spain), another spectacular center of the Islamic world, gradually became Europe's most modern and advanced country. Its capital city of Cordoba was full of amazing beauty with its clean, well-lit streets, libraries, hospitals, and palaces.

These thirteenth-century mills, constructed by Muslims upon a river in Hama, Syria, distributed water to the city and met agricultural and daily needs.

In the same era, such great European cities as Paris and London were filthy, dark, and neglected. As a result, European Christians visiting Cordoba were amazed and dazzled by the city's splendor, culture, and art.

In Islam:Empire of Faith, Historian Sheila Blair of Boston College describes Cordoba's splendor with the following words:

The city of Cordoba in the 9th and 10th centuries was one of the biggest and most exciting in Europe. We have descriptions by people coming and seeing all of these flowers everywhere this open streets, this wonderful light coming down. Northern cities were dark. Cordoba had running water. People lived in big houses. In contrast, in Paris, people lived in shacks by the side of the river.4

Muslims who spread Islamic civilization throughout the world erected glorious mosques and other buildings in these lands.

The Cordoba Mosque has an impressive beauty. Allah commands justice and doing good and giving to relatives. And He forbids indecency and doing wrong and tyranny. He warns you so that hopefully you will pay heed. (Surat an-Nahl: 90)

Granada's al-Hambra Palace, constructed by Muslims, is one of Islam's most impressive architectural works. Say: “My Lord has commanded justice. Stand and face Him in every mosque and call on Him, making your religion sincerely His. As He originated you, so you will return.” (Surah Al-A’raf:29)

One of the few remaining examples of Cordoba's grandeur is the Catholic cathedral located in the city center. Originally it was a mosque of an esthetic style that captivated the minds of those who entered it. Christian explorers who came to Cordoba were deeply affected by this splendor. In the tenth century, a Saxon nun by the name of Hrotsvitha described Cordoba as the ornament of the world.

In them are two gushing springs. (Surat ar-Rahman: 66)

One of Andalusia's most spectacular buildings was the Alhambra palace, which was decorated with stunning examples of Islamic esthetics and art. Every detail reflected the same fine taste of Islam's higher spirit. Its gardens were full of fountains powered by a system based on gravity. The Muslims who built it were inspired by the Qur'anic depictions of Paradise.

Here are some verses about Paradise:

They will have preordained provision: sweet fruits and high honor in Gardens of Delight on couches face to face; a cup from a flowing spring passing round among them, as white as driven snow, delicious to those who drink, which has no headache in it and does not leave them stupefied. (Surat as-Saffat: 41-47)

[They will be] shaded by spreading branches. (Surat ar-Rahman: 48)

They will be reclining on couches lined with rich brocade, the fruits of the Gardens hanging close to hand. (Surat ar-Rahman: 54)

[Gardens of Paradise are] of deep viridian green. (Surat ar-Rahman: 64)

[They are] on sumptuous woven couches, reclining on them face to face. (Surat al-Waqi'a: 15-16)

[They are] Amid thornless lote-treesand fruit-laden acacias. (Surat al-Waqi'a: 28-29)

And wide-spreading shade and outpouring water and fruits in abundance never failing, unrestricted. And [they are] on elevated couches. (Surat al-Waqi'a: 30-34)

They will have Gardens of Eden with rivers flowing under them. They will be adorned in them with bracelets made of gold and wear green garments made of the finest silk and rich brocade, reclining there on couches under canopies. What an excellent reward! What a wonderful repose! (Surat al-Kahf: 31)

As well as architecture, Muslims had an advanced quality of and taste in clothing compared with Europe. Their textile shops produced unprecedentedly beautiful fabrics, which made European clothing appear quite ordinary. For this reason, Muslim clothing and fabrics became symbols of luxury and status among Europeans. The church's most valuable holy objects were kept in Muslim-made fabrics. Indeed, some clothes in Christian paintings made during the Middle Age had Islamic writing on them. In fact, Muslims dictated fashion to the world. Europe received other practices of civilizations from Muslims, such as bathing and using soap. Islamic civilization also contributed greatly to the development of European music. For example, string instruments widely used in the Islamic world were later adopted by Europeans. The guitar, a basic instrument of the Western music, is an adaptation of the classical ut.

Islamic Civilization and the Ottomans

The Ottoman Empire, founded in 1299, was developing as one of the Islamic world's greatest and grandest empires. The official Ottoman worldview, based on compassion and justice, left its mark on the lands it ruled with its sublime architecture, textiles, calligraphy, and a perfected educational system envied by Europe.

The sultans' subtlety and taste in art was admired by Europeans, who were deeply affected by the Ottoman Empire's splendor.

The hilya below belongs to a special collection. The other ornamental objects of the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries are displayed in the Turkish Islamic Art Museum.

The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest-lived empires. In fact, only the Roman Empire at its peak covered a greater area. However, it did not manage to preserve its size as long as the Ottomans did. Many countries that now form parts of Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East have historically important Ottoman monuments and artwork decorating their towns. Examples of Ottoman architecture and urban planning are still standing in many European cities (e.g., Sofia, Belgrade, and Sarajevo).

The Ottoman state and governing system was based on the Qur'an, and many present-day political scientists refer to it as one of the best state systems. Ottoman state diplomacy formed the basis of the modern era's multi-track diplomacy.

Ottoman civilization had a direct impact on Western European culture: The Ottomans introduced rice farming to Hungry, the Habsburg envoy Busbecq introduced tulips to the Benelux countries after visiting Istanbul in the sixteenth century, the Italians acquired their fabric weaving and dying techniques from the Ottomans, and the Ottomans introduced the tradition of military bands to Europe.5

These historical facts show that Islamic morality played a leading role in the modern world's development. From the very beginning of its revelation, Islam has served as a guiding light, leading humanity to truth, reality, and beauty. The Muslims took their morality with them wherever they went, along with compassion, reason, science, art, esthetics, hygiene, and prosperity. At a time when Europe was sunk in dark dogmatism and barbarism, the Islamic world was the world's most advanced and modern civilization. The values acquired by individual Europeans from the world of Islam played a fundamental role in developing European civilization. Historian Eugene Myers expresses this reality in the following way:

… From the late ninth century until the twelfth, Islamic influence on Western science and culture was great… The cultural importance of the work of Islamic scholars and translators for the development of science and humanities can hardly be overestimated… Thus, the roots of Western thought are a mixture of Greco-Arabic and Hebrew thought.6

On the other hand, one of the major reasons why the Islamic world fell behind in some respects was because it became estranged from the reason, sincerity, and open-mindedness taught in the Qur'an. We say this because the Qur'an is the greatest source of guidance leading humanity out of darkness of ignorance and into the light of true knowledge. As Allah revealed to our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

Alif Lam Ra. This is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (Surah Ibrahim: 1)

Present-day Muslims should know the splendid past of Islamic civilization and honor the responsibility that comes with it. Let's not forget that Muslims are the representatives of a sacred, glorious, and honorable heritage that built one of the greatest civilizations on Earth. Moreover, they have always been envied and admired in equal measure by the representatives of other civilizations or religious denominations. The famous Middle East expert Daniel Pipes speaks of the Muslims' confidence in one of his articles:

Contributing to this internal confidence is the memory of outstanding achievements during Islam's first six or so centuries. Its culture was the most advanced, and Muslims enjoyed the best health, lived the longest, had the highest rates of literacy, sponsored the most advanced scientific and technical research, and deployed usually victories armies. This pattern of success was evident from the beginning: in A.D. 622 the Prophet Muhammad fled Mecca as a refugee, only to return eight years later as its ruler. As early as the year 715, Muslim conquerors had assembled an empire that extended from Spain in the west to India in the east. To be a Muslim meant to belong to a winning civilization.7

Muslims today should not just bask in the glory of their past, but must work to help the Islamic world rise once again. Of course Muslims can build a similarly splendid and world-illuminating culture and civilization again, but not until they recreate the spirit of unity and solidarity that drove their predecessors. If they can establish a democratic, constructive, and peace-loving culture that works only for the benefit of Islam and humanity and disregards personal interests, they can build the greatest civilization of the twenty-first century. Thanks to the core values of Islamic morality (e.g., love, compassion, and sympathy), the despotic regimes ruling Muslim lands will fall; cultural and economic development will be achieved; Muslims suffering from oppression, cruelty, and even cold-blooded massacre will find peace and security; and a new "Blessed Period" will become a reality.

INTRODUCTION

The Ottoman Empire's collapse at the beginning of the twentieth century was a defining factor that determined the state of the Islamic world for the rest of the century, for many new countries arose from its ashes. However, none of them ever achieved the same degree of stability and contentment their people enjoyed during the Ottoman era.

In the twenty-first century, many problems await a solution and many conflicts need to be resolved. The balances destroyed by the Ottoman collapse were never properly restored, and thus hotspots and highly sensitive areas—most of which happen to be in the Islamic world, were created. Some of these problems were overcome by temporary measures, whereas others continue to fuel conflict and tension until today.

Most of these conflicts directly affect lands densely populated by Muslims (e.g., Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan and others). Furthermore, the increasing assertions about the inevitability of a clash of civilizations, as well as aggressive anti-Muslim propaganda, make the Islamic world a target in the eyes of some circles. This attitude, in turn, causes unnecessary and artificial tension and anxiety in society. Such matters trigger the question as to which strategy the Muslims of the first twenty-first century should adopt.

To determine the correct strategy, one must have a very clear understanding of the Islamic world's present condition and situation. At this point, our analysis of the contemporary Islamic world is presented below.

A ceremony made in the name of Shah Abbas I of the Safavid Dynasty.

Islamic civilization, as represented by the great Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, was the dominant power in central and southern Asia, northern Africa, and southern Europe. The Ottomans ruled a large territory covering the Balkans, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and parts of Arabia and North Africa; the Safavids ruled Persia and some neighboring territories; and the Mughals ruled much of the Indian subcontinent. However, Islam's rule gradually shrank and weakened. First, the Mughal Empire collapsed and thus opened a new era for South Asian Muslims. The heir to the Safavid Empire, the Qajar dynasty, managed to survive until the 1920s, albeit without power or influence. Gradually, these lands came under British and Russian rule. Meanwhile, the Ottoman Empire, which was being weakened by the continuing loss of land and internal turmoil, finally collapsed in the aftermath of the First World War.

The collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the largest and most influential state in the Islamic world, led to historical changes in Islamic geography, particularly in the Middle East and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Throughout the twentieth century, the nation-states formed by the invading European powers remained the source of the region's tension and discontent. The Islamic world, which had given rise to great civilizations, began to withdraw into itself. Muslims in the Middle East, as well as in North Africa and South Asia, suffered oppression under colonial rule. Most of these countries managed to gain their independence only in the second half of the twentieth century. The struggle for independence was very bloody in some countries, such as in Algeria. Millions of innocent people perished, and countless people were left crippled by torture and persecution. Even after independence and the colonial powers' withdrawal, these lands have not found peace and security. In short, a great part of the Islamic world spent the twentieth century enduring warfare, conflict, destitution, and abject poverty.

However, the world of Islam was not always like this.

The history of the past fourteen centuries reveals an altogether different picture: Humanity's most brilliant cultural and scientific advancements were made possible by Islam. At a time when Europe was still shrouded in darkness, Muslims founded the most amazing civilization on the planet, and Islamic morality illuminated the world.

The map showing the borders of the Saffavids, Mughals, and Ottomans, the three great Islamic empires.

FOREWORD

The Islamic world covers a huge geographic area populated by about 1.5 billion Muslims. In this book we will explain how it is a matter of urgency to bring about a Turkish Islamic Union.

One of the first things we notice when analyzing the state of the Islamic world is its many internal divisions due to deep-rooted distrust and disputes. Recent history has seen the Iran-Iraq war, Iraq's occupation of Kuwait, and East Pakistan's (Bangladesh) war of independence from West Pakistan. The civil wars and internal conflicts in Afghanistan, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Algeria due to political and ethnic differences made it obvious that something is wrong with the Islamic world. In addition, very divergent religious views and models are being practiced in the Islamic world, because there is no central authority to determine what is and what is not compatible with Islam, establish consensus, and provide guidance to the general public. Catholics have the Vatican and Orthodox Christians have the Patriarchate, but there is no religious unity or central authority for Muslims.

However, solidarity is central to Islam's character. After the death of our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the Islamic world always had a leader, which institution provided religious guidance to the Muslims.

In our day, too, a progressive central authority could be formed. Establishing a Turkish-Islamic Union and a central Islamic authority, based on democratic principles and the rule of law, would be major steps forward in resolving the Islamic world's current problems.

As we progress through this book, we will analyze several aspects of this proposed Turkish-Islamic Union, such as its ability to:

1- Possess a conception based on the love, affection, brotherhood and compassion required by the moral values of the Qur'an, aim to watch over and protect everyone and provide a high quality and prosperous standard of living to all.

2- Have a democratic and laic nature and construct a union of hearts that maintains the unitary structure of all states in bringing the Turkish-Islamic world together under a spiritual leadership.

3- Reach all of the Islamic world. Therefore, it must be founded upon Islam's core principles and not become the organ of a particular denomination or sect.

4- Support human rights, democracy, and free enterprise, and seek to achieve its mission of economic, cultural, and scientific development in the Islamic world.

5- Establish friendly and harmonious relations with other countries or civilizations, and cooperate with the global community and the UN on such issues as controlling weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, international crime, and the environment.

6- Deal with the minority rights of Christians and Jews, as well as foreigners who migrate to Islamic countries, consider their safety a priority, and approach people of all faiths and ideas with love and compassion.

7- Seek fair and peaceful solutions to end conflicts between the non-Muslims and Muslims in Palestine, Kashmir, the southern Philippines, and other regions. It must defend the rights of Muslims as well as prevent radical Islamic movements from driving the situation to into a dead-end.

Such a rational, considered, and just leadership will benefit the 1.5 billion Muslims who are struggling with so many problems, as well as all humanity at large. A Turkish-Islamic Union founded upon Qur'anic principles will enable humanity to find peace and justice, and the good character prescribed by the Qur'an will deliver happiness. Since the era of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Muslims led the way in science, reason, thought, art, culture, and civilization, and produced many benefits for humanity.

When Europe was in its dark ages, Muslims taught the world science, reasoning, medicine, art, hygiene, and countless other subjects. In order to restart the rise of Islam, powered by the Qur'an's light and wisdom, present-day Muslims have to acquire guidance based on the Qur'an's morality and the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) Sunnah (His example, or way of life).

How can this project be realized? We will investigate this issue as we proceed. Also, it must be remembered here once again that , as stated earlier, out of all Turkic Islamic nations, Turkey in particular has an important role to play . As a consequence of its historical and sociological infrastructure and as imparted by our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the hadith, Turkey will undertake very important responsibilities in the End Times we are living in. Heading the list of these important responsibilities is playing a leading role in the unification of the Turkish-Islamic world. It should also be remembered that Turkey is the heir of the Ottoman Empire, the founder of such a Turkish Islamic Union which it ruled successfully for over 5 centuries. Turkey has the social infrastructure and state tradition necessary to fulfill the requirements of this important responsibility. Furthermore, of all Muslim states, it has the best-developed relations with the West and is therefore ideally placed to mediate the differences between the West and the Islamic world. Turkey also has a tradition of compassion and harmony, and represents the Ahl as-Sunnah belief as the majority of Muslims believe. All of this makes Turkey the most qualified candidate for leading the envisaged Turkish Islamic Union.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY ART TV (USAK), August 19th, 2008 Uşak Art TV: It would seem from what you say, and especially from your works on the subject, which I have read, that you attach great importance to the Turkish-Islamic Union. Going into a bit more detail, you say things that emphasize Islamic Union, and that stress the Turkish-Islamic Union. Adnan Oktar: Yes. Uşak Art TV: You say that the Turks, Laz people and Circassians living in Turkey are one single whole. Let us expand on that, if you will. Muslims in Turkey have begun to understand Turkey’s importance in the Muslim world in particular. What are your views on this subject? Do you think the importance of the Turkish-Islamic Union will reach a truly remarkable level? Adnan Oktar: Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) always set the hadith regarding the End Times in Turkey. Always Istanbul and Turkey. And there are accounts saying the Turkish nation will be in the vanguard. Turkishness is always mentioned in the context of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). The Turkish nation is a very blessed and noble one. It always carried the banner of Islam. It is a heroic nation. It is courageous and keeps its word. You can see this in the essence of the army. Whichever country you may go to in the world, whenever Turkish troops are mentioned people will talk about them with love and say, “We wish all the others would go and that Turkish troops would come.” Go to Somalia, for instance, and they will say, “let the rest go but let Turkish troops come.” Or go to Afghanistan and they will embrace Turkish troops. Why? Because they are courageous and honest. They are affectionate. Uşak Art TV: They have faith. Adnan Oktar: They have faith. They fear Allah and behave rationally, logically. Allah appoints such a nation as the standard bearer for Islam. Allah has given this nation the task of spreading Islamic moral values, insha’Allah. That was also how it was in Ottoman times. Everyone who says he is Turkish is a Turk. For example, I am a sayyid. I am descended from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), but I am also a pure-blood Turk. A genuine Turk. It is as if Allah has bestowed a spiritual protection on this nation, on everyone who says he is a Turk, such an exemplary and virtuous nation, a nation that lives by Islam in an exemplary manner. Ask anyone in the Islamic world who best embodies Islam, and they will say Turkey. Turks embody it in the most consistent, just and rational manner. They are the most immaculate, spotless. That is why there is unanimity that Turkey should be the leader, and that is what the Turkish world and the Islamic world say. A large part of the Turkish world is Muslim, but the Christians are our brothers, too. And the Jews are our brothers. Armenians and Georgians are also our brothers. We embraced all of them in the community of Ottoman nations. They are all people who served the Ottoman Empire and Turkishness. They all served Islam and the Qur’an. For example, the finest artisans and artists emerged from among the Armenians. From the Greeks. Jewish scientists and artists gave great service. They served at court. But then this strife was manufactured. Through the corruption of racism they were tricked into thinking that this hatred and fight really existed. The masons played that treacherous trick on them. For example, they made those spotless people afraid to say that they were Greek or Armenian. They made them reluctant to admit they were Jews. That was a masonic plot. But in fact they are our brothers, the People of the Book. They love the Prophet Abraham, the Prophet Ishmael, the Prophet Isaac and the Prophet Jacob (peace be upon them all). They believe in the one Allah. We love the same prophets. We love the same angels. They are all older forms of the true faith. They are old true faiths. Of course, Islam is the last true faith, insha’Allah. But they are the People of the Book. Allah says they are the People of the Book in the Qur’an. That is why all this hatred and conflict and enmity will disappear. What need is there for the scourge of racism, or sectarianism? If Turkey gets involved as an older brother, the climate will calm down completely. That is why the Turkish-Islamic Union is so very, very urgent. Thousands of people, elderly people, were killed in Georgia. Is that not a disgrace, a sin? There will be consequences if Turkey delays by even a single day. We need action right away. Turkey should propose it, and not a single person will object. For example, go to Syria and suggest they unite with Turkey. Syria would not hesitate for two days. Propose it to Azerbaijan. They have already proposed it. Azerbaijan itself wants it. They have many times said, “Let us amalgamate with Turkey.” “Let us unite as two states, one nation” they said. That is why the proposal needs to be made official. But in order for it to be made official, the grass roots need to put it to the government. They need to say, “This is what we want.” This needs to be repeated persistently to encourage the government to take action. This is highly important. Charities, foundations, the public, all our Muslim brothers and the whole Turkish nation must concentrate on the matter. The Turkish-Islamic Union is a must. We must join the EU as leader of the Turkish-Islamic Union. It is leadership that becomes us. And let us regenerate Europe, and America and Russia. Let us enrich the whole world. Turkey’s mission is to enrich and strengthen the whole world, to build peace. But we the Turkish nation have no racist pretensions.

Finally, the solutions proposed here need to be implemented immediately, because certain circles increasingly try to provoke a clash of civilizations between the Western and Islamic worlds. Setting up the Turkish Islamic Union will cause this danger to disappear.

History proves that the coexistence of different civilizations is in fact a most pleasant wealth and blessing. A multicultural state does not experience difficulties because of existing internal differences, but because of its inability to manage those differences. Different cultures that exist side by side choose either conflict or peace and cooperation, depending upon their existing levels of compassion and whether they can or cannot control those factors leading to radicalism and hardness. At present, there may be some Westerners and Muslims who prefer hostility and conflict over compassion and harmony. Thus, misunderstandings and prejudices against Islam and the Muslims continue to present certain difficulties. On the other hand, Westerners feel unnecessarily threatened because of various misunderstandings. Therefore, a solution to these problems is needed urgently to avoid even worse conflicts and misunderstandings.

As this book will reveal, the Turkish Islamic Union will play an important role in preventing the escalating risk of conflict, for all Islamic countries will move together as one body.

FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION

The establishment of the Turkish-Islamic Union will be the salvation of everyone, of people of all faiths, all nations and all opinions, not just of the Islamic world. This union will bring love, brotherhood, friendship, plenty and abundance to the world. The Turkish-Islamic Union to be established under Turkish leadership will be instrumental in the world attaining an entirely new beauty, in a huge rise in plenty and abundance, in major progress in art and science, and in the construction of a powerful and deep-rooted civilization. By Allah's leave, the establishment of the Turkish-Islamic Union is an absolute certainty. This is the destiny ordained by Allah.

Turkey will be the natural leader of this Union. All Turkic and Muslim countries sincerely accept and desire Turkish leadership. At the root of this lie Turkey's historic experience and the moral virtues of the Turkish nation, which have been proved over and over again. The Turkish nation's desire for the role of leader is not based on any idea of racial superiority. There are no irrational and illogical ideas behind this, ideas that would also run contrary to the moral values of the Qur'an, along the lines of "we want to be the leader and for everyone else to follow behind" or "we are superior, and all other races must follow us."

The superiority in question is a moral one. The leadership to be assumed is in fact a desire to assume suffering and responsibility in order to protect, watch over and serve others, to act as a kind of older brother.

One of the main proofs that the Turkish Nation will fulfill this historic responsibility is the way that in the hadith about the end times our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) makes particular reference to Istanbul and to Turkey. As revealed by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be active in Istanbul, will construct the Turkish-Islamic Union by bringing the dispersed Turkic states back together, and will appear with the Sacred Trusts.

HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH) WILL SPIRITUALLY CAPTURE ISTANBUL

Narrated by ibn 'Amr: … The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "O Ummah! Six things will happen before the Hour … The sixth is the conquest of Medina."

He was asked, "O Messenger of Allah, which medina [city]?"
He said, "Constantinople [Istanbul]."
(*) This is the conquest of Constantinople by Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). (Signs of the Last Day, p. 204; Ramuz al-Ahadith, 296)
Allah will capture Constantinople [Istanbul] through His beloved friends [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]. (Signs of the Last Day, p. 181)
Nations will come under his [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] command. Allah will make him the instrument of the [spiritual] capture of Constantinople [Istanbul]. (Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 56)

HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH) WILL SERVE AMONG THE TURKS

Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will never leave Rum, the Turks [because Turkey used to be known as the region of Rum]. (Narrated from Ish'afu'r-Ragibin, Tilsimlar, p. 212)
A Tirmidhi hadith says that "the Hour will not come until Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) rules the Arabs" (Tirmidhi, Fitan: 43). This means he will not appear from among the Arabs because in order to rule over the Arabs he will have not to be one of them. (Signs of the Last Day, p. 170)

Some people will appear from the East and prepare the way for Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be the ruler among them. (Ibn Majah, Kitabul Fitan: 35 (4088) This hadith shows that he will come from among a people existing in or coming from the east. This refers to the Turks, who were then living in the east and who subsequently settled in Anatolia, and Allah knows the truth. (Signs of the Last Day, p. 171)
Ibn Khaldun and al-Qurtubi record that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will come from the Mashriq (the east), Khorasan (the area to the west of the Caspian Sea) and the Amu Darya (these being regions inhabited by Turks). (Macdonald, Encyclopedia of Islam, 7:478.)
These things all show that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will engage in intensive activities among the Turks. (Saban Dogen, Mehdi ve Deccal [The Mahdi and the Dajjal], p. 172)

Sayyid Ahmad Husamaddin (ra) says this about Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) birthplace in his Istihracname:
"An individual will come from among the Muslims, and the honor of that individual will be radiant like the rays of the Sun, shining around from the greatest peak of the Caucasus." (Osman Yuksel Serdengecti, City with No Temple, Serdengecti Publication: VI, p.107)

THE FRAGMENTED TURKISH STATES WILL BE UNITED BY HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH)

... And dispersed Turkish flags will appear and help my son [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] in every nook and cranny. (al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 323)
... Allah will cause him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] to conquer Rum, Daylam, Sindh, India, Kabul and the Caspian. (Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 274)

According to a hadith of the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will first appear from Turkey with the Turkish flag and will then become the spiritual ruler of other Islamic countries with their green flags. He will be instrumental in the founding of the Turkish-Islamic Union and will assume the spiritual leadership of it. The hadith is as follows:

In that year the disappearance of my son [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], who will have the red flag and afterwards the green flag, will be announced. (Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 170)

HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH) WILL HAVE THE SACRED TRUSTS WITH HIM

The scholars who narrated the hadith about the end times spoke of the events of the end times being based in the centers of the caliphate of their own times. This is why, with regard to the place where Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear from, different scholars have cited such places as Iraq, Damascus, Kufa and Medina, which were the centers of the caliphate in their own times. However, the common feature of these accounts is that the events of the end times will take place in the center of the caliphate. The final center of the caliphate was "Istanbul." The caliphate was officially abolished at the beginning of the last century, and it was never transferred anywhere else after that time. Consequently, Istanbul is the only city to still bear this spiritual title. The two standards, sword and robe of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), together with other sacred trusts, are kept in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul.

It is related from Abdullah ibn Shurafa: "The banner of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) will be adorned, together with Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)." (Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 65)

Nuaym ibn Hammad narrates from Abu Jafar; "Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear in the evening with the banner, robe, sword, signs, radiance and beautiful expression of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). (Mar'iy Ibn Yusuf Ibn Abi Baqr ibn Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Maqdi'si Faraidu Fawaidi'l Fikr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntazar)

The Mahdi (pbuh) will appear with the banner of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). That banner is unstitched, black, and has four corners. It has never been unfurled since the death of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) but will be unfurled by Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). (The Book of Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, pp. 41-42, 52, 54)

As for signs, he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will have with him the shirt, the sword, and the banner of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). That banner has never been unfurled since the death of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). And, it will not be unfurled until the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). (Portents of the Last Day, p. 164)

He will appear with the camel hair banner of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). That banner has four corners, is unstitched and black in color. There is a halo on it. It has not been unfurled since the death of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), but it will be opened when Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) appears. (Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 23)

One important feature of this banner, which we are told will only be unfurled by Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in the end times is that "it has never been unfurled since the death of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)." The banner has never been opened by any state, including the Ottoman Empire, out of respect for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and was never taken out of its cover even during the battles or during the ceremonies it was taken to. The banner, preserved in this way for 14 centuries, will be opened when the moral values of Islam rule the world, with the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).

NO BLOOD WILL BE SHED IN THE WORLD WHEN THE TURKISH-ISLAMIC UNION IS ESTABLISHED

As set out in detail in the sections that follow, the Turkish-Islamic Union will be a union that is based on the moral values of the Qur'an, and therefore one of peace that treats people of all opinions, beliefs and nations with affection and understanding and that protects the rights of all and sets everyone at ease. The Turkish-Islamic Union will put a complete end to all conflicts, acts of terror and anarchy. With its establishment, all strife will come to an end. With the construction of this fine union, Jews and Christians will also attain an environment in which they can worship in security, do business as they wish, settle where they choose and feel themselves in complete safety. The foundation of the Turkish-Islamic Union will take place without a drop of blood being spilled, with Muslims coming together in love, and with the spread of friendship through affection, good words, wise and rational language.
 It is a fact imparted by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that in the time of the foundation of the Turkish-Islamic Union all conflicts will come to an end, all weapons will fall silent and people will live in peace and love. Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has revealed that not one drop of blood will be shed in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). We are told in hadith that when Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) appears and the Turkish-Islamic Union is established peace, justice, beauty and safety will enfold the world:

People will seek refuge in Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) as honey bees cluster around their sovereign. He will fill the world that was once full of cruelty, with justice. His justice will be as such that HE WILL NOT wake a sleeping person or EVEN SHED ONE DROP OF BLOOD. The earth will return to the age of happiness. (Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 29)

[Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will follow the way of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). HE WILL NOT wake up a sleeping person or SHED BLOOD. (Al-Barzanji, Pamuk Publishing, Istanbul, 2002, p. 163)

In the time of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) NO ONE WILL be woken up from their sleep or HAVE A BLEEDING NOSE. (Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 44)

Those obeying him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will pay homage to him between ruqun and maqam (near Qaba). THEY WILL not wake a sleeping person, NEVER SHED BLOOD. (Al-Haytami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 24)

This (Amr) [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] WILL FILL EARTH WITH JUSTICE, just as people previously filled it with cruelty. (Sunan Ibn Majah, 10/348)

The world filled with oppression and tyranny WILL OVERFLOW WITH JUSTICE AFTER HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (pbuh)] COMES. (Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 20)

THERE WILL BE SUCH AN ABUNDANCE OF JUSTICE IN THE HAZRAT MAHDI'S (pbuh) TIME that just as all the goods taken away by force will be returned to their owners. (Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 23)

HIS [THE MAHDI'S (pbuh)] JUSTICE WILL COVER ALL PLACES and he will rule among people with the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He will even also call for one who is in need to be brought forward, and when that command is obeyed only one person will come. (Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 20)

If there were only one day left for the world, that day would be lengthened until a man from among the people of my household, was sent; just as the Earth is filled with cruelty, HE WILL FILL THE EARTH WITH JUSTICE. (Sunan Abu-Dawud, 5/92)

Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is one of my people, and HE WILL FILL THE EARTH WITH TRUTH AND JUSTICE, just as it is now filled with cruelty and torture.  (Sunan Abu-Dawud, 5/93)

Like the cup fills with water, SO WILL EARTH FILL WITH PEACE. THERE WILL BE NO ENMITY LEFT between any people. ALL HOSTILITY, FIGHTING, AND ENVY WILL DISAPPEAR. (Sahih Muslim, 1/136)

... In the same way that Almighty Allah started Islam with me, so He will end it with him (Hazrat Mahdi [pbuh]). In the same way that THEY WERE FREED FROM POLYTHEISM AND ENMITY AND THEIR HEARTS WERE FILLED WITH FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE THROUGH ME, SO IT WILL BE AGAIN [WITH THE COMING OF HAZRAT MAHDI (pbuh)]. (Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, Jalaladdin as-Suyuti, p. 20)

... IN HIS [HAZRAT MAHDI (pbuh)] TIME THE GOOD BECOME EVEN BETTER, AND EVEN THE WICKED ONES ARE TREATED WELL. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 17)

THE GREATEST RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION OF THE AGE IS ISLAMIC UNION
Bediüzzaman Said Nursi

For Muslims to be united and not to fall into division and fragmentation is a command that Allah reveals in the Qur'an. All Muslims are brothers, no matter what their language, race or sect. The closeness and friendship between them should therefore resemble that between brothers. No matter where in the world they may live, Muslims must love, protect and support one another like true brothers, in the same way that brothers never leave one another in difficulties, always run to help and support one another and protect and watch over each other.

If Muslims do not do this, if they do not love and protect one another like brothers, if they are not united in a spirit of solidarity, then they have disobeyed Allah's command. And that is a situation no Muslim will wish to find himself in. It is essential for every Muslim who loves and fears Allah and scrupulously obeys all His commands to strive and constantly pray for the unity of the Islamic world.

If the Islamic world wishes to construct a powerful, stable and prosperous civilization and to guide the world and lead the way in all spheres, then it must act as one. The lack of such unity, division and fragmentation among Muslim countries, the failure of the Islamic world to speak with one voice, leaves innocent Muslim peoples defenseless. Helpless and needy women, children and elderly people are waiting to be saved from oppression in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, East Turkestan, Moro and many other places. Responsibility for these innocent people lies with the Islamic world before anyone else. Muslims must never forget our Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) words, "A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor leaves him in danger."

Throughout his life the great Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman waged an intellectual struggle for the unification of the Muslim world and made Muslims aware of the importance of that union being established. Bediuzzaman, who said, "The greatest religious obligation of the age is Islamic Union...," expressed the importance of striving for the unity of the Islamic world in the wisest manner. In his Risalat an-Noor he frequently concentrated on Muslims loving and supporting one another, displaying solidarity and protecting and watching over one another, and himself always behaved in a reconciliatory and unificatory manner.

Today, too, it is most important for all Muslims to adopt this language of Bediuzzaman's as a role model, live by the joy and determination even more than he displayed for the unification of the Islamic world and to allow nobody to make them faint-hearted on this subject. It must not be forgotten that Muslim unity is a command of Allah's and, by His will, will certainly come about. As Bediuzzaman says: "Almighty Allah, Who fills and empties the world between the heavens and earth with clouds, and in an instant stills the storms of the sea, and in an hour in spring creates samples of the summer and in an hour in summer creates a winter storm, such an All-Powerful One of Glory can also scatter the darkness of the world of Islam by means of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). He has promised this, and certainly He will carry out His promise." (Letters / Twenty - Ninth Letter - Seventh Section - p.515) And by Allah's leave, these are tidings that the Islamic world will definitely be united, that it will be bound together like buildings welded with lead, that they will act like true brothers on the path of Allah and will be instrumental in people all over the world living by the moral values of the Qur'an.

Said Nursi describes Islamic Union as follows in his Damascus Sermon:

The way of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is free of all doubts and trickery, and therefore does not condescend to concealing things, which is suggestive of doubt and trickery. Anyway, such a mighty, extensive, all-embracing truth could in no way be hidden, especially from the people of this time. How could an ocean be concealed in a pitcher? I repeat: the means of unity of the Muhammadan Union, which in reality is Islamic Unity, is Divine Unity. Its oath and pledge is belief… Its membership consists of all believers. Its code of rules are the practices of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Its laws are the commands and prohibitions of the Shari‘a [the morality of the Qur'an]. THIS UNION IS NOT A TRADITION BUT A WORSHIP. (The Damascus Sermon / First Addendum / Third Part - p. 81)

In these words, Bediuzzaman clearly and explicitly describes the values that Muslims should base their union upon:

All Muslims who

- Believe in the One Allah,
- Follow the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and
- Have adopted the Qur'an and the Sunnah as their guides are brothers and have a responsibility to act together as one.

The fact that they live in different countries, belong to different races or cultures and possess different ideas or practices is no obstacle to their being brothers or united. On the contrary, each of these qualities is a blessing created by Allah, and a source of wealth for Muslims. As Bediuzzaman also says, Muslims must not regard the establishment of the Turkish-Islamic Union as a pleasant hope, a good tradition or a political necessity, and must never forget that union is a religious obligation.

Bediuzzaman also notes that Muslims must have no hesitations or doubts regarding the fulfillment of this obligation and says that every Muslim who heeds the voice of his conscience has a great responsibility to strive for the establishment of the Turkish-Islamic Union, "the greatest religious obligation":
Hiding and fear are both hypocrisy, but there is no hypocrisy in performing the obligatory acts of religion. The obligatory act of greatest importance at the present time is Islamic Unity. While the aim and goal of Unity is to stir into life the long, many- branched, far-reaching luminous chain which binds together the centers of Islam and their places of worship, to arouse those bound to it, and through the wishes and promptings of their consciences drive them to the way of progress. (The Damascus Sermon / First Addendum / Third Part - p. 81)

As Bediuzzaman also said Muslims must combine all the means at their disposal to strive for the unity of the Islamic world, work on that path with enthusiasm, fervor and determination and rouse all Muslims to establish this blessed union.

Another matter that Bediuzzaman particularly stresses in discussing the Turkish-Islamic Union is that it will be a union of hearts, one of love and friendship. Muslims have a duty to tell others of the indispensable nature of this union, by way of love, knowledge and pleasant words. But there is no sense in entering on such an initiative without basing it on the power of faith, love for Allah, the moral values of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). That is because Allah would never permit such an initiative to be successful. But, by Allah's leave, those who act honestly, with love for Allah and the joy of faith and under the guidance of the moral virtues bestowed by the Qur'an and the hadiths, will definitely enjoy success on this path.

The way of this Union is love; its enmity is only for ignorance, poverty, and strife. Non-Muslims should feel sure that this Union attacks only those three facts. Our actions towards non-Muslims consist only of persuasion, for we know them to be civilized. And we suppose them to be fair-minded, so we should demonstrate that Islam is lovable and elevated. The lax and negligent should know that they cannot ingratiate themselves with the non-Muslims by being irreligious, for they only show that they are unprincipled. And no one likes unprincipledness and anarchy. Those who join this Union after due investigation will not leave it by blindly imitating such people. We present to public opinion the ideas, way, and reality of the Muhammadan Union, which is Islamic Unity. If anyone has any objections, let him voice them; we are ready to answer them. (The Damascus Sermon / First Addendum / Third Part - p. 81)

As Bediuzzaman describes with such wisdom, the Turkish-Islamic Union will also protect and watch over non-Muslims. As is set out in detail in the following sections of the book, the moral values of Islam make it essential to treat people of other faiths and beliefs with affection and compassion. A Muslim will preach Islam using wise, rational and pleasant language and strive to prevent evil and spread good, but he will be aware in so doing that "there is no compulsion in the religion." In an environment where people live by the moral values of Islam, everyone is free to practice his own faith, perform religious observances as he wishes and express his own ideas. As the embodiment of these requirements of Islamic moral values, the Turkish-Islamic Union will be democratic and attach great importance to human rights and will establish a climate in which freedom of expression prevails, in which the rights of Jews, Christians, people of other beliefs and even with no belief at all, and atheists are protected, and in which everyone is treated as a first-class citizen.

One subject that Bediuzzaman also concentrates on in the context of Islamic union it that this blessed union will come about through Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and under that blessed individual's leadership. The fact that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will bring about the union of the Turkish and Islamic world is revealed in the hadiths. Said Nursi sets this truth out as follows:

His Third Duty: ... THAT INDIVIDUAL WILL SEEK TO FULFILL THAT GREAT DUTY WITH THE SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE OF ALL BELIEVERS, AND THE SOLIDARITY OF ISLAMIC UNION, AND ALL SCHOLARS AND LEARNED MEN, AND IN PARTICULAR WITH THE CONTRIBUTION OF MILLIONS OF DEVOTED SAYYIDS DESCENDED FROM THE LINE OF OUR PROPHET (MAY ALLAH BLESS HIM AND GRANT HIM PEACE). (Emirdag Addendum, p. 260)

As can clearly be seen in this passage from Bediuzzaman, one of the three duties Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will do is to unite all Muslims and establish the Turkish-Islamic Union. Therefore, at a time in which the moral values of the Qur'an are ignored, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be instrumental in people returning to those values. He will found the Turkish-Islamic Union, and there will be many righteous individuals who support him in this work. Bediuzzaman reveals that this third task of Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) is very important and will be supported by a great mass of people. By referring to "THE SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE OF ALL BELIEVERS," Bediuzzaman is saying that a union established through an alliance of "ALL MUSLIMS" will assist Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in this task. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and his helpers will be brave people who draw courage from love for Allah and joy of faith. The light of their faith will be instrumental in the illumination of the whole world. Support from such a wide-ranging alliance including all Muslims did not come about in Bediuzzaman's own day. As Bediuzzaman reveals, the spiritual help from this great mass of people will only come about in the End Times that we are currently living in and together with Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), and it will play a major role in the fulfillment of his third task.