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Proceedings of ADVED 2016 2nd International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences
10 -12 October 2016 - Istanbul, Turkey
ISBN: 978 -605 -64453 -8-5 641
BADIUZZAMAN SAID NURSI'S APPROACH TO MODERN EDUCATION
-INTEGRATING SCIENCES WITH RELIGIOUS SCIENCES -
Qazi Mohd. Jamshed
Assoc . Prof . Dr., Aligarh Muslim University , Aligarh, India , [email protected] m
Abstract
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi was a great reformer in the twentieth Century Turkey . He played a significant role in
the transformation of Turkish society. Like many educated Muslims, Said Nursi was not satisfied with the
alternatives represented by both the new secularist westernizing visionaries…new secular intellectuals… and
the traditionalists who failed to comprehend the nature of change in all its dimensions. He criticized existing
institut ions and mentalities and worked to provide an alternative …an authentically Islamic and modern
approach to meet the challenges of the times. He developed his ideas on educational reform and created his
own method of teaching, combining the religious scien ce with modern science. To declare that ignorance is
the leading enemy and to think that this enemy can be eliminated only through education Badiuzzaman Said
Nursi presented a well educated model of community. Nursi's views on unifying educational system b y his
Madrasatuz Zehra approach are original and unique. His views that religious subjects should be taught in the
secular schools (mektabs) and the positive science in the religious schools (medreses) so that the structure
of secular education are salvaged from irreligious behavior and the religious schools from bigotry, are very
progressive. Moreover, his views about integration of science and theology with education are very futuristic
and rewarding given the pathetic situations of Muslims in educational field worldwide. Education based on
faith was the central point of Nursi’s educational philosophy. Nursian concern with knowledge based on
belief in God is very much worthy of consideration. He believed that the conscience is illuminated by the
religious s ciences and the mind is illuminated by the science of civilization and wisdom occurs from the
combination of these two. Nursi says, “The light of conscience is religious sciences ( ulum -u- diniya). The
light of mind is civilized sciences ( funun -u-meden iya). Reconciliation of both manifests the truth. The
student’s skills develop further with these two sciences (ulum -u-diniya and funun -u-medenye) but when they
are separated superstition from the former and corruption and skepticism from the latter is bor n" . The
educational model given by Said Nursi was very comprehensive and progressive and caters needs both of
religion, science and morality and thus makes a harmonious blend of all the three in a holistic manner.
Nursian model of education surpass all t he Educational models, presented and practiced by his
contemporaries in South Asia, where both the objectives of empowerment through education and integration
of religion with science and technology can comfortably be realized practically and in a convincing balance.
The unique civilization features of Medresetu'z -Zehra m odel make it a most suitable and culturally viable
model for Muslims in its global perspective as well. Therefore studying this model in depth is highly desirable
in the context of the consumerist tendencies emerging in the spheres of education and technol ogy by
relegating spiritual and moral values to margins. Nursian model provides an alternative which meets the Proceedings of ADVED 2016 2nd International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences
10 -12 October 2016 - Istanbul, Turkey
ISBN: 978 -605 -64453 -8-5 642
demand of modern times but does not neglect the much needed values the education should imbibe to face
the civilization challenges in the wake of the onslaught of atheism and materialism in name of development,
modernization and progress.
This paper on "Badiuzzaman Said Nursi's Approach to Modern Education" will focus on all these issues and
arrive at conclusion through sustained objectivity and analysis.
Keywords : unique educational reforms, integration of Science and Theology, modern sciences and religious
sciences, mektebs and medrese, Madrasatuz Zehra, morality and scientific temper
1. INTRODUCTION
Education based on faith was the central point of Nursi’s educational philosophy. Nursian con cern with
knowledge based on belief in God is very much worthy of consideration. This interrelationship between
knowledge, love and belief forms the basis of Nursian view of Education. He believed that the conscience is
illuminated by the religious science s and the mind is illuminated by the science of civilization and wisdom
occurs from the combination of these two. Nursi says, “The lights of conscience is religious sciences ( ulum -
u- diniya). The light of mind is civilized sciences ( funun -u-medeniya ). Reconciliation of both manifests the
truth. The student’s skills develop further with these two sciences (ulum -u-diniya and funun -u-medenye ) but
when they are separated superstition from the former and corruption and skepticism from the latter is born"
(Said Nursi,2007, p 507). Thus Said Nursi developed his ideas on educational reforms and created his own
method of teaching, combining the religious science with modern science.
Education rests at the very center of building prosperous civilization. N ursi is of the belief that knowledge,
education and faith form the prime ingredients for renewal of civilization whose integration provides the
platform for development and perfection. This linking of ilm (Knowledge) and iman (faith) form the core of
Nurs ian model of Educational system. These terms ilm and iman although had been examined by scholars
individually but their deep -seated interlink between them had rarely been explored. In this regard Nursian
concept of Education based on belief in God and Educ ation produced from belief in God is very much worthy
of consideration (Ahma d Anees , 2014, ). Said Nursi believed that the Education system of the society
should be the integration of knowledge and faith. By faith he meant the strong belief in Allah and t he proper
practicing of religious virtues. Because without practicing faith is nothing. According to him it is essential that
faith and knowledge complement each other. For, if any one of these two factors of education, i.e.
knowledge and faith, lose then that education system or concept cannot make any difference or progress
(The Letters, 1997, pp. 265). Will Grant in his masterpiece Pleasures of Philosophy is in complete accord
with Said Nursi’s views on Education. He observes, “ Education that is entirely scientific and materialistic can
produce nothing but tools and modern machines. It alienates man from beauty and estranges him from
wisdom ”(Grant,W ill , 1953, pp. 168 -169)
Nursi was aware of a need for education in knowledge as well as education in chara cter. He believed that
the knowledge and faith in God should be fused and integrated to bring real happiness and spiritual
pleasure. He says, “ You should definitely know that the highest aim of the human’s innate character (hilkat)
and the most sublime res ult of the human’s inborn disposition (fitrat) are to have faith in God. And the most
exalted position and the greatest status in the ranks of humanity are to attain the love of God within faith in
God (The Letters ). The 20th century has witnessed unprece dented attacks on the foundations of faith by
materialists in the name of sciences and advancement. Nursi responded to these attacks by devoting all his
efforts to save and strengthen belief, which he viewed as the most important matter for a better humani ty.
And he did this by trying to establish that there is no enmity between any science and faith but they are
allies. “W hat makes human into human,” claims Nursi, “is indeed faith”. As he firmly states; the happiness of
humanity in this world and the next world depends on their faith, “Faith necessitates affirmation of Divine
unity, which in turn necessitates submission to God, which in turn necessitates reliance on God, which in turn
necessarily leads to happiness in this world and the next” (The Words, 20 02, pp. 322 -323) .
Sukran Vahide says: “Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was distinguished from other religious leaders in the Islamic
world in recent times by his seeking to reverse its decline vis -à-vis the West not through political struggle or
the establishment of the Islamic state or other means, but through the revitaliz ation of faith or belief (iman).
He identified the gravest danger to “the edifice of Islam” as coming from the decay of its intellectual Proceedings of ADVED 2016 2nd International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences
10 -12 October 2016 - Istanbul, Turkey
ISBN: 978 -605 -64453 -8-5 643
underpinning, which had been weakened over the centuries by currents of alien thought and was then facing
renewed threa ts in the form of materialist philosophy and modernity, which he expressed in terms of
“philosophy” and “modern civilization.” The greatest danger these posed was to the faith of the mass of
believers. Hence in Nursi‟s view, the restatement of the basic te nets of the Islamic religion, and “ the
renewing and strengthening of belief” through new methods, were of paramount importance and took
precedence over every other form of struggle aimed at reconstruction .” (Vahide, Sukran, 2002, p.180) “Belief
in God and its necessary corollaries, knowledge of God and worship, are, according to Nursi, the purpose of
man's being “sent to this world.” They are also his innate or primordial duty. So belief in God is “ the highest
aim of creation and its most important result ”( The Letters) . By virtue of these complementary facts, it is only
through belief that human beings can find happiness and fulfillment. This constitutes one of the main themes
of the Risale -i Nur, which Nursi elaborates with numerous allegories, comparisons , and arguments. It is also
an area in which he points out the paradoxes and failures of “philosophy” and “misguided science,” which,
although their stated aim is the conquest of human happiness, have rather brought humanity pain and
suffering, since they have sought it in worldly pleasures and through their false principles and viewpoint
(Vahide) .
Nursi argues that the main purpose of the creation of the humanity is to be perfect by means of knowledge
and supplication based on belief. " The highest aim of creation and its most important result is belief in God.
The most exalted rank in humanity and its highest degree is the knowledge of God contained within belief in
God. The most radiant happiness and sweetest bounty for jinn and human beings is the love o f God
contained within the knowledge of God" (The Letters)
PART 1
Said Nursi was not satisfied with the system of Education prevalent at that time in Turkey. Education was
mostly given through dual institutions; mekteb and medrese. The system offered by the former was western
oriented, with a focus on positivist approach to sciences, whereas the latter institution a classical Islamic
education. During this time there was no system of Education in the country offering both scientific and
religious training. Mekatib and medaris as the places of popular education at that time seemed to carry pride
in their separate curricula, each being critical of the other. Nursi was deeply troubled with this schism. Nursi
who himself completed and ex celled in medrese education reaching to its heights, realized the need to
improve himself in the sciences of the time to find answer to many questions. He often expressed his
frustration towards traditional religious scholars whose discussion could not pro vide solutions to the major
problems of the time. Nursi was convinced that religion did not consist solely of faith matters but due to its
comprehensiveness it is also connected with world of science including sociology, politics and economics.
(Markham an d Pirim , 2011, p. 10 ) To comprehend the understanding of religion knowledge of all these
subjects are also necessary. But at the same time he gave religion a position of primacy over all types of
sciences . He argued that “ Islam is the master and guide o f the sciences, and the chief and father of all true
knowledge” (Nursi, Muhakemat, p.8). This led him to evolve his own scheme of ideal system of education.
For integration of knowledge, his view is that religious sciences are taught in the new secular schoo ls
(mektebs) and that the positive sciences are taught in the religious schools ( medreses) . He argued that if the
students are taught in this method, those in the secular schools will be saved from being without religion,
while those in the religious schoo ls will be saved from bigotry. (Marazi, Hamidullah 2012, p. 16) . A fine
combination of scientific and religious sciences as envisaged by Nursi can be seen from the conclusion he
drawn: ‘ The Religious sciences are the light of the conscience and the modern sciences i.e. sciences of
civilization are the light of the reason; the truth becomes manifest through the combination of the two. The
student’s endavour will take flight on these two wi ngs. When they are separated it gives rise to bigotry in the
one, and wiles and skepticism in the other’ (Nursi, Munazarat, 2007, p. 508) . He wanted to integrate the
science of modern times with Islamic thought. But his theory of integration was the new ex egesis of the
Quran to be written, almost exclusively, in the light of the findings of modern science, and he tried to put it
into practice with an added enthusiasm. (Marazi)
Thus, the integration of religious and modern sciences was the tool used by Said Nursi to revitalize the
Muslim culture and tradition. Here also the faith and religious values of students were main concerns of
Nursi. One of his most important views related to education is the approach of uniting religion and sciences.
He says: “ We shou ld mold the science brought from Europe and America, which, in fact, belongs to Islam,
with the light of oneness and view it from the point of view of the contemplation and signified meaning
mentioned by the Quran, that is, on behalf of its maker and maste r” (Badili, 1998, p. 127). Bediuzzaman felt
that existing Educational system was not addressing the need of the society, it was rather furthering gap
between two sections of the society, intelligentsia of religious sciences and that of modern sciences. Not
even that, but the both streams had misunderstandings about each others. In his view, students of the Proceedings of ADVED 2016 2nd International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences
10 -12 October 2016 - Istanbul, Turkey
ISBN: 978 -605 -64453 -8-5 644
modern education system should be trained in religious subjects, and similarly, products of the religious
schools should be well equipped with the modern trend of the world, so that the two sections of the society
could have enough opportunity to understand both the sciences utilizing their skills. The main purpose of his
initiative was to produce a sincere and committed Muslim citizen in order to get rid of the crisis of the Muslim
intelligentsia and to develop science and technology in the Muslim world (Ahmad, 2014). The main purpose
of his project, ‘Madrasatu'z Zehra’ was also the reconciliation of religious sciences and secular knowledge.
He states it c learly, “ The people of (medrasah) religious schools accuse the people of modern schools of
weakness of belief due to their outward appearance. The people of modern schools regard the people of
religious schools as insufficient and ignorant because they do not know about the new branches of science.
The differences in the views and methods unsettled the Islamic ethics and prevented people from
contemporary civilization. The only solution to this is to teach religious sciences properly in modern schools,
to t each new branches of exact sciences instead of ancient Greek philosophy, which is unnecessary now, in
religious schools and to have very competent scholars in dervish lodges. When they are realized, those three
branches will develop in harmony and reach hi gh ranks.” For him the main purpose of learning of science is
to understand the Qur‟an and prove its truths. Understanding the Quran should be the main aim and
purpose of learning science and object of life. Thus the Quranic miraculousness should become the guide,
teacher and master for the entire humanity.
It is worthy of consideration that efforts of Said Nursi were against the modernization and the secularization
process occurred in Turkey in his time. He was of the firm belief that these satanic processes diminished and
took away the faith of Muslim society, which gave them power and energy to fight and strugg le against all
satanic efforts. It was Mustafa Kemal’s, the father of modernization and westernization in Turkey, declared
aim “ to achieve an unconditional transformation to Western civilization,” and to build a modern nation -state.
Such a project required the rapid modernization, Westernization, and therefore secularization of Turkey. To
make this process easy Kemal brought a radically reformed “national” education system, the function of
which was to inculcate “universal, humanist, secular, positivist” pr inciples. His intention was to eliminate all
existing religious identities, and create a uniform secular, nationalist identity‟ ( Vahide, p. 34). Badiuzzaman
Said Nursi declared an intellectual and spiritual war against all these dangerous propagandas by tr ying to
reconstruct the educational settings through faith and religious values.
To give practical shape to his thoughts on Educational reforms Said Nursi went to Istanbul at the end of the
year 1907 to present his proposals before the Sultan, Abdulhamid II. According to Sukran Vahide, Nursi’s
intention in returning to the Ottoman capital was to try to gain official support for his ideas of an Islamic
University, the Madresetu’z Zehra in eastern Anatolia Serfin Mardin , however, suggests that it was Nursi’s
desire to present a series of reform proposals to the Sultan which prompted him to move to Istanbul .
Mardin, 1989, p. 79) . However, Nursi’s stay in Istanbul and his activities from the end of 1907 to the middle
of 1908 as well as his conversation with th e Doctor suggests that his main concern was the propagation of
his Medreset’uz Zehra project, for which he worked so tirelessly till as late as 1950. Another intention was
also ‘to engage with a broader spectrum of scholars, intellectuals and politicians t here. Istanbul was the heart
of Ottoman intelligentsia, the center of Muslim world and an important axis in the world’s power balance’. (
Markham, p. 11)
Unfortunately, Said Nursi was not allowed to talk to the Sultan. Sefik Pasha, the Minister of Internal Affairs,
however, talked to him. Said Nursi did not regard this talk sufficient. He expressed his views through articles
in the newspapers and his speeches. He wanted the Sultan to give importance to education instead of
establishing cavalry troops and to spend the taxes collected from people on treating ignorance, the illness of
the nation. He gave great importance to expressing the intense need of the community for education
because “the nation thirsts for a new education system that complies with Islam” (Vahide, p. 37) Finally with
the active support of the Governor of Van and Bitlis, Tahir Pasha, Nursi was introduced to the Sultan.
According to Vahide it was Ferik Ahmad Pasha, the Major General, with whom Nursi stayed for two months,
may have assisted him in preparing the petition seeking support for his educational projects in Kurdistan to
be presented to the Palace and secured the necessary introduction. However the actual presentation did not
take place till May or June 1908 . However, Nursi's suggestion for radical reforms in the existing educational
systems of the time under Abdulhamid II were not taken well. His bold denunciation of the policies of Sultan
evoked strong reaction amongst the State authorities. He was sent to a mental hospital for present ing "this
much courage" which was not found to be "comfortable with sanity" by the officials (Markham, p. 35) . Later
in 1911 Nursi finally convinced Sultan Mohd. Resad about the greater need of establishing a university in the
Eastern provinces. He was gi ven the initial amount of a thousand gold liras in advance out of the nineteen
gold liras allotted to the proposed university. Constructions had started on a site on the shores of Lake Van
at Edremit in 1913. But due to the outbreak of the First World War shortly afterward and nonpayment of the Proceedings of ADVED 2016 2nd International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences
10 -12 October 2016 - Istanbul, Turkey
ISBN: 978 -605 -64453 -8-5 645
rest of the promised funds and the apathy of the Ministry of the Pious Foundations, despite the favorable
response from the Grand Vizir's Office, construction was halted and it never resumed (vahide, pp. 102 -108) .
The text was later printed in the Sark ve Kurdistan Gazetesi (East and Kurdistan Gazette), dated November
19, 1908. (Vahide, p. 38) The heart of these proposals was the bringing together and joint teaching of the
traditional religious sciences and the mod ern sciences . He attached great importance to the restructuring of
the curriculum which was extremely modern in approach. He laid down certain guiding principles to be
followed in the functioning of the Medrese. The instructions should be given in a la nguage known by the
student. In another work, Munazarat, Nursi stated that they should be tri -lingual, with Arabic being
“compulsory”, Kurdish ‘permissible’, and Turkish “necessary”. In the same work, he also stated that Kurdish
scholars who were trusted b y Turk and Kurd should be selected as teachers, as well as those who knew the
local languages and it was necessary to take into account the capacity and cultural level of the community
they were to serve. These medrese should be on an equal footing with th e official secular schools and like
them their examinations should be recognized (The Munazarat, 2007, p. 71) . In his views, on the wider
scale, the Medresetu -z Zahra would unite the three traditions in the Educational system by representing ‘the
most supe rior mekteb by the reason, the very best medrese by heart, and the most sacred zawiye by the
conscience’. In course of time it would gain financial independence by reason of the donations and pious
bequest it would receive. Nursi suggested eastern Anatolia , with two major campuses in two important cities.
He wanted to connect the distant communities of the empire to the center. Rebellion was growing in every
corner of the empire and for Nursi the solution was to provide an enriched education for all .
At another place Said Nursi highlighting the benefit of the educational curricula of the Medresetu'z Zahra
pointed out that 'it would ensure the future of the ulama in the eastern provinces, at the same time it would
be step towards the unification and refor m of general system. So it would deliver Islam from the bigotry,
superstitions, and false beliefs which had encrusted parts of it over the centuries. And, importantly, would be
a means of introducing modern learning into the medreses in a way which would a llay the ulama’s suspicions
concerning modern science. Also, it would "open the door to spreading the beneficial aspects of
constitutionalis m."
Bediuzzaman wished for Islam to function like a consultative council, that is to say, through the mutual
consultation (sura) of "the three divisions of the army of Islamic education", those of the medreses, the
mektebs, and the tekkes , so that "each would complete th e deficiencies of the other". His aim was for the
Medresetu'z -Zehra to be an embodiment of this .
According to Bediuzzaman, this transforming the medreses from being `single -faculty' institutions into being
`multi -faculty' and putting into practice `the rul e of division of labour' was in accordance with wisdom and the
laws of creation. The failure to practice it in previous centuries had led to despotism and the exploitation of
learning in the medreses, and the teaching being undertaken by those not qualifie d to do so. It had headed
the medreses towards their destruction.
In many places, Bediuzzaman stresses the need for students to specialize in one subject for which they have
an aptitude, and in addition only study subjects which complement it. Nevertheless , it should be pointed out
that specialization in particular subject represented a radical break with traditional methods.
Finally, a further point which could be thought of as radical was Bediuzzaman's view that "public opinion"
should prevail among both the ulama and the students. That is to say, he believed that it was "scholastic
despotism", an offspring of political despotism, "which has opened the way to blind imitation (taklid) and
barred the way to searching for the truth." For the problems of the modern age to be grappled with and
progress to be secured. "constitutionalism among the ulama" should be established "in the ulama state." In
the same way, among the students, "public opinion" or the prevalent ideas emerging from debate and the
exchange of ideas between students of varying disciplines should be taken up by master. Bediuzzaman
predicted that this would provide a strong stimulation and incentive for progress. Thus, "just as public opinion
predominates in the state, so too should the prevailin g opinions of the ulama be müfti , and the prevailing
opinions of the students be master and teacher " ( Vahide, p. 47, Volkan Gazette, No. 403 ).
During his conversation with the Doctor Badiuzzaman described in some detail the need for creative study,
deba te, and a return to the study of the essential religious sciences by the students. He examined various
reasons for the divergence and differences between the various branches of the educational system, which
he states were major cause of the backwardness of Islamic civilization, which constitutes true civilization, in
relation to modem civilization. He says: " Those in the medreses accuse those in the mektebs of weakness in
belief because of their literalist interpretation of certain matters, whereas those in the mektebs consider the
former to be ignorant and unreliable because they have no knowledge of modem science. While those in the
medreses look at those in the tekkes as though they were following innovations... " While recognizing the Proceedings of ADVED 2016 2nd International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences
10 -12 October 2016 - Istanbul, Turkey
ISBN: 978 -605 -64453 -8-5 646
differences in th eir ways, he stresses that the barriers between them should be broken down and by way of a
remedy modem science be taught in the medreses "in place of obsolete ancient philosophy", religious
sciences be taught "fully" in the secular schools, and scholars f rom the medreses, "some of the most learned
ulama", be present in the Sufi tekkes. (Vahide, p. 45) He then goes on to analyze the reasons for the
ineffectiveness of the preachers, who played such a vital role in educating the mass of the people, and
sugges ted remedies. He wanted the preacher to be both searching scholars, so that they can prove what
they claim, and subtle philosophers so that they do not spoil the balance of the shariah , and to be eloquent
ad convincing. (Nursi, Muhakemat, p. 47) He introdu ced new methodology of teachings: the lesson given to
students should not contain academic words only and be made more interesting; it should be given in a
language they understand and through simple sentences and concrete examples. It is the responsibility of
the teacher to arouse curiosity and interest of the students in the subject. In one of the Munazara, Nursi
insistently stated that madrasahs should abandon the old style of studying and start a new method and
content. The students should be closely moni tored and properly guided based on their performance. It is
necessary to teach in the form of debating so that students will develop constructive, synthesizing and
discovering intelligence. With this view, Nursi implies teaching in the form of question and answer.
Badiuzzaman criticizes scholars who live among the pages of the books and do not proceed beyond theory;
he wants scholars to give importance to application and experiments in education. He therefore rejects the
education approach based on memoriza tion and wants to introduce an education approach that gives
importance to practical thoughts and development of inquisitive thinking in the minds of the students.
Moreover the teacher should adapt the topic he instructs into life, should make the lesson l ively through
attractive examples and should convince the students that the knowledge he gives will be needed in life . In
order to obtain positive results from students it is necessary to make them have a feeling of responsibility
and conviction that educa tion is necessary. It is also necessary to have ethical values for a successful
education career. The education and control of a child whose spiritual aspect is neglected becomes
impossible in all aspects (Munazarat, p. 79, The Words, p. 50)
As a teacher in his own cave -like medrese in the citadel of Van, where he taught for about two years, Nursi
treated his students more as friends than as students. This is clearly evident in his dialogues with his
students such as Ali Cavus and Molla Hamid. Sometimes he even played games with them. He often visited
the rural areas in the company of his students (Badili, pp. 67 -77). In his medrese which he called Horhor,
Nursi used to dictate the instrumental knowledge to his students from memory. The curr icula of this medrese
was very modern and progressive, where Nursi taught his students engineering, accounting, algebra,
physics, History and geography as well as religious lessons. Prior to this, Nursi had been overwhelming
medrese ulama in debates. After coming to Van in 1897, he started to overwhelm the School teachers in
debates in physics and Chemistry because of his vast knowledge of modern sciences. His idea of integration
of religious and modern sciences originated from this time. After 1900, Nursi' s ideal of medrese became
more intense, especially after Europe used science and philosophy against religion .
In this way the educational model given by Said Nursi was very comprehensive and progressive and caters
needs both of religion, science and morali ty and thus makes a harmonious blend of all the three in a holistic
manner. His idea about integration of science and technology with education is very futuristic and rewarding
given the pathetic situation of Muslims in education field. The unique civilization feature of Medresetu’z Zehra
model makes it a most suitable and culturally viable model for Muslims in its global perspective also. Nursian
model provides an alternative which meets the demands of modern times but does not neglect the much
needed values the education should imbibe to face the civilizational challenges and the onslaught of
atheism, materialism and westernization on Islam and its civilization. The education models envisaged by Sir
Syed, Shibli Nomani and Maududi have met but with le ss success in convincing the traditional Muslim clergy
about the tenacity of modern sciences vis -a-vis religious sciences. But Medresetu'z Zehra model presented
by Nursi are very appropriate, rewarding and progressive. Sir Syed, a resplendent personality a nd a great
visionary, envisaged a model based on western standards of morality and scientific temper but he ignored
the basic religious elements which were being trampled over under its feet because western secularism and
atheism was the leading educationa l undercurrents at that time in the west. Sir Syed's own ways on religion,
his own interpretation of Islam, and the endeavors which his own mind was making to synthesize and
harmonizes his religious traditions with the spirit and knowledge of modernity, we re unacceptable to most of
his fellow Muslims (Troll, 1978, p. 34). Although Sir Syed too believed in the compatibility of religion with
modern science but as opposed to Sir Syed's views Nursi had a different perspective on science. Nursi
argued that " Islam is the master and guide of the sciences, and the chief and father of all true knowledge ".
Maulana Maududi's model of education system is more a critique of Sir Syed's model of secular education
than providing a practicable alternative. Except his exper iment with the Thanavi Darasgah of Rampur no
other full fledged scheme of education could be implemented by him which could convince Muslims world to Proceedings of ADVED 2016 2nd International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences
10 -12 October 2016 - Istanbul, Turkey
ISBN: 978 -605 -64453 -8-5 647
adopt it or make it a model. His suggestions remained just recommendatory and were not implemented fully
anywhere in the world (Maududi, 2009) . Viewed in these perspectives Nursian model of education surpass
all these model where both the objectives of empowerment through education and integration of religion with
science and technology can comfortably be r ealized practically and in a convincing balance. The unique
civilizational features of Medresetu'z -Zehra model make it a most suitable and culturally viable model for
Muslims in its global perspective as well. Therefore studying this model in depth is high ly desirable in the
context of the consumerist tendencies emerging in the spheres of education and technology by relegating
spiritual and moral values to margins. Nursian model provides an alternative which meets the demand of
modern times but does not neg lect the much needed values the education should imbibe to face the
challenges in the wake of the onslaught of atheism and materialism in name of development, modernization
and progress. Badiuzzaman twice received funds for the construction of his universi ty, and its foundations
were laid in 1913, it could not be completed due to war and apathy of the Ministry of Pious Foundations and
the inability of the State to bear the promised fund in view of financial crunch . When the Republic was
founded Nursi again approached the Turkish Grand National Assembly and with the signature of 163
members of Parliament out of 200, a fund of 150,000 liras was allotted for it but it was never released
because of the strained relations that had developed between Nursi and Mus tafa Kemal Pasha, due to
latter's progressive and un -Islamic policies. However, the Democratic Party Government, which came to
power in 1950, showed respect to the demands of the people and to Said Nursi, established Erzurum
University . Thus fulfilled Nurs i's cherished long life dream. At the opening of the University Nursi expressing
his happiness said, " My University would be like he wanted in the course of time. The higher education
institution that was desired to be established was going to serve primar ily to Anatolia and to the Middle East
countries like Iran, Arabia, Pakistan, Turkistan and Afghanistan and it was going to render an important
service to realize peace and fraternity ” (Vahide, 326)
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