Spiritual Education and Secularism in Modern Turkey: The Educational Legacy of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi and the Nurcu Movement

Abstract

The works of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, especially Risale-i Nur, contain the foundations of Islamic thought that are not only theological in nature but also present a transformative model of spiritual education in the face of the crisis of modernity and the wave of secularism. This study aims to explore Risale-i Nur as an alternative interpretation of Islamic spiritual values and examine its epistemological relevance in building the paradigm of contemporary Islamic education. A qualitative hermeneutic approach is used with the method of literature review, through a critical reading of Nursi's primary texts and relevant academic secondary literature.  The main findings show that Risale-i Nur offers a model of spiritual education based on monotheism, dhikr, and intellectual reflection that is emancipatory and integral. Education is not only seen as a cognitive process, but as an effort to purify oneself (tazkiyah al-nafs), the formation of morals, and the reconstruction of social consciousness. Within this framework, education becomes a medium of epistemological resistance to the fragmentation of knowledge and the secularization of the modern education system. Nursi unites the dimensions of faith, knowledge, and charity in a system that frees human beings from spiritual-rational dualism. The main findings show that Risale-i Nur offers a model of spiritual education based on monotheism, dhikr, and intellectual reflection that is emancipatory and integral. Education is not only seen as a cognitive process, but as an effort to purify oneself (tazkiyah al-nafs), the formation of morals, and the reconstruction of social consciousness. Within this framework, education becomes a medium of epistemological resistance to the fragmentation of knowledge and the secularization of the modern education system. Nursi unites the dimensions of faith, knowledge, and charity in a system that frees human beings from spiritual-rational dualism.