Why so merciless on yourself?

Ali Ünal

There has been no prophet who didn’t face lies or slanders about himself. All of them would be exposed to slanders and -God forbid a million times- accused of lying, self-seeking, fabricating the Qur’an -the revealed word of God- or being taught, insanity, sorcery, being taken over by genies (djinns), just reciting poetry or having a “genie-granted” eloquence in other words and many more misdeeds that they wouldn’t have the slightest bit of.

Numerous awliyas (saints) and asfiyas (the chosen) faced the same slanders and were even accused of being infidel. For instance, wasn’t it the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) wife Aisha who felt victim to a vicious accusation? A piece on Ali ibn Abu Talib by Murtaza Mutahhiri offers a noteworthy inference: The ideal person is not the one well-liked by everyone but the one hated by as many too. A person is well-regarded by genuine believers to the extent of his/her proximity to God and equally hated by blasphemous people. So, there has been no other person in the history as revered as the Prophet Muhammad and equally hated by Satan, evil spirits and people at the same time.

If we are to name a person who has been most regarded and while being at the center of the most vicious accusations for the last 40 years, that is without a doubt the Honorable Fethullah Gulen. While many denounce Gulen and the community associated with him as pro-shariah, claiming they seek to establish shariah in the country, many others vilely accuse him and the Hizmet movement of being in alliance with various intelligence organizations and status quo or presenting a “seemingly moderate” or “US-backed” Islam.” Recently, such claims have been put into circulation systematically and more continually by employing the same people alongside the newly emerged ones. On the other hand, an old-aged writer who once did significant services for the sake of Islam can pretend to advocate Muslim unity, while another writer and many more circulate wicked slander that the community is in the expectation of Prime Minister’s dethronement and thus seizing the power.

As things stand, if the slanderers claimed “It’s the community behind drug dealing”, an allegation that suits their personality, and accused movement’s particular institutions of corruption, the word would spread. However, I personally know and have witnessed that the Honorable Gulen has urged his circle and his sympathizers, for years, to pray salatul hajat (optional prayer for fulfillment of a need) and plead “Oh God, purify all the Muslims particularly those in Turkey. Oh God, purify the minds, intentions, feelings and deeds of us and theirs. Oh God, keep us together as Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) ummah!” And he insistently recommends praying for rehabilitation of us and those in power, in every sense

Gulen has never once cursed any Muslim, nor encouraged anyone to do so. This being the case, aren’t those who circulate most vicious slanders fear being held accountable for their ears, hearts, tongues and pens or going bankrupt if they fail to settle accounts with every single member of the community, on the Judgment Day? Don’t they fear that their righteous deeds recorded may transform into bad ones and go for nothing as their ends draw near? Everyone should know that slanders do not endure and all secrets will be entirely revealed in the Hereafter. So, you slanderers, why so insistent on harm and so merciless on yourself?

Published [in Turkish] on Zaman, 03 September 2013, Tuesday