Ömer Atilla Ergi
Could we briefly get to know you?
My name is Ömer Atilla Ergi, and I am 61 years old. I have been living in Australia since 1974. In 1989, I returned to Turkey and initially wrote articles for the Sızıntı magazine, and then I became the editor of The Fountain magazine. I had the opportunity to contribute to the publication of the first three issues of this magazine. Five years later, I returned to Australia. I studied physics at the undergraduate level. I completed my master’s and doctoral studies in Islamic Sciences, focusing on Fethullah Gülen’s understanding of destiny and free will in Islamic theology. Currently, I am a faculty member at Charles Sturt University in Australia. I have published seven books, and I have been involved in the editing and translation of 14 books into English.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
Human beings are created to improve through knowledge and education. Therefore, the most important way to understand the purpose of creation is through knowledge. Knowledge is a great blessing and power.
Our ancestors said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Throughout history, there have been many people who wielded swords and were forgotten, but figuratively speaking, those who wielded pens are not forgotten even after thousands of years; they are remembered through their works.
As people benefit from these works, their good deeds continue and their records of righteousness remain open. Especially, as expressed by Bediüzzaman, publishing that supports Islamic teachings with scientific data and logic has become essential in our time, as it convinces people through intellectual persuasion. The elders of the Hizmet Movement have attached great importance to publishing because they have long recognized this truth.
Therefore, the Hizmet Movement has always made its presence felt in the field of media.
Indeed, knowledge and education, which are the focal points of the Hizmet Movement, require thinking, questioning, critical analysis, and writing. Therefore, publishing holds a special place in the Hizmet Movement.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
I believe the most important thing here is to remember the purpose behind our creation by our Lord. We should approach publishing as if it were an act of worship, and we should not forget that our fundamental goal is to know and introduce Him. From the Qur’an, we understand that God, may His glory be exalted), taught Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, the names, showing the angels that he had a different creation. When we say, “Adam,” we understand humans and see that humans are created for knowledge of God. The true recognition is recognition of God, that is, knowing Him by the help of His Divine Names and Attributes. There are three ways to reach the knowledge of God: the Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and the book of the universe. Therefore, if the magazines, books, articles, and writings we publish focus on these three truths, we can say that we are engaged in publishing in the path of knowledge of God. So, if we find ourselves losing sleep, wondering, “Can I convey my Lord in this article?” while writing, we can say that we are moving in the right direction. Those who engage in publishing with such love and enthusiasm, by the permission and grace of God, also reach love for Him. One cannot love someone they do not know, and even if they claim to love them, it cannot go beyond being a superficial expression. Therefore, loving our Lord involves knowing Him and introducing Him. I believe that Young Çağlayan will successfully undertake this mission.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
I recently learned about Young Çağlayan, and I am truly delighted. Especially the fact that this distinguished magazine is published by young brothers and sisters has made me very happy. Once again, I understood that the seeds have sprouted, and the new generation has taken the flag into their hands. In my humble opinion, publications like Young Çağlayan will be more successful in explaining the truths of faith to future generations in a language they can understand, that is, in the language of their time. I wholeheartedly wish Young Çağlayan success, and I promise to follow and share your publications.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Certainly, I can say this: Let us not only read and follow this important publication, but also let us convey these truths to thirsty hearts, share them, and become partners in the rewards received, God willing.
(January 19, 2023)
Hakan Yeşilova
Could we briefly get to know you?
I am the editor of The Fountain magazine. Since the mid-1990s, I have been involved in various levels of publishing, such as translation, editing, and international promotion, in the field of educational and cultural publications. I studied translation and interpretation at university, and later pursued a master’s degree in public administration. I currently live in the United States.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
The Hizmet Movement is a movement with an idea, a message, and something to say to the world. It is not a fantasy of a few individuals who have come together temporarily with specific interests. It is not a Scandinavian mythology or an Asian epic passed on from mouth to mouth, generation to generation; it is a written text in our hands. At its core, there is a vast scholarly heritage centered around the “book,” that is, the Qur’an, the word of God, whose first command is “read” instead of “look, see, hear.” It is a reasonable, moderate understanding, open-hearted to everyone, a harmony of ideas.
Hizmet is a movement that seeks ways to share this harmony of ideas with the world, has a dynamic mission in that direction, and has developed action plans accordingly. If you have something to say to the world, publishing should be at the forefront of your actions, especially in today’s world with its expanded possibilities and diversified means of publishing. Because, in line with Bediüzzaman’s approach of “convincing minds,” the way to establish a relationship is to present your ideas, exhibit them in fairs, gatherings, and make them available in every format within the scope of your capacity.
Of course, we need to explore ways to be present in all media platforms, but I believe that the power of writing should never be relegated to the background. Written language is more difficult, but it is a more refined path than all other means. When a person writes, they choose their words more carefully, check multiple times, consult dictionaries, perhaps seek others’ opinions, and have them edited. This way, they avoid impromptu mistakes and slips of the tongue.
The target audience of this publication consists of two groups. The first group is the committed followers of the Hizmet Movement, who will plant these ideas in their minds like seeds. Ideas and ideals that are not nurtured fade away over time, just like flowers that are not cared for. In addition, it is essential for Hizmet volunteers who are responsible for conveying these ideas to others to first internalize them thoroughly, keeping them fresh and fruitful so that they can be sincere and effective in conveying them to others. The second target audience, especially when considering our magazines and books published in other languages, is all nations of the world, starting with our neighbors, colleagues, and friends in the countries we live in.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
Contributing to the knowledge of God and love for Him is already the purpose and distinctiveness of the Hizmet publications. It is not art for the sake of art or science for the sake of science. Of course, aesthetic stance, accurate knowledge, and scientific findings are crucial. However, they only seek the answer to the “how” question about existence and life; they take us to a certain extent within the cause and effect relationship but leave our minds on the train’s wagons. Since they cannot carry us to the locomotive, we cannot find a satisfactory answer to the “why” question. Understanding the meaning and purpose of life is only possible through a wise perspective behind the veil of existence and events. Our publications like Çağlayan offer content with the aim of capturing the horizon of recognizing God, engaging the minds of the people of our time who are highly preoccupied and distracted. It presents a perspective that views everything in the universe not as accidental creatures but as unique works of art. One of the stages of this contemplative journey is the love for God, which leads to loving these works of art and their unique Creator, and thus deriving pleasure from life.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
The test that today’s young people face is very different from previous eras. There are many factors that distract their attention and hinder their focus. While many of their peers waste their youth chasing different desires and dreams, it is very encouraging to see the team of Young Çağlayan engaged in such a beautiful endeavor, taking over our cultural heritage that began with Sızıntı and continuing this relay race for the sake of our world.
Do you have a message for our readers?
In the current period, almost all of our readers have faced a great trial. Some of us have been tested with our lives, some with our possessions, some with our loved ones, and some of us have been tested with our entire country and nation. However, regardless of the circumstances, reading and writing form the foundations of the Hizmet Movement’s ideas and actions. The values we possess are precious, and it is our obligation to announce them to all of humanity. With the grace of God, our existence can be sustained by reading under all circumstances, especially by reading our own sources.
(January 22, 2023)
Sinan Koşak
Could we briefly get to know you?
I was born into a modest family in Erzurum. Thanks to my involvement in the Hizmet Movement during my high school years, I had the opportunity to study Physics Education at METU (Middle East Technical University). After graduation, I worked as a teacher and administrator in our international school in Romania, which operates within the international system, and over the past 23 years, I have been employed in various positions in the field of education. Currently, I work as an educational consultant and physics teacher in our schools. I am married and have a young daughter who is studying law in the Netherlands.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
Every movement is guided and inspired by fundamental works. We all know the works that explain the vision, mission, fundamental philosophy, values, and the perspective of the Hizmet Movement towards humanity and the universe. These works sometimes appear in the form of books and magazines, and sometimes as digital publications, with the goal of reaching all of humanity in different colors and patterns, each becoming life-giving water to thirsty souls. Within this treasure, due to its continuity without interruption, its effort to be made available for benefit even in the most challenging conditions, and its being the product of a collective effort focused on truth resulting from the marriage of intellect and heart, the Sızıntı/Çağlayan tradition holds a very special place and has a significant impact. All these publications, like a protective vaccine against diseases that threaten our souls, will, with the permission of God, provide immunity in us and contribute to our salvation both in this world and the Hereafter.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
Publishing with a mission to enable the knowledge and recognition of God, to see His manifestations in everything we observe, to look at the universe through the lens of tawhid (God’s Oneness and Unity), and therefore to love Him and be a means for His love and pleasure can only be achieved by making His recognition and love the ultimate goal, and only with His permission and favor. In every task entrusted to us in the name of publishing, it is possible to see the manifestations of His knowledge, will, and power, to know that everything is created by Him, and to leave the outcome to Him. While being expectation-free and considering oneself as a duty-bound officer in this sacred work is the essence, I believe that the intention and desire to consider the contemporary developments, develop strategies according to the conditions and the audience are also necessary in order to adhere to the means and show respect to God on this path.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
As I mentioned in the introduction, I see Young Çağlayan as a school that has been organized according to the needs of our time, with noble objectives, and nurtured by young hearts, just like its name suggests. Although we may not be fully aware of it at present, I believe that the work being carried out will bear beautiful fruits in the future and that every step taken in this regard is precious both on earth and in the heavens. In these challenging days when we have gone through severe trials, I congratulate you for striving to serve and say hello to the sun like snowdrops emerging from the snow towards the end of winter, regardless of the circumstances. I pray for everyone involved in this endeavor.
Do you have a message for our readers?
I invite everyone to renew themselves and bring the ideas, unique examples, and perspectives on life described in Çağlayan and the publications of the Hizmet family to life by reading, writing, sharing, and engaging in discussions. Because what matters is the reflection of this knowledge and ideas in our world of thought and actions. May Almighty God grant us the ability to read, internalize what we read, and share these beauties we feel in our souls.
(January 22, 2023)
Kerim Balcı
Could we briefly get to know you?
I am Kerim Balcı. I have been working as a journalist and media executive for over 20 years. Currently, I am involved in organizing and institutionalizing human rights advocacy within the London Advocacy Group in the United Kingdom, and I am also coordinating the Risale and Hizmet Studies Center at Respect Graduate School in the United States. After 2016, I pursued a postgraduate degree in law with the intention of acquiring a new profession. If I have enough time, I would like to intervene in human rights cases as a lawyer. In the eyes of the readers who knew me in the late 1990s, I believe I am considered an expert on Jerusalem and Israel. I have published two books accompanying the photographs of Jerusalem from the Ottoman and modern periods. In the 2000s, I turned my attention to the intellectual dilemmas of the Islamic world, but I have not yet produced a tangible solution.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
There is no specific answer to this question that applies only to the Hizmet Movement. Publishing is a part of widespread educational efforts and the search for wisdom for the Islamic ummah, who are responsible for making the world a better place. In this sense, just as education and upbringing are heavenly duties that rely on training and discipline, publishing is also a sacred duty. If the first revelation begins with the command “Read!” and shortly after, it is emphasized that it is God who teaches His servants to write with the pen. Writing, so to speak, is a practice whose first master is God. Writing is essential for the transition from a nomadic culture that cannot build civilization to an urban culture, and it is an indispensable element in constructing a civilization. If there is an Islamic civilization, it is thanks to writing. As Bediüzzaman expressed, centuries can communicate with each other, ideas can be added to other ideas, and sciences can be added to other sciences thanks to writing. Today, it is unacceptable for Hizmet people who are trying to ignite the first sparks that will trigger the Islamic Renaissance of the future to neglect writing, improving the quality of writing, and disseminating quality writing.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
This is a very important question, and it is beautiful that it has been asked. But the most accurate answer I can give is, “I don’t know!” I used to know. I knew the content that my generation needed to read in order to grasp the knowledge of God, and I had a vague sense of how this content should be presented. This was done in Zaman newspaper, as well as in magazines like Sızıntı and Yeni Ümit. But now we do not live in my generation’s era anymore. I hope that the young people who ask this question will provide the answer. The content may remain unchanged, but the form must change. In an age where the range of interest of Generation Z has narrowed so much, and visual communication has become the fundamental means of communication, I can see that the books my generation read are no longer read, do not attract interest, and are perceived as too long and convoluted. The aesthetics of words were defined by the elders as their suitability for the level of the interlocutor and the requirements of the occasion. If words that seem beautiful to me do not appeal to my children, it is time to listen to the wise saying attributed to the Respected Ali ibn Abi Talib: “Do not raise your children the way your parents raised you, they were born for a different time.”
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
I would describe Young Çağlayan as a quest for an answer to the previous question. I will not hide the fact that I read the articles in Young Çağlayan when I was invited to this interview. When I read it, I saw the meaninglessness of the despair that is quite common in my age group regarding young people, and I was delighted. My generation thinks that the Hizmet ideal rests solely on their shoulders and that the new generation does not contribute to this noble cause. I think Young Çağlayan is saying to uncles, aunts, elder brothers and sisters, “Step back a little, we also have something to say!” Of course, experience, past events, and memories have value, but they can only go so far in the cause. The declaration of the young pens saying, “We exist!” is like a Messianic breath, giving life. Of course, Young Çağlayan has a long way to go. But it is nice to see that some young people have already set off on that journey.
Do you have a message for our readers?
The era of referring to readers and writers of publications as “our readers” is over. We are living in a time where interactivity is the main determinant of the impact of publishing. Every reader is also a writer. I invite your readers and writers to embrace the dual nature of their roles, to read with the intention of writing while reading, to alienate themselves from their own writings and read them again and again. Throughout human history, all known leaps in civilization have taken three centuries. I will remind you of a wise saying: “Civilization consists largely of transportation tools.” From ancient Chinese Civilization to modern Western Civilization, the speed of humanity has remained the same during all leaps of civilization. For the first time, a generation that moves and interacts with extraordinary speed is building a new civilization. This civilization will not take three centuries to build. We will see that the face of the world is completely different in 30 years. For the first time in human history, we are living in an era where the results of investments in humans can be witnessed by the same generation. Do not miss this opportunity.
(January 23, 2023)
Zekeriya Çiçek
Could we briefly get to know you?
My name is Zekeriya Çiçek. I was born in 1963 in Kırıkkale, Turkey. I worked as a biology teacher and school principal in private educational institutions for 35 years, including a five-year period in Kyrgyzstan. After the unfortunate events and injustices that occurred in our country in 2016, I, like many of our friends, was imprisoned for more than two years. I served a sentence of seven and a half years and was released due to my prolonged detention. When the Court of Cassation upheld the sentence, I undertook a forced migration from the Evros River to Europe. Currently, I am both working and trying to improve the language I recently learned. Despite being a biologist, I have been writing poetry and scientific articles since my childhood.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
I believe that publishing in the Hizmet Movement is similar to the delicious meals prepared by our mothers or wives for our household. How necessary are those beautiful meals for our physical well-being? Similarly, our publications nourish the spiritual well-being of individuals. Bediüzzaman says, “The true, scholarly guide is like a sheep, not a bird.” This is because a sheep provides purified milk to its lamb, whereas a bird regurgitates to its offspring. Our publications are written and published by hearts burdened with struggles and suffering. The source of our works related to the Hizmet is the true guide, the Qur’an and the hadiths. We can read and teach our publications with peace of mind. Our publications are wonderful works prepared in the atmosphere of knowledge, wisdom, and morality for today’s young people, who will be the leaders of the future. The future leaders who will have a say in society will be those nourished with these spiritual foods.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
Understanding God means attaining knowledge about God by the help of Divine Names and Attributes. In the beginning of the Twentieth Letter, Bediüzzaman talks about faith in God, knowledge of God, and love for God in order. Because without these, it is impossible for a person to achieve true spiritual pleasure. True happiness is only possible through faith in God. A person loves what they know and respects what they love. A person always harbors hostility towards what they do not know. Faith can transform a person into a human being, even a sultan. To transcend corporeality, it is only possible with genuine faith and reaching the love of God in the realms of the heart and spirit.
Currently, Çağlayan and Young Çağlayan are accomplishing this. However, we need to encourage our people to read more. Therefore, while the consistent continuation of our publications is necessary, it would also be beneficial to support content prepared with personal efforts on social media.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
It is certain that serious effort has been put into Young Çağlayan. It is still in its early stages of publication. Bearing fruit requires a certain process. The messages in Young Çağlayan are impressive and pleasant.
Do you have a message for our readers?
I would like to remind them that youth in this worldly life is not eternal.
I particularly recommend that they master their mother tongue and become proficient in the language of the country they live in.
I advise them to take our elders, who live and embody our religion in the best way and dedicate their lives to it, as guides. It is crucial for them to become acquainted with the books of Fethullah Gülen Hodjaefendi. I also recommend that they listen to his mosque sermons, which were recorded in the past.
I suggest that they recite the Qur’an beautifully and flawlessly, deepen their understanding through exegesis, and strive not to make any mistakes in their worship.
Being active in guidance activities leads to staying alive. Let us not forget that, like trees, people bear fruit as long as they remain alive.
They should not forget that sharing useful knowledge and the love of God with others, like seeds sown in the ground, will one day transform our world into a garden of flowers.
I wish you continued success.
(February 2, 2023)
Yıldırım İlhan
Could we briefly get to know you?
While in Turkey, I worked as a book editor. Currently, I reside in North America.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
I have seen many people whose lives were changed by just reading a single article. You publish a piece, and it guides someone’s life somewhere. Therefore, all kinds of publications are crucial.
In The Words, Bediüzzaman says, “Look!” and “Listen!” A person should always see with their heart and communicate with their spirit, listening attentively. In other words, one should learn to see and listen before learning to write. Saint-Exupéry says, “Writing is a result.” Bediüzzaman, who does not write anything he hasn’t seen, writes his treatises (the Risale-i Nur Collection) in the horizon of discerning and observing with heart.
Words are implanted in the heart and, if taken care of in the spirit, can only influence hearts and spirits.
At the beginning of the Letters Bediüzzaman wrote to his students, there are expressions like “esteemed, loyal, persevering, and self-sacrificing” brothers and sisters. Making these concepts the motto, which civilization has buried, may be an indication that the treatises are not just some books to be read but to be lived. Therefore, it is significant that he places the word “esteemed” at the forefront. Because not being a book to be lived does not accept the dignity of the truth. Also, crowning his letters with these concepts is not only an invitation to teach knowledge but also an invitation to teach the morality of knowledge. I find these adjectives very important for the sake of the compass of morality not to deviate.
We are living in an era where the pious and the immoral coexist, and great crimes are committed in the name of religion. In such a time, I have concerns about whether saying, “God” or “religion” leads people away from God. Metaphorical expressions that can arouse the desire for God within us and generate the conditions to engage with the Word of God in our hearts can be tried without mentioning God directly. Today, in France, the most listened to preacher and priest among French youth, Stan Rougier, says that he found God through The Little Prince (although the word “God” is never mentioned in The Little Prince). Saint-Exupéry, through The Little Prince, or rather through the language of nature, manages to awaken the seeds embedded in the Holy Books. His work is the most widely read book in the world today after the Qur’an and the Gospel. The secret behind The Little Prince being translated into almost all world languages and reaching children of all times is that it has a “natural language.”
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
Order matters. The first command is oneness and unity of God, and the last prohibition is usury. First knowledge, then love. Loving God comes with knowing God. Before that, the highest result of nature and the highest goal of creation is belief in God. Therefore, I believe that we should start with nature. Modern life is in a state of deviation from nature, and deviation from nature is a sign of moving away from God. Because the closest place to God is where we are closest to our nature. Returning to nature is, at the same time, turning to God.
Creation has a strong connection with love. Beauty facilitates love. The Possessor of All Beauty, in order to make the paths to Himself beautiful, has made the paths to Him beautiful. A beautiful color, a beautiful scent, a delicious taste remind us that we are surrounded by His love.
Bediüzzaman lived alone in the mountains and, by using the mountains and rivers as words, developing a language from the wind and rain, he enabled us to see The Most Beautiful One, The All-Gracious, everywhere. A bird that flies without receiving orders from anything other than God, a clear sky where white clouds glide, the color of the sea, trees adorned with spring colors, a cute cat, the sound of flowing waters… Things that belong to Him can nurture a sense of closeness to Him and awaken love for Him. In my opinion, we need to see beauty and for that, we need to look at things where God’s signature is not hidden.
Getting to know The Most Beautiful One is possible through things that arouse mystery and curiosity. In a Divine hadith, He states: “I was a hidden treasure, I desired to be known.” Unfortunately, most people follow YouTube videos and TV series, but they do not wonder about God, the Most Hidden of the Hidden, and they are not interested. And they depart from this world.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
To be honest, despite my serious attempts, I have never been an optimistic person. I have felt excitement about very few things in almost seven years. I bid farewell to adults because I couldn’t see any ray of hope in their world. The times we live in are difficult, but the shining elegance and decency of young people appeared as a ray of hope in my world, even though they are in exile. Predicting the future is valuable, but what is even more valuable is “making the future possible rather than predicting it.” I have a strong hope that young people, who are in flow like a cascade, will not stain themselves and will clean the places they flow through.
Do you have a message for our readers?
I can share two things. First, “reducing” in a world dominated by quantity. The other is “simplifying” in an era where a misguided life philosophy embellishes everything.
A phrase we often hear, but it weighs more heavily when the time comes. ““The capital of life is very little and the work to be done is very great.” (Bediüzzaman). In the past, people were left ignorant due to lack of knowledge or lack of access to knowledge. Nowadays, too much unnecessary information prevents us from knowing the essential knowledge. Knowledge is manipulated with unnecessary information. What I want to say is that wisdom lies in reducing, and excessiveness is a deficiency. Someone who reads a lot thinks little. Reading a few quality works, trying to understand what is read, feeling it, delving into it, and living it deeply can progress faster than reading too much. Reading The Risale-i Nur Collection or The Emerald Hills of the Heart a thousand times means reading a thousand different books.
Wisdom lies in reducing, and magnificence lies in simplicity. One of my favorite sayings of the esteemed Fethullah Gülen Hodjaefendi is this: “A believer does not waste their gaze.” Because every gaze wasted is a contamination of the gaze. Unnecessary thoughts are a contamination of the mind. Unnecessary emotions are a contamination of feelings. Randomly continuing life is a contamination of fate. Consequently, everything unnecessary is pollution.
(February 5, 2023)
Harun Tokak was born in 1955 in the village of Kırka in Uşak, Turkey. He completed his primary education in this village and attended Imam Hatip High School in Uşak. In 1979, he graduated from The Higher Islamic Institute of Izmir. He worked as a teacher in various cities in Anatolia, and wrote columns in local newspapers and hosted programs on television. He also played a leading role in the establishment of some local newspapers and television channels. He took initiative in various civil society organizations, particularly in the field of education. He worked as an educational specialist at the Ministry of National Education and as an advisor at the Prime Ministry. From 1997 to 2008, he served as the President of the Journalists and Writers Foundation. He pioneered the Abant Meetings, where intellectuals share their knowledge and experiences.
He played a leading role in the establishment of the Dialogue Eurasia Platform with distinguished intellectuals from Eurasia. He writes current stories on Sundays for the Samanyolu News website and hosts the program “Polar Stars from Yesterday to Today” with Mehmet Yıldız on hizmetten.com.
His published works include Önden Giden Atlılar (The Leading Horsemen), Yoldakiler (Those on the Path), Işık Süvarileri (Knights of Light), Bir Rüya Gibi Geçti Ömür (Life Passed Like a Dream), Kime Emanet (Entrusted to Whom), Suya Düşen Kan (Blood in the Water), Ben Kudüs (I Am Jerusalem), Ben Mekke (I Am Mecca), and Ben Medine (I Am Medina).
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
The beginning, growth, and progress of a movement are directly proportional to the nourishment of its members. Publications are the most important sources that nourish the members of a movement.
Necip Fazıl says, “If a nation has no literature, then that nation does not exist!” Why does he say this? Because the basic material of literature is language. Without language, there is no literature. If a nation has no literature, then it is as if that nation does not exist. How can faith be lived without language and nation? Language and nation have always been a vital part of our lives. Throughout history, we have established great states. Among the reasons for the eventual decline and fall of our past states is the insufficient spread of our Turkish language and literature. Today, Turkish is taught in schools opened in 160 countries around the world. We must accept that before and after the Republic, Turkish did not spread as widely in so many countries. This magnificent development has been achieved by Fethullah Gülen Hodjaefendi for our nation and state. As Yavuz Bülent Bakiler said, according to our belief, the record of good deeds of Fethullah Gülen Hodjaefendi will not close even in the intermediate realm. What he and his friends have accomplished for our state, our nation, and our Turkish language will be written by future historians.
Indeed, the spirit of action in people that has made the world a school of love is formed through what Fethullah Gülen Hodjaefendi has written, spoken, and through the contributions of magazines and newspapers like Sızıntı (now Çağlayan), Yeni Ümit, Yağmur, and Zaman, which have emerged with his encouragement. If the horsemen of light continue their journey undeterred amidst all the storms and challenges today, it is undeniable that the nourishing power of writings, speeches, stories, and magazines with the content of unconditional service and love cannot be denied. Considering that the number of publications produced by the Young Turks abroad was over 1500, it means that we are still at the beginning. Moreover, their publications aimed to destroy the Ottoman Empire. What you and other publications of the Hizmet Movement do is entirely related to a new construction.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
The universe is a school where the Names of God are taught. Human beings learn and know these Divine Names through reading. As people learn, they also develop love. Knowing results in love.
The love of God in individuals is a consequence of knowing God. The sunlight, the moonlight caressing our heads every night, the tears of clouds, the howling of the wind, the thunder of the sky, the murmuring of the rivers, and the blossoming of flowers in spring are all bright paths leading to the love of the Creator. The end of that path is the love for God. Therefore, publications with the content of love are like textbooks of the school of love.
If we love our Lord, He loves us in return. We know that we are not alone in this world. The existence and unity of the Creator, who sees and knows us, enlightens both our past and future. This rescues us from darkness and nightmares, fills us with tranquility and peace, and allows us to fully enjoy life.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
Like a new school with stones and bricks made of letters and words, emanating the scent of paint, I wish you success.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Thank you, what else can we recommend to readers other than reading?
(February 12, 2023)
My name is Salih Ergün, and I was born in 1972 in Sarıkamış, Kars, Turkey. I completed my undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Yüzüncü Yıl University from 1990 to 1994, and I pursued my master’s degree in Mathematics-Physics at Dortmund Technical University from 2005 to 2010.
I have worked as a teacher in Van and Kahramanmaraş provinces in Turkey, as well as in Duisburg, Moers, Berlin, and Ludwigsburg cities in Germany. Currently, I work as a Mathematics and Physics teacher at Lessing-Schulen in Stuttgart.
In schools, we participate in competitions with students, develop projects with them, and enthusiastically support all kinds of scientific studies within our means.
I consider myself very fortunate because my mathematics and physics lessons allow me to examine the events in the book of the universe. Every event we experience in daily life, every tool we use, every form of communication and transportation, operates based on the physical laws determined by our Lord and can be expressed through mathematics. Thus, my life and profession are intertwined, which in a way becomes a means of contemplation, knowledge, and enlightenment.
In the school where I currently work, in the Inventors Club that we have established with students, we strive to provide character education and promote human values alongside scientific studies. We carry out activities aiming for the integration of heart and mind in students. The club, which aims to raise students as individuals who are beneficial to humanity, integrated into society, and a source of enthusiasm for their families and surroundings, conducts activities in a wide range of fields, from mathematics to physics, chess to basketball, history to literature, and even collaborative discussions on scientific articles for magazines.
Could you talk about the importance of publishing in the Hizmet Movement?
The most valuable efforts that can be made for our people and all of humanity are initiatives aimed at liberating them from ignorance, which is their greatest enemy. Indeed, human beings have physical and spiritual dimensions. Educating them is equally challenging and requires the application of various methods. Among these methods, without a doubt, magazines that provide opportunities for reading, listening, engaging in knowledge, and enlightenment hold a significant place. Each publication within the Hizmet Movement is published by first identifying the target audience and selecting topics according to their desires and needs. The articles published in the magazines are written in an engaging language, taking into account the comprehension capacities, interests, and attention spans of both young people and adults, and they aim to enhance the impact of the text through relevant illustrations.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
In our rapidly changing and digitalized world, it has become easier for people to understand many issues. Rather than spending hours explaining the principle of flight of an airplane to someone, a three-minute animation showing the forces that affect the flight of an airplane would be sufficient. In other words, once the intention is set and the necessary effort is made, accessing knowledge has become easier than ever before. However, true knowledge, which refers to a person assimilating the acquired knowledge, reaching the essence of knowledge, and understanding the essence of the matter, requires greater effort.
A person who realizes the perfect functioning of the universe, represented by the ongoing laws expressed through physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics, progresses on the path of knowledge of God. They come to know the Divine Essence behind all these events and develop a feeling of love for Him. As expressed succinctly by Recaizade Mahmud Ekrem:
The entire universe is like a great book of God,
No matter which letter you touch, it always reveals God’s meaning.
At this point, magazines that guide people towards knowledge, wisdom, and consequently, love for God will explore a glimpse that is like a single letter from this great book of the universe through each of their articles. There are so many events in the universe that lead people to contemplate that if each article in magazines covers a specific topic, it may be sufficient for years. Digital magazines enriched with visuals such as videos, animations, and images will attract the attention of young people more and expedite the intended purpose.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
With the sincere intention of filling a significant gap, this magazine that you have published will, God willing, be a means of countless beauties and a chain of blessings. It will fulfill an important mission in the fight against ignorance, which is the greatest enemy of humanity. I wish you outstanding success in this vital and blessed duty you have undertaken.
Do you have a message for our readers?
The first revealed verse of the Holy Qur’an is “Read!” The Qur’an encourages seeking knowledge and teaching it in many of its verses. Therefore, in order to represent our beautiful faith in a manner befitting its glory, we should read every article in Young Çağlayan, contemplate them, and internalize them through discussions with our friends.
(February 12, 2023)
Fatma Gündüz
Could we briefly get to know you?
My name is Fatma Gündüz. I am a dermatologist. I am married and a mother of four children. I was born in 1971 in Fethiye district of Muğla, Turkey. My mother was a housewife and a devout woman, even somewhat conservative in some aspects. My father, on the other hand, was a left-leaning elementary school teacher. As a child, I tried to understand how two people with such different views could get married because it had its challenges. My mother was against modern education and believed that girls, especially after elementary school, should quit their education and receive religious education. My father, however, always supported our education. I wanted to continue my education, but I was also afraid of upsetting my mother.
Over time, my mother and father found common ground in terms of their worldviews. My mother came to accept the importance of education and that the role of women in social life is more than just being a mother and a wife, while my father combined his intellectual knowledge with his religious beliefs.
I came across the Hizmet Movement in elementary school, and perhaps the reason I embraced this movement at such a young age was because I experienced the positive aspects of my parents’ differences. I learned from my mother the necessity of being pious, and from my father, the importance of being open-minded and intellectual.
After completing my middle school and high school education in Izmir, I went to Antalya by winning admission to the Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine. After my graduation, I completed my specialization training and worked in various institutions. I have been abroad for six years now and currently live in Germany.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
Bediüzzaman Said Nursi emphasized the wisdom in the destiny plan of being sent into exile while innocent, stating that it was the dissemination of the truths of faith. He showed us the importance of publishing by writing The Risale-i Nur Collection under those difficult conditions during his exile and imprisonment. Additionally, in his work called Divan-ı Harbi Örfî (The Court Martial), he stated, “The way to be successful when dealing with civilized people is through persuasion.”
It is also worth remembering the Prophetic saying, “(At the Last Judgment,) the ink spent by true scholars of the Religion is equal in weight to the blood of the martyrs.”
Our esteemed Hodjaefendi, inspired by the vision of Bediüzzaman, always emphasized the importance of using visual and digital media effectively, in addition to written publications. The publishing approach of the Hizmet Movement has been based on the responsibility of “enjoining good and forbidding evil.” While fulfilling this responsibility, it has displayed an action-oriented attitude rather than a reactionary one. Furthermore, all the publishing organs of the Hizmet Movement, acting as a school, have made a positive contribution to the intellectual development of individuals.
On the other hand, in this era where accessing information has become much easier, it has become more difficult to access accurate information. We all need reliable sources, which has further increased the importance of institutions that operate with a sense of responsible publishing. If we can seize this opportunity well, we may have the chance to reach a wider audience.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
When I was young, my mother always encouraged us to contemplate and would talk about how beautifully God created the universe and how everything was provided for our service.
She would explain how bees were employed in visiting flower after flower, producing honey that became a remedy for us. She would tell us about how lush green plants emerged from dry soil. These were beautiful pieces of information, but what really touched me was the sincerity my mother displayed while explaining them. Later on, we learned much more from the Risale-i Nur, the works of our Hodjaefendi, and the publications of the Hizmet Movement. We learned how to read the book of the universe and how to witness the manifestations of Divine Names and Attributes.
We noticed the evidence of God’s Name “The All-Just” in the balance present in every organism and system on Earth, even in the most delicate biological systems that are untouched by human hands. We learned that the cleanliness observed in these systems is a manifestation of God’s Name “Al-Quddus,” The All-Holy and All-Pure. We saw His mercy in providing sustenance to helpless creatures and extending a compassionate hand to them. Every piece of knowledge became a means for us to know Him more and love Him more.
One of the contemporary scholars, the late Ramazan al-Buti, said, “When words come out of a person’s heart, they reach the heart of the addressee, but if they come out of the mouth, they only reach the ear of the addressee.” It would have been great if we could write about the pains we experience, the things that excite us when reading the book of the universe, addressing our own selves with sincerity. If we could do it without attempting to tell others something, but believing that it is what we ourselves need the most.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
I had the opportunity to be together with the Young Çağlayan team in some seminars and meetings. Those moments were very special to me. Your enthusiasm and energy were unique. Young Çağlayan is a beautiful fruit of Çağlayan. Who knows what other beauties lie within it.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Çağlayan magazine is a big family consisting of its writers, technical staff, and readers. It is rare for a magazine to already have a ready audience who cares about it. I would like our readers to know that we are open to their suggestions in order to improve the quality of the magazine.
(February 15, 2023)
Fatih Demirci
Could we briefly get to know you?
I became acquainted with Sızıntı magazine in its early years and became enamored with it as a reader. After completing my medical education in the 1980s, I worked as a physician in two different regions of Anatolia. Following my specialization training, I started an academic career and worked as an academician at five different universities between 2000 and 2016. Later on, I was transferred from the “Darülfünun” (university) to the “Medrese-i Yusufiye” (the Joseph’s school, i.e. prison). I continued my scientific studies there as well. I left my country in 2020 and found the missing piece I had been longing for in a neighboring country for the past four years. In fact, it was a reunion with a 40-year-old friend. When I hold Çağlayan in my hand, it is as if the longing fire has been extinguished, and I can introduce myself as a “strange traveler.”
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
Sızıntı was a publication that supported the backbone of the Hizmet Movement. During my high school years, I used to go to the newspaper stand every day for a week to ask if it had arrived because it was late. Although I cannot remember the exact title, I wrote an article on “The Importance of Education” for a competition, and it was awarded. In the following years, similar magazines, books, publishing houses, and the role of print and visual media were witnessed by our nation and other nations. The beauty of these publications, along with dormitories, schools, and of course, their students, finding their place all over the world, provides enough insight into the importance of publishing in the Hizmet Movement, which is education-focused and global. If we compare the society we live in to a human body, we need to liken publications to our veins. Veins carry oxygen and nutrients to organs and cells through blood circulation for the sustenance of life, enabling cells to stay alive. Similarly, we can say that publications have the duty of delivering “knowledge, truth, and reality” that is the life-giving water to each individual in society.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
Individually, it is an incomprehensible field, and more importantly, individuals who aspire to such a duty must first have a strong belief in God, constantly review their faith, and elevate their theoretical faith to become an inherent part of their nature. They should nourish and crown their theoretical faith with worship and obedience performed with humility and awe. They should first know their Lord, read themselves and the grand book of the universe, and gather with those who shed light around them. Together, sometimes experiencing agony and sometimes tranquility, by engaging in consultations and deliberations in order to extend a helping hand to needy hearts, we witness that those who deepen their knowledge of God and become a means to love for God have been able to accomplish such publishing in the past, even in the lands of migration. I am hopeful.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
Sızıntı used to call it the “Golden Generation.”
As Çağlayan grew, it bore fruit,
Hopes sprouted,
Young Çağlayan set sail to eternity.
May your path and fortune be open, may your love and enthusiasm never wane. May goodness multiply as you multiply, like a snowball.
Do you have a message for our readers?
I believe that discovering our talents is important. I particularly agree with the advice of a volunteer teacher on writing from one of your previous interviews. The relationship between listening and speaking in language learning is similar to the relationship between “reading and writing.” These qualities are inherent in every adult but can sometimes become rusty due to underutilization. If we write down what we gain from reading, just as we convey what we gain through listening, we can add value to them, offer them to friends, peers, and companions, and perhaps benefit all of humanity. It seems that Young Çağlayan is a platform that serves this purpose. There should be similar platforms with their brothers and sisters in different languages, of course. I always wish success to the Young Çağlayan team on this path, which they undertake with hope, determination, relying on God, and embracing effort.
(February 25, 2023)
Tuncay Çağlayan
Could we briefly get to know you?
My name is Tuncay Çağlayan. I work as a physics teacher. I have been in this profession for 20 years. I have worked as a physics teacher in different countries and high schools. Although I am not a writer, a few of my articles have been published in Çağlayan magazine.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
One of the goals of the Hizmet Movement is to help people better understand universal values such as values education, tolerance, dialogue, peace, and reconciliation and to apply these values in their lives. Publishing is one effective way to achieve these goals. Publishing allows reaching many people in a short period of time. People who have access to correct information through publishing become more knowledgeable. In today’s world with many media organizations, it is important to have access to correct information. The publishing organs of the Hizmet Movement are platforms that provide useful publications where accurate information is presented, embracing a vision of a society where different ethnic, cultural, and religious groups can live together.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
Books, magazines, websites, social media, and other publishing tools can help people to know and get closer to God. Such publishing activities can help people become more familiar with universal values. As a result, dialogue among people develops, and they approach each other with more respect and tolerance. The publishing activities in the Hizmet Movement are also carried out with the aim of being instrumental in the knowledge and love of God.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
Young Çağlayan is an important platform. Targeting young people, this platform aims to publish fundamental human values such as tolerance, dialogue, and peace, presenting them in a way that young people can understand according to the conditions of our time. It is important for the future of young people, who are the pillars of our future, to have access to correct and beneficial information. I believe that Young Çağlayan will reach more readers over time and contribute to the development of more knowledgeable individuals through its publications.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Young readers of Young Çağlayan should read the published articles, provide feedback, and even contribute to this platform by writing their own essays. Considering the scarcity of platforms that provide accurate and beneficial publications for young people today, it is understood that this publishing organ performs a very important activity. Young Çağlayan should be supported by reading and recommended to people in the surroundings.
(February 27, 2023)
Zeynep Durmaz
Could we briefly get to know you?
I am a medical doctor. My specialty is obstetrics and gynecology. I am married and have a son and a daughter.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
Publishing plays a central role. I believe it is one of the most important ways to win people’s hearts.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
First and foremost, by equipping ourselves with solid spiritual nourishment, feeling the concern of conveying the truths to others, and meticulously examining and presenting them with utmost care.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
Young people are generally already the main protagonists in every aspect. They may not always realize this. I have full belief that Young Çağlayan will leave its mark. It is currently like a sapling on its way to becoming a towering and ancient oak tree. I have no doubt about that.
Do you have a message for our readers?
They should not neglect the first commandment. Everything begins with reading. But we should also be discerning about what we read. There is a hidden writer within every reader. They should give writing a try.
(March 14, 2023)
Yusuf Bayram
Could we briefly get to know you?
I work as an editor and translator. I consider myself a digital nomad.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
The thoughts and actions produced within the Hizmet ecosystem are published in various mediums. The works gifted to our respected Sage Bediüzzaman and Esteemed Teacher, Hodjaefendi, by means of inspired ideas are kept alive through verbal, spiritual, and practical annotations, explanations, and representations. The spreading of truths that deeply resonate with our conscience can be observed beautifully on the horizon of the Hizmet Movement.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
It can be achieved through the love of knowledge and truth, with a dynamic spirit of investigation and inquiry, through contemplation, reflection, and discussions, by not giving priority to selfish interests and base emotions, by being receptive to collective inspiration, and by getting to know The All-Holy, The All-Wise, The All-Compassionate, The All-True Master and Protector closely through His Divine Qualities, Attributes, and Names, with a dedicated love for Him.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
Young Çağlayan is the youngest member of our publishing succession. It fulfills the duty of preserving and keeping our cultural heritage and intellectual assets alive, and passing them on to future generations with dedication, sincerity, and enthusiasm. May their future be as bright as the rising sun.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Since God exists, it is sufficient. He is priceless.
(March 26, 2023)
S. Sinem Akbulak
Could we briefly get to know you?
Hello! My name is Sinem. I am 46 years old. While I initially wanted to pursue education in the field of mathematics, I was destined to embark on a medical career. It turned out to be a fortunate path. I am a pediatrician. I love my profession with a true passion. I have learned so much from children. They have greatly influenced my perspective and stance towards life. Trying to stay as pure and innocent as they are, engaging in dialogue with those who manage to maintain that purity, has become a significant source of motivation for my activities.
I have a beautiful daughter who is a precious gift from God. We live in Germany. I have a dream of serving humanity in Africa, purely for the sake of God, and becoming a person of good thoughts, actions, and hearts.
“Destiny loves effort,” “There are no small things,” and “Neglected things die” are the fundamental principles of my life philosophy. I strive to write articles occasionally in our Çağlayan magazine. I love reading, researching, and thinking, exploring connections between different topics.
In my leisure time, I try to solve mathematics and geometry problems to refresh my mind. I have an interest in good music, strong artistic works, and colors. I am interested in world cuisines and strive to improve my culinary knowledge. Topics related to cosmography fascinate me. I am against the statement “I read books in my spare time.” I find it strange to try to fit reading, understanding, and thinking into spare moments, while they should be our primary duties. I believe there is nothing more important than reading and understanding.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
Publishing is an important tool for making efforts permanent, announcing and sharing them. As with any other field, it is essential to produce works that are in line with our values so that they can be safely preserved and shared with those in need. In publishing, one can achieve fruitful endeavors that multiply the value of one. It is reasonable to act in accordance with the principles of reason and take on our responsibilities as human beings and believers, using this useful method appropriately in the modern age. The Hizmet Movement is one of the organizations that use this field in the most ethical and diverse ways, making significant contributions to the world’s cultural heritage. Although the current circumstances may show that its value is not fully recognized, I believe that future generations will remember the Hizmet Movement with gratitude. To proclaim the truth in a manner that is close to its value, to some extent, and to succeed in doing so is a great fortune. Hizmet has accomplished this through visual, auditory, and various other types of publications. It continues to do so to the best of its capabilities. With the permission and grace of God, it will be able to produce even more beautiful works in the future. I am very hopeful in this regard.
Content produced for communication channels, along with counseling, spiritual guidance, and local service activities, have been transformed into products with a high level of usability and are used at an individual level. I congratulate those who work in publications such as Çağlayan, Nevbahar, and Young Çağlayan, which are being produced under difficult circumstances. I also wish for the establishment of a radio station like Cihan Radio as soon as possible.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
Approach every task by carefully weaving it like lacework. Pay attention to staying pure and innocent. Truth is already pure and beautiful. By striving to preserve it, publishing can be a means to our purpose. I have no experience in this field, but my expectations as the target audience are in this direction.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
Young Çağlayan is our bud of hope. It is our responsibility as adults to provide favorable conditions for the young people who carry out voluntary activities in this community. When we see diligent, hardworking, and productive young individuals like busy bees, our hopes increase. They truly produce beautiful and high-quality work. I congratulate each and every one of them.
Do you have a message for our readers?
I believe that the exemplary young individuals in Young Çağlayan will make significant contributions to the upbringing of the new generation and to the world cultural heritage. This platform, which serves the intellectual needs and the production of new knowledge, is invaluable.
May God perpetuate this virtuous atmosphere, consisting of motivated, energetic, and pure-hearted young people, and may it be a means for many more good deeds. We are also grateful to our brothers and sisters who protect and support them, dedicating a significant amount of their time to the activities in this community. May God be pleased with them as well.
(March 27, 2023)
Mehmet Atalay
Could we briefly get to know you?
I was born in May 1948 in the village of Macun in Aksu district of Antalya, Turkey. After completing primary school in my village, I moved to Antalya city center to attend middle school. Upon my father’s request, I enrolled in an industrial vocational high school. Since I graduated from the middle section of this school with honors, I was sent to Izmir Tire Industrial Vocational High School to study as a boarding student. After completing this school, I started studying Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Architecture and Engineering of Ege University in Izmir. I enrolled in the evening program of the university. During the day, I worked as a lathe operator in a workshop and attended university in the evenings. I met Hodjaefendi (an honorific meaning “respected teacher”, referring to Fethullah Gülen) in 1967 and when I started staying in the first student house of the Hizmet Movement in Izmir in 1968, I had more opportunities to meet with him because the lessons were held in that house as there was only one. There were days when there were 70 students attending the talks, as they were greatly influenced by Hocaefendi’s conversations. The desire of the students who came to stay in such a house led to an increase in the number of houses in Izmir. Summer camps were held from 1967 to 1971. During our time as university students, we took part in the Buca summer camps, which were organized as a kind of spiritual retreat for the students of the Kestanepazarı dormitory. Our tent became famous as the “university students’ tent.” I graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1971. I couldn’t find a job in Izmir among the places I applied to work. Since Hodjaefendi didn’t want the graduates to leave Izmir, I started working as an engineer in the private sector while staying in the same house with him. Even though we were living under the same roof, I couldn’t really take advantage of his presence much due to my exhausting job.
After completing my military service as a reserve officer between 1973 and 1974, I returned to İzmir in December 1974 and started looking for a new job. They told me that there were no vacancies in the Thermal Power Plant in Izmir, but there was an empty position in the Thermal Power Plant in Tavşanlı Tunçbilek. I visited Hodjaefendi to evaluate the situation; he allowed me to go to Tavşanlı with the condition of returning to Izmir after one year. I started working as a maintenance engineer at the plant in January 1975. I couldn’t manage to transfer to Izmir a year later. Meanwhile, I heard that an assistantship exam was opened at Ege University in Izmir and immediately applied to take the exam. I took the exam on the specified date and passed. When the opportunity arose for me to move to Izmir, I decided to leave my position at the Turkish Electricity Authority and took up a job as an assistant at Ege University in 1976. Meanwhile, when I successfully passed the inspectorate exam held by the Ministry of Labor, I made the decision to resign from my assistant position and begin working as a labor inspector in Izmir. This choice was driven by my desire to contribute to the Hizmet Movement. In December 1996, Hodjaefendi asked me to go to Germany to participate in the activities of the Hizmet Movement. I went to Germany and came back until I retired. When I retired in 1998, I settled in Germany. I worked as the general manager of Zaman newspaper in Germany until 2013. In 2013, I returned to Turkey. Due to the well-known circumstances, I came back to Germany in 2016. I am currently residing in Germany.
Could you discuss the significance of publication within the Hizmet Movement?
Within the activities of the Hizmet Movement, four aspects have always maintained their importance. These are education, publishing, healthcare services, and dialogue. Publishing holds a prominent position among the activities of the Hizmet Movement. Although Hodjaefendi attached great importance to publishing, the lack of financial means and sufficient staff prevented the initiation of publishing in the early days. However, in order to establish the infrastructure, the Türkiye Öğretmenler Vakfı (The Foundation of Teachers in Turkey) was established in 1976. In 1977, the Zuhur news bulletin was introduced, followed by the publication of the Sızıntı magazine in 1979. Despite the near-impossible conditions of publishing these magazines at that time, publishing continued due to the importance Hodjaefendi attributed to press and media. He even actively participated in the proofreading of the articles to be published. These efforts sometimes lasted from evening until morning. One of the main reasons that compelled us to engage in publishing was the spread of false news about Muslims. It is not possible to convey the truth to the public without using the language of the press. That’s why Hodjaefendi strongly desired to have our own newspaper. Therefore, as soon as he heard that Zaman newspaper in Ankara would be sold, he immediately sent brother Hacı Kemal to Ankara to acquire the newspaper. With the acquisition of Zaman newspaper, we began newspaper publishing in 1986. The truth can only be achieved through the efforts of the socially responsible publishers, and this is a great service to humanity.
How can we engage in publishing to help attain deep knowledge of God and cultivate a strong love for Him?
There are publications that guide people on the right path, as well as those that lead them astray. Since they reach a wide audience, their rewards and sins can be significant. Positive publications that lead people to knowledge of God should be produced, while also addressing people’s needs. It is not possible to reach love for God without attaining His knowledge. People love what they know and oppose what they do not know. In this regard, besides the publication of works aimed at knowing God with His Names and Attributes, there is also a necessity to produce new publications in a way that today’s youth can understand. Through these works, our knowledge and then our love will increase.
Sometimes we may prioritize other things over reading books, using the excuse of not having enough time for reading. Indeed, the time we allocate for reading may not be sufficient. In such cases, our priority should be to read works that enhance our knowledge. In addition to reading books, the publication of beneficial works is also crucial. Considering the efforts made to raise a generation that is beneficial to humanity, it is not possible for us to give up on publishing.
What is your opinion about Young Çağlayan?
Although Young Çağlayan is young, I see that it has won the hearts of readers of all ages with its mature attitude. Not all endeavors start perfectly; they tend to move towards perfection over time. As Young Çağlayan, I see that you continue with patience towards excellence, rather than simply claiming it. One of the most important aspects of success on this path is working collectively. It is essential to consider the readers’ desires and consult competent individuals when making decisions. If we also consider the responsibility of the work being done, we should not forget that consultation is the only solution to avoid taking on unnecessary burdens.
Do you have a message for our readers?
I kindly request your readers to read the articles prepared for Young Çağlayan magazine, taking into account that it is prepared under difficult conditions. I urge them to support the magazine, considering the effort put into each article. Having been part of the early stages of Sızıntı magazine, I strongly believe that reading the magazine is a gesture of respect towards the dedication and effort put into it.
(April 21, 2023)