Rebuilding a Spectacular Civilization

So eat from what Allah has provided for you, lawful and good, and be thankful for the blessing of Allah if it is Him you worship. (Surat an-Nahl: 114)

With the establishment of the Turkish Islamic Union, peace and security will take hold, economic problems will be resolved, and a massive cultural advancement will take place, for there will be growing budgets for education, science, and culture. In this way, Muslims will build a new civilization that will serve as a role model for the rest of the world. Practicing the unity and solidarity commanded by the Qur'an will cause its values to have a direct impact upon all Muslims' everyday life, art, decoration, fashion, medicine, science, and technology. Friendship and fraternal feelings will prosper, peace and order will rule social life, people will find more time to reflect and conduct research, and they will be more free-thinking and open-minded when they do so. Environments free of disorder, destitution, and troubles are places in which new ideas take shape, new products emerge, beneficial inventions are made, and continuing progress is achieved. The Turkish Islamic Union will create such an environment throughout the Islamic world.

In the book's first part, we examined the history of Islamic civilization. This civilization is an indicator of the environment in which future generations of Muslims will live. History shows that Muslims who practiced the Qur'an's values built a strong civilization that lasted for many centuries. In the Qur'an, Allah commands people to reflect, observe, and notice subtle details. Muslims are asked to ponder the beings in their surrounding environments, reflect on the order in which they live, and try to comprehend the wisdom behind it all. Our Lord says:

Have they not looked at the sky above them, how We structured it and made it beautiful, and how there are no fissures in it? And Earth, how We stretched it out, cast firmly embedded mountains onto it, and caused luxuriant plants of every kind to grow in it—an instruction and a reminder for every penitent human being. And We sent down blessed water from the sky and made gardens grow by it, and grain for harvesting and soaring date-palms with layered spathes. (Surah Qaf: 6-10)

Those who live by the Qur'an's values, who contemplate without coming under the spell of dogmas, false beliefs, or prejudices, ponder whatever they witness from all angles. As a result, they can see and consider ahead of their times. These qualities enable them to invent beneficial items for humanity and devise systems that ease the burdens of life and increase human comfort. The Turkish Islamic Union will open a new chapter in science and technology for the Islamic world, and, having acquired this vision, Muslims will build a civilization that produces science.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY BASKENT TV, FEBRUARY 13th, 2009 Adnan Oktar: No economic union can survive without a spiritual foundation. Nobody will give anyone money or help anyone else, and no Islamic country will give anything to anyone else. The other Turkic states will not help anyone else. The result is a terrible egoism and selfishness. The aim of the Turkish-Islamic Union is a passionate and fervent love. It is fear and love of Allah and a spiritual excitement. People will have no greed in such a climate, and will rather give things away.If they have oil, they will tell others to take it away freely, they will give it as a gift. Turkey will send minerals to Saudi Arabia, for example. And they will send us oil. Workers will leave from here and go and labor for Allah's approval. And they will be paid a lot of money, again for Allah's approval. These things will flow in a climate of friendship and brotherhood. This foundation will bring about wealth. Prosperity will result from that generosity, friendship and altruism and from not being selfish and egotistical. If one approaches matters with egoism and selfishness, with a materialist mindset thinking merely in terms of economic unity, then there will be an economic selfishness everywhere. This selfishness will even stretch into the families. Families will become internally selfish, nations will become internally selfish, as cities and districts. Bonds and love among people will be severed. Wealth is inevitable in a climate of love.I will give money and opportunity to someone I love, and tell him to take free use of my car and home. I will give away all the money I make in my factory. You can have it, I will say. People are very joyous in the face of those they love. But these things are impossible without love. That is why the Turkish-Islamic Union will be based on love for Allah. This is very important.

One area in which the Muslims' subtle thinking and deep awareness shows itself is art. At the core of art lie the abilities to reflect, notice subtleties, enjoy what is seen, and convey the resulting joy to others. The artistic awareness of someone who believes in and practices the Qur'an's values is of a superior nature, because Muslims consider art to be a Divine form of beauty, and works of art as objects that reflect Allah's Power and Might and the magnificence in Creation. In the Islamic world, artists are inspired by the beauty of Allah's Creation and thus produce works of art that are both inspired by the Qur'an's values and have unequaled depth, talent and intellect. With the formation of the Turkish Islamic Union, far more works of art will be produced that reflect the Muslims' sense of art, cities will be made more beautiful, spectacular buildings will rise, and the quality of life will increase immensely.

Islamic nations will be known for their cleanliness, order, works of art, cultural achievements, and technological developments. Their inhabitants will benefit from the means and comforts provided by technology, for prosperity, wealth, and beauty will dominate every aspect of life. Muslims will always meet with beauty, for their homes, gardens, house decorations, clothing, music, entertainment, theaters, cinemas, paintings, and conversations will reflect their inner spiritual beauty.

For all of this to take place, however, a great awakening must occur. False traditions, social structures, and mentalities that hold Muslims back must be removed and replaced with a Qur'an-based vision and morality so that the union will be rational, decisive, vibrant, and open-minded—just as it was with the first generations of Muslims. Islam does not require abstinence from the world; rather, Muslims are required to comprehend the world's true nature and then light the path for all people to follow. It is the Muslims' right to enjoy the blessings of this world. Those who believe sincerely and live by Allah's commands will experience all of the beautiful things that Allah has revealed in the Qur'an, one of which is a good life on Earth, as follows:

What is with you runs out, but what is with Allah goes on forever. Those who were steadfast will be recompensed according to the best of what they did. Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and will recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Surat an-Nahl: 96-97)

Introducing Others to Islamic Morality

"Let there be a community among you who calls to the good, enjoins the right, and forbids the wrong" (Surah Al 'Imran: 104). One of the Muslims' important duties is to command goodness, prevent evil, and call people to Islamic morality. However, the present disorder in the Islamic world prevents Muslims from fulfilling this duty, even though many non-Muslims have an increasing interest in Islam and the Qur'an's values. Allah's existence and oneness, the basic tenets of Islam, our Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) life, the Qur'an's commands, and how Islamic society should be structured have now become common topics in the West. As interested people naturally direct such questions toward Muslims, Muslims must be able to represent Islam in the best possible way. In the West, this means through professional audio-visual productions, conferences and meetings, and publications. Moreover, on an individual basis they must serve as role models to the people with whom they come into contact.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY MALATYA TV, FEBRUARY 22nd, 2008 Adnan Oktar: I would like to tell my brothers that, insha'Allah, the days that follow will be most excellent. Turkey will be great, and there will be great progress and unity in the Islamic and Turkish worlds. Civilization will take unimaginable steps forward. It will be, insha'Allah, as it was in the time of the Prophet Solomon (pbuh). It will be perfect, and will bring his days to mind. Actually, it will not be exactly like his age, since that has its own unique features in the Qur'an. Every age has its own unique characteristics in terms of splendor and power. It will all be perfect. We now need to strengthen our brotherhood, unity and union, avoid disputes, be compassionate in the face of differences between communities, regard these as a blessing, and hone our brotherhood to perfection. We must seriously stand up against Darwinism and materialism. People can make use of my books to do this and, as you know, can download them for free over the Internet.

The Muslim Union is also necessary to resolve many problems caused by people's remoteness from religious morality. Circles that oppose religious morality work to make irreligion prevail and often coordinate their actions so that they can move forward in unison. Irrespective of how much their alliance is based on self-interest, their coordinated action makes it much easier for them to achieve their targets. Although every system of thought that opposes religious morality is destined to be defeated, Muslims must nevertheless engage these systems in a great ideological struggle to defeat them. For this reason, one of the Muslims' most urgent responsibilities is to drop their internal differences so that they can spread the Qur'an's values and invite people to the path of Allah. Our Lord reveals the believers' responsibility in this regard in the following verse:

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

The formation of the Turkish Islamic Union will increase the pace of all efforts made to spread the Qur'an's morality. As in many other areas, such a combined effort will be rewarded many times over, and true knowledge will reach all people far more quickly and in a much better manner. At present, Muslims are making individual as well as combined efforts to explain and spread Islam. However, the Turkish Islamic Union will make these efforts more practical and systematic. Furthermore, some people who claim to represent Islam but display aggression and crudeness, which are not part of Islam, will be defeated; true Islam will be defined; and the erroneous stereotypes created by certain people will be destroyed.