Abstract
This article explores how the Risale-i Nur Collection, authored by Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, addresses and refutes the materialistic notion that everything in the universe came into being by itself. Drawing on rational, philosophical, and theological reasoning, Nursi presents compelling arguments against the belief in self-creation or creation by chance. The text emphasizes the necessity of an All-Knowing, All-Powerful Creator behind the intricate order of existence.
1. Introduction
The question of how the universe and life came into being has sparked debates for centuries. While materialist philosophies often resort to explanations based on self-creation, chance, or nature as the creator, Islamic theology—particularly the Risale-i Nur—offers a deep, multifaceted refutation of these views. Nursi’s writings challenge these concepts through logical analogies, observations of natural order, and scriptural references.
2. Argument from Design: Art Requires an Artist
Nursi emphasizes that the intricate design and fine-tuning observed in nature cannot be the product of blind processes. He famously states:
“A needle cannot exist without a maker; a letter cannot be written without a writer. How, then, can the extraordinary, harmonious universe exist without a Creator?”
This analogy underlines the absurdity of attributing conscious design to unconscious processes.
3. The Impotence of Causes
In The Tenth Word and other treatises, Nursi demonstrates that natural causes such as atoms, elements, or physical forces lack will, knowledge, and power—qualities essential for creation:
“Is it possible that lifeless, blind, deaf, ignorant causes could create orderly and meaningful beings?”
He argues that attributing creation to such causes is equivalent to deifying them, which is both logically and theologically untenable.
4. Rejection of Chance: Order Cannot Emerge from Chaos
Risale-i Nur also addresses the notion of chance. Nursi asserts:
“Chance is blind. How can the blind make something as intricate as the eye? How can something that lacks knowledge produce wisdom?”
The persistent patterns, laws, and balance in nature show purposeful design, not random formation.
5. Unity in Creation as Proof of a Single Creator
Nursi frequently refers to the unity and consistency found across creation—from subatomic particles to galaxies. This coherence implies that the universe is not the product of many separate, chaotic forces, but of a single will and intelligence:
“If everything came from itself, there would be disorder and conflict. But what we see is harmony and unity.”
6. Nature Cannot Be the Creator
The belief that “nature creates” is strongly criticized in the Twenty-Third Word, also known as the Treatise on Nature. Nursi argues that nature itself is created; it is a set of laws and patterns, not an independent, conscious entity:
“Nature is blind and lifeless. It can neither know what it does nor why it does it. How can it be the source of life, wisdom, and order?”
Thus, attributing divine power to nature is intellectually baseless.
7. The Universe as a Book: Letters Require a Writer
In many parts of the Risale-i Nur, Nursi compares the universe to a book written in the language of creation. Just as a book cannot exist without an author, the “Book of the Universe” demands a Divine Author:
“The letters of a meaningful book cannot arrange themselves by chance. Likewise, the atoms and cells of living beings cannot organize themselves without a Creator.”
8. Conclusion
The Risale-i Nur rejects the idea that beings can come into existence by themselves or by random chance. Through analogies, logic, and theological reasoning, Said Nursi constructs a comprehensive argument affirming the existence of an all-powerful, all-knowing Creator—Allah. His work remains a profound resource for defending belief in a purposeful creation against materialist and atheist claims.
References
- Nursi, Bediüzzaman Said. The Words (Sözler). Sozler Publications.
- Nursi, Bediüzzaman Said. The Rays (Şualar). Sozler Publications.
- Nursi, Bediüzzaman Said. The Letters (Mektubat). Sozler Publications.
- Nursi, Bediüzzaman Said. The Flashes (Lem’alar). Sozler Publications.
- www.sozler.com.tr — Official source for Risale-i Nur texts.
