Locating the Nursian approach to "Adab" - a comparison with traditional sufi "tariqa"
Abstract
The concept of "'Adab" is traditionally understood to equate to the appropriate manners and forms of behaviour that are required of Muslims. It was considered by many prominent scholars of the past to be a vital part of obtaining knowledge and that no knowledge was genuine without it. For example, Imam Zakariya al-Anbari stated that: "‘Knowledge without Adab is like fire without wood, and Adab without knowledge is like a spirit without a body". The aim of this paper is to examine the approach of the Risale-i Nur to the concept of 'adab' and to compare its distinguishing features and emphases with traditional sufi "tariqa" of whom Nursi was aware of (such as the Naqshbandiyya). Given that the Risale-i Nur is an expounder of the truths of the Qu'ran, it certainly must also convey the truths of appropriate manners and outer behaviour. In this respect, the paper will aim to address certain problems with respect to 'adab'. Firstly, how do contemporary muslims learn about the concept of 'adab and how is it mostly defined? How pragmatic are traditional sources (e.g. hadith commentaries and legal texts) with respect to the modern lay muslim coming to learn how to emulate the Prophet (pbuh) in the most effective and non-contradictory way? How do they compare with the Nursian approach and that of Tariqah? Does Nursi offer guidelines that are more achievable and accessible, and what are the shortcomings of his approach with respect to more methodical approaches in the schools of Tariqah? What does Nursi's notion of "sincerity" and "annihilation in the brothers" offer that "annihilation in the Sheikh" doesn't with respect to the wider social effects of 'adab? What are the advantages and disadvantages of Nursi's instructions for the behaviour of his students when compared to the psychologically reformative approach of Tariqah?
