An Introduction to Said Nursi

The book under review provides a succinct account of the life of one of Islam’s great modern day thinkers and theologians. Said Nursi was born in the late 19th century in a transitionary period of the Ottoman Empire and came to prominence under the Turkish Republic. This monograph is concerned almost exclusively with the life of Nursi and his magnum opus, the Risale-i Nur (the Treatise of Light). The monograph is divided into two parts: the first part investigates the life of Said Nursi; and the second part provides select translations of the Risale-i Nur. The authors acknowledge their intended audience: students taking an introductory course on Islam or religious studies. This short monograph fulfils this requirement. The first part of the monograph is divided into four chapters detailing the life and thought of Nursi. Each of the chapters provides an overview of some aspects of Nursi and a general framework for Nursi’s different ideas and concepts as well as for Islam in general. For example, in chapter 2, The Concepts of God and the Qur’an, the authors spend ample time explaining the concept of tawtiid and the 99 names of God which are employed as His characteristics. (pp. 21-23) Structuring the text in this manner enables the student to better grasp the commentary on Nursi’s ideas and thoughts while also enabling the student to progressively question, consider and think of Nursi’s approach(es). Moreover, the authors excel at explaining the different concepts related to Nur, Nurs, Nursi, Risale-i Nur and Nurcu who are the ‘advocates of light and the community founded on his teachings, despite being fragmented, is known as the Nur community’. (p. 7)