Ethics in the Theory and Practice of Hizmet

 This chapter will focus on answering two questions. The first is: Since Fethullah Gülen and the Hizmet movement have much to say about morality and ethics, does one promote ethical discourse independently of various versions of Islam? Th e second question is: Can other religious systems or nonreligious networks learn from the movement? More specifi cally, I will fi rst describe how Gülen and the Hizmet movement derive their understanding of morality and ethics from the primary and secondary sources of Islam. Th eir ethical understanding will be examined in terms of how ethics is enacted or applied. Th e chapter will then focus on similarities and diff erences of how ethical discourse is promoted by Gülen and the Hizmet movement compared to other versions of Islam. In the rest of the chapter, I will examine and describe ways other religious systems or nonreligious networks can learn from the ethical discourse and ethics-in-action of Gülen and the Hizmet movement.

I begin by posing the question that many have raised: What is the secret behind the broad, deep, and rapid infl uence of the Hizmet movement over diverse people on almost every continent of the globe? Th e answer lies in the ethical foundation upon which the movement rests and from which it derives inspiration and direction. Th e ethical base of the movement drives its tripartite mission or ethical interests: alleviating poverty through helping the poor and needy as well as through relief eff orts; eradicating ignorance through educational initiatives; and promoting unity through intercultural and interfaith dialogue. So, what are the moral values that have motivated and continue to guide and inspire the work of this colossal transnational civic movement? And, where do these moral precepts come from?

Th e ethical base draws upon the primary and secondary sources of Islam. Th e primary sources consist of the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad. Th e secondary sources include the thoughts and actions of the close and loyal companions of the Prophet and the spiritual guides that adhered to the true teachings of the Prophet. Th e ethical nutrients that nurture Hizmet are supplied chiefl y by the writings, sermons, and counsel of the spiritual guide of the movement, Gülen or Hocaefendi, as he is lovingly and endearingly called by the followers of the movement. Gülen’s thoughts and teachings are deeply rooted in the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the divine teachings and lived life of Prophet Muhammad. He also follows the example and counsel of the close companions of the Prophet and the spiritual guides that have followed in their footsteps. Gülen discerns that the ultimate objective of Islamic ideals is to help the individual to become perfect, refi ned, and self-actualized. Toward this aim, Gülen not only explicates but also leads by example the Islamic ethical principles and dictates. Although an original thinker, Gülen is very much practitioner-oriented, not a theoretician, when it comes to ethics. Th at is, he is most concerned with translating ethical precepts and virtues into proper actions, oft en preceding words with actions or at least matching words with deeds. In this respect, Gülen heeds the admonition of the following Qur’anic verses: “O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do” (As-Saf, verses 2–3).

In no realm other than ethics is a Muslim called to match words with actions. Gülen fully understands that the singular and most central mission of Prophet Mohammed’s message is to refi ne and complete the ethical ideals in order to perfect human character. To achieve this loft y divine mission, Prophet Muhammad taught humanity about ethics through actions. As Muslims believe, his lived life off ers the perfect human model for developing excellence and virtue. Th ey must emulate this model in all aspects of their lives. Indeed, Gülen follows the example of the Prophet and off ers his insights and experiences to the Hizmet movement. His aim, following central teachings of Islam, is to strengthen the inner and spiritual dimension of the adherents so that they develop the qualities and qualifi cations to be vicegerents of God, to whom the angels were commanded to bow down. Later in this chapter, I will elaborate on the specifi c ethical ideals and qualities such as sincerity, honesty, humility, trustworthiness, tolerance, love, forgiveness, compassion, selfl essness, and peacemaking that Gülen strives to instill in the followers of Hizmet. First, however, we must discuss the sources that inform Hizmet’s ethical interests.

primary sources of ethics in the theory of hizmet

At the heart of Islamic ethics is the utter and unwavering belief that God is the Creator and source of all goodness, truth, and beauty, and that the ultimate responsibility of human beings is to submit to His will reverentially. Human beings are the responsible, dignifi ed, and honorable agents of the Creator. Th ey are God’s appointed vicegerents on earth. Humans are so dignifi ed by God that He put everything that is in the heavens and on the earth in their service. Humans are entrusted to do good and spread goodness in their lives and guard against corruption, evil, and wickedness. Hence, commitment and devotion to ethical ideals ensure that the human is honoring his or her mission of upholding good in this life.

Prophet Muhammad put much emphasis on the value and task of cultivating refi ned manners and character. Th e following hadiths, or sayings of the Prophet, underscore the centrality of refi ned manners in Qur’anic ethics:

Th e Prophet said: among the Muslims, the most perfect, as regards his faith, is the one whose character is excellent. (Al-Tiridhi, Hadith 628)

Th e best among you are the best in character (having good manners). (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 8.61)

Do you know the things which most commonly bring people into paradise? It is fear of Allah and good character. (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 4832)

Th e prophet said “I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarelling even if he were in the right; a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking; and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 5.104, narrated by Abdullah Bin Amr)

In Sunan Abu-dawood, Hadith 4782, narrated by Abu Umamah, we read:

The most beloved to me amongst you is the one who has the best characterand manners.
There is nothing heavier than good character put in the Scale of a believer in the Day of Resurrection.
The messenger of Allah said: By his good character a believer will attain the degree of one who prays during the night and fasts during the day.

ethics in the practice of hizmet

In order to understand the ethical ideals in the practice of Hizmet, it is helpful to think of the individual as operating at both ends of the spectrum within the following four arenas.

Obligatory to Supererogatory

Within this realm, an individual fulfi lls the obligatory rituals and deeds, and, by so doing, he or she is motivated to do good works for others. Th e act is still performed out of a sense of religious duty. If, however, the deed is performed out of love, then it falls within the supererogatory or ihsan domain. Before, during, and aft er performing the deed, the person’s goal should be to seek God’s pleasure only. If one engages in nonobligatory acts such as feeding the hungry and attending to the needy without regard for recognition or publicity, and if he or she does it anonymously, the act is said to be a supererogatory one. Th e Arabic word ihsan comes the closest in meaning to the word supererogatory, and it refers to deeds that are beautiful, proper, and suitable. Th e ethic of ihsan serves as an inspiration for Muslim piety, especially for Sufi s. In the Hizmet movement, members are implored by Gülen individually and collectively to seize every opportunity to give of their time, eff ort, and money to help others without expectancy for reward, approval, or any material gain.

The young men and women in Hizmet who take up teaching responsibilities in faraway lands are an example of this obligatory-supererogatory ethical dimension. Teaching, for most faith-inspired groups, is a sacred act; some deem it an obligatory duty, whereas others welcome it with enthusiasm. In the latter case, teaching is seen as a divine favor and opportunity bestowed upon the dutiful servant. Th e servant, in turn, undertakes the duty with reliance on God for guidance, insight, and assistance to perform the act in the best and most complete manner possible. Th at is, he or she hopes to do the work with the utmost sincerity and purity of intention. Gülen goes so far as to teach that, at the highest point of sincerity in worship, the individual’s aim is not Paradise but the pleasure of God. Gülen’s point is in line with the third kind of worship that Imam Husain, grandson of the Prophet, described: “Some people worship God, coveting His rewards. This is worship of merchants. Some people worship God, fearing His punishments. This is worship of slaves. Some people worship God, thanking His blessings. This is worship of the free superior persons.”

Inner and External Dimensions

The inner dimension has been the focus of many scholars and spiritual masters. Th e heart is where the inner dimension is believed to operate, and it drives the entire human personality. Th e Sufi s accord the inner dimension of the human a prominent and signifi cant status. If the maintenance of the heart is neglected, then the heart is very likely to get sick, corrupt, and become a playground for evil tendencies. With ongoing service, watchful observation, and disciplined dedication, the heart is cleansed, purifi ed, and brought closer to its Creator. Th e Qur’an uses the word taqwa to refer to one’s vigilance against moral peril as it equips believers with the ability to control the inner thought that produces human action. Under the watchful eye of taqwa, the self-injurious or handicapping thoughts and impulses are redirected and transformed into positive and self-enhancing ones.

For the Sufis, the heart is the intrapersonal space where the inner self performs its mystic contemplation and comes into union with God. It is the gate to Divine love and knowledge. Gülen diff ers from the Sufi s in that he stresses, in addition to the intrapersonal side, the interpersonal dimension. Gülen asserts that “the inner and outer dimensions must never be separated.” 2 Th us, one’s contemplation and self-purifi cation must be manifested outwardly in the form of good deeds and selfl ess service to others. Put differently, an individual’s intrapersonal spirituality must materialize into an altruistic and tangible social action.

In striving to blend and integrate the two dimensions, the individual’s self-purifi cation regimen and aim must include attainment of sincerity of intention. Every act of worship a person performs must be predicated on the authentic and true intention of doing it for the sake of God. By so doing, a person will not expect monetary or moral rewards for the good deeds and services one undertakes. Th e reward is the pleasure and satisfaction one derives from doing good things, and doing them to please God and God only. Doing so may not be easy in an environment that thrives on and basks in human rewards and recognition. It takes the inner discipline of selfabnegation to reach the level of selfl essness. Th is is the ultimate goal that Gülen teaches his followers to achieve.

Closely aligned with sincerity is the virtue of truthfulness, which also starts and springs from within and has direct eff ect on those who are genuinely striving to be truthful to God. Th is ethic is another jewel in the crown of a refi ned character, which Gülen covered in his book Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufi sm.3 It is an ideal that was exemplifi ed by all of the messengers of God, and one that they instructed their disciples to do. Like sincerity, truthfulness requires synergy between the outer and inner dimensions of the individual. When harmony of the two dimensions is achieved, the person’s actions become infused with sincere intention, and the words and actions accord with the degree of belief the person has attained.

In speaking about truthfulness, AbdurRahman Mahdi mentions that Imam Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet, pointed out the impact of truthfulness on others by saying, “Whosoever does three things with regards to people, they will necessitate three things from him: whenever he speaks to them he is truthful; whenever they entrust him with something he does not betray them; and whenever he promises them something he fulfills it. If he does this, their hearts will love him; their tongues will praise him; and they will come to his aid.” 4 Th ese words refl ect an ethic that is essential for members in any movement, faith-inspired or not. It promotes trust among the members of the movement and, in turn, the movement with the communities they serve. Others will regard the members and the movement as trustworthy and reliable. Th e Prophet exemplifi ed this ethic even before he received the revelation. Th e people of Mecca used to call him Al-Amin, the trustworthy one.

Concern for the Local and the Global

This dimension, oft en referred to as “glocal” in Hizmet circles, refers to the dual focus of the movement on immediate concerns and issues in the local community as well as on the needs beyond the community and outside the borders of one’s country in a warm embrace of all humanity. It is this ethic that so appeals to people who encounter Hizmet for the fi rst time—its ready tendency to demonstrate its “social conscience” and to share its blessings enthusiastically with others. Members of the movement have expressed their sympathy for the suff ering of others by providing relief help and attending to the poor and needy both in Turkey (the original context of the Hizmet movement) and in Central Asia, Southeast Asia,*** the Balkans, Africa, the Middle East, and many other parts of the world. In essence, contributing to the well-being of the world has become the concern and ambition of Hizmet. Building bridges of friendship and goodwill with the peoples of the world is a daily activity and project for the Hizmet movement. Hands are extended and arms are stretched to embrace and welcome anyone who is willing to engage in dialogue and cultural exchange.

In the “glocal” context, the underlying ethic is derived from this saying of Prophet Muhammad: “Th e best amongst you is the person who serves other people.” Worthy of emphasis is the Prophet’s reference to “people,” which includes Muslims and non-Muslims alike. From this teaching, the movement takes its “glocal” ethical dimension. In fact, Gülen describes the world as the stage of God’s love. Going beyond one’s geographical boundaries and familiar settings takes courage as well as intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. One must cultivate and nurture good character and disposition to be able to develop durable human relations, especially with people who have diff erent cultures, languages, traditions, and customs as well as religions. Also, one must persevere and always be buttressed by faith and hope in the face of diffi culties. Fatimah Abdullah maintains that engaging in the global stage requires ethical attributes such as mercy and its attendant manifestations of love, empathy, compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness. These are the loft y human tools that would enable “servants of the globe” to surmount the potential hardships invariably and inevitably encountered along the way.

Concern with the Temporal and Eternal
The fourth and fi nal ethical spectrum of Hizmet speaks to one’s actions in this life and one’s hopes and yearning for the aft erlife. In this arena, sincerity, faith, patience, and other related dispositions and virtues are put to the test as the meaning of life and one’s purpose in it are pondered. Gülen asserts that the “purpose of our creation is obvious: to reach our utmost goals of belief, knowledge, and spirituality; to refl ect on the universe, humanity, and God, and thus prove our value as human beings. Fulfi lling this ideal is possible only through systematic thinking and systematic behavior.” Faith propels the Hizmet volunteer to continue on the path with contentment that one is serving others for the sake of God. As hardships and obstacles arise, the volunteers rely on their sincerity and purity of intention so that their eff orts are performed for the sake of God and they are awarded for their eff orts whether they succeed or not. Buoyed by feelings of love and tolerance, Hizmet volunteers put these ethics into action by absorbing potentially harsh words and behaviors from critics or antagonists. They understand that serving others in this life can indeed be arduous work and that hard work pays off greatly—if not in this life, then surely in the hereafter.

Hizmet volunteers willingly, willfully, devotedly, and thoughtfully undertakes assigned or chosen duties in the movement and considers it their calling and source of joy and happiness. It is also thought of as a means to eternal life in heaven, which explains why the volunteers forsake some comforts and materialistic gain in this life. To them, this life is temporary, and its alluring comforts are fl eeting and short-lived. Th e life worth sacrifi cing for is the next, the eternal one.

ethical interests: ethics in action
The above four arenas of ethical life are demonstrated in the three major initiatives that defi ne the Hizmet movement: waging war against poverty, ignorance, and disunity. Th ese three challenges were identifi ed by Said Nursi in the early twentieth century as the causes of backwardness in Turkey and other parts of the world. Gülen builds on Nursi’s diagnosis of the social ills and tirelessly thinks of ways to address and eradicate them through various initiatives and programs carried out by the Hizmet movement throughout the world. Th e fi rst initiative and largest of the three is seen in educational institutions, media outlets, and publications. Th e second is manifested in relief eff orts and helping the needy. Th e third is promoting peace and unity through intercultural and interfaith dialogue. In these three domains, the Hizmet movement puts its ethical ideals into practice. We will examine the specifi c ethics involved in each.

War on Poverty
The peaceful Hizmet movement is opposed to war but, when it comes to poverty, wages a thoughtful and aggressive war to eradicate it. Expressions of “killing poverty” or “waging war against poverty” appear in old and new Islamic writings. Imam Ali, the Prophet’s cousin, said, “If poverty were a man, I would have killed him!” Poverty robs humans of their humanity, and thus it is the greatest enemy of humanity. Combating it, therefore, is the highest ethic. By attending to the basic needs of the poor, hopeless, and helpless, humanity is restored. Humanity becomes healthy, hopeful, and whole again.

For Hizmet, caring for the poor is a central ethical imperative. Those who contribute funds for the poor, those who prepare food and serve them, and on-the-ground relief workers who lend a rescuing hand all demonstrate ethics in action. Th e Hizmet servant, more so in this domain than in any other, is implored to render this holy service with deep devotion and the intention of pleasing God. Th e obligatory-supererogatory, temporal-eternal, local-global, and internal-external considerations and motivations off er Hizmet volunteers an opportunity to reinforce and strengthen their belief, sincerity, and love for humankind.

Th e fi ght against poverty within Hizmet is exemplifi ed in the humanitarian work of the Kimse Yok Mu (which means, Is Anybody Th ere?) aid organization, which was offi cially inaugurated in 2004. In the relatively short period of its existence, Kimse Yok Mu has helped thousands of people in Turkey and in at least forty-two other countries. Th e work started after the 1999 earthquake in Turkey that claimed the lives of many people. A Turkish television program by the name of Kimse Yok Mu on Samanyolu Channel gradually transformed into an aid association in 2002 and was formally recognized as a humanitarian aid organization in 2004. Its aims epitomize the highest ethical ideals. Th ose aims, shared on its seventh birthday, included aid for disasters, aid for health, aid for education, aid given during holy occasions, individual aid programs, aid for Africa, and Sister Family Aid. Th e Sister Family Aid is focused on addressing family needs in Turkey and will undoubtedly globalize just like Hizmet’s other initiatives.

Through its war against poverty, Hizmet is guided morally and ethically by the Islamic primary and secondary teachings, which exhort Muslims to provide compassionate care for the poor everywhere. One must not only sympathize with the suff ering of the poor but also go beyond aff ects and cognitions to action—conscious and sincere action.

Crusade against Ignorance
Eradicating ignorance by providing educational access to people is the largest of the three initiatives of the Hizmet movement. Th is initiative was the original emphasis of the movement and is expected to remain one of its central aims. Th e importance of education is highlighted in the following words of Gülen: “If you wish to keep the masses under control, simply starve them from knowledge. Th ey can escape such tyranny only through education. . . . [T]he road to social justice is through adequate, universal education.”7 Also, educational institutions including prekindergarten through grade 12 as well as higher education are believed by Hizmet to be the key to solving the poverty and disunity issues that are pervasive in the world. Until 1980, Hizmet focused on building schools in Turkey and Central Asia. Hundreds of schools were opened in former Soviet republics such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgistan, and Turkmenistan, and then the movement extended the educational project to other countries in Europe, North and South America, Africa, and Australia. Th e movement is willing to provide access to education wherever possible. Highlighting the importance of education, Gülen said that what society needs is not more mosques but more schools.

Th ere are many striking features of Hizmet schools, including the high academic achievement of its students owing to the selfl ess devotion and eff ectiveness of their teachers and school administrators. Th e teacher expresses the Islamic ethic by enlightening and opening minds and hearts. Another feature is Hizmet’s philosophy of blending science with spirituality. Th e curriculum used in almost every Hizmet school is a governmental and oft en a secularly based one. Th e openness and versatility of the Hizmet movement allow it to function extremely well in secular settings.

In addition to schools and universities, Hizmet’s educational efforts expanded to the realm of media through encouraging and establishing media organizations to disseminate information and serve as a means of educating people. Professional, intellectual, and cultural organizations were established for the purpose of promoting knowledge and cultural exchange.

The single most important ethic that threads through all of Hizmet’s educational activities is selfl ess service, which, when unpacked, comprises love, compassion, sincerity, devotion, and goodwill. Service is the outward illumination of these internally active ethical dynamics. Th e Hizmet teacher is an exemplary model for students and is both a teacher of content knowledge as well a shaper of character. Th e teacher inculcates in students an ethic of responsibility for self and others, which, in turn, passes the spirit of service onto the young generation. Students in Hizmet are gradually given opportunities to practice and internalize the ethic of service.

It is through this kind of education that Hizmet infuses and inspires ethically guided attitude and behavior in students, which Gülen envisions will produce the Golden Generation—a generation that will carry the torch of knowledge and Islamic ethics and lead others to the path of goodness, happiness, and advancement. Th rough their selfl ess and ethically guided actions, they will eradicate evil, ignorance, and disunity and create a peaceful world for all of humanity.

Combating Disunity
Hizmet has been described as a civic movement without borders. Of course, borders invariably exist in the world, whether they follow or create lines in the physical or geographical setting or are cultural or psychological in dimension. To operate in a bordered world, one needs the means to transcend those boundaries. Th e Hizmet movement does this by trying to extend its arms to embrace all fellow human beings. Th is takes a willingness and ability to reach out and connect with others. Gülen identifi es two ethics: tolerance and dialogue as indispensible tools to waging peace and promoting unity. He recognizes that the path to unity among communities and people of the world is fraught with diffi culties. It is “heart” work, and as such Gülen instructs the Hizmet volunteers to be heart-full and compassionate while engaging in goodwill and peace building. Th e operational directive that Gülen gives to the Hizmet peace-wagers is this: “Without hands against those who strike you; without speech against those who curse you.”

Th e most common vehicle for promoting unity in the Hizmet movement has been through interfaith/intercultural dialogue. Th e overarching impetus for such dialogues is the profound belief of Gülen and Hizmet in the harmony, collaboration, and peaceful coexistence among civilizations. This position is decidedly a rational and natural reaction to the clash-of-civilizations theories that have become popular in the past decade. The Hizmet movement believes that world peace and harmony are not only possible but inevitable, and all must strive toward this humanitarian goal. The capacity for people to change for the better is always basic to assumptions in the movement.

International, national, and local conferences dealing with interfaith and intercultural dialogues have been convened by Hizmet on almost every continent. Seminars, presentations, and other eff orts to engage in dialogue with people of diff erent faith traditions and cultures are ongoing. Th ese efforts have been productive and eff ective. For example, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune’s John Kass, Greek Orthodox ecumenical patriarch Patrik I. Bartolomeos spoke very highly of Gülen’s and Hizmet’s eff orts in promoting dialogue and building bridges among cultures in Turkey and around the world. Referring to his friend as Hocaefendi, the patriarch said, “He builds bridges, and religion should build bridges. Th is is why we need the dialogues. Not to have religious fanatics who divide people. Th e idea is to bring people of faith together for the benefi t of humankind.”

Gülen has talked about a Golden Generation of heroes and heroines who, though they come from diff erent cultural and religious backgrounds, would be united in their goal of achieving world peace through dialogue. Hizmet, according to Walter Wagner (an adjunct professor of World Religions at Moravian Th eological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania ) “is the start of that generation of dialoguers and doers.

Within this ethical interest of promoting unity, the temporal-eternal, glocal, inner-outer, and obligatory-supererogatory dynamics are operative. Th e Hizmet volunteer must mobilize the ethics of love, mercy, goodwill, and tolerance to perform the needed work with sincerity and dedication.

conclusion
With the four ethical realms (inner-outer, obligatory-supererogatory, localglobal, and temporal-eternal) and Hizmet’s three ethical interests or imperatives (education, alleviating poverty, and promoting unity) in mind, we turn now to answering the two main questions posed at the beginning of the chapter. First: Does one promote ethical discourse independently of various versions of Islam?

The general answer is in the affi rmative, with certain conditions. The different versions of Islam will dictate the scope of the ethical ideals one embraces and actualizes. Some versions or interpretations of Islam may emphasize education and compassionate concern for the poor as long as the audience and recipients live in one’s immediate locality or are of the same faith. According to this version of the Islamic ethic, charitable work starts at home and may not extend beyond it. Th e ethical precepts may be performed out of a sense of strict or grim obligation, carried out for the sake of one’s own salvation (earning more blessings), and done for the sake of earning enough credits to enter Paradise. Such ethical discourse gravitates toward the limited, parochial, and self-centered. Such a view would be considered incomplete by many Muslim scholars, Gülen certainly among them. He would argue that the sphere of Islam is the entire world, its message of mercy is for all humanity, and thus one’s concern must be for all human beings.

Some versions of Islam may carry out humanitarian and educational missions for political gains and to expand one’s group or party’s influence. Hizmet is decidedly apolitical and insists on and persists in being a civic movement without borders.

The second question is: Can other religious systems or nonreligious networks learn from the Hizmet movement? Again, the answer would be “yes.” In particular, they can learn from the comprehensive and global vision of Hizmet’s projects. Th e ethic of selfl ess service, the name and the spirit of the movement, is inspiring. Service shows the ideals of a movement, and even a cursory review of Hizmet reveals an organization that is always in action. Th e members are expected to be thoughtfully engaged and involved in the various outlets, branches, networks, initiatives, and programs of the movement throughout the world. Others can learn from the brotherhood and sisterhood that bind the members of the movement to each other and to others in their communities. Th e generosity, truthfulness, genuineness, and sincere goodwill that members of Hizmet share with their fellow citizens of the world are endemic. Th us, others can learn from Hizmet’s program of ways of shaping human character and giving it purpose and meaning. Moreover, others can join hands with Hizmet and collaborate with it in the gigantic task of solving the world’s problems. Hizmet’s Kimse Yok Mu has sounded the call for collaboration as follows: “We build bridges made of mercy for the world. Is there anybody who says, ‘Here I am!?’ ”