Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gülen – Life, Activism, and Famous Quotes

Discover the remarkable life of Fethullah Gülen — Turkish Islamic scholar, preacher, activist, and founder of the Hizmet movement. Explore his early years, teachings, controversies, and enduring impact.

Introduction

Muhammed Fethullah Gülen (April 27, 1941 – October 20, 2024) was a Turkish Muslim scholar, preacher, writer, and activist whose influence extended far beyond Turkey. Best known as the intellectual architect behind the Gülen movement (also called Hizmet, meaning “service”), he championed the synthesis of faith, education, and interfaith dialogue, while advocating a model of civil society rooted in moral values and service. He spent the latter years of his life in self-exile in the United States, becoming a deeply polarizing figure: revered by many followers worldwide and accused by the Turkish government of orchestrating political subversion.

His life and legacy sit at the crossroads of religion, politics, education, and global civil society — making him among the most contested and studied figures in modern Islamic discourse.

Early Life and Family

Fethullah Gülen was born in Korucuk, a village near Erzurum, in eastern Turkey, on April 27, 1941 (though some earlier sources list 1938, yet the 1941 date is the widely accepted one). Ramiz Gülen, served as an imam, and his mother, Refia Gülen, taught the Qur’an informally in the village (despite official restrictions).

His early years involved modest formal schooling; much of his religious education was informal, through local Qur’anic teaching and study in madrasas.

During his teenage years, he became involved with a religious movement known as the Nurcu (followers of Said Nursî), which combined devotion to Islamic teachings with an openness to science, modernity, and social engagement.

Thus, his upbringing fused traditional religious formation with an openness to modern thought — a duality that would shape his later ideas.

Youth, Education & Intellectual Formation

Although his formal secular education was limited, Gülen was an avid self-learner. During his military service, he engaged deeply with literature, philosophy, science, and theology — reading works by Hugo, Kant, Einstein, Shakespeare, Camus, and many others.

By the late 1950s, Gülen had become a licensed preacher (an imam) under Turkey’s state religious affairs structure. In 1959, he was appointed assistant imam at the Üç Şerefeli Mosque in Edirne.

Through sermons, “sohbet” (spiritual discussion) meetings, and writing, he gradually drew followers and established a network of educational and social institutions.

Career, Activism & the Hümet/Gülen Movement

The Rise of Hizmet (Service)

Gülen’s vision centered on hizmet — altruistic service to humanity — as a way to manifest faith in action. His followers established “light houses” (ışık evler) beginning in the 1970s: small student hostels that offered support, tutoring, and religious discussions.

Over time, the movement expanded into education (schools, tutoring centers), dialogue centers promoting interfaith conversation, media, charitable foundations, and business networks — spanning dozens of countries.

Gülen championed that Muslims should fully engage in secular professional life (in science, education, commerce, arts) while maintaining strong moral and spiritual values. He rejected a theocratic model, advocating instead for civil society engagement and ethical contribution within secular frameworks.

Political Alliances and Turmoil

During the early 2000s, followers of the movement aligned in certain respects with the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) in Turkey. They provided administrative support and influence in civil service, judiciary, and police sectors, which strengthened the movement’s reach.

Over time, however, the alliance deteriorated. By around 2011, tensions had risen over corruption investigations, power dynamics, and independence of institutions.

In 2016, a failed coup attempt occurred in Turkey, after which the Turkish government accused Gülen and his movement of orchestrating it. Gülen denied involvement. The Turkish government purged tens of thousands of alleged Gulenists from state institutions, closed institutions linked to the movement, and designated it a terrorist organization.

Turkey repeatedly sought his extradition from the United States, where he was living in self-exile since 1999 for medical reasons.

Exile and Later Life

Gülen moved to the U.S. in March 1999, purportedly for medical treatment, and remained there. Chestnut Retreat Center in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, a 25-acre wooded estate associated with his movement.

His personal living quarters were modest: a room with a simple mattress, prayer mat, desk, and bookshelves. He maintained correspondence, published writings and sermons, and continued to guide the movement.

In the years after 2016, Turkish courts issued arrest warrants in absentia, and the conflict between Gülen and Erdogan’s government became central to Turkish politics and diplomacy.

Gülen died on October 20, 2024 in Pennsylvania at the age of 83, during treatment for heart and kidney failure.

Historical Milestones & Context

• Gülen’s teachings represent a variant of modern Islamic reformism, combining Sufism, emphasis on science and education, and engagement with modernity.

• He proposed a “third way” for Muslim societies — neither secular totalitarianism nor rigid Islamism; rather a civil society of service, interfaith dialogue, and moral influence.

• His movement’s school network and cultural institutions represent one of the largest transnational Islamic civil society efforts, extending to Central Asia, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

• The 2016 coup attempt and subsequent crackdown marked a turning point: many see it as a pivot from civil society conflict to open political confrontation between Erdoğan’s regime and the Gülen movement.

• His death came in a context of ongoing disputes over his legacy, allegations, and the future of the movement he founded.

Legacy and Influence

Fethullah Gülen’s legacy is complex and contested, yet several dimensions stand out:

1. Educational and social infrastructure: His followers built hundreds of schools and educational institutions globally, emphasizing secular subjects, ethics, languages, and interfaith values.

2. Interfaith dialogue and pluralism: Gülen advocated conversation across religious and cultural lines, believing that understanding and cooperation are vital for peace.

3. Alternative civic Islam model: His approach influenced many Muslim thinkers who seek to integrate faith with modern societal participation without abandoning authenticity.

4. Political and legal conflict: His posthumous image remains deeply polarized, particularly in Turkey. For many, he is a dissident voice against authoritarianism. For others, he is seen as a conspiratorial figure behind political intrigue.

5. Intellectual and spiritual influence: His writings, sermons, and theological ideas continue to be read and debated, influencing Islamic thought in the 21st century.

Whether one views him favorably or critically, his footprint in the intersection of Islam, civil society, and politics is enduring.

Personality, Beliefs & Core Principles

Gülen was often characterized as modest, austere, reclusive, and deeply intellectual. He shunned ostentation and lived simply even amid influence.

Some of his core convictions included:

• Service (hizmet): He believed faith should manifest through altruism, education, charity, and community building.

• Dialogue over confrontation: He favored respectful engagement across religious, social, and ideological boundaries.

• Science and education as worship: He wrote that studying the natural world is akin to worshipping God.

• Moderation and nuance: He resisted extremes — neither rejecting modernity nor embracing secularism; neither endorsing political Islamism nor rigid literalism.

• Moral transformation: He believed change begins at personal character and moral integrity, which then ripple into society.

These principles underpinned much of the movement’s work and discourse.

Famous Quotes of Fethullah Gülen

Here are selected quotes that reflect his worldview, spirituality, and social thought (translated from Turkish):

“Criticizing and objecting to everything means an attempt at destruction. If you do not like something, try to make something better than it. Being destructive causes ruins, while being constructive brings about prosperity.” “Goodness, beauty, truthfulness, honesty, and being virtuous are the essence of the world. Whatever happens, the world will one day find this essence, for no one can prevent such an event.” “A person is truly a human if he becomes useful to the world.” “Throughout my life, I have publicly and privately denounced military interventions in domestic politics. In fact, I have been advocating for democracy for decades.” “Terrorism is one of the cardinal sins that the Koran threatens with hellfire.” “Only a few people seem to realize that social harmony and peace with nature, between people, and within the individual only can come about when the material and spiritual realms are reconciled.”

These quotes show his emphasis on construction (not destruction), moral cultivation, democracy, and reconciliation between spiritual and material life.

Lessons from Fethullah Gülen

From his life and work, several lessons emerge:

• Change through service: Lasting influence often comes not through force, but through consistent, humble service in education, dialogue, and social institutions.

• Bridge divides through dialogue: Communication across differences can transform distrust into cooperation.

• Integrate faith with modern life: Spirituality need not be at odds with science, education, or modernity — they can be mutually enriching.

• Value character over power: Gülen’s model prioritized moral influence rather than overt political domination.

• Stay principled amid controversy: Even amid accusations, he maintained his defense, his writings, and his connections with followers.

• Legacy is contested: Great figures often leave legacies that are interpreted divergently — one must study critically, with nuance.

Conclusion

Fethullah Gülen’s life was one of paradox and influence — an imam turned global movement leader, a spiritual teacher facing political exile, a recluse wielding immense soft power. He defied easy categorization: neither Islamist nor secularist, but a proponent of a faith rooted in service, dialogue, and moral engagement.

Whether one views him as visionary or controversial, his imprint on Islamic civil society, global education, and debates about religion in modernity remains significant. His death in 2024 marks the end of an era — yet the questions he posed, the institutions he founded, and the debates he fueled are very much alive.

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