Studying physics, mathematics, and chemistry is worshipping God.

“Studying physics, mathematics, and chemistry is worshipping God.” — thus spoke Fethullah Gulen, the teacher of hearts and minds, the seeker who saw no wall between faith and reason. In these words lies a truth that bridges heaven and earth: that knowledge itself is sacred, and to study the laws of creation is to gaze upon the handwriting of the Creator. When one looks into the vastness of the cosmos, or measures the hidden patterns of matter and number, one is not straying from worship — one is entering into it. For to understand the order of the universe is to whisper the name of God written upon every atom and every star.

In the age of ancient sages, men sought God in the silence of temples and the burning of incense. But those who were wise — the prophets, the philosophers, the mystics — saw that the world itself is the scripture of God. Every law of motion, every rhythm of the planets, every spark of lightning and every drop of water are verses of a divine revelation. Physics is the study of how God moves creation. Mathematics is the language by which His order is expressed. Chemistry is the art by which His elements dance and combine to form life itself. The mind that studies these things with reverence is not performing a dry task — it is kneeling before the altar of truth.

In the days of Isaac Newton, the great scientist would spend hours in prayer after uncovering a new law. He did not see a conflict between his faith and his science; rather, he saw that his discoveries were windows into the infinite intelligence of God. When he beheld the movement of the planets and the pull of gravity, he did not boast of human intellect — he bowed his head, saying, “I am like a child playing on the shore, while the great ocean of truth lies all undiscovered before me.” In that humility, he worshipped — not through ritual, but through wonder. Newton’s equations were hymns, his calculations prayers, his devotion an offering made not with incense, but with understanding.

This is the spirit that Fethullah Gulen calls us to remember — the union of faith and knowledge, of heart and reason. For when the student opens a book on physics or mathematics with the awareness that these pages reflect divine law, that study becomes sacred labor. To examine the structure of the atom is to see the elegance of divine symmetry; to trace the geometry of a galaxy is to witness the majesty of the Creator’s design. In every formula that reveals order and in every experiment that uncovers harmony, the worshipper finds evidence that the universe itself is a mosque, and that every act of learning can be an act of prayer.

Think of Marie Curie, who spent long nights in her laboratory, burning her hands and her health in the pursuit of truth. Her devotion to knowledge was not for vanity or fame, but for the light that would one day heal and illuminate humankind. Though she may not have spoken in the language of theology, her tireless work was a form of reverence — a silent acknowledgment that truth is holy, and that to serve it is to serve something greater than oneself. She sought the laws of nature as a monk seeks the divine: through discipline, sacrifice, and unshakable faith in the unseen.

Children of wisdom, remember this teaching: to study is to worship, when done with sincerity and awe. Let no one tell you that the realms of science and spirit are enemies, for they are but two wings of the same bird. One wing lifts the mind, the other lifts the soul — and only together can they soar toward truth. The believer who studies the atom is as holy as the monk who chants in solitude, if both do so in reverence to the same divine source.

So, let your classroom become a sanctuary, your books a scripture, your curiosity a prayer. Approach every lesson not with boredom, but with sacred anticipation, as though you were unwrapping one of the Creator’s mysteries. When you solve a problem, do so with gratitude; when you fail, do so with humility, knowing that the divine truth is infinite and you are its eternal seeker. For every law you uncover, every mystery you comprehend, is another doorway into the heart of God, who hides not in the clouds above, but in the very logic of creation.

Thus, learn with devotion. Study with love. Think deeply and humbly, for the mind is also a temple, and its highest purpose is to praise through understanding. As Gulen taught, to gaze into the laws of physics, to ponder the patterns of mathematics, to explore the bonds of chemistry, is to trace the golden threads of divinity woven into existence itself. In this pursuit, you will discover that knowledge is worship, and that to seek truth with reverence is to walk forever in the light of God.