Contemporary Renaissance

There is no doubt that we are stepping towards understanding humanitys power even though until now the steps we are taking are slow. Nonetheless, these steps are in the right direction. Ashrati says Gulen has turned our attention towards this power. He explained that it exists within us in the depth of our innermost beings. Without this power, man feels that his life is meaningless and so difficult that he wishes not to exist at all. This causes him to become ill and afraid of existence itself. Gulen turns our attention to that power and points to it, encouraging man to go after it in order to discover it and bring it forth to the visible realm to use it in building his individual strength and to strengthen his culture. This is very important because it is the core of what religion calls for and what Islam invites people to; for Islam is a religion and a civilisation which takes that inner power as the foundation upon which it establishes its intellectual edifices and its ethical and civilised principles.