Contemporary Sufi Epistemology Reconsidered: An Examination of Badi'uzzaman Sa'id Nursi's Thought

Abstract

This study aims to explore the epistemological framework of Sufism as articulated by Sa'id Nursi within the contemporary era. Sufism has come to be regarded as harboring deviant doctrines and practices that stand in contradiction to Islamic law in the modern period. Certain Muslim and non-Muslim scholars have contended that Sufism does not originate from within the Islamic tradition. It is therefore imperative to address this misapprehension by illuminating the authentic epistemological foundations of Sufism through reference to the thought and conduct of a contemporary Sufi practitioner, Sa'id Nursi. This study employs a qualitative library research design. Both primary and secondary data were gathered through documentary techniques, and the collected data were subsequently subjected to content analysis. The findings of this study indicate that Nursi delineates four foundational pillars of Sufi epistemology. The first pillar holds that authentic Sufism is grounded in the Quran and the Sunnah, internalized and expressed through the soul and heart, as upheld by authoritative Sufi scholars. The second pillar asserts that the purification of Sufi teachings and practices must originate from the cleansing of the heart and soul. The third pillar pertains to social equality, understood as the enactment of life's values in recognition that all human beings stand equal before God. The fourth pillar calls for the consistent cultivation of four Quranic values, namely tauhid (the unity and oneness of God), nubuwah (prophecy), hashr (resurrection), and 'adl (justice).