Last Updated on Thursday, 27 September 2007 10:24 by Rev. Dr. Yap Kim Hao, The Straits Times Thursday, 27 September 2007 09:05
IN GOD'S PRESENCE: Pastor Yap praying at the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul. His visit to Turkey has left him touched by the deep spirituality of a religious people who live in a secular society. -- PHOTO: TURKISH CULTURAL CENTRE |
Earlier this month I had a wonderful opportunity as a Christian pastor to understand the spiritual life of the Muslim family and community. At the same time, I was able to take part in an exchange that promoted inter-faith relations.
I was in Istanbul at the invitation of the director of the Turkish Cultural Centre (TCC) in Singapore. The aim was to participate in a documentary series on Ramadan - the Muslim fasting month - observance being filmed by Samanyolu, Turkey's leading television station.
Samanyolu had invited foreign visitors to Istanbul to stay in Muslim homes and join in the Ramadan activities of a typical family.
Since I was familiar with the country, having studied the education system inspired by the renowned Islamic scholar and religious teacher Fethullah Gulen in Istanbul last year, the TCC director, Mr Necmettin Eckisi, invited me to join the programme.
A TV crew was assigned to record my day of fasting with my host family. The edited programme would be telecast at home and abroad to associated stations in the United States, Europe and Australia.
I arrived at the home of my hosts on a Friday evening and was introduced to the family members and the film crew. My gracious hosts were Mr and Mrs Mustafa, their 15-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son. Mr Mustafa is a successful housing developer who lives in a new upmarket housing development. His wife and daughter wear the tudung (headscarf).
Since I am 78 years old, and this was going to be my first experience of fasting during Ramadan, I was given the choice of participating either in the full fast or in only a limited way. I decided on the former.
My hosts kindly suggested that I go to bed earlier that night because I would be woken up at 3.30am for the pre-dawn meal.
Early the next morning the TV crew arrived to prepare to film the morning meal, which was to last me throughout the day.
After eating, the family said their morning prayers and suggested that I rest so I would be ready for the day's activities. We began the day buying groceries at the market to prepare for the Iftar dinner that would mark the breaking of fast. The bazaars were crowded with shoppers.
At noon we went to the Eyup Sultan mosque to pray. This is a 15th-century mosque built in honour of Eyup Sultan, who has the distinction of being a Companion of Prophet Muhammed. Eyup Sultan gave shelter to the Prophet for six months in Medina. When his grave was discovered later, he was entombed and the historic mosque built next to his mausoleum.
I found the mosque to be a magnificent building filled with worshippers who overflowed into the courtyard. I was told that every day during Ramadan there would be crowds in the mosques performing their salat in response to the muezzin call to prayer from the minarets. Their religiosity was awe-inspiring.
We then visited Fatih Sultan Jami, another majestic mosque. Fatih Sultan Mehmed is the conqueror who captured Istanbul from the Byzantine empire. This fascinating mosque was originally built in the mid-15th century on the very site of the former Church of the Holy Apostles. The present structure dates back to 1767.
The tranquillity and solemnity of the sanctuary brought me to my knees in prayer to God. I felt I was truly on holy ground and in God's presence. For in my reading of the Quran, it is said that God is one and the same God as that of the people of the Torah and the Bible. We are all children of Abraham and believe in the same God.
When we visited the mausoleum of Fatih Sultan we saw women praying and reading the Quran, sitting along the walls and facing the tomb of the sultan. When we walked outside, we saw a man praying while looking through the window and we joined him in his devotion. The prayer of the faithful was certainly an inspiration to all of us.
In the evening, we gathered around the family table for the Iftar dinner. The family members and the TV crew joined in the sumptuous meal. The prayer of thanksgiving was offered by the young son.
I was told that in the city, tents had been set up in different areas and near the mosques where private groups served dinner to the poor and needy. Everyone was welcome. This expression of care and compassion for those in need is evident throughout the month of Ramadan.
At home, when dinner was over, it was time for prayer. The family faced East, and laid their prayer mats in the living room. Prayer was very much an important part of family life.
After dinner, we recalled the day's events and recorded our observations. What impressed me was the spirituality of the people. In the fasting period, they turned away from worldly things and focused on the spiritual. It was a time of reflection and self-examination. They were seeking forgiveness from Allah.
Throughout the day, my hosts were concerned about my personal welfare - particularly whether I could go on with the fast.
As the day ended, I expressed my appreciation to the family for their warm hospitality and to the TV crew who accompanied me. I also gave my hosts a Chinese brush painting with a bamboo motif painted by my wife.
In return, Mrs Mustafa gave me a painting which was hanging in the room where I had slept. It showed the Maiden Tower on an island in the Bosphorus Strait. The tower symbolises love and devotion.
I stayed on in Istanbul with other Muslim families for a week, learning that although Turkey is a secular state, this does not mean that the people dismiss the role of religion. The elected officials are often members of their religious communities and committed to their faith.
Many are inspired by the teachings of the religious leader Gulen, who now lives in the United States due to ill health. Gulen is a follower of the distinguished Turkish thinker and scholar Said Nursi, who died in 1960. The focus of his teachings is on education, moral training and character formation.
Related to this is the promotion of inter-cultural understanding and interfaith relations. Diversity is also acknowledged.
The schools motivated by Gulen's teachings are known in Turkey as hizmet schools. The movement, which emphasises service, has established schools in various countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Its influence has led to the establishment of several media agencies in Turkey, including Samanyolu. These organisations also hold inter-cultural and inter-faith dialogues that have all proven to be successful.
There are many lessons to be learnt from this enlightened and progressive Islamic movement in Turkey, which forms a symbolic bridge between Asia and Europe.
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