Research Article

Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-i Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development

Volume: 10 Number: 1 June 18, 2026
TR EN

Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-i Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development

Abstract

This article examines the environmental philosophy articulated in Bediuzzaman Said Nursi’s Risale-i Nur and presents it as a coherent “Tauhidic Green Blueprint” for holistic and sustainable development. Moving beyond the dominant anthropocentric and ecocentric paradigms of Western environmental thought, the study argues that Nursi advances a framework that can be characterized as theocentric framework in which value, meaning, and ethical responsibility are grounded in divine reality rather than in human utility or the autonomy of nature alone. Within this perspective, the natural world is not a neutral resource but a meaningful domain whose value arises from its function as a manifestation of the Divine Names, a cosmic text, and a locus of continuous divine activity. The article demonstrates that this ontological foundation gives rise to a distinctive environmental ethic centered on positive action, whereby the human being is understood as a conscious vicegerent entrusted with active and participatory stewardship of the earth. This responsibility entails cultivating the world, preserving cosmic balance, preventing corruption and excess, and aligning human conduct with divinely established laws governing the order and purity of creation, including the Law of Cleanliness. Environmental responsibility thus appears not as a merely instrumental or regulatory concern, but as an expression of worship, moral accountability, and fidelity to a divinely conferred trust. By engaging contemporary sustainability discourse, this study attempts to demonstrate that Nursi’s tauhidic vision can be interpreted as providing a potential metaphysical and ethical grounding for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This is an interpretive claim based on conceptual reconstruction, not a descriptive statement of Nursi’s own explicit intentions. Rather than treating these goals as a purely technical or policy-oriented agenda, the article interprets them as a modern operational form of humanity’s great cosmic trust. In this way, the Risale-i Nur provides an integrated framework that addresses both the material and moral dimensions of the ecological crisis, suggesting a pathway toward holistic genuinely holistic and sustainable development.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia Ankara, Türkiye

Ethical Statement

This study does not require ethics committee approval, as the data used were obtained through a literature review and published sources. It is hereby declared that scientific and ethical principles were observed during the preparation of the study, and all referenced works are duly cited in the bibliography. No artificial intelligence–based tools, software, or applications were used at any stage of the preparation, writing, or evaluation of this study. All content was produced solely by the author(s) in accordance with established scientific research methods, academic integrity standards, and publication ethics.

Thanks

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kahraman, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Okur, and to all members of the editorial team whose scholarly dedication continues to inspire researchers worldwide. This submission is also intended as a step toward further strengthening academic cooperation between Turkey and Indonesia.

References

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  2. Ahmad Fuʾād, Bāshā. Falsafat Al-ʿIlm al-Islāmiyyah Madkhalan Li Ruʾyah Kawnīyyah Haḍāriyyah. Kairo: Dār al-Salām li al-Ṭibāʿah wa al-Nashr, 2014.
  3. Al-Asfahānī. Al-Mufradāt Fī Gharīb al-Qur’ān. Beirut: Dār al-Qalam, 1992.
  4. Al-Attas, Syed Muhammad Naquib. Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam: An Exposition of the Fundamental Elements of the Worldview of Islam. Kuala Lumpur: Institut Antarabangsa Pemikiran dan Tamadun Islam, 1995.
  5. Allen, Stephen - Cunliffe, Ann L. - Easterby-Smith, Mark. ‘Understanding Sustainability Through the Lens of Ecocentric Radical-Reflexivity: Implications for Management Education’. Journal of Business Ethics 154/3 (1 February 2019): 781–795. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3420-3.
  6. ‘Anthropocentrism | Human-Centered Philosophy & Ethics | Britannica’. Accessed: 18 July 2023. https://www.britannica.com/topic/anthropocentrism.
  7. Arslan, Adnan. ‘Türk Akademisinde Said Nursi Başlıklı Makalelerin Betimsel Bibliyometrik Analizi’. Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi 8/1 (29 June 2024): 107–128.
  8. Bayraktaroğlu, Engin. ‘Intrinsic and Extrinsic Values of Destinations’. European Journal of Tourism Research. 1 January 2022. https://www.academia.edu/80098816/Intrinsic_and_extrinsic_values_of_destinations.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Sufism

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 18, 2026

Submission Date

August 22, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 28, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 10 Number: 1

APA
Isom Mudin, M., & Kuswanjono, A. (2026). Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-i Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development. Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi, 10(1), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.64270/kider.1770086
AMA
1.Isom Mudin M, Kuswanjono A. Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-i Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development. Kider. 2026;10(1):1-30. doi:10.64270/kider.1770086
Chicago
Isom Mudin, Moh, and Arqom Kuswanjono. 2026. “Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-I Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development”. Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi 10 (1): 1-30. https://doi.org/10.64270/kider.1770086.
EndNote
Isom Mudin M, Kuswanjono A (June 1, 2026) Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-i Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development. Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi 10 1 1–30.
IEEE
[1]M. Isom Mudin and A. Kuswanjono, “Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-i Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development”, Kider, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1–30, June 2026, doi: 10.64270/kider.1770086.
ISNAD
Isom Mudin, Moh - Kuswanjono, Arqom. “Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-I Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development”. Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi 10/1 (June 1, 2026): 1-30. https://doi.org/10.64270/kider.1770086.
JAMA
1.Isom Mudin M, Kuswanjono A. Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-i Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development. Kider. 2026;10:1–30.
MLA
Isom Mudin, Moh, and Arqom Kuswanjono. “Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-I Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development”. Kocaeli İlahiyat Dergisi, vol. 10, no. 1, June 2026, pp. 1-30, doi:10.64270/kider.1770086.
Vancouver
1.Moh Isom Mudin, Arqom Kuswanjono. Divine Environmental Values in the Risale-i Nur: A Tauhidic Blueprint for Holistic and Sustainable Development. Kider. 2026 Jun. 1;10(1):1-30. doi:10.64270/kider.1770086