The Role of Nursi’s Risale-i Nur in Psychological Wellbeing

ABSTRACT

@#Introduction: This study analyses the role of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi’s (1877-1960) collection of works called Risale-i Nur from the linguistic and psychological perspectives. Nursi is an influential Muslim scholar and thinker of the late Ottoman and Modern Turkey who has influenced his audience to implement positive actions. Nursi influences his audience through his persuasive discourse which is rich in metaphorical language that gives a positive impact on them. Methods: This metaphorical approach is known in Islamic social science methodology as “tamthil.” However, studies on Nursi’s thoughts and writings that arouse millions of people within and outside Turkey for psychological wellbeing are scarce. Therefore, this study aims to explain how Nursi persuades his audience in the positive direction that leads to psychological wellbeing through spiritual effects. This interdisciplinary study uses a qualitative research method based on an explanatory case study to analyse how Nursi’s audience emerged and developed rapidly through his Risale-i Nur. It is narrowed down to analyse Nursi’s metaphorical linguistic expressions from his conceptualisation of life based on Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor theory. Nursi’s expressions that induce positive emotions are analysed based on the method of Risale-i Nur from the Quran by inserting Seligman’s positive psychological wellbeing theory. Results: The findings reveal the role of Risale-i Nur in influencing audience spiritually for a psychological wellbeing. Conclusion: This study contributes to the importance of language and persuasion for positive changes and it is expected to benefit speakers, writers and researchers who are analysing similar discourse.