"A society that does not know its faith, history, civilization and values cannot build a bright future"

President of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş attended the "Organization of Turkic States 'Teaching of Maturudi, and the Present Time' Scholars of Turkic States Forum" held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Reminding that scholars and men of heart such as Al-Biruni, Avicenna, Ali Qushji, Ulugh Beg, Imam Bukhari, Imam Al-Tirmidhi were raised in Uzbekistan in his speech here, President Erbaş said, "Therefore, talking about these lands is actually talking about knowledge, wisdom, affection and brotherhood. To speak of Imam al-Maturidi, who was raised by these lands, is to speak of a great civilization of knowledge and wisdom that has illuminated our path for centuries."

Stating that Islamic civilization is a civilization of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, President Erbaş said, "In times when Muslims built a life and society based on the Quran and Sunnah, the earth was in a better position for all people in terms of peace and security."

"Muslims who have moved away from their values have been the target of brutal attacks for centuries"

Pointing out that Muslims have serious deficiencies in knowing the Quran and Sunnah, the source works of Islam and Islamic civilization well, President Erbaş continued his words as follows:

"As a matter of fact, the distance that we, as Muslims, have put between ourselves and the messages and principles of our great religion Islam for the last few centuries is one of the main reasons for the negative picture we find ourselves in today. In this context, artificial problems that arise based on religious motives and regional and cultural differences have caused Muslim societies to drag each other into a meaningless fight for many years.

This situation has made the Islamic geography subject to the colonization and invasion policies of global imperialism. The Islamic world has experienced difficult and troubled times under wars and occupations. Muslims, who have drifted away from their civilizational roots and values, have been weakened and have been the target of brutal attacks and horrific massacres for centuries. In this context, we have to make a serious and deep-rooted accounting and self-criticism."

"We must never avoid confronting our negligence and mistakes"

Stating that it is necessary to read correctly why the Islamic geography, which was once the home of knowledge, wisdom and peace, is now subject to violence, wars, ruthlessness and ignorance, President Erbaş used the following expressions, "We must analyse the reasons why Islamic countries have turned into a field of power demonstration of global actors through proxy wars. We must never avoid confronting our negligence and mistakes. If we lose the right approach to understanding what is happening, we will lose the opportunity to produce permanent solutions to our problems."

Noting that the problems and negativities experienced should not lead to despair and pessimism, President Erbaş continued his words as follows:

"Alhamdulillah, we have the determination, the faith, and the accumulation of civilization to solve all our problems. For we are the members of the last and perfect religion sent by the Almighty Allah (swt). We have the truths of the Quran and Sunnah in all their clarity to solve the gigantic problems of humanity, especially in the Islamic geography. This is a great opportunity for all of us.

Our duty is primarily to embrace the guidance of revelation and the Sunnah once again. To return to our essence with knowledge, wisdom, contemplation, and consideration. To understand the sources of our religion and civilization in the most accurate way and to carry them to the present day with the most appropriate method. On the other hand, it is a very important issue to closely follow the political, economic, military, technological, social and cultural developments in the world and to evaluate their global effects in a healthy way and to provide all necessary contributions."

Pointing out that it is an important duty of scholars, intellectuals, scientists and religious organizations to produce knowledge that will be a solution to the problems of the age in the light of the Quran, Sunnah and civilization acquis and to present it to the benefit of humanity, President Erbaş said, "Because a society and generation that does not know its faith, history, civilization and values will not be able to build a healthy and bright future. Generations that are far from their faith and unaware of their values will remain weak and unprotected in the face of religious abuse and structures that produce violence and terror through religion."

President Erbaş stated that he considers this meeting, which was held to understand Imam al-Maturidi, as an extremely valuable activity.