An interview with Mr. Adnan Oktar by Al Jazeera TV (Istanbul

An interview with Mr. Adnan Oktar by Al Jazeera TV (Istanbul - August 6, 2007)

You can read the transcript of this video

Dear Viewers, welcome to our programme "Private Visit." This time our visit takes us to Turkey. We have a guest from there, a man who has written tens of books in order to raise the banner of Islam.

Who is this person whose books are distributed to the millions all over the world? Our guest is the Turkish intellectual Harun Yahya.

But who is Harun Yahya?

Harun Yahya's family migrated to Turkey from the Caucasus and settled there. In later years the author came to Istanbul with his family in order to pursue his university education. We have very little concrete information about the writer's later life.

The dozens of books written by the author, which totally undermine the theory of evolution and certain other intellectual theories, are distributed in millions all over the world and have elicited an enormous reactions. A similarly great reaction followed when the author, whose aim is to prove the fact of creation, was falsely accused of using drugs. The author says that the claims which led to his detention were invented by Masons and Zionists.

Harun Yahya says that he is descended from our Prophet (saws) and has been influenced by the works of various great Islamic scholars, and has been described as one of the men with a cause of our times. So, which scholars and which works influenced Adnan Oktar, who writes under the name of Harun Yahya?

Adnan Oktar: There is the Risale-I Nur collection by Said Nursi, which is well-known in Turkey and in some other Islamic countries. That was the first work to influence me. But I also like Imam-I Rabbani. I read his books. I read Imam Gazali. I read Ibni Abidin. I read works by Ibni Abidin. But more than those I read academic works. Omer Nasuhi Bilmen is entirely academic, and is well-known in Turkey. Those are the main works I read.

Al Jazeera: As such, the influence of al-Ghazali in your works is very clear. Because he started out from doubt and arrived at certainty. You have also gone about your work in this way.

Adnan Oktar: Yes, indeed.

Al Jazeera: When people see you in your fine clothes, they immediately realize that you are a very rich person. Is it your intention to present Islam in this way? Do you want to give people a rich impression of Islam?

Adnan Oktar: Naturally, in the Qur'an the story of Solomon's [Sulayman (as)] life is told, is praised. When the Queen of Sheba visited him in his palace, she converted [to Islam], she was impressed by the brilliance of his palace. This is a sign that Muslims use magnificence and splendor while conveying the message of Islam. Moreover, in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), there was a saintly figure known as Dihyah; he was a very handsome man and was even sent to Constantinople (Istanbul) as an envoy. He dressed in the utmost elegance and style. When the Prophet Muhammad was to meet foreign envoys he would also dress very finely and richly. This is something which is anchored in the spirit of Islam.

As an individual, I am involved in commerce. I have my own commercial interests. My circle, my friends are also very rich people. They are influential businessmen. They make a lot of money, mashaAllah, but they all spend what they earn for the sake of Allah. That is to say they do not aim to achieve personal fortune, but they spend what they earn, they use it for the sake of Allah. I do that too. I have no possessions registered in my name. I do not possess a house, a car, or comparable possessions registered in my name, either in Turkey or abroad. But I earn a lot of money, and I spend it just as I earn it for the benefit of Islam.

Al Jazeera: But it is also plain to see that you benefit from your own wealth as well. That is obvious from your clothes.

Adnan Oktar: But of course. In that sense, of course. If I did not use it myself then there would be no meaning to it, it is a powerful tool in the presentation of Islam, it is a vehicle and highly useful as such. A Muslim should be powerful in every regard. From the point of view of reason, culture, knowledge and material benefits, he has to be perfect and superior in every regard so that he can successfully present Islam as well. The Qur'an points to this. And we can also see this in the Messenger of Allah.

Al Jazeera: Sir, let us now turn to the books that you have written. There is a book of yours called The Evolution Deceit. You mention a lot of things in that book. You claim that racism, fascism and materialism as well as terror all stem from this theory, the theory of evolution.

Al Jazeera: Sir, would you mind expanding a bit on this. Could you maybe explain the link between terror and the theory of evolution?

Adnan Oktar: Darwin states that life consists of a struggle between the weak and the strong. In other words, the strong always conquer the weak, and consequently the strong survive. That is the belief and the way of thinking in Darwinism. When people applied this theory to social Darwinism, it meant that the side which is powerful in a military sense, in a political sense, in a technical sense, will always prevail over the side which is weak, and will obliterate them and rule over them. These ideas can be found at the root of Hitler's thinking, of Mussolini's thinking. Marxism also has the idea of thesis/anti-thesis at its heart. In other words, a certain thesis is put forward, an anti-thesis emerges in reaction to this thesis and a struggle between the two ensues. There is constant conflict, a constant struggle, this therefore leads to bloodshed. It is an idea of life as a constant struggle. As a result, fascism and communism have a mutual base and both sprang from Darwinism.

Al Jazeera: Now, in our own day there are quite a few voices, in the West as well as in certain Islamic countries, that say that terror has its roots in Islam. Has terror developed in that way? And is there a connection between the two in your opinion?

Adnan Oktar: The structure of Islam is built upon [the principles of] love, clemency, mercy, friendship, protection, [and] succoring of the weak. As a result, Islam is completely closed to terror. Those who utter this offensive calumny [against Islam] are pursuing a nonsensical claim, and noone actually believes them.

Al Jazeera: Do you, for example, defend Bin Laden?

Adnan Oktar: I do not defend Bin Laden, of course. I do not accept his position as he has launched his movement as an act of terror. Cultural supremacy, intellectual supremacy, will soon lead the world to accept Islam. In other words, there is no reason to attempt to do this with the help of weapons. You can easily achieve this goal by intellectual means. Look, that is the struggle we are engaged in, the struggle to defeat the philosophy which has sprung up in connection with Darwinism, and it will subsequently lead to the further advance of Islam. That is something that can be achieved by means of an intellectual struggle. This can, for example, clearly be seen in the case of Turkey. In Turkey today, the number of those who do not believe in Darwinism has risen to 90%. In other words, these are not the kind of results you can achieve through armed struggle. It is something to be achieved by means of an intellectual campaign. For example, in Turkey there is the terrorism associated with the PKK. But the solution to that cannot be achieved by means of force. One also needs to engage in an intellectual struggle [against the ideas propagated by the PKK]. Results can be achieved very easily by means of an intellectual campaign. If the world were engaged in an intellectual struggle, Islam would become dominant all over the world in a period of 5 to 10 years. It is completely incomprehensible, completely pointless to approach civilized people, people who are open to [new] ideas, with arms, when there is the possibility of approaching them with culture and knowledge.

Adnan Oktar: In the past, the left was always dominant in Turkey. After we have given a strong struggle against Darwinism, the right has now started to enjoy a position of total dominance in Turkey. This clearly is a success.. As a success this is the first step. After we initiated our activities people started to draw apart en masse from the PKK. That was after we initiated our activities which stressed the true face of the PKK, its Marxist, materialist face, after we have explained the invalidity of Darwinism, the PKK suffered a severe loss of political strength. This has been very apparent lately. You can clearly see this if you take a look at the general picture of Turkey.

Al Jazeera: I understand that you support Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Adnan Oktar: I do not just support Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, I support the whole of the right [in the political arena]. I support Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, I also support the MHP [Party of National Unity], I also support the Saadet Partisi [Felicity Party]. I support all the right-wing parties in Turkey. In other words, I support any party that defends belief in Allah.

Al Jazeera: Sir, I would like to ask you a question so that our viewers can understand you better. How do you practice your faith? Do you, for example, perform the 5 daily ritual prayers? Do you fast? Have you performed the pilgrimage to Mecca? How do you practice Islam?

Adnan Oktar: I follow the itiqad of Ahl al Sunnah, the Hanafi School. I perform my 5 daily ritual prayers. My friends do too, my friends in my circle perform their prayers. I fast, as do my friends. I perform all the requirements of the Ahl al-Sunnah, everything which is fardh [an obligatory religious duty]. I cannot discharge all the Sunnah duties. But I perform all those acts of worship which are fardh [obligatory].

Al Jazeera: What are the duties in the Sunnah that you cannot practice? Which are not fardh?

Adnan Oktar: As you can see [from looking at me], quite a few things pertaining to the Sunnah are lacking.

Al Jazeera: Do you do that on purpose?

Adnan Oktar: Of course.

Al Jazeera: Why?

Adnan Oktar: To display an attitude which is compatible with the people around is the most reasonable way to give a religious message. This is the most rational method of being able to establish contact with the people around me.

Al Jazeera: Sir, I have tried to read your books. I obtained a lot of information from them, particularly in connection with the second coming of the Prophet Isa (as). You mention that with his second coming the Prophet Isa (as) will spread Islam throughout the world. Do you see the second coming of the Prophet Isa (as) as a certainty? Do you think that it is really going to happen?

Al Jazeera: So, at his second coming, will he practice Islam? How will that take place?

Adnan Oktar: The second coming of the Prophet Isa (as) is an evident certainty, which has been related by the most reliable [sahih] sayings of the Prophet (saas) [hadith], sayings that cannot be denied, as well as in numerous Qur'anic verses. Allah says that "He is the sign of the Hour". In another verse, Allah states "There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Rising he will be a witness against them." For this reason, his second coming is irrefutable. The second coming of the Prophet Isa (as) is a certainty. The appearance of the Mahdi [the guide who will appear in the company of Prophet Isa (as) at the End Times] is also certain. Nearly all of the portents of the End Times have taken place. We are now awaiting the appearance of the Mahdi. We are also awaiting the descent of the Prophet Isa (as). The portents of this, hundreds of portents, have taken place. This cannot be denied. If they had not happened, there might be room for doubt, but they have all come about, they have all come about in such a way as to leave no room for doubt.

Al Jazeera: Sir, we will return to the coming of the Mahdi, but first I would like to deal with the Messiah. Let's talk about the Prophet Isa (as). Will the Prophet Isa be a Christian again when he returns? Or will he be a Muslim? Will he practice Islam or Christianity?

Adnan Oktar: In various hadith, we are told that he is a hafidh [someone who knows the Qur'an by heart]. The Prophet Isa (as) will know the Qur'an by heart. He will of course be a Muslim. He will come [to the world] as a Muslim. It is said that he will kill the cross and the pig upon his return. In other words, he will break the cross, he will obliterate the erroneous [belief] system which Christians have been following, he will act in accordance with the rules of that which is lawful [halal] and that which is unlawful [haram] and he will perform the prayer [namaz] behind the Mahdi. In his time, Islam will become the dominant force in the world.

Al Jazeera: Where did you read that he would break the cross?

Adnan Oktar: There are a number of collections of hadith which are very sound [sahih]. This is very clear. In the collections of Abu Muslim. And also in all the other collections of hadith.

In general, the Turkish intellectual Harun Yahya cites the main Islamic reference texts as evidence, without going into great detail. He has distributed millions of books, cassettes and CDs, free of charge, in order to call people to Islam. Critics of Harun Yahya, who has inspired enormous reactions, claim he lacks sufficient knowledge and cannot possibly understand the Holy Qur'an, the hadith and Arabic. So what does he have to say on the subject?

I asked if he could read Arabic:

Adnan Oktar: No, I do not know Arabic. But I can pick out certain words, of course.

Al Jazeera: Sir, there are those who criticize you for not knowing Arabic. They question the validity of your analyses of Islam given your lack of Arabic. What would you say to them?

Adnan Oktar: There are at least ten people amongst my friend, who speak perfect Arabic, who know Arabic very well. Moreover, here in Turkey we are able to benefit from various professors who know Arabic. In addition to this, I have friends who are native Arabs, that is to say as nationality, they are native speakers of Arabic. I am able to make use of their services. In other words, you don't need to be an Arab to understand the Qur'an. One can obtain [good] results by making use of the services of people who know Arabic; in fact, one can achieve even better results.

Al Jazeera: Better than Arabs?

Adnan Oktar: Someone who just happens to be an Arab may not be conversant with all the intricacies of [Arabic] linguistics, may not be totally at ease with all the intricacies of Arabic. In the sense, a person who is a specialist [in Arabic and Arab linguistics] will have a better knowledge.

Al Jazeera: Sir, are you a hafidh? [Do you know the Qur'an by heart?]

Adnan Oktar: No, I am not.

Al Jazeera: Have you maybe memorized a number of Surahs [chapters of the Qur'an]?

Adnan Oktar: Of course.

Al Jazeera: Sir, which Surah could you recite for us?

Adnan Oktar: I know quite a few Surahs. Would you like me to recite the Surah Al-Ikhlas? "Say: ‘He is Allah, Absolute Oneness,
Allah, the Everlasting Sustainer of all.
He has not given birth and was not born.
And no one is comparable to Him."

Al Jazeera: So you do know Arabic.

Adnan Oktar: Yes.

Al Jazeera: Sir, there are three basic issues which permeate all of your books: that which is beyond time, that which is beyond space and that which is beyond matter. You cite one particular example in your books. If somebody is flying in a plane and he looks down at a city, the space between him and that city is an illusory distance. Even if somebody were to look at a book he is holding this would also constitute an illusory distance. Would you mind explaining this in some more detail?

Adnan Oktar: This is a fact that all the students are reading in their biology text books, in medicine text books. Every one is for this fact. And I repeat the same, there is nothing different. Now you are looking at me, the light rays are coming from me to your eyes, the image formed in your eyes is turned upside down and reaches the iris, there it is turned into electricity and goes to the brain. And in your brain you see me. I am right here but you are in contact with my image. You do not see me directly. That is what I am describing.

Al Jazeera: I am looking at you; you have put on your glasses and really do look like a famous celebrity.

Adnan Oktar: Thank you. The lights have overstrained my eyes. I had to wear it on as I tried to stand as much as I can take.. but I had to rest my eyes.

Al Jazeera: The light that we perceive could also be illusory.

Adnan Oktar: Of course, that is the way it is. That light enters my eyes. It is turned upside down in my eyes. The image is then forwarded to the iris, from the iris it goes to my brain. The image is processed in the visual center and I perceive it, in other words, I see it, in the middle of my brain. This is a fact, and no-one can claim otherwise.

Al Jazeera: The reason I asked is that you say that there is nothing beyond Allah, and that only He exists, that existence only obtains solely by virtue of Him, and that everything else consists of illusions.

Adnan Oktar: Matter exists in the outside world, but we can only interact with its image.

Adnan Oktar: Nobody denies this, and I am merely stating what everyone else says. As a matter of fact, you are also maintaining this point, but maybe because it is expressed in a roundabout way, people become confused. For example, this glass exists in the outside world, but I do not interact with it, I only perceive the image that enters my brain. For example, you exist, but I can not see you directly, I can only see your image in my brain. Nobody can suggest otherwise. If you know anybody who does, please bring him here.
Harun Yahya is very different in his looks from the men of faith we are used to see. When we called to arrange this interview, for security reasons,he agreed to have this interview not in his house but, in another place overlooking the Bosphorus. Since he is still a target for Freemasons and Sionists, he rarely agrees to give interviews of this kind.

Al Jazeera: When I asked why these two groups should take him as a target he replied:

Adnan Oktar: Freemasonry is a Darwinist idea, it is an atheist movement in its principles. In the same way I am opposed to Marxism and Fascism, I am also against Freemasonry.

Al Jazeera: Sir, would you mind giving some more examples of the links between Freemasonry and Darwin?

Adnan Oktar: They say as much themselves, in their own books. They praise Darwin. They say that they are Darwinists. They claim that it is necessary to spread this theory across the world. They equally claim that there is no belief in Allah. In other words, they say that men have created Allah. These are obvious in their own books.
Al Jazeera: Sir, that is a very general answer, could you give a more detailed response?

Adnan Oktar: The Freemasons have a periodical called Mimar Sinan, they also have a periodical called Şakül. They write about these things in them. I have [copies of] these publications.

Al Jazeera: Have you acquired this information solely from these periodicals, or have you also read some of their books?

Adnan Oktar: These are their official periodicals, their own books also bluntly contain such statements. But the periodicals are their official periodicals.

Al Jazeera: And what about Zionism?

Adnan Oktar: Zionism is the same, of course. If there is an ideology that aims to rule the world, that rejects other religions, that claims the dominion of a single religion and rejects other people and tries to impose its ideology on them, I will of course fight it. But if somebody does not espouse such ideas, then there is nothing I can say. The Jews are a People of the Book. If they want to practice their own religion, if they want to live in their own country, they should stay and live freely in their own country. I respect that, but, if they say "This is not enough for me. I am going to rule the whole world and will destroy all other religions, so that only I survive", that I cannot accept.

Al Jazeera: Sir, we all know that you have been arrested. You were accused of using drugs. And there is more. You were also accused of having raped little girls. Do you have proof that could disprove these accusations?

Adnan Oktar: I have already been acquitted of all these allegations. But these claims continue nonetheless. For example, I was arrested as part of a cocaine conspiracy. At the police station, they offered me a kebap. I accepted the meal. Cocaine had been mixed into the food, and then entered my body. That is how they were able to come up with such a claim. Later, the judge became suspicious of the situation. Normally, he should have placed me under arrest, but instead he set me free. He then investigated the matter. After the investigation of the whole affair, it was established by forensic medicine that the drugs had been mixed into my food when I was under arrest. And I was acquitted of that charge.

Harun Yahya, the author of tens of science and faith-related books, has been described as a thinker engaged in an intellectual struggle against materialist and atheist philosophies. He spent 9 months in a mental hospital as a result of false accusations. But once the Turkish public began learning the truth about the events concerning him, his books enjoyed an unbelievable popularity. People in Turkey, a laicist country and one also known for its Islamic history, actively began buying these books. It was also proved that the imputations made against him were completely unfounded.

Adnan Oktar: … Freemasonry is a global organization. Their real power [base] is in England and France. But they also have large organization in the United States. They have branches in Russia, everywhere in the world. In India too. They have taken hold of the key positions in the government. They even can exert power over the courts. Sometimes they lay hands on the security forces. They can assume control over of every kind of sector in the state. They can worm their way inside. If they want to organize any kind of action, they use their members to set up these things.

Al Jazeera: But, Sir, how did you find this out? Did the Masons set you up? Did the Masons in Turkey set you up?

Adnan Oktar: The Freemasons sent me a message. "If you don't publish your book on Freemasonry, if you do not reprint it, we will get you out of the mental institution, we will put an end to the pressure on you and support you". These words were communicated to my lawyer through a high-ranking member of the Lodge. Freemasons make up the bosses, the managers of the papers that attack me in Turkey. Even their columnists are Freemasons. If you investigate the people who publish writings directed against me, then you see that they are all Freemasons. And when we ask "Who is the Muslim writer most targeted by the press?" The answer is "me".

Adnan Oktar: For example, being sent to a mental institution as a result of the pressure exerted by the Freemasons was not the only thing that happened to me. I have been arrested on numerous occasions. I have been picked up [by the police] so many times that I have actually forgotten how many. On numerous occasions I have had legal proceedings filed against me. I have been acquitted of nearly all the proceedings filed against me so far. Charges regarding a criminal organization have also been made against me, and I have also been acquitted of that charge. Nevertheless, these slanders continue, one incredibly after the other. This is being done against everyone who is fighting in the name of Allah. If I had not been fighting in the name of Allah such pressure would not have been exerted. Everyone who fights in the name of Allah, even our Prophet (saas), has been subjected to similar pressures. Our Prophet (saas) was called crazy. I have been called crazy. Every kind of unjust slander and allegation was made against our Prophet (saas). Such things [unjust slander and allegations] have also been directed against me. The Companions of the Prophet who were following in Allah's way, even religious scholars, were slandered in this way. I have also been slandered in this way. This is very normal. In other words, it shows that we are moving in the right direction.

Al Jazeera: Is the Turkish state by any chance Masonic?

Adnan Oktar: They infiltrate [the structures of] the state. They infiltrate the institutions of the state. But of course, the Turkish state is not Masonic. But they are trying to do this by infiltrating the institutions of the state. The Masons write as much in their own publications and in their writings directed against me; they do not hide [their intentions]. They openly state in their own periodicals that they are against me, that they are fighting me.

During my time with Harun Yahya, who spreads the Islamic belief in Turkey and worldwide, I looked at the tens of books he has written about the moral values of the Qur'an, about the miracles observed in human beings, plants and all other living things and about the refutation of the theory of evolution and asked myself the following question:

Is Harun Yahya a man ahead of his time, or else a normal individual who uses the profits from business to write books in order to gain personal notoriety?

Adnan Oktar: Let me tell you about my method of writing. I have a very broad team, a staff of collaborators. Many of them are very well-versed in foreign languages. They research all the available information, either from books or from the Internet. They present their findings to me in the form of reports, as texts containing information. I evaluate these and pick the illustrations I am actively involved in getting these books ready, right down to the design of the front-cover. I then send them to the editor, and they are later printed in book form.

Al Jazeera: But only your name appears on the covers of these books. Is this deliberate, as your name is so well-known?

Adnan Oktar: As it is me who prepares these books, it should be my name on the cover. Because I interpret and prepare the books, as it is me who collects the raw material and turns it into a book, it should definitely be my name that appears on the cover. This is a very normal procedure. But as for my technical team, if is it really necessary to credit my supplementary technical team by name? I could do that, but it is really not such an important matter.

Al Jazeera: Sir, how many books have you written to date?

Adnan Oktar: 250.

Al Jazeera: Sir, you have written 250 books. Let's look at it this way, say you write a book a month. And even that would be very difficult because your books contain a lot of important information. I believe you, but how can we convince the public that you have personally written 250 books?

Adnan Oktar: If one looks at these books, for example, at the Atlas of Creation, then one might form the impression that the book has just been written from start to finish. But that is not actually the case. 95% of the contents consist of quotations. In other words, they are books of quotations. The original component is very small. The analysis comprises just one, two or sometimes three percent, the rest consists of quotations.

Al Jazeera: Sir, this is a very splendid book, a very heavy one, even from the point of view of scientific content it is very weighty. That is the truth, and it is also a very attractive book. All the elements of the book, starting from the paper used, is of a very high standard and undoubtedly very expensive. How do you meet those expenses? Because we know that you distribute these books free of charge.

Adnan Oktar: I do not collect any royalties from my books. 8 million copies of my books have so far been sold. The publishing company has been able to use the royalties for their own purposes. Moreover, they have also made substantial profits. It is very easy to produce these books using the profits from earlier works.

Another idea that Harun Yahya believes in is the coming of the Mahdi. The interesting thing is that all the characteristics attributed to the Mahdi are also to be seen in Harun Yahya. That is why some people have said that he is pointing to himself as being the Mahdi. He particularly believes that the Mahdi has come.

Adnan Oktar: The Mahdi should already have appeared according to the writings of Said Nursi, and according to the accounts in reliable hadith and signs have already taken place. For example, we are told that Afghanistan will be occupied at the time of the appearance of the Mahdi. That has happened. There is also the fact that Iraq will be occupied, which has also taken place. An attack on the Kaaba was predicted, and that has happened as well. The waters of the Euphrates would be cut off. And the dam has done so. We are told that during the month of Ramadhan in the year of his appearance both the Sun and Moon will be eclipsed in a space of 15 days, and that has happened as well. Approximately a hundred portents like this have already taken place. For that reason, I am convinced that the Mahdi has appeared.

The Said Nursi referred to by Harun Yahya was a great Islamic scholar. Born in the Nurs district in 1877, this scholar fought against the invaders. Said Nursi wrote many books. It is said he spoke several languages. He is also known as Bediuzzaman, because of his great knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, physics and philosophy.

Our guest describes himself as a student of Nursi. He also believes that the Mahdi will and has already come.

Does he, I wonder, regard himself as the Mahdi, as those opposed to him claim?

Adnan Oktar: There is a rumor that has been going round for a long while that I have claimed to be the Mahdi. The reason for that is that I have written a book on that subject. I have cited all the relevant hadith in that book. They said that I had described myself, that the information about the Mahdi in the hadith was the same. As a result, [they said] you are claiming to be the Mahdi. They say that his forehead is broad, and your forehead is broad, too. That his brow is curved, and your brow is also curved. They say that the Mahdi has a small nose, and a big body. He is a Sayyid of medium height, they say. He has a mole on his cheek, and one on his back. Because you have all these characteristics, you are probably claiming to be the Mahdi. But if everyone who writes a book [on the End Times] were to claim to be the Mahdi, and as there have been at least fifty to sixty books on the Mahdi published in Turkey and as they have all written about him in the same terms, those authors must also have such a claim. In fact, they do maintain that those people have been making such a claim. Therefore, they say, you must be the Mahdi. There is a writer called Mustafa Kaplan. They also say that he claims to be the Mahdi, as he has also written a book on this subject. You are probably the Mahdi, they say to him. That is inaccurate. No claims can be made regarding the Mahdi. Nobody can claim to be the Mahdi. Nobody can say I am the Mahdi. Identification with the Mahdi can only be measured in terms of success. In other words, a figure will emerge and will be successful. From his success the conclusion may be drawn that he is the Mahdi. Even if the Mahdi were to appear, we could never say for certain that he was the Mahdi. We can only have a good perception of him. We can only say that he is probably the Mahdi. The Mahdi himself will never claim to be the Mahdi. He cannot say that. He will not say that. That is haram [not permissible]. He would be apostatized if he were to say such a thing.

Al Jazeera: Why did you never marry, Sir? It has been said that you never married because you are too busy or because you are waiting for the Mahdi.

Adnan Oktar: My [spiritual] teacher Said Nursi never married, either. And he commanded those who fought alongside him his special followers, not to marry, either. I see myself as a loyal follower of Said Nursi. In accordance with this advice, I have never married. Of course, I need a lot of time to devote to my struggle and to set aside a lot of time to it. Because I devote myself to communicating my faith, to writing books, to pursuing my struggle, from morning till evening. In other words, I would be unlikely to have any time left to devote to my wife and children, to spend with my family.

Al Jazeera: Sir, the majority of our viewers are either married or want to get married. Do you reject the idea of marriage? Do you reject marriage as a matter of principle?

Adnan Oktar: No, no. It is because I don't have time left over from my struggle to communicate Islam. If Islam had already been victorious, in other words, if Islamic morality had already enveloped the world, if this oppression, this torture of Muslims had come to an end, then I would have got married straightaway.

Al Jazeera: But Islam encourages marriage.

Adnan Oktar: But there are number of hadith which indicate that it is virtuous not to get married in the End Times.

Al Jazeera: For example?

Adnan Oktar: There is a hadith which states that anyone who is unmarried in the End Times is a good [virtuous] man.

Al Jazeera: Where did you read such a hadith?

Adnan Oktar: Right now I do not recall the source, but I can give you the reference later. We can also find this [reference] in the works of Said Nursi. You will be able to find it on the Internet if you look the term up in the Risale-i Nur Collection of Said Nursi.

Harun Yahya possess a large number of fossils and animal remains. These go back to very ancient geological periods. On the basis of these, he seeks to prove that the theory of evolution is false and that apes have never been the ancestors of man. These highly valuable fossils and remains say that God created the whole universe, and that no other process ever took place.

Adnan Oktar: Yes, had there been evolution in creation then such a situation would not have arisen. Look, these two living things prove there was no evolution in creation. This fossil was brought from East Asia. It is 82 million years old. There is no evolution here. This is the skull of a lioness. It is 98 million years old and there is no change in this fossil. So how could evolution only occur in human beings? No change occurred in animals. They claim that changes have arisen in the human skull. This is simply a deception. Because we have presented various animal skulls. Some are 80 million years old and others 60 million, and they clearly state that no change took place in these animals, so how can human evolution have occurred?

Our guest's assistants and colleagues were at his side everywhere we went as we carried out our conversation with Harun Yahya, the Muslim thinker. It was as if they wished to record what Harun Yahya would say before they forgot. I asked him why he was so adored and the origin of his striking wealth. Was it essential to be rich in order to join his group of close companions? Did the young people around him have to be as physically attractive as him?

Adnan Oktar: No, not at all. I also have some very poor friends. I can introduce you.

Al Jazeera: We have never seen them.

Adnan Oktar: You may not have seen them here, but they do exist.

Al Jazeera: Harun Yahya's books are printed to the most luxurious standards. The writer stated that millions of these books have been distributed free of charge in Russia and Europe and in Muslim and Arab countries. He also added that he received no assistance from any government or institution. These books represented only a fraction of all those bearing his name.

Adnan Oktar: This book is about Freemasonry. Global Masonry, for instance. It is most important. I recommend it. There is a book here called Jesus Will Return. It is excellent. There is The Life of the Prophet Musa. This is also most important, with a clear style. I have a book describing how Islam is not the source of terror, and that is also very important. I recommend this one, too. Actually, they are all excellent, and I recommend them all.

Al Jazeera: How do you make money from these books? Is what you do solely to serve Islam?

Adnan Oktar: Everything is for the sake of Allah. Because none of the things that are not for the sake of Allah, can be eligible. Everything must absolutely be done for His sake. For instance, I came here to win Allah's favor. That is why we are filming. We are talking for Allah's favor. We must sleep, waken and eat all for His favor.

Al Jazeera: Could you tell us what business you are engaged in to earn money? So that I can do the same!

Adnan Oktar: If I tell you the trade I am involved in the Turkish press will all jump on me. Some people and Masons would try and obstruct it. So it is better if I do not say.

Al Jazeera: Did not the Turkish press implicate you in the drugs trade?

Adnan Oktar? The number of the accusations made about me had reached almost a thousand. Drugs and every kind of other undreamed of aspersions..But they couldn't prove any of them. I have been cleared of all the charges to date. All of them. I have been detained several times, and imprisoned. But I have been found innocent on every occasion. The important thing is that I have been totally cleared.

Adnan Oktar: What matters is that I was found innocent and that all the claims made against me were false. I believe that these aspersions are actually causes of honour for me. Such things add to the strength of a Muslim. If we were to do anything illegitimate, in the slightest illegitimate thing the Masons would in any event immediately make the most it against us. They would have never missed such an opportunity. They have been unable to find any evidence against me, because we live by the flawless truth and the essence of Islam. And thus they fail even to defame.

Al Jazeera: A question comes to mind when I look at all these books. Are they legitimate in Islamic terms? Have they been ratified by the known Islamic institutions? Have they been accepted by those bodies that grant theological approval? On a visit to Istanbul last year Sheikh Yusuf Kardavi visited Harun Yahya, who gave the sheikh some of his books as a present. What did Kardavi say?

Adnan Oktar: I met with Mr. Kardave during a trip he made to Istanbul, and I had the honour of kissing his hand. His is someone I feel deep love and respect for. His faint is bright and radiant. I embraced him and told him of that love. He was very courteous to me and behaved in a most affectionate manner. He had clergymen and scholars along with him. I cannot recall their names just at the moment, but they were well-known scholars.

Adnan Oktar: I chatted with Sheikh Kardavi and he told me he enjoyed my books very much. I gave him some of my books as a gift. I have also been informed about my Sheikh's books. Sheikh Kardavi's books are very popular in Turkey and attract considerable interest. He is a loved and trustworthy scholar from the Ahl al Sunnah. He is a scholar admired by the whole Muslim world. There are very few scholars like him. Generally it is not possible to find a scholar that everyone trust, that everyone unanimously approve. But for Mr.Yusuf Kardavi that unanimity is achieved. Only in his name everyone is of the same opinion.

When I asked Mr.Harun Yahya about the Wahhabi movement and the Muslim Brotherhood, his only reply was :

Adnan Oktar: They are all the same, there is no difference between them. The measure is takwa, whoever has greater takwa is superior.

In fact, a great many questions came to my mind as I departed from Harun Yahya. I was very different to how I had been before our meeting, and my admiration for him had grown.

But who is Harun Yahya, I wonder?

Adnan Oktar: I love all Muslims in Turkey and worldwide, and I make no distinction on the basis of school or sect. I respect them all. There is no difference between Sunni and Shia. The same applies to the Ihvan-i Muslim. They are also my brothers. I regard them as totally sincere. We all pray in the same direction. We share the same Book. These elements all make us one. I strongly oppose division.

2008-02-01 18:03:23

Harun Yahya's Interviews and Conversations ⇒