Risale-i Nur

Risale-i Nur Collection
AuthorSaid Nursi
Original titleRisale-i Nur Külliyatı
LanguageOttoman Turkish, Arabic
GenreTafsir
Publication placeTurkey
Media typePrint (hardcover)

The Risale-i Nur Collection (Turkish: Risale-i Nur Külliyatı, Ottoman Turkish: رساله نور كلیاتی) is a collection of religious writings by Said Nursî, a Kurdish Islamic Scholar from Bitlis region of Turkey between the 1910s and 1950s. Unlike what is often claimed, it is not a tafsir (commentary on the Qur'an), apart from the volume İşaratü'l-İ'caz, which is an exegesis of verses 1:1-2:39.

Risale-i Nur collection was penned amid the transition between late Ottoman Empire and establishment of new Turkish Republic. During this time period, a series of strong oppressive regulations had been put in place, such as the ban of all religious practices in their original Arabic form throughout the country, prohibiting the citizens from wearing religious dressing and refuters receiving punishment in form of death penalty. During the time period Risale-i Nur collection was publicized, measures against its circulation had been taken. The books include an analysis of Islamic sources and a reinterpretation of the text for the "mentality" of Said Nursi's age. However, it is not solely an exegesis, as it includes reflections and details about Said Nursi's own life and interpretations.