At a recent gathering at the Royal Ottoman Center, Nihat Hatipoğlu reminded members of our Society of Islam’s core values: mercy, repentance and humility in worship. Weaving together historical anecdotes and present-day reflections, he showed how the prophetic tradition balances strictness with compassion.
He began with Mevlana’s famous invitation – “even if you break your oath a hundred times, still come” – as a model of unconditional welcome. He then recalled Muaz bin Cebel, who once lengthened the congregational prayer far beyond what the people could bear. A young man, exhausted, left the mosque and was promptly called a “hypocrite” by Muaz. Hatipoğlu used the episode to stress that the Prophet ﷺ taught a flexible approach: when praying alone one may recite at length, but in congregation brevity is a kindness to the elderly, the sick and those with children.
The talk then turned to the transforming power of sincere tawbah (repentance). Allah’s mercy, Hatipoğlu explained, does not depend on perfection; it embraces the imperfect soul that is willing to return. He described how the youth, after being wrongly called a spreader of fitna, sought the Prophet’s counsel, spoke of his fatigue and his need to work, and was guided back with compassion rather than condemnation.
Throughout the session he emphasised that Islam does not demand flawless observance before one may approach the Divine. It invites every believer – scholar, labourer or seeker – to draw near, correct mistakes and rely on Allah’s boundless forgiveness. In this spirit he urged listeners to be restrained in speech, to avoid hasty judgments, and to remember that true piety is measured by one’s readiness to make amends and to show grace to others.
The gathering closed with the reminder that the Royal Ottoman Society remains committed to a place where learning, dialogue and spiritual growth go hand in hand. By following the prophetic example of mercy and humility, we continue to build a community rooted in love, understanding and sincere devotion.
