A Seminar on Tolerance with Psychologist, Author and Theologian Mehmed Küçük
At the “Hoşgörü” (Tolerance) seminar held at the Royal Ottoman Sufi Center in Ludwigshafen, psychologist, author and theologian Mehmed Küçük stressed that Muslims should shape their lives according to the measures of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Just as every new invention and technology comes with a user manual, he said, Allah’s revelation is a handbook for humanity. When this book is disregarded, a person deteriorates both spiritually and socially and becomes, as he put it, a “broken” being.
Küçük explained that the growing hatred, resentment and polarisation of the modern world are fed by the commands of the nafs (the ego). The ego’s defence mechanism produces aggressive reactions in order to throw its “inner rubbish” outwards, and this pollutes society even further. Instead, he spoke of the power of answering hostility with a smile. Using the example of a taxi driver who smiles kindly at an angry driver in traffic, he described how love and tolerance increase the production of serotonin and strengthen social peace.
Turning to Islamic history, he pointed to the Companions and the saints, described as the friends of Allah. They lived the Qur’an and Sunnah in the most beautiful way, traded honestly and earned their due lawfully. Küçük stressed that today’s Muslims should carry this legacy forward, and that acting justly in business while keeping to “the measure” – the moral limits – has the character of worship.
The seminar also addressed the ethical decline of modern working life. Using the example of an employer who does not violate his employees’ rights, he explained that in Islam one’s provision (rızık) is determined by Allah, and that turning this provision into something forbidden (haram) harms a person both in this world and in the hereafter. Doing what is right and sincerely apologising for mistakes, he said, is not weakness: it overcomes the ego and gives a person true standing in the sight of Allah.
Finally, Mehmed Küçük said that tolerance is not merely a theoretical concept; approaching every person we meet with love and respect is a practical necessity. Drawing on Mevlânâ’s words “whoever you are, our door is open,” he reminded us that embracing people regardless of their beliefs and views lies at the heart of Islam.
We at the Royal Ottoman Society are proud to share this valuable sohbet with our community, and we aim to build a more just and loving society by bringing Mehmed Küçük’s teachings into our lives.
