In Memoriam of Fethullah Gulen

Gülen’s Arrival at Chestnut Retreat Center

Fethullah Gülen came to the United States in 1999 for medical treatment. During this time, the board of our center invited him to stay for a period of rest and recovery. Gülen accepted this invitation solely as a guest, a role he maintained throughout his life. He held no formal role at the retreat center and always regarded himself simply as a guest, contributing to the life of the center through teaching, prayer, and personal example.

Although the center had existed for several years before his arrival, Gülen’s presence brought a new sense of purpose and rhythm. What had once been a modest, quietly used facility slowly grew into a place of learning, reflection, and sincere community life. VVisitors came primarily to attend his study circles and conversations, as well as for quiet reflection. While many were connected to the Hizmet movement, others included scholars, clergy from different faith traditions, local neighbors, community leaders, and individuals drawn to his teachings on religion and ethics.

Despite his international reputation, Gülen lived in a simple, modest room, following a disciplined routine centered on study, prayer, writing, and conversation. He paid monthly rent to the retreat center throughout his stay, and his only personal income consisted of royalties from his published books. As a matter of principle, he used these royalties not for personal comfort but to host his visitors; the meals served to those who came to see him were paid from his own resources. 

It reflected his deep sensitivity toward charitable trust property (waqf), which he viewed as a sacred trust within the Islamic tradition—never to be used for personal benefit.

Teaching and Study at CRC

From an early age, Fethullah Gülen understood teaching as a lifelong responsibility and remained devoted to it throughout his years of service. Long before his time in Pennsylvania, he had established a steady pattern of small-group study centered on classical Islamic texts—sessions shaped by careful reading, reflection, and ethical inquiry. When he came to Chestnut Retreat Center, he continued this practice with the same sense of consistency and quiet commitment for many years.

These study gatherings became the foundation of what is now known as the Morning Study Circle. Participants read selected texts closely, pausing to clarify language, consider context, and reflect on meaning. Rather than relying on a single commentary, discussions drew on multiple sources, encouraging intellectual discipline, attentiveness, and respect for the breadth of the Islamic scholarly tradition. Gülen guided these sessions with a calm, focused presence, emphasizing thoughtful engagement over quick conclusions and helping participants connect textual insights to broader moral and spiritual concerns.

From Living Conversation to Written Legacy

Through this sustained combination of classical study, comparative reading, and engagement with contemporary thought, Gülen encouraged wide reading grounded in ethical responsibility and service to humanity. Many of his explanations—offered in response to questions raised during these sessions—were preserved through recordings and notes. Editors and scholars continue to work with this material today, preparing manuscripts based on teachings delivered during his years at CRC.

Alongside these efforts, he continued to write regularly in Turkish, producing essays and books on faith, ethics, and contemporary concerns. Many of these works were later translated into other languages, extending the reach of his reflections beyond their original context. In total, Gülen authored approximately ninety books in Turkish, around thirty of which have been translated into English, reaching a broader international readership. This body of work also drew international attention; in 2008, Foreign Policy magazine included Gülen among the world’s leading public intellectuals. 

A Quiet Life of Service in Pennsylvania

Though he rarely traveled or appeared publicly, Gülen continued to meet visitors—sometimes scholars, sometimes clergy, sometimes local neighbors, sometimes Hizmet participants seeking advice on educational or humanitarian projects. He welcomed each person with the same attentiveness, often asking about their well-being, their families, or the difficulties they were facing. Many recall the tranquility of his presence and the sincerity with which he listened.

Many of the practices and educational traditions that shape CRC today developed under Gülen’s quiet guidance during his years at the retreat center, and they continue to inform the way the community approaches learning, reflection, and service.

Gülen lived this way for approximately twenty-five years, until his passing on October 20, 2024, at a hospital in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, from natural causes. In keeping with his wishes and with the consent of the center’s board, he was laid to rest on the grounds of CRC, near the building where he had lived. His resting place remains a peaceful area for personal prayer and reflection; no public ceremonies or organized gatherings are held there, preserving the quiet dignity he preferred.

For those interested in learning more about Fethullah Gülen’s life beyond his years at CRC, a brief biographical overview is available on the AfSV's website.