بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَ الصَّلاَةُ وَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِينَ

SHIRK - 2

“KNOW, O FRIEND, that nature and causes close the door of shukr and open the door of shirk. Shirk, kufr, and ingratitude to Allah are based on infinite impossibilities” Al-Mathnawi al-Nuri (48)

 

O, the unfortunate man who performs ‘ibâdah to causes and worships nature! Since the nature of each thing is created like all things; because it is artful and newly comes into existence. Also, like all effects, their apparent causes are, too, works of art. And since everything's existence is in need of many tools and equipment. In that case, there is an Absolute Qadîr Who brings that nature into existence and creates that cause. And what need does such Absolute Qadîr have that He may associate impotent intermediaries to His rubûbiyyah and creation? Hâsha! Indeed, by directly creating cause and effect together, in order to demonstrate His hikmah and the manifestation of His Names, by establishing an apparent causality and associating two things with each other (Iktiran) with an arrangement and order, He made causes and nature a veil to the hand of His qoudrah in order to make them a source to which apparent faults, mercilessness and defect in things are referred; in this way, He has preserved His dignity.

The Twenty-Third Flash/The Third Word/ The Third Impossibility

 

What deceives those who worship apparent causes is two things coming together or being together, which is called iktiran; they suppose the two things are real and effective causes (‘illah) for each other. Also, since the non-existence of a thing is the real and effective cause of a ni’mah’s being non-existent, they imagine that that thing's existence is also the real and effective cause (‘illah) of the ni’mah’s existence. They offer their shukr and gratitude to that thing and fall into error because a ni’mah’s existence is the result of all the conditions and preliminaries of the ni’mah. In contrast, the ni’mah’s non-existence occurs through the non-existence of only a single condition.

For example, a man who does not open the water canal, which waters a garden, is the real and effective cause (‘illah) of the garden drying up and the non-existence of ni’mahs. But the existence of the garden's ni’mahs is dependent on hundreds of conditions besides the man's service, and the ni’mahs come into existence through the irâdah and qoudrah of Ar-Rabb, which are the real and effective cause (‘illah). Here, understand how clear the error of this fallacy is and know how wrong those who worship causes are!

Yes, iktiran is one thing, and the real and effective cause (‘illah) is another. A ni’mah comes to you. But the intention of a person to bestow it on you is associated with the ni’mah. But it was not the real and effective cause (‘illah). The real and effective cause (‘illah) was the rahmah of Allah. If the man had not intended to give, that ni’mah would not come to you. He would have been the real and effective cause (‘illah) of the ni’mah’s non-existence. But as a consequence of the above rule, the inclination to bestow cannot be the real and effective cause (‘illah) of the ni’mah but can only be one of the hundreds of conditions.

For example, some of those among the Risale-i Nur students (like Husrev and Re'fet) who are honoured with the ni’mahs of Janâb-i Haqq have confused the iktiran and the real and effective cause (‘illah); they were excessively grateful to their ustadh. Whereas, Janâb-i Haqq joined and associated (iktiran) the ni’mah of benefiting from the lessons of the Qur'an, which He gave to them, with the ni’mah of instructing, which He bestowed on their ustadh. They say that if our ustadh had not come here, we would not have received this lesson, so his instruction is the real and effective cause (‘illah) of our benefit. However, I say, "O, my brothers! The ni’mah that Janâb-i Haqq bestowed on you and on me came together. The real and effective cause (‘illah) of both ni’mahs is the rahmah of Allah. Through confusing the iktiran with the real and effective cause (‘illah), I, too, felt much gratitude towards the hundreds of Risale-i Nur students with diamond pens like you. I would say, “If it were not for them, how would a semi-literate and helpless person like me serve?” Then, I understood that after bestowing on you the sacred ni’mah that occurs by means of the pen, He bestowed success on me in this service. He associated (iktiran) one with another; they cannot be the real and effective cause (‘illah) of each other. I do not thank you, but I congratulate you. You too offer du'â for me and congratulate me, rather than being grateful to me."

In this Fourth Matter, how many degrees there are in ghaflah can be understood.

The Seventeenth Flash-13th Note- The Fourth Matter

 

Since the haqiqah is this, and since we see with our own eyes that everything is infinitely valuable, artful, meaningful and powerful, most certainly, there is no way other than the way of tawhîd and there cannot be. If there were, it would be necessary to change all beings and empty the world into non-existence and refill it with meaningless rubbish and filth so that a way could be opened to shirk.

The 2nd Ray-2nd Station-The 2nd necessity of wahdâniyyah

 

“The requirement of commanding and rulership is to not accept rivals, to reject partnership and to annul interference. It is because of this that if there are two headmen in a village, they will destroy its tranquillity and order. Or, if there are two chief officials in a district or two governors in a province, they will cause turmoil. If there are two sultâns in a country, they will cause a stormy confusion. Since a pale shadow of the shadow of commanding and rulership and its particular example in impotent men who are in need of assistance and does not accept the interference of rivals, opponents or peers; compare how fundamentally rulership which is in the form of absolute sovereignty and commanding at the degree of rubûbiyyah in One Absolute Qadîr will enforce that law of rejection of interference to such a degree. That is to say, the most definite and constant requirement of ulûhiyyah and rubûbiyyah are wahdah and singleness. An evident necessarily conclusive argument and absolute witness to this is the perfect order and beautiful harmony in the universe. There is such an order from the wing of a fly to the lamps of the samâwât that the mind prostrates before it due to its wonder and appreciation, declaring: "Subhanallah, Mashaallah, Barakallah!". Through the indication of the âyah لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آلِهَةٌ اِلاَّ اللّٰهُ لَفَسَدَتَا1 if there had been a particle of space for partners, and if they interfered, the order would have been destroyed, the form changed, and signs of disorder would have appeared. Whereas through the indication and the state of فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَى مِنْ فُطُورٍ ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنْقَلِبْ اِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَ هُوَ حَسِيرٌ2 however much the human gaze tries to find faults, it cannot find any fault anywhere, and returns worn out to its dwelling, the eye, and says to the criticising mind who sent it: "I am worn out for nothing; there are no faults." Through saying this it shows that the order and regularity are extremely perfect. That is to say, the order of the universe is an absolute witness to wahdâniyyah.” The Thirty-Third Word-30th Window

 

“The source, master, and basis of The Ray of Âyet-ül Kübra3 is the sublime âyah:قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ مَعَهُ آلِهَةٌ كَمَا يَقُولُونَ اِذًا لاَبْتَغَوْا اِلَى ذِى الْعَرْشِ سَبِيلاً 4 which is also called âyah al-kubra5 .  That is if Allah had any sharik and others had intervened in the creation and interfered in His Rubûbiyyah, the order of the universe would have been spoilt." However, the perfect order in everything, small and large, particular and universal, from the wing of the tiniest fly and the cell of the pupil of the eye to the numberless birds which fly through the air and the solar system, furnishes indubitable and decisive evidence for the impossibility and non-existence of any such shariks. It also testifies self-evidently to the existence and Wahdah of  Al-Wâjib Al-Wujûd.” The Rays ( 572 )

 

“What indicates that shirk is the configuration of causes in the universe. It is that everything is tied to a cause. So that means that causes have an actual effect, and if they have an effect, are not they able to be shariks?"

The Answer: Effects have been tied to causes because Ilahî will and hikmah require them to be so, and so that great numbers of the Ilahî Names may be manifested. Everything has been tied to a cause, but we have decisively proved in numerous places, including many of the Words, that "causes have no actual power with which to create their effects." So, for now, we shall just say this:

Among causes, human beings are self-evidently the most superior, and have the greatest power of choice and the most extensive ability to control and direct other causes. And among the most obvious of man's actions over which he exercises choice are eating and the powers of speech and thought. Furthermore, all these faculties are extremely well-ordered, wonderful, and chains with hikmah. But of the hundred links in these chains, only one is subject to man's power of choice.

For example, in the chain of actions concerning food, which stretches from the nourishment of the body's cells to the forming of fruit, only moving the jaw and chewing the food is subject to man's choice. And in the chain of speech, only exhaling air and blowing it into the mould of articulated letters. And while a word in the mouth is a seed, it becomes like a tree; in the air, it yields the fruits of millions of the same word and enters the ears of listeners along with millions of others. Man's imagination can barely reach this metaphorical shoot, so how should the short arm of choice reach it?

Since among causes man is the most superior and has the greatest power of choice and yet his hands are thus tied from real creation, how should other causes, such as inanimate creatures, animals, the elements, and nature have any real power of disposal over other causes? Each of those causes is only a container; a cover for the Rabbânî works; a tray-bearer for the gifts of  Rahmân.

Of course, the receptacle for a sultân's gift, or the handkerchief in which it is wrapped, or the soldier who brings the gift, which is placed in his hand, can in no way be shariks in the sultân's sovereignty. Anyone who supposes that they are sharik is imagining nonsensical absurdities. In the same way, apparent causes and intermediaries can have absolutely no share in Ilahî Rubûbiyyah of His creatures. Their portion is only to perform a service of ‘ubûdiyyah.” The Words ( 636- 637 )

 

“The âyah, اِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ 6 states that to do shirk is an infinite dhulm. Shirk is a vast crime since it transgresses the rights, honour, and dignity of all creatures. Only Jahannam can cleanse it…

…It is because the crimes of shirk and kufr constitute aggression against all the universe's perfections and its sacred haqiqahs and the elevated rights of beings, that the universe becomes angry at the people of shirk and kufr. The samâwât and earth become wrathful, and the elements unite to destroy them, overwhelming and submerging the people of shirk, such as Nûh Alayhissalâm's people, and the 'Ad and Thamud peoples, and the Pharaoh. In accordance with the mystery of the âyah,7   تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ Jahannam so rages and fumes at the people of shirk and kufr that it almost bursts apart. Yes, shirk is a terrible insult to the universe and a great transgression against it. By denying the sacred duties of beings and the hikmah of their creation, it insults their honour….

For example, through the mystery of wahdah the universe resembles a huge, corporeal malâikah; does tasbîh its Sâni’ through sanctifying with hundreds of thousands of heads, to the number of species of beings, and with hundreds of thousands of mouths, to the number of members of those species, and with hundreds of thousands of tongues in every mouth, to the number of organs, parts, and cells of those members - a wondrous creature who has an elevated rank and engaged in ‘ubûdiyyah like Isrâfîl. Through the mystery of tawhîd, the universe is also an arable field yielding copious crops for the dwelling-places and ’âlams of the âkhirah; a factory producing numerous goods, such as human actions, for the levels of the Abode of Bliss; and a movie-camera with a hundred thousand lenses continuously taking pictures of this world to show to the spectators in al-‘âlam al-baqâ and especially in Jannah al-‘A’lâ. Shirk is to transform this truly wondrous, absolutely obedient, living, corporeal malâikah into a lifeless, soulless, unemployed, perishing, meaningless, wretched, futile collectivity, revolving in the tumult of events and storms of change and darkness of non-existence; and to convert this strange, utterly orderly, beneficial factory into an idle, confused, unconscious plaything of chance which is without product or result or function; to make it into the playground of deaf Nature and blind force, a place of mourning for all intelligent beings, and the slaughterhouse of all living creatures, and a vale of tears.

In accordance with the mystery of,8 اِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ , shirk, although a single evil, leads to such vast and numerous crimes that those who perpetrate it deserve infinite torment in Jahannam. Anyway…” The Rays ( 19 -21)

 

“The basis of Islam is pure Tawhîd; it does not attribute a real effect to causes and intermediaries, nor gives them value in regards to creation and position. Christianity, however, since it accepts the idea of waladiyyah9 , gives some value to causes and intermediaries; it does not break ananiyyah. It quite simply attributes a manifestation of Allah’s rubûbiyyah to its saints and great ones. They became confirmatory to the âyah: اِتَّخَذُوا اَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ اَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللّٰهِ 10 " The Twenty-Sixth Letter/Third Topic/5th Matter

 

“Islam says: لاَ خَالِقَ اِلاَّ هُوَ 11 , and does not accept causes and intermediaries as the real producer of an effect. It looks to intermediaries with ma’nâ al-harfî. Aqîdah of Tawhîd and the duty of submission (taslîm) and tafvîdh12 demand this. Due to corruption, present-day Christianity considers causes and intermediaries as the producers of an effect and looks to them with the view of ma’nâ al-ismî. The aqîdah of waladiyyah13 and the thought of priesthood demand this and urge it. They look to their saints through the view of ma’nâ al-ismî, as the source of faydh and the mine of nûr, according to one view, like a nûr of a lamp which transformed from the sunlight. Whereas, we look to the awliyâ through ma’nâ al-harfî, as a place of reflection and manifestation that is, like a mirror to the sun which spreads its light. {The Naqshbandis' method (râbita) is based on this mystery.} It is because of this mystery, with us, ma’nawî journeying begins from humility, it passes through self-annihilation, and reaches the station of annihilation in Allah (fanâ fillâh). It begins to journey through infinite ranks. The ana and nafs al-ammarah extinguish with their arrogance and pride. However, not true Christianity, but in the Christian who has been shaken by philosophy and corruption, the ana strengthens with its equipment. If a prominent person of high rank and station with a powerful ana is a Christian, he can be firm in his religion, whereas a Muslim becomes neglectful in his religion.” The Damascus Sermon (137)

 

“ 14 لَمْ يَلِدْalludes to the Tawhîd of Jalâl, and rejects every sort of shirk. That is, one who is subject to change or division, or who reproduces, cannot be Ilah. It rejects shirks in the form of 'the ten intellects,' or the malâikah, ‘Îsâ or ‘Uzayr being waladiyyah.

وَلَمْ يُولَدْ 15 proves the pre-eternity of Allah and Tawhîd. It rejects shirk in the form of ‘ibâdah to causes, the ‘ibâdah to stars, ‘ibâdah to idols, and ‘ibâdah to nature. That is, something created or detached from its original, or born of some matter cannot be Ilah.

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ 16 is a comprehensive affirmation of Tawhîd. That is, He has no like, sharik, or peer either in His essence, or in His attributes, or in His actions.” The Damascus Sermon ( 116 )

 

“ لَمْ يَلِدْ 17 This conceals the affirmation of the Tawhîd of jalâl, rejecting every sort of shirk. It decisively refutes kufr. That is, one who is subject to change or division, or who reproduces, can surely be neither Ilah, nor Khâliq, nor Qayyûm.

The negation, لَمْ 18 , refutes the idea of offspring, or the kufr of paternity, and rejects them at once. The greater part of man's dhalâlah has arisen from this shirk…

Such that, from time to time humankind faces the offspring of shirk with either ‘Îsâ (‘Alayhissalâm) or ‘Uzayr or the malâikah or the intelligences.

The Fifth:وَلَمْ يُولَدْ 19 an indication to an Everlasting Tawhîd. Thus: one whose existence is not Wajib, uncreated or pre-eternal cannot be Ilah.

That is, surely, one created in time, or born of physical matter, or descended from a progenitor, cannot be the universe's protector.

‘Ibâdah of causes, ‘ibâdah of stars, ‘ibâdah of idols, ‘ibâdah of nature: these are all varieties of shirk and the pitfalls of dhalâlah.” The Words (730)

 

“ اَمْ لَهُمْ اِلهٌ غَيْرُ اللّٰهِ سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ 20 Or, like the Magians, who imagined two separate Ilahs called the Khâliq of khayr and the Khâliq of sharr, or like the performers ‘ibâdah to causes and idols, who attribute a sort of Ulûhiyyah to different causes and imagine each of them to be a source of support for them, do they rely on other Ilahs and contest you? Do they consider themselves free of any need of you? That means they have become blind and do not see the perfect order and flawless harmony throughout the universe, which is as clear as day. For in accordance with the decree,  لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آلِهَةٌ اِلاَّ اللّٰهُ لَفَسَدَتَا   21 if there are two headmen in a village, or two governors in a town, or two sultâns in a country, the order is turned upside down and harmony spoilt. But from a fly's wing to the lamps in the samâwât, such a fine order has been observed that it leaves not so much space as a fly's wing for shirk. Since the above act in a manner so opposed to mind, hikmah, feeling, and what is obvious, don't let their lies put you off proclaiming the Message!”  The Words ( 400 )

 

“اَنْدَادًا (nidd)22 has the meaning of like, equal, or peer, and anything 'like' Taâ’lâ will be His exact opposite; between them will be contrariety. In this is a subtle hint that the rival or equal is essentially futile. Then the use of the plural indicates the utter ignorance of those mushrikîn, and infers derision of them: "How can you ascribe to Allah, who is without like, hordes of equals and opposites?"

It also infers the rejection of all sorts of shirk; shirk in His essence, in His attributes, and His actions. It intimates too rebuttal of every type of shirk: the pagans (al-wathaniûn), the Sabeans, the Christians (ahl al-tathlîth23 ), and the Naturalists, all of whom believe that causes have an actual effect.” Signs of Miraculousness ( 179 )

 

Just as the Qur'an severely prohibits the ‘ibâdah to idols, so does it forbid the ‘ibâdah to images, which is a sort of imitation of the ‘ibâdah to idols. 24 Whereas, considering the images as one of its virtues, civilisation has wanted to dispute the Qur'an. But images, whether possessing shadow or not, are either petrified dhulm, embodied riyâ, or embodied desires of the nafs; by whipping up the desires of the nafs, they encourage mankind to dhulm and riyâ and to follow the desires of the nafs.

The Twenty-Fifth Word/3rd Ray/2nd Radiance/Fourth Principle

 

“For on account of his fitrah and innate disposition, man loves his nafs. Indeed, he loves himself before anything else, and only himself. He sacrifices everything other than himself to his own nafs. He praises his nafs in a manner worthy of Ma’bûd. He absolves and exonerates his nafs from faults in a manner worthy of Ma’bûd. As far as he possibly can, he does not see faults as being appropriate for him and does not accept them. He defends his nafs passionately as though performing ‘ibâdah to his nafs. He even displays the mystery of the âyah, مَنِ اتَّخَذَ اِلٰهَهُ هَوٰيهُ25 through using the members and capacities which are entrusted to his nafs for the hamd and tasbîh of the True Ma’bûd. He considers himself, he relies on himself, he fancies himself. Thus, his tazkiyyah and cleansing at this stage, in this step, is not tazkiyyah on himself; it is not absolving himself.” The Twenty-Sixth Word – Addendum – The First Step

 

The love for rank and attracting attention to one’s self is a sickness of the rûh. It is called the hidden shirk.

Emirdağ Addendum-1 (15)

 

The Second Obstacle, Which Shatters Ikhlas: It is to flatter the ananiyyah and to give a rank to the nafs al-ammarah by attracting attention to one’s self and gaining public regard through the urge of the ambition for fame arising from the love for rank and position under the veil of dignity and honour. This is the most serious sickness of the rûh; it also opens the door to the riyâ and boasting, which are called hidden shirk, and harms ikhlas.

The Twenty-First Flash

 

“KNOW, O Nafs, that if you have gained the acceptance of your Khâliq through taqwâ and ‘amal as-sâlih, that is sufficient. You do not need to obtain the acceptance of creation. If the people have accepted you on behalf of the Taâ’lâ, you will benefit; if you are accepted on behalf of their nafs, there is no benefit, for they are impotent just like you. If you choose the first alternative, you will gain the acceptance of your Rabb; if you choose the second, it is shirk with no benefit in it.

If you go to the capital for business and please the Sultân, your job will be done with great ease and you will gain the subjects’ love. But if you expect your job to be done by those under the Sultân’s rule, many difficulties will be encountered, for all of them will have to be pleased and agree to fulfil your need. Moreover, even if this is accomplished, you will still have to obtain the Sultân’s permission, which is dependant on gaining his acceptance.” Al-Mathnawi al-Nuri

 

“KNOW, one of the great dhulm of people is attributing the fruits of a jamâ’ah’s action to one person and assume that he has produced them. Hidden shirk engenders from this dhulm. For assuming the product of a jamâ’ah’s attainment and the results of their juz’ al-ikhtiyârî are issued from one person is not possible unless perceiving that individuals progress to possessing a wondrous power to a degree of creation. The Ilahs of the ancient Greeks and other idol worshippers arose from that dhâlim conception of shaytans.” Al-Mathnawi al-Nuri (133)

 

Just as if the property of a jamâ’ah is given to one man, it is an injustice, or if one seizes charitable foundations belonging to a jamâ’ah, he does injustice, so too attributing a result of a jamâ’ah's works, or the honour and fadhîlah that is the result of their good works to the leader or ustadh of that jamâ’ah is an injustice, both to the jamâ’ah and the leader or the ustadh, because it flatters his ananiyyah, drives him to pride and causes him to suppose himself to be the sultân while he is the doorkeeper. He also does an injustice to his own nafs. Indeed, it opens a way to a kind of hidden shirk. Yes, the major cannot take the prize, victory and honour of a regiment that conquered a citadel. The ustadh and murshid should not be considered the source or origin but be known to be the place of reflection and manifestation.

The Seventeenth Flash-13th Note-The 5th Matter

 

What throws you into such an error and makes you fall into such an abyss is your one-eyed genius, that is, your extraordinary, inauspicious intelligence. Because of that blind genius of yours, you have forgotten your Rabb, Who is Al-Khâliq of all things, you ascribed them to an imaginary nature and attributed His works to causes, you have divided the property of Al-Khâliq to taghûts, which are bâtil ma’bûds. At this point and in the view of your genius, it is necessary for every living being and each man to resist alone against innumerable enemies and to struggle in order to procure infinite needs. And they are compelled to withstand those innumerable enemies and needs with a power like a particle, a will like a fine thread, a consciousness like a disappearing flash, a life like a fast extinguishing flame, a life span passing quickly like a minute. But the capital of that helpless living being is not sufficient even for one of the thousands of its desires. When it is stricken by a calamity, it does not wait for a remedy for its trouble other than from deaf, blind causes. It becomes the place of manifestation for the mystery of وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ اِلاَّ فِى ضَلاَلٍ   26

The Seventeenth Flash- Fifth Note

 

“to rend the veils of the ordinariness, which are the source of compounded ignorance, and to draw out the wonders concealed beneath them and display them; to smash with the diamond sword of proof the taghût of nature, which is the source of dhalâlah; to scatter with thunderous shouts the dense layers of the sleep of ghaflah; and to uncover and reveal the obscure enigma of the universe and the strange enigma of the creation of the ‘âlam, before which human philosophy and science have remained impotent, is most surely only the wondrous work of a wonder-worker like the Qur'an - the Qur'an, which sees haqiqah, is familiar with the Ghayb, bestows hidâyah, and shows the haqq-.” The Words ( 416 )

 

The degrees of people in hidâyah and dhalâlah are different. The degrees of ghaflah are different. Everyone cannot feel completely this haqiqah in each degree. Because ghaflah numbs the feelings. And in this age, it has numbed the feelings to such a degree that the people of civilisation do not feel the grief of this excruciating pain. But, the veil of ghaflah is rent through increased sensitivity of ‘ilm and the warnings of death which every day points out thirty thousand corpses. Thousands of curses and regrets to those who enter dhalâlah by the taghûts and natural sciences of Foreigners and follow them and imitate them blindly!

O sons of this land! Do not try to imitate Europeans! I wonder, after the boundless cruelty and enmity that Europe committed against you, with which mind do you follow and trust their dissipation and bâtil thoughts? No! No! You, who dissolutely imitate them! You do not follow them but rather execute yourselves and your brothers by unconsciously joining their rank. Be cautious that the more you immorally follow them the more you lie in the claim of patriotism! Because your following them in this way is despising your nationality and it is ridiculing the nation!

The Seventeenth Flash- Fifth Note

 

“Bediuzzaman Said Nursî remained in Barla for a period of eight years. Most of his time would be spent in the countryside among orchards and gardens. He would retreat to the unfrequented mountains or orchards about two or three hours’ distance, and would write the Nur risales while also emending the duplicated copies of his work sent to him by the scribes in Isparta and its regions. Within a single day, he would be busy with emendation and travel distances of up to four to five hours by foot and allocate in the same day three to four hours to his writing. In most cases, he would also prepare his own meals.

During those times the early students yearning for the Risale-i Nur would be copying risales out by scribing in forty different places. Loading these books on his back, Ustadh would take them to the mountains, orchards and gardens, complete their emendations and return to his residence. Remaining in forced exile he was subject to the most extreme oppression of the time and was banned from having to see anybody. However, within these abject conditions, he reached an inexhaustible wealth. For he was writing out the truths of îmân resonating from the Qur’an that would illuminate and guide al-‘âlam of Islam and humanity and was at the same time working for its dissemination. His sole preoccupation became his works (risales).

A day will come and these works will spread across Anatolia, reach the centres of the ‘âlam of Islam and attract the gazes of the people of politics, shatter the ideologies of irreligion and kufr, which were intended to be implanted within a nation that for centuries was the flag bearer of the ‘âlam of Islam and serve as a barrier against the invasion of this country by the currents of the people of kufr, the people of dissipation and the people of dhalâlah, which consist of the ma’nawî collective personality of the taghûts of dhalâlah. They will be the means of the procurement of eternal salvation and happiness for future generations.

Thus, in regard to being inspired and permitted by Allah to prepare the grounds for a most magnificent event in history, and with respect to his undertaking a duty with such sacred significance, Bediuzzaman could be considered the world’s happiest and the most fortunate of his time. He was never shaken even in the minutest way to give up his ideals, goals and personal attire. On the contrary, he carried the torch of hidâyah to illuminate the beliefs of the present world and dispel the darkness. He was in a great struggle because his duty and service was integral to the happiness and prosperity of all of humanity in both worlds.” Biography (174)

 

“My ‘Azîz Brothers,

In response to the continuing ma’nawî destruction -lillah’il hamd- the miraculous resistance, force and value of the Risale-i Nur continues to increase. As a diamond sword in the hand of Qur’an, by smashing the taghût of nature which is the cornerstone and point of support of dhalâlah, it spreads nûr everywhere and dispels the darkness. But there are different kinds of dhalâlah. To the same degree, each risale has a distinct quality and significance.” Kastamonu Addendum (45)

 

هَدَينَا اللّٰهُ وَ اِيَّاكُمْ اِلَى الصِّرَاطِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ

سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا اِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ