IKTIRAN – إِقتِران

 

Literally: Attain. Achieve. Approach. Coming up with. Association. Conformity of the two premisses of a syllogism.

The two ni’mahs coming together or being together. The conjunction of two things.

 

“What deceives those who perform ‘ibâdah to 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 one thing is the real and effective cause of the ni’mah’s being non-existent, they suppose that the thing's existence is also the real and effective cause of the ni’mah’s existence. They offer their shukr and gratitude to that thing and fall into error. For a ni’mah’s existence results from all the conditions and preliminaries of the ni’mah. Whereas the ni’mah’s non-existence occurs through the non-existence of only a single condition.

For example, someone who does not open the water canal to water a garden is the real and effective cause 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 duty and the ni’mahs come into being through Rabbânî Irâdah and Qoudrah, which are the real and effective cause. Here, understand how clear is the error of this matter and know how wrong are those who perform ‘ibâdah to causes!

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 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 of the ni’mah. It 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 have received Janâb-i Haqq’s ni’mahs have confused the iktiran and the real and effective cause (‘illah). They have been extremely grateful to their Ustadh. Whereas, Janâb-i Haqq joined and associated the ni’mah of benefiting from the lessons of Qur'an which He gave to them, and the ni’mah of instructing which He bestowed on their Ustadh. They say: "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 benefiting." However, I say:

"O, my Brothers! The ni’mah Janâb-i Haqq bestowed on you and on me came together. The real and effective cause of both ni’mahs is rahmah of Allah. Like you, through confusing the iktiran with the real and effective cause (‘illah), at one time, I too felt much gratefulness towards the hundreds of Risale-i Nur students with diamond pens like you. I would say: 'If it had not been for them, how would a semi-literate unfortunate like myself have served?' Then, I understood that after bestowing on you the sacred ni’mah by means of the pen, He bestowed success on me in this service. He made iktiran one to another; they can not be the real and effective cause (‘illah) of each other. I do not thank you but congratulate you. And you too offer du'â for me and congratulate me, rather than being grateful to me."

It may be understood from this Fourth Matter just how many degrees there are in ghaflah.” The Seventeenth Flash-13th Note- The Fourth Matter