بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

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

SUBMISSION TO THE TEXTUAL EVIDENCES1 (al-dalâil al-naqliyyah) IS ESSENTIAL

1) “While Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamâ'ah, which is the haqq madhab, says: “Janâb-i Haqq commands a thing, then it becomes beautiful. He prohibits a thing, then it becomes ugly.” This means beauty comes into existence through command and ugliness through prohibition.” The Second Station of the Twenty-First Word

That is, through the ideas based on human-mind, religious judgements cannot be made.

2) “according to the madhab of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamâ'ah who are the people of Haqq, the badness or uncleanness of a thing according to the Sharî'ah is because it is prohibited by Allah.” The Letters ( 59 )

3) “اَمْ تَاْمُرُهُمْ اَحْلاَمُهُمْ بِهذَا 2 Or like unmindful philosophers who rely on their minds, do they hold back from following you, saying: "Our mind is sufficient for us." Whereas, the mind commands to follow you because everything you say is mindful. But, the mind on its own cannot reach it.” The Words ( 397 )

4) “اَمْ هُمُ الْمُصَيْطِرُونَ3 Or, like the arrogant Mu'tazilites, who made the mind dominant, do they imagine themselves to be rivals to and inspectors of Al Khâliq's works, and want to hold Al Khâliq Zuljalâl responsible? Beware, do not lose heart! Nothing can come of the denials of self-centred people like that! You never mind too!” The Words ( 398 )

5) “اَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ 4 Or, like Buddhists, who claim to be familiar with the Ghayb, or the pseudo-intellectuals, who imagine their conjectures about affairs of Ghayb to be certain, does what you said about the Ghayb not appeal to them? Do they have books which pertain to the Ghayb that they don’t assent your book pertaining to the Ghayb? That means they imagine that al-‘âlam al-ghayb, which is disclosed to no one apart from the Rasûls, who receive wahy, and which no one dares to enter in by oneself is present and laid open before them, and that they obtain information from it and write it down. So do not be disheartened by the lies of these arrogant braggarts who have overstepped their mark to an infinite degree! For in a short while your haqiqahs will completely overturn their imaginings!” The Words ( 400 )

6) “The Qur'an's expositions of the Ilahî haqiqahs, and its explanations pertaining to existence, which solve the enigma of the universe and riddle of the creation of al-‘âlam, are the most important of its disclosures about the Ghayb. For it is not mindful and cannot be expected of the human mind to head through istiqâmah and discover those haqiqahs of Ghayb among the innumerable ways of dhalâlah. It is well-known that the most brilliant philosophers of mankind have been unable to reach the most insignificant of those matters by use of the mind. Furthermore, it is only after the Qur'an has elucidated those Ilahî haqiqahs and haqiqahs pertaining to existence, which it points out, and after man's heart and nafs has been purified (tazkiyyah), and after his rûh has advanced and his mind been perfected that the mind of man accepts those haqiqahs by saying “Sadaqta”5 , and he says to the Qur'an: "Bârakallah!"6 The Words ( 419 )

7) “Anyone who studies the books of the Ishraqiyyun philosophers and the works of Sufis who rely on their own kashf and shuhûd without weighing them on the scales of the Sunnah will doubtlessly confirm this statement of ours. That is to say, although their works are sorts of haqiqahs of Qur'an and are taken from the Qur'an's teachings because they are not the Qur'an, they are defective in that way.” The Words ( 454 )

8) “The Qur'an's âyahs see and show in detail each of the six pillars of îmân in respect of this world and the âkhirah, pertain to action (‘amal) and ‘ilm. They see and show intentionally and seriously each of the five pillars of Islam, and all the principles which ensure happiness in this world and the next. They preserve their balance, perpetuate their proportion, and a form of the Qur'an's miraculousness comes into being from the source of the beauty which is born of the mutual proportion of the entirety of those haqiqahs.

It is due to this great mystery that although the ‘Ulamâ of ‘ilm al-Kalâm are students of the Qur'an and one section of them has written thousands of works of ten volumes each on the pillars of îmân, because like the Mu'tazilites they preferred the mind to revelation, they have not been able to express with clarity so many as ten of the Qur'an's âyahs, or prove them decisively, or convince persuasively concerning them. It is quite simply as though they have dug tunnels under distant mountains, taken pipes with the chains of causes to the ends of al-‘âlam, there cut the chains, and then demonstrated ma’rifat of Allah and the existence of Al-Wâjib Al-Wujûd, which are like the water of life. The Noble âyahs of Qur'an, however, can all extract water from every place like the Staff of Mûsâ, open up a window from everything, and make known As-Sâni’ Zuljalâl. We have actually proved and demonstrated this fact in the Arabic risale Katre, and in the other Words, which flow forth from the ocean of the Qur'an.

It is also due to this mystery that since all the Imams of the groups of dhalâlah who have passed to the inward nature of things (batin), who not following the Sunnah as-Saniyyah but relying on their shuhûd, have returned having gone half way, and becoming leaders of a jamâ’ah, have founded groups, have been unable to preserve the proportion and balance of the Qur'anic haqiqahs, they have fallen into bid’ah and dhalâlah and driven a jamâ’ah of people down the wrong road. Thus, the complete impotence of all these demonstrates the miraculousness of the Qur'an's âyahs.” The Words (455-456 )

9) “all the miracles of Ahmad (asm) are a miracle of the Qur'an which demonstrate its relation with Janâb-i Haqq. And with the appearance of that relation all of its words become miracles. For then a single of its words may contain a tree of haqiqahs in a ma’nawî manner, like a seed; and may be connected with all the members of the mighty haqiqah, like the centre of the heart; and since it relies on an all-encompassing ‘Ilm and infinite Irâdah, it may look to innumerable things together with their letters, totalities, situations, and positions. It is because of this mystery that the ‘Ulamâ of the ‘ilm of letters claim that they have found a pageful of secrets in a single of the Qur'an's letters, and they prove what they claim to adepts of that science.” The Words ( 457 )

10) “when the inclination to expand and will to ijtihad were present in those within the sphere of Islam through the door of perfect taqwâ and the way of conforming to the dharûriyyah of Islam, like the Salaf as-Sâlihîn, that was a perfection and a being perfected. But if such an inclination to expand and will of ijtihad comes from those who give up the dharûriyyah, prefer the life of this world to that of the âkhirah, and are tainted with materialist philosophy, it is the means of destroying the body of Islam and casting off the chain of the Sharî'ah from the neck…

…Three points of view make ijtihad earthly at this time and prevent it being samâwî. The Sharî’ah is samâwî, and since ijtihads of Sharî’ah make known its hidden ordinances, they also are samâwî….

…The hikmah of an ordinance is one thing, while real cause (‘illah) for it is something different. Hikmah and benefit are the cause of its choice, not the means of its being necessitated and created. And real cause (‘illah) is the means for its existence. For example, the salâh is shortened while travelling; two rak'ats are performed. The ‘illah for this rukhsah of the Sharî'ah is the journey, while its hikmah is the hardship. If there is the journey but no hardship, the salâh is still shortened. For there is the real cause (‘illah). But if there is no journey yet hardship, it may not be the real cause (‘illah) for shortening the salâh. Thus, contrary to this haqiqah, the view at this time is to set up the benefit and hikmah in place of the real cause (‘illah), and to make its judgement in accordance with that…

…The view at the present time looks primarily and directly to worldly happiness and directed the ordinances of Sharî’ah towards the world, whereas the view of the Sharî’ah looks primarily and directly to happiness in the âkhirah, and to happiness in this world in second place and indirectly as the means to the âkhirah. That is to say, the view of this time is a stranger to the rûh of the Sharî’ah; in which case, it can not make ijtihad in its name.” The Words (497-498 )

11) “for example, an alcohol addict — even his addiction is at the degree of dharûrah —cannot say: "It is a dharûrah and it is halal for me."

Thus, at this time there are many matters which have reached the degree of dharûrah and have taken the form of a general calamity making people addicted to themselves. Since they have emerged from misuse of the will, illicit inclinations and haram acts, they cannot be a reason to make halal what is haram through being the source of injunctions with rukhsah. Whereas, since ahl al-ijtihâd of the present time make those dharûrahs the source of injunctions of the Sharî’ah, their ijtihâd are earthly, they arise from the desires of their nafs, philosophic; they cannot be sâmâwî and are not from the Sharî’ah. Whereas, if ma’nawî permission of Al-Khâliq does not exist, the disposal and intervention concerning the Ilahî injunctions of Al-Khâliq of the samâwât and the earth and interference in the ‘ibâdah of His ‘abds are rejected. ” The Twenty-Seventh Word/The Third/The Fifth

12) “The People of kashf and shuhûd of that sort cannot interpret their own visions while in such a state, just as a person cannot interpret his own dream while dreaming it. Those who can interpret them are the Muhaqqiqîn of the legacy of nubuwwah, called 'asfiyâ.' For sure, when they rise to the rank of the 'asfiyâ,' the people of shuhûd of that group understand their errors through the guidance of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and they correct them, and they did correct them.” The Letters (104-105 )

13) “It is understood from this matter that the degree of shuhûd is much inferior to that of îmân in the Ghayb. That is to say, the uncomprehending kashf of some of the awliyâ relying only on shuhûd do not attain to the statements about the haqiqahs of îmân of the asfiyâ and muhaqqiqîn, who are the people of the legacy of nubuwwah and who rely on the Qur'an and wahy, not on shuhûd- which is about the ghayb but is lucid, comprehensive, and right. That is to say, the balance of all kashf, ma’nawî states, azwaq, and shuhûd are the Book and Sunnah. And their touchstone is the sacred principles of the Book and Sunnah, and the muhaqqiqîn asfiyâ’s rules which arise from hads.” The Letters ( 106 )

14) “At a time this poor Said was trying to emerge from the Old Said, due to the lack of a guide and the pride of nafs al-ammarah, my mind and heart were rolling over and falling amidst haqiqahs in a terrible and ma’nawî storm. Sometimes from the Pleiades to the ground, sometimes from the ground to the Pleiades, amidst the falling and rising, they were violently shaken.

Thus, at that time, I witnessed that the matters of the Sunnah as-Saniyyah and even its small âdâb, I was seeing them like a compass arranged to point to the direction of qibla showing the route followed by ships, they were switches among innumerable harmful, dark ways. Also, on that ma’nawî journey, when I saw myself in a situation where I was loaded extremely burdensome loads under heavy pressures, as long as I followed the matters of the Sunnah as-Saniyyah touching on that situation, I found a lightness as though all my loads were being taken from me. Through a submission, I was saved from doubts and waswasas, that is to say, from anxieties like: "I wonder if such an action is haqq, is it beneficial?" Whenever I drew back my hand, I saw the pressure was heavy. There were numerous ways that were not understood where they led. The load was heavy, and I was extremely impotent. My view also was short, and the way dark as well. Whenever I adhered to the Sunnah, I was feeling a state as though the way lightened, the safe way appeared, the load became lighter and the pressure lifted. Thus, at those times of mine, I confirmed the judgement of Imam-i Rabbanî through witnessing with my eye.” The Eleventh Flash- 3rd Subtle Point

In the above citations as short examples, it is seen that; there are restrictive ordinances, laws, principles, muhkamât and essentials in religion that cannot be interpreted. Îmân and submission to them is a necessity. Otherwise, the danger of stepping out from the sphere of Sharî’ah emerges. The rules about secondary matters cannot be contrary to these principles of religion.

Thus it is obligatory to be united in these essential matters for all Muslims; these principles are the cause of the rising of the firm union of Islam.

For the Leaders and the influential members of religious groups, it is indispensable to teach, declare and explain these essential principles and their being obligatory and the necessity of being united around them.

The religious groups must establish their basis on being united around the same principles, that is the essential principles within the bounds of the Sharî’ah. Because there is no other rightful way for being united. Being united and associated in the service of Islam with the people who are opposed to those principles results in participating in the wrong by supporting the wrong.

15) "What is the reason for this calamity, which arises from the wrongdoings of some individuals, taking the form of a general calamity in the country to a degree?

The Answer: From the point of general calamity being aroused from the wrongdoings of the majority, most people in a ma’nawî manner participate in the actions of those dhâlim individuals by supporting them through their actions or with iltizâm or through joining them; they cause the general calamity." The Conclusion of The Fourteenth Word

16) "sometimes, the one following this war struggles with curiosity becomes a supporter of one side by heart. He approves of their dhulm and becomes a partner in their dhulm.” The Eleventh Ray-Fourth Matter

17) “Because consenting to dhulm is dhulm; and those who are supportive, become dhâlims. Having any inclination would lead to manifest the âyah وَلاَ تَرْكَنُوا اِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ 7 The Kastamonu Addendum-228

18) “Through the decree of وَلاَ تَرْكَنُوا اِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ 8 the noble âyah threatens terrifyingly and severely, not only those who support dhulm and are the tools of it, but also those who incline slightly towards it. For, just as consenting kufr is kufr, so too, consenting dhulm is dhulm.” The Twenty-Eighth Letter/The Fourth Matter/Second Point

19) “Whereas, consenting to kufr is kufr; so consenting to dhalâlah, fisq and dhulm is fisq, dhulm and dhalâlah” Emirdağ Addendum-2 (175)

20) “The considerable gullibility of the people of Islam in this age and their preparedness to nobly forgive terrifying criminals, such that if they see a single good deed by one who commits thousands of evils and destroys the ma’nawî and material rights of human beings, they incline to show them some kind of support. In this way, the people of dhalâlah and aggression, who are the smallest of minorities, reach a majority position through the support of such gullible people; they give fatwâ to the qadar of Allah for the continuation and retention and intensity of general calamities, which happen as a consequence of the mistakes committed by the majority. They say this is what we deserve. The Kastamonu Addendum - 32

Many phrases and expressions like these demonstrate that there cannot be any union with those whose religious service opposes the injunctions of the Sharî’ah; they are not to be supported.

In the following part, Bediuzzaman declares that being united with the religious groups, who have good intentions, can be with the stipulation that they accept “the freedom of Sharî’ah”, which is accepting the prohibitions (harams) and the permissions (halals) of the Sharî’ah and acting upon them, and with the stipulation that they abandon the negative actions which open the door to the anarchy.

21) “We congratulate Jamâ’ahs founded out of love of religion and we unite with them, on two conditions:

First Condition: That they preserve the freedom of Sharî’ah and public order.

Second Condition: That they act out of love, and do not smear other groups for self-advantage. If any are in error, they should refer it to the ‘Ulamâ, who collectively constitute the Mufti of the Ummah.” The Damascus Sermon (86-87 )

That is, the disagreements about the secondary matters of the religion9 must be solved by relying on the method of Sharî’ah and the basic books of Sharî’ah. Otherwise, a legitimate union cannot be made.