32-34

بِاسْمِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ

The Answer to a Question Asked on Behalf of Many People By a Very Young Risale-i Nur Student Who Serves Me

Question: Ustadh, the result of the du'â and salâh for rain has not been seen; it remained futile. The clouds gathered two or three times but scattered without giving rain. Why is this?

The Answer: Drought is the time for this kind of du'â and salâh; it is not their real cause (‘illah) and hikmah. Just as as-salâh al-kusuf and as-salâh al-khusuf are performed at the time of solar and lunar eclipses, and the maghrib salâh is performed at sunset, in the same way, drought and an absence of rainfall is the time for the du'â and salâh for rain. The cause and result of ‘ibâdah and du'â are the command, pleasure and acceptance of Allah; their benefit belongs to the âkhirah. If what is intended by salâh and ‘ibâdah are worldly results, and if they are performed only for that sake, that salâh will be invalid.

For example, the maghrib salâh is not performed to stop the sun from setting, and as-salâh al-khusuf is not performed to end the lunar eclipse. In the same way, if this kind of ‘ibâdah is performed to bring rain, it will be wrong. Giving rain is the duty of Janâb-i Haqq. We have performed our duty and do not interfere with His duty. Although the coming of rain is the apparent result of the rain-request salâh, its actual, true and most beneficial result and the most beautiful and sweetest fruit is this: everyone perceives from this state that their father, home, or business does not grant their provision, but rather, the One Who grants his provision and food is the One Who controls massive clouds like a sponge and the face of the earth like a field; He nurtures them and bestows rizq upon them. During the rain-request salâh, even the youngest of children — who is used to crying to his mother for food when he is hungry — perceives this significant and extensive truth with his tiny mind: the One Who administers this world like a house nourishes all these children, me and all our mothers, and He bestows their rizq. If He does not give, others will be of no help; therefore, we must beseech Him. He becomes a child with complete îmân.

Six very short points will be expressed in relation to this.

First Point: The price for the ni’mah and rahmah of Allah is shukr. We did not offer the shukr that was due. Indeed, just as we failed to give the price of rahmah through shukr, we are also attracting the wrath of Allah upon ourselves through our dhulm and rebelliousness. Through the present dhulm, destruction, kufr and rebelliousness across the face of the world, mankind has made itself deserving of a slap and has received terrifying slaps. Indeed, we also will have a share in this.

Second Point: There is a hadith: “Even the fish at the bottom of the ocean complain against sinners and dhâlim people; they say that, because of them, the rain has ceased and even our sustenance decreases." Yes, in these times, there are such sins and dhulm that we are ashamed to ask for rahmah; innocent animals even suffer torment.

Third Point: It is in the âyah: "Beware of such calamity that when it comes, it will not be confined to the dhâlim, but the innocent and the oppressed will also be burnt in it." For if, in an extraordinary way, the innocent were kept safe in the fire, the hikmah of religion would be spoilt because religion is an examination, a trial, and wicked people, such as Abu Jahl, would affirm religion, like Abu Bakr Siddîq (ra). Therefore, in general calamities, the innocent suffer as well.

Fourth Point: Now, through deceptions, abuse and bribery, many harams have been mixed with wealth and rizq, and farmers do not possess actual ownership of their products. While two or three out of ten men are worthy of rahmah, five or six who benefit from the products of farmers lose their worthiness for rahmah due to their dhulm, mixing haram into their work, or a lack of shukr.

Fifth Point: The Risale-i Nur is an important cause to repel the calamities over this land of Anatolia. Just as sadaqa repels calamities; it is evident after many signs and many events that as a type of universal sadaqa, the spread and reading of the Nur repel samâwî and earthly calamities. This has, in fact, been established with the indications of the Quran. And having four earthquakes started during the same time the Risale-i Nur's writing and dissemination were forbidden, and their having stopped after its dissemination and with its reading widely across Anatolia, and its being a means of preventing the Second World War from entering Anatolia as indicated to by surah وَ الْعَصْرِ , this comprehensive ma’nawî sadaqa, which is a means to repel disasters, could not resist since, during this drought which has been going on for two months, while we were expecting the Risale-i Nur being disseminated and read with complete freedom after the court acquitted the Risale-i Nur and the Appeals Court reaffirmed its conclusion about the benefits to this nation, in a totally contrary manner, it has instead prohibited and the risales held by the court have not returned to their owners and we were prohibited to speak from this aspect; as a result of our sin, the drought began.

Sixth Point: The absence of rainfall is a calamity; it is a torment given as a punishment for the deed. Therefore, responding to it should be through weeping, begging with sadness, grief, beseeching, sorrow, deep remorse, tawbah and istighfâr, and through seeking refuge in the court of Allah, offering du'â and performing ‘ubûdiyyah particular to that state, in a manner determined by Sharî’ah, within the circle of Sunnah As-Saniyyah and without mixing bid’ahs.

Furthermore, since such general calamities come as a consequence of the mistake of the majority, they will be removed by the tawbah, remorse and istighfâr offered by the majority of those people.

Since we, the students of the Risale-i Nur, do not attach much importance to the world and only look to the world for the Risale-i Nur, we look from that aspect in this lack of rain too. Thus, at the very same time, when the small number of Risale-i Nur books which were handed over to the court in Denizli returned back to their owners and some of the people here began to write them, rahmah rained down to a degree during this rainless period. However, since the freedom of the Risale-i Nur was partial, the rahmah too was partial. InshâAllah soon my risales will also be returned, and they will be completely free and widely disseminated and the rahmah too will be universal.