Thirteenth Note

This consists of Five Matters that have been the cause of confusion.

The First Matter: Although those who work and perform jihad on the haqq way should think only of their own duties, they fall into error by thinking of the duty of Janâb-i Haqq and basing their actions on it. It is in the risale of Adabu'd-Din wa'd-Dunyâ that, one time, shaytan objected to Hazrat ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm and said, "Since the appointed time of one’s death and everything are specified by Ilahî qadar, throw yourself off from this high place, and see, you will die." Hazrat ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm said,اِنَّ لِلّٰهِ اَنْ يَخْتَبِرَ عَبْدَهُ وَلَيْسَ لِلْعَبْدِ اَنْ يَخْتَبِرَ رَبَّهُ   That is, "Janâb-i Haqq tests his ‘abd and says: If you do this, I will do that to you. Let's see if you are able to do it. But the ‘abd does not have the right, and he cannot dare to test Janâb-i Haqq and say: If I act in that way, will You do this? Testing Janâb-i Haqq’s rubûbiyyah in a manner of examining Him is discourtesy and contrary to ‘ubûdiyyah." Since this is the haqiqah, man should fulfil his own duty and not interfere in Janâb-i Haqq's duty.

It is well known that when Jalal ad-Din Khwarazm-Shah, one of the heroes of Islam who many times defeated Genghis Khan’s army, was going to war, his ministers and subjects said to him, "You will be victorious; Janâb-i Haqq will make you victor." He said, "I am charged with acting on the way of jihâd by the command of Allah; I do not interfere with Janâb-i Haqq's duty. To make us victorious or vanquished is His duty." Thus, since he understood this mystery of submission (taslîm), he became wondrously victorious many times.

Yes, in his actions, which he performs through juz’ al-ikhtiyârî in his hand, man should not think of the results belonging to Janâb-i Haqq. For example, many people joining Risale-i Nur increases the enthusiasm and zeal of some of our brothers. When people do not listen, the ma’nawî strength of the weak is broken and their enthusiasm wanes to an extent. Whereas by taking the decree of Allahوَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ اِلاَّ الْبَلاَغُ 1 as his absolute guide, Ar-Rasûl Al-Akram ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, who is the absolute ustadh, universal leader and perfect guide, performed tablîgh with greater effort, zeal and seriousness when people held back and did not listen because, through the mystery of the âyah اِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ اَحْبَبْتَ وَلٰكِنَّ اللهَ يَهْدِى مَنْ يَشَۤاءُ 2, he understood that making people listen and bestowing hidâyah on them is the duty of Janâb-i Haqq. And he did not interfere in Janâb-i Haqq's duty.

So, O my brothers! You, too, by basing your actions on a duty that does not belong to you, do not interfere and do not take up the position of testing your Khâliq!

The Second Matter: ‘Ubûdiyyah looks to the command of Allah and the acceptance and pleasure of Allah. The cause of ‘ubûdiyyah is the command of Allah and its result is the acceptance and pleasure of Haqq. Its fruits and benefits belong to the âkhirah. But, on condition that they are not the ultimate purpose and not intentionally sought, the benefits belonging to this world and the fruits that come about themselves and are given without being sought are not contrary to ‘ubûdiyyah. They rather become a cause for being preferred and incentives for the weak. If those fruits and benefits belonging to this world become the reason or a part of the reason for that awrâd or dhikr, it partly invalidates that ‘ubûdiyyah. It rather causes that beneficial and powerful awrâd to be fruitless and to produce no results.

Thus, those who do not understand this mystery recite, for example, the Awrâd al-Qudsiya of Shah Naqshband, which has a hundred benefits and qualities, or Jawshan al-Kabir, which has a thousand qualities, by making some of those benefits their only purpose. They cannot see those benefits, will not see those benefits, and do not have the right to see them because those benefits cannot be the cause of that awrâd, and they should not be sought intentionally and directly from it. Because those benefits are given from the fadl of Allah as a result of that awrâd being recited with ikhlas without demanding anything. If one intends those benefits, his ikhlas will be spoilt to a degree. It rather ceases being ‘ubûdiyyah and loses all value. There is just this: weak people are in need of incentives and a reason for preferring to recite such beneficial and powerful awrâd. It causes no harm if they think of those benefits and eagerly recite them purely for the acceptance and pleasure of Allah and for the âkhirah; it is even acceptable. It is because this hikmah has not been understood that when people do not see the benefits narrated by Aqtâb and Salaf as-Sâlihîn, many fall into doubt or even deny them.

The Third Matter: طُوبَى لِمَنْ عَرَفَ حَدَّهُ وَلَمْ يَتَجَاوَزْ طَوْرَهُ That is, “Happy is the man who knows his limits and does not exceed them." The sun has manifestations from a particle of glass to a droplet of water, a pool, the sea and the moon to the planets. Each holds the sun's reflection and image in accordance with its capacity and knows its limits. In accordance with its capacity, a drop of water says, "There is a reflection of the sun on me." But it cannot say, "I, too, am a mirror like the sea." In just the same way, there are degrees in the ranks of the awliyâ, in accordance with the variety of manifestations of the names of Allah. Each of the names of Allah has manifestations like a sun, from the heart to the ‘arsh. The heart, too, is a place where the names of Allah manifest, but it cannot say, "I, too, am like the ‘Arsh." Thus, those who traverse those ranks in a spoiled way and with pride hold their tiny hearts equal to the ‘Arsh, instead of knowing their impotence, poverty, fault and defect and having sajda entreatingly before the court of ulûhiyyah, which are the basis of ‘ubûdiyyah. They confuse their drop-like ranks with the ocean-like ranks of the awliyâ. They fall into artificiality, pretence, meaningless boastfulness and many difficulties in order to make themselves fit for those high ranks and preserve themselves in that rank.

In Short: In the hadith, it was mentioned thatهَلَكَ النَّاسُ اِلاَّ الْعَالِمُونَ وَهَلَكَ الْعَالِمُونَ اِلاَّ الْعَامِلُونَ وَهَلَكَ الْعَامِلُونَ اِلاَّ الْمُخْلِصُونَ وَالْمُخْلِصُونَ عَلَى خَطَرٍ عَظِيمٍ3 . That is, the only means of salvation and deliverance is ikhlas. Gaining ikhlas is very important. An iota of act with ikhlas is preferable to tonnes of those without ikhlas. The cause of gaining ikhlas is that the reason for one’s actions should be the command of Allah, and he should think that the result of his actions is Allah's acceptance and pleasure, and he should not interfere with the duty of Allah.

There is ikhlas in everything. Even a jot of love with ikhlas is superior to tonnes of formal love for which a price in return is wanted. Someone described this love with ikhlas as follows:

وَ مَا اَنَا بِالْبَاغِى عَلَى الْحُبِّ رِشْوَةً ضَعِيفٌ هَوًى يُبْغَى عَلَيْهِ ثَوَابٌ

That is, "I do not want a bribe, price, return, or reward for love, because love, for which a price and reward in return are wanted, is weak and impermanent." As proof, it may be mentioned that sincere love has been included in mankind’s fitrah and in all mothers. The compassion of mothers contains this sincere love in its true meaning. Mothers sacrificing their lives and even their happiness in the âkhirah for their children is evidence that, through the mystery of this compassion, they do not want or demand a reward or bribe in return for their love. While a hen's only capital is its life, it sacrifices its head to save its chick's head from the jaws of a dog, as Husrev witnessed.

The Fourth Matter: Ni’mahs that came by the hands of apparent causes should not be taken on account of those causes. If that cause does not possess the will, like an animal or a tree, for example, it gives the ni’mah directly on account of Janâb-i Haqq. Since it says Bismillah through the language of its being and gives it to you, you, too, say Bismillah and take it on account of Allah. If the cause possesses the will, he should say Bismillah, then you take it from him; otherwise, do not take it, because apart from the explicit meaning (ma’nâ as-sarîh) of the âyah وَلاَ تَاْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ 4 , an indicative meaning (ma’nâ al-isharî) is this: "Do not eat the ni’mah which do not recall True Mun’im and are not given in His name." Since this is so, both the one who gives should say Bismillah and the one who takes should say Bismillah. If he does not say Bismillah, but you are in need of taking it, then you say Bismillah; see the hand of the rahmah of Allah upon him; kiss it with shukr; then take it from him. That is, look from the ni’mah to the act of its being given, and from the act of the ni’mah being given, think of True Mun’im. Thinking in this way is a shukr. Then, if you wish, offer a du'â for the apparent means because the ni’mah was sent to you by his hand.

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 Fifth Matter: 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.

For example, heat and light reach you by means of a mirror. Forgetting the sun and considering the mirror as the source and being grateful to it instead of being grateful to the sun is lunacy. Yes, the mirror should be preserved because it is the place of manifestation. Thus, the rûh and heart of a murshid are a mirror; he becomes a place where the faydh coming from Janâb-i Haqq reflects on and a means of its being reflected to his followers (murîd). He should not be ascribed a higher rank regarding faydh than that of being the means. It sometimes even happens that an ustadh considered the source is neither the place of manifestation nor the source. But the follower (murîd) sees the faydh he receives in other ways, such as the purity of his ikhlas, the strength of his attachment and his concentration on his ustadh, as coming from the mirror of his ustadh's rûh. Just as, when some people look at a mirror attentively, a window to al-‘âlam al-mithâl is opened in their imagination by means of magnetism. They observe strange and wonderful things in the mirror. But it is not in the mirror; rather, they see a window that opened up in their imaginations outside the mirror by focusing their attention on the mirror. It is for this reason that sometimes the sincere follower (murîd) of a deficient shaykh can be more advanced than his shaykh. He guides his shaykh and becomes his shaykh's shaykh.