174-177

[This Passage is Extremely Valuable]

The First Subtle Point: Out of His perfect generosity, mercy and justice, Janâb-i haqq has placed an immediate reward within good works and virtuous conduct and an immediate punishment within evil deeds. Within the virtuous deeds, He has placed ma’nawî pleasures that evoke the reward of the âkhirah; and within evil deeds, He has placed ma’nawî punishments that make one feel the torment of the âkhirah.

For example, love among mu’mins is a fine virtuous conduct for the people of îmân. Within this virtuous conduct, a ma’nawî pleasure, a delight, relief and joy have been placed for the heart that evoke the physical reward of the âkhirah. Whoever consults their heart will feel this delight.

For example, hostility and enmity among mu’mins is an evil conduct. Embedded within that evil conduct is a torment of conscience (wijdân) that will suffocate the heart and the rûh, making noble rûhs feel it. I myself have experienced more than a hundred times that when I harboured enmity toward a mu’min brother, I suffered such a torment arising from that enmity that it left no room for doubt: this was an immediate punishment inflicted upon me for that evil conduct.

For instance, showing respect to the personages who are worthy of respect and showing mercy and serving to those worthy of mercy, is a virtuous conduct, a good deed. Within this good deed, there is such a delight and pleasure that it evokes the reward of the âkhirah to the extent that the very feeling of that respect and mercy carries one so far as to sacrifice his life.

For the sake of the delight and reward she earns through the compassion in her mercy toward her child, a mother reaches the degree of sacrificing her life for the path of that mercy. A hen attacking a lion to save its chick is an example of this haqiqah in the animal nation. This means that within mercy and respect, there is an immediate reward; zealous and noble people feel these rewards, thereby taking a heroic stance.

Furthermore, for instance, there is such a punishment — a plaintive, worrisome, ma’nawî and heart-felt punishment — in greed and wastefulness that it stuns man. And there is such an immediate punishment in envy and jealousy that envy itself burns the envier. Likewise, there is such a reward in tawakkul and contentment that that delightful immediate reward dispels the calamity and pain of poverty and need.

Moreover, for example, there is such a heavy burden in pride and arrogance that the arrogant man demands respect from everyone, yet is treated coldly and thus suffers a perpetual torment due to this demand. Indeed, respect is given, not demanded. Similarly, for instance, there is such a delightful reward in humility and relinquishing ananiyyah that it delivers one from a heavy burden and from trying to make himself admired in a cold and forced manner.

Moreover, for instance, there is an immediate punishment in this world for thinking ill of others and misinterpretation. According to the rule 1 مَنْ دَقَّ دُقَّ, whoever thinks ill of others becomes subject to ill thoughts. The actions of those who misinterpret the actions of their mu’min brother will soon be subjected to misinterpretation, and they will suffer its punishment. And similarly, all virtuous and evil morals should be measured according to this scale. I hope from the rahmah of Allah that those who taste the ma’nawî miraculousness of the Qur'an manifested from the Risale-i Nur in this age will feel these ma’nawî pleasures and, inshâAllah, will not be afflicted with evil morals.

Said Nursî