Just as each member of a mana’wî collective personality working for khayr can benefit from the du’â and sawâb of other members and will receive the rewards gained by all, in the same way, the members of a mana’wî collective personality working for sharr will suffer the punishment of the result caused by all.

The conditions to join the mana’wî collective personality of Islam and to benefit from the du’â and sawâb of Muslims:

For example, at a time when Aya Sophia Masjîd is full of honourable and blessed people from among the people of fadl and perfection, while there are one or two idle children and vagrant immoral men on the porch and door and foreign spectators worshipping amusement on the windows and around them, if a man enters the masjîd and is included into that jamâ’ah and recites a portion of ten âyahs from the Qur'an with a sweet and beautiful voice, the gazes of thousands of the people of haqiqah turn to him and they cause him to gain sawâb through their favourable regard and ma’nawî du'â. Only, this does not please the idle children, vagrant mulhids and one or two foreigners.

If he shouts out insolently vile and obscene songs, dances and jumps when he entered the blessed masjîd and into such esteemed jamâ’ah, he will cause the idle children to laugh and will please the vagrant immoral men since he encourages them to obscene acts and words; he will attract the mockingly smiles of foreigners, who receive pleasure at seeing the fault of Islam. But he will attract a look of disgust and contempt from all individuals of the esteemed and blessed jamâ’ah. In their view, he will appear vile to the degree of falling to the asfal sâfilîn.

Exactly like this example; the ‘âlam of Islam and Asia is an immense masjîd; the people of îmân and haqiqah within it are the honourable jamâ’ah in that masjîd. As for the idle children, they are boothlickers having the mind of a child. As for the vagrant immoral men, they are irreligious men who follow Europe and have no nation. As for the foreign spectators, they are the journalists who disseminate the ideas of foreigners. Each Muslim, especially if he is from among the people of fadl and perfection, has a place in this masjîd according to his degree; he is seen and the attention turns towards him. If regarding ikhlas and the acceptance and pleasure of Allah, which are the fundamental mystery of Islam, the actions and deeds concerning the rules and sacred haqiqahs that Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm teaches appear from him, and if the language of his being recites the âyahs of the Qur'an, in a ma’nawî manner, he will be included in and will have a share of the du'â 1 اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَات , which is a constant wird of each individual in the âlam of Islam and he will become connected to all of them in a brotherly fashion. Only, his value will not be seen by some of the people of dhalâlah, who are from among the species of detrimental animals, and by some fools, who are bearded children.

By abandoning all his ancestors, who he knows as the source of honour, all of his past, who he knows as the source of pride, and the luminous highway of Salaf as-Sâlihîn, which he considers to be the point of support in his rûh, if that man performs actions and works in the way of bid’ah and riyâ, and by being the slave to his fancies, following his desires and nourishing the love for fame, he will fall, in a ma’nawî manner, to the lowest position in the view of all the people of haqiqah and îmân. According to the mystery ofاِتَّقُوا فِرَاسَةَ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَاِنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ بِنُورِ اللّٰهِ2 , however ordinary and ignorant the people of îmân are, although their mind does not understand, if their heart sees such boastful men, they will look coldly and hate in a ma’nawî manner.

Thus, the man mad with the love for rank and position and afflicted with worshipping fame — the second man — descends to the asfal sâfilîn in the view of the immense jamâ’ah. He gains a temporary and evil position in the view of some insignificant, mocking vagrants who talk nonsense. According to the mystery of 3 َاْلاَخِلاَّءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ اِلاَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ ,he finds a few false friends, who are harm in the world, torment in the barzakh and enemies in the âkhirah.

The first man in the example, even if he does not remove the love for rank and position from his heart, attains a sort of ma’nawî rank permitted by the Sharî’ah on condition that he takes ikhlas and the acceptance and pleasure of Allah as his principle and does not accept the love of position and rank as his aim; he attains a glorious rank at which he will perfectly satisfy the vein of the love of rank and position. This man loses something insignificant, very insignificant, but he finds numerous valuable and harmless things in its place. Indeed, he makes a few snakes run away from himself but finds numerous blessed creatures in their place; he becomes familiar with them. Or he makes stinging wild hornets run away but draws bees, the blessed makers of sweet beverages of rahmah, to himself. As though eating honey at their hand, he finds such friends that through their duâs, his rûh will always be made to drink the faydh like the water of Kawthar from all around the ‘âlam of Islam and those faydh will be made to record on his book of good deeds.

The Twenty-Ninth Letter – The Sixth Section which is the Sixth Risale – The First Wile

 

In order to obtain great wealth and extreme power, ahl ad-dunyâ even certain politicians, important committees and governors of the life of society have adopted the principle of partnership in goods as their guide. Together with all the misuses and harms of it, they obtain extraordinary strength and benefit. Whereas — together with many of its harms — the essence of partnership in goods does not change through participation. Each of them is the owner of all goods — though in supervision and in one aspect — but cannot benefit from all of them. However, if this principle of partnership in goods enters the works (‘amal) of the âkhirah, it becomes a source of great benefit without loss. Because it bears the mystery of all the possessions passing completely to the hands of each individual. Just as one of four or five men, with the intention of participating, brings kerosene, another a wick, another a lamp, another a glass, and another the matches; they light the lamp. Each of them becomes the owner of a complete lamp. If each of those who participated has a huge mirror on a wall, a lamp will enter it together with the room without deficiency or being split up. In the same way, partnership in the goods of the âkhirah through the mystery of ikhlas, solidarity through the mystery of brotherhood and working collectively through the mystery of unity... The total sum and nûr obtained from such a partnership in action being entered entirely into the book of good deeds of each is a fact and has been witnessed by the people of haqiqah and is the requirement of the abundance of rahmah and the munificence of Allah.

Thus, O my brothers! Material benefits, inshâAllah, will not drive you to rivalry. But, in point of the benefits of the âkhirah, you might also be deceived like some of the people of tarîqah have been deceived. But, there is no comparison between a personal and particular sawâb with the sawâb and nûr that manifest in the point of the participation in actions in the above example.

Second Example: In order to gain more results from their craft, by means of cooperation in their craft, craftsmen are obtaining significant wealth. As proof, it may be mentioned that ten manufacturers of sewing needles worked separately. Only three needles a day were the fruits of such individual labour and craft. Then, ten men united through the principle of working collectively. One brought the iron, one lit the furnace, one pierced the needles, one placed them in the furnace, another sharpened the points and so on... Since each was occupied with only a particular work in the craft of needle-making and the service each of them engaged in was simple, time was not wasted; acquiring mastery on that service, they performed their work with great speed. Then, they divided the fruit of the craft which was made through the principle of working collectively and the division of labour. They saw that each man had three hundred needles instead of three in a day. This event has become a common legend among the craftsmen of ahl ad-dunyâ in order to encourage them to work collectively.

Thus, o my brothers! Since in the works of the world and dense materials, such union and alliance give such results and immense total benefits. Each of them possessing the same sawâb gained by all and all nûr being reflected on the mirror of each through the fadl of Allah, those luminous sawâb and nûr of the âkhirah, which do not need to be divided and separated, you can compare how great profits are. This immense profit should not be lost through rivalry and lack of ikhlas.

The Twenty-First Flash – Your Fourth Principle

 

Through the faydh of the ma’nawî partnership of Nur, according to his degree, each student also receives a share of the ma’nawî gains and duâs of all his brothers. It is as though he offers istighfâr and performs ‘ibâdah with thousands of tongues. At this extraordinary time, these two profits and results reduce to nothing all the difficulties and hardships; The Risale-i Nur gives these two valuable profits to its loyal customers very cheap.

Said Nursî

The Fourteenth Ray

           

The noble Ramadhan of this year is of great importance and is extremely valuable for both the Islamic World and the Risale-i Nur students. The rewards of those who enter the circle of the Risale-i Nur with loyalty and ikhlas are so great and universal through the mystery of partnership in deeds of the âkhirah, which is a fundamental principle of Risale-i Nur students, and as a consequence of the requirement of that principle and of the rahmah of Allah, the same amount of the gains of each of them is recorded in the book of good deeds of each of his brothers. Each one of them gains thousands of shares. InshâAllah, without being divided or diminished like the collective shares in material worldly gains, it will be recorded in the book of good deeds of each in exactly the same amount. Just like a single lamp that was brought by a man will enter each of the thousands of mirrors as the same lamp without being divided. In this way, we strongly hope from the vastness of the rahmah of Allah that if one loyal student of the Risale-i Nur were to gain the haqiqah of the Night of Qadr and the high level of Ramadhan, truly loyal students, in general, would earn and have their share from it.

 The Kastamonu Addendum-94

 

While being in the sphere of Islam, due to the lack of loyalty4 , it is possible to join the mana’wî collective personality of sharr currents and give strength to them unknowingly.

Some examples of the importance of loyalty displayed by actions, the danger of joining the mana’wî collective personality of sharr currents and the perilous results of supporting them:

With the thought “Our hearts are together with Ustadh”, those wretches suppose themselves not to be dangerous. Whereas a man who strengthens the current of people of ilhâd and is deceived by their propaganda, and perhaps who is in danger of unknowingly being used as a spy saying: “My heart is pure and loyal to the way of my Ustadh” resembles the following example: While performing the salâh, someone cannot hold his wind and expels it; his wudhû is invalidated. When he is told that his salâh is invalid, he says: "Why should my salâh be invalidated? My heart is pure."

The Twenty-Ninth Letter – The Sixth Section which is the Sixth Risale – The First Wile

 

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, since most people, in a ma’nawî manner, participate in the actions of those dhâlim individuals by supporting them through their actions, by having iltizâm for the actions of those dhâlim individuals, or by joining them, they cause the general calamity.

The Addendum to the Fourteenth Word

 

Through the decree of 5 وَلاَ تَرْكَنُوا اِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ , 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.

Thus, one of the people of perfection perfectly interpreted one of the many jewels of this âyah as follows:

One who assists a dhâlim in the world is the men of despicableness

That is a dog, who receives pleasure from serving the unjust hunter.

The Twenty-Eighth Letter - The Fourth Matter which is the Fourth Risale

           

Yes, the way is seen to be two. There is the possibility that those who part now from this way of ours, the great highway of the Qur’an, are unknowingly helping the power of irreligion that is hostile to us. InshâAllah, those who enter the sacred sphere of the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition by way of the Risale-i Nur will always give strength to nûr, ikhlas and îmân, and will not fall into such pits.

The Twenty-First Flash – Your Fourth Principle

 

Some Parts about the mana’wî collective personality of The Risale-i Nur and its students:

A day will come and these works will spread across Anatolia, reach the centres of the ‘âlam of Islam and attract the gazes of the people of politics, shatter the ideologies of irreligion and kufr, which were intended to be implanted within a nation that for centuries was the flag bearer of the ‘âlam of Islam and serve as a barrier against the invasion of this country by the currents of the people of kufr, the people of dissipation and the people of dhalâlah, which consist of the ma’nawî collective personality of the taghûts of dhalâlah. They will be the means of the procurement of eternal salvation and happiness for future generations.

 The Biography

 

My ‘Azîz Brothers! It has occurred to my heart many times and I would anticipate the mystery of “Why has Imam ‘Ali (ra) attached such great importance to the Risale-i Nur and the Risale of Âyetu’l Kubra6 in particular?” Lillahilhamd I have been warned.

I will for now only provide a small indication to the mystery that unfolded. It is as follows:

Since a distinguished feature of the Risale-i Nur is to express powerfully and decisively the final and most universal point of support of îmân; this feature is found to shine most extraordinarily in the Risale of Âyetu’l Kubra. And in this strange age, the fight between kufr and îmân has extended to that final point of support and has made everything rest on this. For example: In the same way that two battalions fight out across a large battlefield in which all forces on both sides have gathered. The enemy employs all means to activate the destructive weapon of its greatest army in order to aid its own battalion and to remarkably reinforce its ma’nawî strength. It uses any means to break the ma’nawî strength of the battalion of the people of îmân and destroys the solidarity amongst its members. It scatters the reserve forces by making an important point of support incline to themselves. It deploys a community which cooperates by the spirit of societies and committees against each soldier of the Muslim battalion. At a time when it works to destroy all its ma’nawî strength, someone like Khidhr appears and says to the battalion: “Do not despair! You have such an unshakable point of support, such undefeatable magnificent armies, and such inexhaustible reserve forces, that even if the world were to unite, it could not challenge it. One of the reasons you are being overwhelmed now is that you are sending a single soldier against a whole community and ma’nawî collective personality. Strive so that with the powerful ma’nawî strength each soldier receives from the ma’nawî benefit of their circle – which are their points of support – every soldier can take on the form of a ma’nawî collective personality and society.” He provided complete conviction.

In exactly the same way – with regard to this century being the age of jamâ’ah - the people of dhalâlah attacking the people of îmân by means of societies and committees, become a ma’nawî collective personality and wicked rûh spoiling the collective conscience and communal heart of the Muslim world. They tear down the sacred veil of Islam protecting the taqlîdî belief of the ‘awâm and burn away the inherent feelings that have come through the tradition which keeps the life of îmân alive. While each Muslim tries despairingly to save themselves from this terrible fire, the Risale-i Nur comes to their aid like Khidhr and shows its final army which surrounds the universe {Note: A force that cannot disperse the universe cannot harm it} and through kashf, Imam ‘Ali (ra) saw the Risale of Âyetu’l Kubra as a wondrous soldier serving to deliver overwhelming material and ma’nawî aid and shown it attaching great importance.

You can implement the other points in the analogy so that a summary of that mystery can be seen.

The Kastamonu Addendum (63)

 

O valuable students of the Risale-i Nur and my brothers who are more self-sacrificing and fortunate than me! In relation to my personality, your excessive favourable view of me may not bring you harm. But perceivers of haqiqah such as yourselves should look to the duty and service performed and base their views on that respect. If the veil was lifted, my nature which is full of faults from head to toe would have you pity me. So that I do not lose your brotherhood and that you do not feel remorse, do not attach your connection with me to imagined ranks which are beyond my due.

My relationship with you is as a brother; it is not my right to become a murshid. Neither am I your Ustadh; rather, I am fellow in learning. I am in need of your compassionate du'â and support for my mistakes. It is that with the bestowal and generosity of Janâb-i Haqq through the principle of delegating duties, we have become partners in a very sacred, very important, very valuable service that is of benefit to everyone from the people of îmân. The extraordinary significance and value and guidance (Irshad) of the ma’nawî collective personality, which proceeds from our solidarity, and its being an Ustadh are sufficient for us.

And since beyond all things, the service of îmân is a most important duty in this age; and as for quantity, it has little importance compared to quality; and the temporary and constantly changing political worlds are of no importance compared to the eternal, permanent and fixed service of îmân; they cannot act as scales, nor can they serve as a means. We should seek contentment in the ranks with faydh within the Risale-i Nur’s circle of instructions and from the aspect of service, it grants us. Instead of affording exceptional and extraordinary favourable thoughts and excessive lofty ranks that is beyond due, what is needed is exceptional loyalty and steadfastness, excessive connection and ikhlas. We should progress in this.

اَلْبَاقِى هُوَ الْبَاقِى

Your brother

Said Nursî

The Kastamonu Addendum (101)

 

For the people of haqiqah, this age is not the age of individuality and ananiyyah. This age is the age of jamâ’ah. The ma’nawî collective personality born out of the jamâ’ah prevails and can withstand. In order to obtain a large pool, it is necessary to throw one’s ananiyyah and personality, which is a fragment of ice, into that pool and dissolve it. Otherwise, that fragment of ice will melt away and be wasted; the opportunity of benefitting from that pool will be missed.

The Kastamonu Addendum (159)

 

My brothers,

A terrifying ananiyyah arising from ghaflah and the ‘ibâdah of the world rules at this time. Since the people of haqiqah, therefore, have to give up ananiyyah and boasting — even if it is in a licit form — and since the Risale-i Nur students dissolve their ananiyyah, which is a fragment of ice, in the ma’nawî collective personality and the joint pool, they will not be shaken amid this storm, InshâAllah. Yes, an important and experienced plan of the munâfiqs is to collect together individuals, who are all like officers and judges, in constraining places which makes them seek to avoid each other and gives nervousness of criticising each other concerning a common matter; they cause them to fight, scatter their ma’nawî strength, then, easily slap, attack and defeat those who have lost their strength. Since the Risale-i Nur students have taken the way of khillah, brotherhood (ukhuwwah) and "annihilate the self among brothers", InshâAllah, they will cause this experienced plan of the munâfiqs to remain barren.

 The Thirteenth Ray

 

From your brother who, in all his duâs, while using the first person plural likeاَجِرْنَا وَارْحَمْنَا وَاحْفَظْنَا7 includes all of you in them without exception; who works by following the principles of our ma’nawî collective personality, which consists numerous bodies and a single rûh; who is more concerned with your hardship than you are yourselves; and who, from your ma’nawî collective personality awaits help, assistance, steadfastness, firmness and shafâ’ah.

Said Nursî

The Thirteenth Ray

 

In return for the great rewards and earnings and the valuable results awarded to its loyal and steadfast students, as a price, The Risale-i Nur expects a complete and pure loyalty and constant and unshakable steadfastness from its students. Indeed, twenty-thousand people over twenty years can attest with their experiences that the Risale-i Nur affords in just fifteen weeks, and for some in as little as fifteen days, the strong tahqîqî îmân achieved in fifteen years.

Furthermore, based on the principle of ‘partnership in deeds of the âkhirah’, it affords the complete sawâb gained every day through the acceptable duâs by the thousands of pure tongues of each of its students, and the totality of good deeds (‘amal as-sâlîh) performed by thousands of virtuous people. It thereby makes every true, loyal and steadfast student equivalent to a thousand people in terms of deeds (‘amal). Proof of this is the three karâmât and appreciative reports by Imam ‘Ali (ra), the acclaim and encouragement announced by the karâmât from the ghayb by Ghawth al-A'dham and the strong indications of the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition. They prove with certainty the joyful news that those sincere students will be among the people of bliss and the people of Jannah. Such a gain indeed deserves such a price.

Since this is the haqiqah, the people of ‘ilm, tarîqah and followers of the Sufi paths who are close to the circle of the Risale-i Nur, are expected to enter its current, and using their experience from their ‘ilm and tarîqah, should work to strengthen it, expand it and to encourage its students. In order to achieve a complete pool, it is necessary and essential that they cast their ananiyyah which is like fragments of ice, and dissolve it into the water of life in that pool within that circle. Otherwise, by starting a new path with rivalry against the Risale-i Nur, they will be at loss and will harm this mustaqîm and firm highway of the Qur’an without realizing it. Rather, they will be indirectly assisting the zandaqa.

The Kastamonu Addendum (135)

 

My ‘Azîz brothers,

In response to the fearsome events of this age, after the strength of ikhlas, our greatest source of strength is using the ‘partnership in deeds of the âkhirah’ to strengthen and support each other’s shield of taqwâ and its fort with your words, and, in the same way, to send rewards to each other’s register of good deeds (‘amal as-sâlîh) with the scribing of your pens. It is to be expected from such heroic, truthful people possessing compassion and loyalty like yourselves, that during these three blessed months and the well-known holy nights, you run to the assistance of this weak brother of yours while he is the target of intense attacks. I am requesting this ma’nawî assistance from you with all my rûh. On the condition that there is îmân and loyalty, through the principle of ‘partnership in deeds of the âkhirah’, I share with the students of The Risale-i Nur, all of my duâs and ma’nawî gains, sometimes more than a hundred times a day, under the title of “Risale-i Nur students”.

The Kastamonu Addendum (165)

 

A warning arising from a despairing memory that bears good news.

It has come to my mind in recent times that: “Whatever they encounter, those who enter social life will mostly be exposed to sins. Sins surround a person easily from all directions. How can a single person’s ‘ibâdah and taqwâ be enough to stand against this many sins?” And I despairingly began to ponder.

I started thinking about the state of Risale-i Nur students in social life and began reflecting on the strong signs of the Qur’an and the good news by Imam ‘Ali and Ghawth al-A'dham regarding the salvation of Risale-i Nur students and that they will be from the people of bliss. I said in my heart: “By using only their individual tongue, how can each respond to the sins coming from a thousand aspects; how can they be victorious and find salvation?” and was left bewildered. In response to my bewilderment, it was warned that:

Through the law of ‘partnership in deeds of the âkhirah’ and the mystery of sincere and pure cooperation, which are the fundamental principles among true and loyal students of the Risale-i Nur — with every sincere and true student offering not with a single tongue, but rather through the ‘ibâdah and istighfâr with the tongues to the number of their brothers —each will respond with thousands of tongues against the onslaught of sins attacking them from a thousand aspects. In the same way, the certain malâikah perform dhikr with forty-thousand tongues; a sincere and true student who practices taqwâ, performs ‘ibâdah through the tongues of their forty thousand brothers and becomes deserving of salvation, and will, InshâAllah, be among the people of bliss. They can acquire that exalted and universal ‘ubûdiyyah, according to their degree of loyalty, service, taqwâ and abstaining from kabâir, within the circle of the Risale-i Nur. Certainly, in order not to lose this great benefit, they must work on taqwâ, ikhlas and loyalty.

The Kastamonu Addendum (108)