بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

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

RAMADHAN - SAWM - 2

1. Holding sawm and performing ‘ibâdah under hard circumstances are perfect lessons given by the language of being:

With a subtle smile he gave for Feyzi and Salâhaddin being called into military service, Ustadh said, “They cannot take you. You have a duty; you are invited. For even if it is not with your tongues, your actions and manners will perform that duty.” It is true that despite the poor weather conditions, when Salâhaddin was on military duty at Tavshan Hill in Izmit, his leading the tarâwih salâh with the jamâ’ah during the blessed Ramadhan and due to his regiment’s being moved to Hadimkoyu coinciding with the 27th, 28th and 29th days of Ramadhan, his holding sawm, performing his salâh on the ship, spending the Night of Qadr at the Hadimkoyu station ramp, taking his wudû with water that was difficult to obtain during the cold rainy weather, performing salâh on the covers of a container and spending the night by offering shukr to Allah in a sorrowful state inside the wagon arouse religious sentiments in other soldiers and became a lesson for them. Moreover, Salâhaddin reading the whole Fourth Word about salâh to a congregation consisting of both military and civil individuals before the Eid salâh in the masjid of Balaban village and preaching the Risale-i Nur, and my brother Feyzi, in the same way, and more effectively, giving lessons through the ma’nawî language of being and verbal language in his regiment confirm Ustadh’s words.

Salâhaddin

The Kastamonu Addendum-62

(Please also refer to the compilation on The Language of Being.)

2. Preferring the service for dissemination of the Risale-i Nur over the recitation of awrâd in Ramadhan:

I was sad this Ramadhan because, while correcting Sirajunnûr, I could not find enough time to recite my important awrâd. Suddenly, it was warned that the matters you read are ‘ibâdah in one aspect; they also are pure ma’rifatullah, the dhikr of Allah, the hudhur of heart and the love arising from îmân; those matters, therefore, fill the place of your awrâd, which you could not recite. And I said, “Alhamdulillah.”

 Emirdağ Addendum-1 (243)

3. Searching the Night of Qadr in the last ten days of Ramadhan:

The noble hadith decrees that there is a strong possibility of the Night of Qadr being in the last ten nights of Ramadhan, especially the odd numbers. The Nurjus, therefore, should work to profit from that immense nûr.

 Emirdağ Addendum-1 (245)

 

It was decreed in sahîh riwâyât, "Seek the Night of Qadr in the second half of Ramadhan, especially in the last ten days." Since it is probably in the coming nights, in places full of sawâb like these, it is a great happiness to work to profit from it, which causes a person to gain a lifetime of more than eighty years of ‘ibâdah.

The Fourteenth Ray

 

Since there is a strong possibility that tomorrow night1 is the Night of Qadr, some of the mujtahids have assigned the Night of Qadr to tomorrow. Even if it is not in fact, since the ummah considers that night to be so, InshâAllah, it will be accepted as such.

 The Fourteenth Ray

4. The slap that is received due to the desecration of the sawm of Ramadhan:

First Question: Why is it that the fear and despair arising from further earthquakes as a ma’nawî calamity, which is more excruciating than the material calamity of this severe earthquake, take away most people's rest at night in most of the country and give them terrible torment?

Again, the ma’nawî answer: It has been said that, at the time of noble Ramadhan’s tarawih, with utmost joy and cheer, the drunken songs serving the desires of nafs being made to be heard attractively by the mouth of the radio, sometimes through the voices of girls, in every corner of this blessed centre of Islam, resulted in the torment of this fear.

The Addendum to the Fourteenth Word

 

Seventh Question: What should be understood from this event of the earth’s looking at the Muslim people of this country and targeting them? And why does it harm the areas of Erzincan and Izmir more than other places?

The Answer: Through the indication of many proofs, like the earthquake occurring during a severe winter, in the dark of night, in terribly cold weather, being restricted to a region where Ramadhan was not respected, and continuing in order to awaken the ghâfil gently since they did not awaken by its destruction, this event targets the people of îmân, looks and shakes them in order to wake them to perform salâh and offer supplication, and itself trembles as well.

The Addendum to the Fourteenth Word

5. The reason and hikmah of general calamities and the rahmah of Allah behind them:

Again, someone asked: Calamities are the result of crimes and the commencement of rewards. What action of yours has caused qadar to judge you in such a way that it has decreed this calamity2? General calamities happen as a consequence of the majority’s wrongdoing. What is your present reward?

I replied: Its cause is our negligence in three of the important pillars of Islam, salâh, sawm and zakat. For, Khâliq Taâ’lâ requested from us only one out of twenty-four hours to perform the five daily salâh. We were lazy. He made us move and perform a type of salâh with difficulty by training us twenty-four hours a day for five years. He also requested from our nafs only a one-month sawm within a year. We pitied our nafs. He made us hold sawm for five years as a kaffârah. From the property He bestowed on us, He requested only one out of ten or one out of forty as zakat. We became stingy and committed dhulm. So, He took away from us accumulated zakat.  3 اَلْجَزَاءُ مِنْ جِنْسِ الْعَمَلِ

Biography  (133-134)

 

I have been warned that there are two special reasons why many du'âs offered in the last noble Ramadhan for the salâmat and salvation of Ahl al-Sunnah have not appeared to be explicitly accepted for now.

First Reason: A strange characteristic of this age is {NOTE: That is, although they know the qualities of diamond, Muslims prefer glass to it.} the extraordinary gullibility of the people of Islam in this age, their generously forgiving the terrifying criminals and showing a kind of support to such a man who performs one good deed and commits thousands of evils and destroys the ma’nawî and material rights of the ‘abds of Allah, if they see a single good deed from that man. In this way, the people of dhalâlah and rebellion, who are a small minority, create the majority with the support of such gullible people; they cause qadar to judge for the continuation and retention of general calamity, which happens as a consequence of the wrongdoing of the majority, and even its deterioration; they say, “This is what we deserve.” Yes, only if there is an absolute dharûrah; Sharî’ah gives rukhsah to prefer the glass (such as this world and property) to the diamond (such as the âkhirah and îmân) provided that the diamond is recognised and accepted as a diamond. Otherwise, if it is preferred due to a minor need or desire or greed and slight fear, it is foolish ignorance and a loss that makes the one who prefers it deserve a slap. As for forgiving generously, one can only forgive the crime committed against himself. He has the right to forgo his personal rights but does not have the right to look forgivingly at criminals who transgress the rights of others; he will become an accomplice to the dhulm.

Kastamonu Addendum-25

 

A question arose from anxiety: It is understood from riwâyât that hunger will play a significant role in this fitnah of the âkhirzaman; the people of dhalâlah will cause the helpless people of îmân suffering from hunger to become overwhelmed with the struggle for livelihood; they will strive to make the people of îmân forget religious sentiments or view those sentiments as secondary or tertiary. Since, in everything, even within the torments arising from the wrath of Allah, there is an aspect of rahmah for the people of îmân and the innocent and is justice in the qadar of Allah; I wonder, how does it apply to this matter? And how will the people of îmân and the Risale-i Nur students, in particular, benefit from this calamity on account of their îmân and âkhirah? How will they respond to it and resist it?

The Answer: The most important reason for this calamity is the rebellion arising from kufr an-ni’mah, the absence of shukr and the lack of appreciation for the value of ni’mahs of Allah; therefore, for the hikmah of driving people to true shukr, Al-‘Âdil, Who is Hakîm, has given this calamity to the people who do not offer shukr and comply with religious riyâzah, such as Ramadhan. And through that, He has demonstrated the true pleasure, significant value and extraordinary degree of His ni’mahs, especially in the category of sustenance, and especially bread, which is the greatest ni’mah of life, and He has done justice as a result of the same hikmah.

The duty of the people of îmân, the people of haqiqah and the Risale-i Nur students, in particular, is to strive to make this calamitous hunger a means for seeking refuge, repentance and submission, like the hunger of the religious riyâzah in Ramadhan, and it is to give no opportunity for this calamitous hunger to be a cause of begging, stealing and anarchy by using the pretext of necessity (dharûrah). As for the duty of some wealthy people and some salaried employees who do not feel pity for the hungry poor, it is to listen to the Risale-i Nur, feel compassion for the hungry due to this compulsory feeling of hunger and run to their aid with zakat. As for the duty of the youth, who have spoilt their nafs with delicious foods and made their nafs disobedient and intoxicated by urging it to the base desires and rebellion, through the guidance of the Risale-i Nur, it is to take advantage bravely of this event, be obedient and perform good deeds by means of this event of hunger that withdraws them from lewdness and sins to a degree and breaks the pleasures of their nafs and its transgressions for immorality. The duty of the youth is to turn that event from being against them and make it work in their favour. In this time, when most people suffer from hunger, possessions have become uncertain and the condition of possessions being haram or halal is indistinguishable and questionable. The duty of the people of ‘ibâdah and righteousness is to be contented with the amount of necessity (dharûrah) so as to make their benefit from the communal resources, which are collectively owned in a ma’nawî sense, halal, and it is to view this involuntary calamity as the riyâzah of Sharî’ah and respond to the qadar of Allah not with complaints but with acceptance.

Kastamonu Addendum (140-141)

 

The scarcity of food, the high cost of living, and the hunger and poverty arising from this terrible act of profiteering and hoarding severely wound the vein of living this life. This wound becomes the means to silence exalted religious feelings to a degree and aids the people of dhalâlah. Everyone starts to think about their stomachs. Thinking more of bread than the haqiqahs, the heart runs to help this life and the living and leaves its true duty as a second degree of priority. In response to this, the Risale-i Nur students can consider it a long Ramadhan and transform it into a kaffârah adh-dhunûb and a riyâzah of the Sharî’ah. The calamity befalling those wretches who disrespect Ramadhan by openly violating the sawm also hurts the innocent. However, the Risale-i Nur students and innocents among them4 turn that calamity to their favour and change it to a blessed riyâzah. They welcome it with contentment and frugality.

Kastamonu Addendum-193-194

 

My azîz, siddîq brothers!

Firstly: I seriously share in the pains of those stricken by this calamity of a strange fire that occurred in Isparta. Because, just like I am from Isparta in many respects, in my view, that blessed city is greatly significant with its stones and soil, and it is the Azhar University of the Nur and the centre of its Madrasatu’z Zahra.

Say to those stricken by this calamity on my behalf, “The nass of hadith states that all properties of the people of îmân that they have lost in such calamities become sadaqa. Particularly in this age, like a hundred sadaqa, those transient properties of them will transform into many more eternal properties. For this reason, in one aspect, it is necessary to offer shukr in patience. In this world, too, InshâAllah, Arham'ur Râhimîn will bestow replacements for those losses that became kaffârah adh-dhunûb. We hope you will get better soon, and we extend our condolences. Do not worry unnecessarily.”

Secondly: Since one reason for these kinds of accidents is an ugly wrongdoing of mankind, Isparta, which is the source and madrasa of the Risale-i Nur more than anywhere, is incumbent on and owed to protect the honour and value of this noble Ramadhan and to preserve the Risale-i Nur; Isparta is responsible for protecting the shaâ’er of Islam from all kinds of dissipation.

 Emirdağ Addendum-1 (175)

6. The reward for the children who held sawm and performed salâh and who died before the age of puberty:

The brother asks some questions. The Risale-i Nur leaves no need for questions and answers everything in my place.

Only for his question about the âyah يَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ5 in the risale on the condolence for the death of a child, some old tafsirs say that, in Jannah, from the children to the elderly, everyone will be thirty-three years of age. 6 اللّٰه أعْلَم , the haqiqah of it should be this:

The phrase وِلْدَانٌ7 in the sarîh âyah expresses that the children, for whom it is not compulsory to perform the fardh of the Sharî’ah and who do not perform them since they are Sunnah for them and who die before the age of puberty, will always be lovable children worthy of Jannah. But it is in the Sharî’ah that, in order to familiarise the children, parents should encouragingly command a child who reached the age of seven to perform fardh such as the salâh, and when he reaches ten years old, they should strongly make him perform salâh and accustom to it. That is to say, in order to receive great rewards like pious adults, children, from the age of seven until the age of puberty, who perform salâh and hold sawm like adults, which is nawâfil and is not wâjib for them, will be thirty-three years old in Jannah. Some tafsirs included all children, without elucidating this point. It was supposed to be general, although it is specific.

Emirdağ Addendum-2 (66)

7. The barakah of frugality experienced in the Ramadhan:

In a manner contrary to my rule and principle of life, one of my students insisted that I accept a present of nearly three kilogrammes of honey. However much I stated my rule, he was not persuaded. Intending to make the three brothers of mine with me eat it and to let them eat from that honey for thirty to forty days in the noble Sha'ban and Ramadhan with frugality and to cause the one who brought it to earn the sawâb and to let them not be deprived of sweet, I am compelled to say to them, “Take it.” I also had nearly one and a half kilos of honey. Although those three friends of mine were mustaqîm and among those who appreciate frugality, they forgot frugality by offering it to each other, flattering each other’s nafs and preferring other’s nafs to their own nafs, which in one respect are lofty traits. In three nights, they finished three kilogrammes of honey. I laughingly said, "I would have made you taste sweet with that honey for thirty to forty days. You have reduced the thirty days to three. May it be health for you!" Whereas I consumed my one-and-a-half of kilos of honey with frugality. The whole Sha'ban and Ramadhan, I ate it and, Lillahilhamd, also gave each of those brothers of mine a spoonful, {Note: That is, a largish teaspoon.} at the time of iftar; it became the means of significant sawâb.

 The Nineteenth Flash-5th Subtle Point

8. Ustadh did not allow himself to be examined by a doctor who was not holding sawm:

It is again a subtlety of this illness that our Ustadh lost his voice and was unable to talk. Close to the iftar time, a doctor came unexpectedly and held his hand. Our Ustadh said, “I refuse to be examined; I am not in need of a doctor. Janâb-i Haqq is the doctor.” Suddenly, he was energised and his voice came back. It was as though he had become the doctor, and the doctor had become the patient. He read an important letter to the doctor, it became a remedy for the doctor’s pains. It was then time for iftar. He said to the doctor, “Have iftar here.” The doctor replied, “I am at fault today, I could not hold sawm.” We understood that the state of our Ustadh that astonished us was given to him due to his refusal to accept the ruling state of the doctor — who had neglected his sawm — in the field of medicine.

Kastamonu Addendum-99

 

 

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ وَسَلاَمٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ آمِينَ

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَلاَةً تَكُونُ لَكَ رِضَاءً وَ لِحَقِّهِ اَدَاءً بِعَدَدِ ثَوَابِ قِرَائَةِ حُرُوفِ الْقُرْآنِ فِى شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ وَ سَلِّمْ

سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا اِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ