My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

It is asked: Why don't you accept for yourself the powerful good opinions of the Nur students and their certain convictions concerning your self, or a rank or position that would further encourage them to serve the Risale-i Nur? Why do you ascribe all these to the Risale-i Nur and show yourself to be a faulty servant?

The Answer: Endless thanks and praise be to Almighty God that the Risale-i Nur contains supports so powerful and unassailable and proofs so brilliant and incisive that no need remains for the qualities or abilities imagined in my person. It does not look to its author's abilities and receive its power and acceptability from them, as with other works. It is clear for all to see; for twenty years, by virtue of its decisive proofs, it has forced the enemies of my person, both physical and non-physical, to submit. If it had relied on my personality to any great extent, my irreligious enemies and cruel opponents could have dealt serious blows at it by discrediting my person. In their lunacy, they still tried to discredit me with every sort of stratagem and to destroy public regard for me, but they have been unable to halt the Risale-i Nur's conquests or to diminish its value. Even if they confuse a few, new, weak adherents, they cannot make them give it up.

By reason of this fact, and also because egotism prevails at the present time, I cannot accredit myself with their good opinions, which far exceed my due. I anyway do not have a good opinion of myself as my brothers do. Also, if the station pertaining to the hereafter that my brothers ascribe to this wretched brother of theirs had truly been a high station of piety; and if, according to the rule at the end of the Second Letter, I had ascribed the spiritual gift of those perfections they attributed to my person, to myself, it would have proved that I was not as such; and if I do not recognise myself as such, I should not accept that gift of theirs. Moreover, egotism might interfere if one looked on oneself as having attained to some high spiritual station.

There is one more thing: it may be said that if, from the worldly point of view, the person charged with disseminating the truths of belief were to attain to some station, it would be more effective. There are two obstacles to this:

The First: Even if the person has the rank of sainthood (velâyet), to knowingly and covetously seek high stations is contrary to the sincerity and self-abnegation which is intrinsic to sainthood. He cannot display or claim such things like the Companions, who were the heirs of prophethood, and may not be compared with them.

The Second Obstacle: The station may be refuted in many respects, and if its holder is a transitory, insignificant, ephemeral, and faulty person, it would be harmful for the Risale-i Nur and for the conquests of the truths of belief. There is this point, though: it prompts thanks, for my enemies among the politicians did not know these facts, and thinking me to be the proud and self-esteeming Old Said, they have continually busied themselves with insulting and belittling my person rather than the Risale-i Nur. They have also turned some bigoted, egotistical hojas against me as though trying to extinguish the Risale-i Nur, but they have merely assisted in making it shine even brighter. Its lights are illuminated by the sun of the Qur'an, not by my inferior person.

İbrahim Edhem, the hoja of the village of Alamescid, has written in his sincere letter that six innocent young children who have benefited thoroughly from his lessons and entered the fold of the Risale-i Nur, on their own initiative and not telling their teacher, wrote six notes with their own pens expressing their wish to hand over to this elderly, ill Said a part of each of their lives, which was indeed an astonishing and laudable event

pertaining to the Risale-i Nur. For my part, I accepted the gifts of those innocents and returned them to those young Saids as gifts for them to work in my place. May God Almighty grant them success! According to what they have written, they are İbrahim, nine years old; Mustafa, eleven; Halil İbrahim, twelve; Emin Yılmaz, fourteen; Mehmed, eleven; and Abdullah, twelve years old.

Hâfız Mehmed, who is one of the heroes of the Nur School and its blessed master, and is the son and heir of the late Haji Hâfız, wrote in the letter he sent in the name of all the medrese's students, that working with the Risale-i Nur is the remedy for all calamities and illnesses other than death, and that even death it shows to be the door to Paradise, making the believers look to it eagerly and joyfully. Numerous incidents have demonstrated the truth of this. Moreover, his innocent child has begun to memorize the Qur'an. God willing he will be successful and perpetuate the blessed title of his father and grandfather.

Mustafa Yıldız, one of the diamond-penned champions of the Nur School, wrote in his letter which was short in length but long and valuable in meaning, that having been referred to the heroes of the Nur medrese, The Ratifying Stamp of the Unseen was as though applauded by three or four hoopoes on being written out on waxed paper. This shows, God willing, that The Ratifying Stamp will emerge shining from the Nur School and win some fine victories.

The short invocation (münâcât) heroic Tahirî has sent is correct, but only the first part has been translated, and my circumstances at the moment do not permit the translation to be completed. This brief invocation shows that selfish egotism and the desire for life were not dominant when the Risale-i Nur was being composed, and they did not mar its purity and sincerity. During the Great War, I was perpetually ready to fall as a martyr, owing to which the Qur'anic commentary Isharat al-I'jaz (Signs of Miraculousness) was written with complete sincerity. Similarly, a powerful manifestation in this invocation of the readiness for death (rabita-ı mevt) has been the means of the Risale-i Nur acquiring a pure sincerity. God willing, no selfish emotions interefered in it.

Two of the prominent young students from Barla, which is the first Nur School and with which I am closely connected in spirit, came here - an Ahmed and Mehmed just like the Ahmed and Mehmed who came to visit me from Denizli. They were Ahmed, who came on behalf of his father, the late Mustafa Çavuş, and the barber Mehmed, who came in place of his father-in-law, the late Muhâjir Hâfız Ahmed, with whom together with Mustafa Çavuş I was formerly most closely involved and who served me

loyally for eight years; they visited me in the name of the Barla Nur students. Truly I was as happy as if I had returned to Barla and those times. Mâshallah, Barla has begun to feel that it is the first Nur School; an earnest awareness and concern is being shown there. Haji Bekir, even, who had the Tenth Word printed, has taken on himself all the expenses and prevented the room I stayed in there being sold, and has sent news to Barla that it should be preserved as a sort of guest house for the Nur students.

I have received a short letter from the wife of our brother Hoja Sabri, the Nur Power Station, who like him has for years been a Nurju, and from his innocent son, Nureddin May Almighty God grant them health, happiness, and well-being. Amen!

It is strange that although there was need everywhere for rain, it was only in Emirdağ that there were heavy showers and an unparalleled hailstorm with hailstones as large as hazelnuts, all of which was extremely beneficial for the crops. The two Nurju brothers who are now with me say that the causes of the rain falling were both the arrival of the miraculous Qur'an, and the police chief reading Zülfikar and appreciating it although an assault was expected since a copy of it had been seized, and thirdly, three high-ranking officials called Ismail becoming students of the Risale-i Nur at the same time and spreading it. Numerous occurrences upto the present have established that the free dissemination of the Risale-i Nur leads to the raising of calamities, while its being silenced and attacked leads to their visitation. This has even been proved in court. It is understood that, in pursuit of their own aims, four currents, two internal and two external, have wanted to dampen the Nurjus' eagerness and spoil their efforts this stormy spring and to turn their attention towards politics and this world, and this resulted in the drought. God willing, an end will soon be brought to it.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Although it is opposed to my usual custom, a Nur student told me about an event that was reported in the official newspapers as having definitely occurred. It concerned the preliminary raining down of meteorites more terrible than the heavenly stones visited on the people of Lot, in a way previously unseen in human history, on a country that, on account of irreligion and through ghastly means, is driving millions of believers and innocent people to transgress the revealed religions and divine laws. I told the student

that although for twenty-five years I had shown no interest in the newspapers and the events they describe, he should go and study the news carefully since the meteorites represented the blows the Risale-i Nur deals at the irreligious and that it had predicted this five or six years ago. He went and investigated the matter and came and told me that this spring, meteorites of unequalled size had fallen in the forests of Vladivostok in Russia. {[*]:} The largest of them was twenty-five metres in length and ten metres wide. It uprooted all the trees in the vicinity in which it fell, and in all around thirty large craters were formed. Examination of the meteorites showed them to contain a random mixture of iron, steel, and other materials.

Just as the official newspapers reported this true event; so the miracuIous verse, «striking them with stones» (Q 105:4) in Sura al-Fil (The Elephant), which was revealed one thousand three hundred and sixty years ago, predicts that like the «flights of birds» (Q 105:3) and as a preliminary to the raining down of meteorites from the heavens, bombs from the heavenly aircraft would rain down in the year 1359 (1940 or 1941) on the heads of those who give preference to this world over religion and who, taking irreligion as the basis of their creed, drive humanity down the paths of misguidance on account of a sort of civilization. The words «go astray» (Q 105:2) indicate the date 1360 (1941 or 1943) and predict threateningly that subsequently to that date meteorites would shower down, recalling the heavenly stones rained down on Lot's people as the penalty for misguidance. The following sentence is found in the Risale-i Nur, in a footnote to the explanation of the subtle piece about Sura al-Fil: "Allusively, this sura threatens sinful humanity: if in consequence of these blows it does not turn from idolatry to offering thanks and if it does not give satisfaction to the Qur'an, heavenly stones will be rained down by the angels on the heads of men."

This sentence contains two signs that indicate the meteorites directly.

The First: Although up to the present meteorites have generally been around twenty centimetres long, the present ones are huge, being twenty-five metres in length and ten metres wide. This is surely a sign of the heavens' anger towards irreligion.

The fact that Sura al-Fil looks to them and expounds them is right. The incident deserves such a prediction, because it is unprecedented.

The Second Sign is their falling on a centre of fearsome atheism that threatens the whole face of the earth and all humankind. The irreligious must have sensed this, because for the past month or two they have been trying to downplay this extraordinary, awe-inspiring event, although normally they publicize the most trivial incidents and give them importance.

In His Name, be He glorified!

And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise! (Q 17:44)

My Dear, Loyal Brothers, Tahirî, Sabri, Salâhaddin, Mehmed, and Mustafa!

Firstly: Out of respect for the Three Months and on account of the Nur students' loyalty and sincerity, we are going to try to repair the harm caused by a significant incident that led to our being rebuked and reprimanded. It was like this: last night I received a severe warning in the form of a punishing reprimand unlike anything I had experienced previously. This was imparted to me:

You have been charged with not stooping to this world with its pleasures and enjoyment, and with preserving the disinteredness and sincerity of the Risale-i Nur. It was your duty to try to correct the malaise of this age, which in accordance with the verse «Those who love this world» (Q 14:3), chooses this world over religion and knowingly exchanges diamonds for fragments of glass. You have understood too, thanks to a hundred experiences, that the gifts, presents, and charity of people upset you and make you ill even. You see the results of this every day. But you have directed the faces of the Risale-i Nur's devoted heroes, in whom you place most trust, away from its service to your own comfort and ease, and so on. Many other things were imparted to me, rebuking me harshly. I am still frightened of receiving another slap. The sole remedy for this situation is that you should tell those of you who bought the car that your brother Said was unable to accept it and that he felt an awesome spiritual loss.

The Second: The car should now be sent to Konyalı Sabri; it should be sent there. If he does not want it, it should be sent to the leading students (erkân) of the Medresetü'z-Zehrâ. Sabri should not worry about this; the wondrous services he performs every month for the Risale-i Nur are greater than the price of a car. So he should not be offended.

Secondly: You should feel certain about this, for the reason I received

that terrible reprimand was a sort of wish and desire. I had exclaimed wishfully when I went for a drive in the car and the seller had said that there are small cars now that are sold for a thousand liras: "If we had a small car like that on loan, I could go to visit my Nurju brothers in other places." It was not a serious decision; only a wish, But then two of our close brothers here supposed it to be serious and with great self-sacrifice tried to collect not one, but four thousand liras. When they arrived here, I was pleased for seven hours and imagined that that wish of mine had been accepted as a prayer. But then last night I suddenly received the rebuke and objection, and I understood that my wish had been a mistake. There are three reasons for the reprimand, which I will explain another time.

The five brothers who bought the car should know certainly that they gave not a car but almsgiving, a gift, and a present. Perhaps by reason of their good intentions in serving the Risale-i Nur, the present of each of them was equal to the price of a car, which is a sure sign for me that it has been accepted. Since, my brothers, this sincere service of yours is acceptable, you should not feel sad. You should also redeem the rebuke I have received. Also, you should repair the damage that may be caused to both the rule of my life, and to the mystery of the Risale-i Nur's sincerity. Also, the car should not remain here; it should go to whoever gave the largest amount. You will understand the reason for my alarm when I explain those three important reasons. I am compelled by the Three Months not to consider this until they have passed and the main collections have been published, even if rule over the whole world were to be given to me. If you do not get back all the money you gave for the car, I have decided to make up the difference, come what may, even if I have to sell everything, I send my greetings to everyone. Forgive me, as I forgive you.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Don't worry, divine providence continues. God willing, this new assault will come to nothing, and even will assist in the Risale-i Nur's conquests. For now, calmly, one of our brothers should go to Ankara to repulse, within the framework of the law, the illegal treatment being meted out to us. They should meet with such persons as Hilmi Uran, the chief inspector of the former party, Celâl, who is a deputy and inspector of Afyon Province; Ahmed Hamdi of the Directorate of Religious Affairs; and Yûsuf Ziya, a member of the experts' committee; and they should try to have changed the arbitrary and illegal measures taken against us.

Also, concerning the confiscated copies of Zülfikar and The Staff of Moses and the duplicating machine, tell the court and the police that the copies that were being duplicated were for abroad and were going to be sent outside the country. Since three countries in the north have accepted the Qur'an and have begun to have it taught in their schools; and since India has requested two million liras' worth of Qur'ans from this government; and since three of your courts and your philosopher scholars gave the unanimous decision for our acquittal having scrutinized all the parts of Zülfikar and The Staff of Moses for two years, and they appreciated and applauded them; and since these two books are two cutting swords of the Qur'an, and two shining proofs of it, and they compel even the most obdurate people to submit; and since thousands of investigative scholars and scientists have testified that these two works have the power to reply to the atheistic current coming from the north which gives rise to awesomely destructive anarchy; and since the present government is opening Qur'an courses and has ordered that religious instruction be given in schools; most certainly, the treatment now being meted out to us is an unprecedented, arbitrary injustice and a crime against t is country and nation and public security and freedom of conscience. We in no way want to be tainted by politics, but you should know that if needs be, we are capable of defending our rights in every respect. So don't compel us to do so!

I send many greetings to all of you.

When it is convenient, you can send some of the copies of The Staff of Moses you have had bound for me, Husrev has performed his duties fully, so the material loss he has suffered has no importance at all. Zülfikar has spread everywhere and although there have been some small losses with The Staff of Moses, the non-material benefits will be abundant, God willing. However, the Nurjus must preserve their resolution and solidarity, and not be alarmed, nor let their enthusiasm be dampened.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Since Isparta has become like the Nur study centre and more than anywhere uptil the present its authorities and police have looked on the Nurjus tolerantly and even as friends and have not harmed them excessively, for our part, on account of this blessed quality of Isparta, we are not offended at its authorities interfering in this question. In fact, in one way we congratulate them, because they have found the opportunity due to their duties of studying the Risale-i Nur and reading it and profiting from it. To do so is anyway their right, A policeman or court official with strong belief may be as beneficial for the country and nation as ten men. In the face of such benefits, our material losses hold no importance. If appropriate, convey my greetings to the police chief and public prosecutor, and tell them that I do not curse them; on the contrary, I offer this prayer: "O Lord! Bestow on them perfect belief and a happy death and render them useful to the Risale-i Nur. Amen!"

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Although the benefits would have amounted to forty thousand liras and there was also need for it, I did not accept the car that five of our brothers had bought expecting nothing in return so that I might visit our brothers in other towns and to assist in the Risale-i Nur's work, a d this was supposed to be an apparent loss. But as a result, the Nur students obtained certain proof that, in the face of hostile hojas and politicians who, pleading necessity, cause harm by exploiting knowledge and religion for this world, the elevated truth of the Risale-i Nur does not stoop to any worldly advantages, nor can it be exploited for them. This incident provides a proof more powerful than its extraordinary wonder-working that effectively silences those hojas and politicians. Some of them, even, who were very suspicious and avoided the Risale-i Nur and did not believe that it stooped to absolutely nothing of this world, are now obliged to bow to its truth and to accept that it is above everything. That is to say, divine providence transformed the loss into a significant instance of mercy.

{(*):}

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly: With all my life and spirit I congratulate you on the past Night of the Ascension (Mi'rac), a night of abundant mercy, rain, wonders, and bestowals, and I entreat divine mercy that you will see many more of them. Just like last year, rain falling in unprecedented fashion both previously and on the night, and its continuing that day, was a sign that the universe and elements were applauding that blessed night; just as it was a sign of the conquests of Zülfikar and The Staff of Moses, especially in official quarters. I feel absolutely certain about this. Also, the fact that the pain and indisposition I suffered until midnight, which was quite severe and was preventing my working, suddenly disappeared, made me certain that it resulted from the acceptance of the prayers for my health that my brothers offered for me that blessed night, and that, due to the illness, each hour of the first half of the night had been as meritorious as ten hours. I as though received this good news too and offered thanks to Almighty God. I exclaimed: Endless thanks be to the Most Merciful of the Merciful!

Secondly: Doubtless, on his trip to Ankara, our brother Re'fet Bey, one of the Nur commanders, was successful in performing a great service for the Risale-i Nur in a short time. God willing, its results will soon be seen. It was especially important that the members of the Directorate of Religious Affairs received the collections of Zülfikar and The Staff of Moses appreciatively, and said they would preserve and defend them, rather than criticizing them. It was also a brilliant advertisement for the two works.

My Esteemed Master!

Our brother, the contractor Ismail Efendi, frequently meets privately with Hilmi Bey, so I gave him all the necessary details and handed over this matter to him, and we went directly to the Directorate of Religious Affairs. First of all, I met for a while with the teacher (müderris) Hasan Hüsnü Bey, whom we knew in Isparta and who is a member of the Directorate Consultative Committee, and I explained our matter privately. Then we went together to the Consultative Committee's room where I met with the teacher Yûsuf Ziya, whose signature is on the Ankara experts committee's report. I saw that the documents about us and Zülfikar and The Staff of Moses were sitting in front of him. He showed me to a place beside him, and I gave him a detailed explanation. I asked him the reason for our harassment and for the seizure of our books in spite of his report and the

Denizli Court decision, and its being upheld by the Court of Appeal. Then I said to him that the law is superior to everything in the government of the Republic, and its rulings prevail, so since we have been acquitted by the law, we should not be made subject to such interference, and that it could be prevented in the event of his giving the appropriate orders. Otherwise, we could seek redress. He later replied that the difficulties arose from the court officials and police there being inadequately informed about our case. He said that the papers were all with him and that he would reply to all their remarks, which had been misunderstood. He said that he regarded the works highly. I conveyed our Master's greetings to him, and he did likewise and requested his prayers.

Later, I left him and visited the Director of Religious Affairs. I conversed with him for a while and gave him the details. He replied that he knew our Master from the Darü'l-Hikmet and that he had great respect for him, and asked me to convey his greetings and respects to him. He said that he would give the requisite answer and that he hoped it would be satisfactory.

All the members of the Directorate are appreciative of the works. I understood that the only reason for irregularities of this kind is that they do not maintain good intentions when studying religious works and that they interpret them arbitrarily according to their own ideas. The following day, our brother Mehmed Efendi met with Vehbi Pasha, the Erzurum deputy, who undertook to see the Interior Minister and discuss the matter at length. He sent his greetings and respects to our Master. Whereupon I left it to İsmail Efendi to meet with the party leaders, and I left Ankara.

I went out in the carriage for a couple of hours to see the flowers this splendid spring. {(*):} And I felt with absolute certainty (hakkalyakîn) that the flowering grasses which had sprung up and burgeoned in a way I had never before seen in my life and unfurled their blossoms, were offering glorifications with the tongues of their beings and hymning the praises of their

Glorious Maker's art. Then taking advantage of this situation, my emotions which are so enraptured by worldly life and my heedless and impatient soul aroused objections in my heart, which was wearied by this distressing, sickness-filled life and which had decided to depart for the Intermediate Realm to see the ninety per cent of my friends who were already there, and my soul too began to object, since it seeks permanent pleasures in transitory things, But then the light of belief infused my emotions and those veins of character; it pointed out the following in the face of those objections:

Since the earth displays only materially so much beauty, mercy, life, and fine decoration, it must be a veil to beneficent mercy and nothing that enters it remains idle. There must, therefore, be beneath and behind the veil of the earth some sort of non-material centres and workshops for all these external, physical beauties and decorations, and fine things, loveliness, mercy, and life. So to enter under the earth, our protective mother, and seek refuge in her embrace, and gaze upon those true, everlasting, nonmaterial flowers is far more deserving of love and worthy to be yearned after. This silenced completely those blind emotions and the objections of my world-worshipping soul and repulsed them, causing my soul to exclaim: "All praise be to God for the light of belief from every angle!'

We send endless greetings to all our brothers, and we pray for them.

My Dear, Innocent Children!

You are trying to study and to learn the Qur'an, But the new letters, which you know, are deficient, so as far as is possible, it is better not read it in them.

Also, the Qur'an should not be read just to become a hâfız nor memorized in its entirety to win a rank in this world and earn a salary. Rather, one should think that each of its letters yields from at least ten merits to hundreds or thousands of fruits of Paradise and benefits in the hereafter, and read it with the intention of securing the ease and happiness of eternal life.

If the benefits of studying science in school to secure a livelihood and ranks or positions in this brief worldly life have the value of one, learning for eternal life the Qur'an and its sacred words and luminous belief-inducing meanings are thousand of times more valuable. The former resemble fragments of glass, and the latter, diamonds.

Also, you will be true, beneficial children for your parents. You are innocent and still without sin, so if you study with such a sacred intention, you will be accepted among the innocent Risale-i Nur students and you will receive a share of the prayers of all the students, and be light-scattering, blessed students yourselves.

I congratulate both your teacher, and yourselves, and your parents, and your country.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly: I congratulate you with all my spirit and life on the past Night of Acquittal. {[*]:}

Secondly: It is indeed good and useful that Re'fet Bey, a leading commander and publisher of the Risale-i Nur, has gone to Istanbul in connection with its service. A Nurju like himself was anyway needed there. May Almighty God grant him success! Amen!

Thirdly: I have prepared three copies each of Zülfikar and The Staff of Moses, one of each to be sent to the ulema of al-Azhar University, one of each to the religious scholars around the holy grave of the Prophet (UWBP) in Medina, and one of each to the ulema in Damascus. A letter addressing the al-Azhar ulema, which I have sent to you, has been inserted at the beginning of them, God willing, we shall send them to you as quickly as possible.

Fourthly: Because I have been unable to perform them all myself, for two reasons I am in severe need of your spiritual services and your prayers and the assistance of the spiritual gains you have earned in my place.

First Reason: Never before in my life have I experienced the powerlessness and gradually increasing weakness I now feel, Due to the many difficulties, I can recite only deficiently some of the invocations I have always recited, despite the fact that during these blessed days and nights I need to work a hundred times more. And although by reason of my share in your spiritual partnership I should assist in it and should hasten to share in your prayers with "amens" to a far greater degree, my feebleness allows me to help in only the slightest way, The solution for this is for my duties in the work of the Risale-i Nur to be given to you, and for me to rely on your

spiritual assistance for the performance of my duties in that partnership. I beseech divine mercy that my work may be commensurate with your good will towards me and your favourable opinion of this weak brother of yours, which far exceeds his due and abilities.

The Second Reason for the need: Both yourselves and some other persons suppose the extraordinary results that have appeared from the Risale-i Nur's truths and its students' collective personality to have emerged from this wretched brother of yours, although enormous power and endurance would be necessary, My very minor and personal efforts and my illness and weakness, therefore, render me severely needy for your help and assistance. So in order to induce your spiritual assistance to hasten to me, I intend you when I recite such phrases as "Save us! Have mercy on us!" which are in the first person plural, as if I am working together with all of you. And when I say "Amen," I intend an "amen" to all of your prayers. God willing, in His mercy, the Most Merciful of the Merciful accepts my extremely deficient and minor work as a perfect "amen" to your vast works.

Fifthly: I was very anxious about your situation after the former incident. Then, thanks be to God, your letter said that the hero Tahirî had gone to Istanbul to get the duplicating machine and paper, which shows that the trouble has abated and will not prevent the Risale-i Nur's publication, on the contrary, there as in other places, it is making triumphant conquests, God willing.

The most excellent peace and blessings be upon the one resting in that tomb!

The Staff of Moses and Zülfikar have been presented to the esteemed ulema residing in the vicinity of the Immaculate Tomb of the Prophet (UWBP). They were sent to visit those blessed sites in place of their author, to be a means whereby intercession and well-wishing prayers in that sacred place may be received. These lines were written only for the Muslim communities of al-Azhar, Damascus, and India, from those who had visited the Immaculate Tomb from al-Azhar, Damascus, and India. We wrote this at the head of four copies of Zülfikar and The Staff of Moses, and sent two copies to al-Azhar University in Cairo, one to the ulema of Damascus, and one to the committee from India which has requested copies of the Qur'an to the value of two million liras.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

When you deem it appropriate, send copies of the collections, The Staff of Moses and Zülfikar - The Miracles of Muhammad and of the Qur'an to the ulema in the vicinity of the Immaculate Tomb, and write to them saying that the Medresetü'z-Zehrâ of the Risale-i Nur {(*):} is a spiritual child and student of the ulema in the vicinity of «The most excellent peace and blessings be upon the one resting in that tomb!» and is in great need of their kindness; it is a pupil of theirs who is exposed to the vicious attacks of enemies, and is a minor branch of that great medrese of theirs, which permanently illuminates the Islamic world. We therefore await the good offices of those lofty masters, kindly fathers, and zealous supreme guides, and their full assistance for this wretched son of theirs. The two works presented to those lofty masters resemble a student's lessons, however much of which he has understood he shows to his teacher and father in the evening. Write a letter presenting the two lessons of ours to the tolerant gaze of those kindly scholars, and convey to them my greetings and respects and say that I kiss their hands. Say, the author of these treatises, Said Nursi, says that he has lived as a solitary recluse for twenty-two years, and because he is in solitary confinement, he cannot meet with people. He can converse with others only briefly and concerning essential matters. He has no books with him. The Qur'an is the sole source of the one hundred and thirty treatises he has written. And we confirm this with all our strength. He is ill, in exile, and lives in deprivation, so sometimes errors are found in the treatises which he writes at great speed. He requests therefore that great scholars like themselves should look on them tolerantly. As for us, we convey his requests, and kiss your hands.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Sweden, Norway, and Finland in the north have accepted the Qur'an as the greatest saviour and are teaching it in their schools, and now with the intention of keeping the Ramadan fast, the foremost pillar of Islam, they are

asking al-Azhar University whether there is a way of shortening or postponing the fast during those extremely lengthy northern days. Indeed, this does not concern only those small states: it may be surmised that the former Great Powers, on seeing that their former superior positions have been nullified by the awesome blows dealt by the world's transience, and in order to maintain those positions, will find true consolation only in the truths of the Qur'an, thus becoming equal with those small states - although they would not want to publicize this or make it government policy.

For sure, once the true nature of this world is understood, only everlasting life and the Qur'an can heal the wounds of humanity caused by the collapse of their dreams.

Dear, Loyal, Heroic Sabri!

May Almighty God produce numerous devotees like Galib Bey in the army of Islam. He serves belief in the west as Hulûsi Bey does in the east. He tries to draw the believers from misguidance by way of Sufism (tarikat). Before ever seeing the Risale-i Nur, he tried to act in accordance with its way; now that he has stronger connections with it, he may perform greater services. However, fundamental to the Risale-i Nur's way are reality (hakikat), the Prophet's (UWBP) practices (Sunna), being attentive to obligatory acts, and avoiding serious sins; it looks to the Sufi way in second or third place, Our brother Galib is thinking of giving instruction in the Sufi way in the form of a summary of the Qadiri, Shazali, and Rufa'i ways, among the Alevis and encompassing love of the Prophet's (UWBP) family, within the bounds of the Sunna but not vilifying the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the Ten Promised Paradise. There are three or four benefits in this endeavour being in the name of reality (hakikat) and on account of saving belief and preserving it from innovations.

The First: It is most beneficial to prevent the Alevis joining harmful movements and to preserve them from extreme Alevi'ism (Râfizîlik) and political Bektaşi currents.

The Second: Whatever excesses they go to, even if they are Rafizis, Alevis who take love for the Prophet's (UWBP) family as their way do not embrace atheism. For as long as love of the Prophet's (UWBP) family is firmly established in their spirits, they cannot embrace absolute disbelief since it infers hostility to the Prophet (UWBP) and his family. By virtue of their love, they adhere fervently to Islam. It is truly beneficial to draw such people into the bounds of the Sunna in the name of Sufism.

Furthermore, it is most advantageous at this time to attract the Alevis to the fold of the Risale-i Nur so that the political currents that cause great harm to unity among the believers do not profit from their natural devotion and self-sacrifice and exploit them for themselves. Since Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) is the Nur students' master and love of the Prophet's (UWBP) family is fundamental to the Risale-i Nur's way, it surely demands that true Alevis should enthusiastically enter the Risale-i Nur's fold.

Send my congratulations and greetings to that brother and tell him that the present is the time to save belief. Since at this time of innovations there are many problems and pitfalls in traversing the Sufi path while journeying with the heart, he may secure the benefits of those paths by following the way of reality within the fold of the Risale-i Nur. And let him pray for us.

We accepted on account of the paradisaical Ramadan gift sent in the name of all the members of the Safranbolu and Eflâni Nur Schools, the congratulations written with the blessed pens of seven-year-old Yılmaz and thirteen-year-old Hüsnü and their respected mothers who work at the Risale-i Nur like themselves. They are the very hardworking young and innocent children in the tiny Nur School of Hıfzı, who is one of our sincere brothers in Safranbolu. Yılmaz's dream turned out exactly.

Part of the fine, sincere letter sent by Mustafa Sungur, who in truth is one of the young heroes of Eflâni, will be added to The Additional Letters. Indeed, Mustafa Osman finding the two namesakes and serious companions, Mustafa Oruç and Mustafa Sungur, to assist him in the Risale-i Nur's service seems like a wonder of his loyalty and success. I send my greetings to all those named in the letters of particularly Ahmed Fuad - the Hasan Feyzi of Safranbolu - and others, and I pray for them and congratulate them on their superhuman efforts. I send greetings to all our brothers.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly: The Shining Lamp (Siracü 'n-Nur) has turned out beautifully and perfectly correct. It is a new lesson for the Medresetü'z-Zehrâ of the greatest importance which shall be read with interest within the sphere of the Risale-i Nur, God willing.

Secondly: The letters sent by Nihad and Abdurrahman show that Kastamonu's Husrev, Mehmed Fevzi, is working at the Risale-i Nur unshakeably and with complete eagerness, and is getting others to work at it and to read it, and other people who have come here from there have given the same news. He is performing fully the duties of a Nur student. May God Almighty grant him success!

We also congratulate, together with the Night of Power, the undercover activities in Karabük of Mustafa Osman, who is one of the Nur heroes, and his work for the Risale-i Nur, and congratulate also the enthusiasm and efforts of the students in Eflâni and thereabouts.

{(*):}

If it is easy, it would be appropriate if the books that are being sent to Istanbul could be sent via here. It would also be useful if twenty or thirty copies could be bound for me in Istanbul and then sent to me. I do not at present have the money for them to send, and there are numerous people I am obliged to give copies to.

I am obliged to explain the inner meaning of something, because when one or two doctors who are leading Nur students come to visit me, I do not consult those sincere, loyal persons concerning my illness although it is very severe, nor do I take their medicines despite my acute need and pains. I say nothing about the illness, so they become anxious and eager to know. Thinking that it may be useful for you too, I am writing it here. I told them:

Prompted by Satan's whisperings, both my covert enemies and my soul search out my weak points so that by means of them they may get a grip on me and damage the purely sincere service of the Risale-i Nur. Illness is a person's weakest point and the most serious obstacle. The more he attaches importance to illness, the more the bodily and instinctive senses come to rule him, compelling him to submit to them and silencing his spirit and heart. They make the doctor a dictatorial ruler, forcing the person to obediently take his medicines. This is detrimental to self-sacrificing, sincere service. My covert enemies have tried to exploit this weak point of mine and they are still trying, just as they have tried to exploit fear, greed, and

the desire for fame and renown. But they failed with respect to fear, one of man's weakest points, for they understood that we attach not the slightest importance to their threats of capital punishment.

Then they conducted numerous investigations about our means of livelihood with a view to greed and ambition, another human weakness, but they could find nothing. So they realized that worldly wealth and possessions, for which they themselves had sacrificed all things holy, held no importance for us whatsoever; on numerous occasions this was proved to them. Even, over a period of ten years more than a hundred times they made official inquiries through the local authorities to learn what I lived on.

Then they received orders to try to catch me out with respect to fame, renown, and rank, desire for which is another human weakness and one of my weak points. But they in no way succeeded despite dealing out grievous insults, humiliations, and riling torments. So they understood certainly that the worldly fame and acclaim that they so worship, we look on as hypocrisy, self-praise, and showing off. We attach not the slightest importance to the high worldly ranks and prominence that they exalt above everything; in fact we look on them as crazy in that respect.

Then there were spiritual ranks and advancing through the degrees of sainthood and considering oneself to be the recipient of such divine bounties, which we consider to be weak points in connection with our service but everyone considers acceptable in respect of reality and is eager to attain. There is no harm in these, only benefits, but at a time when egotism, self-interest, selfishness, and saving oneself alone prevail, personal spiritual ranks should not be sought through the service of belief, which rests on true sincerity and being made the tool of nothing. They should be neither desired nor considered in one's actions lest true sincerity be spoiled. It was in consequence of this that those who were attempting to fasten on my weak points understood that I was not seeking outside of the Risale-i Nur's service the wonders, illuminations, and spiritual attainments that everyone seeks. They were defeated on this point.

I send my greetings to each and every one of our brothers, and seeking the intercession of the Night of Power, I beseech divine mercy that for all the Nurjus that night will be the equivalent of an eighty-three-year lifetime of worship.

In His Name, be He glorified!

And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise! (Q 17:44)

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly: A Hadith announces the strong possibility that the Night of Power may fall on any of the last ten days of Ramadan, especially the odd numbers. The Nurjus therefore should try to profit from that supreme light.

Secondly: The sending to the magistrates' court of two of our brothers who perform their duties to the letter like Husrev and Tahirî, together with another Nurju who follows their system, will turn out to be a signficant instance of divine providence and a victory, God willing. Don't worry about it. In accordance with an inner meaning of the verse, «It may be that you hate a thing that is [in fact] good for you» (Q 2:216), it will lead to the oppressors winning material and spiritual Hellfire and Nurjus winning Paradise, both in this world and the next, God willing.

Thirdly: I told the high-ranking official who visited me the other day in connection with this letter that it has now become clear that three extraordinary events which occurred during the Old Said's adventurous life were wonders of the Risale-i Nur, which was to appear in the future. As follows:

During the Thirty-First of March Incident when Mahmud Şevket Pasha, the commander-in-chief of the army, was extremely angry with me, Hurşid Pasha, the chief of the military court, asked while I was being tried and outside fifteen bodies were hanging on the gallows: "Did you call for the Shari'a? Look! Those who clamoured for it are hanged like that!" I replied: "If I had a thousand lives, I'd sacrifice all of them for one matter of the Shari'a!" Although I said this and because of the calumnies of informers there were numerous reasons to condemn me, exceptionally the court gave its unanimous decision for my acquittal.

Also, following the Great War in Istanbul, copies of The Seven Steps (Hutuvat-ı Sitte), a furious piece I had written against the British, and another insulting their chief cleric, came into the hands of the commander of their occupation forces, and it was a hundred per cent certain that he would have me eliminated, but he suppressed his anger and did not bother me.

Also, in Ankara in the president's office in the National Assembly when there were numerous deputies present, Mustafa Kemal entered the office in a towering rage and yelled at me: "We summoned you here to tell us your lofty ideas, but you came and wrote a few things about the obligatory prayers, causing discord amongst us!" In the face of his anger, I replied:

"Those who neglect the prayers are traitors, and traitors may not hold positions of authority!" I smashed an awesome idol. My friends among the deputies who were present were alarmed, and just when they reckoned he would crush me, he uttered what was in effect an apology. He suppressed his anger in the Assembly as though he perceived an awesome power and truth, and he withdrew. Two days later in his private office, from The Six Attacks (Hücumat-ı Sitte) I read from the sentence "For example, at a time Aya Sophia is filled with eminent and blessed people, virtuous and excellent ..." in the section entitled "First Stratagem," to the "Second Stratagem, {[*]:} which took a whole hour. I wounded all his feelings and slighted his principles, yet he could do nothing against me and even made serious efforts to placate me.

Thus, the remarkable responses of these three imperious commanders and their quite simply being intimidated by the Old Said was definitely a shining wonder of the Risale-i Nur and showed the extraordinary future power of the collective personality of its heroic students.

Fourthly: In response to the congratulations for Ramadan and the Night of Power sent by our brother Yâkub Cemal in the name of Denizli students, we say: "May God bless you!" and to his struggling with his own soul: "May God grant you success! And we say "All praise be to God!" to his describing how he had heard that his friends had read in the latest newspapers that in the British capital orators had declared from their platforms that the English should now embrace Islam and that they are reading and expounding the verses of the All-Wise Qur'an since they teach all the true needs of humanity. Indeed, with the Qur'an that country could save both its worldly possessions, and its hegemony, and its prosperity.

We say too: "May God bless you!" on the success with Lemeât of Küçük Ali, who is small in name but great in spirit and the hero and senior Abdurrahman of the Nur students; and: "What wonders God has willed!" and "May God grant you success!" a thousand times over on his innocent young son Nur Mehmed's memorizing the Qur'an. But we leave it to your discretion to decide whether or not the pieces included in The Shining Lamp (Siracü 'n-Nur) and The Ratifying Stamp of the Unseen and Mysteries Collection are also added to The Flashes Collection (Lem 'alar Mecmuası).

Endless greetings to all of you.

Furthermore, say about myself:

We are absolutely certain that although this person has been severely ill for six or seven months, he has never called on the doctors whom he loves dearly nor has he taken their medicines, and has acted thus so that no importance or attention should be given to his person. And in order not to consider the world and so that his sincerity in serving belief should not be impaired, over a period of ten years he has paid no attention to the World War nor been curious about it, as has been proved in court. And so as to not awaken any interest in politics and this world, for twenty-five years he has not read a newspaper nor listened to one being read, and has advised all his brothers and students not to become involved in politics either. Also, although he is single, alone, and elderly, he has endured all the difficulties that have been inflicted on him, and has not looked to this world, nor applied to the government for twenty years for his own comfort, nor accepted anyone's assistance or charity, He says this:

In order to strengthen the belief of the people of this country and nation, which I know to be most necessary service at this time, I have written about the truths of belief as a remedy for my ills and as a sort of miracle of the All-Wise Qur'an. The unanimous decision was given for those writings' acquittal after three courts and the Ankara experts' committee had scrutinized them over two years and found that they contained nothing harmful for this country and nation. In consequence, intending that this work for the cause of belief should continue, he gave his friend permission for some of those parts to be duplicated. We have heard from this person that the country, nation, and government have intense need for these works. He says:

I was hoping that some leading members of the government would take up these works, for I am close to death, and my hands are tied and I cannot undertake the necessary work. I am consoled by the hope that religious, capable people like Ahmed Hamdi will take it on themselves in my place, God willing. I pray that this sacred service that you will perform for this country and the community of Islam will act as an intercessor for you at the Last Judgement. Also, I send my greetings to those two persons in particular.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly: We shall allude briefly to a most extensive and lengthy truth which occurred to my heart on the Night of Power.

Because of the extreme tyranny and despotism of this last World War and its merciless destruction, and hundreds of innocents being scattered and ruined on account of a single enemy, and the awesome despair of the defeated, and the fearsome alarm of the victors and their ghastly pangs of conscience arising from the supremacy they are unable to maintain and the destruction they are unable to repair, and the utter transitoriness and ephemerality of the life of this world and the deceptive, opiate nature of the fantasies of civilization becoming apparent to all, and the exalted abilities lodged in human nature and the human essence being wounded in universal and awesome manner, and man's innate love and desire for immortality being aroused and awakened, and heedlessness and misguidance and deaf, lifeless nature being smashed by the diamond sword of the Qur'an, and the exceedingly ugly, exceedingly cruel true face of world politics becoming apparent, which is the widest and most suffocating and deceptive cover for heedlessness and misguidance, most certainly and without any shadow of a doubt, since the life of this world - which is the metaphorical beloved of mankind - is thus ugly and transient, man's true nature will search with all its strength for eternal life, which it truly loves and yearns for, just as there are signs of this occurring in the north, the west, and in America.

Most certainly, there is also no doubt that since the Qur'an of MiracuIous Exposition, which each century for one thousand three hundred and sixty years has had three hundred and fifty million students, and sets the seal on each of its pronouncements and claims through the affirmation of millions of profound, veracious scholars, and each minute has been present with its sacredness in the hearts of millions of hafiz's and given instruction to mankind through their tongues, and which in a way unmatched by any other book conveys the good news of eternal life and everlasting happiness to mankind and heals all their wounds, - since the Qur'an has given the certain good news of eternal life and happiness with thousands of its insistent, powerful and repeated verses, and with its certain unshakeable proofs and innumerable indubitable arguments which invite and give news explicitly and implicitly tens of thousands of times, so long as humankind does not altogether lose its mind and a material or immaterial doomsday does not erupt over its head, the broad masses and great states in the world will search out the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition, and having grasped its truths, will embrace it with all their lives and spirits, just as there are now

famous preachers in Sweden, Norway, Finland and England working to have the Qur'an accepted, and the important community of America is searching for the true religion. In view of this fact, the Qur'an by no means has - nor can have - any equal. Absolutely nothing can take the place of this greatest miracle.

Secondly: The Risale-i Nur has performed the service of a diamond sword in the hand of this greatest miracle and compelled its stubborn enemies to submit, and acts as a herald to the treasures of the Qur'an in a way that illuminates and heals completely both the heart, and the spirit, and the emotions, and has no source or authority other than the Qur'an and is its miracle; it performs that duty perfectly.

Furthermore, the Risale-i Nur has completely routed the obstinate atheists and their fearsome propaganda against it, and smashed to pieces with the treatise Nature: Cause or Effect nature, which is the most impregnable bastion of misguidance, and, with the Sixth Topic of the treatise The Fruits of Belief together with the First, Second, Third and Eighth Proofs all of which are included in the book The Staff of Moses, has banished heedlessness in brilliant fashion in its most dense, suffocating and extensive form beneath the wide-reaching veils of science and has demonstrated the light of divine unity.

For sure, since religious instruction is now officially permitted and permission has been given to open private places of study, it is necessary for us and essential for the nation that, as far as is possible, students of the Risale-i Nur open small Risale-i Nur study centres everywhere. Everyone will benefit to some extent, though not everyone will understand every matter completely. But since these matters are explanations of the truths of belief, they are both learning, {(*):} and knowledge of God, and lead to a sense of God's presence, and are worship. God willing, these Nur schools will secure in five to ten weeks the results that the former medreses produced in five to ten years - and they have been so doing for twenty years.

Also, it is essential that the government does not interfere with these flashes of the Qur'an, the Risale-i Nur, which is the Qur'an's herald and is beneficial in many ways for the worldly and political life of this nation and country, and for its life in the hereafter. Indeed, it should work for its total spread and acceptance, so that it may atone for the grievous sins of the past and form a barrier to the severe trials and anarchy of the future.

Thirdly: I have great need this Ramadan to read the Qur'an with fervour and pleasure, but I have become nervous due to the effects of my painful illness, and physical and spiritual distress, weariness, and preoccupations. Then one after the other I began to read the miraculous portions of the Qur'an written by Husrev with his elegant pen and the wondrous Hizb al-Akbar al-Qur'aniyya, {[*]:} which will gain numerous merits for Hâfız Ali and Tahirî, and they filled me with such pleasure and eagerness that they dispelled all that weariness. While listening to those shining lessons from the Qur'an, which disallow every sort of doubt and scruple, I desired with all my life and spirit and resolved determinedly to print our miraculous Qur'an photographically, as far as is possible, just as the Hizb al-Akbar al-Qur'aniyya has been printed, God willing.

It is indeed a good omen that thanks to the Risale-i Nur's conquests and on the orders of Ankara, your confiscated books have been returned to you. In so far as it will contribute to the Risale-i Nur's winning its complete freedom, it is a great victory for it and most advantageous. All praise be to God, this is through the grace of my Lord!

We congratulate Alil Ali Osman and Çilingir Ali, our extremely hardworking brothers, both on their good wishes and on the festival and the Night of Power, and on their wondrous, valuable, and highly meritorious services for the Risale-i Nur, and we pray for their success and their protection. They have made all those connected with the Risale-i Nur indebted to them for all eternity. May God be pleased with them. Amen! I send my greetings to all the brothers and sisters named in Ali Osman's letter, and we pray for them and request their prayers. May Almighty God bestow mercy on our brother Kazım's spirit and fill his grave with light, Amen!

It was a wonder of Ali Osman's pen that the fifteen short treatises that he sent arrived at the same time as two of the leading students from the Konya Nur School. They said they needed those treatises and they were given to them. They will gain reward for Ali Osman on a wider scale.

We send our greetings to everyone and offer prayers for them.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

The teacher Mustafa Sungur, one of the young Nur heroes, brought me festival greetings from our brothers in Eflâni, Safranbolu, Kastamonu, İnebolu, Daday, and Araç. So as a young Said, we sent him to those brothers to congratulate them on both the material and spiritual festival. And we sent diligent Mehmed Çalışkan, the Süleyman Rüştü of Emirdağ, to Istanbul to get The Shining Lamp and to enquire about the books that are being sent abroad.

Having been defeated in every respect, those opposed to the Risale-i Nur are pursuing a plan that on the face of it looks unpleasant for us, but in reality is more beneficial for the Risale-i Nur. They seem to think that they are going to break the solidarity of the Nur students and for some unknowable reason cause some of their leading members to go elsewhere. But if they do go, it is because they are needed in those places and it will not injure their unanimity. For instance, they are the cause of Muharrem going to Tavas, Mustafa Osman to Karabük, and Re'fet to Istanbul and of dispersing them. These brothers of ours depart for those places as though voluntarily, but in reality the ground is being prepared imperceptibly with the intention of damaging their solidarity.

Another of their schemes is that although according to their principles we deserve to be imprisoned, they appear not to support it and apparently oppose it. The reason for this is that our covert enemies were quite astonished when Denizli Prison became a Nur School and some people who were transferred from there to other prisons, started to illuminate them too; that is why they supported our release from prison. Also, acknowledging in a sort of way the justice and rightness of the Risale-i Nur, the judiciary held back in order to avoid the severe objections of the future and disregarded the articles of the arbitrary laws that were prejudicial to us. Some obdurate atheists were defeated in the face the Risale-i Nur's truth and gave up their obstinacy. And the covert enemies demanded in alarm that we should be released from prison so that the prisons should not turn into Nur Schools. That is to say, three groups of people supported the unanimous decision for our acquittal. This was a wonder bestowed on the Risale-i Nur by divine providence. Yes, this evening I felt quite certainly that just as three of this century's most fearsome commanders had been intimidated: both the Operation Army's commander-in-chief during the Thirty-First of March Incident, and the foreign commander of the Istanbul occupation forces during the national movement following the First World War - his being intimidated and not attacking us, and in Ankara in the

president's office that awesome leader suppressing his anger and virtually apologizing; and now three courts of law justly and conciliatorily acquitting us unanimously, although they had previously invoked innumerable pretexts in the face of our fiery, impassioned defences - I felt quite certainly that these were a wonder of the Risale-i Nur, which is a sort of miracle of the Qur'an, and so I have written and described it. But it has been sent to you without being corrected, so is in a state of disorder.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly: We have received two pieces: one, The Shining Lamp in its entirety; the other, some leftover parts of it. They contain only a few errors; I am sending a short list of them attached to this letter.

Secondly: Since Isparta is a sort of Medresetü'z-Zehrâ and since upto the present the authorities of that blessed place of learning have behaved leniently, and foremost the police chief, have been appreciative of the Risale-i Nur, we look on them as friends; so whatever they do, do not feel affronted or take offence. Moreover, upto now important advantages have been secured as a result of their not pressurizing us unduly. So now, it may be opposed to the inner meaning of "‌ illuminates discreetly" {[*]:} to disseminate the Risale-i Nur everywhere completely freely, and there may be some advantages in their warnings of caution.

Thirdly: In response to the festival congratulations of Hâfız Hasan, who is a prominent teacher in Daday and a valuable publisher of the Risale-i Nur, and the congratulations of his two blessed Nurju children, and of our worthy brothers Doctor Hakkı Hüsnü, Tahir from Araç, and Fuad from Daday, we congratulate with all our life and spirit both the past festival and their unwavering successes in the service of the Risale-i Nur. I am forwarding his letter to you to be included in The Additional Letters.

Fourthly: Our brother Re'fet, one of the Nur heroes, has found a brother in Istanbul who is devoted to the Risale-i Nur, a high-ranking hoja of the greatest importance called Abdülehad, who resembles himself in method. May Almighty God grant them both constant success. Amen!

Fifthly: To an extent I have never before seen, when I go out in the phaeton, innocent children aged two to ten display an extraordinary affection

for me and race up to me from quite a distance and eagerly catch hold of my hands as they would their parents' if they had not seen them for a long time. I was astonished at this and wondered about the reason. Then suddenly it occurred to me that with a sort of premonition, these innocent children perceived that in the future they would find happiness through the Risale-i Nur and be saved from moral and spiritual dangers; indeed, perhaps many of them would become Nur students. I felt that my not leaving here although the physical and spiritual climate does not agree with me and the other exiles have been given their freedom, inferred that they were saying: "We're within the fold of the Risale-i Nur; don't leave us and go!"