Director of the Police! Why do you disregard the illegal, meaningless, and futile aggression against me, which has not been seen in this world since early times even? An example: I have been prohibited officially from attending the mosque and so from receiving the merit of the congregation, even when it's empty, and except for one or two people have no one with me. According to which law do they cause such affront to someone elderly, ill, and living in exile and deprivation? What are the advantages of this? Without my knowledge, in an unfrequented corner of the mosque someone made me a small screened-off cubicle for two out of two or three planks and a rug so that I should not catch cold. According to which law have they shown this to be a serious incident and caused alarm to myself and all the people? What benefit is there in this? I ask you.

Those who humiliate me in this way can find no excuses, so making a pretext of public regard for me, they confront the people saying: "Why do you show such respect to this exile?" So I say:

All my friends know that I don't want the people's respect and attention, and I reject them. So although I do not accept their esteem, under which law am I liable to be charged with a crime so that I am treated contemptuously because of their good opinions, which are anyway contrary to my will and wish? Even to suppose the impossible this public regard was justifiable, it would be beneficial for the country and nation and in no way harmful. And even I were accept a tiny part of it, what wrong would there be in my accepting the friendship of one or two people so that they might assist me with my needs in my poverty, illness and old age, in a freezing room and pitiful isolation? Which law could prevent this? According to which law is everyone apart from one or two workers' children banned from having contact with me? The children are not always around and I can't see to my own needs. Members of the police and government are surely obliged to take notice of this grievous situation. I am explaining this to you since you are closely concerned with the case.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Endless thanks be to Almighty God that the serious assistance I have long awaited has begun to appear from the religious scholars (ulema) of Konya.

The Risale-i Nur emerged from the medrese (religious school) and opened up a way to reality within knowledge (T. ilim; Ar. 'ilm). Its true owners and supporters should therefore be the hojas and teachers who are produced by the medreses. I understood from Sabri's letter that the students of the blessed medrese of Konya, since ancient times one of the most brilliant, active medreses in all of Anatolia, had begun to embrace the Risale-i Nur, which is their own property. I am therefore delighted with all my life and spirit that I have come here, near to Konya, and endure all the difficulties I suffer happily. I share all my prayers and spiritual gains with the religious scholars of Konya and the region who appreciate the Risale-i Nur and show an interest in it, foremost Hoja Vehbi Efendi, the esteemed and valued author of a Qur'anic commentary. In my prayers I recall within the circle of my special students, with their names, those whose names I know. Tell them that by virtue of the spiritual partnership of the Risale-i Nur students, they receive a share of my very defective gains, and that the way has been opened for them to receive a share of all the gains of all the students, and convey my respects and greetings to them. Since just like the heroes of Isparta, the blessed scholars of Konya are now supporting the Risale-i Nur, while still in this world I no longer feel anxious about its duties; I can entrust them to those strong and trustworthy hands and enter the grave with an easy heart.

Secondly: Mustafa Osman, who in truth has in a brief time been most useful for the Risale-i Nur, as though he had worked for it for the last ten years, and is a member of the special students' circle, has evidently written a fine letter to his brothers in Emirdağ; offering his regrets for the fire, he speaks of the conflagration threatening humanity. We are including part of it in both The Additional Letters and The Ratifying Stamp, and will send you a copy later. I send my greetings both to him, and to those with him, and to our brothers in Kastamonu and İnebolu who are the means of communication, It will be most appropriate if all those with good handwriting who have the time, write out The Staff of Moses Collection, as in Isparta and the region. God willing, this task for the Risale-i Nur will be even more productive than the printing press.

Thirdly: Hâfız Emin has performed great services for the Risale-i Nur. Thanks to the endeavours of people like Nuri, Hakkı, İhsan, and the late

teacher Osman, before the recent incident, his town, Göre, had become a Nur School and was working brilliantly at the Risale-i Nur. God willing, it will again perform such valuable services as far as it can. It is true that they were saddened more than anybody by the recent calamity, but the share of that town and those devoted brothers in the Risale-i Nur's widespread victories is indeed considerable.

In his letter, Hâfız Emin says that he has not received his books from the court and asks me if they have arrived here. Send him my greetings and tell him that just as his books have not arrived here, so none of the books I sent to Istanbul has reached me. I have not even been able to track down the collection of more than twenty treatises called the Big Book (büyük kitab), which I had sent to Istanbul. But since the Risale-i Nur spreads itself and has itself read to those in need, it is gaining reward for Hâfız Emin and myself; like me, he should be pleased that his books are circulating around others. I also send greetings to however many men and women there are in Göre who are concerned with the Risale-i Nur. I now again look on Göre as a Nur School as it used to be. I send greetings especially to İhsan, Abdullah, and Abdurrahman; how are they? God willing, their former shining service continues. It proves he is another Abdurrahman, and so he will continue.

I send greetings to each and every one of our brothers and pray for them.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Endless thanks be to Almighty God, that they pressurize me instead of the Risale-i Nur, and are busy with me. Don't be anxious! According to the meaning of, «It may be that you hate a thing, and it is good for you» (Q 2:216), God willing, this fresh incident will also turn out for the best.

The incident was this: they prevented Ceylan and his two friends who were assisting me from coming to me. They took the key off them and gave it to the watchmen. One of the watchmen used to come and do some jobs for me, such as bringing me bread and water. I did not know the reason for this, but there is a party dispute here in this town. One of the child's uncles {(*):} supported one of the parties, and it is possible that his opponents were the cause of the incident.

I reckon that the Risale-i Nur's victories everywhere and the anarchy that is infiltrating from outside and interfering were also the cause of it. Also, they instigated the trouble on the pretext of Mektûbat being seized in Sandıklı, saying it was a means of communication. But you should not feel alarmed, it is quite trivial. You can still write to me as you did before, but I can't write myself. They are tyrannizing me to excess as though by humiliating and insulting me they can prevent the Risale-i Nur's victories, and out of their lunacy, by puffing a sun of truth like the Risale-i Nur which has the power of millions of electric lights, it will be extinguished. But they are merely allowing me to gain extra reward.

Yesterday, a noteworthy and warning coincidence occurred: at just the time the child and his father were summoned by the police to have their statements taken, the police were notified by telephone of a serious incident that had taken place, which caused them all great alarm. They were obliged to go immediately to the spot. They were as told: "Leave those who cause less harm than a fly's wing alone, and attend to the harms of eagles, or dragons even!"

Also, at the same time as the incident of the mosque banning, the head official of the district (kaymakam) who had ordered it had to undergo an operation in Afyon. He was as though told: "Don't forget death! You shouldn't oppress people who are trying to save and be saved from its eternal execution, but appreciate and applaud them!"

I send my greetings to each and every one of my brothers and sisters, and pray for them and request their prayers.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers and Blessed Heirs and Trustworthy deputies!

Firstly: I tell you certainly that divine providence and assistance for us and for the Risale-i Nur's service continue. Behind the apparently ugly veils are truly beautiful results. A hundred benefits are bestowed in exchange for one harm that we suffer, No importance should be given therefore to temporary passing difficulties.

Secondly: As far as possible, the writing out of The Staff of Moses Collection should not cause boredom and laxity. That sacred, supreme duty is

of the very greatest importance. Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) said about it: "And it dispels the darkness."

I have corrected and sent you by post the fourteen pieces of the two Ali's. They were the cause of both myself and the students working enthusiastially. Just as they came to my assistance in Kastamonu, so here those two brothers came to my aid.

Thirdly: I certainly get very fed up here and discouraged, but when I think of your constantly working and I read longingly your kind, consoling letters, the distress dissipates and sometimes is transformed into joy. The person who writes down my letters can't come for now, but he has three or four tasks connected with the Risale-i Nur, apart from helping me personally. He carries these out to the letter. In fact, he comes as far as my door and understands what my needs are, and sees to them too.

Fourthly: Have our brothers in other places started to write out The Staff of Moses? The people who were formerly performing this the most vital task, and those with them, should combine all the pieces in one volume and start to gather together The Miracles of Muhammad UWBP and its appendices, which is the duty in serving belief that is second in importance. Or they should assist those who have fallen behind. As far as is possible, the pieces should be written out clearly and correctly.

Fifthly: There are numerous signs that after the scholars, teachers are beginning to become aware of their need for the Risale-i Nur, One is this: they requested The Supreme Sign with the intention at reading it at the conference on religion in Istanbul.

Brother Re'fet! You are truly welcome, and your preoccupation with writing out the Risale-i Nur indeed pleased me. Like Hulûsi and Sabri, your questions have yielded valuable consequences and sweet fruits for the Risale-i Nur. The scholarly pieces you have with you that have not been included in the Risale-i Nur, you can add in the appropriate places or in The Additional Letters

My brothers! A new course of action occurred to me while writing out The Staff of Moses Collection. Five or six people should practise the division of labour and each write out a passage from the same large section; it would be quicker and easier. It would prevent both boredom and - because of the unselfishness - the courage to write being broken. I reckon the failure to do this may be the reason this most important duty of the Risale-i Nur has not progressed as it should. People with good handwriting should anyway apply this new measure while working.

My brothers! You must be extremely careful and circumspect! Never argue with the hojas. As far as possible, behave in a conciliatory manner

and don't provoke their egotism. Even if they support the innovations, don't annoy them. While faced with ghastly atheism, one should not aggravate the innovators and push them towards the irreligious. If you come across the hojas sent to provoke you, don't allow them any opportunity to start an argument. Their objections under the mask of learning, are a trump in the hands of the dissemblers.

You know the harm caused in Istanbul by the elderly hoja. Endeavour as far as you can to turn it in favour of the Risale-i Nur.

Greetings to each of all my brothers.