The Qur'an of Mighty Stature is an all-embracing divine speech and universal dominical address delivered from the Sublime Throne that addresses all the classes, nations, and members of humankind in every age. So also, and especially at this time, does it encompass many sciences and branches of learning related to the physical aspects of the world, knowledge of which is beyond the capacity of a single person or small group. Therefore, a commentary issuing from the understanding and imaginative power of one person the scope of whose comprehension is very narrow with regard to time, place, and specialization, cannot truly expound the Qur'an, for he cannot be acquainted with and be an expert in all the exact sciences and the branches of knowledge concerned with the spiritual and material states of nations and peoples, all of whom the Qur'an addresses. And he cannot be free of bias towards his own profession and discipline that he might explicate the truths of the Qur'an impartially. Also, a person's understanding is peculiar to him and he may not call on others to accept it - unless it is affirmed by a consensus of some sort. And his findings and judgements related to actions are binding only on himself and no one else, again unless approved by a consensus.

In consequence of this, a commentary should be written after minute studies and researches by an elevated committee of authoritative scholars each of whom is a specialist in a number of sciences, proving the Qur'an's subtle meanings and its fine points to be found scattered through other commentaries, and its truths, which become manifest in time due to the discoveries of science. Just as its legal ordinances have to be ordered and regulated, not according to the thought of a single person, but by such a committee after being scrutinized and studied minutely by it. Thus, gaining the trust and confidence of the mass of the people, the committee will implicitly assume responsibility for them and be an authoritative source for the Muslim community.

Indeed, one who expounds the Qur'an should possess high intelligence, penetrating independent judgement, and a high degree of sainthood, But in these times in particular, such conditions can be met only by the brilliant collective personality born of the co-operation of an elevated, esteemed committee and the uniting of the minds of its members, of their assistance for one another and harmony of spirit, and of their freedom of thought,

and, being free of bias, of their complete sincerity. Only a collective personality such as this can expound the Qur'an. For in accordance with the rule, "What is not found in the parts is present in the whole," such qualities, which are not to be found in any one person, are present in the group.

While awaiting, as I had for many years, the appearance of such a committee, I had a premonition that we were on the eve of a terrible earthquake that would lay waste the country.

Yes, our master said while teaching us on the roof of the Horhor Medrese in Van that there was going to be a terrible earthquake, and exactly as he predicted, a short time later the Great War broke out.

(His students of the time) Hamza, Mehmed Şefik, Mehmed Mihrî

And so, in accordance with the rule, "It is not permissible to abandon a thing completely even if it is not wholly obtained," despite my impotence, faults, and difficult style of writing, I started to set down on my own some of the Qur'an's truths and some indications of the miraculous inimitability of its composition. Then, on the Great War breaking out I found myself in the mountains and valleys of Erzurum and Pasinler. Whenever the opportunity arose while I was performing the duty of jihad in the midst of those tumultuous conditions, I used to write what occurred to my heart in phrases that did not always match one another. Since it was not possible to have any books or commentaries to refer to, what I wrote consisted only of what occurred to my heart. If these inspirations of mine are appropriate for a commentary, light of lights; if they contain contradictory aspects, these can be referred to my own defects. Certainly, there are places that are in need of correction, but since it was written with complete sincerity in the front lines of war among the slain, like it is not permissible to change the clothes and wash off the blood of martyrs, I could not permit the ripped phrases in which it was clothed to be changed; my heart would not consent to it. And now it does not consent to it, for now at this time, I cannot find that utter sincerity and purity of heart.

Furthermore, I did not write this work of mine, called Signs of Miraculousness (Ishârât al-I'jâz), with the intention of its being a true commentary; only, in the event of its being well received, I wrote it as a model and source for a commentary to be written in the future, that treated a few aspects of Qur'anic exegesis. My eagerness drove me to what was beyond my power; if it is found acceptable it will give me the courage to continue.

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

The Most Merciful. * It is He who has taught the Qur'an. * He has created man. * He has taught him speech [and intelligence] (Q 55:1-4).

We offer Him praise and thanks, and seek His blessings for His Prophet, whom He sent as a mercy to all the worlds, and through its signs and indications made his greatest miracle encompass the universe's truths, so to remain permanently through the passage of time till the Day of Requital, and for all his Family and Companions.

SO KNOW firstly that our aim from these indications is a commentary on a number of the symbols of the Qur'an's ordering and composition (nazm), for one aspect of its miraculousness is manifested in its composition. Indeed, the embroidery of its composition is its most brilliant [form on miraculousness.

And know secondly that the fundamental aims of the Qur'an and its essential elements are fourfold: divine unity (al-tawhîd), prophethood (al-nubûwwa), the resurrection of the dead (al-hashr), and justice (al-'adâla). For when mankind, like a successive caravan and procession, departs from the valleys of the past and its lands, travels in the deserts of existence and life and proceeds towards the heights of the future, facing towards its gardens, events shake men and the universe turns its face towards them. It is as though the government of creation sends natural philosophy (fann al-hikma) to interrogate and question them, saying: "O mankind! Where are you from? Where are you going? What are you doing? Who is your ruler? And who is your spokesman?" At one time during this conversation there stood up one from among humankind - as did those like him of the prophets with authority the lord of humankind Muhammad al-Hashimi (UWBP), and said through the tongue of the Qur'an: "O philosophy! All of us beings we come forth emerging by the power of the Pre-Eternal Ruler from the darkness of non-existence to the light of existence, and all of us, we sons of Adam, are sent as officials privileged above our brother creatures in bearing the Trust; we are on our way, journeying on the road of the resurrection towards eternal felicity; and we are busy in this world in preparation of that felicity and the development of the potentialities that are our capital; and I am their master and their spokesman. Here it is before you, my manifesto, which is the word of the Pre-Eternal Ruler on which sparkles the stamp of miraculousness." Thus, the answerer of these questions, the correct answer, is none other than the Qur'an, that book - the answer is those four fundamental principles.

Just as the four aims are seen in the whole of the Qur'an, so they are manifested in every sura; indeed, they are hinted at in every phrase or alluded to

in every word; because each part is like a mirror to the whole ascending, just as the whole is seen in each part successively. And by this point I mean that by this participation of the part (al-juz') in the whole (al-kull), the Qur'an is made known as a totality (al-kullî) with constituent parts (al-juz'iyyât).

- If you were to ask: Show me these four aims in «Bismillâh - In the Name of Allah» and "al-hamdulillâh - all praise be to Allah."

You would be told: Since «Bismillâh» was revealed in order to instruct [the Most High's] servants, 'Say!' (Qul) is implicit in it and essentially it is implied by [all] the words of the Qur'an. So according to this, there is in 'Say!' (Qul) an indication to prophethood; and in «Bismillâh» a sign to the Godhead; and in the prefixing of [the preposition] «bi-» of «bismillâh» a sign to divine unity; and in «the Most Merciful (al-Rahmân)» an allusion to the order [of the universe, and therefore to] justice and beneficence; and in «the Most Compassionate (al-Rahîm)» a hint to the resurrection of the dead. Likewise, in «all praise be to Allah (al-hamdulillâh)» is an indication to the Godhead; and in the lâm of specification (the «li-» of «li-llâh») a sign to divine unity, And in «Lord and Sustainer of all the worlds (Rabb al-'âlamîn)» is a hint to justice, and also to prophethood, for the prophets are the educators of humankind. And in «Master of the Day of Judgement (Mâlik yawm al-dîn)» is an explicit statement of resurrection. Likewise, the shell of «Innâ a'taynâka'l-kawthar» (Q 108:1) contains these pearls [of the Qur'an's four main aims]. This is an example, so carry on in the same way.

«In the name of Allah (Bismillâh)» is like the sun, which illumines itself as well as others and is self-sufficient. Thus, the «In (bi-)» is related to the verb that is implicit in its meaning; that is, "I seek help from it;" or the meaning usually associated with it; that is, "I swear by it." Or it is related to the implicit 'Say!' (Qul), which necessitates a subsequent 'recite!' or 'read!' (iqrâ') to denote sincerity and divine unity.

As for «name (al-ism)» know that Allah has names pertaining to His essence, and names pertaining to various sorts of action, such as Forgiving, Provider, Giver of Life, and Dealer of Death, and so on. They are various and numerous because of the multiplicity of the relations of His pre-eternal power with the different kinds of beings. Therefore, «Bismillâh» is an invocation, seeking the agency and connection of divine power, that its connection might be a spirit for man and a help for him in his actions.

«Allâh:» the proper name of Allah is a comprehensive summary of all the attributes of perfection, for it implies the Essence, unlike other proper nouns, in which there is no necessary implication of attributes. {[*]:}

In His Name, be He glorified!

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings, for ever and ever!

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly: Firstly: I congratulate you with all my heart on all the festivals and holy nights, both those of the past and future, and the material ones and the spiritual ones, and entreat divine mercy that your prayers and worship are acceptable, and say "Amen" to them.

Secondly: I am compelled to answer privately two of your questions which in many ways are important and you have frequently asked implicitly:

Your First Question: Why was it that in the early Second Constitutional Period you were passionately involved in politics, yet for nearly forty years now you have given them up completely?

The Answer: I understood with complete certainty that the ghastly crimes committed by mankind up to the present sprang from the abuse of the law which is basic to politics and may be expressed as "Individuals may be sacrificed for the good of the nation; persons may be sacrificed for the well-being of the community; everything may be sacrificed for the fatherland." This fundamental law created by man is indeterminate and has therefore opened up the way to excessive abuse. This wrongful law issued the fatwa for the two world wars and overturned a thousand years of human progress. So too it permitted the annihilation of ninety innocents on account of ten criminals. On the pretext of the general good, personal hatred razed a town because of a single criminal. The Risale-i Nur has proved this fact in some of its collections and defence speeches, so I refer you to them.

Thus, in the face of this unjust law of man's politics and diplomacy I discovered the below-mentioned fundamental laws of the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition, which comes from the Sublime Throne. They are expressed by these verses:

No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another (Q 6: 164 etc.). * If anyone slays a human being - unless it be [in punishment] for murder or for spreading corruption on earth - it shall be as though he had slain all mankind (Q 5:32).

These two verses teach the following principle: others are not answerable for a person's crime, and without his consent, an innocent person may not be sacrificed for the whole of humankind even. If he voluntarily gives his

consent and sacrifices himself, his self-sacrifice is a sort of martyrdom and is another matter. This establishes true justice for man. For details I refer you to the Risale-i Nur.

Second Question: While travelling among the nomadic tribes of the east long ago, you used to strongly urge them towards progress and modern civilization. But for nearly forty years now you have called it "low" civilization, and you have withdrawn from the life of society and gone into seclusion. Why is this?

The Answer: Since modern Western civilization acts contrarily to the fundamental laws of the revealed religions, its evils have come to outweigh its good aspects, and its errors and harmful aspects its benefits; and general tranquillity and a happy worldly life, the true aims of civilization, have been destroyed. And since wastefulness and extravagance have taken the place of frugality and contentment, and laziness and the desire for ease have overcome endeavour and the sense of service, it has made unfortunate humankind both extremely poor and extremely lazy. In explaining the fundamental law of the revealed Qur'an:

Eat and drink, but waste not in excess (Q 7:31),

and,

Man possesses naught save that which he strives (Q 53:39),

the Risale-i Nur says: "Man's happiness in this life lies in frugality and endeavour, and it is through them that the rich and poor will be reconciled." I shall here make one or two brief points in accordance with this explanation.

The First: In the nomadic stage, man needed only three or four things, and it was only two out of ten people who could not obtain them. But now, through wastefulness, abuses, stimulating the appetites, and such things as custom and addiction, present-day civilization has made inessential needs seem essential, and in place of the four things of which he used to be in need, modern civilized man is now in need of twenty, and it is only two out of twenty who can satisfy those needs, and in a totally licit way; eighteen remain in need in some way,

That is to say, modern civilization greatly impoverishes man, Because of the needs, it drives man to wrongdoing and illicit gain. It perpetually encourages the wretched lower classes to challenge the upper classes. It has abandoned the Qur'an's sacred fundamental law making the payment of zakât obligatory and prohibiting usury and interest, which ensured that the lower classes were obedient towards the upper classes and the upper

classes were sympathetic towards the lower classes, and it encouraged the bourgeousie to tyranny and the poor to revolt. It destroyed the tranquillity of mankind.

Second Point: Since the wonders of modern civilization are each a dominical bounty, they require real thanks and to be utililized for the benefit of humankind. But now we see that since they have encouraged a significant number of people to be lazy and indulge in vice, and have given them the wish to heed their desires in ease and comfort; they have destroyed these people's eagerness for effort and endeavour. Moreover, by way of dissatisfaction and extravagance, they have driven them to dissipation, wastefulness, unjustness, and what is unlawful.

For example, as it says in A Key to the World of the Risale-i Nur, although the radio is a great bounty and demands thanks in the form of being used for the good of humanity, since four fifths of it are used on unnecessary, meaningless trivia, it has encouraged idleness and depravity, and destroyed the eagerness for work. I myself even have seen that of a number of highly beneficial marvels which should be used for endeavour and work and man's true benefits and needs, eight out of ten are urging man to indulge in pleasure and amusement, to satisfy his desires, and to be lazy, and only one or two of them are being spent on essential needs. There are thousands of examples like these two small ones.

In Short: Since modern Western civilization has not truly heeded the revealed religions, it has both impoverished man and increased his needs. It has destroyed the principle of frugality and contentment, and increased wastefulness, greed, and covetousness. It has opened up the way to tyranny and what is unlawful. By encouraging people to take advantage of the means of dissipation, it has also induced those needy unfortunates to be totally slothful. It has destroyed the desire to strive and work. It has encouraged depravity and dissipation, and wasted their lives on useless things. Furthermore, it has made those needy and lazy people ill; with its abuses and prodigality, it has been the means of spreading a hundred sorts of diseases.

Humankind is constantly threatened by three awesome matters: severe needs, the tendency towards vice and dissipation, and death - and numerous illnesses which perpetually remind him of death - which the atheistic currents that have awakened mankind by their infiltrating civilization show to be eternal extinction. All these cause humanity a hellish torment.

In the face of this ghastly calamity, it is understood from the signs and allusions of the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition that with the awakening of its four hundred million students and its sacred, revealed fundamental

laws, it will heal those three awesome wounds - as it did one thousand three hundred years ago; and if doomsday does not soon break loose, with its showing that rather than being external extinction, death resembles the despatch papers for the world of light, it will gain for humankind the happiness both of worldly life and of the life of the hereafter; and in the civilization that will grow out of the All-Wise Qur'an, the virtues of civilization will prevail over its evils; and unlike what has happened up to the present, a part of religion will not be given as the bribe for part of civilization, but civilization will serve and assist those heavenly laws. As the All-Wise Qur'an indicates this, so awakened humanity awaits it from divine mercy, and seeks it, and beseeches divine mercy for it.

In His Name, be He glorified!

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

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings, for ever and ever!

My Dear, Loyal, Devoted Brothers!

Since I have received telegraphs and letters from many places for the festival and since I am very ill, the leading students of the Medresetü'z-Zehrâ, my heirs, will have to congratulate both themselves and those close brothers of mine in my place. We also offer congratulations on the great festival of the world of Islam, the eve of which we are now celebrating, and on the establishing in the newly formed Islamic states of Islamic unity, which is beginning to unfold in Asia and Africa and makes four hundred million Muslims into brothers to one another and helpers, both material and moral and spiritual, and the sacred laws of the All-Wise Qur'an being taken as fundamental in those new Islamic states, Together with many signs appearing that the Qur'an, which among all religions bases all its injunctions and truths on reason and proofs, will on its own smash the emerging absolute disbelief, bringing about this coming festival for the future of humanity. We therefore congratulate with our whole life and spirit the students of the Medresetü'z-Zehrâ and all the Nur students on their working to publish the Risale-i Nur, both at home and abroad, in Turkish and Arabic, and a significant section of the religious Democrats for their support of the Risale-i Nur's free dissemination.

We congratulate too with our whole life and spirit the more than one hundred and eighty thousand pilgrims, who although there were many reasons for their paucity, performed their holy obligations this Greater Hajj, which is the sacred, heavenly congress of the religion of Islam and marks the eve of the great festival.