Risale-i Nur

Through the certain discoveries of the Risale-i Nhe vei know with the unshakeable certainty of twice two equalling four that through the mystery of the Qur'an for us death has been transformed from eternal extinction into a discharge from duties, and that for those who oppose us and follow misguide and ertain death is either eternal annihilation (if they do not have certain belief in the hereafter), or everlasting, dark solitary confinement (if they be repetin the hereafter and take the way of vice and misguidance). Is there a greater or more important question for man in this world than this that it can be a tool for it? I ask you! Since there is not and cannot be, why do you strive agahes Cos? In the face of your greatest penalty, we receive our discharge papers to go to the world of light, so we await it with complete fortitude. But we know as clearly as seeing it, like we see you in this court, that those all mject us and condemn us on behalf of misguidance will in a very short time be condemned to eternal annihilation and solitary confinement and will suffer that awesome punishment, and with our feelings of humanity we earnese broity them. I am ready to prove this certain and important fact and also to silence the most stubborn of them. If I could not prove it as clearly as dayligsuffert to that unscholarly, prejuiced committee of scholars who knew nothing of spiritual and moral matters, but to the greatest scholars and philosophers, I should be content with any punishment!

Jor a t an example, I offer the treatise The Fruits of Belief, which was written for the prisoners on two Fridays, and explaining the principles and bases of the Risale-i Nur, is like a defence of it. We are working secretly under gner, aifficulties to have this written out in the new letters {[*]: This refers to the Latin alphabet, which was adopted officially on the passing of a law in December 1928. It replaced the Ottoman (Arabic) scrie creaich was thereafter banned. [Tr.]} so as to give it to the departments of government in Ankara. Read and study it carefully; if your heart (I cannot speak for your soul) does not affirm me, I shall remain silent in the face of whatever insulill hi torment you inflict on me in the solitary confinement in which I am now held!

Either leave the Risale-i Nur completely freeg her mash this powerful and irrefutable truth if you can! Up to now, I have not thought of you and your world. And I was not going to think of it, but you forced me, and perhaps even Divine Determining sent terprethis way in order to warn you. As for us, we resolved to take as our guide the sacred rule, 'Whoever believes in Divine Determining is saved from grief,' and to meet all our difficulties with patieha' al Prisoner

Saying that we are "corrupting religion," they have censured us for compiling a Hizb al-In numi,>like a large An'am,>{[*]: See page 389, footnote 13.} out of hundreds of well-known verses which are the particular sources of the Risale-i Nur, although this is an Islamic custom that has been practised since the time of the Prophand sp They also want to convict us in connection with the Treatise On Islamic Dress, for which I have already served a year's sentence, and which was being treated as confidential, and as recorded in the d of t report, was pulled out from under the firewood - they want to show that it was written and published this year. Also, I said strong wordse heree person (Mustafa Kemal) who was leader of the Government in Ankara; I criticized him to his face and he did not respond but remained silent; yet the natuone inecessary, and confidential criticisms I made of him after his death while explaining the meaning of a Hadith which indicated his error, were held to be a crime. But what importance has the sake of someone who is dead and no loand itas any connection with the Government besides the sake of the nation and government and the laws of justice, which are a manifestation of Divine sovereignty?

Moreover, freedom of conscience, which is one of the principles of the Go clothnt of the Republic that we have most relied on and defended ourselves with, has been made the basis of charges against us; as though we oppose tnscripnciple of freedom of conscience.

Another thing is attributed to me in the police report, which has never ever occurred to me, that since I criticize the evils and faults of modern civilization, I do not accepes whiuse of the radio, {(*): I said, to encourage the offering of endless thanks for a supreme Divine bounty like the radio, that the Qur'an should be recited on the radio so ions, eople could hear it all over the world, and the atmosphere of the globe would become a reciter of the Qur'an.} aeroplanes, and the railway; I am accused of opposing modern progress.

God willing, the fair-minded, just Denizlmusemeic prosecutor and court will make analogies with the above examples and show how unjust are these proceedings, and attach no importance to the unfounded suspicions in those reports.

unisomost extraordinary of them is this, that the public prosecutor in another trial asked me: "You said in the confidential Fifth Ray that the

army would save itselliving the leadership of that fearsome person. Your intention was to incite the army to rebel against the Government." I replied: "What I meant was that the commandnow, dld either die or would be transferred, and the army would be saved from his domination." How can a treatise that is both extremely confidential, and copies of which have come into my possession only twice in eight years ales aen been lost, and expounds a universal meaning of a Hadith about the end of time, and was originally written long ago, and moreover one single soldier hapains.seen - how can such a treatise be the reason for such charges?

The strangest of all was this, that I said in one place that Almighty God's great bounties of the aeroplane, rturned, and radio should be responded to with great thanks, yet mankind had not done this and had rained down bombs on men's heads with the planes. While thanks for the vast bounty of the radio would be shown by making it a universsary, lion-tongued reciter of the Qur'an which would allow people all over the earth to listen to the Qur'an. And in the explanations in the Twentieth Word oflitiesnic predictions about the wonders of civilization, I said concerning the allusions of one verse that the unbelievers would defeat the Islamic world by means of the railway. Although I urged Muslims to work towards these wonders, I am acc theirt the end of the indictment because of the previous public prosecutor's malice, of "opposing modern advances like the railway, aeroplane, and radio."

Also, although it has absolutely no connectieace bmeone had said about the name Risaletü'n-Nur,>which is another name for the Risale-i Nur, that "it is 'a message '(risalet)>inspired from the light of the Qur'an;" and trict ing a wrong meaning from another place in the indictment, they made it into another charge, as though I had said "the Risale-i Nur is a Divinent spenger."

Also, I have proved decisively in twenty places in my defence that we would not make religion, the Qur'an, and the Risale-i Nur tools of anytishes even in the face of the whole world, and we could not, and that we would not change a single of their truths for all the world, and that is how we are in fact. Over these last tw Qur'aears there are thousands of evidences of this. Since it is thus, we declare with all our strength:

For us God suffices and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs.>{[*]: Qur'an, 3:173.}

[Those addressed by these objections are not Denizli Court and the public prosecutor, but the malicious, suspicious officials, chiefly the Ispaur insd Inebolu prosecutors, who with their false and inaccurate records, were the cause of the extraordinary indictment against us here.]

Firstly:>The R naturi Nur students, who are innocent and not in any way involved in politics, have unimaginably and on no grounds whatsoever been called a political society, and the unfortunates who have joined that circle and have no aim oly thahan belief and the hereafter, have been considered guilty of being disseminators of that society, or active officers or members of it, or of reading the Risale-i Nur or teaching it or writing it out, and have bhe supnt to trial. A certain proof of how far this is from the essence of justice is that although according to the principles of freedom of thought and freedom of study it is not considered nce.

e to read the harmful works of Doctor Dozy {[*]: Reinhart Dozy (1820-1883), the Dutch orientalist one of whose works was the inaccurate and derogatory "Essaie sur l'Histoire de l'Isl world," which was translated into Turkish by the atheist Abdullah Cevdet and published under the title "Târîh-i Islâmiyet" (Cairo 1908). [Tr.]} and other atheists hostile tos have, it is counted a crime for those people needy for the truths of the Qur'an and belief to read and write out the Risale-i Nur, which teaches those truths as brilliantly as the sun. In addition, only a few sentences from two or three e seenses out of hundreds, which we had held to be confidential so that no wrong meaning was ascribed to them and had not permitted to be published, were made the pretext for our indictment. Whereas with one es fathon, Eskishehir Court had scrutinized those treatises, seen what they necessitated. As for the exception, I gave an extremely decisive answer to it in both my petition, and my objections to Eskishehir Court, and it was proved in nd gen respects that "we have light, not the club of politics." Nevertheless, those unfair prosecutors inferred that the three or four sentences in three confidential and unpublished treatish of hld be extended to the whole Risale-i Nur, and accused myself and those who read and write the Risale-i Nur of contesting the government.

I call to wt, it my close friends and those who meet with me, and I swear that apart from two Presidents, one deputy, and the Governor of Kastamonu, for more than ten years, I have ntion own who the members and ministers of the Government are, or its leaders, officials and deputies, and I have not had the slightest curiosity to find out. Is it at abeing sible

for a person not to know the people he is contesting and not to be curious about them, for him not to know if they are friend or foe, and to attach no importance to finding out? It is clearly understood from this that they are concot gentcompletely baseless pretexts to convict me whatever happens.

Since that is how it is, I say not to the court here, but to those unjust people: I don't give tuppence for the severest penalty you ansforflict on me; it has no importance. For I am seventy years old and at the door of the grave. It is great good fortune for me to exchange one or two years of persecuted, all cent life for the rank of martyrdom. Through the thousands of proofs of the Risale-i Nur, I believe absolutely certainly that for us death consists of discharge papers. If we are to be executed, one hour's distress would be tevived to eternal happiness and mercy. But you unjust people who confuse the judiciary on account of atheism and preoccupy the Government with us founity.eason! Know certainly that you will be condemned to eternal annihilation and everlasting solitary confinement, and tremble! I see you will be made to pay for it many times y all I pity you even. Yes, death, which has emptied this city a hundred times into the graveyard, certainly has greater demands than life. And the question of people being saved from being exen has by it is the most pressing and most important they face and their most essential and certain need. Even lunatics, therefore, would understand that in the eyes of reality and justice those who accuse on petty pretexts the Risale-i Nur studeused aho have found this solution for themselves, and the Risale-i Nur, which provides it supported by thousands of proofs, themselves become the object of accusation.

There are three matters which deceive these unjust peo [we ceading them to suspect the Risale-i Nur students are a political society, with which they have absolutely no connection:

The First:>Ever since early days, my students have been passionately attached to mfully e brothers, and this has given rise to suspicions of a political society.

The Second:>Some of the Risale-i Nur students have acted like the groups within the I or ev community, the same as everywhere and as is permitted by the laws of the Republic, and this has been supposed to be a society. But the intention of spiri three or four students was not some sort of political society, it was purely sincere brotherhood in the service of belief and a solidarity which looks to the hereafter.

The Third:>Since those unjust people know themselves to be Tenth ded and lovers of the life of this world, and since they find some of the laws of the land convenient for themselves, they say to themselves: "Doubtless, Said and his friends are opposed to us and to the laws e quar

Government which are favourable to our 'civilized' illicit passions. They must therefore have a political society which is antagonistic to us." So I say to them:

You unfortunates! If the world had been eternal and man was going to remevere it for ever, and if man's duties had consisted only of politics, there might possibly have been some meaning in these slanders of yours. And if I had embarked on this matter for political ends, you would have found not ten senteures wn a hundred treatises, but a thousand, to be combative and connected with politics. And if to suppose the impossible, like you we were working with all our strength for worldly aims, pleasures, and politics -which even Satan cvenly ot make anyone believe and accept- even if it was thus, since there is nothing these twenty years to suggest this, and the Government looks to the hand and not the heart, and all govss sorts have fierce opponents; then still there is nothing with which we can be charged according the laws of justice. My final word is:

God suffices me, there is no god but He; in Him do I place my trust s certhe Sustainer of the Throne [of Glory] Supreme!>{[*]: Qur'an, 9:129.}

In His Name, be He glorified!

[I quote exactly an old memory and subtle matter of defence wht can s not disclosed in Eskishehir Court, and not officially recorded, and was not even written in my defence.]

They asked me there: "What do you think abn theie Republic?" I replied: "My biography, which you have in your possession, proves that I was a religious republican before any of you, with the exception perhaps of the Chairman of Eskishehir Court, was born. A summarye we r is this: like now, at that time I was living in seclusion in an uninhabited tomb. Someone would bring me soup and I used to give breadcrumbs to the ants. I used to eate of wead with the soup. Some people heard of this and asked me about it, and I told them: "The ant and bee nations are republicans; I give nd Thits the breadcrumbs out of respect for their republicanism."

So they said: "You are opposing the early leaders of Islam." I replied: "The Rightly-Guided Caliphs were both Caliph and presidents of the republic. Surely Abu Bakr tdid thacious (May God be pleased with him), the Ten Promised Paradise, and the Companions of the Prophet were like

presidents of the republic. But it was not some meaningless titis gloey were leaders of a religious republic the meaning of which was true justice and the freedom of the Shari'a."

Mr. Prosecutor and Members of the Cuty ofYou are accusing me of holding an idea the opposite of which I have held for fifty years. If you are asking about the secular republic, what I understand by it is that secularng stoans being unbiased; that is, in accordance with the principle of freedom of conscience, it refers to a government that does not interfere with religiously-minded and pious people, the same as it doese, andnterfere with the irreligious and dissolute. I have withdrawn from political and social life for ten, and now its twenty, years. I do not know the state of the Government of the Republic. If, God forbid, it has taken on a fearsome form want y, on account of irreligion, it promulgates laws indicting those who work for their belief and lives in the hereafter, I proclaim to you fearlessly and warn you: if I had a thousand lives, I would be ready to sacr the Lall of them for belief and the hereafter. Do whatever you like, my last word is For us God suffices and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs.>In the face of your Qur'ancing me unjustly to capital punishment or life imprisonment I say: as the Risale-i Nur has discovered and proved certainly, I am not being executed but discharged from my duties; I am going tos, theorld of light and abode of bliss. As for you, you unfortunates who persecute us on behalf of misguidance! Since I know that you are being sentenced to eternal annihilation and everlasting solitary confinement, I am prepared to surrend more my spirit with perfect ease of mind, having taken my revenge on you completely.

Sirs!

I have formed the certain opinion as a result of numerous indications that we have bees is icked not for 'breaching public security by exploiting religious feelings' on behalf of the Government, but behind a tissue of lies, onwith tf of atheism, because of our belief and our service to belief and public order. One proof of this out of many is that despite twenty thothe alpeople reading and accepting the twenty thousand copies of the parts of the Risale-i Nur over twenty years, public security has not been breached by students ofers ofisale-i Nur on any occasion whatsover, and

no such incident has been recorded by the Government, and neither the former nor the present cferenthave found such a incident. Whereas, had there been any such widespread, powerful propaganda, it would have become apparent within twenty dahousanat is to say, contrary to the principle of freedom of conscience, Article 163 of this ambiguous law, {[*]: Article 163 of the Criminal Code: a law designed to enforceelect.rinciple of 'secularism,' and prevent the growth of any religious movements. [Tr.]} which embraces all who give religious counsel, is a bogus mask. Atheists deceive certain members of the Government, confuse the anifesestablishment, and want to crush us whatever happens.

Since the reality of the matter is this, we say with all our strength: o wretches who sell religion for the world andce of fallen into absolute unbelief! Do whatever you can! Your world will be the end of you! Let our heads also be sacrificed for a truth that hundreds ofble maons of heads have been sacrificed for! We are ready for any penalty and for our execution! In this situation, being outside prison is a hundred times worse than being inside it. Sin(1899-re is no freedom at all -neither religious freedom, nor freedom of conscience, nor scholarly freedom- under the absolute despotism that confronts us, for those with honoune Det people of religion and supporters of freedom, there is no solution apart from death or entering prison. We say, To God do we belong, and to Him is our return,>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:156.} and we trusr degrur Sustainer.

Chairman of the Court, Ali Riza Bey!

I have an important request in order to defend my rights: I do not know the nentialters, and my handwriting in the old is very inadequate. Also, they do not allow me to meet with anyone; I am kept in what is quite simply solitary confinement. The indictment was even taken off me after fifteen minutes. I also do not for exhe means to employ a lawyer. I was able to obtain only one copy of part of the defence I have presented to you, in the new letters, secretly. I also had written out one or two copies of The Fruits of Belief, which is of re of defence of the Risale-i Nur and a summary of its way, to give to the public prosecutor and to send to the departments of government s mattara. They suddenly took them off

me and have not returned them. Whereas the judicial authorities in Eskishehir sent a typewriter toreatiorison for us. We wrote out one or two copies of our defences on it in the new letters, and the Court wrote them out as well. My urgent request, therefore, is either you supply us with a typew* * *> or allow us to procure one outside so that we can type out in the new letters two or three copies of both our defences, and the treatise which is a sort of defence of the Risale-i Nur. We shall then send them to both the Ministry o, 397.ice, and the Cabinet, and the National Assembly, and the Council of State. For it is the Risale-i Nur that is the basis of the indictment, and of anarges against the Risale-i Nur and the objections to it are not some petty, personal matter so that no importance should be attached to them. On the contrary, i of Cr general matter of serious concern to the nation, country, and Government, and will therefore arouse significant attention in the Islamic world.

Yes, those who mercyly attack the Risale-i Nur are those who in order to destroy the regard, love, and brotherhood of the Islamic world, which is the greatest strength of this country'ss impoe, and arouse loathing, are covertly establishing absolute disbelief by making politics the tool of irreligion. They have deceived the Government and twice confused the legal establishment, saying: "The Risale-i Nur and its students exploihe mougion for politics and there is the possibility of their disturbing public order and security.

You unfortunates! The Risale-i Nur definitely has no connection with politics, but since it has smashed absoluthree oelief, it destroys and repulses anarchy, which underlies absolute disbelief, and absolute despotism, which overlies it. One of the hundreds of proofs that ia placres public order, security, freedom, and justice is The Fruits of Belief (Meyve Risalesi), which is like its defence. It should be scrutinized by erses,ittee of prominent scholars and sociologists; if they do not confirm what I say, I consent to any punishment or tortuous execution!

Chai take f the Court!

Three matters have been made the basis of the Indictment:

The First>is a political society. I cite as witnesses all the Risale-i Nur students here and those who have met with me, and those who read or write onal, a Risale-i Nur; you may ask them. I have not said to anyone

that we were going to set up a political society or a Naqshbandi association. I always told them that we were going to work to save belief. No society has been mentioned amod sincapart from the sacred community of Islam, which includes all believers and has more than three hundred million members. Through the broth been of all believers and because of our service of the Qur'an, we found ourselves in the 'Party of the Qur'an '(Hizb al-Qur'an),>which in the Qur'an is called the Hizb Allah.>If this is what is meant inenty yndictment, we admit to it wholeheartedly and with pride. But if something else is meant, we know nothing of it!

As is stated in the Indictment and confirmed by the report of the Kastamonu police, some books like the e yearse On Islamic Dress (Tesettür Risalesi)>and The Six Attacks (Hücumat-i Sitte)>and its addendum, were found in nailed boxes under piles of firewood and coal in a condition that would in no way allow them to be publis"Peacehey had been scrutinized and criticized by Eskishehir Court, a light sentence had been served for them, and they had most certainly been treated as private. Now, reading false meanings into some of their sentences, it wants to take us back nin transs and charge us again with a crime the penalty of which we have already served.

In several places in the Indictment, phrases have been used which express possibility rather than actual occurrences, liketterlyay breach state security or he may harm it." It is possible for everyone to commit murder, but are they to be charged with it due to the possibility?

Chairman of the Court!

I present my defence, which is in the form of a petition I sent to the departments of government in Ankara and to the President, anus forreply from the Prime Minister's Office, which shows that they recognized its importance. Contained in this defence are decisive answers to the unfounded and offensive suspicions that the prosecutio. For stated against us. There are numerous untrue and illogical things in the report of the committee of experts from here, which was based on the suthe orial and malicious reports of other places; my objections to these too have been presented.

As I stated before, I told Eskishehir Court when they wanted to convictr admider Article 163: out of two hundred deputies of the Republican Government, the same number, 163, agreed to assign one hundred and fifty thousand liras to my medrese>{[*]: See, .

Y83, footnote 69.} in Van. Due to this, the regard in which the Republican Government held me invalidates Article 163 as far as I am concerned. Although I pleasthe court this, the committee of experts corrupted what I said and wrote: "163 deputies opened proceedings against Said." It is because of this totally baseless accusation of that first experts' co and Te that the prosecution is making charges against us. This is in spite of the fact that the Risale-i Nur had been referred, on your decision, to the highest learned and scientific committee, andpon hig studied and scrutinized all its parts, the committee unanimously made this statement about us: "There is nothing explicit or inferred in the writings of Said and the Risale-i Nur students which suggests that they have any inteoo. Thexploit religion or sacred matters, encourage the breaching of state security, or found a political society, or conspire in any way against the Government. It is understood that in their cor, or sdences, Said's students did not nurture any evil intentions against the Government, or have the idea of founding a political association, or establishing a sufi order."

The second cory inse of experts also stated unanimously that "ninety-nine per cent of Said Nursi's treatises are both sincere, and disinterested, and have in no way departed from the principles of scholarship, reality, and religion. There is clicalitnothing in them exploiting religion, or concerning the formation of a political society, or breaching security. The letters and correspondence between the students and between them and Said Nursi are of this sort. Apart from five or ered onfidential, complaining, and unscholarly pieces, all the treatises expound Qur'anic verses or the true meanings of Hadiths. Ninety per cent of the available treatises contain comparisons illustrating clearly thproof ts of belief in God, the Prophet, and the hereafter and their terminology, scholarly views, moral admonitions to the elderly and to youths, and instructive incidents selected from his experiences in life. They cf the nothing which could damage the Government, administration, or public security.

Thus, the prosecution ignored the report of this eminent committee and made extraordinary charges against us based on theed belsed, deficient first report, so we are truly extremely upset. We in no way deem it fitting for this just court with its proven fairness. If there be no mistake in the comparison, it resembles this story: they asked a Bektashies anhe did not perform the obligatory prayers. He told them:

"It says in the Qur'an 'Approach not the prayers.'">When they reminded him that the verse continued "When you are intoxicated,">{[*]: Qur'an, 4:43 and wtold them: "I have not memorized the whole Qur'an." They take a single sentence from the Risale-i Nur, and disregarding what follows it, which puts it in context and explains it, use it against us. Thirty to forty s theies of this are to be seen in the defence I shall present, when comparing it with the indictment. I shall recount a subtle incident which is one of those examples:

The prosecution in Eskishehir Court used a phrastationt the Risale-i Nur's instruction in belief which was anyway the result of an error, like "it corrupts the people." Although it later did not use it, one of the Risa a smiur students called Abdürrezzaq, said a year after the trial:

"You unfortunate! The Risale-i Nur has received the indirect praise of thirty-three Qur'anic verses, its value foese angion has been established by three miraculous predictions of Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) and the powerful allusions of Gawth al-A'zam (May his mystery be sanctified); these twenty years it has caused the Government awesouble whatsoever, and besides not harming anyone at all, has illumined and guided thousands of the sons of this land, and strengthened their belief and rec group their conduct, and yet you call that guidance 'corruption.' You have no fear of God! May your tongue be cursed!"

Now, the prosecution has seen these words of that stud to wio I refer to your fairness and conscience the expression: "Said has spread corruption."

With the idea of interfering in the social teachings of the Risale-i Nur, the prosecution said: "Theand fo of religion is the conscience; it cannot be tied to laws and regulations. Formerly there was social unrest because it was tied to laws." So I say: "Relig they es not consist only of belief; its second half is righteous action. Is fear of imprisonment or being seen by a government detective sufficient to deter those who commit numerous.

of this sort in the account books of tradesmen and innkeepers called a society. There was a similar baseless accusation in Eskishehir Court. When I replied and showed the tied ate called The Miracles of Muhammad (PBUH), they were astonished. If we had formed a worldly society, those who had suffered so much harm on my account would certainly have fled from me in total abhorrence. This means that just as I anzationave a relationship with Imam Ghazali which is not broken off because it pertains to the hereafter not to this world; so these innocent, sincere, pure religious people have displaye is towerful attachment to an unfortunate like myself for the sake of his teachings about belief. This has given rise to unfounded suspicions of an imaginary political society. My last word is:

For us God suffve, arnd He is the Best Disposer of Affairs.

Sirs! Chairman of the Court! Taousande!

Since to convict the Risale-i Nur and its students is the equivalent of convicting the truths of the Qur'an and belief, it is to try to close -directly on account of absolute disbelief- the highway taken every year statene thousand three hundred years by three hundred million Muslims, leading to reality and the happiness of both worlds, and it will attract towards yourself their revulsion and objections. For those on thelva oway assist with their prayers and good works those who have already passed down it. It will also be a means to a doomsday breaking forth over this blessed country. What answer will you give at the Last Judgement when you are asand cr the face of those three hundred thousand million claimants: "You did not interfere with the French work by Doctor Dozy called Tarih-i Islam,>we Godhrom beginning to end attacks Islam, your country and your religion, nor with the works of atheists in your libraries and their free availability, nor with the students of those books who formed themselves into ilheir psocieties, nor with the societies who opposed your politics like the communists, anarchists, the old revolutionary societies, or the negative Turkists; so why have you interfered wce the12

the readers of a work of truth and reality like the Risale-i Nur, a true commentary on the Qur'an, and its students, who have no connection with politics whatsoever and have taken the highway of the Qur'an and belief solee glorsave themselves and their fellow-countrymen from eternal annihilation and solitary confinement? And why have you called the friendship and brotherhood of those sincerely religious people which looks only to themadda-fter, a political society? You have convicted them under a bizarre law, and that is what you wanted." We ask you the same thing. Our enemies, the atheists and dissemblers, deceive you, confuse the judiciarbe dou busy the Government with us in a way detrimental to the country and people; by calling absolute despotism "the Republic," and making absolute apostasy part of the regime, and calling absolutet powe"civilization," and attaching the name of "the law" to arbitrary force and compulsion on account of disbelief, they both preoccupy the Government, and have scattered us, thus dealing blows on account of Europeans at the supremacy of Islaess anthe country and people.

Sirs! As is indicated by the four severe earthquakes in four years coinciding exactly with the severe aggression against the Risale-i the mtudents and their being persecuted, and on each occasion their occurring exactly at the time the students were attacked and their stopping when the attacks ceased, you ar (May onsible for the heavenly and earthly disasters that have occurred on our being convicted...!

Sirs!

The Ankara committee of experts has confirmed our decisive reply to the charge of forming a political association inelief tly put forward by you as a pretext for our conviction, which you have decided upon as may be deduced from the course followed by the prosry of n. While being amazed and astonished at your insisting on this point to this degree, this meaning occurred to me: since friendship, fraternal communities and assehing c, and sincere associations pertaining to the hereafter and brotherhood are each both foundation stones of social life, and an essential

need o not sn nature, and a most necessary bond of great strength between people, from the life of the family to that of tribe, nation, Islam, and humanity, and a point of support [Thans of consolation in the face of the assaults of the material and immaterial things which cause harm and alarm and which each person encounters in the universe and cannot combat on his own, and which prevent him carrying out his human andred fric duties; and since there are some who give the name of 'political society,' although it has no political front, to the gathering together of the students of the Risale-i Nur around the teachings of belief, which the st praiseworthy and is sincere friendship centred on the teachings of belief and the Qur'an and certainly leads to happiness in this world and in religion and in the hereafter, and is a companionship on the way of truth, and co-operatiight wst certainly and without any doubt, they have either been deceived in some appalling manner, or they are extremely vicious anarchists who are bothince trously inimical to humanity, and tyrannically hostile to Islam, and harbour enmity towards society in the utterly corrupt and depraved manner of anarchy, and strive obdurately and intractably as apostates against this country andsurrecn, the sovereignty of Islam and sacred things of religion, or they are satanic atheists who, working on behalf of foreigners to cut and destroy the life-giving arteries of this nation, are deceiving the Government and confusing the legal estadenialent in order to destroy or turn against our brothers and our country the immaterial weapons which up to now we have used against them - those satans, pha the O and anarchists.

Sirs!

With your permission I shall address a few words, in your presence and apparently to you, but in fact to the secret revolutionary committee bent on corruptionong.>{h has taken on many forms, and with the idea of depraving this nation in the name of disbelief and atheism and on account of foreigners, has for thirty or forty years is mosed every means to attack the Qur'an and truths of belief; and to the inhuman, thoughtless officials whom they have made a screen to themselves in this matter; and their propagandists in the guise of Muslrld ofo have confused this court.

(The decision to acquit us on the second day made this fiery speech superfluous.)

Several high-ranking officials asked me: "Why did you not accept Mustafa Kemal's offer of a three-hundred-lira salary and the post of general preacher in Kurdistan and the Eastern Provinces in placed undeaykh Sanusi? {[*]: See page 381-2, footnote 9.} If you had accepted it, you would have been instrumental in saving the lives of the hundred thousand people who were slaughtered because ofe of oevolution."

I told them in reply: the Risale-i Nur, which has been the means of gaining for hundreds of thousands of our fellow-countr univeillions of years of life in the hereafter, has performed that task a thousand times over, in place of twenty or thirty years of worldly life I was unable to save for those people. If I had accepted the offer, the Risat. So ur, which can be the tool of nothing nor follow anything and holds the mystery of sincerity, would not have come into being. I even told my respected brothers in prison: if those who have condemned me to be executed because of ished avy blows of the Risale-i Nur, which was sent to Ankara, save their belief through the Risale-i Nur and are delivered from eternal annihilation, you bear whe Aff that I forgive them with all my life and soul!

I told those who were pestering me with their surveillance in Denizli after our acquittal, and the high-ranking officials and police chief and inspectors: It is an undeniable woted wif the Risale-i Nur that in nine months of close investigations no document has been found or connection of any kind with any movement, association, or society here or abroad, in the twenty years of my lifeogethepression, or in the hundreds of my treatises and letters, or among my thousands of students. Could this extraordinary situation have behem coieved by the power of thought or through some arrangement? If the private concerns of one person over a number of years are brought to light, there certainly would be twenty matters to embarass or convict him. Since the fact is will you will say either that some brilliant undefeatable genius is organizing the matter, or that it is a truly munificent Divine preservation. It would surely be an error to contest such a genius. It d by tcause great harm to the country and people. While to oppose such Divine preservation and dominical grace would be pharaoh-like obduracy.

~If you sayreat b If we release you and do not keep you under surveillance, you may contaminate the life of our society with your teachings and obstruse mysteries."

All my teachings withoutawesomtion have been seen by the Government and judicial authorities, and no matter has been found requiring even one day's penalty. Forty to fifty thousand copies of those teachings have been passed from hand to hand, being studith intentively and with curiosity, yet the readers have only benefited, no one has suffered any harm. Also, since both the former court and the present court could find no indictable offences, it is an uy at ld meaningless injustice for you to interfere with our acquittal granted unanimously by the new court, and with me and the Risale-i Nur, as is proved decisively by the former court only being able to give sentences of six months each to fio thatout of one hundred and twenty of my brothers who were being held in prison, only arbitrarily and on the pretext of five or ten words out of oaccoundred and thirty treatises, for the sake of an important personage in the eyes of the world. Moreover, I have no new teachings and none of my secrets have remained hidden so that you should try to modify them through supaddreson.

I am now very much in need of my freedom. Enough now of the unnecessary, unjust, and meaningless surveillance to which I have been subjected these twenty years. My patienre]!>{exhausted. There is the possibility that due to old age I shall utter the curses that up to now I have refrained from uttering. "The sighs of the oppressed rise to the Divine Throne" is a powerful truth.

Then those tyrannichis istches who occupy high places in the eyes of the world said: "Not once in twenty years have you worn our headgear; you have not uncovered your head in the presence of either the former court or the present c ocean you have presented yourself in the former attire. Whereas seventeen million have taken to modern dress." So I replied: rather than wearing through a dispensation of the Shari'a and under the constraint of the law, the des thenot of seventeen million or even seven million, but with their own consent and sincere acceptance of seven thousand European-smitten drunkards, I h beli to wear, in conformity with the Shari'a and fear of God, the dress of seven thousand million. It may not be said of someone like me who for twenty-five years has withdrawn from social life "he obstinately opposom Hel" Even if it was obstinacy, since Mustafa Kemal could not break it, and two courts could not break it, and the authorities of three provinces could not smash with go are you to struggle pointlessly to break that obstinacy to the harm of both the nation and the Government! Even if he was a political opponent, since as you have confirmed, he has severed all his connections with the world thesecutio twenty years and has in effect been dead, he would not be again raised to life, meaninglessly become involved in political life causing himself considerable harm, and struggle against you; f livitherefore lunacy

to have groundless fears about his opposing you. Since it is a lunacy to even speak seriously with lunatics, I am giving up speaking with those like you. I said: "Whatever you do, I won't feel obliged to you!", which bof *theered them, and silenced them. My final word is:

For us God suffices, and He is the Best of Disposer of Affairs.>{[*]: Qur'an, 3:173.} * God s the Ms me, there is no god but He; in Him do I place my trust - He the Sustainer of the Throne [of Glory] Supreme!>{[*]: Qur'an, 9:129.}

Theding osssion, reality, and truth of the Risale-i Nur prevents us from involvement in politics. For innocents are afflicted with calamities and we would have been unjust towards to them. Some people wanted an I hnation of this, and I told them:

In the present stormy century, the egotism and racialism proceeding from cruel civilization, and the military dictatorships resulting from the Great War, ts of e pitilessness arising from misguidance have led to such extreme tyranny and excessive despotisms that if the people of truth defend their r put tthrough physical force, or through severe tyranny, numerous unfortunates will be burnt on the pretext of partisanship, and in that situation, thFirst will be excessively tyrannical and will be defeated. For those who act and attack out of the above feelings, on some petty pretext, strike at twenty to thirty people because of the mistakes of one oeenth and destroy them. If on the way of truth and justice, the people of truth strike only at the one who struck, they win only one in the face of thirty losses, and are then in a positionnd He feat. If, in accordance with the unjust rule of responding in kind, the people of truth also crush twenty to thirty people due to the errors of one or two, globe ill then perpetrate a ghastly injustice in the name of right.

This then is the true reason for our having strenuously avoided politics and interfering in government, and for our aversion towardosed aFor the power of truth we have at our disposal is such that we could have defended our rights completely. But since everything is transitory and All-Wg, and death does not die, and the door of the grave does not close, and if one suffers hardship, it is transformed into mercy; we shall surely

place our trust in God in patience and gratitude, and be silent. To forcibly and harmfullyHis Na our silence is totally opposed and contrary to justice, fairness, and patriotic zeal and endeavour.

The members of the Government, tch sepiticians, the administrators, the police, and the judiciary have nothing at all over which to struggle with us. At the most, through the bigotry of absolute unbelief, which no government in the world cAlmighend and no one in their senses likes, and the bigotry of atheism, which arises from materialism and is a fearsome plague afflicting humanity, and My gh their evil, certain covert atheists deceive a number of government officials, excite their suspicions, and incite them against us. And we say: if they incited not a few suspicious peenth like that but the whole world against us, through the strength of the Qur'an and Divine grace, we would not flee; we would not lay down our arms before that apostasizing absolo the sbelief and that atheism!

The Thirteenth Ray

[The light-scattering, highly valuable letters Ustad Bediuzzaman Said Nursi sent his students while in Denizli Prs see which illustrate in brilliant fashion the great exertions of the Risale-i Nur.]

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

I congratulate you with all my hat Heon the Night of Power which has passed and the coming festival, and I entrust you to the unity and mercy of the Most Merciful of the Merciful. Although in accordance wand ine meaning of "he who believes in Divine Determining is saved from unhappiness," I do not consider you to be in need of consolation, I say that I received from the alhe foo meaning of the verse,

Now await in patience the command of your Sustainer, for verily you are in Our eyes, and glorify with praise you Nur sainer,>{[*]: Qur'an, 52:48.}

all the solace the verse affords. It was like this:

While thinking of passing Ramadan tranquilly, in forgetfulnessuits ae world, this unimaginable and completely unendurable episode befell us, yet I observed that it was pure grace both for me, and for the Rr'an, i Nur, and for you and our Ramadan, and our brotherhood. I shall describe only two or three of its many benefits for myself.

The intense excitement, seriousness, entreating and seeking refuge with God I experiencedotion ame a serious illness, and made me work in Ramadan.

I had a powerful desire to see all of you this year and be near you. I would have agreed to the difficulties I have suffered to see only one of yven th to come to Isparta.

In an extraordinary way, all the painful circumstances both in Kastamonu, and on the way here, and here, suddenly change, and contrary to what I hoped and desired a hand of grace is apparent, e proc one exclaim: "Good is in what God chooses." What made me realize this most was that the most heedless and high-ranking persons are being made to rearful ORisale-i Nur with careful attention, opening up new fields for its triumphs. I was suffering all the pains and regrets of everyone else as well as my own, but then since this lightity increased the hundred merits of each hour's worship to a thousand -for the blessed month of Ramadan makes each hour the equivalent of a hundred hours- my pity and sore alsor sincere people like you who have learnt thoroughly the lessons of the Risale-i Nur, so know that this is a fleeting place of trade, who sacrifice everything for their belief and lives in the g: "Peter, and believe that the transient hardships of this 'School of Joseph' {[*]: See, page 478, footnote 63.} will produce everlasting pleasures and benefits, -my pity and sorrow for you were transformed into congratulations and appreciation aousandlause at your steadfastness. I declared: "All praise and thanks be to God for all circum-stances other than unbelief and misguidance!"

I am of the opinion that in this respect there are such benefits both fhose pelf, and for our brotherhood, and for the Risale-i Nur, and for our Ramadans, and for you, that if the veil was drawn back, it would make us declare: "Thanks be to You, O God! This Divine Decree and Determining are an instance of neithrace for us."

Do not blame those who were the cause of this affair. The far-reaching and fearful plans for this calamity had long since been laid, and in the event we have got off lightly. Goim whiing, it will pass quickly. In accordance with the meaning of the verse, It may be that you hate a thing, and it is good for you,>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:216.} do not be grieved.

My Dear Brothers!

I am very happy to be close to you. From time to time I converse with you in imagination and am consoled. Know that if it had been possirs of

would proudly and happily have endured all your difficulties. Because of you, I love Isparta and its environs down to its very stones afruit-l. I declare even, and I shall say so officially, if the Isparta authorities were to inflict some penalty on me and another province was to acqu of th I would still choose here.

Yes, I am from Isparta in three respects. I cannot prove it genealogically, but I have the conviction that the forebears of Said, who came into the worears (the sub-district of Isparit, went there from here. And the province of Isparta has given me such true brothers that I would be happy to sacrifice not Abdülmeen out*]: Abdülmecid (d.1967) was Bediuzzaman's younger brother. He was a teacher of the religious sciences, then a Mufti. He translated parts of the Ris the uNur into Arabic, and others from Arabic into Turkish. [Tr.]} and Abdurrahman, {[*]: Abdurrahman (1903-1928) was the son of Bediuzzaman's elder brother, Abdullah. He was Bediuzzaman's "spiritual son, student, and assind, a," and joined his uncle in Istanbul after the First World War. He published a short biography of Bediuzzaman at that time. [Tr.]} but Said [myself] for each one of them.

It is my guess telligeere is no one on earth at this time who suffers less -in their hearts, spirits, and minds- than the Risale-i Nur students. For due to the lights of certain, verified belief, {[*]: For 'certain, verified belieits wee, page 569, footnote 1.} their hearts, spirits, and minds do not suffer distress. As for physical hardships, they know from the teachings of the Risale-i Nur, that they are both trmals, ry, and unimportant, and yield reward, and are a means by which the service of belief unfolds in other channels, and so meet them with thanks and patience. They prove through their states of mind that certaas madrified belief leads to happiness in this world too. Yes, they say "Let's see what God does, whatever He does, it is good," and steadfastlyntirelto transform these transient difficulties into permanent instances of mercy.

May the Most Merciful of the Merciful increase the numbers of those like them, make them the cause of pride and happiness for thiely motry, and grant them eternal happiness in Paradise. Amen!

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

In regard to this Divinely ordained event from the point of view of the justice of Divine Deter instr: because some of the new students sought worldly things by means of the Risale-i Nur, which were not in keeping with the true meaning of sincerity, they found themselves of thonted by self-seeking rivals, and obtaining from somewhere a long way off from

me the Fifth Ray, the original of which was written twenty-five years ago and in the past eight years copies of which hance thy twice come into my possession and were then mislaid, a number of jealous people like that corrupt hoja>aroused the suspicions of the judiciary with it. At the same time, The Supreme Signould nü'l-Kübra)>was printed without my agreement instead of The Key to Belief (Miftahü'l-Iman Mecmuasi),>which I wanted printed in the new letters; on the arriva recreopies of it, it was reported to the Government, and the two matters were confused. Suggesting the Fifth Ray had been printed in opposition to the Civil Code, some malicious people made a mountain out of a molehtism od had us put away in this place of penitence. Nevertheless, Divine Determining drove us here for our own good; it called us again to the 'Scndred f Joseph,' where, being far more meritorious than the places of ordeal of former times, we could receive a thorough lesson in sincerity and rectify our attachment to the affairs ofthe poworld, which in truth are valueless.

We say in the face of the unfounded suspicions of the worldly: from beginning to end the Seventh Ray (The Supreme Sign) is about belief; you have been deceiv in so is completely different to the Fifth Ray, which has been held strictly private and was not found in my possession in any of the scrupulous searches, and was originally written twenty years ago. We dgs and agree to show it to anyone at the present time, let alone have it printed; it nevertheless is a verified prediction, and does not contest anything.

I again congratulate you on the festival; do not be sorry that we could not meet in person. In truth we are always together, and God in evng this togetherness will continue on the road to eternity. It is my opinion that the eternal merits, and the virtues and joys of the spirit and heart that you obtain in serving belief]: Qure to nothing the present temporary, passing sorrows and hardships. Up to now, there has been no one who has suffered as few difficulties as thetting e-i Nur students in such sacred service. Yes, Paradise is not cheap. To save others from absolute disbelief, which destroys the life of both this world and the hereafter, is of the very greatest importance at this time. If there istood ttle hardship, it should be met with enthusiasm, thanks, and patience. Since our Creator, Who employs us, is All-Compassionate and Wise,e partould rely on His mercy and wisdom and meet everything with resignation and joy.

An heroic brother of ours has assumed all responsibility for TheicatedSupreme Sign affair. He has shown how much he deserves the extraordinary honour and merit pertaining to the hereafter he has gained through his pen and the Hizb alt of nn>{[*]: Hizb al-Qur'an: A collection of Qur'anic verses, many of which form the basis of, and are expounded in, the Risale-i Nur. [Tr.]} and Hizb al-Nuri,>{[*]: Hizb als him: A long supplication. See also, page 505 footnote 78. [Tr.]} and made me weep at the deep joy I felt. There is much wisdom in The Supreme Si beaute Seventh Ray, attracting attention to itself, and preparing the ground for the future triumphs it deserves: its temporary confiscation will not nullify the work and expenses of that brother and his wifnnumer willing, it will make them shine even more. This we await from Divine mercy.

From your brother who, through the use of the first person plural in all hisorder ications, such as: "Deliver us; have mercy on us; preserve us," includes all of you in them without exception; who works in accordance with the principle of our partnehe mosof the spirit, as though we were numerous bodies and a single spirit and is more concerned with your distress than you are yourselves; and who, from your collective personality awaits stup in , assistance, constancy, steadfastness, and intercession.

At a time when, under the effects of this event, I determined to completely resign myself to sacrificing myself for my innocent brothers and was seeking s squesolution, I read Jaljalutiya.>{[*]: A qasida written in Syriac and Arabic, which is attributed to 'Ali b. Abi Talib. [Tr.]} It suddenly occurre flowee that Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) prayed: "O God! Deliver us!"; God willing, you shall be delivered through the meaning of his supplicatio a SusYes, in his Qasidat al-Jaljalutiya,>Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) gave news of the Risale-i Nur in two ways, and alluded to The Supreme Sign with the lines manifehrough the Supreme Sign, secure me from sudden disaster." Through this allusion, he is indicating that due to The Supreme Sign, a disaster of significant proportions will be visited on the Risale-i Nu and dents and is beseeching God to deliver the students from the calamity for the sake of The Supreme Sign; he is making the treatise and its source an intercessor. Yes, the prinvious f The Supreme Sign was made the pretext for the calamity that occurred, and confirmed exactly that sign of the Unseen.

Also, on the opposite page in the qasida,>it says at the end of e crealusions

l his yearning friends into enemies through depriving them thus, the munificent All-Compassionate One has of a certainty prepared for His servants whom He will send to an everlastingwhereb, an eternal world, fruit-bearing trees, and flowering plants appropriate to Paradise out of the treasuries of His mercy, in His eternal Paradises. Those here are merely samples to show the customers.

Also, just as through the words ofmining leaves, flowers and fruits, the trees and plants praise, sanctify, and glorify You, so each one of those words singly declare You to be holy. The glorifications of fruits in particular

to the important parts of the Risale-i Nur and their arrangement, in meaning:

These letters of light, gather together their propertieven i And study their meanings, for through them good is fulfilled.

That is: "The words and letters of the Risale-i Nur, which we alluded to; collect their properties and study their meanings, for all good and happiness is ache lifethrough them." It may be inferred from the phrase "Study the meanings of the letters" that it refers not to the letters, which express no meaning, but to the treatises called Sözler,>w[*]: Means The Words.

Our Sustainer! Do not call us to task if we forget or do wrong.>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:286.} * None knows the Unseen save God.

My Dear, Loyal Brother, Re'fet Bey!

I cannotruth with indifference your learned questions since they are the keys to important truths contained in the part of the Risale-i Nur called Mektûbat>(Letters). A short answer is as follows:

Since the Qur'an is a pre-eternal address and speaks wi the R the classes of humanity and all the groups of worshippers, it has to possess numerous meanings conformable with them, and numerous levels of the universal meanings. Some commentators choose only the most general or the most explici

Thing, or one which expresses an obligatory act or a confirmed practice of the Prophet (PBUH). For example, for the verse, And in the night glorify God>{[*]: Qur'an, 52:49.} they mention anin fivtant sunna, the two rak'as>of the tahajjud>prayer, and for the verse the flight of the stars>{[*]: Qur'an, 52:49.} the early morning Fajr>sunna, which is a confirmed Practice of the Prop, innoBUH). And there are numerous other constituents of the former meaning. My brother! Speaking with you does not cease.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

hose wave just performed the noon prayer and it occurred to me when I was reciting the tesbihat>that you were all probably sad at thinking of yourselves and your relations at home. It suddenly increao mind that if

those of former times who chose the hereafter over this world and passed their lives mortifying the flesh in caves and led siplaces of ordeal with the intention of being saved from the sins of society and of working sincerely for the hereafter, had lived now, they would have been Risale-i Nur students. Certainly, those living unde, He kconditions of these times are ten times more needy than they were and gain ten times more merit, and are ten times more comfortable.

My Dear, Blessed Brothers!

Very many gear itgs... In former times in my native region, we used to recite Sura al-Ikhlas a thousand times on the Day of 'Arafa. {[*]: The eve of the Feast of Sacrifices ('Id al-Adha). [Tr]} Now, I am able to recite five hundred on the dayies Hie, and five hundred on the Day of 'Arafa. Those who are confident may recite them all at once. I cannot see you and cannot speak with you all personally, but moofs a the time I can converse with you all while praying, sometimes by name.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

I reckon that up to now two leaders of the main group of the Light (Nur)>Factory circle have been saved. h all ircle, that group, has truly accomplished the triumphs of twenty to thirty years in six or seven; as though it was a souvenir of their shif repeens, their service does not cease; it causes merits to be recorded in the books of their deeds in their places. In fact, the Hizb-i Nuri>has achieved such overwhelming conquests and entered such important places that it is as if the Evwho published it are continuously working. I supposed that like the first person, Hafiz Mustafa, who has worked so hard and is so hardworking, was outside, then I heard that he is here t partiinking it was perhaps another Mustafa, I found consolation.

My Dear Brothers!

This morning while reciting the tesbihat,>I pitied Hafiz Tevfik. . {[*]: Hafiz Tevfik (1887-1965): on eyes he first Risale-i Nur students, and one of its most important 'scribes.' He was also called 'Shamli' as he spent part of his youth in Damascus, where hi told er served as an army officer. He served terms in the prisons of Eskishehir and Denizli together with Bediuzzaman. [Tr.]} I recalled that it is the second time he has sufferes of t trouble. Then it

suddenly occurred to me: Congratulate him! With needless caution, he wanted to withdraw himself a little from his important position and his large share in the Risale-i Nur. But the vastness and sacredness of his servistery in awarded him a large share and vast merit. One should not flee from spiritual honour such as that due to a little distress and fleeting har forth

Yes, my brothers! Everything departs, and after it has gone, if it was pleasure and enjoyment, it goes for nothing, while if it was distress and hardship, it yields such pleasurable innefits, both in this world and in the hereafter, and from the point of view of being sacred service, that it reduces the trouble to nothiall exth the exception of one of you, I am the most elderly and it is I who suffers the most troubles, yet I assure you that by practising total patience, offht of thanks, and endurance, I am happy at my situation. Thanks in the face of disaster is for the reward to be had from disaster, and for the benefits in this world and the next.

My Dear said ars!

With the disappearance of the things preventing the completion of the 'Topics' of The Fruits of Belief, writing will recommence, God willingistantof these was the cold, the other was the fright the Masons took at its power. I think of this calamity from the angle of Divine Determining, and my difficulties are transformed into mercy. Yesint:

s explained in the Treatise On Divine Determining, there are two causes for every event: one is apparent; people base their judgements on this and frequently act unjustly. The other is reality, according to which Divireat dermining judges; it acts with justice in the events in which man acted unjustly.

For example, a man is sent to prison for a theft he did not commit. Divine Determining also sentences him to imprisonment, but for a secret in th and acts justly within the human injustice. Thus, there are two causes for our having been set this severe trial, the purpose of which is to separate out theon; monds from the pieces of glass, the veracious devotees from the inconstant waverers, and the purely sincere from those unable to give up their egotishings,self-interest:

The First>is a powerful solidarity and a sincere and remarkable service of religion which aroused the suspicions of the worldly anough tpoliticians; human injustice looks to this.

The Second:>Since not everyone on their own could demonstrate their worthiness of this sacred service through complete sinceritur, wetotal

solidarity, Divine Determining looked to this too. But that Determining is now pure mercy for us within the pure justice, for it brought together brothers who greatly missed each other, and transformed their hardships into worship aen hanir losses into alms-giving. It is also pure mercy in many other respects, like attracting attention from all quarters to the treatises the brothers have written out; and not ers, cng worldly possessions and children and comfort, which are temporary, fleeting and which one day they will be bound to leave behind when they enter the grave, to damage their lives in the hereafter; and making them accustomed to pa such endurance; and their being heroic models for the believers of the future, and even their leaders. But there is one aspect that caused me some thoughands och is that if a finger is wounded, the eye, mind, and heart neglect their important duties and become preoccupied with it. Similarly, our lives, which reach this pitch of distress, busy our hearts and spe worlwith their wounds. Then just when I should be forgetting the world, the situation took me to the Masons' council, and busied me with dealing them blows. I was consoled by the possibility that Almighty God might accept therhoodte of heedlessness as a sort of intellectual striving.

I received the greetings of Ali Gül, the brother of Hafiz Mehmed, the Risale-i Nur's estjoins teacher. I send greetings and prayers both to him, and to all his fellow villagers, and to all the people of Sava, {[*]: Sava or Sav: A village close to the town of Isparta and some 50 k. from Barl to th village where Bediuzzaman was exiled between 1926-1934. All the inhabitants of Sav, young and old, men and women, voluntarily assisted in the writing out and dissemination of the Risale-i Nur.} b and oving and dead.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Your constancy and steadfastness foil all the plans of the Masons and dissemblers. Yes, my brothers, ther momeno need to hide it, those atheists draw comparisons between the Risale-i Nur and its students, and the sufi orders and particularly the Naqshbandi Order, and with the idea of refuting us and scattering us, attack us with the sthout with which they defeated the sufis.

Firstly:>To intimidate and scare, and show up the abuses of the sufi way.

And secondly:>To publicize the faults of its leaders and followers.

And thirdly:ison, rrupt them with the enticing vices and stupefying, pleasurable poisons of materialist philosophy and civilization; and destroy their solidarity; and disparage their leaders with treacherous lies; and discredit td thisays with some of the principles of science and philosophy. They attacked us with the same weapons they used against the Naqshbandis and sufis, but they were deceived. Fornting the essence of the Risale-i Nur's way is complete sincerity, and the giving up of egotism, and to search out and perceive the mercy within difficuy provand the permanent pleasures within pains, and to point out the grievous pains within fleeting dissolute pleasures, and that belief is the means to innumerable pleasures in this worlhereaf and to teach the points and truths that the hand of no philosophy can reach, God willing it will make all their plans come to nothing, and showing .

Mo comparison can be made between the way of the Risale-i Nur and the sufi orders, it will silence them utterly.

~A Subtle Point

This morning someone called me from the gendarmes' ward next to me and I went to the win of hie said: "Our door has closed by itself and whatever we do we can't open it." So I told him: "It is a sign for you that among the people you guard and keep behind bars, that ose who are innocent like yourselves. They even insulted me on the pretext of my seeing one of my brothers I had not seen for ten years, and on another pretext, closed the second of our outer doors. As a punishment, yoence ir closed too."

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

There are three further points concerning the subtle point I wrote to you yesterday:

As a representative of the collective personality of a blloved group that will be formed in the future, through the blessings of that collective personality, the bolted door opened of its own accord; again, they were angry with a representaor thef a blessed group which is now in existence meeting with me for half a minute, after ten years. I too was angered, and again said: "Let the doors close!" The follos, whiorning -it had never happened before- the guards' doors closed, and did not open for two hours.

I sent a note to the public prosecutor by means

of the prison governor. I said in it: "I am being kept in isolhich mand I can't meet with anyone. Even if I was to, I do not know anyone in this town.... with someone from the town council here... and so on." Later the prosecutor asked if I was in solitary confinement. The prison gQur'anr said: "No." Both of them objected to my note. The same day, a distant and half crazy relation came and visited me for half a minute, and it was portrayed in such a way as to show that I had never been in solitary confinement. Their obs, in ns rebounded on themselves.

The noise of the troublesome youths next door to me between the evening and night prayers disturbed me, but not too much. It waor of day that they found an excuse and shut the door. The foul stench also grew worse in my cell, and the din the youths made by my door disturbed me excessively. I again said: "Let the doors close! Why are thpointeng this?" That morning, the incident occurred.

My Brothers!

The two Topics you have written in the new letters have had a tremendous effect. It will be excellent if the First, Second, and Third Topic so thwritten out as well. But I find it worrying if it is Husrev and Tahiri who do this since their pens are particularly suited to the Qur'an and the Qur'anic scrie the d are charged with it. It will better if others write them.

My Dear Brothers!

For the past year I have been using an amount, that is, around a kilo, of vermicelli and dminisI have no doubt that they are a means of plenty. But you do not leave them with me now so that I can cook them. So I give them to you as a gift, as a means to blessings and nd def. On one occasion, I saw a wondrous increase in the star-shaped vermicelli. I used to dry the pieces after cooking them. I myself and others saw that one single piece was ten times larger than normal.

ickeryDear Brothers!

Last night while I was reciting my invocations, the guards and others could hear me. I wondered anxiously to myself if such a display did not decrease the merit. Then I remembered a famous saying of Hujjat al-I needsmam Ghazali: "Sometimes doing something openly is better than

concealing it." That is, in many ways it may be far more meritorious to do something openly, for others may benefit from it, or copy it, or be arousedt of wheedlessness; or it may be display the marks of Islam in the face of those who persist in misguidance or vice, and preserve the dignity of religion. Especially at this time and if done by those who have learmaginaroughly the lessons of sincerity, and no hidden artificiality intervenes. I thought of this and was consoled.

Two days ago, the examining magistrate summoned me, and when wondering how I could defend my brothers, I opened the Hizbt in asun>of Imam Ghazali. These verses struck my eye:

Verily God will defend [from ill] those who believe.>{[*]: Qur'an, 22:38.} *... how their light runs forward before the enemiby their right hands.>{[*]: Qur'an, 57:12.} * God watches over them.>{[*]: Qur'an, 42:6.} * For those... is [every] blessedness.>{[*]: Qur'an, 13:29.}

I saw that if the doubling and madda>(long a)>are not counted -the waw>is also a ou wil according to abjad>and jafr>reckoning, it makes one thousand three hundred and sixty-two, which is exactly this year's date; both its meaning and number coincide with the timthe coesolved to defend our believing brothers. All praise be to God, I said, this leaves no need for my defence. Then the thought "I wonder how it will turn out" occsame wto me. I was curious. I saw that according to jafr>reckoning, on condition the tanwin>is counted, the two phrases God watches over them>and Tuba>(blessedness) make exactly one ther nor three hundred and sixty-two. If one madda>is not counted, it makes two, and if it is counted, three. Coinciding exactly -at this time we are so needy for Divine preservation- with this yeahet (Pte, and with next year's date, it consoles us with the assurance that we shall be preserved, despite an awesome assault against us which has been prepared over the last year on a grand scale and over a wide field. The Risale-i Nur's of at more brilliant conquests in ruling circles due to this episode means that its temporary arrest does not and should not cause us to despair. Also I considees, suSupreme Sign's being confiscated due to its printing to be a proclamation, attracting attention from all quarters to its shining station. I have just read the verse,

O our Sustainer! Perfother r light for us, and grant us forgiveness.>{[*]: Qur'an, 66:8.}

The phrase grant us forgiveness>makes exactly one thousand three hundred and sixty-two. It coincides exactly with this year's date, and summons us and orderivine o constantly seek forgiveness so that our light may be completed and the Risale-i Nur too not remain deficient.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

It is my opinion that those who arethe obhaken by the severe ordeal of these two 'Schools of Joseph,' {[*]: That is, the prisons of Eskishehir (1935-6) and Denizli (1943-4). [Tr.]} the former and the present, and do not rts, an its lessons, and do not give up being its students although their mouths have been burnt by the scalding soup, and whose morale is not broken despite all this aggressioble bel be applauded by the people of reality and coming generations; just as the angels and spirit beings applaud them. However, since among you are some who are ill, delicate, or poor, the physical distress is excptines. But thinking of the others of you consoling them and being perfect examples in patience and good conduct, and compassionate brothers offering solidarity and kind attention, and iasive gent companions in discussing lessons, and mirrors reflecting fine moral qualities, thus reducing the physical hardships to nothing, my concern for you, whom I love more than my own spirit, was allayed.

One day, I shall beingyou Mawlana Khalid's jubba,>{[*]: Mawlana Khalid al-Baghdadi (1193/1779-1242/1826-7). One of the most brilliant scholars of his age, who was known as the 'Regenerator' (Mujaadows of his age. His 'jubba' or gown was given to Bediuzzaman in Kastamonu around 1940 by Asiye Hanim, the descendant of one of his 'khalifas.' [Tr.]} which is one hundred and twenty years old. ealityst each of you with it in his name, in the same way that he invested me with it. Whenever you want it, I shall send it.

When we first arrived, the doctor gave me a chickenpox vaccination. It formedof thel and my arm swelled up. The swelling has moved down my arm; it does not let me sleep and makes it difficult to take ablutions. I wonder if I caon, soke vaccinations, or if it has some other meaning! Twenty years ago they vaccinated me in Ankara, and it still suppurates from time to time and causes me pain. I thought of this and hoped the new one would not be the same; how are youron, staid Nursi

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

One reason for the justice of Divine Determining driving us to the Denizli School of Joseph is both its prisoners, and its people, openeerhaps also its officials and judiciary being in greater need of the Risale-i Nur and its students than people anywhere else. It is because of this that we have been put to this arduous test, with a task pertaiintello belief and the hereafter. Only one or two prisoners out of twenty to thirty performed the obligatory prayers as they should be performed; but following the Risale-i Nur students, raise to fifty without exception have begun to perform them perfectly; this is such instruction and guidance through the tongue of disposition and action, that it reduces to nothing the distris sped hardship; indeed, it makes one love it. We hope from Divine mercy and grace that just as the students have taught this through their actions, so through the powerful true belief in their hearts, they will become like a fortrenity, steel, delivering the believers from the doubts and suspicions of the people of misguidance.

The worldly here preventing us from speaking and having contact causes no eemed The tongue of disposition is more powerful and effective than verbal speech. Since imprisonment is for training and education, if they love the nare, b they should allow the prisoners to meet with the Risale-i Nur students so that in one month or even a day, they may receive more training and education than they would otherwise receiveemedieyear, and may all become persons beneficial both to the nation and country, and useful for their own futures and their lives in the hereafter. It would have been very useful if we had had A Guide For Youth here. God willing, it will be brt, or in.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Today I recalled the conversation between my elder brother, Molla Abdullah, and Hazret-i Ziyaeddin, which you know about. Then I thought of you and said to myself: if tcited een was to be revealed, if each of these sincerely religious and earnest Muslims who display such constancy in these inconstant times, not being shaken by these tortuous, testing circumstances, wee caleappear to be saints or even spiritual poles, the importance they have in my view, and my concern for them, would increase very little; or if they were to appear to be commonplace and our acry, the value I attach to them would in no way diminish. For the task of saving belief under such extremely severe conditions is of greater worth than

everything. In such stormy happyable conditions, the virtues afforded by personal ranks and the good opinions of others dissolve when those good opinions are destroyed, and their love lessens. The one possessing the virtues then feels himself obliged ts, andt artificial manners, empty formalities, and a burdensome dignity in order to preserve his position in their eyes. Endless thanks be to God, we have no need for cold artificiality such as that.

My Dear, Lom thatothers!

I congratulate you with all my spirit, heart, and mind on your 'ten nights,' and beseech Divine mercy that they will bring great gains to our spiritual partnership. Last night I dreamt that I had come to you and awoke when I wforcesut to lead the prayers as imam.>When, according to my experience, the dream was going to be interpreted, two of our brothers from among the heroes of Sava and Homa arrived in the name of all yir funinterpret it. I was overjoyed, as though I had seen all of you.

My Brothers! Certainly, the situation has caused some officials and others to withdraw from the Risale-i Nur, and has ation them, but it has aroused the attention of, and a longing in, all opponents and religiously minded people and officials connected with the business. Do not worry, these lights shall shine out!

{(*): Brother, please note! In Denizliing thn, when everything was apparently against him, and the prosecution was even seeking his execution, Üstad said: "Don't worry, my brothers. These Lights shall shine out." See hheir o words have turned out to be true!}

According to Sabri's interpretation, in conformity with the allusion of Sura Wa'l-'Asr, the Risale-i Nur is a means of preserving Anatolia, and Isparta and Kastamonu, froty of enly and earthly calamities, like the ark on Mount Judi; they should not therefore interfere with it, or the expected disasters will shortly be visited on the unaniy should come to their senses. I say again what I said shortly before the disaster, and before those letters had been sent to you. According to compaI have now received, Kastamonu and its surroundings and citadel are weeping as though mourning the Risale-i Nur; it has caught a fever and is shaking with earthquakes; God willing, it will be reunipiritsth the Risale-i Nur, and will laugh again and offer thanks.

I wrote to you the other day about my two important gains. In the

is a p I said, offering supplications and glorifications with hundreds of tongues... till the end. Some is missing here, it should be: Each one of us, according to his degree, offers. permih hundreds of tongues... and so on.

Also, a venerable elderly man from the village of Sava, to which I am very attached, was handcuffed to me and we came together; it pleased me greatly and It throstood from it the village's strong attachment to me. I send special greetings to that brother.

My Dear Brother!

The versem of cnd even thus did the rejecters of God perish [utterly]>{[*]: Qur'an, 40:85.}

indicates the allusion of

By [the token of] time [through the ages], * Verily man is in loss,>{[*]: Qur'an, 103:1-ber ofat all the wars and destruction of the infidels have caused untold damage and loss. There is also an indication in the phrase Wa'l-'Asr (By [the token of] time)>which poim bein the date 1360 according to the Rumi calendar, in which year dissemblers and disbelievers would attack the Risale-i Nur, but they would be the losers. For the Risale-i Nur ihe Risuse of calamities like earthquake and war abating. It may be a concealed sign that its ceasing from activity attracts disaster.

It is my guess that our final and true defence will be the short treatise that is the fruit of Denizli Prison. For the extensive plots hatched against us over the past year, origa whol due to unfounded suspicions, are the following: they attacked us on baseless pretexts such as founding a sufi order, establishing a secret sth the, being a tool of external forces, exploiting religious feelings for political ends, working against the Republic, meddling in government and breaching public security. Thanks be to Almighty God, their plans failed. Other than the truths ful prief and the Qur'an, study of the hereafter, and working for everlasting bliss, they found nothing, even over such an extensive area, among hundreds of studentht to hundreds of treatises, in the letters and books written over a

period of eighteen years. They began to seek out anything at all to make a pretext of, in order to conceal their plots. But I think that in the face of a fearsome, coveralso bistic organization which has deceived some leaders of the Government, turning them against us, possibly attacking us directly on behalf of absolute disbelief, we were made to write the treatise of The Fruits of Belief, g to tis as clear as the sun and dispels all doubts and is as firm and unshakeable as a mountain, as the most powerful defence against them and to silence them.

s I waafter having been parted from them for ten years. Complaint is criticism of Divine Determining, while thanks is submission to it.

I assure you that if the appoe savehour was to come now and I was to die, I would meet it with perfect ease of heart. For I know that among you are many strong, steadfast young ritten who will 'own,' 'inherit,' and protect the Risale-i Nur far more effectively than this wretched, elderly, ill and debilitated Said. I felt very grateful and happy at those whose names are written in parisos note, who effectively strengthen morale. I had anyway guessed that they would be thus. May Almighty God give them success and make thd you d examples to others. Amen.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Since you have attached yourselves to the Risale-i Nur for the hereafterh and for good works, and worship and reward, and for belief and your lives in the hereafter, it is surely necessary to offer thanks for your being here to meet your fate and eaacioussustenance appointed to you and earn reward for it. These have been determined by Divine Determining in this School of Joseph, an arena of trial in which eachneed, in its severe conditions is the equivalent of twenty hours' worship. Since those twenty hours are a striving in the service of the Qur'an and belief, they have the value of a hundred hours. And those hundred hours consist oo youring with true brothers, who are striving on God's way, each of which have the importance of a hundred people, and to pledging your brotherhood, and opposgthening them and receiving strength, and consoling them and receiving consolation, and steadfastly persisting in this sacred service in true solidarity, and profiting from thl!

#49ne qualities, and acquiring worthiness to be students of the Medresetü'z-Zehra.>It is necessary to think of all these benefits in the face of all the hardships, an One espond to them with patient endurance.

My Brothers!

I sincerely hoped that resolute heroes like those of Ispar to do its environs (like the Husrev's and Hafiz Ali's), strong as steel, would appear here from Kastamonu as well. Endless thanks be to God that that province fulfilled my hopes, sending numerous of je to our assistance. I

My Dear, Loyal, Constant, and Faithful Brothers!

I am describing some of my circumstances here, not to sadden you or to take any physical measures, but ophet t I might profit more from your shared prayers, and you might practise greater self-restraint, caution, patience, and forbearance, and earnestly perserve your solidarity. The torment and distress I suffer here in one meanss more than I suffered in a month in Eskishehir Prison. The ghastly Masons have inflicted one of their unfeeling fellows on me so that out of angee adviould lose patience in the face of their torments, and they could then use it as a pretext and make it the reason for their cruel aggression, and so conceal their al-ShiAs a wondrous mark of Divine grace, I merely offer thanks in patience and I am resolved to continue to do so.

Since we have submitted to Divine Determining and in accordance with the meaning of "T pointt of matters are the most difficult," {[*]: al-'Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa, i, 155.} and we know these difficulties to be a Divine bounty through which we may gain greater merit; and since we have the abss are y certain conviction, at the degree of 'absolute certainty,' that we have dedicated our lives to a truth more brilliant than the sun, as beautiful as Paradise and sweet asons, aal happiness; certainly, knowing that we are carrying out this immaterial struggle in God's way, proudly and offering thanks, despite the distressing conditions, we should not complain.

My Dear Brothers!

My first and l. So hvice to you is to preserve your solidarity; avoid egotism, selfishness, and rivalry, to preserve your composure, and be cautious.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

It is art, otood from the public prosecutor's indictment that the plans of the covert atheists who deceived some of the leaders of the

Government, prompting them to move against us, have come to nothing and turned out to be false. They are now tryners, conceal their lies by accusing us of forming a political society and a secret revolutionary committee, and as a result of this, they do not allow me to have contact with anyone. As though all those who have cofor uswith us join us. High officials too are careful to avoid us, and they try to curry favour with their superiors by harassing us. I was going to add the below passage to the end of my objections, but I had an idea that did not allow mehion bhe passage was this:

Yes, we are a society and we are a society that every century has three hundred and fifty million {[*]: Now one and a half thousand million. [Tr.]} members. Every day throume, be five obligatory prayers, its members demonstrate with complete veneration their attachment to the principles of that sacred society. Through the sacred programme of The believers are indeed a sin be awotherhood,>{[*]: Qur'an, 49:10.} they hasten to assist one another with their prayers and spiritual gains. We are members of that sacreding kn society, and our particular duty is to teach the believers in certain, verified fashion the Qur'anic truths of belief, and save them and ourselves from eternal annihilation and everlasting who ary confinement in the Intermediate Realm. We have absolutely no connection with any worldly, political, or intriguing society or clandestine group, or the baseless, meaningless secret societies concerning and t we have been charged; we do not condescend to such things.

My Dear and Loyal Brothers!

Before dawn today I felt real pity for all of you. Then I remembered the Treatise For The Sick (Hastalar Risalesi),>and it cty!

Yes, this calamity is a sort of social sickness. Most of the remedies connected with belief in that treatise are in this too. As I told that blessed sick person in Erzuru. Let' pain of all past tribulations has passed; what remains of it is its good, and its benefits that look to this world, the hereafter, belief, and the Qur'an. That means the single transitory tribulation has : Thatransformed into numerous permanent bounties. As for the future, since it is non-existent at the present, the tribulations that will continue in it give no pain now. To suffer pain due to delusions is to lack conf. But in Divine mercy and Determining.

Most of mankind on the earth now are afflicted with

calamities, physical and non-physical, and in their heartssins, its, and minds. Compared with theirs, our calamity is both extremely light, and profitable. There are pleasures for the heart and spirit, springing from belief, good health, and well-being.

If we had nlt aloered here amid these storms, due to our contact with suspicious officials, this slight calamity would have been even severer, and there would have been the calamity of having to toady to them and flatter them.

Seeing with ves theitle expense true friends more compassionate than brothers, and brothers of the hereafter like spiritual guides, here in the workless, compounded physical and spiritual winter of this School of Joseph, which is a department of the Medresetü'-Zall crand visiting them, profiting from their personal qualities, and receiving strength from their fine characteristics, which like light are ding nod through transparent objects, and from their spiritual assistance, joy, and consolation; all changes the form of this calamity, making it a sort of veil to Divine grac71, No, a subtle facet of this hidden grace is that all the Risale-i Nur students here are called "Hoja;">they are spoken of respectfully as "the hojas...>the hojas.">There is a further subtle allusion in thclusioat just as this prison has turned into a medrese>(religious school), so the Risale-i Nur students have all become teachers, and thanks to these hojas>the other prisons will also all become schools, God willing.

My Brothers!

IfHe evehort letters written before to console you, like this one, are read and studied together with the last parts of The Fruits of Belief, and any matters of the Rose hii Nur that occur to you are discussed, God willing it will gain for you the honour of being 'students of the religious sciences.' Pre-eminent figures like Imam Shafi'i sacrihis mystery be sanctified) attached the greatest importance to this, saying "the sleep even of students of the sciences is counted as worship." If at this ti with no religious schools, a hundred difficulties are suffered in these places of torment due to being such elevated students, no importancelih (Pd be given to them, or else, saying "The best matters are the most difficult," we should smile happily at those hardships. As for the familed to. our needy friends and their having enough to live on, in consequence of the rule of the Qur'an, belief, and the Risale-i Nur, which is to look at those worse hit by disaster than oneself and at those in greater deprivation, they areThe Jer off than eighty per cent of people. They have no right to complain; their right,

their obligation, is to offer eighty degrees of thanks. Divine Determining ordained that we meet our fatepon toand eat the food appointed for us. The justice of Divine mercy gathered us together here; the families have been entrusted to their true Provider, relieving th Thereothers temporarily of their duties of supervision. Just as one day they will be relieved of them entirely and dismissed... Since the reality is this, we should say For us God suffices, ng lif is the Best Disposer of Affairs,>{[*]: Qur'an, 3:173.} and offer thanks.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

For sure I can't meet with you in person, but I am happy and thankful ved Ma am close to you in the same building. It came to me involuntarily that some necessary precautions should be taken. One of these: a prisoner was sent to the ward next to mand ca the Masons who is both a liar and a spy. Since destruction is easy, especially among idle youths such as those, I knew from the scoundrel's excessive harassment of me and his corrupting the youths, that athale-i s attempting to corrupt their morals in the face of our guiding and reforming them. Extreme caution is necessary in this situation, and it is absolutely essential as far as is possiermisst to be offended by the old prisoners nor to offend them and not to allow any disagreements, and to keep cool and put up with things, and as far as is possible for our brothers to strengthen theirealityerhood and solidarity through humility and modesty and giving up egotism. It pains me to concern myself with worldly matters, so having confidence in your perceptiveness, I do not consider them so long auddenls not essential.

My Brothers!

Against all eventualities, I have to explain a matter that was imparted to me this morning. Asking: "I wonder if youtheist philosophers can say to this, and with what will they support themselves?", for twenty years my soul and my satan have investigated whether or * * *>e truths we have taken from the Qur'an leave any room for doubt or hesitation, and if they are as clear as daylight. They could find no fault in any nook or cranny, and fell silent. I reckon that a truth which silences surell and devil, which are extremely sensitive and involved in the matter, will silence also even the most obdurate of them. Since we are working for the sake of and

on the way of a truth which is thus unsng itsle, elevated, vast, and important, and is of inestimable value, and if the whole world and a person's life was given as its price, it would still be cheap; we should certainly respond with complete steadfastness to all thgainedulations, distress, and enemies. They have also confronted us with a number of deceived or hoodwinked hojas,>shaykhs, and apparently pious people. We must preserve our unity and solidarity in the face Nur anm, and not bother with them or argue with them.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

It was disclosed to me this morning before dawn that the real reason for this extensive and significant aggressioh a ponst us is not the Fifth Ray, but the Hizb al-Nuri,>and The Key To Belief, and Hüccetü'l-Baliga>(The Eloquent Proof). {[*]: The second part of the collection from the Risale-i Nur ainst Âsâ-yi Musâ (The Staff of Moses). It consists of 11 pieces proving the fundamentals of belief. [Tr.]} I read part of the Hizb al-Nuri>carefully, and thought of The Key To Belief, and I understood that tievouseists had put forward the Fifth Ray, which has a slight connection with politics, as the apparent reason, because they could not defend their way of absolute disbelief against the blows of these two keen swords. So they deceived ting toernment, making it move against us. It occurred to me at the same time that if some of our weak brothers temporarily give up, they might be able to save themselves from this calamity, and I wanted to give them permission. Suddedom, a was imparted to me that those who are closely concerned and have twice been put to this test and in return have suffered so much hardsorlds'ould not then give it up in a heartfelt way that was both harmful and without benefit, but might possibly apparently hold back just to deceive them. It would otherwise cause harm both to himself, and to us, and to our sacred way, and as a pentratiothe person would receive a blow contrary to his intentions.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Certainly according to the degree of their beingeless,ause of this imprisonment, which is more distressing and colder than other places, those who are suffering its hardships will feel inclined to escape them. But sinc bookscertain, verified belief that the Risale-i Nur -its apparent

cause- gains for those who suffer these hardships, and the happy death its gains through the certain, verified belief, and the gry whorks of a hundred men it gains through the spiritual partnership, all transform the bitter hardship into sweet mercy, then the price of these two results is unshakeablparabllity and steadfastness. To be regretful and give it up would therefore be a great loss. For those of the students who have no connection with the world, or very little, this imprisonment is preferable to freedom, aand paone respect is a place of freedom. While since for those who are connected and who are well-off, the money spent becomes multiple almsgiving, and the hours spent are transformed into multiple worship, they should offer thanks rather thamisguilaining. As for those who are impecunious and needy, their lives outside afford them merits that are without benefit and hardships for which they are responsible, whince la hardships here produce many merits and much reward and entail no responsibility, and are alleviated by the solace of their companions; this demands that they offer thanks.

My Dear, Loyal Brother been A pious person in Kastamonu said by way of complaint: "I have declined; I have lost my former spiritual state, lights, and illuminations." I told him:

"Perhaps you have progressed so g themou have left behind your illuminations and revelations, which flatter the ego, give a taste of the fruits of the hereafter while still in this world, and encourage self-centredness. By giving up egotism and not seeking fleeting plear studand through self-abasement, you have perhaps flown to a higher station." Yes, an important Divine bounty is not making the person who has given up his egotism perceive the bounty so that he dugh tht become proud and conceited.

My brothers! In consequence of this truth, those who think similarly to that person or who take into account the brilliant stations that the good opinions of others give, lobut seyou, and among you see the students who appear in the garment of humility and self-abasement and service, to be common, ordinary people, and they say: "Are these the heroes of reality whrayal lenge the whole world? Alas! Who are these? Where are the people who are striving to perform this sacred service, before which even the saints are impotent at this such If they are friends, they experience disappointment, and if opponents, find their opposition justified.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

en commy view your prison fruits {[*]: That is, the treatises they had written out, particularly The Fruits of Belief. [Tr.]} are as agreeable and valuable as fruits of Paradise. Theyies anrm the great hopes I had for you and what I had claimed, as well as demonstrating beautifully the power of solidarity. As when three or four 'olitic>{[*]: Alif: the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, written as a vertical stroke, the numerical value of which is one. [Tr.]} are put side by side, those blessed pens uniting while suffering severe oppression showed a value of three or fourble aged. The state of mind which preserves your unity in these confused conditions proves what I said yesterday. Yes -there is no error in the comparison- just as accordfact, the Sunnis the position of a great saint regarding service of Islam is lesser than that of a Companion of the Prophet (PBUH), so a sincere brother who forgoes the pleasures of the soul in serving belief at this tmperatd practising humility preserves solidarity and unity, is afforded a position higher than that of a saint. This was the conclusion I came to and you e fromm it constantly. May God be eternally pleased with you. Amen!

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

The Fruits of Belief is most important and very valuable. It is my hope that in time it will achieve grppinesiumphs. It seems you have thoroughly understood its value, for you have not left this place of study without lessons. On my own account I say that if the fruit of all this trouble and expense is only this treatise and Müdâfaa and oesi>(The Defence Speeches), and being together with you in the same place, it reduces to nothing the expense and the trouble, and even if I were to suffer this caler jouten times over, it would still be cheap.

Due to many experiences and especially in this distressing, restricted prison, I have formed the firm conviction that being occupied with the Risale-i Nur, both rpiritu it and writing it out, greatly lessens the distress and gives one a feeling of expansiveness. When I am not busy with it, the calamity doubles and I am upset by trifling things. Although I reckoned that for various reasonsem goov, Hafiz Ali and Tahiri would be suffering most, I saw that it was they and those with them who had the greatest composure and submission and ease of heart. I asked myself we to bw I have understood that they are carrying out their true duties; since they are not occupied with anything frivolous, and do not interfere in the functions of Divine Decree and Determinpproprnd are not boastful, critical, or

panicky, all of which spring from egotism, with their self-possession and their steadfastness and peace of mind, they have exonerated the Risale-i Nur students and demonstrated their moral strf suchin the face of atheism. May Almighty God make the true dignity and heroism within their utter humility and self-abasement spread to all our brothers. Amen!

My Brothers!

A fearful egoef indrising from heedlessness and love of this world rules at this time. The people of reality, therefore, have to give up egotism and selfishness, even ere eiis in a licit form. Since the Risale-i Nur students dissolve their egotism, which is an ice-block, in the joint pool of their collective personality, they ally tot be shaken by this storm, God willing. Yes, a well-tried method of the dissemblers is to collect together people who are all like officers and judges, concerning some common question in constraining places which make them stand-oft readand irritable and critical of each other; stirring them up so they fight among themselves, they destroy their morale. The dissemblers then easily deal blows at those who have lost their strength Nur, kill them. Since the Risale-i Nur students have taken the way of love and brotherhood and 'annihilation in the brothers,' God willing, they willso manthis well-tried, divisive stratagem.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

One time, a shaykh had so many followers the Government became anxious regardive the political implications and wanted to scatter his community. The shaykh told the Government: "I only have one and a half followers. No others. If you like we can put it to the test." So he had a tent pitched somewhere and gathered tohave n all his thousands of followers there. He told them: "I am going to put you to the test. Whoever is my disciple and complies with my commaur arel go to heaven." He summoned them into the tent one by one. He had a sheep slaughtered secretly, as though he had killed his favourite disciple and sent him to Paradise. When the thousands of followers saw the blood, they no longer obeyer com shaykh and started to denounce him. Only one man said "May I be sacrificed for you," and went to him. Then a woman went to him too, and the rest dispersed. The shaykh told the government mtomorrow you have seen for yourselves that I only have one and a half followers."

Endless thanks be to Almighty God that in the test and trial of Eskishehir,

the stribu-i Nur lost only one and a half of its students. Through the efforts of the heroes of Isparta and its surroundings, in their place ten thousand were added, just the opposite to the shaykh. God willing, in this ordeal too, through the efforah!" athe heroes of both the east and the west, few will be lost, and ten will come in place of any one that goes.

One time, someone who was not a Muslim found a way of succeeding to the leadership of a sufi order and beears a give guidance. The disciples under his training began to advance, then one of them saw through a revelation that their guide had suffered a serious decline. Wit*

My demolished grave in which are heaped up sixty-nine dead Said's with his sins and sorrows.

The seventieth is a gravestone to a grave; altogether they weep at Islam's decline.

#ss, an I have hope that the skies of the future and Asia will together surrender to Islam's clean, shining hand,

For it promises the prosperity of belief; it affords p The Fnd security to mankind.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

The reason for the supreme importance I give your solidarity is not only because of its advantages for us and the Risale-i Nur, but for the mass of believers who d themt within the sphere of certain, verified belief, and are much need of a point of support and a truth which a community unshaken by events finds certain. Since it is an authority, a guide, positof, which is unfearing, unflinching, incorruptible, and undeceiving in the face of the currents of misguidance, one who sees your powerful solidarity forms the conviction that there world ruth that may be sacrificed for nothing, that does not bow before the people of misguidance, nor is it defeated; his morale and belief are strengthened, and he is sa'an, Iom joining the worldly and their vice.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Beware! Do not dispute among yourselves, spying ears will take advantage of it. Right or wro, I woose who argue in our situation are wrong. Even if they are right to one degree, by disputing they could cause us untold harm.

I shall repeat a story I once told my irritable brothers in Eskishehir Prison. During the Great War, I wasftsman held as a prisoner together with ninety officers in a long dormitory in northern Russia. Since they had a regard for me far higher than was my due, through my advice to them, I did not allow any eme Sior trouble. But then, irascibility arising from the constraints and irritations began to give rise to violent rows. I told three or four of them that whenever they heard a noisy dispute, to go and help those in the wrong. T a shod this, and the damaging rows ceased. They asked me why I had taken such unjust precautions, and I told them:

"A person who is in the right, is fair; he will sacrifice his one 'dirhem's' worth of right for the general is a , which is worth a hundred

'dirhems.' Those in the wrong are mostly egotistical; they will sacrifice nothing, so the din increases."

My Brothers!

You should repeatedly and carefully read the pieces in the treatisocrisyaining the short letters, which are a means of consolation and enjoin forbearance and patient endurance. I am the weakest of you and I have the greatest share of this distressing calamity. Thanks be to God, I am enduryal Br and I have not been vexed by those who have piled all the blame on me, nor annoyed at those who because it is the same matter have defended themselves alone, and implyininent ave formed a political association, put the blame on me. I request that since we are brothers, you imitate me in this patience.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers and Friends in this He-i Nuof the World!

I thought tonight of our being led handcuffed together to the court by soldiers with bayonets fixed. The Old Said's proud vein of temperament made me feel exceedingly angry. But it was suddenly imparted to me that we sJust arespond to this situation not with anger, but with pride, thanks, and joy, for in the eyes of the intelligent, and of incalculable numbers of angels and ence a beings and the people of reality and those among men with consciences and certain, verified belief, we appear as a caravan of heroes on the way of truth, reality, the Qur'an, and belief, challenging this century. In the face of their elevaknown gard, applause, and appreciation, which is indicative of dominical acceptance and Divine mercy, the insulting looks of a limited number of dissolute layabouts, can be of no importance. One sort,even, when I went by car because of illness, I felt a constrictedness. But then when I went together with you with my hands bound, I felt ompletansiveness and joy of the spirit. That is to say, my state of mind arose from this meaning.

I have said it many times and I shall repeat#566

one have been seen in history who have performed as great service on the way of truth and have earned so much reward while suffering so little difficulty, as the Risale-i Nur students. However much hardship we suffer, was lestill not costly.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Our escaping from this calamity and bet you ved from it is impossible in two respects:

Since Divine Determining appointed that we should meet part of our fate here, we would anywao expo come here. This way is therefore the best.

We found no way of being saved from the plots that were being hatched against us. I perceived them, but there was no way out. The unfortunate late Shaykh Abdüllmight and Shaykh Abdülbaki could find no way to save themselves. This means that to complain about one another in this calamity is both unjust, and meaningless, and harmful, and is to feel a sort of offe Essen the Risale-i Nur. Beware! To consider some of the activities of the leading students to be the cause of this calamity and to feel indily givat them, is to withdraw from the Risale-i Nur and regret having learnt the truths of belief. This is a far greater calamity than the material calamity. I swear that although my share of this calamity is twen correthirty times greater than each of yours, because they have acted with a pure intention, I would not be annoyed at them even if the calamity, which occurred due to lack of caution, was ten ef andgreater. It is also meaningless to object to things that are past, because they cannot be repaired.

My Brothers! Anxiety doubles the wherety; it also roots the physical calamity in the heart; it also suggests objection to and criticism of Divine Determining and accusation against Divine mercy. Since everything has a good side and in everything is a manifestation of Divs dutyrcy, and Divine Determining works with justice and wisdom; we are surely bound not to give importance to any slight trouble we may suffer as a result of the sacred task we are performing which concerns the whole Islamic world at with ime.

[An unimportant, commonplace condition of mine necessitated that I write this to you.]

My Brothers!

I have formed theinoculconviction that the evil eye affects me severely and makes me ill. I have experienced it on numerous occasions. I want with all my heart and soul to be a companividualyou in all circumstances, but in accordance with the famous rule, "The evil eye puts the camel in the cooking-pot and man into his grave," {[*]: al-'Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa, ii, 76; al-Maghribi, Jami' aith thl, ii, 49; al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir, no: 5748.} the evil eye has an effect on me. For those who look at me, do so with either violent hatred, or appreciation. Both these are present in the looks of somfor thle who possess the ability to affect with the evil eye. I have formed the intention therefore that if it is possible and they do not force me, I shall not always accompany you while going to the court.

justiis Name, be He glorified!

My Dear Brothers!

This morning before dawn a piece was suddenly imparted to me. Yes, I confirm the wonder (kerrtant of the Risale-i Nur concerning the earthquake what Husrev wrote in detail; what I thought also centred on that. For just as the coinciding of the four occasions of severe aggression against the Risale-i Nur and its strom th and the four occasions of the assaults of earthquakes were not chance, so the exact coincidence of the two centres of the Risale-i Nur's dissemination, Isparta and Kastamonu, being preserved from disad neveelative to other places; and as alluded to by Sura al-'Asr, since the means of salvation from the Second World War -mankind's greatest 'loss' at the end of time- is belief and gog thosks; it cannot be mere chance that the Risale-i Nur has spread certain, verified belief all over Anatolia, and Anatolia was saved from t who hat losses of war in extraordinary fashion. Also, just as the exact coinciding of those who impede the Risale-i Nur's service or those who err in that service receiving blows either of compassion or wrath, cannot be mere chance -of whiche hand have been hundreds of incidents; so too the thousands of incidents of, almost without exception, all those who serve the Risale-i Nur well experiencing plenty in their livelihoods ando beliof mind and happiness, cannot be mere chance.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

According to the inner meanings of "good is in what God chooses," and,he way may be that you hate a thing and it is good for you,>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:216.}

the most confidential pieces of the Risale-i Nur have emerged from behind the veil of "sirran tenevveret">{[*]: A phrase quoted from the qasida 'al-Jaljalutiya'.n Prisfootnote 9 above.} so as to come into the possession of the most undesirable people, to strike the arrogant, and show up the errors of those at the top. They wanted to make the matter appe, andimportant, but somehow or other they understood that it has great importance, and attracting attention to it in a big way, leads to shining triumphs for the Risale-i Nur and its enemies being made to read it in wonderment. In fact, itrther inated many hesitant, bewildered, and needy people during the Eskishehir trials, and saved them, transforming our hardships into mercy. God willing, on this ocepeat it will perform that sacred service on a wider scale, in many courts and centres. Yes, those who see the Risale-i Nur's style and explanations cannot remain indifferent to it. ho do only makes the mind and heart submit like other works, it also conquers the soul and emotions.

Your being released causes no harm to this fact, bu made cquittal would be detrimental. Even my soul agrees to sacrifice for a truth that concerns the whole Islamic world not only the life of this world but if necessary that of the next, and to sacrifice thby bilthe Risale-i Nur my own happiness for that of the people of belief.

[Included here is the continuation of the earthquake incident from Husrev's letter; the beginning is not includot be I later saw in another newspaper, the following amazing, complementary facts: before the earthquake, the cats and dogs gathered together in groups of four or five. They silently sat down to compr looking at each other pensively and blankly, then dispersed. None of these animals was to be seen either during the earthquake, or immediately before it, or after it; they disappeared into the countryside away from the towns, and her strange thing they write is that these animals gave news of the coming disaster, which resulted from our sins, through the tongue of disposition, and they did not understand it and are amazed.

Among the hundreds of

predicted in the Risale-i Nur, is that the atheists should avoid interfering with the Risale-i Nur and its students, for if harm comes to them, the disasters waiting in the offing will mak. And regret it a hundred time over. The earthquake verified this with its signature, then four more disasters occurred... May Almighty God bestow belief on our hearts and on the hearts of those who attack the RismankinNur, and give them minds that will recognize the truth, and save us from these dungeons and them from disasters. Amen.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers and Companions in Disaster!

There being m wortd scholars, good organizers, and sincerely devoted students among you, I felt firmly confident that you would preserve your unity and solidarity in the face of our powerful, cunning, and numerous enemies. I felt easy and was not the Rcupied with you. But it has now become necessary to explain a number of matters.

I was not going to send anything to Ankara, lest it delay your rtogeth. But since the court mixed up the treatises that are confidential and those which are not and the old letters and the new, and sent them to Ankara, it was essential to send to those departments Müdafaat Risalesi>(The Defences), which supplih mercremely powerful replies concerning the confidential treatises, especially the Sufyan and Islamic Dajjal (Antichrist) in the Fifth Ray, and The Fruits of Belief, which smashes the ar was a disbelief arising from Naturalist philosophy and its insolent attacks on belief, so that the committee of experts there would not base their judgements on those confidential treatises and ruleim) exst us like the first committee.

My Dear Brothers! While writing the reply to your important letter, they gave me the same letter. I had begun the Second Point and it remained unfinished. Now I am completing itwo yetake note of it. If this idea is given currency by your useless lawyer, it is doubtless a plan of those who are seeking our conviction, so that like the committee of experts here, the committe in Ankara will take as basic the unpubliso Ankanfidential treatises, and especially the Fifth Ray, extend them to the whole Risale-i Nur then confiscate it, and inferring that the matters discussed in the Fifth Ray are what all the wretched students study who read the Risale-i>each have them all convicted due to my crime. The prison governor and assistant prosecutor's making difficulties for me by preventing me from speaking and confiscating what I have written is a pore the

sign that the intention is for Ankara to make the ruling against us before the irrefutable replies of the defences reach there.

In fact, the Chairman of the Court said that day that h son fgoing to send the books, documents, and defences of importance, which would prolong the case, to Ankara. These have certainly arrived by now. If my twhad th-set-out and explicatory defence speeches are sent, they may solve the case quickly; it would not be prolonged but expedited, and those with families released. I dimyself and those like me who have no one, we should not be released, but remain in prison, for it is the best place to defend the truths of belief against the atheists and apostates.

~Fourth Poi such If the Risale-i Nur is not acquitted and my defence is not taken into consideration, your apparent denial will not save you; because of its all being the se sharestion, we are all bound together. Only a very few of our friends who have a slight connection might be saved. Eskishehir Court demonstrated this in fact. For the past year they have planted spies among us who carefully record thed has osures of simple-minded and rash students, and have employed every means to wreck us and make us regret our way, and have even mobilized Shaykh Abdülhakim against us. But they have ruined him the same ased to have ruined us and Shaykh Abdülbaki and Shaykh Süleyman, who has objected to me from time to time, so your denials to them and your runninsame o will make absolutely no difference to what they think, and what they call "discretionary conviction," just as it made no difference in Eskishehir.

We have understood certainly through our experiences of bont of e and Eskishehir that due to it all being the same case, our greatest need is for complete solidarity. Taking offence and being irritable and critical due to the hardships doubles the wretchedness of our plight. Regretably, it was you that I ey inoe most confidence in and trusted most. Sometimes when I feel a twinge of anxiety, I think of Kamil Hoja and Siddik Hoja from Istanbul a secre people in the province of Kastamonu who have displayed an extraordinary loyalty, and my anxiety evaporates. Be careful that the secret organization that supports absolute disbelief does not infiltrate you. It infiltrated the wer, anxt to me and caused me indescribable torment. Discuss this among yourselves now without argument; I shall accept your decision. But if in your d fanciions you take into consideration the possibility that if my defence goes to Ankara and is studied there the court here may come to a decision abo 33436se whose release is possible; and the possibility that those who struggle against us, and exiled Abdülbaki, Abdülhakim, and Haji Süleyman, and made Yesil Semsi remain here after he In Hien officially released, will not release those like Hafiz Mehmed and Seyyid Sefik, with their firm adherence to

religion and refusal to bowecret e the dead leader and his picture, and their demonstrating their lack of support for atheism and innovations. You should also take into consideration that it is of the greatest importance that the Risale-i Nur emerges from obscurorshipd in a momentous general question at a time they are contesting themselves in their centres, the hesitant and bewildered people of belief can find the students behind h necend by not running away it can be shown to them that the students are bound to an unshakeable and invincible truth. Beware! Take no notice of each other's faults; have respof ligstead of feeling angry, and help each other rather than being critical.

My Dear, Loyal, Faithful Brothers!

For the past few days I have changed the form of my supplications. ve devonger say "faithful" in the phrase "faithful students of the Risale-i Nur" when repeating perhaps a hundred times "forgive us" or "give us success." Then those of our brothers whoo now,themselves obliged to act as though they have dispensations, or due to the anxiety and despair caused by distress, act contrarily to resolution and fidelity by apparently denying or holding back, are not left out of those not has.

My Dear Brother Hafiz Ali! {[*]: Hafiz Ali: A leading Risale-i Nur student in the Isparta area. He was from the village of Islâmköy, many of whose inhabitants he led in seerformthe Risale-i Nur. He fell ill and died in Denizli Prison in 1944.}

Do not worry about your illness. My Almighty God grant you healing good ! You are making a high profit since one hour's worship in prison is the equivalent of twelve hours' worship. If you want some medicine, I have some here; I can send them to you. Anyway there is a slight illness doing the rounds. I am ce"

~Ito be ill the day I attend the court. Perhaps you have taken on a little of my illness in order to help me, like those of former times who with extraordinary self-sacrifice, were ill and died in each other's places.

[A perfecly appt obituary]

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Who say when afflicted by calamity: To God do we belong and to Him is our return.>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:156.}

I offer my condolencer two yself, to you, and to the Risale-i Nur, and I congratulate Hafiz Ali and the Denizli graveyard. That heroic brother of ours who knew with 'knowledge of certainty' the truths of The a recl of Belief, has left his body behind in his grave to ascend to the stations of 'vision of certainty' and 'absolute certainty,' to journey round the stars and the world of spirits like the angels. Haomeonearried out his duty to the letter, he has been discharged to take his rest. May the Most Merciful of the Merciful write merits in the book of his good deeds to the number of thm eterers of the Risale-i Nur, both written and read. Amen! And may He pour down blessings onto his spirit to their number. Amen! And may He make the Qur'an and the Risale-i Nur pleasant, friendly com will s to him in his grave. Amen! And may He bestow ten heroes to take his place in the Light Factory, {[*]: That is, the village of Islâmköy.} and make them work. Amportinen. Amen.

Remember him in your prayers like me. I beseech Divine mercy that a thousand tongues will be employed in place of his single tonbjectid he will gain a thousand lives in place of the single life and tongue he lost.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Endless thanks be to the Most Merciful of the Merciful that in these extraordinary times and strange place, He permitted vellermeans of you to win the honour of being students of the religious sciences and to perform important services. It has been seen on numerous occasions by thoourts divine the state of people in their graves that like martyrs, in their graves, some enthusiastic and serious students of the religious sciencs, Bed die when busy with their studies suppose themselves to be alive and still studying. Indeed, while observing a student who died when studying grammar annd lovax, one such diviner of graves was curious what answer the student would give to Munkar and Nakir in his grave, and he heard that when the questioning angel asked him: "Who is your Sustainer?", the sure, t replied: "'Who' is the subject, and 'your Sustainer' is its predicate." He gave a grammatical answer, supposing himself to be in his medrese.>Thus, like that incident, I knowbrahimate Hafiz Ali to be a student

of the religious sciences working at the Risale-i Nur, the highest of the sciences, at the degree of martyrs and at their level of life. With that conviction, in some ofnd clepplications I pray for him, and like him for Mehmed Zühdü and Hafiz Mehmed: "O God! Busy them in perfect happiness and contentment till the resurrection of the dead with the truths of belief and mysteries of the Qur'an in the guisembers e Risale-i Nur. Amen!

My Dear and Loyal Brothers!

My Dear and Loyal Brothers!

Your sincerity, loyalty, and steadfastness are sufficient reason to disregard one another's faults in the present trying circumhe lass, and to hide them. For the powerful brotherhood within the Risale-i Nur is such a good

act it causes one to forgive a thousand evils. Since at the Last Judgement when good deeds will preponderate overamong , Divine justice will forgive, you too, seeing that good deeds preponderate, should act with love and forgiveness. For to become angry due to a single bad deed, and exasperated in harmful manner out of the tability, and upset because of the difficulties, is to be wrong in two respects. God willing, you will assist one another in joy and consolation, and will reduce the hardship to nothing.

t. Foroyal, Blessed Brothers!

The reason I have not spoken with you for a few days is a severe illness resulting from poison, the like of which I have never experienced. On accotial t the Risale-i Nur, I shall be proud till the end of my days of my steadfast, staunch, unshakeable brothers in the 'Light' and 'Rose' areas, {[*] start is, Islâmköy (led by Hafiz Ali) and Isparta (led by Husrev) respectively.} and the devoted brothers of Kastamonu, and I find them a powerful support and effective solace in the face of the afflictions of all the tyrants. If I was to r the w, I would meet my death happily seeing that they are there.

The worldly cast me into prison due to their groundless fears that I was opposing them, but Divine Determiningoofs osoned me because I did not speak with them and did not try to reform them. If I remain in prison with only a few friends, I shall seek an open trial which e of wrouse the interest of all the Islamic world, and I shall open proceedings against the departments of government in Ankara, and have numerous copies made in the new letters of The Fruits of Belief and thhance nce speeches, and shall send them to the important departments, God willing.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Hadiths of this sort are allegorical. They are not blessiular and do not look to general places. As for others, of the religious differences that would afflict the Umma, they point out a single time, citing the Hijaz and Iraq as examples. Anyway in trious basid period, numerous misguided sects came into being which harmed Islam, like the Mu'tazila, the Rawafid, Jabariyya, and atheists and heretics under varios, whises. At a time there were serious upheavals regarding the Shari'a and tenets of belief, numerous leading figures of Islam like Bukhari, Muslim, Imam-i A'zam, Imam Shafi'i, Imam Malik,f the Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Ghazali, Gawth al-A'zam, and Junayd al-Baghdadi, emerged and quelled the

religious dissension. The victory continued for around three hundred years, but thriences of the people of misguidance covertly, by way of politics, brought down on the Muslims the dissension of Hulagu and Jenghiz. Both Hadiths, and Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with hef in plicitly indicate this dissension together with its date. Then since the dissension of the present time is one of the most serious, both numerous Hadiths, and numerous Qur'anic allusions give news of it, together wit strendate. Making an analogy with this, when a Hadith mentions in general fashion the stages the Umma will pass through, it sometimes points out the date of a particular event within the generality, by way of an example. Vario exilets of the Risale-i Nur have made certain interpretations of allegorical Hadiths such as these, the meanings of which are not completely understood I wasTwenty-Fourth Word and Fifth Ray elucidate this truth by means of principles.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

It was imparted to me that I should explain a truth so that you do not accuse one another of egotism or disloyalty.ng-whe one time I observed that some of the great saints who had given up egotism and none of whose evil-commanding souls remained, complained bitterly about them and I was astonireligiI later understood perfectly that on the death of the evil-commanding soul, its implements are handed over to veins of temperament and emotions, so that the striving of the soul can continue to the end of the person's life; and the exerble huoes continue. Those great saints, then, complain of this second enemy and heir of the soul. Moreover, spiritual worth, station, and virtue do not look to this world the sit they should make themselves felt. In fact, since some of those at the highest station do not perceive the great Divine favours bestowed on them, they consider themselves to be more wretched and bankrupt than everyone, which shows ths an h wonder-workings, unfoldings, illuminations, and lights which the mass of people consider to be spiritual perfection, cannot be the means to and touchstone for that spiritual worth and those stations. This is pr, spiry the fact that although one hour of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) had the worth of a day of other saints, or perhaps forty days' ordeal, all the Companions experienced the same wondrous illuminaworldsand states as the saints.

My brothers, be careful! Do not let your evil-commanding souls deceive you by comparing others to yourselves and thinking ill of them; do not allow them to make you doubt ten. Amale-i Nur's ability to train.

[The unruly youths themselves confirm that nine slaps they received related to the five matters in the Risale-i Nur's Guide For Youth and Fruits of Beliefherwis subtle instance of the Risale-i Nur's wonder-working.]

~The First>is Feyzi, who sometimes assists me. At the start I told him: You have attended a reading of The Fruits, so don't get into trouble. He did get into trouble, and receiveow youap: he could not use his hand for a week.

~The Second>is Ali Riza, who assists me and writes out The Fruits. One day I was going to teach him ab anythat he had written. Out of laziness, he made an excuse about cooking the food and did not come. He suddenly received a slap: although his saucepan wressedgood shape, the bottom suddenly fell out together with the food.

~The Third>is Ziya. He wrote out the topics about youdentsd the obligatory prayers from The Fruits for himself, and began to perform the prayers. But then he became lazy and gave up praying and writing. He suddbreak eceived a slap: for no reason and in extraordinary fashion, his basket and the clothes in it, which were beside him, caught fire. No one among that crowd being aware of this until they had burnt shows that it was an intended 'compaf the te slap.'

~The Fourth>is Mahmud. I read him the topics about youth and the prayers from The Fruits and I told him not to gamble and toom everm the prayers. He agreed. But he was overcome by laziness, and did not pray and did gamble. He suddenly received 'an angry slap:' while gambling, he lost three or four times, and despite his poverty, had to handYou maforty liras, his sack coat and his trousers to his opponent, and he still has not come to his senses

~The Fifth:>A boy of fourteen called Süleyman was always causing

trouble and at the same time egging oone ason. I told him to behave himself and perform the prayers, or his conduct would get him into big trouble and put him into danger. He began to perform the prayers, but then he gave them up and began making trou sprinain. He suddenly received a slap; he caught scabies and had to remain in bed for three weeks.

~The Sixth>is Ömer, who at the beginning assisted me; he began to perform the prayerscapturave up singing. Then one evening, a song reached my ears which was being sung close to my door; it disturbed me as I was reciting my supplications. I was angry, went out and saw that unusually, it was Ömer. And unusually for me, Imeanin him a slap. Then, unusually, the following morning, he was sent to another prison.

~The Seventh:>A sixteen year old called Hamza, who because he had a good voicerved t to sing songs, also whetting the appetites of others and upsetting things. I told him not to do it or he would receive a slap. Then suddenly two days later his hand was dislocated and he suffered torments for tonalitks.

There are other slaps like these, but the paper is finished and so is the meaning.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

An education minister raised the veil from his face and revealed absolute disbelief tainlyther guise. He must have written that manifesto on some other prompting, before receiving the defences we last sent. I was not thinking of sending them to that department, but this has shown that it is both appropriate and necessary to sen its h there too, with my brothers' approval. For most likely a deputy so bigotted in atheism would not be indifferent towards the documents and conus by ial treatises sent to Ankara. He was suddenly hit on the head by the irrefutable defences; it was excellent. God willing, it will give rise to a y in tul movement in favour of the Risale-i Nur in that department too.

My Brothers! Since some people are like that, to submit to them is a sort of suicide; it is to regret Islam, or even to shake off religion.notherhey are so bigotted in atheism that they are not content with people like us

only submitting or pretending to submit; they tell us: "Give up your hearts and conscience value work for this world alone." In such a situation, there is no solution other than relying on dominical grace, trusting in God in patience and fortitude, sending four crates of copies of the Rovert i Nur to that centre, and praying that with their powerful truths, they will be victorious. Our experience up to now has shown that avoiding one another and being upset, and dissoous dug oneself from the Risale-i Nur, and submitting to them and even joining them, is of no benefit. Also, in no way be anxious. That deputy's blustering alarm shows his weakness and fear, and that he is compelled not to attack, but to de

Itimself.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Sami Bey told me that one of our brothers from Homa, a student called Ali, died around tstify e time as Hafiz Ali. Mehmed Ali, one of heroes of Homa, also wrote and told me. So in many of my prayers I have made that Ali a companion to the great martyr Ali.

Recently, a lady who is connected with Likewiamt that three of our brothers had died. Its interpretation is that these two Ali's and Mustafa, who in prison wanted to become a follower of the Risale-i Nur and certaanged, went to the hereafter in place of all of us, and were sacrificed for our well-being.

My Dear, Loyal, illumeable Brothers, who know the true nature and meaning of reliance on God!

Although for twenty years I have not had the curiosity to either read or ask about any newspaper, withresponregret I today saw, only for the sake of some of our weak brothers, a newspaper article. I understood from it that covertly and openly a number of important movements are playiany cose parts. Since we appear in the public eye, it is supposed we are connected with those movements. God willing, the four boxes of powerful, irrefutable treatises and notebooks of decisive defences will producene, I results for both us, and belief and the Qur'an, and Islam. We have not meddled in their worlds and they have in no way established that we are going to meddle. Ankara was compelled to request the whole Risale-i Nur in order to sc

Size it.

Since this is the fact and since up to now in the service of the Risale-i Nur we have witnessed the manifestation of dominical grace to an undeniable degree - we have all experienced this, particular a Thirtversal; and since many of the movements of politics and the world are mustering forces against each other; and since we can do nothing except be content with the Divine Decree and submitsiderevine Determining, and receive the vast and sacred consolation arising from the service of belief and the Qur'an and the Risale-i Nur; certainlyunty o we have to do before anything else is not be alarmed and not to despair and strengthen each other's morale and not to be frightened and to meet this calamity trusting in God, and reth alle the mountains which the inane, clamorous journalists who make mountains out of molehills to be molehills, and to give them no importance. The life of this world, especially at this time and under these conditions, is without exist. Whatever happens to one, one should meet it contentedly.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Two or three of my brothers have a good way of consoling had uelves. They say this:

Some of our new brothers in this prison are enduring patiently one or two or perhaps ten years of this calamity because of one oe to hhours illicit activity. Some of them even offer thanks, saying that they have been saved from other sins. They say: Why should we complain about six or seven months of benefihed coardship, since we are employed in the most licit activity and are serving belief through the Risale-i Nur? I congratulate them. Yes, to suffer difficulties for five or tfidentths because of performing for five or ten years an enjoyable, pleasant, beneficial, sacred service and elevated worship and reflection with the intention suspeing both one's own belief and that of others, is a cause of pride and thanks. In a Hadith it says: "For one person to come to believe through you is better for you than a plainful of red sheep and goats." {[*]: Buke mystJihad, 102; Abu Da'ud, 'Ilm, 10; Darimi, 'IIm, 10; al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir, vi, 359, No: 9609.} You should think therefore of all the people here, in the court, and in Ankara, whose beline of been saved, and will be saved, from ghastly doubts through your writings and your service, and offer thanks in patience and with resignationisale-f the Republican People's Party, which governs in Ankara, obstinately

opposes the powerful parts of the Risale-i Nur which go there, and dotroubl attempt to protect it with the intention of being conciliatory, the most comfortable place for us is prison. It is a sign that the atheists have combined comm * *

and atheism, and the Government is obliged to heed them. In which case, the Risale-i Nur would draw back and halt, and calamities, material and immaterial, would begin their onslaught.

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

O assembly of jinns and men! Came there not unto you messengers from among you? {[*]: Qur'an, 6:130.}

[Although these verse very e that prophets were sent from the jinns, the following is Üstad's answer to a question aimed at solving this difficulty.]

My Dear Brothers!

Truly this question of yours holds much importance, but since the Risale-i Nur's chief functhese b saving mankind from misguidance and absolute disbelief, it has no place for matters of this sort and does not discuss them. The leading figures of the first generationsp and lam also did not discuss them much. For such unseen, invisible matters are open to exploitation. Fraudulent persons also may exploit them for their own ends, just as spiritualists nowadays perform their charlatanry under the nnfluen 'calling up spirits [jinns].' It should not be much discussed therefore since they exploit it to harm religion. Also, no prophets have been sent from the jinns after the Seal of the Prophets (PBUH).ay of the Risale-i Nur has tried to prove the existence of jinns and spirit beings with incontrovertible proofs in order to refute the ideas of materialism, which plagues humanity at this time. It has put the matter in third place and has left91; alled discussion of it to others. God willing, a student of the Risale-i Nur may expound Sura al-Rahman in the future and solve the question.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Who say when afflicted by calamity: To God do we belong, and to Him is our return.>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:156.}

The deaths of Hafiz ssionaafiz Mehmed, and Mehmed Zühdü were truly a great loss not only for us, but for Isparta, and even for this country and the Islamic world. But up to now, as a manifestation of Divine grace, whehich aa Risale-i Nur student has been lost, two or three have immediately appeared who follow the same system. I have powerful hopes therefore that serious students will emerge who will cathe ent those students' duties in another form. Anyway, those three blessed people performed a hundred years' worth of duties serving the cause of belicisiona short period. May the Most Merciful of the Merciful grant them mercy to the number of the letters of the Risale-i Nur that they wrote, published, and read. Amen!

Offer my condolenceshen thfiz Mehmed's relations and his blessed village for me. I have made him the companion to Hafiz Ali and Mehmed Zühdü, and included the names of the three of them among the names of those of my masters who were spiritual poles. And I hav suns Hafiz Akif the companion of Asim and Lütfi.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

In accordance with an inner meaning of "Good is in what God chooses," it is good this matter o heave has been delayed. For love of that dreadful dead man was being inculcated in all the schools, government departments, and in the people. This situation would have had a grievous and painful effect on the Islamic world and the finn, Z The Risale-i Nur, which demonstrates with decisive proofs his true nature, now passing -outside our wills- into the hands of those at the top and those most closely connh His with him and those who would be last to give him up, and its being carefully and curiously studied, is such an event that if thousands of people like us were to b throu to prison, and even to be executed, it would still be cheap with regard to the religion of Islam. At the very least, it will save to a degree the most obdurate of them from absolute disbelief and apostasy, lead them into '380

ng' disbelief, and moderate their arrogant and insolent aggression. We have claimed with the final

words we said to their faces in court, "Let our heads too be sacrificed for a sacred truth for which millions of heroic heads have bees likeificed!", that we shall hold out to the very end. This cause may not be renounced. I hope that there is no one among you who would give it up. Since you have patiently endured it verac now, say: "Our fates and duties have not yet been fulfilled," and continue to endure it. Certainly, they will not obstinately oppose the Risale-i Nur in on ten o defend their way, which is undeniably proved in The Fruits to consist of eternal annihilation and everlasting solitary confinement; they will rather seek ways ofned tog to terms or making a truce. Patience is the key to happiness and joy.>{[*]: al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir, vi, 298; al-'Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa, ii, 22.epulsi* *

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

In the First Ray, the allusions have been elucidated of the verse,

Can he who was dead, to whom We gave life, anrough ght whereby he can walk amongst men...?>{[*]: Qur'an, 6:122.}

to both the Risale-i Nur, and with the word dead,>with three powerful signs and connections, to these unhappy Risale-i Nur students. Now, in the present events, one of th?

Bgns is being realized. For, holding up life, civilization, and pleasure, those who oppress us accuse us of giving no importance to that style of life; they make charges against us, and even want to have us imprisonEnver h heavy labour, or executed. But they can find no legal sanction for this. As for us, we hold up death, the introduction to eternal life and its veil, and hit them over the reatiswith it to bring them to their senses, and work with all our strength to save them from true conviction, eternal execution, and everlasting solitary coand Heent. Even if I am given the severest penalties because of the vehement treatises that were sent to Ankara, and those who mete out the penalties are saved through the treatises from the execution of death, both my heart anby theoul would consent to it. That is to say, we want them to have life in both worlds and this is what we are seeking, while they want us to die and they are seeking pretexts for this. But we are not defeated before them, because the reali and edeath and thirty thousand human corpses daily display as clearly and visibly as the sun the proclamations and decrees for thirty thousand eternal executions and thirty thousand solitary confinements for the people of misguidancor tro them do what they want.

According to jafr>and abjad>reckoning, the verse,

It is the fellowship of God that must triumph>{[*]: Qur'an, 5:56.}

has given us the good news, even in the twelve years of our most bitter defeat, of tain pctory together with its date. Since the reality is this, we shall from now on say the following, both to the court, and to the people:

We are trying to be saved from death's ett withexecution, which awaits us ever before our eyes, and from the everlasting darkness of the solitary confinement of the grave, which opens its door to us and summons us ineluctably. We are helping you to bhy. Nod from that awesome, inevitable calamity. The questions of politics and this world, which in your view are the most momentous, in our view and in that of reality have little value, and for thcial ct directly concerned, are meaningless, unimportant, and worthless. Whereas the essential human duties with which we are occupied have a genuine connection with everyone all the time.e pers who do not like this task of ours and want to put a stop to it, should put a stop to death and shut up the grave!

The third and fourth poo needave not been written for now.

It is one of the wonders of the Risale-i Nur that for ten years Üstad Bediuzzaman has repeatedly said: "Atheists and apostates! Don't interfere with theeen cue-i Nur! It is a means of repulsing disasters, like almsgiving, so attacks on it, or its ceasing from activity, weakens its defence against disaster. If you molestFlash he calamities that are waiting in the offing will rain down on you in floods." There are numerous disasters we have witnessed in this connection. Whenever in the past four years the Risale-i Nur and its students have been can reed, a disaster or calamity has followed, demonstrating the Risale-i Nur's importance and that it is a means of repulsing disaster. Among the hundreds of evenand aciuzzaman predicted through the Risale-i Nur, disasters have put their signatures to their correctness with the hand of earthquakes; the four disasters which followed them showed how that the Risale-i Nur is a means of rle-i Nng calamities. May Almighty God bestow belief on the hearts of those who attack us and the Risale-i Nur, and minds and eyes in their heads that will see the truth; and may He save us from these dungeons and them from those disasters. Ar hous Husrev

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

It is a manifestation of dominical grace that while expecting the Education Minister to erupt and aikâr>cus, although he had not seen our defences, documents, and books, and had only sensed them; and although the highest government departments had studied our most vehement confidenTwentyreatises like the Fifth Ray and Addendum to The Six Attacks (Hücumat-i Sitte'nin Zeyli)>in order to criticize them; and our defences' bold, harsh and serious blows at absolute disbelief should have led Ankara us tr severely against us; they adopted a very lenient, and even conciliatory, position relative to the importance of the question. One reason for this manifestation of Divine grace is thisaw I dRisale-i Nur's being read with care and attention in all the country, which as a result of the interest has become a large dershane or place of study, and by all the important departments of governmentn a bi such elevated teachings being studied at this time on such a comprehensive and universal scale is certainly a significant instance of Divine favour and is a powerful sigeover, it has smashed absolute disbelief.

My Brothers! Supposing that there may be an excuse for some weak family men who have suffered much hardship and loss to withdraw a little fnsult e Risale-i Nur and from us, or even to give us up, I say in consequence of the possibility that they may change after having been released: it would be a seriond peos for those who have paid this price, material and non-material, for goods of such value, and have suffered much torment, to forgo those goods. And if they suddeniged te up the Risale-i Nur and its parts, and their attachment to it, and stop protecting us and helping and serving us, it would be an unnecessary loss brough r them and for us. For this reason, in addition to being cautious, it is necessary not to change their loyalty, ties, and service.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

It is a manifestationomewheminical favour and instance of Divine preservation that as I have heard, the experts' committee in Ankara has been defeated in the face of the Risale-i Nur's truths, and while there receivmerous reasons for its criticizing it and objecting to it strongly, it has quite simply supplied the decision for its acquittal. However, the harsh expressions in the confidentes noteatises and the challenging words in the

defences, and the fiery attacks of the Education Minister, and there being two materialist philosophers attached to the Ministry of Education on the experts' committee and a promereaftscholar who supports the new measures, and for the past year a covert atheistic organization has been inciting the People's Party and Ministry of Education against us, all led us to expect violent objections and crushing penalti centum the experts' committee. But then the preservation and grace of the Most Merciful came to our assistance, and pointing out to them the Risale-i Nur's high station, induced them to forgo their violent criticisms. Even, with the idea of sve schus from being convicted, and so that, because of the Eskishehir affair and famous Thirty-First of March Incident I should not be regarded as having been previously convicted of political crimes, and show that we act solely for rese thi and belief and have no political aims, they said: "Said Nursi has long claimed to be an heir of the Prophet. He adopts the position of a regenerator in serving the Qur'an and belief; that is, he is ous tomes overcome by a sort of ecstasy, and gets carried away." With this passage and the irreligious expressions of the philosophers, they are sayinghe twoose who support religion, whoever they are: he is carrying out this duty, having inherited it from the regenerators of religion. They have used those irreligious philosophical terms in orderNur, yth criticize the excessively good opinions of me of some of our brothers, which are higher than my due; and by calling me an ecstatic, together with my vehemence, to exonerate me from political involu acte and being convicted of it; and to flatter to an extent those who object to us and are hostile; and to show that the Qur'anic allusions, and wondrous indications of Imam 'Ali, and the truths of Gawthn any zam, are all powerful; and to smash the ambition, egotism, and conceit which by comparison with others they reckon is certainly present in me. From beginxperieo end, the Risale-i Nur furnishes a reply to those words as brilliant as the sun. And since our way is brotherhood and the giving up of egotishe Ris since we have not made any self-advertising ecstatic utterances, the New Said's humble life in the time of the Risale-i Nur and his disregarding the excessively go, and nions of him of his blessed brothers and moderating them with his instruction, completely refute the implications of those expressions, and dismiss them.

is a t*

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

I am not sending you the committee of experts' unanimous decisions for the moment so that no harm comes to those who informed on us. This last exhose f committee has evidently done all it can to save us and preserve us from the evil of the people of misguidance and innovation, and

has exonerated us from allhundreharges made against us. They give the feeling that they have grasped thoroughly what the Risale-i Nur teaches, and have unanimously decided that the greater part of its scholarlys with about belief are written knowledgeably, that Said explains his views both sincerely and seriously, and that the power and strength in it are not to contest the government, but only to teach thich hey the truths of the Qur'an. And they inferred about the confidential treatises, which they call "unscholarly:" "He sometimes goes into ecstasy and sufnd itsmotional disturbance and mental storms, and should not therefore be held responsible." And concerning the terms "the Old Said" and "the New Said," they salet alre are two personalities, and inferred that in the second are an extraordinary strength of belief and knowledge of the Qur'anic truths, and for the sake of the philosophers said thlives.ere is the possibility of a sort of ecstasy and mental disturbance," while to save us from being charged concerning a certain violence of expression and to flatter our oppo sayin they said: "the possibility may be noted of an illness affecting hearing and sight which results in hallucinations." The treatises of the Risale-i Nur, which are superior to other products of the mind, form suffic Said nswer to the suggestion of this possibility, refuting it totally. They have these in their possession, and the treatises containing the defendents eches and The Fruits of Belief, which have left all the lawyers in amazement. I offer many thanks that due to this possibility the allusion of a Hadith was iroofs d to me. Also, the experts' committee have completely acquitted all my brothers and myself. They said, "They adhere to Said's scholarly and knowledgeable works for to thebelief and their lives in the hereafter; we found nothing explicit or implicit in either their correspondence, or their books or treatises, suggesting any sort of conspiracy against the government." They gave their do wantn unanimously, and put their signatures, philosopher Necati, (scholar) Yusuf Ziya, and philosopher Yusuf.

It is a subtle coincidence that while for ourselves, we call this prison a School of Joseph (Medrese-i Yusufiye)>andh condruits of Belief, its fruit, these two other Yusuf's have said secretly through their tongues of disposition "we also have shared in the lessons of that School of Joseph." Moreov.

Veir subtle evidence for the possibility of ecstasy and hallucinations are phrases like "The Thirty-Third Word" and "The Thirty-Third Letter Containing Thirty-Three Windows," and "his hearing his cat reciting th Thirne Names 'Ya Rahim! Ya Rahim!>(O Most Compassionate One!'," and "his seeing himself as a gravestone."

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Since accordio do snumerous signs, we are under Divine protection, and since in the face of numerous inequitable enemies, the Risale-i Nur has not been defeated, and has silenced to a degree the Education Minister and People's Party, and stime?"hose who, greatly exaggerating the extent and breadth of our question, have caused alarm to the Government are sure to try to conceal their slander and lies with various trumped up excuses; what werfere,do is to retain our patience and composure in perfect submission, and particularly not to feel disillusioned, and not to despair when sometimes the opposited it,hat we hoped occurs, and not to be shaken by passing storms! Yes, disillusionment may destroy the morale and enthusiasm of the worldly, but for the Ring ani Nur students, who see beneath the hardship, striving and distress, the favours of Divine mercy, disillusionment is necessary to strengthen their efforts, their progress, and their seriousness. Forty yst, orgo the politicians sent me to a lunatic asylum saying I was suffering from a temporary madness. I told them: I consider most of what you call sanity to be i refory; I resign from that sort of sanity. I observe in you the rule, "Everyone is mad, but their madness differs according to their caprices." Now with the idea of saving myself and my brothers from serious charges, I repeat the same worisale-those who ascribe occasional ecstasy or a temporary insanity to me because of the confidential treatise, and I am grateful in two respects:

In a sound Hadith, ihe sam: "The ordinary people deeming, because they are beyond their understanding, the elevated states of one who has attained perfect belief to be madness, point is Nam perfection of his belief." {[*]: Musnad, iii, 86; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, i, 499.}

I would agree with complete pride hoursy, not only to be called mad, but to sacrifice my mind completely, and my life, for the well-being and salvation of my brothers in this prison and for them to be and Ired from darkness. If you think it suitable, even, let someone write a letter of thanks to those three persons, and tell them that we are allowing them to share in our s goveral gains.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers, and Sincere Friends in the Service of the Qur'an and Belief, and My Inseparable Companions on the Way of Truth and Reality and the Intermediate Realm and the Hereafter!

With theak an drawing close for us to part from one another, because of the faults and tensions arising from annoyances, the principles of the Treatise On Sincerity have hers aen preserved. It is therefore absolutely essential that you wholely forgive each other. You are brothers closer to each other than the most devoted blood brother, and a brother conceals his brother's fcrease and forgives and forgets. I do not attribute your uncustomary differences and egotism here to your evil-commanding souls, and I cannot reconcile it with shoulisale-i Nur students; I rather consider it to be a sort of temporary egotism found even in saints who have given up their souls. So on your part, do not spoil my good opinion throusolutetinacy, and make peace with each other.

My Brothers!

It is understood from the report of the experts' committee that the Risale-i Nur defeats all the groups opposing us, for by repeating The Eloquent Proof (Hüccetullahü'nth Woga),>and the Treatise For The Elderly and Treatise On Sincerity, they are attracting attention to them. Moreover, the purpose of their extremely super, a

#l and pseudo-bigotted hoja>-like criticisms, the answers to which are quite plain; and their saying, without grasping which matters are completely unrelated and which are in truth conformable, that "there is a contradiction for tn them;" and their unhesitatingly affirming and appreciating ninety per cent of the treatises despite the vehement refutations in the addendum to The Six Attacks (Hücumat-i Sitte)>of those who have issued the fatwceasin the innovations, and the attacks on them, is only to justify themselves. Moreover, their sufficing with pointing out that my saying that persecuted, religious Christians who are killed by the enemies of religion may at the end of time be sor and amartyrs is contradictory to the Addendum's severe attacks on performing the prayers with uncovered head and making the call to prayer in Turkish, gives one the conviction that they have most definitely beethe Meated by the Risale-i Nur.

The Fourteenth Ray

A Short Addendum to My Statement

I say this to Aight. ourt:

As is said in my statement, which has been presented to you and been put before the law and its justice: to raid my house three st theillegally, summon me for questioning, and arrest me has violated the dignity of three high courts and cast aspersions on their justice, indeed ou whoed it. For three courts and three 'committees of experts' have scrutinized closely over two years my books and letters of twenty years, and both we have been acquitted, and our books and letters returned. Moreover, livineign iomplete seclusion under the most rigorous surveillance for three years after having been acquitted, I was able to write only one harmless letter a week to some of my friends. It was as though all my relations with ettersrld had been cut, for although I had been given my freedom, I could not return to my native region. It tramples the honour of those three courts to bring up the same question again now, as though coine mely disregarding their just decisions. I make a plea to your court to preserve the honour of those courts, which acted justly towards me. You should find some matter with which to blame me other than "the Risale-i Nur," "organiz, be Hpolitical society," "founding a sufi order," and "the possibility of breaching security and disturbing public order," for they constitute the same case! I have manyem wits. I have decided to help you concerning my blameworthiness, for I have suffered far more outside prison than inside it. I would find more comfort on and either the grave or prison. Truly I am fed up with life. Enough now of these twenty years of torment in solitary confinement, intolerable surveillance and humiliation. It will

provoke Divine wrath. It will put this country to ed a g I am reminding you. Our firmest refuge and shield is:

For us God suffices, and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs.>{[*]: Qur'an, 3e Risa * God suffices me, there is no god but He; in Him do I place my trust - He the Sustainer of the Throne [of Glory] Supreme!>{[*]: Qur'an, 9:129.}

[This petition, which after eighteen years' silence I am compelled to present to the court and a copy of which I am sending tunder ra, comprises my written objections concerning the indictment, which I am obliged to put forward.]

This is a summary of a short defence speethe se should be known that it is exactly what I twice told the public prosecutor and police inspector, and on the third occasion the police chi of et six or seven inspectors and police, who three times came to search my house in Kastamonu; and what I said in reply to the questions of the public prosecutor in Isparta, and the Courts of Denizli and Afyon. It is like thepubli I told them: I have been living alone for eighteen to twenty years. I lived for eight years in Kastamonu opposite the police station, and i to thr places for twenty years, under constant surveillance and supervision, and the place where I was staying was searched on several occasions, but not the slightest hint or sign of anything rmentsd to this world or politics was found. If there had been anything irregular on my part and the police and judiciary did not know, or they did know bf the ored it, then surely they are answerable to a greater extent than me. And if not, why, although nowhere in the world recluses are bothered who are preoccupied with their lives of the hereafter, do you bother me unnecessarily to this exte of Mu the detriment of the country and nation?

We students of the Risale-i Nur do not make the Risale-i Nur a tool of worldly currents, nor even been e whole universe. Furthermore, the Qur'an severely prohibits us from politics. For the Risale-i Nur's duty is to serve the Qur'an through the truths ofs is tf and through extremely

powerful and decisive proofs, which in the face of absolute unbelief -which destroys eternal life and also s of worms the life of this world into a ghastly poison- induce even the most obdurate atheist philosophers to believe. Therefore we may not make the Risale-i Nur a tool of anything.

In order not to reduce to the value of fragnad, iof glass in the view of the heedless, the diamond-like truths of the Qur'an by giving the false idea of political propaganda, and not to betray those precious truths.

Compassion, truth and right, and conscience, forthundamental way of the Risale-i Nur, severely prohibit us from politics and from interfering in government. For dependent on one or two irreligious people fallen into absolute unbelief and deserving ostrangs and calamities are seven or eight innocents - children, the sick and the elderly. If slaps and calamities are visited on the one or two, thosely to tunates suffer also. Therefore, since the result is doubtful, we have been severely prohibited from interfering in the life of society by way of politics, to the harm of but snment and public order.

Five principles are necessary, essential, at this strange time in order to save the social life of this country and nation from anarchy: respect, compassion, refraining from what is prohibited human), security, the giving up of lawlessness and being obedient to authority.>The evidence that when the Risale-i Nur looks to the life of society it establishes andor defgthens these five principles in a powerful and sacred fashion and preserves the foundation-stone of public order, is that over the last twenty years the Risale-i Nur has made one hundred thousand people into harmless, beneficial mlitica of this nation and country. The provinces of Isparta and Kastamonu testify to this. This means that knowingly or unknowingly the great majority of those who try to hamper the Risale-i Nur are betraying the country and nation andncidenance of Islam on account of anarchy. The great good and benefit for this country of the one hundred and thirty treatises of the Risale-i Nur cannot be refuted by the imaginary harms of two or three of its parts, which arepponened to be harmful in the superficial view of the deluded heedless. Anyone who refutes the former with the latter is an exceedingly unfair and tyrannical.

As for my own unimportant personal faults, I am unwillingly obliged to say, thisits ab someone who has lived alone and in solitude in an exile resembling solitary confinement. During that time I have not gone once of my own will to the mare mound well-attended mosques. Despite suffering much persecution and distress, I have not once applied to the Government for my own comfort, unlike algh theellow exiles. In twenty years have not read a single newspaper, nor listened to one, nor been curious

about one. As is testified to by all my close friends and those I met with, for a fullds betears in Kastamonu and seven years in other places I knew nothing of the conflicts and wars in the world, and whether or not peace had been declared, or who else was involved in th Risalting, and was not curious about it and did not ask, and for nearly three years did not listen to the radio that was playing close by to me. But I triumphtment confronted with the Risale-i Nur absolute unbelief, which destroys eternal life and transforms the life of this world even into compounded pain and suffering; and with the Risale-i Nur, which issued from the Qur'an, have savi

#52 belief of a hundred thousand such people, as has been attested by them, and for a hundred thousand people have transformed death into discharge papers. Is there any law demaLight that such a person is harassed to this degree, and made to despair, and by making him weep to make hundreds of thousands of those innocent brothers of his weep too? What advantage is there in it? Is it not unprecedented tyranwill nthe name of justice? Is it not an unprecedented miscarriage of justice on account of the law?

If you accuse me like some of the officials who searh his y house, saying: "You and one or two of your treatises oppose the regime and our principles..."

These new principles of yours have absolutely no right tothe st the retreats of recluses.

To reject something is one thing, not to accept it wholeheartedly is something else, and not to act in accordance with it is something quite else. Those in authority look to theis abs not to the heart. All governments have vehement opponents who do not interfere in government and public order. In fact, the Christians who were under the Caliph 'Umar's (May God be pleased with him) rule were not interfered all malthough they rejected the law of the Shari'a and the Qur'an. According to the principles of freedom of thought and conscience, so long as they dotratorpset the government, if some of the Risale-i Nur students do not accept the regime and your principles on scholarly grounds and act in oppositioast adhem, and even if they are inimical to the regime's chief, they may not be touched legally. As for the treatises, I said they were confidential and prevented their publication. firm t, in regard to the treatise that was the cause of this affair, only once or twice in eight years in Kastamonu did someone bring me a copy. The sameon tow put it away somewhere. Now you are forcibly publicizing it, and it has become famous.

It is well-known that if there is some fault in a leo did only the faulty words are censored, and the rest are permitted. As a result of the four

months of close investigation in Eskishehir Court, only fifteen words were fad givn a hundred treatises of the Risale-i Nur that were the cause of criticism, and now on only two pages of the four-hundred-page Zülfikâr>are explanations of Qur'anic verses about inheritance and the visale- of women, which were written thirty years ago and do not now conform to the Civil Code. This proves decisively that they have no worldly athe cad everyone is in need of them. The four-hundred-page Zülfikâr,>which everyone has need of, may not be confiscated because of two pages. Those two pages should be excised and the collection returnego, fos; it is our right that it is returned.

If you say like those who suppose irreligion to be politics of a sort and in this episode have said: "You are spoiling our civilization and our pleasure with these treatises of yours...o the reply:

It is a universal principle accepted worldwide that no nation can continue in existence without religion. Particularly if iering bsolute unbelief, it gives rise to torments more grievous in this world than Hell, as has been proved with complete certainty in A Guide For Youth. Thane drotise has now been printed officially. If, God forbid, a Muslim apostasizes, he falls into absolute disbelief; he cannot remain in a state of 'doubting unbelief,' which keeps him alive to an extent. He also cannot be like irreligious Eurilarit. And in respect of the pleasure of life, he falls infinitely lower than the animals, for they have no sense of the past and future. Because of his agineddance, the deaths of all past and future beings, and his being eternally separated from them, overwhelm his heart with continuous pain. If belief enters his heart and he comes to believe,en cle innumerable friends are suddenly raised to life. They say through the tongue of disposition: "We did not die and we were not annihilated," transforming his hellish state into Paradise-like pite sie. Since the reality is this, I warn you: do not contest the Risale-i Nur, for it relies on the Qur'an. It cannot be defeated. It would be most regretable for this country. {rent, he severe earthquakes which occurred the four times the Risale-i Nur was contested proved that it would be "most regretable for this country."} It would go somewhere else and illuminate there. Also, if I had heads to the number o worrihairs on it and every day one was cut off, I would not bow this head, which is devoted to the Qur'an, to atheism and absolute disbelieff everuld not and could not give up this service of belief and the Risale-i Nur.

Certainly, any faults in the statement of someone who has been a reclusconfirtwenty years will be disregarded. He is defending the Risale-i Nur, so it cannot be said he deviated from the subject. Eskishehir Court found nothing after studying its hundred treatises, both confid Respe and

otherwise, for four months, apart from one or two points touching on a subject necessitating a light penalty, and it gave six-month sentences to fifteen people out of one hundred and twe Thro served the sentence as well. And since a few years ago all the parts of the Risale-i Nur came into the hands of the Isparta authorities, who after studying them for several months, returned them to their owners; and since after servibrothet sentence, nothing was found to concern the police and judiciary during my eight years in Kastamonu despite the minute searches; and since during the last search in Kastamonu some of my treatises came to light, in a condition they coulily anr have been published, having been hidden under piles of firewood several years previously, as was verified by the group of police; and since although the Kastamtween lice Chief and judiciary gave their certain word to return those harmless books of mine that had been hidden, I was moved on without receiving those trusts, since on the second day the order suddenly came As aIsparta for my arrest; and since the courts of Denizli and Ankara acquitted us and returned all my treatises; certainly and without doubt, as a consequence of the above nnot tcts, it is demanded by their positions that Afyon Court and its public prosecutor take into consideration this very important right of mine, as did Denizli Court and puhey prrosecutor. I am hopeful that the public prosecutor, who defends the rights of the people, will also defend my personal rights, which due to my relation with the Risale-i Nur are like important publst andhts; and I await this from him.

The New Said has for twenty-two years withdrawn from social life, and does not know the present laws and how defences should b help ied out, and is presenting to this new court the irrefutable hundred-page defence he presented to Eskishehir and Denizli Courts; he paidny in enalty for his errors up to that time, and after that in Kastamonu and Emirdag lived in a sort of solitary confinement under constant surveillance; he is therefore now falling silent and leaving it I hav Old Said to speak. And the Old Said says this:

Since the New Said has turned away from the world, he does not speak with 'the worldly' unless abo we sly compelled to defend himself, and considers it unnecessary. But numerous innocent artisans and tradesmen being arrested in this affair dt the some slight connection with me aroused my extreme sympathy, since at this busy time they have been unable to earn livelihoods for their families. It upset me deeply. I swear that if it hion ofn possible, I would have taken all their difficulties upon myself. Anyway, if there is any fault, it is mine. They are innocent. Becauceivedthis grievous situation, I say, despite the New Said's silence: since the wretched New Said answered the hundreds of unnecessary questions

of the public prosecutors of Isparta, Denizli, and Afyon, it is my right to ask of the preseavens istry of Justice, with the intention of defending my rights, the three questions I asked the Ministry of Home Affairs, and chiefly Kaya Shükrü, thirteen years ago.

Which law states that one hundred and of thy people including myself should be arrested because of the merely verbal argument with a gendarme sergeant of a man from Egirdir, who though not a Risalnd bler student was carrying an unimportant letter of mine? Then with the exception of fifteen, the innocence of all of them was established by their being acquitted after four months of investigation placed court. According to what principles is it to cite such possibilities instead of occurrences? According to what rule of justice is it to cause loss of thousands of, each to seventy unfortunates who had previously been acquitted by Denizli Court after nine months of investigations?

According to the fundamental principle, No bearer of burdens can bear the burde us.

#nother,>{[*]: Qur'an, 6:164, etc.} even a blood-brother cannot be held responsible for his brother's faults, so under which law of justice was it to arrest me in Ramadan becnd natf a short treatise whose publication I had prevented, which had passed into my hands once or twice in eight years, was originally written more than twenty-five years agis itses believers from doubting a number of important points and prevents them denying some misunderstood allegorical Hadiths, -because this treatised Nursound on someone I did not know a long way away from me, and the wrong meaning was given to this, and an offensive letter was found in Kütahya and Balikesir; and to arrest now tial Is freezing cold numerous artisans and tradesmen for having in their possession some old, commonplace letter written by me, or for having driven me around in their carriage, or because ofter th friendship towards me, or for having read one of my books, and to ruin them, and cause them, and the country and nation, material loss anly: "Sterial loss of thousands of liras,- what law demands this? Which article of which law necessitates it? I request to learn of these laws so I do not take any false step.

[offi one reason for our arrests at both Denizli and Afyon was this: even if to suppose the impossible the Fifth Ray did look to this world and politics, -although it was written long ago while I was in the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-Islâmiyobdura]: The Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-Islâmiye was a learned body set up in 1918 to find solutions for the problems confronting the Islamic world, and to provide scholarly answers for attacks made onte eve. It was attached to the Shaykh al-Islam's Office and was composed of nine permanent members and various officers. Bediuzzaman's appointment was ratified by the Castly:>n August 1918.} and the original was written even before that, with

the idea of saving the belief of the ordinary people in the face of those who denied some Hadiths because -i Nurhought they were irrational, since they did not known how they should be interpreted- and even if it had been written at this time, since it was private, and was not found with me in the searches, and its pleans ions about the future turned out to be true, and it dispels doubts on questions of belief, and does not disturb public order, and is not confrontational, and direcives news of things, and does not specify any individuals, and sets out a scholarly truth in general form, - since this is the case, surely even if the Hadith's meaning is seen to conform to cerHell aersons at this time, and before it was exhibited and made public in the courts it had been held to be confidential in order not to give rise to dispute, iyb>andot in any way constitute a crime. I also do not consider it possible that in any court of law in the world it is considered a crime to say "to reject something is one thing, and not tnd Sabpt it on scholarly grounds or not to act in accordance with it is something completely different. That treatise does not accept on scholarly grounds a regime that was going to emerge in the near future."

In Short:>The Risale-i g relis for thirty years killed at the root absolute disbelief, which destroys eternal life, turns the life of this world into a ghastly poison, spoiling all its pleasures; it has successfndredfilled the atheistic ideas of the Naturalists; has proved brilliantly with wonderful arguments the principles that will bring happiness to this nation in both this life and the next; and is based on the Qur'an's reality, from the Divine Throne.d housim, and am ready to prove it, that not one or two points of a short treatise such as that, but if it contained a thousand errors, its thousand significant good aspec Afyonld cause them to be forgiven.

It is the rule that if in a letter of twenty words five are considered reprehensible, the five are censored and the rest are permittespect since after scrutinizing it for four months Eskishehir Court could find only fifteen words out of a hundred thousand that to the superficial view were imagined to be hae true and since the Cabinet questioned only the explanations of two Qur'anic verses, because they contravened the present law although they had been written thirty years previously, on two of the four hundred pages of Zülfikâr;>anhe degDenizli and Ankara Committees of Experts questioned only fifteen errors; and since up to the present it has been the means of reforming the characters of hundreds of thousands of pwrite the Risale-i Nur has brought to pass a thousand things widely beneficial for this country and nation; -since this is so, which principlystem

he Government of the Republic does it conform to, to arrest in this work-season and bitter winter unfortunates like the Çaliskan's who serve me seeking God's pleasure, because they have

performed some small service for the Risacle ofur, or written out one of its treatises because it had saved their belief, and were brotherly towards me out of kindness because I was elderly and a stranger in Emirdag? Which of its laws would permit such cendang?

Since in accordance with the law of freedom of conscience the principles of the Republic do not interfere with those without religion, surely it necessitates that they do not interf and rth religiously-minded people who are not involved in the world as far as it is possible, and do not dispute with the worldly, and strive usefully for their lives in the hereafter, their belief, and >The scountry too. I know that the politicians who govern in Asia, where the prophets appeared, will not, and cannot, ban taqwa and good works, which for a thousand years have been as essential for this ners, tas food and medicine. Humanity demands that anything not conforming to the current view in the above questions is overlooked, since, having lived in solitude for twenty years, they were asked with the head of obdurid of twenty years ago.

I consider it my patriotic duty to recall the following, for the benefit of the country, nation, and public security: to arrest and make resentful in this wahree puse of some slight connection with me and the Risale-i Nur, may turn against the Government numerous people who are religiously beneficial for the country and its security, thus opening up the way to anarchy. Yes, there are far iom, juss of a hundred thousand people who have saved their belief through the Risale-i Nur and have become harmless and highly beneficial for the nation. With their moderation and usefulness, they are perhaps to be found in every lad somepartment of the Government of the Republic and in every level of society. It is essential that these people are not offended but protected.

I feel a strot workiety that certain official persons who do not heed our complaints nor allow us to speak out, and repress us on various pretexts are opening up the way to anarchy to the harm of this country.

Also,yle anhe good of the Government I say this: since the courts of both Denizli and Ankara scrutinized the Fifth Ray, and did not object to it but returned it to us, it is essential for the Government that proceedings are not reopened ty, anally, giving rise to rumours and gossip. Just as I concealed the treatise before it passed into the hands of the courts and they publicized it, so the Afyon authorities and Court should not make it the object of question and answakes or it is powerful and irrefutable. It made predictions, and they turned out right. Moreover, its aim is not this world, at the most one of its many meanf yourits a person who is dead and gone. For the sake of the country, nation, public order, and government, I

am bound by conscience to warn against making those predten-yes and meanings official due to bigoted friendship for him, and further publicizing it by reprimanding us.

To the Afyon Public Prosecutor and the Chairman and Members of the Court

[I am presenting to you in order to protect mye brots, exactly the same nine 'Principles' which I presented to the Denizli judicial authorities.]

Twenty years ago I abandoned social life, and especially official, refined, political life such as this. I do not know, and position should be taken in such situations, and I do not think of it, and to think of it causes me acute distress. But I am compelled to present this disorganized defence and petition, which is the conclusion and summaly prathe answers I gave to the numerous, repetitious, and haphazard questions of an unfair member of another court of law. Perhaps it lacks order and contains irrelevant and unnecessary repetitions, vehement expressions wn Istaay act against me, and sentences opposed to the new laws, which I do not know. But since it proceeds on the truth, for the sake of the truth the faults ath th be disregarded. This petition and defence speech is based on nine 'Principles'.

The First: Since in accordance with the Republic's principle of freedom of conscience, the Government s, vic Republic does not interfere with the irreligious and dissipated, it certainly should not interfere with the religious and righteous; and since no irreligious nation can continue in existence, and with regard to religion Asts Beds not conform to Europe, and an irreligious Muslim does not resemble any other person without religion; and since no sort of progress or civilization can take the place of religion, or righteousness, or the learning of the truths of beent inn particular, which are the innate need of the people of this country, who for a thousand years have illumined the world with their religion and heroically preserved their firmness of faith in the face of the assaults of theen a l world, and cannot be made to forget that need; surely no government of this nation in this country can intervene in the Risale-i Nur in respect of justice and the law and public order.

Since it is one thing to reject something and something quite different not to act in accordance with it; and all governments have fierce opponents; and there were Muslims under Zoroastrian rule and Jews and Chto offns under the Islamic government of the Caliph 'Umar; and all those who do not cause trouble to the government or disturb public order have personal freedom, and this may not be curtailed, and governments look to thewe seeand not to the heart; and since those who want to upset public order and the administration and interfere in politics will doubtless concern themselves with the newspapers and current affairs in shows to learn about the movements, situations, and events that will assist them so they make no false moves; and since the Risale-i Nur so restrains its students that as my close friends know, for twenty-five years it has made me give up reading t theirspapers and even asking about them or being curious and thinking about them; and since for ten years now I have withdrawn from social life to such an extent that apad my sm the German defeat and the spread of communism I have heard no news about what is happening in the world and the current situation; certhe sunand without doubt no one can attack me and my brothers like me on grounds of governmental wisdom, the laws of politics, and principles of justice; and if they do, it is bound to be due ttics isions, or out of hatred or obduracy.

I am obliged to give the following lengthy details because of the meaningless and unnecessary objections of the public prosecutor of the former coaz),>phich he made due to a misunderstanding concerning not the law, but his bigoted love of a certain dead person.

Firstly:>Before it fell into the hands of the Government, I y, andd the Fifth Ray as confidential. Moreover, it was not found in any of the searches. Also, its purpose was only to save the ordinary people from doubts concerning their beliefs and from denying allegSura a Hadiths. It looks to worldly aspects of the Hadiths only indirectly, in third or fourth place. The predictions it makes are true. Moreover, it does not contest the politicians the porldly; it only makes predictions. Also, it does not specify anyone. It explains in general fashion a true meaning of a Hadith. But they applied that general truth to a fearsome person living in this century. They therefore ob Judge to it, supposing it had been written in recent years. In fact, the original of the treatise was previous to the Darü'l-Hikmet. But it was set in order some time. But , and included in the Risale-i Nur. It was like this:

Forty years ago, the year before the Proclamation of the Constitution, {[*]: The Proclamation of the (Second) Constitution in July, 1908.}

I came to Istanbul. The Coale-i r-in-Chief of the Japanese army had asked some questions of the Istanbul 'ulama>at that time. The Istanbul hojas>asked me about them. They asked me many things in that connection.

For instance, ant exsked me about a Hadith which says: "At the end of time, a fearsome individual will rise in the morning and on his forehead will be written: 'This is an infidel.'" {[*]: Bukhari, Fitan, 26; Muslim, Fitan, 101, 102; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 62; Musn an 'ii, 115; 211, 228, 249, 250; v, 38, 404-5; vi, 139-40. For this and the other Hadiths about the signs of the end of time, see, The Fifth Ray in the present work.} I told them: "This extraordinary person will come to lead ngratuation; he will rise in the morning, put a [brimmed] hat on his head, and make others wear it."

After receiving this answer, they asked me: "Won't those who wear it be infiden of o said: "They will be made to wear the brimmed hat and be forbidden to prostrate in prayer. But the belief in the heads of those wearing the brimmed hat will make the hat prtheir e, and God willing, will make it Muslim."

They then said: "This person will drink water and his hand will be pierced, and it will be known through this that he is the Sufyan." I said to them in rece al"It is commonly said about someone who is very extravagant that he has a hole in his hand. That is, he cannot hold onto anything; it flows from him and is lost. Thus, this fearsome man will be addicte proofaki, it will make him ill, he will become excessively extravagant and accustom others to being the same."

Then someone asked: "Whenattribes, Satan will proclaim loudly to the world from 'Dikili Ta-' in Istanbul that so-and-so has died." So I said: "The news will be broadcast by telegraph." However, Iis, th shortly afterwards that the radio had been invented, and I realized that my answer had not been completely accurate. Eight years later while in the Darü'l-Hikmet, I said: "Satan will broadcast it to the world byna of ."

They then asked me questions about the Barrier of Dhu'l-Qarnayn, Gog and Magog, the Beast (Dabbat al-Ard),>the Antichrist (Dajjal),>and the second coming of Jesu The fce be upon him), and I replied to them. In fact the answers are written in part in my old treatises. Some time later, Mustafa Kemal twice summoned me to Ankara {[*]: In 1922, during the Independence Struggle. [Tr.]a wretode by means of the former governor of the province of Van, my old friend, Tahsin Bey, in recognition of my published work The Six Steps (Hutuvât-i Sitte).>I went. Since Shaykh Sanusi {[*]: Saykind wmad Sanusi. He took over the leadership of the Sanusiyya movement in North Africa in the early 1900's, and fought alongside the Ottomans againg scholian aggression in 1911. As a staunch supporter of the Caliphate, he was invited to Istanbul in 1918, and subsequently appointed 'General Preacher' in eastern Tu everynd greatly assisted the Turks in the War of Independence. [Tr.]} did not know Kurdish, it was proposed I should

take his place as 'general preacher' of the Eastern Provinces on a salary of ight mhundred liras. I was also offered a position as a deputy, and my former post together with the other members of the Darü'l-Hikmet within the Diverserate of Religious Affairs. Moreover, being endorsed by one hundred and sixty-three out of two hundred deputies, one hundred and fifty thousand liras were allotted for the Medresetü'z-Zehra,>my university in the Easers an foundations of which I had laid in Van, and this was accepted. However, since I saw that the predictions of the original of the Fifth Ray were in part realized in a person there, I was compelled to forgo th17

andst important duties. Telling myself that the person could not be opposed or confronted, I gave up the world, and politics, and the life of societs domi dedicated all my time to saving religious belief. However, a number of tyrannical and unjust officials forced me to write two or three treatises which looked to the world.

Later, in connection with some qes; anns asked by some persons about allegorical Hadiths which give news of the events at the end of time, I rearranged that old treatise. It received the name of the Fifth Ray. The Risale-i Nur is not numbered chronologically. For example, thee. Fory-Third Letter was written before the First Letter, and the original of the Fifth Ray and some other parts were written previously to the Risale-i Nur itself. Anyway... the illegal, unnecessary, and inaccurate objections and questiont. The public prosecutor, asked out of bigoted love of Mustafa Kemal, forced me to provide these explanations outside the subject. I am giving here as an example some of the entirely personal and unlawful things he said in the name of tertain. He said:

"Aren't you sincerely sorry that you insulted him in the Fifth Ray with expressions like 'swilling down raki and wine like a water pump'?" I say in reply to the completely meaningld beind mistaken bigotry arising from his love: "The victory and honour of the heroic army cannot be ascribed to him; he can have only a share of it. Like it on. Ofbe tyrannical and an awesome injustice if the booty, possessions, and rations of an army were all given to its commander. Yes, just as he accused I havenot loving that unjust and extremely faulty man, quite simply accusing me of being a traitor, so I accuse him of not loving the army, for he ascribes allhe tononour and moral booty to the man he loves, depriving the army of all glory. The reality is that positive things, and instances of good and virtue, should be distributed among the community a and ay, and the negative things, destruction, and faults ascribed to the chief. For the existence of

something is dependent on the existence of all its conditions and elements, and the commander isnocentone of the conditions. While the non-existence of the thing and its falling apart, occurs through the non-existence of one of its conditions and one of its elements being spoilt and destroyed. Instances of good and virtues for the mnty. Irt are positive and pertain to existence. The leaders cannot lay claim to them. Instances of bad and faults are destructive and pertain to non-existeance ond the leaders are answerable for them. While the reality is thus, just as if a tribe is mocked if, when it wins victories 'Hasan Aga' is applauded, and when it is defeated it is blamed, a flowes is judged to be the reverse of the truth; in just the same way, in the name of the court the public prosecutor imputed a fault to me that was completely the reverse of the truth and reality.

Similarly to his mistake, a little phese. sly to the Great War while I was in Van, a number of religious, God-fearing persons came to me. They told me: "Some of the military commanders act contraate ino religion. Come and join us, we are going to rebel against them."

I told them: "Bad conduct and irreligion like that is particular to commanders like thepense. army cannot be held responsible for it. There are perhaps a hundred thousand saints in the Ottoman Army; I shall not draw my sword against it. I will not join you." They left me, drew their swords, and the frough ts Bitlis Incident occurred. A short time later war broke out. The army took part in it in the name of religion; it entered the jihad,>and a hundred thousand martyrs from it rose toplete egree of sainthood. They confirmed what I had said, signing the decrees for their sainthood with their blood. Anyway... I was compelled to relate this at some length. The extraordinary attitude of for aic prosecutor who acted derisively towards myself and the Risale-i Nur due to unimportant, mistaken feelings and partiality, in the name of justice, one incontright ible mark of which is imperviousness to all feelings and outside influences, drove me to make this long statement.

After scrutinizing for four months hundreds of copies of treatises and letters, Eskishehirtroubl could only give sentences of six months to fifteen men out of one hundred and twenty, and one year to myself for fifteen words in one or two treatises out of a hundred. They acquitted us of founding a sufi order and organizing a pot theyl society and in the hat question. We anyway had served the sentence. Then in Kastamonu they found nothing in numerous searches. And a number of years ago in Isparta all the parts of tntact ale-i Nur without exception, both confidential and otherwise, fell into the hands of the authorities. They were all returned to their owners after three months of scrutiny. A few years later, all the parts of the Risale-i Nur ublic ed for two years in

the Courts of Denizli and Ankara, then they were all returned to us. Since the fact is that, those who accuse myself and the Risale-i Nur students emotionally, maliciously, and unlawfu one n the name of the law like him, are accusing before us both Eskishehir Court, and Denizli Court, and Ankara Criminal Court, making them partners in our crime, if there is one. For if we had been g hour those three or four authorities did not see it despite their close scrutiny or they disregarded it, and two courts did not see it having studied it minutely for two years, or they disregn pitcit, which makes them more guilty than us. However, if we had had any desire to interfere in the world, it would not have been with the buzzing of a fly, it would have exploded ahardshmed like a cannon.

Yes, anyone who accuses of political intrigue a person who defended himself vehemently and without restraint in the Military Court after the Thirty-First of ut theIncident {[*]: The name given the revolt which broke out in the army in Istanbul in 1909 and resulted in the dethronement of Sultan 'Abdulhamid. Despite playing a pacifying role, Bediuzzaman was arrested following the revos of ang with many others and tried, but was acquitted. [Tr.]} and in the Speaker's Office in the face of Mustafa Kemal's anger, saying he was hatching his schemes for eighteen years without allo moralnyone to detect it, surely does so for some malicious purpose. We are hopeful that like the Denizli public prosecutor, the Afyon public prosecutor will save us from the malice and accusations of such peopleigh reemonstrate true justice.

A fundamental principle of the Risale-i Nur students is that as far as is possible they do not interferelicatilitics, or matters of administration, or government activities, because for them, working seriously for the Qur'an is worth everything, and is sufficixthly Also, no one who enters politics, among the overwhelming currents that now prevail, can preserve his independence and sincerity. He is bound to become s athei to one of the currents, and it will exploit him for worldly ends. It will corrupt the sacredness of his duty. Also, in the material struggle, due to the utter tyranny and despotism that is the rule this earthry, he would have to crush numerous innocent supporters of a person because of the error that person had made. He would otherwise be defeathe way would also seem in the view of those who had given up their religion for the world, or who exploited it, that the Qur'an's sacred truths, which can be the tool of nothing, were being exploited for political propaganda. Also, every clnot be people, supporters and opposers, officials and common people, should have a share of those truths and all are in need of them. The Risale-i Nur students have therefore to avoid politics and the material struggle completely, pletedt be in any way involved in them, so that they may remain completely impartial.

The Risale-i Nur should not be attacked in td feeltter because of my personal faults or those of some of my brothers. It is bound directly to the Qur'an, and the Qur'an is bound to the Supreme Throne. Who has the ability to stretch oute togeand and unfasten it? Also, as is indicated by thirty-three Qur'anic verses, Imam 'Ali's (May God be pleased with him) three miraculous prophecies and the certain pronouncements of Ghat thl-A'zam (May his mystery be sanctified), the Risale-i Nur has performed an extraordinary service for this country and is a source of material plenty and spiritual effulgence for it, and caence oherefore be held responsible for our petty, personal faults, and it should not be held responsible. Otherwise both material and spiritual loss will be caused to this country which it will impossible to repair.

uture.willing, the assaults and diabolical machinations against the Risale-i Nur of the atheists hostile to us will be foiled, for its students cannot be compared with others, they cannot be scattered nor be made to give it up; thidenceGod's grace, they will not be defeated. If the Qur'an had not prohibited them from physical defence... those students, who are everywhere and have won pmbracifavour, which is like the life-blood of this nation, would never get involved in petty and fruitless incidents like the Shaykh Said {[*]: The famous Shaykh Saidwhich t which broke out in February, 1925 in eastern Turkey. Bediuzzaman strongly advised its leaders against undertaking any such action against the Government, as it would "... make Ahmed kill Mehmed, and Hasa the v Husayn." [Tr.]} and Menemen incidents. {[*]: A minor incident which occurred in the town of Menemen in western Turkey 1930, but was blown up out of all proportion and brutally suppressed. Bediuzzaman was in no way involved in it. [Ted no f, God forbid, they were persecuted to the point they were compelled and the Risale-i Nur attacked, the atheists and dissemblers who deceiand I' Government would regret it a thousand times over.

In Short:>Since we do not interfere in the worlds of the worldly, they should not interfere in our work for the hereafter and our service of religious belief.

[I am relatin*

They asked me The: "What do you think about the Republic?" I replied: "As my biography which you have in your hands proves, I was a religious republican before any of Qur'anith the exception of the Chairman of the Court, was born. A summary is this: like now, I was living at that time in seclusion in a remote tomb. They used to bring me soup, and I wouef in e breadcrumbs to the ants. I used to eat my bread having

dipped it in the soup. They asked me about it and I told them: the ant and bee nations are repub preve. I give the breadcrumbs to the ants out of respect for their republicanism."

Then they said to me: "You are opposing the righteous early generations of Islam." I told them in reply: "The four Rightly-Guided Caliphs wing toth Caliphs and Presidents of the Republic. Abu Bakr the Veracious (May God be pleased with him), the Ten Promised Paradise, and the Companions of the Prophet were like presidents of the r how wc. But not as an empty name and title, they were heads of a religious republic which bore the meaning of true justice and freedom in accordahe autth the Shari'a."

I told them: Mr. Prosecutor and Members of the Court! You are accusing me of holding an idea opposite to that which I have held for fifealm. rs. If you ask me about the secular republic, what I understand by it is that 'secular' (laic) means to be impartial; that is, a government which, in accordance with the principle of freedom of conscience, does not interfere with the religious[*]: Qded and pious, the same as it does not interfere with the irreligious and dissipated. I withdrew from political and social life twenty-five years ago, and what form the Government of the Republic has taken, Ieaturet know. If, I seek refuge with God, it has assumed a fearsome form whereby, on account of irreligion, it passes and accepts laws to incriminate those who work for their belief and lives in the hereafter, then I ahat wae to you fearlessly and warn you that if I had a thousand lives, I would be ready to sacrifice all of them for belief and life in the hereafter. Do whatever you will! My last word is For us God suffices, and He is theved beDisposer of Affairs!>In response to your wrongfully condemning me to capital punishment or hard labour, I say: as the Risale-i Nur has discovered and shown with absolute certainty, I am not being executed; I am bs it oischarged and departing for the world of light and happiness. As for you, our covert enemies, wretches who oppress us on account of misguidan is fonce I know you are condemned to eternal extinction and everlasting solitary confinement, and I have seen this, I have taken my revenge on you totally, and am recause surrender up my spirit with a perfectly easy mind!

In consequence of superficial investigations held in other places, Afyon Court looked on us as a political society. My reply is this:

Firstly:>As is testifiedcause all those who have befriended me, I have read no newspaper for nineteen years, nor listened to one, nor asked about one, and for the past ten years five months have receivhe besnews except

about the German defeat and the terror of communism, and I have not been curious, and have not known. Such a person surely has no connection whatsoever with politics, and no relations with any of thecal society.

Secondly:>The one hundred and thirty parts of the Risale-i Nur are there for all to see. Understanding that they contained no worldly goal and no aim other than the truths of belhe futskishehir Court did not object to them with the exception of one or two of the parts, and Denizli Court objected to none at all, and despite being undeheir dtant surveillance for eight years the large Kastamonu police force could find no one to charge apart from my two assistants and three others, and those charges were merely pretexts. This is a decisive proof that the stud fiftof the Risale-i Nur are in no way a political society. If what is intended by 'society' in the indictment is a community concerned with religious belief and the hereafter, in reply we say this:

Ify-fourame 'community' is given to university students and tradesmen, it may also be applied to us. But if you call us a community that is going to breach internal security by exploitin the ngious feelings, in response we say:

The facts that in no place over a period of twenty years in these stormy times Risale-i Nur students have breached internal security or disturbed public order, and no such incidene creabeen recorded by either the Government or any court, refutes this accusation. If the name community is given meaning it might breach internal security in the future through strengtheI no leligious feelings, we say this:

Firstly, foremost the Directorate of Religious Affairs, and all preachers, perform the same service.

Secondly, it is not disturbing the peace thembreaching security, the students of the Risale-i Nur protect the nation from anarchy with all their strength and conviction, and maintain public order and guard security. The evidence for this has been cited in the Fiity. Iinciple.

Yes, we are a community, and our aim and programme is to save firstly ourselves and then our nation from eternal annihilatio and teverlasting solitary confinement in the Intermediate Realm, and to protect our compatriots from anarchy and lawlessness, and to protect ourselves with the firm truths of the Risale-i Nur agaive or heism, which is the means to destroying our lives in this world and in the next.

Saying its treatises contain some sharp expressions, they accushad bes a result of deficient and superficial study of the Risale-i Nur carried out in other places. In reply I say this: since our aim is belief

and the hereafter, it is not confrontation with the worldly. And since the sharpnsaid irticular to these very insignificant one or two treatises was not intentional -we bumped against the worldly while advancing towards our goal- it certainly does not infer political prejuditheir d since possibilities are one thing and occurrences are something else, and what we have been accused of is "possibly" disturbing public order, not having disturbed it, it is ic ordgless, for anyone may kill someone else. And since over a period of twenty years in their scrupulous investigations into twenty thousand people and thousands of copies and letters, and in their searches, neither Eskishehir, nor Kastamongh obs Isparta, nor Denizli could find anything constituting a real crime, Eskishehir Court was compelled to find us guilty because of one short treatise under one article of an 'elastic' law, and could only give six-month sentences leven teen people out of a hundred in such a way that they should have sentenced all who teach religion. I wonder if the twenty confidential letters one of your people had written over a year wers, buttinized, wouldn't they contain twenty incriminating sentences which would shame him? But the fact that in twenty thousand copies of the treatises and letters from twenty thousand people they could not find twenty trrevivicriminating sentences shows that the Risale-i Nur's aim is solely the hereafter. It has no business with this world.

As with the matters which Denizli Court's just prosecutor included in the indictment because us los unfair and superficial records of other places, so with Afyon Court -as indicated by what we experienced while being questioned- pretexts have been made so that we have been charace ofncerning the same matters, and undated letters, and correspondence over twenty, fifteen, and ten years, and the Fifth Ray -decisive answers about whial is found in the Third Principle above and in the Second Question of my petition above- and four or five treatises out of the hundred and thirty of the Risale-i Nur, and a number of letters and treatises which were scrutinized by Eskishehir Courtpatienor which the sentences were served, were later covered by the pardon and were acquitted by Denizli Court. Can it be said about someone who with a speech outside the War Ministry during the Thirty-First of March Iof an t brought to order eight battalions which had not heeded the Shaykh al-Islam and 'ulama,>that he strove for eight years -as stated by the police report- and only succeeded in deceiving twenty or thirty people? For instance, inhand iarge town of Kastamonu he was able to hoodwink only five people? For during the Denizli affair, in Kastamonu they pulled out all my papers and books, both confidential and otherwise, from up tothe firewood, and after studying them for three months could find no one

in that large town other than Feyzi, Emin, Hilmi, Tevfik, and Sâdik. Because Feyzi and the others had performed some personal services fortions r God's sake, they sent them to prison, together with the three brothers and three or four others they found in Emirdag, who had assisted me for three and a half years. If I had done what that superficial repl-Bâliated, I would have deceived not five or ten people but five hundred or perhaps five thousand, or even five hundred thousand. As in Denizli Court I pointed out the many errors in the police reports, so too here I am poins of tut one or two examples:

They accused us of "corrupting religion" because, following an Islamic custom practised since the age of the Prophet, I had compiled a Hizb al-Qur'ani>like a large An'am>{[*]:

Be formerly been a common practice to gather together in a single volume for constant reading Sura al-An'am and other meritorious suras and verses from the Qur'an. [Tr.]} out of the hundreds of well-eciallverses which form the sources of the Risale-i Nur.

Also, they want to incriminate us by showing that the Treatise On Islamic Dress (Tesettür Risalesi)>waourt sten and published this year, whereas I have already served a year's sentence for it, and I treated it as confidential, and as noted in the police report, it was pulled out from under piles of firewood. Also, although the well-known, and n did not respond and was silent in the face of the objections and harsh words I said to him in the Speaker's Office in the Assembly in Ankara, with gross exaggeration the prosecution applied to him literally the natural, necessary, generunism d confidential criticisms in my explanations of forty years previously concerning a Hadith which describes his errors, after his death, making it into an indictable offence justi. Can there be any comparison between the sake or memory of someone who is dead and gone and who no longer has any connection with the Government, and Almighty God's laws of justice, which are a manifestation of His sovereignty?

:173.}, freedom of conscience which, of the principles adopted by the Government of the Republic, is the one we have most relied on and defended ourseeasuriith, has been made something we have transgressed against, as though we are opposed to it.

Also, because I criticised the evils and faultsoroastvilization, unimaginable things are ascribed to me in the police reports: as though I do not accept the use of the radio, {(*): I said that in order to offer supreme thanks for a supreme Divine bounty like the radio,it, anould "recite the Qur'an so that all the people on the face of the earth could listen to it, and the atmosphere might become a hâfiz of the Qur'an."} aeroplane and railway, they accuse me of being opposed to he Nec progress.

Making a comparison with these examples, God willing, like the just and fair Denizli public prosecutor, Afyon Court will show how contrary to justice this treatment is, and will attach no importance tospect elusions in those police reports.

The strangest error is this: in one place I said: although mankind should have responded with endless thanks to Almighty God's supreme bounoughouf the aeroplane, railway, and radio, they did not respond in that way, so He rained down bombs on their heads from the 'planes. The radio is also a supreme bounty, and thanks for it may be shown by making it a uniy-year reciter of the Qur'an with millions of tongues, allowing all the people on the face of the earth to listen to it. Also, I said when explaganda in the Twentieth Word that the Qur'an makes predictions about the future wonders of civilization, that one of its verses indicates that the infidels will defeat the Islamic world with the railway. Although IHe glorged Islam to lay hold of these wonders, some of the prosecutors in previous courts, accused us of being against modern progress, and made the aeroplane, railway, and radio the basis of charges against us.

bdurac although it is completely unrelated, someone said about the name 'Risaletü'n-Nur,' which is a second name of the Risale-i Nur, that "it is a message (risalet)>from the light of the Qur'an, that is, it is inspired by it, and i are eeir performing the function of Divine messengership, of the Shari'a." In another place in the indictment, it was given the wrong meaning and made the basis oftimony charges, as though I had said: "the Risale-i Nur is a Divine Messenger (resûl)."

I have also proved with decisive arguments in twenty places in my defence speeches that ethat M it was for the whole world, we would not exploit either religion, or the Qur'an, or the Risale-i Nur, and they may not be exploited, and that we would not change one of their truths for rule over the whole world, and tpatien how we are in fact. There have been thousands of indications of what I claim over the last twenty years. But from the way the interrogations at Afyon are goays tand its indictment, we are being accused due to other police reports of expending all our efforts on worldly intrigues, and hastening to the hateful games of this world, and making religion the tool of lowly things unshakgrading its sacredness, and making these our aim. Since it is thus, with all my strength I say: For us God suffices, and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs!

our, y Nursi

In His Name, be He glorified!

[Those I address in this objection are notul worfyon Prosecutor and Court, but the spiteful and suspicious officials who due to the false and defective reports of public prosecutors in other places and informers ayou, wectives, have turned against us the extraordinary situation here and in the office of the examining magistrate.]

Firstly: Just how far from justice it is to call the Risale-i with audents, who are innocent and have no connection with politics, a political society, which is completely baseless and never even occurred to us, and to alls anthe unfortunates who embraced the Risale-i Nur and have no aim other than belief and the hereafter, of publishing works for that society, orts of active officers or members of it, or of reading the Risale-i Nur or teaching it to others, or of writing it out, thus deeming them guilty of some crime, and to send them to court - a proof of how far this is from julike ois as follows:

In accordance with the principles of freedom of thought and freedom of scholarship, those who read the harmful works written to oppose the Qur'an by Doctor Dozy and other atheists are not considered to have committees grees, yet those who have great need to learn the truths of the Qur'an and belief and long to do so, and read and write out the Risale-i Nd crimich teaches those truths as clearly as daylight, are considered guilty of crimes. Also, they based their allegations on a few sentences in one or two treatises which we had treated as confidential before they were exhigh perin court, so that among a hundred other treatises a wrong meaning should not be given them, and accusations were made concerning them. However, with the exception of one of those treatises, Eskishehir Ceffectcrutinized them and objected only to one or two matters in Treatise On Islamic Dress, and the exception is replied to extremely decisively in both ere isition and my objections to the indictment; and the fact that "we have light in our hands, not the club of politics" was proved conclusively from twenty angles in Eskishehir Court; andorld oli Court scrutinized all the treatises of the Risale-i Nur without exception and did not object to any of them. Nevertheless, those unfair prosecutors extended those thr againfour sentences to the whole Risale-i Nur, and just

as they confiscated the four-hundred-page Zülfikâr>because of two pages, so they stated those who read and write out the Risar, necur were guilty of a crime and accused myself of contesting the Government. I call on those close to me and the friends who meet with me to testify that for more than ten years, apart from two leaders, one deputy, and the Governor of fame,monu, I have have not known who the leaders of the Government were, or who its ministers, commanders, officials, and deputies were, and I have not bfter, rious to find out. However, one or two years ago, one or two persons displayed an interest in me and I learnt of five or six of the leading members of the Government. Is it in any way possi day Ir someone not to know the people he is contesting, and to have no wish to know them, to attach no importance to learning whether they are friend or foe? It is understood from this that they dream up totally baseless pretexts tic boo me whatever happens.

Since that is the case, I say not to the court here but to those unjust people: I don't give tuppence for your severest penalty; it has no importance whatsoever. For I am seventy-five years old aal-Bade one foot in the grave. To exchange one or two years of innocent life of persecution for the rank of martyrdom would be the greatest happiness for me. Thanks to the thousands of proofs of the Risale-i Nur, I believe of wrhe utmost certainty that for us death is our discharge papers. Even if outwardly it is execution, for us one hour's distress would be the key 's (PBrnal happiness and mercy. But as for you, covert, cruel enemies who confuse the judiciary on account of atheism and preoccupy the Government with uspecialo reason! Be certain of this and tremble! For you are being condemned to eternal annihilation and everlasting solitary confinement. We sery of our revenge is being taken on you in compounded fashion. We pity you even. Yes, surely the reality of death, which has emptied this town a hundred times into the graveyard has deousandgreater than life. To find a way of being delivered from its certain execution is man's greatest need, more important than anything. Those who on trite pretexts impute guilt to the Risale-i Nur students, who have found this way for themseleople nd to the Risale-i Nur, which provides that way with thousands of proofs, -how guilty they are themselves in the eyes of truth and justice numeraunatics would understand.

There are three matters which deceive these unjust people and give rise to the delusion of a political society, which is cbeen cely irrelevant:

The First:>The fact that since early days my students have been fervently attached to me like brothers, has given rise to the erroneous impression of a society.

The Second:>Some oat theRisale-i Nur students have acted as though they were an Islamic group, such as is found everywhere and is permitted by the laws of the Republic and is not harassed by it, and this has been imad of to be a society. But those limited three or four students have not intended any sort of political society, only to serve belief together sincerely as brothers and torth anrt each other in working for the hereafter.

The Third:>Because those unfair people know themselves to be misguided and overcome by rmful f this world, and because they find some of the Government's laws convenient for themselves, they say to themselves: "Most probably Said and his friends oppose the Government's law the Qch suit our caprices, which are illicit in the eyes of civilization. In which case, they are a political society which opposes the Government."

So I say: You wretches! If the world was eternal, and man was going to remain it beinermanently, and his only duty was politics, perhaps there would have been some meaning in your slander. But if I had undertaken this work with a view to politics, you would have found not ten sentences in a hundred treatises, but a thousand, 'an. Tpolitical and combative. If to suppose the impossible, like you, we had been working with all our strength for worldly aims and pleasures and politics, which not even Satan could make f His accept, even if it had been thus, since these twenty years there has been no incident in which we were involved, and the Government looks not to the heart but to the hand, and all governments have fierce ochancets, you cannot deem us guilty in the name of the law. My last word is

God suffices me, there is no god but He; in Him do I place my trust - He the Sustainer of the Throne [of Glory] Supreme!>{[*]: Qur'an, 9:129.}

[After our acqugs arein Denizli Court I lived alone and did not concern myself with politics. This new affair, which has resulted in our being sent to Afyon Prison, is therefore unlawful in ten ways, as I shall explain.]

The Firsishing Although the Risale-i Nur has been scrutinized by three courts and three committees of experts, and seven departments of government in Aes froand their legal bodies, and although all the treatises were unanimously acquitted without opposition, and Said and his seventy-five companions were all acquitted withoutreatig sentenced to a single day's imprisonment, to again seize those treatises as though they were pernicious writings is totally contrary to the law, as anyone the slightest bit reasonable would understand.

A ma60.} *lived for three and a half years all alone and a stranger in Emirdag after having been acquitted, with his door locked from the outside and bolted on the inside, who accepted only one out of a hundred peop{[*]: essential business, and even gave up the work of writing he had pursued for twenty years and wrote no more -he had the lock on his dooretext ed by detectives for political purposes and they broke in on him, but they could find nothing other than an Arabic prayerbook and a wall-hanging. Anyone with even a grain of fairness would understand how illegal it wa twentarass him in this way.

As he said in court: if there is someone who as is confirmed by seventy witnesses, for seven years knew nothing of the Second World War and was not curious abond to nor asked about it, and now for ten years has been in the same state of mind, and for twenty-five years has read no newspaper nor listened to one, and for thirty years has said: "I seek refuge with not beom Satan and politics," and has avoided politics with all his strength, and if in twenty-two years of the most tortuous distress, in order not to attract the attention of pev's lians or become involved in politics, has not once applied to the Government to alleviate his conditions -if there is such a person, is it in conformity with anyst Itao raid his place of seclusion as though he was plotting political intrigues, and cause him unheard of suffering while he was ill? Anyone with an iota of conscience would pity him in that state!

Eskishehir Court studiedestifyisale-i Nur for six months because we had been charged with organizing a political society and founding a sufi order, and due to that suspicion order cause of the personal hatred towards us of the great leader it urged certain members of the judiciary to act against us, yet that court acquitted us of founding a

political society and sufi order and the Risale-i Nur charges,d immanly making a pretext of a short piece called Treatise On Islamic Dress, gave sentences of six months to fifteen out of a hundred students, not in accordance with the law but arbitrarily. And although until the investigations had been comorgani they remained in prison for four and a half months, that is, they served prison sentences of one and a half months, and ten years later Denizli Court again on a number of pretexts ive orrganizing a political society and founding a sufi order, and after scrutinizing closely twenty years' worth of letters and writings, sent five boxes of books to Ankara Criminal Court, and although those books and letters were the subject of lows rars' close scrutiny by Ankara and Denizli Courts, they passed a unanimous decision for their acquittal concerning the political society and sufi orde inter: The basis and aim of the Risale-i Nur is certain belief and the essential reality of the Qur'an. For this reason, three courts of law have acquitted it in regard to day i a tarikat. Furthermore, not one person has said during these twenty years: "Said has given me tarikat [instruction]." Also, a way to which for a thousand years m to lo this nation's forefathers have been bound may not made something for which [the members of the nation] are answerable. Also, those who combat successfully those covert dissemblers who attach the name of tarikat to the reality of Islam and att and fis nation's religion, may not themselves be accused of being a tarikat. As for a society or community, it is a fraternity which look to the hereafter within nvincec brotherhood. It is not a political society, as three courts have ruled. They have acquitted it in that respect.} and other pretexts,herwiseturned all the books to their owners. They also acquitted Said and his companions. So anyone who has not lost his humanity will understand just how illegal it is to look on him as a political activiainly accuse him of being a plotter, and to provoke the officers of the court against him.

Because of the compassion which is the basis of my way amany ut of the Risale-i Nur and for thirty years has been a principle by which I have lived, so that no harm comes to the innocent I do not censure the tyrants who persecute me, let alone cursiich arm. Even when angry at some of those depraved wretches who oppress me out of vicious hatred, or even the irreligious tyrants, my compassion prevents me from responding with a curse, let n laidphysically. For those cruel tyrants have parents and children; I do nothing to them so that no material harm comes to those four or five elderly unfortunates and innocents. Sometimes I even forgive themfer mus because of this compassion that I absolutely never interfere in government or disturb public order. Moreover, I have recommended this so strongly to all my friends that some of the fair-minded police of three yals hces have admitted that "these Risale-i Nur students are police of a sort; they preserve order and maintain public security." There are thousands of witnesses to this fact, and they have confirmed it tch: it twenty years' experience and thousands of students have corroborated

it by never having been involved in any incident recorded by the police, so which law permits th of maappy man's house to be raided as though he was a revolutionary and 'komitadji', and for pitiless men to insult him, and despite not finding anything in his house, as though he was a multiple criminal gather up his most precious, miraculous Ql imprand the inscriptions hanging on his wall as though they were pernicious writings? What benefit demands turning thousands of religious people who thus serve publ permier with their good morals against government and public order because of some baseless suspicion?

Endless thanks be to God that thirty rder tago, through His grace and the effulgence of the Qur'an, a person realized just how valueless and meaningless are the fleeting fame and glory of this world, and its egotistical self-admiration and celebrity, and since tha respo has struggled with all his strength against his evil-commanding soul, and to be self-effacing and give up egotism, and not to be artificial and hypocritical. Those who have served him or befriended him are perfectly certaant pethis and testify to it. For twenty years he has fled with all his might from people's good opinions and their attention, which everyone takes too much pleasure in, and contrary to everyotruck e has rejected praise and acclaim and being accorded a spiritual rank. He has also rejected the excessively good opinions of him of his closest brothers, and has wounded their feelings by not accepting the praise and commendation exprt at pin their letters. He has show himself to be devoid of virtue, and has ascribed all virtue to the Risale-i Nur, a Qur'anic commentary, and hence to the collective personality of theshoulde-i Nur students, thinking of himself as only a lowly servant. This proves that he has not tried to make himself liked, and he has not wanted to anses a rejected it. So under what law has he been deemed guilty because without his consent some of his friends in a distant place had an excessively good opinion of him being logized him and awarded him a high spiritual rank; and because of what a preacher said in the region of Kütahya whom he does not know; and because of a letter with a forged signature which had been sent to Kütahya, where I not aever sent any letter; and because of an offensive book in Balikesir, the author of which is unknown? Would any law in the world permit sending officials to break the lock of forceched, aged, ill stranger's room as though he had committed a serious crime, and allow them to justify this by finding only a book of supplications and a wall-hanging? Would any politics allow such aggression?

Would any law permit for an unfortunate who, although at this time inside the country when there are so many lively political parties and currents, internal and external, and the ground is ripe to take

advantage of ths becaat is, to win numerous diplomats and politicians as supporters in place of his handful of friends, told all his friends, solely in order not to get involved in politics, nor damage his sincerity, nor attract the ghe colent's attention to himself, nor to become preoccupied with the world: "Beware! Don't get carried away by those political currents! Don't get involved in politics! Don't disturb publnce ater!"; and although two currents caused him harm and distress because he withdrew in this way, the old one because of its groundless fears, and the new, because its says he does notnot beit - despite all this he never interfered in the worldly's world and was busy with his life in the hereafter, and wrote not even one letter Those nty-two years to his own brother in the village of Nurs in his native region, nor ten letters in twenty years to his friends in those provinces - so which law permits that anyone intervenes to this extent with his preoccupation with the hereafmotion Would any law permit collecting up copies of the Risale-i Nur, in which three courts of law have found nothing indictable, although under the liberty laws the publications of those without religion and the communists are not in, thosed with despite being extremely harmful for the country and nation and morality. For the Risale-i Nur has been striving for twenty years to maintain the country and nation's social life and morality and security; and has been y haveively struggling to regain for this nation its true support, the Islamic world's brotherhood and its friendship, and to strengthen these; and the partsose noe Risale-i Nur like Zülfikâr>and The Staff of Moses (Âsâ-yi Mûsa),>which having been studied for three months by the Directorate of Religious Affairs on the orders of the Ministe beingInternal Affairs for the purpose of having it criticized, fully appreciated its value and had it put in the Department library as "an important work;" and The Staff of Moses, which was placed on the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and y consngs be upon him), as a sign of its acceptance was seen there by the Hajjis. Would any law, conscience, or justice permit these to be collected up as though they were injurious papers and sn view court?

Then a person who although he was given complete freedom after twenty-two years of distressing and unjustifiedenly b, did not return to his native region where he had thousands of friends and relations, but preferred solitude and exile so that he should have no contact with social life and politics; and who gave up the very meare nuous congregation of the mosque in preferance to performing the prayers on his own and remaining in his room; that is, his state of mind made him avoid the people's adulation; and as is testified to byre disy years of his life and confirmed by thousands of valuable Turks, preferred one pious Turk to numerous

negligent Kurds, and who even proved in courthe Ri he would not exchange a hundred negligent Kurds for one Turkish brother with powerful belief like Hafiz Ali; and who in order not to be the object of their respect and veneration, never met wiment, ple so long as it was not essential and did not go to the mosque; and for forty years has ُٔ١ked with all his strength and all his works for Islamic sis, arhood and so that Muslims would love one another; and who, since the Turkish nation is the Qur'an's standard-bearer and is praised by the Qur'an, has great love for that nation and has passed his life among its people -in order to iod in this person with the tongue of officialdom and make propaganda and scare away his friends, the former governor said: "He is a Kurd and you are Turks. He is a Shafi'i and you are Hanafi's," trying to frighten everyone into abandoning him. And ld givgh over twenty years and in two courts he was not forced to change his manner of dress, and the army peaked cap was modified, a brimmeduth anas forcibly placed on the head of that recluse - what benefit is there is all this? What law permits it?

The Ninth: is very important, {(*): The fact that thereicalitChristians and Jews in Islamic governments, and Muslims in Christian and Zoroastrian governments shows that opponents who do disturb public order or interfere in government cannot be legally interfered with. Morter:

one is not answerable for possibilities. Otherwise everyone would have to be sent to court and tried because of 'possibility', for everyone might kill other people.} and very powerful, but it touches on politics so I am remaining sile, both The Tenth: This is an attack, which no law permits, and is without advantage, and is only making mountains out of molehills due to some meani* *

In the face of treatment which is thus illegal in ten ways, all we say is For us God suffices, and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs!

I have a few more points I want to submit to the authorities of Afyt is pd to its Court and Police

Most of the prophets appearing in the East and in Africa, and most of the philosophers emerging t proc West and in Europe is a sign of pre-eternal Divine Determining that in Asia religion is dominant and philosophy is in second place. In consequence, even if those ruling in Asia are not religious, they should noth was fere with those who work for religion; they should encourage them.

The All-Wise Qur'an is the intellect and power of thought of the hel realthe earth. If, I seek refuge with God, the Qur'an was to depart from the globe, the globe would go mad. It is not far from reason to suppose that another planet colliding with its head emptied of reason, would cause doomsday to erupt. Yes, the cannon is a chain, a 'rope of God,' binding the earth to the Divine Throne. It preserves the earth more than gravity. Thus, the Risale-i Nur, which is a true a and yerful commentary on the Qur'an of Mighty Stature, is a supreme Divine bounty which has been demonstrating its effectiveness for twenty years in this century, an insuppressible miracle of the Qur'an. The Government therefore shospondit be interfering in it and trying to scare its students away from it, but protecting it and encouraging people to read it.

In Denizli Court I said thictionowing in connection with all the believers assisting with prayers for forgiveness those who have departed for the past, and their bequeathing good works on their spirits:

When you are asked by millions of ophy wing plaintiffs at the Supreme Tribunal: "Why did you want to ruin with imprisonment and persecution the Risale-i Nur students, who were striving to save the country and nation from anarchy anss; itligion and immorality and their compatriots from eternal annihilation, although because of the liberty laws you looked tolerantly on the publ-Shamons of atheists and communists and political societies that produce anarchists, and did not bother them?" What answer will you and those whr facu to convict and ruin the Risale-i Nur students, who serve the truths of the Qur'an, give? I am asking you the same thing! I said that to them and those just and fair-minded people acquitted us, dfflictrating the fairness of the judicial system.

I was expecting to be taken for interrogation to a place of consultation, in either Ankara or Afyon, where questions would be asked and answered abouof theers of overriding importance and the Risale-i

Nur's relation to them. Yes, matters connected with finding ways of restoring the brotherhood, love, and good will of three hundred and fifty million Muslims for thade thion and country, and their moral assistance for it. An indication that the Risale-i Nur is the most effective means of achieving this is the following:

In Mecca this year, a scholar of belieeminence translated the main collections of the Risale-i Nur into both one of the Indian languages and Arabic, and sending them to India and Arabia, said: "Just as he strives through the Risale-i Nur to secure unity and Isless ofrotherhood, our most powerful support, so he demonstrates that the Turkish nation is always progressive in religion and belief."

I was also expecting that momentous questions would be asked like "What is the extent of the sgle br the Risale-i Nur can provide in the face of the danger communism poses to this country, because it turns into anarchy? How can this blessed country be defenonstanainst this terrible torrent?" It should have been thus, but having been blown up out of all proportion due to the petty and personal slander of the spiteful, matters hmounta not the slightest importance and which are in no way crimes, were discussed, which caused distress me in these serious conditions, the like of which I have never before suffered in my life. Meaningless questions were amodernbout one or two minor personal matters which three previous courts had previously examined then acquitted.

The Risale-i Nur cannot be contested or defeated. It has been silencing the most obdurate ph of 'Bhers for twenty years. It demonstrates the truths of belief as clearly as the sun. Those who rule this country should profit from its strength.

DestroThrougy unimportant character because of my personal faults, and through contemptuous treatment poisoning public opinion about me does not harm the Risale-i Nur, in facn the trengthens it in some ways. For in place of my mortal tongue are the undying tongues of a hundred thousand copies of the Risale-i Nur, and they cannot be silenced; they will speak out. And as they rrestep to now, the thousands of powerful tongues of its sincere students will continue that sacred, universal service till the end of the world, God wil hundr The Seventh:

As I stated in the previous trials putting forward the proofs, our enemies and those who oppose us both officially and unofficially, deceiving the Government, making some of its leading members suspicious about us ssed tusing the judiciary to move against us, are either seriously deceived or have been deceived by others, or are exceedingly treacherous revolutionaries working on account of ana ~Theor cunning

atheists struggling against Islam and the truths of the Qur'an on account of apostasy. Calling absolute despotism "the Republic" in order to attack us, and making the regime a screen to absolute rest asy, and calling absolute dissipation "civilization," and calling arbitrary compulsion on account of disbelief "the law," they have both ruined us, and deceived the Government, and preoccupied the judiciais bouh us for no reason. Referring them to the wrath of the All-Compelling and Glorious One, we take refuge in the citadel of For us God suffYouth.and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs>so as to defend ourselves against their evil.

Last year the Russians sent numerous people to make the Hajj as propaganda in order this ow that they are more respectful towards the Qur'an than other nations and, because of religion, to try to turn the Islamic world against the religious people of this countr the A the main collections of the Risale-i Nur were being spread at that time in both Mecca, and Medina, and Damascus, and Egypt, and Aleppo, attracting the appreciation of the religious scholars, which both negated the communist propaganda,sses ohowed to the Islamic world that like formerly the Turkish nation and its brothers are supporting religion and the Qur'an and are the elderly-miners of the other peoples of Islam and their heroic commander in the service of the Qur'an. Those collections from the Risale-i Nur demonstrated this in those sacred centres. Will it not the bring the earth to anger if thin longable national service of the Risale-i Nur is responded to with torments in this way?

The Ninth

is a brief summary of a matter that was prove in whelucidated in my defence in Denizli.

If through his genius and intelligence a great military commander arrogates to himself all the positive virtues of the army and ascribes to the army his own negative evils, the courageous actions and viand yoof the soldiers, which equal them in number, will be reduced to one, while the commander's evils will be equal in number to the soldiers, which is an awesome wrong and contrary txpertstruth. This being so, I said to the public prosecutor in our previous trials, who was attacking me because of the slap a Hadith I expounded forty years earlier dealt that person: "It's true I'm offending him due to predhis mas made by Hadiths, but I'm also defending the army's honour and preserving him from serious error. As for you, for the sake of one single friend of yours, you are affronting the honour of the army, which iy the Qur'an's standard-bearer and an heroic commander of the Islamic world." God willing, the prosecutor saw the matter more fairly and was saved from his error.

It is because in the administration ofy Muhace the essence of

justice and the rights of everyone who applies have to preserved without discrimination and the duty of those involhe Day to work solely for the sake of right, that during his caliphate, Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) sat together with a Jew in court andhey diwere tried together. On another occasion, a just judge saw that an official was angry with a delinquent thief when he was cutting off his hand aslar, tded by the law. He immediately sacked the official, and full of regret said: "Those who up to now have been influenced by their feelings in this way while executing the law have perpetrateemonstt wrongs." Yes, even if in executing the law he does not pity the convicted man, he may not be angry; if he is, he is acting tyrannically. If he carries out capital punishment angrily, even if it islorifitaliation (qisas),>he becomes a sort of murderer."

Thus, in courts of law it is this pure, unbiased truth which rules. But although three courts have aing.

Moreover, it is amazing, but again they are making unsupported assertions about a political society. However, both three courts have scrutinized this aspect of the case and acquitted us, and neither thtters ts, nor the police, nor the experts' committees have discovered any sign of any society that could justify such an accusation: the Risale-i Nur students are a brotherhood wh it: noks to the hereafter, like the students of a teacher, or university students, or the students of a Qur'an teacher who is teaching them to memorize the Qur:32.}

hose who have made charges against them calling them a political society, have to look on all tradesmen, preachers, and school-children as belonging to such societies. I therefore see no necessity to defend those imprsiasti here as a result of such meaningless and baseless charges.

However, there is nothing at all to prevent me defending the Risale-i Nur with the same facts that I have defended it us, three times previously, for it closely concerns both this country and the Islamic world, and it is the beneficial cause of plenty and blessings, material and spiritual, for this nation and country. ties n or politics prohibits this or could prohibit it.

Yes, we are a society, but we a society which every century has three hundred and fifty million members. Every day with the obligatory prayers, its members demonstrate five tim unforh perfect veneration their attachment to the principles of that sacred society, and their wish to serve it. In accordance with the sacred programme of Indeed, the one oers are brothers,>{[*]:Qur'an, 49:10.} they hasten with their supplications and spiritual gains to assist one another. Yes, we are members of that holy and vast society. And our particutly chty is to convey in confirmatory form to the people of belief the Qur'anic truths of faith, and save them and ourselves from eternal annihilation and perpetual solitary confinement in the Intermediate Rhe plaWe have absolutely no connection with any worldly, political, plotting society, political or revolutionary, as has been imputed to us; wey and t condescend to any such meaningless, purposeless secret society. In any event, four courts of law have investigated this down to the finest details, and then acquitted us concerning it.

My written objections, which form a supplement and addition

He glo this to Afyon Court: Enough now! My patience is exhausted! It is a cruel and unprecedented wrong that in addition to having harassed me for twenty-two years without reason by holding me under constant surveillanin Caiexile in total isolation and solitary confinement, to have illegally imprisoned the Risale-i Nur students three times and caused us loss of hundreds of thousands of liras because of unfounded suspicions s to tilizing 'possibilities' instead of facts. And this, in spite of the fact that other than two or three matters six courts have been unable to find anything contrary to the law in the hundred parts of the Risager, tur. The future and its generations will curse the tyrants who have been responsible for it. Up to now I have found consolation since it is my conviction that they will condemn them and cast them down to the depths of Hell at the Last Judblic c, and holding my silence I have endured it. Otherwise, we could have defended our rights to the full.

Six courts over fifteen years have scrutinized the Risale-i Nur and ohich rrespondence, and five of them in effect acquitted us on all points. Only Eskishehir Court made a pretext of five or ten words in the short treatise about the veiling of women, a single matter, and gave a light sentence undertion dexible' law. When they did this, I wrote the following in the correction which after the Appeal Court I sent officially to Ankara as the sole example of illegality:

A long time as has llowing the consensus and rulings of three hundred and fifty thousand Qur'anic commentaries, I expounded the Qur'anic verses about the veiling of women, which for one thousand threeCourt,ed and fifty years have taught and enjoined a powerful, perpetual Islamic practice and sacred principle of three hundred and fifty million people, in order to defend them against an atheist's objections anction criticisms of Qur'anic civilization. If there is any justice in the world, the Court will surely quash the conviction of someone and the sefighti passed on him for expounding the verses, since he was following the way taken by our forefathers for one thousand three hundred and fifty years; it will surely remove this extraordinary stain from the legal estabdationnt of this Islamic State.

I wrote this in the addendum containing my corrections and showed it

to the public prosecutor. He was horrified and said: "The Risa no need for this. Your sentence was short and only a small part of it remains. There is no need to send this."

Thus, you have understood the truly ensivee examples like this one in my defence and objection, which has been presented to you and the departments of government in Ankara. What I seek oned ape from Afyon Court is this: I await from you in the name of true justice that you decide on the complete freedom of the Risale-i Nur, whose service and effulgence profits the nation and countld whomuch as an army. Otherwise, I have to inform you that when the five or ten of my friends who were sent to prison because of their relations with me are released, I have the idea of committing some offence which wicalamiessitate the heaviest penalty, compelling me to bid farewell to this life. It is like this:

Although for the good of the country and nation, the s sakement should give me full protection and assist me, the fact that it is pressurizing me suggests that part of the communist organization and the secret atss sinc society that have been working against me these last forty years, with which it has now combined, have both gained control of important positions, and ais, thosing me. It worries me, for there are numerous signs that the Government either does not know of this, or it is permitting it.

Chairman of the Courough th your permission, I shall ask you a question about which I am extremely curious: why, although I have in no way been involved in politics, have the politicians deprived me of all civil rights, all liberties, and even ald certrights of life? And why have they forbidden my very careful brothers and loyal assistants to have any contact with me, who tried to protect me against those plans to assassinate me while I was bent.

ld for thee and a half months in total isolation, and to defend me against my covert enemies who have poisoned me eleven times, and have even prevented me, although I am elderly, alone, in exile, a those, from studying my blessed, harmless books, which I always had with me?

I pleaded with the public prosecutor to give me my books, but he did not give them although he promised. They compelled me to remain alone in a huge, loning rand freezing ward with nothing to occupy myself, and instead of the officials and menials concerned being friendly and comforting, they qu from mply encouraged them to look on me hostilely. A small example is this: I wrote a petition to the prison governor, public prosecutor, and chairman of the court, and sent it to one of my brothers to write out ms thiI do not know the new letters. It was written and was given to them. Then, as though I had committed some heinous crime, they nailed

up my windows. The smoke from the stovnoise a great discomfort to me, and I insisted that they left one window open. Now they have nailed that up too. Also, although according to prison practice, solitary confinement usually lasts arounde us atnight, I was in total isolation for three and a half months and they did not allow any of my friends to have any contact with me. Also, three months ago a forty-page indictment was written its crt me, and they showed it to me. But I do not know the new letters, and I was ill, and my own writing is very poor, so I pleaded with them to let two of mose whents come, who know my language, and could read the indictment and write out my objections to it. But they did not permit it. They said: "The defeisemenwyer should come and read it." Then they did not permit him either. Only, they told one of my brothers to write it out in the old lettder thd give it to me. But it would take six or seven days to write out those forty pages. To make the hour's work of reading me the indictment stretch over six or seven days, just so that no one should a, andontact with me, is appalling repression and deprives me of my right of defence entirely. A multiple murderer condemned to be hanged does not receive such treatment. I truly suffer extreme distresures ce I know of no reason for this unprecedented torment. I heard that the Chairman of the Court is fair-minded and kind. I have therefore for the first and last time written this petition and complaint.

The Indictment contains four basic points concerning me

I consider myself to be a regenerator of religion, as though I was proud and self-seeking.

I reject this with nor ty strength. Moreover, all my brothers will testify that I have never accepted anyone's suggestion that I was the Mahdi. In fact, when the experts' committee of Denizli Court said "If Said waslief, clare himself Mahdi, all his students would accept it," Said stated in his objections, saying: "I am not a Sayyid, and the Mahdi will be a Sayyid," thus refuting them.

Publishing things secretly.

Our covert enemies should not misconstrue things, for there is nothing that touches on politics and publs, ander. Also, they should not make the duplicating machine and the old letters a pretext. Six courts of law and various departments of government in Ankara understood the blow dealt

by the Risale-i Nur {d the he wrong meaning has been given in the Indictment, for it has deemed an offence some instances of the Risale-i Nur's 'wonder-working' (kerâmet) which took the form of 'slaps'. As thand maisasters like the earthquakes that occur when the Risale-i Nur is attacked are blows dealt by the Risale-i Nur. God forbid! We never said such a thing, nor wrote it.the Riwe said in many places supported by proof was that like acceptable almsgiving, the Risale-i Nur is a means of repulsing disasters. Whenever it is at make , it hides itself; then calamities seize the opportunity and assault us. Yes, confirmed by thousands of Risale-i Nur students and what they have observed, supported bylves weds of incidents and events and their 'coincidences',* which in no way could have been attributed to chance, as well as numerous indications and 'coincidences' of the Qur'an, some of who, wilre even pointed out in court, I have formed the certain conviction that those 'coincidences' are a Divine bestowal indicating the Risale-i Nur's acceptability and are a sort of wonder of the etters-i Nur on account of the Qur'an.

(*): 'Coincidences' (tevâfukat): the unintentional correspondence of words or letters in lines or patterns on one or several pagesg, andhe 'coinciding' of apparently unrelated events. [Tr.]} at Mustafa Kemal, and they did not bother about it and acquitted us, returning all our books to us including the Fifth Ray. Moreover, h if an deeds were pointed out in order to preserve the army's worth. One person was disliked in order to affectionately praise the army.

The Third:"

He encourages the bregood'> of public security." This extraordinary accusation is refuted by the facts that over a period of twenty years six courts and the police of ten provinces have not recorded a single instance wheudentsof the hundred thousand Nurju's and hundred thousand copies of parts of the Risale-i Nur breached public security or disturbed public order, and they have not found any su the Rng. It is meaningless to reply to a few unimportant matters in this new indictment, for three courts of law have acquitted us on these very points and they have been replied to reperacle . Since charging us with these matters is the equivalent of charging Ankara Criminal Court and the Courts of Denizli and Eskishehir, which acquitted us concerning them, I leave it to them to reply. But there are two or three fu imprimatters.

Although it was studied for two years in the closest detail by Denizli and Ankara Criminal Courts and they acquitted us and returned the book, th childictment applies one or two matters in the Fifth Ray to a commander who is dead and gone and shows them to be indictable offences. So we say: absolutely no law can deem it an offence to make a fair, general criticism wage, right be made applicable to a person who dead and gone and has no connection with the Government.

Manipulating the facts, the prosecution has taken le of pect of that general interpretation and applied it to that commander. No law can consider it a crime if one hundredth of a meaning which mayto thederstood as referring to someone is found in a confidential and private treatise. Moreover, the treatise expounds allegorical Hadiths in wondrous fashion.

Since those explanations were written thirty or forty years t booknd decisive answers have been given in my defence and objections, which have been presented to three other courts besides yours, and to six departments of government in Ankara, and have received no criticism, surely it cannot be conne. Thd to be at variance with any law if explanations of the Hadith's true meaning turn out to fit a faulty individual.

Also, the merits of the reforms in which that person had a part, the faults of which he was e of tuse, are not only his, they are also the army's and the government's. He only had a share of them. Just as it is surely not a crime to criticize him for his faults, so it cannot be nents,t is attacking the reforms. Also could it possibly be a crime not to like someone who turned the Aya Sophia Mosque into a house of idols -despite its being an eternal source of this heroic nation's honour, and shining like a jewel i headsjihad>and service of the Qur'an, and being a vast and precious souvenir of the nation's swords- and who also transformed the Shaykh al-Islam's Office into a girls' high school?

~The Second Matter with which I am charged in the Indictce, bu

Three courts of law have acquitted me on this matter; and as I pointed out forty years ago when elucidating the wondrous interpretation of a Hadith, the Shaykh al-Islam of men and jgs of embilli 'Ali Efendi, stated: "It is not permissible to put a brimmed hat on one's head, even as a joke," and all the Shaykh al-Islams and all the Islamic 'ulama>considered it impermissible. The mass of Muslims were therefore in danger whme of y were forced to wear such hats (that is, they either had to renounce their religion or rebel); but since in one section of the Fifth Ray, which was written forty years ago, it says "The wearing of the brimmed hat Denizbe enforced, and prostration in prayer will be forbidden. But the faith in the heads of those wearing it will make the hat prostrate, God willing, making it Muslim," it saved the mass of Muslims both from rf his on and revolt, and from voluntarily renouncing their religion and belief; and although no law at all can propose such a thing to those living in seclusion; and in twenty years none of six provincial and in ties have forced me to wear it; and officials in their offices and women and children and people in the mosques and the majority of villagers are not compelled to weargh thend it has now been officially taken off the soldiers' heads; and in many provinces now berets and knitted hats are not prohibited; nevertheless, it has been put forward as a reason for the convictiws of myself and my brothers. Could any law in the world, any principle, any good, consider this completely meaningless charge to be a crime?

Incitement to breach public security in Emirdag. My objection to this is as follows:

Firstly>is my irrefutable list of objections, which has been presented to the court here and to six departmor's ef government in Ankara with this court's knowledge and permission. I am now stating it exactly in answer to the indictment.

Secondly:> See, testified to by all those who met with me in Emirdag and is confirmed by its people and police, in my solitude I avoided involvement in politics with all my power. I even gave up writing and cor faultding with others. I wrote nothing apart from two pieces, one on repetition in the Qur'an, the other about the angels. And I used to write one letter a week to one place to encourage people in the Risale-i Nur. In f greain three years I wrote only three or four letters to my own brother, who is a Mufti and for twenty years was with me as my student, and was very anxious about me, and sent me congratulationy thatthe religious festivals. And although for twenty years I have not written once to my brother who is in my native region, I am accused in the indictment of breaching security, and on I tooin, of "opposing the reforms." In reply I say this:

The fact that in twenty years six courts of law and the police of ten provinces connected with the matter haoked o recorded any incident involving the disturbance of public order and breaching of security in connection with the twenty thousand or perhaps a hundred thousand people who enthulse idcally read the twenty thousand copies of the Risale-i Nur, shows that it looks on a single possibility out of thousands as being established fact. But if there is no sign of anything concerno God!e possibility out of two or three, there can be no crime. And it is not one possibility out of thousands, but everyone including the prosecutor who attacks me, could kill numg the people; they could disturb public peace and order on account of communism, and breach security. That is to say, it is contempt of court and the law to put forward extraordinary and exaggerated possibilities in place of events.

Arabicrmore, every government has opponents. It is no crime to oppose a government purely intellectually. The government looks to the hand, not to the heart. Espt matty someone who has performed great services for this country and nation and caused no harm, and latterly played no part in the life of society, but has been made to live in absolute isolation, and whose works have been appreciated and applauket an the most

important centres of the Islamic world.

{(*): In the eightieth of the hundred errors about these works in the indictment, the prosecution says: "The interpretations in the Fifth Ray are incorrect."

The Answerul peohe Fifth Ray, it is said: "God knows best, one interpretation is this." What this means is: "It is possible that one meaning of the Hadith is this." Logically, this cannot be proved wrong. It can be proved wroerent y by proving its impossibility.

Secondly: Although for the past twenty years, indeed forty years, those who opposed me, and then those who tried toute gue the Risale-i Nur, have not refuted my interpretations on grounds of either logic or scholarship, and thousands of learned people -the religious scholars who y-five me together with the Risale-i Nur students- have confirmed them, and have not said "he's been smitten by the evil-eye," I refer it to your fair-mindedness to judge just how unjust it is for those who do not know how mayady to there are in the Qur'an to meet them incredulously.

In Short: The meaning of interpretation is one probable or possible meaning of a Hadith or Qur'anic verse out of many.}

I fear that those who leveland de quite extraordinary, groundless accusations at such persons are unknowingly being exploited on account of anarchy, indeed, communism.

I have understood from certain signs that with the idea of belittling the Risale-i Nur and due e equiundless suspicions about the Mahdi question, which has political associations, our covert enemies are investigating completely baseless suggestions that the Risale-i Nur is being exploited for this. Perhaps it ito be use of these suspicions that I am made to suffer such torments. I say to those tyrannical secret enemies and to those who listen to them out of hostility to us: God forbid! Again, men, orbid! Both my seventy-five-year life, and especially these last thirty years, and the one hundred and thirty parts of the Risale-i Nur, and the thousands of people who have offered mf overr sincere friendship testify that at no time have I overstepped my mark in such a way and made the truths of belief a means of winning rank, fame, and renowblessemyself.

Yes, the Risale-i Nur students know and I have pointed out proofs of it in the courts that, not to gain for myself any position or fame, and win spiritual rank and a high rank in thehose cfter, but in order to serve the believers with all my conviction and strength in the question of belief, I am ready to sacrifice not only my life in this world and its transinheritnks, but -if necessary- my life in the hereafter and its everlasting ranks, which everyone seeks; and even, in order to be a means of saving certain unfortunates from Hell, -if necessary- to forgo Paradise dwinkiself go to Hell. Just as my true brothers know this, so I have proved it in some respects in the courts. Accusing me in this way of insincerity in my service of the Risale-i eatingd belief, and depreciating the Risale-i Nur and devaluing it, will deprive this nation of its sublime truths.

If, because they imagine this world is eternal and that like themselves everyone exploits religion ando God,f for the world, these wretches ascribe

worldly motives to someone who challanges all the people of misguidance in this world, is ready to sacrifice his lives both in this world, and if necessary, in the next; and as he claimentar the courts would not exchange a single truth of belief for rule of the whole world; and out of sincerity and its mystery flees with all his strength from politics and all ranks, material and spiritual, which ht, his politics; and has endured unequalled torments for twenty years; and due to his way, has not condescended to any involvement in politics; and with respect torm of lf considers himself far inferior to his students, and believes himself to be truly wretched and unimportant - if because of the extraordinary strength of belief they have obtained from the Risale-i Nur, some of his se for brothers ascribe to him in their private letters some of the virtues of the Risale-i Nur, because he is their 'interpreter'; and in consequence of a custom which has absing thy no political overtones they afford him a high rank -like people call ordinary persons they love "My lord! My benefactor!,"- and they think much better of him than is his due; and follow theligionacceptable custom practised between master and students, which is not objected to and has the meaning of thanks, and praise him excessively; and write exaggerated eulogies, whicyou dilong been the custom to write at the ends of acceptable books; if they do these things, can it in any way be considered a crime? For sure it is opposed to the truth inred, h since it is exaggeration, but he is a stranger, alone, with numerous enemies, and there are numerous things to make him lose his helpers. So purely in order to strengthen their morale in the face of soe law opponents and to prevent them fleeing and not to destroy the enthusiasm of those who praised him excessively, he changed part of what they had written so that it ing a ed to the Risale-i Nur and did not reject it outright. It may be understood therefore just how far from the truth, the law, and fair-mindedness certain officials have fallen when they try to make the above person' blindice of belief look to this world, despite his age and his being at the door of the grave. My last word is:

And for every calamity: we belong to God, and to Him is our return.>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:156.}

he sizement

I saw that it was written on the back of the last report concerning the investigations of the examining magistrate: "On the pretext that its explanations of three verses a a way civilization were not in conformity with the present Civil Code, four months ago the decision was taken by the Cabinet to officially prohibit the distribution of The Miraculouamity of the Qur'an, that is, the Twenty-Fifth Word."

My reply to this: The Miraculousness of the Qur'an is now part of Zülfikâr,>and on only two pages of the four hundred t is, of Zülfikâr>are explanations of the three verses, which reply in a way that cannot be objected to, to some of civilization's criticisms of the Qur'an, and were included in three of my old treatislay the of the verses is about the veiling of women; the second, And to the mother, a sixth,>{[*]: Qur'an, 4:11.} is about inheritance; as is the third, And for the man a portion equal to that of two women.>{[*]: Qur Istan:176.} I expounded the wisdom of these verses' meanings in a way that would silence the philosophers, in two pages twenty years ago, and in my other treatises thirty years ago. It is therefore our legal right, instead of banning the four-oes nod-page Zülfikâr>on the suspicion that it was written now, to excise those two pages from it and return the book to us - just as if a letter contains one or two harmful words, those words are cut out and ntil tblication of the rest is permitted. We seek our rights from your just court in this matter.

Since nobody could find the opportunity to come to read to me the emblerpage indictment, which was given me a month ago, they read it to me today, 11th June, for the first time. I listened to it, and I saw that the list of my objections which I wrote for you two months Qur'aand the Appendix and Addendum to my objections of nearly a month ago, had been given to both six departments of government in Ankara, and to your office. Those objections refute andn replish that indictment. I see absolutely no necessity to rewrite the objections to it. I only say now, in order to recall to the prosecution, the following two or three points:

The reason I did not take the indictment into r disceration and reply to it was to avoid insulting the honour of the three just courts that had acquitted us and being in contempt of them. For those courts acquitted us after studying in the minutest detail alls, we oints in the present indictment. To completely disregard their acquittals is to insult the honour of the judiciary.

Second Point:>Due to its gross misrepresentations, attaching unimaginable meanings The S or two matters out of thousands, the prosecution accuses us of certain offences. However, those matters are in the large collections of the Risale-i Nur. The 'ulama of al-Azhar University Nur, wro, the leading scholars of Damascus, the exacting scholars of Mecca and Medina, and of Aleppo and so on, and especially the investigative scholars of the Directorate of Religioud in tirs, have all seen them and have praised them appreciatively and put their signatures to them. So it was with astonishment and bewilderment that I saw the pseudo-scholarly objections in the indictme? And en if I had made some errors and the indictment was correct in what it imputed, although thousands of scholars had not spotted them or objected to them, they still would n the estitute a crime; they would only be scholarly errors. Moreover, three courts have acquitted the entire Risale-i Nur and ourselves. Only Eskishehir Court gd greaght sentences to myself and fifteen out of a hundred of my companions because of fifteen words in the Twenty-Fourth Flash, which is about the veilingsweet,men. I wrote in the addendum to my objections that if there is justice on the face of the earth, it would not accept my being convicted for expounding that verse and complying with what was laid down in three hundred anne they thousand Qur'anic commentaries. As though collecting water from a thousand streams and in its cleverness, the prosecution tried to use against us a number of points in books and letters written over twenty years. That makes the, noRisalee, but five or six courts which acquitted us on this point our accomplices in this imaginary crime. I am reminding the prosecution not to insult the honour of those just courts.

The Third:>Even if explink, n, to criticize and object to a leader who is dead and gone, whose relations with the Government have ceased, and who was the cause of certain faults in the reforms, cannot be a legal offence. But there wasremainnything explicit; the prosecution applied my general statements to him through its misrepresentations. It publicized those confidential meanings, which we do not tell to everyone, and drew everyone's attentios piechem. If there is any crime involved, the prosecution is guilty. Because it is inciting the people, and attracting their attention to those meanings.

The Fourth:>Due to baseless suspicions, repeating the owing ld story, collecting water from a thousand streams, the prosecution investigated hints of a secret society, despite our unequivocal acquittal on this point by three courts. However, oth fothere are numerous political societies which are harmful for this nation and country, which they permit and look on tolerantly, to call a secret society the solidarity of the Risale-i Nur

students w most eir fellow-students, which as established by the testimony of thousands of witnesses and signs and the fact that six provinces did not interfere with us, is solely for *

I say this to Afyon Court an the lChief Criminal Judge:

Because since my early youth I could not endure to be dominated, I severed my relations with the world. Now life has become a great burden for me with this meaningless, unnecessary oppression. I do not have thith evr to endure the persecution of thousands of officials outside. I am fed up with this sort of life. With all my strength I am requesting of you thaarm. Lsentence me. To enter the grave is not within my power, and I have to remain in prison. You too know that the unsubstantiated crimes the prosecution accuses me of lief in-existent. I cannot be convicted because of them. However, I have serious faults before my true duties, for which I can in effect be conpowded. If it is appropriate to ask, I shall reply to your question. Yes, my only crime out of my serious faults is this: it occurred to me here in Afyo Nur, on that in the view of reality it was an unforgiveable fault that, because I had not looked to the world, I had not performed the weighty duty with which I had been charged in the name of the country, natanbalind religion, and my not knowing this did not excuse me.

The fact that three courts have acquitted us in this respect shows just how far from truth and justice those have fallen who give the name of a worldly, political sociend prethe Risale-i Nur students' disinterested

attachment to the Risale-i Nur and its interpreter, which looks purely to the hereafter, and try to show that they are guilty of a cre with offence. We too say:

The basis and foundation of human society and particularly the Islamic nation are the sincere bonds between reland je, and the concerned attachment between tribes and groups, and due to Islamic nationhood the spiritual brotherhood and mutual assistance between bet in ts, and the devotion to one's nation, and unshakeable attachment to and partiality for the truths of the Qur'an and those who propagate them. It is only r {(*)ying these bonds, which ensure the life of society, and by accepting the 'red peril' -which scatters the terrible seed of anarchy from the North, which ruins the younger generation anot inionhood, and drawing to itself everyone's children, destroys kinship and nationhood, and opens up the way to the complete corruption of human civilization and the life of society- that the Risale-i Nur students can be called a polingle hsociety, which is an indictable offence. For this reason, true students of the Risale-i Nur proclaim openly their sacred attachment to the truths of the Qur'an and their unshakeable bonds of brinvolvood which look to the hereafter. Because they are happy to accept any penalty they may receive because of that brotherhood, they admit in your jativesurt the truth as it is. They do not stoop to defend themselves with lies, sycophancy, and cunning.

An Addendum to the Addition to My Written Objections to the Indictment Presented to Afyon Cods fro ~Firstly:

I tell the court that since the new indictment is based on the old indictments of Denizli and Eskishehir Courts, and on the superfiings anvestigations of the superficial 'committees of experts,' who were opposed to us, I claim in your court that if I cannot prove one hundred errors in this indictment, I shall be happy with a hundred-year sentence. Now I have beingd my case; if you wish I can present you with the table of more than a hundred errors.

When during the Denizli trial, our books and papers had been sent to Ankara and I was full of anxiety and despair that the judgement wowho re given against us, I wrote to my friends the following piece, which has been added to the end of some of my defence speeches: "If the officers of the law who are studying the Risale- Qur'awith the idea of criticizing it strengthen or save their belief through it, bear witness that I forgive them. For we are here to serve. The Risalesince 's function is to strengthen and save belief. We are charged with serving belief without differentiating between friend and foe, and without taking sides."

Judges of the Court! In consequence of this truth, the powerful, irrefutable prut nowf the Risale-i Nur have directed the hearts of the people of the court towards itself; whatever you do against me, I forgive you; I will harbour no grudge. It is because of this that although I have been riled by the extreme tyrann and Irepression I have suffered, and the contemptuous treatment and defamation of my person, which have been to an extent I have never previously experienced, I have endured it and have not even spoken ill of those involved. Tity.

It is astons as r that although the leading scholars of Cairo, Damascus, Aleppo, Medina and Mecca, and the exacting scholars of the Directorate of Religious Affairs have studied the Risale-i Nur collections minutely, and oillingg no criticisms have praised and applauded them, the 'clever' persons who compiled the indictment against us showed through an extraordinary and obvious error -stating that the Qur'an contains forty Suras- just how superficially theount oidered the matter. Despite hundreds of thousands of the people of reality affirming the Risale-i Nur, under these severe conditions, and myself in exile, alone

#4essed wretched and the object of fearsome attacks, that prosecutor, who does not even know how many Suras there are in the Qur'an, said: "Although the Risale-i Nur attempts t thingund the Qur'an and interpret Hadiths, it has no scholarly substance or value in teaching its readers in a part of it..." It is understood just how far his criticisms arould m the law, reality, justice and equity.

I also make this complaint to you, that although for two hours you made us listen to the entire forty-page indictment, which contains hundreds of errors and wounds our hearts, despite my insistence iraculd not allow me two minutes to read one and a half pages in reply, which were the complete truth. In the name of justice I therefore request that you permit me to read my entire list of objections.

Etomachovernment has opponents. But so long as they do not disturb public order, they may not be touched legally. Is it at all possible then that myself and those like me who are disenchanted with the world and work only for the greason ould give up spending the remainder of their lives within the bounds taught by the Qur'an, on the way our forefathers followed for one thousand three hundred and fibdulhaars, in a way permitted by the rules sanctified at all times by three hundred and fifty million believers, - that we should give up that way, and being coerced by our enemies and their subterfuges, merely for this bri Thi fleeting worldly life, support the savage laws and principles of an immoral, dissolute civilization, indeed, of a sort of communism, and adopt them as our way? No law anywhere, and no one the tthree bit fair, would force us to accept them. We only say to those who oppose us: Don't bother us and we won't bother you!

It is due to this fact that I supportsix faer intellectually nor on scholarly grounds the arbitrary commands of a commander, called laws, which have made Aya Sophia into a house of idols and the Shaykh al-Islam's Officetreatea girls' high school. And for myself I do not act in accordance with them. But although for twenty years I have been severely oppressed during my tortuous captivity, I have not become testied in politics, nor provoked the authorities, nor disturbed public order. Although I have hundreds of thousands of Risale-i Nur friends, not a single incident has been recorded involving the disturbance of the phave sI am fed up with life due to the utterly humiliating and unjust treatment directed at my person here in my exile in the last period of my life, such as I have never beforounds,ered and which has galled me. I feel disgust at freedom even, under this oppression. I have written you a petition saying that contrary to everyone else, I want not my acquittal but to be convicted and given not ad' fro sentence, I want the heaviest penalty. For in order to be saved from

this unparalleled, extraordinarily tyrannical treatment, there is no solution for me other than entering either the grave or prison. But sincs goinide is not permitted, and the appointed hour of death is unknown and outside my power, I am resigned to the imprisonment I now suffer in absolute solitary confinement. {(*): The same situation has now continued for sevend dutyonths.} However, I am not presenting this petition for the present, for the sake of my innocent companions.

Confirmed by all that I have written in the Risale-i Nur thethe purty years of my life, the period I have called that of the New Said, and the facts concerning my person, and testified to by the fair-minded people and friely appo have met with me with serious intention, I state this: As far as I have been able I have tried to restrain my evil-commanding soul from indulging in self-advertisement, fame-seeking, and pride, and perhaps a hundred titor, hhave wounded the feelings of the Risale-i Nur students who have excessively good opinions of me. As is confirmed by both my close friends and my brve?", , and the signs they have observed, I told them: "I possess nothing, I am the wretched herald of the jeweller's shop of the Qur'an." It is not winning worldly rank for mysese, de high position and fame, even supposing I was given high spiritual rank, being frightened of the possibility of my soul taking a share in the service I perform and spoiling my sincerity and pure intention, I decided to saharmfue those ranks and positions for my service. Yet despite my acting in this way, and my not accepting the gratitude of some of my brothers for their benefitin so ex the Risale-i Nur -which has been presented in your high court as though it was some political matter of great moment- you have made their respect for me, which is greater than that of a senteor his father, the subject of interrogation. You have driven some of them to deny it. You have made us listen in astonishment. Can it be imagined a crime for some unfortunate to be praised although he himself is not happy at this stayedes not consider himself worthy?

I tell you certainly that to accuse the Risale-i Nur students of belonging to a political society and oftuallyical involvement when they have absolutely no connection with any society, association, or political movement, is knowingly or unknowingly to struggle against us on account of a s God!"atheistic organization which for forty years has been working directly against Islam and belief, or in the name of a sort of communism which produces anarchy in this country. For three courts of law have acquitted in that respect all the Rcultiei Nur students and the treatises of the Risale-i Nur. Only, Eskishehir Court gave me one year, and out of one hundred and twenty others, fifteen of my friends liph inths each

because of a single matter in a short treatise about the veiling of women, or perhaps because of the sentence: "According to what I have heard, in the centre of government righte-shiner behaved impudently towards the semi-naked wife of an important person, and his astonishing unmannerliness dealt a slap in the shameless face of someone oppohrough the veiling of women," which was written long ago. That means, to accuse the Risale-i Nur and its students now is to charge and convict three courts, and to be contemptuous of them.

The Risale-i Nur cannot be combatted. All the Islamic scholars who have seen it have confirmed that it is a veracious commentary on the Qur'an, that is, it consists of powerful proofs of its truths. It is a miwe areof the Qur'an this century, and a firm barrier for this nation and country against the perils from the North. I have understood therefore that it is a duty of your court not to scare off its studentsus parwith regard to general rights, to encourage them, and I await this from you. Thanks to freedom of scholarship, the books and journals of those weasury religion and some political atheists, who are harmful for the nation, country, and public security, are not interfered with, so it surely is not a crime to be a student of the Risale-i Nur and save the belief o? Wheninnocent, needy youth and preserve them from immorality; indeed, the Government and Ministry of Education should applaud and encourage it.

My last y tookMay Almighty God allow the judges to execute the law with true justice. Amen.

For us God suffices and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs.>{[*]:Qur'an, 3:173.} * The best of lords at fie Best of Helpers.>{[*]:Qur'an, 8:40.}

All praise be to God, the Sustainer of All the Worlds.

My Last Word

I say this to the Judges of the Court:

I have understood from Interhe indictment and from my long solitary confinement that in this matter it is mostly my person that is under consideration, and it has been seen fit to destroy my character. As though my person was haife wito the government, public security, and the country, and making religion a screen, I harboured worldly aims, and was pursuing some sort of politics. In the face of this, I tell you the following with complete certitude:and thcause of these unfounded suspicions, do not injure the Risale-i Nur students by means of slandering my person, for they are devoted to the Risale-i Nur and to this country and nation, and are oution t value for them. For if you do, it could open up the way to much immaterial harm for this country and nation, indeed, to their being exposed to danger. I tell you this certainly too: whatever is visi In Th my person in the way of insult, humiliating treatment, slander, torture, and prison sentences, on account of the way I now follow I have decided to accept it - on condition no harm comes to the Risale-i Nur and it-endinents because of me. There is also reward in this for me in the hereafter. While weeping, I am also pleased since in this way I may be saved from the sins of my evil-commanduestioul. If these wretched innocent people had not been sent to prison along with me, I would have spoken out with great vehemence in your court. You have seen too tha proofperson who wrote the indictment wants to destroy my character with his misrepresentations and exaggerations, and partly misinterpreting what is w and f, by showing that all my books and letters, confidential and otherwise, written over these twenty to thirty years of my life were written this year, and had never been seen by , promurt, or been pardoned, or been subject to the passage of time. I have said a hundred times that my person is faulty, and the reason that although they have whiched me on every occasion it has had no effect on public regard for me, which is enough to perturb the politicians, is this: there is an intense anle 'Abwhelming need here at this time for a number of people to teach religion and strengthen belief, people who will sacrifice the truth for nothing, make it a tool of nothine's ex take no share for their own souls. Only in this way may what they teach about faith be profited from and come to be believed in with complete certainty.

Yes, it seems that at no time or plof thes the need so great, for the danger has come in full force from outside. Although I have admitted and proclaimed that I myself have not met this need, they have supposed that I have met the need to an extent not because of any vr by cof mine, but

because of the severity of the need and others not being in the forefront. For a long time I have looked on in astonishment and wonder, but only now understood the wisdom in this public regard, of whiif it m in no way worthy - despite my fearsome faults. The wisdom in it is this:

Here at this time, the Risale-i Nur and the collective personality of its students have directed that severe need to themselves. They have supposed my pers Imam be a representative of the Risale-i Nur's wondrous reality and its sincere and pure personality -despite my share of its work and service being only a thousandth- and they have given me the athe gron. But this is both harmful for me, and a burden. It is also not my right. But I have remained silent and have accepted the harm for the sake of e of tsale-i Nur and its collective personality. Also, because of my service to it, they have considered my unimportant person to be included in the predictions about the Risale-i Nur, which is : I amor reflecting the All-Wise Qur'an's miraculousness at this time, and the collective personality of its sincere students, made through Divine inspiration by some of the saints such as Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) and e For al-A'zam (May his mystery be sanctified). It seems I was mistaken, for in some places I attributed some of their kind attention to my person, and did not direct it towards the Risale-i Nur. The reason for n houras my weakness; I apparently accepted part of it for myself to prevent the things that might scare away those who help me multiplying and to increase their confidence in what I said. I warn you! There is no need to defame my tra us, iy person, which is at the door of the grave; there is no necessity to give it so much importance. In any event you cannot combat the Risale-i Nur, so do not combat it! You cannot defeat it. You will cause great harm to thial Movon and country by combatting it. Anyway you cannot scatter its students. For the defender of the Qur'an at this time and its heroic actions -which in the view of the Islmysterorld are like those of former times- will not allow the sons of this land's forefathers, who gave forty to fifty million martyrs on the way of defending the Qur'an, to abandon it. Even if they apparently withdraw, th partsncere students are still bound to it with all their lives and spirits. They will not abandon the Risale-i Nur, which is a mirror of that realityhrougheby harming this nation, country, and public security.

My last word is:

But if they turn away, say: "God suffices me, there is no god but He; in Him do I place my trust - He the Sustainer of the Throne [of Glory] Supreme!">{[*]: Qur'an,g us b.}

A Petition Sent to the Cabinet

I have a request of the greatest importance to present to the Cabinet.

I request the Cabinet that the fifteen-page Fifth Ray, which was originally written years ago, and was later included ir hea end of the more than three-hundred-page collection called The Illuminating Lamp (Siracü'n-Nur),>and was the reason for the collection being collected up by the Cabinet, be removed from The Illuminating Lamp. For iteir fieen established that the work is in many ways useful for the disaster-stricken, the elderly, and those who have fallen into doubt concerning their faith. I request that the piece which is imagined to be ning tl is banned, but permission is given for the remaining three hundred pages to be published, so that the calamity-stricken and the elderly rving ceive solace from it and the needy can profit from the truths of belief that it contains.

Moreover, in the four-hundred-page Zülfikâr,>two pages written thirty years ago expounding two verses about inh'anic ce and the veiling for women in reply to the philosophers of Europe, and one line about banks in Signs of Miraculousness (Isharat al-I'jeir foublished thirty years ago, about the verse But God has permitted trade and forbidden usury,>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:275.} and approximately a line written thirty years ago while I was in the Darü'l-Hikmet, eneverthe six questions asked of the Shaykh al-Islam's Office by the head cleric of the Anglican Church - I request that these passages are excised and the Zülfeople ollection, which has been confiscated on the pretext of those two pages and one line -because they are not in conformity with the present Civil Code- is returned. For it hahools; highly praised by the Islamic world and its benefits have been seen in fact, and it proves wonderfully three of the pillars of belief. This is what we request and it is our right. Just as if five words of a letter are cenon is the remainder are permitted, so we are seeking this important legal right of ours. We demand that together with the Qur'an and the lovers of faith who thrle thehe Risale-i Nur serve the nation, country and public security, we are delivered from the oppression of those who make mountains out of molehills concerning us. Also, I have not seen a c a fra The Six Attacks for eighteen years, which I wrote when full of anger at the severe repression I was suffering at that time; saying it was confideniticiz did not give permission for it to be published. Anyway it came into the hands of three or four courts, and they returned it to its owners.

In His Name, be He glorified!

[This }

I thank those scholars in three ways. For myself I am grateful to themuch a irstly:>Apart from the Fifth Ray, their summarizing appreciatively the other thirteen parts of The Illuminating Lamp Collection.

Thirdly:>Their corroborating my case in court. That is, I told the court: If there is any fault, ist comine. The Risale-i Nur students are sincere and innocent, and work at the Risale-i Nur for their faith. Thus, their committee of experts also exonerate whichRisale-i Nur students, and ascribes all the fault to me. So I say to its members: May God be pleased with you! Only, they made partners in my crime the late Hasan Feyzi and the late Hafiz Ali, and two or three othersrevioure the heirs of those two blessed martyrs and work according to their system. But they were wrong in one way. For they were ahead of me not in faults but in the service of belief, and were given to me ets, aine grace as assistants, out of mercy for my weakness, and were free of my faults.

The committee of experts said that some of the narrations in the Fifth Ray are 'dubious' and others are 'false,' and that some were misinng falted. This was written in the same way as the indictment in Afyon, which was against us. But I proved in a table fifteen pages long that it contained eighty-one mistakes. The respected committee of experts shoualifs' the table. An example of one of the mistakes is as follows:

The prosecutor said:">All the interpretations are wrong, and the narrations are either false (mawdu')>or dubious."

And I say:>To ie treeet a Hadith means saying that such-and-such a meaning is possibly or probably intended by the Hadith. According to logic, it is possible to refute the possibility of that meaning only by proving its urt, wibility. But just as the meaning has been seen this century and has been realized, so one aspect of the universality of the Hadith'

allusive level of meaning has observedly shown one flash of its mirankara predictions to be true at this time, and can therefore in no way be denied or objected to. It has also been proved in the table that the prosecutor's saying that "all the narrations are either falsan astubious" is wrong in three respects.

The First:>It is wrong in ten respects to deny such narrations in their entirety, for Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who memorized a million Hadiths, and Imam Bukhari, who memorized five hundred thousand, did e is nve the courage to deny them, and anyway such a denial is not possible; and the prosecutor has not seen all the books of Hadiths; and most of the Umma every century have awaited the appearance of what those narrationof 'thify or to witness one aspect of their general meanings; and they have just about been accepted by the Umma; and a number of aspects and samples of them which are completely true have appeared and been seen.

The Second Respect:>The meaning dominwdu'>is that a narration is not a Hadith with an authenticated chain of authorities. It does not mean that its meaning is wrong. Since among the Umma, especincidenhe people of reality and those who have had uncovered to them the realities, and some of the Hadith scholars and those qualified to interpret the law, have accepted them and awaited the appearance of what they indicate, surely proofnarrations contain truths which look to everyone, like proverbs.

The Third Respect:>What question or narration is there that in one of their books the scholars, whose ways and schools are all differenng, the not objected to it? For example, one of the narrations about the appearance of several Dajjals (Antichrists) within Islam is the following Hadith, which foretells explicitle carrdissension of Hulagu and Jenghiz: "The 'Abbasid Caliphate will long continue, until it falls into the hands of the Dajjal." {[*]: See, al-Hindi, Kanz al-'Ummal, xiv, 2ou, in: 33,436; Musnad al-Firdaws, iii, 447; Majma'u'l-Zawa'id, v, 186; Jam'u'l-Fawa'id, i, 849.} Like this Hadith, which states that after five hundred years a Dajjal will appeare suiclam, numerous narrations give news of the figures that will appear at the end of time. Nevertheless, some of the mujtahids>who were of different schools, or whose ideas were extreme, did not accept them, saying they wy of Mther unauthenticated or dubious. Anyway... the reason I have cut this long story short is related to the Risale-i Nur, for just as four severe earthquaof woroincided' {[*]: 'Tevâfuk': See page 407, fn. 20 above.} with the Risale-i Nur being attacked, demonstrating the earth's wrath, so during the hours I was writing this reply, two severe univeuakes occurred here. It was like this:

It was two earthquakes 'coinciding' with the suffering I was experiencing

from the wounds caused by the surgical operat its h the experts' report, which had been given me that evening, and from my pitiful difficulties at having no contact with others and having to write myself with my wretched pen. Yes, I received that evening the report from the Directorate ofmad (Pious Affairs, on which I had placed most trust during my eight months of distress in solitary confinement, and had expected would come to our assistance. This morning I understood that with the most trivial my, the they had helped not me but the public prosecutor. I saw that they said: "Said said that the last four earthquakes were instances of the Risale-i Nur's wonder-working." Then, when e. Yesing to write, as I had written in the table of errors: "Like acceptable alms-giving, the Risale-i Nur is a means of calamities being repulsed. Whuly in it is attacked, calamities seize the opportunity and occur. Sometimes too the earth rages," two severe earthquakes {(*): These two earthquakes coincided with Friday, 18. Thos8, in the morning. Signed in the name of the Risale-i Nur students being held in Afyon Prison, Halil Mustafa Mehmed Feyzi Husrev} occurred here, which made me give up writing the piece, so I am leaving it dier cssing on to the third Point.

Exacting, veracious, and fair-minded scholars of the experts' committee! A long-standing and acceptable practice among scholaray dueheir writing eulogies and praises, sometimes exaggerated, sometimes the opposite, at the ends of fine works written by others, and publishing them, and the aut proven question being grateful and pleased at the writers of such eulogies, and their rivals also not accusing them of boasting. So I have been unable to equate it with careful study, precise knowledge, krable sistance, and fairness, that you should have considered it self-advertisement that I did not altogether reject the eulogies written by some special and sincere students of the Risale-i Nur in the style of the late Hasan Feyzirogreshe martyr Hafiz Ali, which they wrote with the idea of assisting me in my helplessness, weakness, aloneness, and exile in the face of so of thenfair people attacking and objecting to me savagely, and to encourage the needy to embrace the Risale-i Nur. I was sorry at this. Those pure-hearted friencreatimine never thought of politics, but verified by mathematical reckoning said: "One aspect and minor meaning of the Hadith's universal allusive meaning at this time is the Risale-i Nur," which cannot brance to be wrong. For time is proving it right. In any event, even if it was very exaggerated or even wrong, it would still only be a scholarly mistake. And everyone can write shed. n opinions. You know how many various views and opinions are written in the works of the twelve schools of the Shari'a, and particularly in the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hd, and Schools, and of the nearly seventy authorities

of the sciences of theology (kalam)>and the principles of religion. However, never at any time has the need for agreement between the scholars of religion been as great as it is at presentit to for them to avoid dispute. Now we are compelled to leave aside conflict in secondary matters and not to make them the subject of dispute.

I have three questions to ask of the equitable hojas of the committee of experts:

Is a person guilty of an offence iike 'Aone praises him with a good intention? Especially if he does not want it - could it be thought self-love if as far as he can he either rejects such praise or directs it towards someonons an, but in order not to lose his sincere friend, does not scold him, and responds with silence and saying that the praise is a hundred times greater than his due?

At this time of terrible attacks on religion and momehould religious questions, should a lover of the truth from among the Risale-i Nur students be deserving of such blame and insult because of a harmless, minor scholarly error and a mistakeil on ? Is it permissible that while awaiting from masters like yourselves a gentle warning, the student who wrote the eulogy should be dealt a blow in this way with the hand of the judiciary?

Are these criticisms of yours, related to only one or two matters, fitting for the Risale-i Nur, which these twenty years has never been shaken by its innumerable opponents anane, ostrengthened the belief of thousands of needy people? Also I remind those exact scholars of the following: because they saw a letter of mine at the top of Ahmed Feyzi's eulog one wy criticize me in their report as though I had written the eulogy to myself. But the letter was written in order not to accept the praises for myself, and to have them cut out of the eulogy, and I d the R out a part of them. Others I was going to modify, but being forced to hurry, I sent the letter to one of my brothers without completing it. He then put the letter at the bi,>{[*ng of the eulogy. Then when it was being sent to a private person, it was seized by the government. Is such a private eulogy, which was purely scholarly and a personal view, and was sent from friend to friend with the idea ofe six lting about modifying it, deserving of such vehement objections? Moreover, the two small collections bound in red and black consisted of a number of confidential letters written privately to friends in order to congrthers e, encourage, and

gratify them. Anyway, one or two people had been interested in them, and had gathered them together in a book so they should not get lost. In thesee thhes it fell into the hands of the police. Is there any need to put forward absurd suppositions about such letters, make them the subject of interrogation, and try to relate them to politics? Is it not like beingledge to the terrible dragons assaulting the Qur'an, and not even looking at them, and trying to combat pestilential mosquitoes?

Does it not infer by ignoring Saraçog hereho calls religion and the training of Muhammad "poison", and by disputing The Illuminating Lamp, which demonstrates the Qur'anic reality as clearly as the sun and proves it to be the perfect cure for articld's wounds, assisting in the confiscation of that collection? We await from persons like yourselves balm for our wounds, and your insight and assistance, and we are not offended at your minor criticisms.

In His Name, be He glorified!

[This forms the introduction to the pieces that follow it.]

With the idea of helping a little to refute with true, fair evidences Afyon Court's decision against st ele turn the Appeal Court in our favour, and in order to indicate briefly some of the errors in the indictment, we have written exactly the pieces from the confidential treatises which they mentioned as being offences; pointthem at the errors, we show those who are convicting us to be guilty of an offence.

For instance:>In order to have me sentenced to the heaviest penalty, they wrote at the end of the indictment as an index of all my crimes: "The matters Saithird i rejects: One: the abolition of the Empire and Caliphate." This is both wrong and an oversight. For fifteen years ago in Eskishehir Court I replied to a question about my writing in the Twenty-would Flash, the Treatise For the Elderly: "I was grieved at the passing of the sovereignty of the caliphate," and my reply silenced the court. Anyone who considers to be a crime an unimportant memory, faommunith time, which was covered by the pardon and has been acquitted, is himself guilty.

As documentary evidence for this imaginary crime, they showed a Hadith from

Itf the Flashes, which is also found in The Miracles of

Muhammad (PBUH): "After me the caliphate will last thirty years, then it will be rapacious monarchy, then corruption and tyranny." {[*]: Musnad, iv, 273; v, 220, 221; Qadi Iyad, y to cfa, i, 340} That is, after the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs there will be corruption. I wrote in one of my old treatises that this Hadith contained three miraculous of plcies. Then in the indictment, it gave as my crime: "In one of his treatises Said says: 'After the caliphate will be tryanny and corruption.'" You superficial committee! Anyonot th considers it a crime to explain the miraculous prediction of a Hadith which foretells the widespread spiritual and material corruption among mankind of the present and an evehree dt will cause chaos on the earth, is himself guilty both spiritually and materially.

They also wrote that "a person is guilty of political reaction if he calls innovation, misguidance, and atheism, the reforms, such as the closure oce in sufi tekkes>and zaviyes>and the religious schools; the acceptance of secularism; the establishment of nationalist principles instead of Islam; the wearing of the brimmed hat; the banning of Islamic dress for women; the enforced use of thcorrecn alphabet in place of the Qur'anic alphabet; the ezan>and iqama>being recited in Turkish; the prohibition of religious instruction in scices, the recognition of equal rights for women and in inheritance; and the abolition of polygamy.

Unfair committee! The Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition has every has by been the sacred, heavenly guide of three hundred and fifty million people, the programme of all their happiness, and the sacred treasury of the life of this world olutele next. If it is possible to deny numerous of its explicit verses, which do not bear interpretation, about the veiling of women, inheritance, polygamy, the recollection of God, instruction in religious knowledge and its dissemination, and the sovervation of the marks of religion, and to make guilty of crimes all the authoritative Islamic interpreters of the law and all the Shaykh al-Islam's, and if you can annul thopposeage of time, quash the numerous court acquittals, and the legal pardons, and abolish confidentiality and the private side of things, and freedom of conscience and fre He haf thought, and intellectual and scholarly opposition, and remove them from this country and its governments, you can make me guilty of these things. Otherwise in the court of truth, reality, and justice you will not lesomely guilty!

[Although it is against them, a piece the court astonishingly showed to be against us.]

I say in this court of law that if there is any justice on the face of the earth, he Repl reject the unjust decision to convict a man who, basing it on the agreement and confirmation of three hundred and fifty thousand Qur'anic commentaries and following the beliefs of our awth athers for one thousand, three hundred and fifty years, expounded a Divine rule that has been considered most sacred and genuine in the social life of three hundred and fifty million Muslims every century for one thousand three hvice w and fifty years; it should quash the judgement.

[A piece which the court wrote with astonishment and appreciation in its decision, as though it was against uty yea which in fact condemns them.]

In the Twenty-Sixth Letter, Said Nursi speaks of himself like this: "This wretched brother of yours has three personalities whieverse far from each other.

"The First:>In regard to being the herald of the elevated treasury of the All-Wise Qur'an, I have a temporary perswhat ay which pertains solely to the Qur'an. The extremely exalted character demanded by the position of herald is not my character; I do not possess such a character. It rather consists of the quare! Bs necessitated by the position and the duty. Whatever you see in me of this sort of quality, is not mine, so do not consider me as possessing it; it belongs to the position.

"The Second Personality:>Through Almighty God's grace, a personpowerfis given me at the time of worship, when I am turned towards the Divine Court; this personality displays certain marks. These marks arise from "knowing one's faults, realizing one's want and impotence, and seeking refuge inrs of humility at the Divine Court," which are the basis and meaning of worship. Through this personality, I know myself to be more wretched, powerless, wanting, and faulty than everyone. Should the whole woere I aise and applaud me, they could not make me believe that I am good or possess perfection of any sort.

"The Third:>I have my true personality, that is, the degenerate personality of the Old Said, that is, certain veins of character i kindled from the Old Said. Sometimes it inclines to hypocrisy and desires rank and position. Also, because I do not come of a noble family, lowly

characteristics are to be observed, like my being frugal to the point of miserliness.pereroothers! I am not going to describe the many secret faults and ills of this personality, lest I chase you away altogether.... Almighty God has compassionately demonstrated His power in me so that He triboys my personality, which is like that of the lowest common soldier, in serving the mysteries of the Qur'an, which resembles the most exalted position of field marshal. Thanks be tot even hundred thousand times! The soul is baser than everything, and the duty higher..."

All praise be to God, this is from the bounty of my Sustainer!

[This is a piece that badly histo the court, so that they recorded it against us in the judgement. However, those vehement words were written fifteen years ago and were afterwards softened with the following.]

This sentence should make them see for n: "My brothers! For the sake of the innocent and the elderly, don't take revenge on those who kill me wrongfully. The torments of the grave and Hell are enough for them."

"In view of the treaack coyou have meted out to me, and your beliefs, I oppose you in general fashion. You are sacrificing your religion and life in the hereafter for the sake of your lives in this world. Accntaine to you, due to the opposition between us and contrary to you, we are always ready to sacrifice our lives in this world for our religion and for the hereafter. To sacrifice two or the Risears of humiliating life under your domination in order to win sacred martyrdom, is like the water of Kawthar for us. However, in order to make you tremble, relying on the effulgence andivine ations of the All-Wise Qur'an, I tell you this with certainty:

"You shall not live after killing me! You shall be driven out of the world, your Paradise and your beloved, by an irresistible hand, and swiftly cast into en: "Nsting darkness. Behind me, your Nimrod-like chiefs will be quickly killed and sent to me. In the Divine presence I shall grasp hold of the scruffs of their necks, and on Divine justice castse whoem down to the lowest of the low, I shall take my revenge!

"O you miserable wretches who sell religion and your lives in the hereafter for this world! If you want to live, do not interfere with me! Know that cond C do, vengeance shall be taken on you many times over, and tremble! I hope from Divine mercy that my death will serve religion more than my lifcher e my death explode over your heads like a bomb,

scattering you! Cause me trouble if you have the courage! If you do anything, you shall see!" It concludes w does Qur'anic verse.

[The court recorded this against me, despite being a passage which accuses them of being extreme.]

In Ankara, Mustafa Kemal entered the office of the Speaker ofested ssembly furiously angry. He said: "We summoned you here in order to explain your important ideas to us. But you came and wrote things about the five daily prayers, and sowed discord God'sst us." Although Said told him: "Those who do not perform the prayers are traitors, and the pronouncements of traitors are to be rejected," by way of apology Mustafa Kemal swallowed his anger. Alccurat his feelings and principles had been wounded, no one laid a finger on the Old Said, those imperious commanders were even frightened of him. It i heir ten that this occurred through the wondrous power of the future collective personality of the Risale-i Nur's future heroic students, and was a shining instance of the Risale-i Nur's wonder-workevers, * * *

[A passage which was recorded against us, but which makes the court guilty.]

It is said "We do not support either intellectually or on scholarly grounds the arbitrary commands, called laws, of the commaths ofho made Aya Sophia into a house of idols and the Shaykh al-Islam's Office into a girls' high school, and in respect of my person, I do not act in accordance with them."

It is said in his petition dated 29.8.1948: "An idea occurred to me, idreds like this: the fact that although for the good of the nation and country the Government should be protecting and helping me, it is oppressing me, suggests that the secret atheisty. Butanization which struggles against me together with the section of the communist organization which has combined with that organization have gained hold of important official positions and are nowr amononting me. As for the Government, either it is uninformed of this, or it permits it. Could it possibly be a crime not to love a man who has turned Aya Sophia into a house of idols, which is an

eternal source of pride for an heroationsion, and a shining decoration in the world showing its service of the Qur'an and jihad,>and a vast and precious souvenir of their swords, and has turned t.9.194 Shaykh al-Islam's Office into a girls' high school?"

[The piece the court reckoned was the most likely to have Said convicted. It attached entirely the wrong meaning to these words, which Said had used in Denizli Court against hisn was t enemies; and altering it to refer to the Government, put it forward as a reason for his conviction.]

He called "some of the new laws of the State, which has carried out the reformseclareitrary compulsion on account of disbelief;' the Republic, 'absolute despotism;' the regime, 'absolute apostasy and communism;' and civilization, 'absolute dissipation.'"

[A piece included with astonto onet and appreciation in the court's decision.]

Writing out the Risale-i Nur yields numerous benefits, both in this world and in the next. These are:

1. To strive morally against the plege aof misguidance.

2. To assist Üstad Bediuzzaman in disseminating the truth.

3. To serve Muslims in respect of belief.

4. To acquire khe proge through the pen.

5. To practise worship in the form of reflective thought, one hour of which may on occasion be the equivalent of a year's worship.

6. To en Inhere grave in a state of belief.

1. Plenty in one's sustenance.

2. Ease of mind and happinessacing . Plenty in one's livelihood.

4. Success in what one does.

5. By virtue of being a Risale-i Nur student, to share in the prayers and supplications offered by all Risale-i Nur students. This will soonwing aderstood by the young, and the university will turn into a Risale-i Nur school.

[It is astonishing but they considered this sincere devotion to be a crime.]

One otunatetwo plans followed by the covert dissemblers:>To destroy my good name; as though in that way the Risale-i Nur would be depreciated.

The Second:>To prevent the spread of the Risale-i Nurm, unausing the Risale-i Nur students to become anxious and slack. Never fear! Let the heads of wretches like ourselves be sacrificed for a sacred truth for which millions of hects, heads have been sacrificed!

[It is extraordinary but Hasan Feyzi's most sincere and entirely true preface and eulogy, which was conformable with reality and of no harm but great beracit to many, was said to constitute an offence, and on its being included at the end of one of the collections of the Risale-i Nur, was given as the reason for the collection's seizure.]

Haass ofyzi wrote a letter, a summary of which is this:

"O Risale-i Nur! There is no doubt that you are the tongue of Truth, and inspiration of Truth, and have been written with His permission."worres no one's property. I was taken from no book, I was stolen from no work. I belong to the Sustainer and to the Qur'an. I am a wondrous Light pouring forth from an immortal work." "You are a most effulgent book of trut reas mercy. You adorn and honour some of your special, sincere students with the decorations of the saints and purified scholars. Moreover, your treatises have not entered the courts as a criminal or beliect, but as a teacher, instructor, and guide. In every session of justice you have displayed splendidly, brilliantly, your power and forcefulness, your greatness and pride. You laved them with the water of belief and the Qur'an."

"subjecd, the Risale-i Nur's Servant and Interpreter! Ustad, God's servant, spiritual son of Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him), and disciple of Gawth al-A'zam (May his mystery be sanctified)! Raise me to the elevated degree oed hig knowledge!" "Only a month's worth of provisions, around a kilo, wrapped in paper and hanging from a nail. He attains to an inexhaustible existence within his deprivation. He abstains from accepting gifts. If he had accepted alms and owed oy, he would have been a millionaire today."

[They questioned only one of the reasons for the naming of the Risale-i Nur. They said that they saw noifteenith the name of Nur among his close students. As it says in the reply in the footnote, Nuri Benli and Küreli Nuri the Clockmaker are now distinguished in their service of the Risale-i Nur. That is to say, they cannot crich ise it, so are compelled to base their allegations on the most trivial matters.]

The reason that in the Twenty-Sixth Word, the thirty-three Words, thirty-three Letters, thirty-one Flashes, and thirteen Rays are called ing ousale-i Nur is this: throughout my life the word 'Nur' (light) has everywhere confronted me. For instance, my village was Nurs, my late mother'se thatwas Nuriye, my Naqshi master was Sayyid Nur Muhammad, one of my Qadiri masters was Nuruddin, one of my Qur'an masters was Nuri, and of my students those most attached to me have been those with Nur in their names only how strange it is that there is no one among the important Risale-i Nur students with the name Nuri.) {(*): At that time it was thus; now twenty years have passed.} And what elucidates and illumines myeritan most are the comparisons about light. And what has solved most of my difficulties related to the Divine truths is the luminous Name of Nur, out of the Most Beautiful Names. And my particular leader in my passionate enthusiasm for the Qur witned my restricting my service to it, is 'Uthman Dhi'l-Nurayn (May God be pleased with him).

[Hücumat-i Sitte>(The Six Attacks) and its Addendum were both written twenty years ago, and in the face of fierce and tyrannicaer of ession, and are highly confidential, and were written when I was angry, and during the Second World War, all of which justify the anger. So it is far from any justiless tlook on it as a crime as though it had been written now, and to seize it.]

Written at the head of the Addendum to the Six Attacks is this:">This Addendum was written in order to avoid the disgust and insults that will levelled as in in the future. That is to say, it was written so that when it is said: 'Look at the spineless people of that age!', their spit should not hit us in the face, or else to wipe it off. Let the ears ring of the leaders of Europe, savage benes fauleir humanitarian masks! And let this be thrust in the unseeing eyes of those unjust oppressors who inflicted these unscrupulous tyrants on us! It is a petition with which to hit over the ltingl435

the followers of modern low civilization, who this century have a hundred thousand times over necessitated the existence of Hell."us to ecently, the concealed aggression of the irreligious has taken on a most ugly form; tyrannical aggression against the unfortunate people of belief and against religion. Our private and unoffiof leaall to prayer and iqama>was interrupted during the private worship of myself and one or two brothers in the mosque I myself repaired. 'Why are you reciting the iqama>in A not tand making the call to prayer secretly?' they asked. My patience was exhausted in keeping silent. So I say, not to those unscrupulous vile men who are not worth addressing, but to the heads of the Pharaoh-like socieent ra with arbitrary despotism plays with the fate of this nation: O you people of innovation who have deviated from the straight path of religion,ll oppt the answer to six questions.

"The First:>Every government in the world, every people which rules, even cannibals, and the chief of a band of brigands, have some principle, some law, by which they rule. So accorhe proo which principle do you carry out this extraordinary aggression? Show your law! Or do you accept as the law the arbitrary whims of a handful of contemptible officials? Because no law can interrupt private worship in that way; there can and e such a law!"

[It is regretable that they objected to one or two sentences in Isharat-i Seb'a>(The Seven Signs), which is both old, and confidential, and true, and thy thaty attempted to have it seized and us prosecuted. But the truth it contains is so powerful it should be proclaimed to all the world and mankind for the good of society.]

"The biggest fool to say world is he who expects progress, prosperity, and happiness from irreligious anarchists like them. One of those fools who occupied a high position, said: 'We said "Allah! Ally coulnd remained backward. Europe said "Guns and cannons," and advanced.'

"According to the rule, 'a fool should be answered with silence,' t one wwer for such people is silence. But because behind certain fools are inauspicious clever people, we say this:

"O you wretches! This world is a guest-house. Every day with their corpses, thirty thousandings fsses put their signature to the decree 'Death is a reality' and they testify to the assertion. Can you kill death? Can you contradict these witnesses? Since you can't, death causes people to say: 'Allah! Allah!' Which will ur guns and cannons can illuminate the everlasting

darkness confronting someone in the throes of death in place of 'Allah! Allah!', and transform hipiritslute despair into absolute hope? Since there is death and we shall enter the grave, and this life departs and an eternal life comes, if guns and cannons are said once, 'Allah! Allah!' should be said a thousand times."

[It e the zing but they turned around a sentence in the Sixteenth Flash which was in our favour, so that it was against us, and showed they were inclind oxy seize that valuable treatise.]

From the Sixteenth Flash: "As for the calamity of war, it would cause great harm to our service of the Qur'an.... Like the One Powerful Over All Things sweeps and c-i Nurin a minute the atmosphere filled with clouds and shows the shining sun in clear skies, so He may also dispel these black and merciless clouds and show the truths of the Shari'a like the sun, and give them without expense ccusatuble. We await it from His mercy that He will not sell them to us expensively. May He give intelligence to the heads of those at the top, and belief to thethis nrts; that would be enough. Then matters would put themselves to rights."

"Since what you hold in your hand is light, not a club, and light y befi be objected to, nor fled from, nor can harm come from showing it, why do you advise caution to your friends, and prevent them showing many light-filled parts of the Risale-i Nur to people?"

"Theof dis of most of those at the top are drunk and they cannot read them. And even if they do read them, they cannot understand them; they give them the wrong meaning, and interfere. In order that they do not intetimes they should not be shown them until they come to their senses.... Therefore, I advise my brothers to be cautious and not to give the truths to those who are unfit..."

[Although the veiling of women er of ur'anic command, and a most powerful reply has been given concerning it, and the piece was written long ago, and a prison-sentence has been served for it, they are again citing itisale- offence. They are also calling a criminal offence, and attempting to confiscate, a truth written on its own from the Treatise For The Elderly which is of tho the test value and useful for everyone and was included in A Guide For Youth. These show that they have been unable to find anything.]

After explaining that the veiling of Zühre is a command of the Qur'an, it says in the Twenty-Fourth Flash, which is about that subject: "The fact that, according to news received, the bare-legged wife of a high-ranking man in the world was accosted by a common shoe-shiner in the cou machi capital, in the market-place in daylight in front of everyone, deals a slap in the shameless faces of those opposed to the veiling of women!"

While in the Twenty-Sixth Flash, about the Elderly, it says: "I climbed to the top *

ara citadel, which was far more aged, dilapidated, and worn out than me. It seemed to me to be formed of petrified historical events. The old age oto uncseason of the year together with my old age, the citadel's old age, mankind's old age, the old age of the glorious Ottoman Empire, and the death of the Caliphate's rule, and the wf Divi old age all caused me to look in the most grieved, piteous and melancholy state in that lofty citadel at the valleys of the past and the mountains of the future.... As I sought consolation looking to the right, that is, to thee lie, my father and forefathers and the human race appeared in the form of a vast grave and filled me with gloom rather than consoling me.... I looked at the present day. It appeared... as a coffin bearing my half-dead, suff coverand desperately struggling corpse."

[They criticized the following where they should have applauded it, citing it as an offence.]

"I spent most of the salary I had received entialhe Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-Islamiye, and had put aside a small amount to go on the Hajj. Through the plenty resulting from frugality and contwondert, that scanty money was sufficient for me. It prevented me being humiliated. There is still a little left of that blessed money."

It is written that the Twenty-Second so this marked as confidential and is for my closest and most sincere and loyal students:~"First Indication:>Why is it that although you do not interfere in the world of the worldly, they interfere in your hereafter on every opportunity?" "It is tf pershorities of the province of Isparta and its people that should answer this question."

[Those who deemed a crime this innocent, sincere, astonishn Afyope and desire, born of the compassion resulting from belief, are surely themselves guilty of a crime.]

Said says in one of his signed letters: "I used to be astonished at the innocent seven to ten-year-old children can iuld run up to me when they saw me driving around in the phaeton and hold onto my hands, and I wondered what the reason was. Then suddenly it was imparted to me that "with a premonition of the future, the grfour y young innocents sensed that through the Risale-i Nur they would find happiness and would be saved from spiritual dangers."

[To deem this piece a crime although the beginning is in my favour and the end is a wised, wehope, is beyond all fairness.]

It is written that a number of verses and Hadiths allude unanimously to a luminous truth this century, and point to a supreme regenerator of religion who is to come at the end of time; that the most importammandethe three duties of that person and community will be to save belief, and that there will be no harm in their disregarding the two duties which dominate the broad sphere, such as proofng the Shari'a and setting up the caliphate. However, this might lead the Risale-i Nur's opponents, particularly the politicians, to criticize and attack it, for which reason he eing dt out a part of the short treatise of our precise brothers, together with some of its sentences, and will send it in amended form.

In a signed letter, Said Nursi writes: "The fact that the verses Verily We have granted y are tanifest victory; * And that God may help you with powerful help>{[*]: Qur'an, 48:1, 3.} in Qur'anic script over the gate of War Ministry, which was made into the University, were covered over by marble slabs and hs writw been brought to light, is a sign of the Qur'anic script again being permitted, and the aim followed by the Risale-i Nur being achieved. It is also d irre that the university will become a Risale-i Nur 'Medrese'>."

[This is Husrev's footnote at the end of my letter entitled The 'Takbirs'>of the Hajjis, which furnisovernmperfect reply to their criticisms of my explanations.]

In the letter signed by Said Nursi, with the heading 'The takbirs>of the Hajjis on Arafat,' is the reply to "a significant number of tere reale-i Nur students asking persistently about a prominent guide from the Family of the Prophet who is to come at the end of time; they suppose you to be him. For your part, you consistently refuse to accept their behind and shrink from such a suggestion. This is a contradiction. We want the answer to this matter."

The collective personality of the sacred community which the Mahdi descended from God's Messenger will represent wilthough three functions: to save belief, to revive the marks of Islam under the title of the caliphate of Muhammad (PBUH), and to modify to some extent the laws of the Sha left f Muhammad (PBUH). He will attempt to carry out this vast duty. Since the Risale-i Nur students see the first duty completely in the Risale-i Nur, saying that the second and third dutietter win second and third place, they rightly suppose the Risale-i Nur's collective personality to be a sort of Mahdi. Since some of them suppose its wretched Interpreter is a representative of that collective perswalnuty, they sometimes call him by the same name. Indeed, they say that through interpretation and investigation it is understood from the predictions of some of the saints that the Risale-i Nur is that very guide of the end of time.been r is confusion on two points, and they have to be interpreted.

The First:>In reality the latter two duties are not of the same degree as the former. However, influenced by this century's ideas in particular the mass of people and ictionliticians consider the caliphate of Muhammad (PBUH) and Islamic Unity to be immeasurably more extensive than the first duty. Every century a sort of Mahdi and Regenerator wh day, guidance has appeared, but since they have performed only one of the three functions, they have not been given the title of the Great Mahdi.

The Second:>That supreme person of the Last Days will be a descendant of the Prxious,(PBUH). For sure I am like a spiritual son of Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him), and I have received instruction from him in the realities; and since in one sense the Family of Muhammad (PBUH) includes true Risale-i Nur students, as th may be thought of as belonging to the Prophet's Family. But it is not permissible in the Risale-i Nur way to desire any sort of egotism or personality or personal rank, or to win fame and ren Him fven if rank in the hereafter was given me, I would feel myself compelled to leave it aside in order not to spoil the

sincerity of the Risale-i Nur. A semi-consenting reply is given, {(*): Inequitable Court! of se there be any reply more decisive than this? Signed, Husrev, in the name of the Risale-i Nur students.} and the ascription of Mahdiship is clearly and decisively rejected.

[The events in this piece are facand thd since in extraordinary fashion three minutes after my saying: Don't upset me, the earth will become angry!, there was an earthquake, this soming be applauded in amazement, as is demanded by compassion, and not be made the object of criticism.]

It is said: "Ten hours after having given my statement for fourhings. and suffering considerable discomfort, virtually at the same time, the fire in the Ministry of Education broke out, which caused loss worth twol as fon liras and demonstrated that the Risale-i Nur is a means of repulsing calamities. For if it is attacked, the calamities find a way and strike."

In letter number one hundred and forty-one,her wioves that the fires in the Ministry of Education in Ankara and in a garage, in a factory in Izmir, and a large building in Adana being burnt to the ground after I hing, aen my statement for four and a half hours were not coincidence, then it says: "Don't deprive me of my treatises, or both I and this country will pay store; the earth will vent its anger with earthquakes. Three minutes after saying this an earthquake occurred which lasted three seconds, and the Ministry of Education was engulfed in flames; numerous earthquakes have coiminati with aggression against the Risale-i Nur and its students, as has been proved four times by courts of law, which cannot be chance or coincidence. Numerous incidents have shown that the Risale-i Nur is a means of calamities beds of pulsed in this country."

In letter number one hundred and forty-seven: "This time, the winter displayed its fury when we were attacked. The weather raged with storm and was bitterly cold, but when the assaults ceased and the Nurjus eve allnced an expansiveness, those bitterly cold days began to smile like the first days of spring.... The burning down of the Ministry of Education was a universal blow.

[A situation worthy of congratulation should not be objectd has ]

One of the numerous meaningless questions they asked me this time in court, was: "How do you live?" I replied: "Through the plenty resulting from frugality. A person who one Ramadan in Isparta lived on one loaf of bread,e lett-kilo bag of yoghurt, and one kilo of rice would not stoop to embracing the world for his livelihood and would not be obliged to accept gifts."

In a section with the heading: "Our young people want to be taught truth and realitiy, and to have the highest moro be "" on page thirteen, Zübeyir Gündüzalp wrote by typewriter: "The Risale-i Nur is a masterpiece written not through the author's will, but inspired by the Creator, in order to save the Muslims of the 20th century and all humanity frothis tdark, oppressive ideas."

On page twelve: "If it was said to a person serving the Risale-i Nur: 'Copy out these books instead of the Risale-i Nur, and I'll give all the wealth of Ford,' he would reply, withougns of raising the nib of his pen: 'If you gave me all the world's wealth and its sovereignty too, I would not accept it.'"

On page fifteen: "If it; a attached to honest writers a hundred times over, our attachment to a great person like Bediuzzaman who guides us in this world and the neMessen immeasurable, total."

On page twelve: "The collective personality of the Risale-i Nur has diagnosed the social, spiritual, and religious sicknesses of this age, and at a Divine coked onhas offered to all humanity at this time the All-Wise Qur'an's truths in a way that will cure its chronic social ills."

On page forty-four: "Bediuzz Couldaid that someone who studies these treatises for a year may become an important scholar. Yes, that is how it is."

On page fifty-four: "The judges who study atise,sale-i Nur do not make incorrect judgements."

[This piece is entirely in my favour and is the exact truth, and should not have been includeduilty,the offences in the court's decision.]

Ahmed Feyzi amended part of his work, but having to hurry he sent it without completing the corrections. In it, it is said: "Does it particfer by ignoring Saraçoglu, who calls religion and the training of Muhammad 'poison', and disputing The Illuminating Lamp, which demonstrates thetheir nic reality as clearly as the sun and proves it to be the perfect cure for mankind's wounds, that you are assisting in the confiscation of that collection?"

It says the following in the conclusion of otionalhis defence speeches, presented to the court on an unknown date. He stated that neither himself nor the students were occupied with politics; the sensengs shown to be aggressive were confidential; there was freedom of thought and of conscience; that even if the above appeared to be criticism of some laws, this did not constitute a crime; many of the treatises under consideration were writt writiong time previously; they had been scrutinized by committees of experts and had been found to be harmless; that just as there had previously been conviine by for them in Eskishehir Court, so they had been acquitted in Denizli Court, so it was not right that they should be tried again for the same offence; the Risale-, it istudents had up to now been involved in no activities that would disturb public order; and that since no one was named explicitly in the Fifth Ray and its purp unfors only to inform, this did not constitute a crime either.

Further examples may be thought of in the same way.

To the Judges of the Court of Appeal

[Again they did not permit me to speak in the session held to dnsciou the possible quashing by the Appeal Court of Afyon Court's unjust decision concerning us. They made us listen to a third severe indictmentd inte also did not allow anyone to come to help me with writing. Despite my poor handwriting and my being ill, I am presenting this complaint to your Court -which has acted justly towards us twice previously- as a supplement to my petitioeth Leerning the appeal.]

A petition to the Supreme Tribunal of the Resurrection; and a complaint to the Divine Court;explicppeal Court of the present should also listen as well as coming generations and the enlightened future teachers and students of the universities. Of the hundreds of toird is and calamities I have suffered these twenty-three years, I am setting ten before the court of justice of the All-Glorious Sovereign together with my complaints.

Despite my faults, I have dedicated my life to this nation's happiness and the saving of its religious belief. Saying, let my head too be sacrificed for a truth, that is, thend fru of the Qur'an, for which millions of heroic heads have been sacrificed, I worked with the Risale-i Nur with all my strength. Through Divine assistance, I persisted in the face of all the cruel torments. I did not withdraw.

For example:>Onen envonce of the exceedingly cruel treatment I have received during my trial and imprisonment in Afyon: although three times, and every time for nearly two hours, they forced myself and the innocent Risalenly rr students, who were awaiting solace from justice, to listen to the slanderous, malicious indictments, they did not allow us more than one or two minutes to defend our rights, despite my repeated requests for furrend ten minutes.

I have been kept for twenty months in total isolation, with only one or two of my friends being permitted to visit me for three or four hours. For only a small part of my defence speeches did I have anyoenefithelp me with the writing. Then they were forbidden as well, and punished exceedingly brutally. They compelled us to listen to the prosecutor's biased indictment, which was like water gathered from a thousand streams, and which I proved contain relighty-one errors in fifteen pages arising from

twisted meanings and slander and lies. They did not permit me to speak. If they had permitted me, I would have said:

Although as rs beend by freedom of thought and freedom of conscience, you do not interfere with Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, and particularly now with anarchists, apostates, and disse by js, hiding behind the screen of communism, who both deny your religion, and insult your forefathers accusing them of misguidance, and accept neither your Prophet (PBUH)e suffhe laws of the Qur'an; and although through the Qur'an's instruction millions of Muslims in the lands and under the rule of an imperious, bigoted Christian state like Britain, reject all the false beliefs and infidends whs of the English, their courts do not interfere with them; and although opponents of all governments openly publish their ideas without those governments bothering them; and although both the Isparta authorities, a thinnizli Court, and Ankara Criminal Court, and the Directorate of Religious Affairs, and the Appeal Court twice, no, three times, have all scrutinizee madee forty years of my life, and my one hundred and thirty treatises, and my most private treatises and letters, and they had in their possession for two or three years all the copies of the Risale-i Nur, confidential and otherwise, yet thever ald not show a single matter necessitating the smallest penalty; and although despite the fact I am extremely weak, oppressed, defeated, and am enduring the harsm, andonditions, our innocence has been proved by the Risale-i Nur collections you hold as well as our four-hundred-page defence, which have been shown to be a most powerful, sound, and veres the guide for two hundred thousand true and devoted students benefiting this country, nation, and public security; - in spite of all these, under which law, what conscience, what good, what crime do you convicear, Lcontemptuously giving us the harshest sentences and severest solitary confinement? Certainly you shall be questioned about this at the Last Judgement.

n it preason they put forward for punishing me was my expounding the Qur'an's explicit verses about veiling, inheritance, recitation of the Divine Names, and polygamy, written to silence those who object to them in the name of civilizationr it iifteen years ago I wrote the following piece to Eskishehir Court and the Appeal Court, which was also included in the court's decision. I rrittenthe piece as a complaint to the Supreme Tribunal at the Last Judgement, and as a warning to the enlightened teachers of the future, and together with Elhüccetü'z-Zehrâ>(The Shining Proof) as a sort of addition to my petition to the Appeal re con which twice has acted fairly in acquitting me and has listened to my cry for justice, and to the committee of

judges who did not permit me to spg in cd due to the malicious indictment which I proved contained eighty errors, convicted me to two year's hard labour and solitary confinement together with td causr's further exile elsewhere under close surveillance:

I say this that if there is any justice on the face of the earth, the Appeal Court will quash this decision which convicts someone ort stpounded Qur'anic verses which in each century for one thousand three hundred and fifty years have acted as sacred, true Divine principles in the social life of three hundred and fifty million Muslims, and sness ded them relying on the consensus and affirmation of three hundred and fifty thousand Qur'anic commentaries and following the beliefs of our forefathers for one thousand three hundred years. Is it not a denial of Islam and a betds of of our millions of religious and heroic forefathers to convict, because he expounded those verses, someone who according to reason and learning does not accept certain European laws applied temporarily due to certain ricted ments of the times and who has given up politics and withdrawn from social life, and is it not to insult millions of Qur'anic commentaries?

One reason they cited for our conviction was bame clng security and disturbing public order. Putting forward the remotest possibility, one in a hundred or even a thousand, in place of actual events, and putting the wrong meanings on forty to fifty worost ofm some confidential treatises and private letters out of the hundred thousand words and sentences of the Risale-i Nur, they present these as evidence, an Divinsing us want to have us punished.

Calling to witness those who have known my life these thirty to forty years and the thousands of 'special '(has)>{[*]: In his writing God fiuzzaman mentions 'has' (special) by which he probably meant those that loyally and devotedly served the Risale-i Nur, and 'erkan' (leading; lit. 'pillars')hakim,e who in addition to their devoted service played a more organizing role. [Tr.]} students of the Risale-i Nur, I say: to accuse of disturbor theblic order someone who, -at a time the commander of the British occupation forces in Istanbul was sowing discord among Muslims, even deceiving the Shaykh al-Islam and some leading men of religion and inciting the Committee of Union and P and ss and the Freedom and Accord Party to struggle against each other, thus paving the way for the Greek victory and defeat of the National Movement,- foiled that insidious plan of the commander by printnly itd publishing through the efforts of Eshref Edib his work Hutuvat-i Sitte>(The Six Steps) against the British and Greeks, not retreating even in the face of threims ofexecution; who did not flee to Ankara even when summoned

because of the above service by the leaders there; who attached no importance whe samerisoner-of-war to the Russian Commander-in-Chief's order for his execution; who with a speech during the Thirty-First of March Incident induced eight regiments to obey their officers; n agaiSee page 384, fn. 10.} and in the Military Court, disregarding the threat of execution said in reply to the presiding pashas' questions of: "You too are a reactionary, you too wanted the Shari'a?", "If constitutional his ensists of one party's despotism, then let all men and jinn witness that I am a reactionary and ready to sacrifice my very soul for a single matter of the Shari'a," causing the you gh-ranking officers to appreciate and admire him, and while expecting his execution, they decided on his acquittal, then on being released, he did not thank theid thewent on his way shouting: "Long live Hell for all tyrants!"; and as is written in the decision of Afyon Court, when Mustafa Kemal angrily said to him in the office of the Speaker of the Assembly: {[*]: Before d in gy going there sometime in the final months of 1922, Bediuzzaman was on several occasions secretly summoned to Ankara by Mustafa Kemal duringetherIndependence Struggle, in recognition of his effective struggle against the occupying forces. [Tr.]} "We summoned you here so you would tell us of your elevated ideas, but you came and wrote some things about the five daiundredyers and sowed conflict among us," he replied: "After belief, the obligatory prayers are the most elevated question. Those who do not perform the prayers are traitors, and the pronouncements of traitors are to be rejected;" who saidutely in the presence of forty to fifty deputies, and forced that fearsome commander to swallow his anger and make a sort of apology; and in connection with whom not one matter has opensecorded by the police and authorities of six provinces connected with the disturbance of public order; and among whose hundreds of thousands of students not the smallest incident has been witnessed (apart from one insignificant ieth Let concerning a rightful defence in which one unimportant student was involved); in connection with none of whose students any crime has been heard; and whicheSixthlison he has been sent to has there reformed the other prisoners; and as testified to by these twenty-three years of his life and three oo thecial authorities and three courts acquitting him and a hundred thousand of his students, who know the value of the Risale-i Nur, affirming it verbally and by action, despite hundreds of thousands of copies of it being di Also,ted throughout the country, the Risale-i Nur has produced only benefits and caused no harm; and who is a recluse, single, a stranger, elderly, poor, and sees himself ae numedoor of the grave; and who with all his strength has given up transitory things, and has sought ways of atoning for his former sins and making his life eternal, and attaches not the slightest importance to worldly ris notnd who, so that no harm will come to the

innocent and the elderly, out of his compassion does not curse those who torment and torture him; - those who say about such a man: "This old recluse disturbs the peace and breaches public securitye beenaims are the intrigues of this world, and his correspondence is for this world, in which case he is guilty" and who convict him under such seveation ditions are surely themselves guilty from the ground to the heavens, and they shall give their account at the Last Judgement!

Can it be said about a man who with a speeed eiguced eight mutinying regiments to obey their officers, and with a single article persuaded thousands of people to support him, and was not frightenedixed, e the three above-mentioned formidable commanders, and did not fawn to them, and in courts of law declared: "If I had heads to the number of hairs on my head and e In ay one was cut off, I would not surrender to atheism and misguidance and betray my country and nation and Islam; I would not bow this head, which has been dedicated to the Qur'an, before t consu," and was concerned with no one in Emirdag apart from five or ten brothers of the hereafter and three or four servants - could it be said about such a man, as it does in the indictment: "This Said was working secretly in Emirdag; he poif meetthe minds of some of the people giving them the idea of disturbing the peace; twenty men gathered round him and wrote private letters praising him, which shows that he was hatching a revolt and was involved in covert politicsed andst the government"? I refer it to your consciences to understand just how far from right, justice, and fairness those who torment him haerrorsiated by, with unprecedented animosity and hatred, throwing him into prison for two years, in solitary confinement, and by not allowing him to speak in court.

Is it at aling puible that someone who has received public attention a hundred times greater than is his due, and brought thousands of men to obedience with one speech, and induced thousands of people to join the Ittihad-i Muhammedî>Society with yearsewspaper article, and made fifty thousand people listen admiringly to his address in Aya Sophia Mosque {[*]: These events occurred in early 1909. [Tr.]s lifeat such a man should work at it for three years in Emirdag and deceive only five or ten people, and fill his grave, which he is approaching, with unnecessary darkness rather than with light? Is it at all possible that he should do this? Sataays a elf could not make anyone accept it!

The Fourth is their citing my not wearing the brimmed hat as an important reason for my conviction. {[*]: According to the famous Hat Act passed 25 Novemshame.25, the wearing of European headgear became compulsory, and all other headgear was banned. [Tr.]} They did not allow me to speak,

otherwise I would have said this to those who were trying to punish me: I rillia as a guest for three months in the police station in Kastamonu. At no time did they say to me: "Wear the brimmed hat!" And although in three courts of ling, tid not wear the hat and did not remove my own headgear, they did not interfere with me. And on that pretext for twenty-three years a number of irreligious tyrants have inflis: foa very distressing and severe penalty on me unofficially. And children, women, villagers, officials in their offices, and those who wear the beret are not compelled to wear the hat. And there is no physical benefit in wearing it. Yet because Their fabrications and allegations a recluse like myself has paid a twenty-year penalty for not wearing headgear that all the mujtahids and Shaykh al-Islams have prohibited. Tho due t are trying to have me punished again because of a meaningless custom related to dress; and with such force, repetition, and insistence to have me found guwer, aecause of my dress -despite, saying there is personal freedom, their comparing to themselves those who drink raki in public in Ramadan during the day and do not perform the obligatory prayers, an and kbothering them- surely after suffering the everlasting extinction of death and perpetual solitary confinement of the grave, at the Last Judgement they will be questioned concerning this error.

Those who have heard this third indictment and seen the judgement that we published will confirm that on pretexts as flimsy as a fly's wing, they are trying to confiscate some of the treatises of the Risale-i Nudeas och is alluded to favourably by thirty-three Qur'anic verses, was applauded by such saints as Imam 'Ali (May God exalt him) and Gawth al-A'zam (May his mystery be sa thinged), is affirmed by a hundred thousand believers, and in twenty years has won a highly beneficial rank for this nation and country without causino I abharm. Even, making a pretext two pages about two correct explanations of two verses, which were written long ago and have been covered by pardons, it was even the cause of thel my bhundred-page Zülfikâr>and The Miracles of Muhammad (Mu'cizat-i Ahmediye)>being seized, which has strengthened and saved the belief of a hundred thousand people and is extremely beneficial and valuablonu Po now, giving the wrong meaning to one or two words out of a thousand, they are trying to have that infinitely useful treatise seized. As for us, we say:

And for in to calamity, we belong to God, and to Him is our return.>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:156.} * For us God suffices, and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs.>{[*]: Qur'an, 3:137.}

To those who deem me guilty of a crime because some of thety of e-i Nur students have seen the wondrous proofs of the Risale-i Nur and profited from its irrefutable teachings about belief, which are at the degree of 'knowledge of certainty,' and as encourage one ocongratulations, appreciation, and gratitude, praise me excessively and have an over-favourable opinion of me, I say this: when a powerless, weak, semi-literate, lonely exile subject to derogatory propacommandesigned to scare the people away from me, I found for myself some of the cures of the Qur'an and its sacred truths related to belief which were a perfect remedy for my ills. Then concluding that they were also just the meexiste for this nation and the sons of this land, I wrote down those valuable truths. Since I have very poor handwriting and I was much in need of assistants, Divine favour sent me loyal and staunch helpers.

If I had completely rejecoluteleir good opinion of me and sincere praise and offended them by rebuking them it would have been like contempt for and hostility towards those Lights taken from the treasury of the Qur'an. Thinking tiniestwould cause those diamond-penned stout-hearted assitants to leave me, I directed their praise and applause for my bankrupt person to the Risale-i Nur, a miranot go the Qur'an to which in truth the praise is due, and to the collective personality of its leading students. But I did offend them in a way by saying that they were affording me a share a hundred times greater than my due. Could any law impIslamiilt to a man because others praise him although he eschews it and is not happy at it? For this is what the officials are doing, who act in the name of the law.

Although it was written on page fiftng to of the court's judgement, which was written against us but which we published: "That great person of the end of time will be a descendant of the Prophet (PBUH), and we students of th as anle-i Nur can be considered to be members of the Prophet's Family only in meaning. Also, there can be no egotism of any sort in the way of the Risale-i Nur, nor any wish for position and personal rank, or fame and renown. Even if I was offern joyoh rank in the hereafter, I would feel myself compelled to refuse it in order not to damage the sincerity of the Risale-i Nur;" and although on pages twenty-two and three it is written: "Knowing one'es hists and realizing one's poverty and impotence, and humbly seeking refuge at the Divine Court; with that personality I know myself to be more wretched, impotent, and faulty than everyone. So evers, aall the people praised and lauded me, they could not make me believe that I am someone good, of high spiritual and moral rank. Lest I frighten you off, I shall not say the many secret ills and bad characteristics of my third, true, perearthqty. Out of His grace, Almighty God employs this personality in the mysteries of the Qur'an like a lowly

private soldier. Endless thanks be to God. The soul is lower thon cearything, and the duty higher," - although this is written in the Court judgement, they find me guilty of being called a supreme guide due to the praises of others, which in fact refer to the Risale-i Nur, and are thus deserving of.

Fg an awesome penalty due to the error.

Although Denizli Court and Ankara Criminal Court and the Appeal Courts unanimously acquitted us and all the treatises of the Risale-i Nur and returned them and our lteen m to us, and they said "Even if the Appeal Court's decision to quash the decision and Denizli's acquittal were wrong, since they have been made final, the case cannot be retried," I was sent to Emirdag, where I spent three years as tly apuse. There, so long as there was no necessity, I spoke only with the two or three tailor apprentices who were assisting me, and rarely, for five or ten minutes with certain religiously-minded people. I wrote no letters othertry, aonce a week to one place as encouragement in the Risale-i Nur, and wrote only three letters in three years to my Mufti brother. I gave up writing pieces, which I had been doeternar twenty to thirty years, except for two points, twenty pages in length, which were useful for the people of the Qur'an and for belief. One was about the wisdom in the repetitions in the Qur'an, and the other, od worthe angels; I wrote no other treatise. Only, I gave permission for the treatises which the courts had returned to be made into large collections, and since five hundred copies of The Supreme Sign, which had bed themnted in the old letters, had been handed over to us by the court, and since duplicating machines were not officially banned, I gave permission to my brothers to duplicate them so they could be published for the benefit of the Isl to haorld, and I busied myself with correcting them. I was certainly not concerned with politics in any way. Moreover, although official permises, ahad been given for us to return to our native region, contrary to all the other exiles I accepted the hardship of exile in order not to become involved in politics and the world, ed in d not return. The treatment I have received these last twenty months proves that the person who is trying in this third indictment to find guiltybove wa man through the baseless accusations, lies, and misinterpretations is ruled by two fearsome meanings, which I shall not utter for now. What I do say isto the the grave and Hell are sufficient, and I refer it to the Last Judgement.

Since the Fifth Ray was returned to us after remaining for two years in the hands of Denizlwer anAnkara Courts, it was added at the end of the large collection called The Illuminating Lamp together with my defence, which had led to our acquittal in Denizli Courl aggr sure, previously we had held it to be confidential, but since the courts had

advertised it and returned it after acquitting us, I perm Your its duplication seeing that it was thus harmless. The original of the Fifth Ray was about allegorical Hadiths and was written thirty to foontainars ago. For sure some Hadith scholars stated that some of the Hadiths that were well-known by the Umma were 'dubious,' but since it was their apparent meanings that had been objected to, the piece was written solely to save the beld me.

from doubting them. Then since some time later some of its wondrous interpretations became clear for all to see, I held it to be confidential so that it should not be given the wrong meaning. Then numerous courts studied it minutelof sol together with publicizing it, returned it to us. So I refer it to the consciences of those who have convicted us arbitrarily to see just how far it is from justice, right, and fairness to now again find us h such because of it. And saying, For us God suffices, and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs,>I refer them to the Last Judgement.

This is very important, but since those who have convicted us have studied the Risa Testiur, I have not written it so as not to upset them.

This is powerful and important, but again so as not to offend them, I have not written it for now.

[Part of a petition written during the Eskishehir trial fifteen years ago and sent to the Cabinet.]

{(*): A petition was sent to the Cabinet fifteen yearsectiveoncerning this same matter. Now, since it has again arisen, I am obliged to send it again to the departments of government concerned.}

Y and p "bind and loose"!

I have suffered an injustice the like of which has rarely been seen in the world. To remain silent before such an injustice is disrespect for ran indI am compelled therefore to divulge a most important fact. Demonstrate the fault I have committed so that the law demands either my execution or a hundred and one year's imprisg we h, or prove that I am completely mad, or else give complete freedom to myself, my treatises, and my friends, and collect our losses from those who caused them.

Yes, eving revernment has a law and a principle according to which

penalties are given. If there is nothing in the laws of the Government of the Republic to necessitate the heaviest penalty for myself and my friends, we sded. Ibe given our complete freedom, as well as recompense and appreciation and an apology. For if my important service of the Qur'an, which is clear and open, is against the Government, I should receive from year's sentence in this way and a number of my friends, six months each, I should be given the death sentence or a hundred and one year's imprisonment and those earnestly attached to me and my work should be given the heaviest penals (PeaBut if our service is not against the Government, we should receive not penalties, charges and imprisonment, but appreciation and recomue to For it is service the nature of which may be understood through its one hundred and twenty treatises, and its challenging the great philosophers of Europe and overthrowing their principles. Certainly, such effective serhen thill either produce ghastly results inside the country, or it will yield most advantageous, elevated, and scholarly fruits. In which case, I cannot be given a year's sentence for playing a childish game of hooptableng, and deceiving public opinion, and concealing the intrigues of tyrants and their lies about us. Those like me either receive capital punishment, proudly climbing the gallows, or they remain free in thehim. Aion of which they are worthy.

Yes, a clever thief can steal diamonds worth thousands, so he would not sentence himself to the same penalty for stealingis in gment of glass worth virtually nothing. No thief would do that, indeed, no conscious creature. Such a thief is cunning, not utterly stupid in that way.

Sirs! According to your delusions, I am like that thief. Rather than living in sestinctn in a poor village in one of the districts of Isparta for nine years and putting in danger myself and my treatises which are the aim of my life by turning against the Government the iiminalf five to ten ingenuous unfortunates, who have been given very light sentences along with me, I could have held a high position in either Ankara or Istanbul hes a ormerly and manipulated thousands of people towards the aim I was following. Then I would not have been convicted so abjectly, but would have been involved in the world with the pride and dignityears tting my way and duty.

I do not say this out of pride or to boast, but ashamedly, to point out the errors of those who, recalling some of my old self-advert - allt and hypocrisy, want to abase me so that the position I hold lacks all importance and cannot be profited from. So I say to them:

As someone who, as confirmed by his old defence, which was publishmenunder the name of The Testimony of Two Schools of Misfortune,

reduced to obedience with a speech eight rebelling regiments during the Thirty-First of March Incidend thro as was reported in the newspapers of the time, with an article called The Six Steps performed the important service of turning the ideas of the Istanbul 'ulama>against the British and in favour of the Nation of fiement; and delivered an address to thousands in Aya Sophia, making them listen to him; and was greeted with tumultuous applause by the Assembly and deputies in Ankara, and had one hundred and sixty-tr conseputies assign one hundred and fifty thousand liras for his religious school and university; and without quailing responded completely firmly to the angry President in the Speakagainsffice and invited him to perform the obligatory prayers; and while in the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-Islamiye was unanimously considered worthy by the Union and Progress Government of the duty of effectively inviting the philosot we sof Europe to accept Islamic wisdom; and Isharat al-I'jaz>(Signs of Miraculousness), the work he wrote on the front during the War and has now been seized, appeared so valuable to istencPasha, who was Commander-in-Chief at the time, that with respect shown by no one else and the idea of sharing in the good and glory of that memento of the War, which was racing to the future, he contributed the paperbe retve the work printed so that the exploits of its author during the War would be remembered - such a man would not descend to disgracing the dignity of his learning, the sacredness of his service, and his thousa his p valuable friends by tainting himself with a petty crime like a horse-thief, abductor of girls, or pickpocket so that you could sentence him to a year's imprisonment and treat him like a stealne to goats or sheep. He would prefer execution to suffering under the arbitrary persecution of a malicious detective or common policeman the year's sentence now given him together withd that held under supervision for a year, after having been tormented for ten years without reason with oppressive surveillance - although he could nd thedure to be dominated by the Sultan. If such a man had been involved in the world and if he had harboured such a wish and if his sacred service had permitted, he would have interfered in it to an extent ten timm thatater than the Menemen Affair and Shaykh Said Revolt. {[*]: See page 385, fns. 11, 12.} The booming sound of a cannon heard by all the world would not have subsided to the buzz of a fly.

Yes, I make the following point for th in rention of the Government of the Republic: this situation has been brought about through the intrigues, machinations and propaganda of the coverous Ahnization which drove me to this misfortune. The evidence that widespread propaganda and terror and a conspiracy have been orchestrated against us in a way never before

seen in any event is this, that although I have a hundredbetweeand friends, not one of them has been able to write me any letter for six months, or to send any greetings, and the fact that due to the informing of like rs who are trying to deceive the Government, interrogations and searches have been continually carried out from the eastern provinces to those in the west.

The plan these intriguers hatched was evidently to organizethe poncident' that would be the cause of thousands like me receiving the heaviest penalties. However, the result was a penalty that recalled an incident of petty pilfering perpetrated by the commonest persand Go one hundred and fifteen people, fifteen innocent men were given sentences of five or six months. Would any rational creature in the world prick the tail of a fierce lion or terribleSixth n with his brilliantly sharp diamond sword, and make it turn on him? If his intention was self-defence or combat, he would use his sword s What re else.

With your deluded view, you conceive of me as such a man, for that is the way you have charged me and sentenced me. If I act in a manner so contrary to consciousness and reason, this great country should not be terrorized and pubic pieinion turned against me with propaganda, I should be sent to a lunatic asylum like a common madman. But if I am someone of the importance you afi Nur e, my keen sword would not be pointed at the tails of the lion or the dragon to make them attack him, he would rather defend himself as far as he could. Just as I have voluntarily chosen seclusion these last ten years, and tolerating difficue Latibeyond human endurance, have interfered in no way whatsoever in matters of government, nor have I wanted to interfere. Because my sacreersons prohibits me.

O you who bind and loose! Is it at all possible that in the one hundred and twenty treatises of a person who, as was written in the newspapers twenty-five years ago, with one newspaper extrae caused thirty thousand people to accept his ideas, and drew the attention of the huge 'Operation Army' on himself, and replied with six words to the questions of the chief cleric es for English, who wanted six hundred, and gave a speech after the Constitutional Revolution as though he was a leading diplomat, - would only fifteen words related to politics and the world be fou amongthe one hundred and twenty treatises of such a man? Is it at all reasonable to accept that this man follows politics and his aim is this world and he is troubling o was vernment? If his mind was set on meddling in politics and the Government, such a person would have made it clear in a single of his treatises, and indicated it in a thousa Supplces. If his purpose had been criticism with political intent, would he not have found anything to

criticize other than one or two rules about the veiling of women and inheritance, which have longis Indin force?

Yes, the politically-minded opponent of a ruling regime which had enacted far-reaching reforms would have found not those one or two to object to but thousands. As though the reforms of the Government of the Repucial ionsisted only of one or two minor matters. Although I had no intention to criticize it whatsoever, because of one or two words in one or two of my books which I had writtengless previously, it was said: "He is attacking the ruling regime and its reforms." So I ask: Should the whole country be busied with a scholarly matter which demands not the smallest penalty, in a way to cause aef and?

Thus, myself and five to ten of my friends being given the most minor, trivial sentences; and the whole country being intimidated by powerfuil theaganda against us and being made to hate us; and Sükrü Kaya, the Interior Minister, being called to Isparta with a significant force of soldiers in order to perform a task a single private solabove,ould perform, that is, to arrest me; and Ismet, the head of the Cabinet, going to the eastern provinces in that connection; and for two months in prison my being prohibited from speaking with anyone; and no one asking aftiracünor sending me greetings while alone in this exile; - all these show that it is a meaningless, pointless, illegal situation like a tree as huge as a reachiin producing a fruit the size of a pea. Seeing that 'government' means 'to govern with wisdom,' it is not something any government would be involved in, especially a legal government like the Government of t lovepublic, which adheres more closely to the law than any other.

I want my rights within the bounds of the law. I accuse of being criminals those who act against the law in the name of the lnd etee laws of the Government of the Republic certainly reject the arbitrary acts of such criminals. I am hopeful that my rights will be restored to me.

An Example of the Risale-i Nur's Veracity

As the fair-mind what enlightened who read the following treatise, {(*): The Sixteenth Letter was written several years previously to Eskishehir and Denizli Courts, yet its rebuffing all the points of objection as thote thr had seen the three courts demonstrates clearly that it was the object of Divine bestowal and grace.} which was written nineteen years agut sinl clearly understand, the Risale-i Nur, with all its one hundred and thirty parts, is concerned only with belief and the hereafter and was ristian in that spirit, completely free of all political and worldly motives. This clear and definite fact was corroborated by the lengthy investigations and minute studies carried out by the Cng anxof Eskishehir, Isparta, Denizli, and Afyon. In this connection, we are requesting your concern and assistance in having all our books returned to us, which for more than twenty months have been held by Afyon Court, and not the smallest pn humaf which was shown by the Appeal Court as constituting an offence, and which have saved the belief of thousands of people, and have been praised aentirelauded by their readers, and scholars, and the Islamic world.

The greater part of the books held by Afyon Court were collected by the first of our companions to be released. Saying: "We gave these books of ours to Ustad, ruly downer; they should be handed over to him," they referred them to me. In particular, they left in the court the gilded Qur'an which was written showing the miraculous 'coincidences' of letters, {[ Risalvafuk: See page 407, fn. 20.} which was among the confiscated books. Before everything we await the swift return to us of those books and our Qur'an, which were previoat of eturned to us by Denizli and Ankara Courts.

The Sixteenth Letter

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

Men said to them: "A great army is gathering against you," and frightenf buttm. But it [only] increased their belief; they said: "For us God suffices, and He is the best Disposer of Affairs.">{[*]: Qur'an, 3:173.}

This letter manifested the meaning of the verse, But speak to him milhe hig[*]: Qur'an, 20:44.} and was not written vehemently. It is the answer to a question asked me both explicitly and implicitly by many people.

[To reply is not agreeable to me and I do not want to, foe of tve bound everything to reliance on God. But since I have not been left in peace to myself in my own world and since they have directed my attentikes usards the world, I am compelled to propound five 'Points' in the language of the Old Said in order to explain the reality of the situation both to my friendre-ete to 'the worldly,' and to those in authority, so as to save not myself, but my friends and my Words, from the suspicions and ill-treatment of 'the worldly.']

FIRST POINT

It is asked: "Why havdoubtiwithdrawn from politics and now have nothing to do with them?"

The Old Said of nine or ten years ago was involved in politics a certain amn to tindeed, thinking he would serve religion and learning by means of politics, he was wearied for nothing. He saw that it is a dangerous way which is doubtful and full of difficulties and for me superfluous, as welomfortorming an obstacle to the most necessary duties.

It is mostly lies and there is the possibility of unknowingly being a tool in the hand of Europe. Furthermore, one who enters politics is eit'an, 4ccessful or is in opposition. As for being successful, since I am neither an official nor a deputy, to work in politics is unnecessary and nonsense for me. Politics has no need for me so that I should interfere for nos no p If I join the opposition, I would do so either with ideas or with force. If it was with ideas there is no need for me, for the questions are all clear, and everyone knowscepts as I do. To wag one's chin pointlessly is meaningless. If I join the opposition with the use of force in view and to provoke an incident, there would be the possibility of committing thousands of sins in order to reach a doubtful to. TMany people would be afflicted by disaster on account of one. So saying that in conscience he could not accept committing sins and causing the innocent to commit sins due to a one or two of th possibility, the Old Said gave up cigarettes together with the newspapers, politics, and worldly conversation about politics. Decisive evidence for this is the fact that it to e past eight years I have not read a single newspaper nor listened to one being read. Let someone come forward and say that I have read one or listened to one. Whereas eight years ago the Old Said used to read perhaps eight newspapers utes aday. Furthermore, for the past five years I have been under the closest scrutiny and surveillance. Anyone who has observed the slightest hint of political activity should say so. But for someone likut it ho is nervous, fearless, and without attachment, who considers the best stratagem to be without stratagem, his ideas will not remain secret for eight days, let alone eight years. If he had had the appetite and desispring politics, he would not have left any necessity for investigation and scrutiny, he would have given voice like the firing of a cannon.

ly andOND POINT

Why does the New Said avoid politics with such vehemence?

He avoids it so vehemently in order to serve belief and the Qur'an, which is of the greatest importance, the greatest necessihe gre is the most pure and most right, in order not to sacrifice unnecessarily and officiously for one or two doubtful years of worldly life the working for and gaining of more than millions of yearsle-i Nernal life. For he says: I am getting old and I do not know how many more years I shall live, so the most important question for me must be to a paror eternal life. The prime means of gaining eternal life and the key to everlasting happiness is belief, so one has to work for that. Bcame oce I am obliged by the Shari'a to serve people in respect of learning so that they may profit also, I want to perform such a duty. However, such she Ris will either concern

social and worldly life, which I cannot do, and also in stormy times it is not possible to perform such service soundl to corefore, I left aside that aspect and chose the aspect of service to belief, which is the most important, the most necessary, and the soundest. I leave that door open so that the truths onnouncef I have gained for myself and the spiritual remedies I have myself experienced may be acquired by others. Perhaps Almighty God will accept this service and make it atonement for my foercy fins. Apart from Satan the Accursed, no one, be it a believer or an unbeliever, one of the veracious or an atheist, has the right to oppose this work. For unbelief resembles nothing else. In tyrannizing, vice, and grievous sins there may t of finauspicious satanic pleasure, but in unbelief there is no sort of pleasure at all. It is pain upon pain, darkness upon darkness, torment urld prrment.

Just how contrary to reason it would be for someone like me who is unattached, alone, and compelled to atone for his former sins to leave aside working for an endless eternal lifone whserving a sacred light like belief, and to cast himself in old age into the unnecessary, perilous games of politics-just how contrary to wisdobservst what a lunacy it would be even lunatics would understand!

But if you ask why service of the Qur'an and belief prohibit me, I would say: Since the truths of belief and the Qur'an are eachent todiamonds, if I was polluted by politics, the ordinary people who are easily deceived, would wonder about those diamonds I was holding, "Aren't they for political propaganda to attract more supporters?oyal B might regard the diamonds as bits of common glass. Then by being involved with politics, I would be wronging the diamonds and as though reducing their value. O you whose view is restricted to this world! Why do you struggle against me? Whyusly ru not leave me to myself?

The shaykhs sometimes interfere in our business, and they sometimes call you a shaykh.

Good sirs! I am not a shaykh, I am a hoja>[teacher]. The evidence is this: I have been here ad, iiears and if I had taught a single person the sufi way, you would have had the right to be suspicious. But I have told everyone who has come to me: Belief is necessary, Islam is necessary; this isdelivehe age of sufism.

They call you Said-i Kurdi; perhaps you have some nationalist ideas, and that doesn't suit our interests.

Sirs! The things the Old Said and the New Said have written are clear.it wile as testimony the certain statement, "Islam has

abrogated the tribalism of the Age of Ignorance." For years I have considered negative nationalism and rhe worsm to be fatal poison, since they are a variety of European disease. And Europe has infected Islam with them thinking it would cause division, and Islam would he difup and be easily swallowed. My students and those who have had anything to do with me know that for years I have tried to treat that disease. Since it is thus, good sirs, I wonder why ysored,e every incident a pretext to harass me? According to what principle do you cause me distress at every worldly incident, like punishing and inflicting trouble on a soldier in the west becau A Maa mistake made by a soldier in the east due to the connection of the army, or convicting a shopkeeper in Baghdad because of a crime committed by a tradesman in Istanbul graveo their being in the same line of business? How can the conscience demand this? What benefit can require it?

THIRD POINT

My friends who the t how I am and are astonished at my meeting every calamity silently with patience ask the following question: "How can you endure the difficulties and troubles with which you are faced, whereas fth andy you were very proud and angry and could not endure even the least insult?"

Listen to two short incidents and stories and you shall receive your answer:

Two years ago an official spoke insucustomy and contemptuously about me behind my back. They later told me about it. For about an hour I was affected due to the Old Said's vein of temperament. Tbe an rough Almighty God's mercy the following fact occurred to me; it dispelled the distress and made me forgive the man. The fact is this:

I addnd pow my soul saying: if his insults and the faults he described concern my person and my soul, may God be pleased with him, because he recounted thcalledts of my soul. If he spoke the truth, he drove me to train my soul and he helped in saving me from arrogance. If he spoke falsely, he has helped to save me from hypocrisy and undeserved fame, the source of hyply ric. No, I have not been reconciled with my soul, for I have not trained it. If someone tells me there is a scorpion on my neck or breast or else point occurut to me, I should be grateful to him, not offended. But if the man's insults were directed towards my belief and my attribute of being servant of the Qur'an, it does not concern me. I refer him to the Qur'an's Owner, Who employs merom a s Mighty, He is Wise. And if it was merely to curse at me, insult me, and destroy my character, that does not concern me either. For I am an exile, a prisoneostrat461

stranger, and my hands are tied, and it does not fall to me to try to restore my honour myself. It rather concerns the authorities of thisning gge where I am a guest and under surveillance, then of the district, then of the province. Insulting the prisoner of a person, concerns the peexistehe defends the prisoner. Since the reality of the matter is this, my heart became easy. I said,

My [own] affair I commit to God; forMotherever] watches over His servants.>{[*]: Qur'an, 40:44.}

I thought of the incident as not having happened. But unfortunately it was later understood that thGovernan had not forgiven him...

This year I heard that an incident had occurred. Although I only heard a brief account of it after it had happened, I was treated as though I had been closely connect. (Buth it. Anyway I do not correspond with anyone, and if I do, I only write extremely rarely concerning some question of belief to a friend. In fact I have written only one letter to my brother in fourand De. Both I prevent myself from mixing with others, and 'the worldly' prevent me. I have only been able to meet with one or two close friends once or twice a week. As for visitors to the villagthey te or twice a month perhaps one or two used to meet with me for one or two minutes concerning some matter to do with the hereafter. In exile, a stranger, alone, with no one, I was barred from everything, Yes,veryone, in a village which was unsuitable for someone like me to work for a livelihood. Even, four years ago I repaired a tumble-down mosque. Although with the certificate I had from my own region to act an imam>aich weacher I acted as imam in the mosque for four years (May God accept it), this past Ramadan I could not go to the mosque. Sometimes I performed the five daily prayers alone. I was deprived of the twenty-fivegize terit and good of performing the prayers in congregation.

I displayed the same patience and forbearance in the face of these two incidents that befellinto p I did towards the treatment of that official two years ago. God willing I shall continue to do so. I think like this and say: if this ill-treatment, distrem thoud oppًٕ٢sion inflicted on me by 'the worldly' is for my faulty soul, I forgive it. Perhaps my soul will be reformed by means of it, and perhaps it will be atonement for its sins. I have exped hered many of the good things in this guest-house of the world; if I experience a little of its trials, I shall still offer thanks. If 'the worldly' oppress me bece waysf my service of belief and the Qur'an, it is not up to me to defend it. I refer it to the Mighty and Compelling One. If

the intention is to destroy the regard in which I am held generally, to expunge undeservedd cour which is baseless and causes hypocrisy and destroys sincerity, then may God bless them! For I consider being held in regard by people generally and gaining a name among them to be harmful for people like me. Those who have dealings reat We know that I do not want respect to be shown to me, indeed, I can't abide it. I have even scolded a valuable friend of mine perhaps fifty times for showing me excessive respect. If their in perfen in slandering me, belittling me in the eyes of the people, and defaming me is directed towards the truths of belief and the Qur'an of which I am the interpreter, it is pointless. For a veil cannot be drawn over the sta God fthe Qur'an. "One who closes his eyes only himself does not see; he does not make it night for anyone else."

FOURTH POINT

The a pieceto a number of suspicious questions:

'The worldly' say to me: "How do you live? What do you live on since you do not work? We don't want people in our count Sec sit around idly and live off the labour of others."

I live through frugality and the resulting plenty. I am not obliged to anyone other the One Who provides for me and e and taken the decision not to become obliged to anyone else. Yes, someone who lives on a hundred para,>or even forty para,>does not become obliged to anyone. I do not want to explain this matter. Tsolitao is most disagreeable to me, as it may make me feel a sort of pride or egotism. But since 'the worldly' ask about it suspiciously, I reply as follows: since mys natihood, throughout my life, it has been a principle of my life not to accept anything from the people, even zakat,>not to accept a salary -only I was compelled t smashpt one for one or two years in the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-Islamiye on the insistence of my friends- and not to become obliged to people for a worldly livelihood. The people of my native region and those who have known me in other places know this. Ds, maythese five years of exile, many friends have tried earnestly to make me accept their gifts, but I have accepted none of them. If, therefore, it is asked me, "So how do you manage to li prey I reply: I live through Divine bestowal and blessings. For sure, my soul deserves all insults and contempt, but as a wonder resulting from service of the Qurr form receive plenty and blessings which are a Divine bestowal in the matter of sustenance. In accordance with the verse,

But the bounty of your Sustainer rehearse and proclaim,>{[*]: Qur'an, 93:11.}

I shall recall the bounties A indeey God has bestowed on me, and mention a few examples by way of thanks. But together with being thanks, I am frightened that it will induce hypocrisy and pride so that blessed pprovinwill be cut. For to make known a secret Divine gift of plenty causes it to cease. But what can I do, I am compelled to tell them.

This six months one bushel en the>{[*]: 36.5 lbs. [Tr.]} of wheat, consisting of thirty-six loaves of bread, has sufficed me. There is still some left, it is not finished. How much longer {(*): from tted a year.} it will last, I do not know.

This blessed month of Ramadan I received food from only two houses, and both of them made me ill. I understood that I am prohibited from eating the food of others. The rest oft." Ttime, in the whole of Ramadan, three loaves of bread and one okka>{[*]: About 2.8 lbs. or 1,300 grammes. [Tr.]} of rice sufficed me, as was witnessed and told by Abdullah Çavus, the owner of a blesselenty e and a loyal friend who saw my economizing. The rice even was finished two weeks after the end of Ramadan.

For three months on the mountain one kiyye>{[*]: About 2.8 lbs. [Tr.]} of butter was enough for me ando not ests, eating it every day together with bread. On one occasion even I had a blessed visitor called Süleyman. Both his bread and my bread were about to be finished. It was Wednesday. I Allahhim to go and get some bread. For two hours' distance on every side of us there was no one from whom he could have got any bread. He said that he wanted to stay with me on the mountain on Thure an oight so that we could pray together. Saying, Our reliance is on God,>I told him to stay. Later, although it had no connection with this and there was no reason for it, we both began walking till we reached the top of the mountain. There wat; andttle water in the ewer, and we had a small piece of sugar and some tea. I said to him: "Brother! Make some tea!" He set about making it and I sat down under a cedar-tree overlooking a deep ravine. I thought regretful of himyself: we have a bit of mouldy bread which will only just be enough for us this evening. What shall we do for two days and what shall I say to this ingenuous man? While thinking this, I suddenly turned my head involuntarree prd I saw a huge loaf of bread on the cedar-tree in among the branches; it was facing us. I exclaimed: "Süleyman! Good news! Almighty God has sent us food." We took the breaed the looking at it saw that no bird or wild animal had touched it. And for twenty or thirty days no one at all had climbed to the top of that mountain. The bread was sufficient for us for the two days. While we

#464ne deaeating and it was about to be finished, righteous Süleyman who had been the most loyal of loyal friends for four years, suddenly appeared from below with more bread.

I bought this s and tat that I'm wearing seven years ago second-hand. In five years I have spent only four and a half liras>on clothes, underwear, slippers, and stockings. Frugality and Divine mercy and the resulting plenty have sufficeief, E Thus, there are numerous things like these examples and numerous sorts of Divine blessings. The people of this village know most of them. But do not suppose I am mentioning them out of pride, I have been forced to, rather. And thosot think they were due to my goodness. These instances of plenty were either bestowal to the sincere friends who have visited me, or a bestowal on accever gf service to the Qur'an, or an abundance and benefit resulting from frugality, or they have been sustenance for the four cats I have which recite the Divine Names "O Most Compassionate One! O Most Compassionate One!", which comes i searcform of plenty and from which I benefit too.

Yes, if you listen carefully to their mournful miaowings, you will understand that they are defeng, "Ya Rahim! Ya Rahim!>O Most Compassionate One! O Most Compassionate One!" We have arrived at the subject of cats and it has recalled the hen. I have a hen. This winter every day almost without exception suppoought me an egg from the treasury of Mercy. Then one day she brought me two eggs and I was astonished. I asked my friends "How can this be?" They replied: "Perhaps it is a Divine gi58; Duhe hen also has a young chick she hatched in the summer. It started to lay at the beginning of Ramadan and continued for forty days. Neither I nor those I wousist me have any doubt that, being both young, and in winter, and in Ramadan, this blessed situation was a Divine gift and bestowal. And whenever the mother stopped laying, it immediately started,lookedeaving me without eggs.

'The worldly' ask: How can we be confident that you will not interfere in our world? If we leave you free, perhaps you may interfere in it. Also, how do we know that you are of thing cunning? How do we know that it is not a stratagem, showing yourself to have abandoned the world and not taking things from the people openly, ee daycretly?

My attitude and situation in the Court Martial and in the period before the proclamation of the Constitution, which are known by many, and my defence in the Court Maecessaat that time called The Testimony of Two Schools of Misfortune, show decisively that the

life I lived was such that I would not resort to the tiniest wiles, let alone cunning and subterfuge. If trickery had e-i Nuesorted to in this last five years, application would have been made to you in sycophantic manner. A wilely man tries to ingratiate himself. He does not hold back; he always tries to deceive a like dwink. Whereas I have not condescended to lower myself by responding to the severest attacks and criticisms levelled at me. Saying, I place my trust in God,>I turned my back on 'the worldly.' Moreover, one who discovers the r and t of this world and knows the hereafter, is not sorry if he is sensible; he does not turn back to the world and struggle with it again. Someone after the age of fifty who has no connection with anything and is alone, wiltable sacrifice eternal life for one or two years of the chatter and deception of this world. If he does so, he is not cunning, but foolish and crazy. What can a crnd knonatic do so that anyone should bother with him? As for the suspicion of outwardly abandoning the world while inwardly seeking it, in accordance with the verse,

Nor dch indsolve my own self [of blame]; the [human] soul is certainly prone to evil,>{[*]: Qur'an, 12:53.}

I do not exonerate my soul, for it wants everything bad. But in this fleetost parld, this temporary guest-house, during old age, in a brief life, it is not reasonable to destroy eternal, everlasting life and eternal happiness for a little bit of pleasure. Since it is not profity are or the reasonable and the aware, my soul has willy-nilly had to follow my reason.

'The worldly' say: Do you like us? Do yonctifiove of us? If you do like us, why are you stand-offish and have nothing to do with us? If you do not like us, that means you object to us, and we crush those who object to r craf~The Answer:

Not you, if I had loved your world, I would not have withdrawn from it. I don't like either you or your world. But I do not interfere with them. For I have diffto timgoals, different points have filled my heart; they have left no place in my heart to think of other things. Your duty is to look to the hand, not to the heart. Funt of seek your government and your public order. So long as the hand does not interfere, what right do you have to interfere in the heart and say, "the heart should love us too," although you are in no wayad facy of it? Yes, just as I desire and long for the spring during this winter, but I cannot will it nor attempt to bring it, so I long for the world to be righted and I pray for it and I want the worldly to beg awaymed, but I cannot will these

things, because I do not have the power. I cannot attempt them in fact, because it is neither my duty, nor do I have the capacity.

'The worldly' say: : the e experienced so many calamities, we no longer have confidence in anyone. How can we be certain that given the opportunity you won't interfere as you wish?

The previous points should give you confidence. In addition, since I did not interfere in your world while in my native region among my students and relatives, in the midst of those who heeded me and of exciting events, for s for t who is alone in exile, with no one, a stranger, weak, powerless, turned with all his strength towards the hereafter, cut off from all social relations and correspondence, who has only found a few friends from far afie. I ha are also turned to the hereafter, and who is a stranger to everyone else and whom everyone else regards as a stranger - for such a person to interfere in your fruitless and dangerous world would surely be a compounded lunacy.

FIFTH POINT your his concerns five small matters.

'The worldly' ask me: Why do you yourself not practise the principles of our civilization, our style of life, and our manner of dressing? Does this mean youn thate us?

Sirs! What right do you have to propose to me the principles of your civilization? For as though casting me outside the laws of civilization, you have wrongfully forced me to reside ibe to llage for five years prohibited from all social relations and correspondence. While you left all the exiles in the town with their friends and relations, then gave them the papers granting them an amnesty, without reason you isolatenefit nd did not allow me to meet with anyone from my native region with one or two exceptions. That means you do not count me as a member of this nation and a citizen. How can you propose to me that I apply your civil code to myto extYou have made the world into a prison for me. Such things cannot be proposed to someone in prison. You closed the door of the world on me, so I knocked on the door of the hereales anand Divine mercy opened it to me. How can the confused customs and principles of the world be proposed to someone at the door of the hereafter peaceever you set me free and return me to my native region and restore my rights, then you can require me to conform to your principles.

~Second Mat truth 'The worldly' say: "We have an official department for instructing in the precepts of religion and truths of Islam.

With what authority do you publish religious works? Beiname qunvicted exile, you have no right to mix in these matters."

Truth and reality cannot be restricted. How can belief and the Qur'an be restricted? You can restrict the principle in polaws of your world, but the truths of belief and Qur'anic principles cannot be forced into the form of worldly dealings, be given an official guise and offered in return for a wage. Those e my wies which are Divine gifts, those blessings, come rather through a sincere intention and giving up the world and carnal pleasures. Moreover, that official dRisaleent of yours accepted me and appointed me as a preacher while I was in my home region. I accepted the position, but rejected the salary. I have the document in my possession. With the document I can act as an imam and prea the dverywhere, because my being exiled was unjust. Also, since the exiles have been returned, my old documents are still valid.

I addressed the truths of belieinst ih I have written directly to my own soul. I do not invite everyone. Rather, those whose spirits are needy and hearts wounded search out and find those Qur'anic remedies. Only, to secure my livelihood I had printed a treatty and mine about the resurrection of the dead before the new script was introduced. And the former governor, who was unfair to me, studied the trenow in but did nothing against it since he could find nothing in it to criticize.

Some of my friends remain apparently aloof from me bef the 'the worldly' consider me with suspicion and in order to appear favourable to 'the worldly,' indeed, they criticize me. But the cunning 'worldly' attribute their aloofness and avoiding me not to their loyalty to 'the worldly' but to a irectof hypocrisy and lack of conscience, and they look on those friends of mine coldly.

So I say this: O my friends of the hereafter! Don't stand aloof from my being a servant of the Qur'an and run away. Because, pon hilling, no harm will come to you from me. Suppose some calamity is visited on you or I am oppressed, you cannot be saved by avoiding me. By doing that youtiallymake yourselves more deserving of calamity and a blow. What is there, that you should have these groundless fears?

I see during this time of my exile that certain boastfen priple who have fallen into the swamp of politics regard me in a partisan manner, with rivalry, as though I am connected with the worldly currents like they are.

Sirs! I am in the currens of aelief. Before me is the current of unbelief. I have no connection with other currents. Perhaps some of those who work for a wage see themselves as excused to a degree. But to take up a

position opposed to me in rivalry for no wage in thling.

of patriotism, and harass me, and oppress me, is a truly grievous error. For as was proved above, I have no connection at all with world politicsxtinctve dedicated and vowed all my time and my life to the truths of belief and the Qur'an. Since it is thus, let the one who torments and harasses me in rivalry think that such ve theent of his is similar to causing harm to belief in the name of atheism and unbelief.

Since this world is transitory, and since life is short, and since the He re essential duties are many, and since eternal life will be gained here, and since the world is not without an owner, and since this guest-house of the world has a most Wise and Generousting ator, and since neither good nor bad will remain without recompense, and since according to the verse,

On no soul does God place a burden greater than it can bear>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:286.}

there is no obligation that cannot be borne, ae imagce a safe way is preferable to a harmful way, and since worldly friends and ranks last only till the door of the grave, then surely the most fortunate is he who doeure.}

forget the hereafter for this world, and does not sacrifice the hereafter for this world, and does not destroy the life of the hereafter for worldly life, and does not waste hithe pe on trivial things, but considers himself to be a guest and acts in accordance with the commands of the guest-house's Owner, then opens the door of the grave in confidence and enters upon eternal happiness.

{(*): The reason for thesh showces' is this: I take no notice of the wrongs and tyranny perpetrated against my person and give them no importance. I say, "They are not worth worrying about,s of tI do not interfere in the world.}

The Addendum to the Sixteenth Letter

Withoutenfolon 'the worldly' became suspicious of a powerless stranger like myself, and imagining me to have the power of thousands of people, put me under numerous restrictions. They did not give permission for me to stay one or two y, the in Bedre, a district of Barla, or on one of the mountains of Barla. I heard that they say: "Said has power equal to that of fifty thousand soldiers, we cannot therefore set him free."

So I say: You unhappy people whose view is resld seed to this world! How is it that you do not know the matters of the world, despite working for the world with all your strength, and govern it like lunatics? If it is my person you fear, and s not fifty thousand soldiers, one soldier even could do more than me. That is, he could be posted at the door of my room and tell me: "You can't go out!"

But if it is my profession and my being herald of the Qur'an and the mowho worength of belief that you fear, then you are wrong, it is not fifty thousand soldiers, you should be aware that in respect of my profession I have the strength of fifty million! For through the strength of the All-Wise Qur'aof thehallenge all Europe including your irreligious people. Through the lights of belief I have published I have razed the sturdy bastions they call the physical sciences and Nature. I have cast down lower than animaln to tr greatest irreligious philosophers. If all Europe was to gather, of which your irreligious people are a part, through God's assistance, they could not make me recant a single matterr relaat way of mine. God willing, they could not defeat me....

Since the matter is thus, I do not interfere in your world, so don't you interfere in my hereafter! If you do, if it will be of no avail.

What is ened bined by God cannot be turned by force;

A flame that if lit by God, cannot be extinguished by puffing.

'The worldly' are exceptionallyhich excessively suspicious of me; quite simply, they are frightened of me. Imagining things non-existent in me, which even if they were existent would not constitute a political crime and could not be the cause of accusation, like being some kh, or of significant rank or family, or being a tribal leader, and influential, and having numerous followers, or meeting with people from my native region, or being connected with the affairs of the world, or even entering yearscs, or even the opposition; imagining these things in me, they have been carried away by groundless fears. At a time even that they are discussids of doning those in prison and outside, that is, those that according to them cannot be pardoned, they have quite simply barred me from everybeen r A bad and ephemeral person wrote the following good and enduring words:

If tyranny has cannon, shot, and forts,

Right has an untwistable arm, a constant face.

And I say:

If the wohich mhave rule, power, and strength,

Through the Qur'an's effulgence, its servant

Has unfaltering knowledge, an unsilenceable voice;

me wass an unerring heart, an unquenchable light.

Many friends, as well as a military commander under whose surveillance I was, repeatedly asked: "Why don't you apply for the release page of nd put forward a petition?"

I do not apply and I cannot apply for five or six reasons:

I did not interfere in 'the worldly's' world so that I should have beeout reicted and apply to them. I was convicted by Divine Determining; my faults are before it, and I apply to it.

I believe and have certain knowledge that this world is a swifboth tanging guest-house. Therefore, it is not the true homeland and everywhere is the same. Since I am not going to remain permanently in my homeland, it is pointless to struggle for it; it is not worth going there. Since everywheres, andguest-house, if the mercy of the guest-house's Owner befriends one, everyone is a friend and everywhere familiar. Whereas if it does not befriend one, everywhere is a load on the heart andw Him one hostile.

Application is made within the framework of the law. But the way I have been treated these six years has been arbitrary and outside the law. The Exiles' Law was not applied to me. They losengern me as

though I had been stripped of all the rights of civilization and even of all worldly rights. To apply in the name of the law to those whose dealingsrds, ame have been thus outside the law is meaningless.

This year, the local official applied in my name for me to stay for a few days in the village of Bedre, which is a sort e empltrict of Barla, for a change of air. How can those who reject such an unimportant need of mine be applied to? If they are applied to, it would be a futile and degrading abasement.

To claim a arn abbefore those who claim a wrong to be right, and to apply to them, is a wrong. It is disrespectful towards right. I do not want to perpetrate such a wrong and show disrespect for right. And thatneeds at.

The distress and difficulty 'the worldly' have caused me has not been due to politics, because they know I do not meddle in politics and flee from it. Rather, knowingly oisonedowingly, they torment me on account of aggressive atheism because I am bound to religion. In which case, to apply to them infers regretting religion and flattering the cause of aggrr.]} I atheism.

Moreover, Divine Determining, which is just, would punish me through their tyrannical hand on my applying to them and having recourse to them, for they oppress me because of my being bound to religion. As for Divine Deter many , from time to time it represses me due to my hypocrisy before 'the worldly,' because of my deficiency in religion and in sincerity. Since this is so, fol my ftime being I cannot be saved from this distress. If I apply to the worldly, Divine Determining would say: "Hypocrite! Pay the penalty for applying!" And if I do not apply, 'the worldly' say: "You don't recognize us, go on sufording difficulties!"

It is well-known that an official's duty is to give harmful individuals no opportunity to causring, and to assist those who are beneficial. Whereas the official who took me into custody approached me, an elderly guest at the door of the grave, when I was expounding a subtle aspect of belief contained itual pe is no god but God>as though I was perpetrating some misdemeanour, although he had not been to me for a long time previously. He caused the sincere unfortunate whgues, listening to be deprived, and me to be angry. There were certain people here, and he attached no importance to them. Then when they acted discourteously in a way that would poison the life of the village, he started to be gracious and apprecoposal towards them.

Furthermore, it is well-known that someone in prison who has

committed a hundred crimes can meet with the perso his osupervises him whether the official be of high or low rank. But in this last year, although two important people in the national government charged with supervising me have passed b you touse several times, they have absolutely neither met with me nor asked after my condition. At first I supposed that they did not come near to me due to enmity, then it becith noear that it was due to their fearful suspicions; they were fleeing from me as though as I was going to gobble them up. Thus, to recognize a government whosding ters and officials are like those men and have recourse to it and apply to it, is not sensible, but a futile abasement. If it had been the Old Said, he would have said, l} by cntara:

The very water of life becomes Hell through abasement,

Whereas Hell with dignity becomes a place of pride.

The Old Said no longer exists, as it i New Said considers it meaningless to talk with 'the worldly.' Let their world be the end of them! They can do what they like. He is silent, saying, we shall be j hand together with them at the Last Judgement.

The Eighth Reason for my not applying: According to the rule, "The result of illicit love is merciless torment," Divine Determining, which iscounte torments me through the tyrannous hand of 'the worldly' because I incline towards them, since they are not worthy of it. Saying, I deserve this torment, I am silent. For in the Gsoned ar I fought and strove as a Commander of a volunteer regiment. Applauded by the Commander-in-Chief of the army and Enver Pasha, I sacrificed my valuable students and friends. I was wounded and takenprovesner. Returning from captivity, I cast myself into danger through works like The Seven Steps, aiming them at the heads of the British, who had occupiedant asbul. I assisted those who hold me without reason in this torment and captivity. As for them, they punish me in this way for that help. Tith thriends here cause me in three months the hardship and distress I suffered in three years as a prisoner-of-war in Russia. And the Russians did not prevent me from giving ween tous instruction, although they regarded me as a Kurdish Militia Commander, a cruel man who had slaughtered Cossacks and prisoners. I used to instruct the great majority of my ninety fellow officer prisoners. One time, the Russut themmander came and listened. Because he did not know Turkish, he thought it was political instruction, and put a stop to it. Then later he gave permission. Also, in the same barracke me tmade a room into a mosque, and I used to lead the prayers. They did not interfere at all. They did not prevent me from mixing, or from communicating, with the others. Whereas my friend foil , my fellow citizens and co-religionists

and those for whose benefits in the form of religious belief I have struggled, have held me in a tortuous captivity not for three years, but for six, for absolutely no lanati and although they know I have severed all my relations with the world. They have prevented me mixing with others. They have prevented me from giving religious instruction, despite my having a certificate, and even from giving privshort struction in my room. They have prevented me from communicating with others. They have even barred me from the mosque which I repaired andee or I acted as prayer-leader for four years, although I had the necessary certificate. And now, to deprive me of the merit of performing the prayers in congregation, they do not accept me as prayer-leader even for thf the ivate individuals, my permanent congregation and brothers of the hereafter.

Furthermore, if, although I do not want it, someone is to call me good, the official who holds me in survo deluce is jealous and angry. Thinking he will destroy my influence, he entirely unscrupulously takes precautions, and pesters me in order to curry favour with his superiors.

To whom can someone infinalla position have recourse other than God Almighty? If the judge is also the claimant, of course he cannot complain to him. Come on, you say! What can we say to this? You say what ye trute, I say this: there are many dissemblers among these friends of mine. A dissembler is worse than an unbeliever. For that reason they make me suffer what the infidel Russian did not make me suffer.

You unfortunates,l, buthave I done to you and what I am doing? I am trying to save your belief and am serving your eternal happiness! It means that my service is not sincere and purely for God's inte so that it has the reverse effect. In return, you torment me at every opportunity. For sure, we shall meet at the Last Judgement. I say:

God is enough for us andterpreest of protectors.>{[*]: Qur'an, 3:173.} * The best of lords and the best of helpers.>{[*]: Qur'an, 8:40.}

In His Name, be He glorified!

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

I shall explain in three 'Points' an effective solace for those who are experiencing the calamity of prison, and for those whorealm y help them and faithfully supervise their food, which comes from outside.

Each day spent in prison may gain as much as ten days' worship, and, with regards to their fruite Risa transform those transient hours into enduring hours, and through five or ten years' punishment may be the means of saving a person from millions of years of eterna(haramisonment. For the believers, the condition for gaining this most significant and valuable advantage is to perform the obligatory prayers, repent for the sins that were the cause of their imprisonment, and offer thanks in patiencghth W sure, prison is an obstacle to many sins; it does not provide the opportunity for them.

Just as the cessation of pleasure causes paireasondoes the cessation of pain give pleasure. Yes, on thinking of past happy, enjoyable days, everyone feels a pang of regret and longing, and says: "Alas!", and recalling calamitous, unhappy days of the past, experiences a sortemainieasure since they are passed, and says: "Praise and thanks be to God, that calamity has left its reward and departed." He breathes a sigh ofpresenf. That is to say, an hour's temporary pain and sorrow leave behind a sort of pleasure in the spirit, while a pleasurable hour leaves a pain.

Since the reality is thus; and since past calamier. Foours together with their pains are no longer existent, and future distressing days are at the present time non-existent, and there is no pain from nothing, to continually eat bread and drink water today instaexample, because of the possibility of being hungry and thirsty in several days' time, is most foolish. In just the same way, to think now of thetransfand future unhappy hours, which simply do not exist, and to display impatience, and ignoring one's faulty self, to moan as though complaining about God is also most foolishing itong as the power of patience is not scattered to left and right, that is, to the past and future, and is held firm in the face of the present of hour andt treait is sufficient. The distress is reduced from ten to one.

In fact, but let it not be complaining, Divine favour pointed out the above fact to me while, during a few days of material and spiritual affl, it i, illness and trial the like of which I had never before experienced in my life, I was being crushed in particular by the despair and distress of

the heartce to pirit which resulted from my being unable to serve the Qur'an and belief with the Risale-i Nur. I was then content with my distressing illness and imprisonment. For,us, crg: "It is great profit for an unfortunate like myself who waits at the door of the grave to make one hour which might be passed in heedlessness ten hours' worth of worship," I gave thanks.

The condition of this high profit is to perform the obligatory prayers so that such service is for God's sake. Another conditiich loto hasten to their assistance with sincerity, compassion and joy, and in such a way as to not make them feel obliged.

Those in prison are in great need of the true consolation of the Risale-i Nur. Particularly those who having suffered the blows of youth, are passing their int se young lives in prison; they need the Risale-i Nur as much as they need bread.

Indeed, youth heeds the emotions rather than reason, and emotions and desires are blind; they do not consifairs,e consequences. They prefer one ounce of immediate pleasure to tons of future pleasure. They kill for the one minute pleasure of revenge, then suffer for eighty thousand hours the pain of prison. And one hour's dilievere pleasure in questions of honour may result in life's enjoyment being utterly destroyed due to distress at the fear of both prison and enemies. ether are many other examples, many pitfalls for the unfortunate young because of which they transform their sweet lives into the most bitter and pitiable e: Thi

Consider a vast state to the north; {[*]: This refers to Russia. [Tr.]} it has gained possession of the

passions of its young people and is shaking this century with its storms. For it has mathoritful for its youths the pleasing daughters and wives of upright people, and these youths act only according to their feelings, which are blind to all consequences. By permitting men and women ton and gether to the public baths, they are even encouraging immorality. And they consider it lawful for vagabonds and the poor to plunder the property of the rich. All mankind trembles in the facell necis calamity.

It is therefore most necessary in this century for all Muslim youths to act heroically, and to respond to this two-pronged attack with keen swords like The Fruits of Bfinemeand A Guide For Youth from the Risale-i Nur. Otherwise those unfortunate youths will destroy utterly both their futures in this world, a persoir agreeable lives, and their happiness in the hereafter, and their eternal lives, and transform them into torment and suffering. Furthermore, through their abuses and dissoluteness, they will end the wohospitals, and through their excesses in life, in prisons. In their old age, they will weep copiously with a thousand regrets.

If, on the other hand, they protect themselves with Qur'anic training and with the truths of the Rof thei Nur, they will become truly heroic youths, perfect human beings, successful Muslims, and in some ways rulers over animate beings and the Risalof the animal kingdom.

When a youth in prison spends one hour out of the twenty-four each day on the five obligatory prayers, and repents for the mistakes that were the cause of his disaster, and abstains from other harmful, painful pain othis will be of great benefit for both his life, and his future, and his country, and his nation, and his relatives, and he will also gain with his fleeting youth of ten to fifteen years an eternal, brilliant youthce! Simost the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition, and all the revealed scriptures, have given this certain good news.

If such a youth demonstrates through moderation and obedience, his gratitude for the pleasing, delightful bounty of youth, it ry witoth increase it, and make it eternal, and make it a pleasure. Otherwise it will be both calamitous, and become painful, grievous, and a nightmare, aot conn it will depart. It will cause him to become like a vagrant, harmful for both his relatives, and his country, and his nation.

If the prisoner has been sentenced unjustly, on condition he performs the obligatorrtain ers, each hour will be the equivalent of a day's worship, and the prison will be like a recluse's cell. He will be counted among the pious hermits of olden times who retired to caves in order to devote themselves to worship. If he is poor,y. The and ill, and desirous of the truths of belief, on condition he performs the obligatory prayers and

repents, each hour will become the equivalent of tives, hours' worship, and prison will become like a rest-house for him, and because of his friends there who regard him with affection, a place of love, training, and e Makion. He will probably be happier staying in prison than being free, for outside he is confused and subject to the assaults of sins from all sides. He may receive a comnsaniteducation from prison. On being released, it will not be as a murderer or thirsting for revenge, but as someone penitent, proven by trial, well-behaved, and beneficial for his nation. In fact, the Denizli prisoners becamet timetraordinarily well-behaved after studying the Risale-i Nur for only a short time that some of those concerned said: "Studying the Risale-i Nur for fifteen weeks is more eff years at reforming them than putting them in prison for fifteen years."

Since death does not die, and the appointed hour is unknown, it may come at any time; and since the graverferint be closed, and troop after troop enter it and are lost; and since it has been shown through the truths of the Qur'an that for those who believe death is transformed into the discharge papers releasing them frouillitnal annihilation, while for the corrupt and the dissolute it is disappearing for ever into eternal annihilation, and is unending separation from their loved ones and all beings,that tcertainly and with no doubt at all, the most fortunate person is he who with patience and thanks fully benefits from his time in prison, and studying the Risale-i Nur works to serve the Qeleaseand his belief on the straight path.

O man who is addicted to enjoyment and pleasure! I am seventy-five years old, and I know with utter certainty frol the sands of experiences, proofs, and events that true enjoyment, pain-free pleasure, grief-free joy, and life's happiness are only to be found in belief and in the sphere of the truths of faith. While a single worldl *

sure yields numerous pains; as though dealing ten slaps for a single grape, it drives away all life's pleasure.

O you unfortunates who are experiencing the misfortune of prison! Since in thorld is weeping and your life is bitter, strive so that your hereafter will not also weep, and your eternal life will smile and be sweet! Benefit from prison! ive iss sometimes under severe conditions in the face of the enemy, an hour's watch may be equivalent to a year's worship, so in the severe conditions you are experiencing, the hardship of each hour spent as worship becomes the ehas haent of many hours, it transforms that hardship into mercy.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

I offer you not my condolences but my congratuof thes. Since for some instance of wisdom Divine Determining has sent us to this third School of Joseph (Medrese-i Yusufiye),>{[*]: Recalling the imprisonment of Yusuf, related in the Qur'an, Bediuzzaman called pris as cedrese-i Yusufiye', the School of Joseph, impressing on his students that prison was essentially a place of study and training. [Tr.]} anperts'specified that we should eat some of the sustenance allotted us here and it is that sustenance that has summoned here; and since as we have understood certainly from our past experiences, Divine favour has manifested on usassauleaning of the verse, It is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you;>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:21:6.} and since our new brothers here in this Schooamic woseph are in more need of the solace of the Risale-i Nur than anyone, and the members of the judiciary are more in need of the rules and other sacred laws set out in the Risale-i Nur than other officials; and sincy benevery numerous copies of the Risale-i Nur are performing your duty outside and their conquests do not cease; and since each fleeting hour passed here is the equivalent of eternal hours passed in worsamic burely, because of these points, we should joyfully offer thanks for this affair in perfect patience and with fortitude. I am going to repeat exactly to you all the n otheletters I wrote as consolation in Denizli Prison. God willing, those apposite notes will comfort you too.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

I offer Almighty God endless thankt this heroes have emerged from among the Muftis, preachers, imams,>and hoja>s, for it is they who in fact should lay claim to the Risale-i Nur. Up tgh poi it has been the youth, those educated in the secular schools, and their teachers who have been devoted to the Risale-i Nur. Now, thanks be to God, Ethem, the Ibrahim's and Ali Osman's have cleared t Also,es of the students and teachers of the religious schools, and transformed their timidity into courage.

They should not worry about this incident, which occurred due to their wThe Fiearted activities and excitement. For in respect of its consequences, Denizli Prison caused those who had acted incautiously to be congratulated. Its difficulties were few and immaterial b; Tirms, numerous. This third School of Joseph will not lag behind the second, God willing.

Since the merit increases proportionately to thality,ships, we

should offer thanks for these conditions. We should try to perform our duties of serving religious belief with sincerity, which is our duty, and not concern ourselves with being successful or obtaiprayerood results, which is God's concern. We should say: "The best matters are the most difficult," {[*]: 'Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa', i, 55; Muhammad al-Shaybani, Sharh al-Sirat al-Kabir, i, 11.} :

Ytiently offer thanks in the face of our difficulties in this place of trial. We should understand that it is a sign of the acceptability of our actions and a diploma for the R passed the examination of our sacred struggle.

After spending twenty-two years in total isolation, my seventy-five-year-old body cannot sustain inoculations. In fact, long ago they ed. Thated me, and it left a suppurating wound which persisted for twenty years. It was like a chronic poisoning. Two doctors in Emirdag and my friends there know this. Also, four years ago in Denizli thford mculated me together with all the other prisoners. Although it had no harmful effects on any of them, it made me ill for three weeks. Through Divine preservation, I was n the fced to go to the hospital, which for me is dangerous. It is absolutely certain that my body cannot take inoculations. Both my excuses are powerful, and being extremely weak at the age of seventy-five, I can take the inoculation only of a lf andar-old child. Moreover, because I am in perpetual solitary confinement, I do not have contact with anyone. Also, two months ago the provincial governor sent two doctof he lEmirdag to give me a thorough examination. They could find no trace of any contagious disease, only that I had lumbago, and was extremely weak, elderly, and alone. This condition of mine certainly does not oblig" Theyo be inoculated.

I also have a very important request of you: Don't send me to hospital. Don't force me into a situation I could never have endured these twenty-two years tasks itary confinement, that is, to be put under the command of nurses I do not know. I have started to think of entering the grave as being pleasant, but for now I have chosen prison, for the sake of the prison adminis the ss, whose humanity I have witnessed, and to console the other prisoners.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>Don't be upset at my being ill-treated or at the contempt directe they y person. For they can find no fault in the Risale-i Nur so struggle against my unimportant and faulty self instead. I am pleased at this. I am bound by whadent, ve learnt from the Risale-i Nur to proudly offer thanks, if for its well-being and honour, I suffer pains, misfortune, and insults even a thike? A times greater. So you should not pity me in this respect.

Secondly:>The widespread, fierce, and merciless attack has for now abated twentyfold. They rounded up a few p Religin place of thousands of 'special '(has)>{[*]: See, page 445, footnote 38.} Risale-i Nur students, and a handful of new brothers instead of hundreds of thousands of people who are concerned. That is, Divine grace m to the assault very insignificant.

Thirdly:>Through Divine grace, the former provincial governor, who for two years was conspiring against us, has been repulsed, and there is a strong possibilit entir the Interior Minister, whose suspicions had been excessively aroused about us, has ameliorated this fierce assault due to his being from the same place and his forefatherctly lng been very religious. So do not despair or be alarmed!

Fourthly:>Numerous experiences and events have shown in a way to make one complat us certain that if the Risale-i Nur weeps, either the earth quakes or the skies weep too. As we have often seen with our own eyes and in part proved in court, the start of winter smiling like summer in unprecedented fashion coincided with the ustain-i Nur smiling at its being secretly duplicated by machine and published, and then on its weeping when it came to a standstill with the widespread searches and e offications, this coincided with the sudden severe wrath and weeping of winter. It is my guess that this is a powerful sign that the Risale-i Nur is a supreme, shining miracle of the Qur'an this age, and that the eaed. Itd universe are concerned with it.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

It suddenly occurred to me today that rather than offering con impores to those sent by Divine Determining and destiny to this 'school' in connection with the Risale-i Nur, I should congratulate them. For each has come in place of perhaps a thousand of our innocent brothers, saving them to an

extent frall couble. Moreover, together with continuing to serve belief, they are performing a huge service in a short time, like doing a hundred yeaef hasrk in ten years. Also, they are embarking on this exacting struggle and the trial of this new 'School of Joseph,' in order to have a active share in its universal, far-reachinn sacrvaluable consequences. They are also meeting with their loyal, sincere brothers without difficulty, whom they were eager to see, and they are studying together. Since the easy times in this world do not continue and go for nothing, su therehe people who make high gains with such little trouble should be congratulated.

My brothers! This widespread attack is against the Risale-i Nur's conquests. But they have understood that the more the Risale-i Nsalvatattacked, the more brilliantly it shines; the circle of those it teaches is expanded and gains in importance; it is not defeated; it only slips behind the vgether sirran tanawwarat.>{[*]: Sirran tanawwarat: a phrase taken from the "qasidat al-Jaljalutiyya," attributed to Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib.} For this reason theylties changed their tactics and no longer attack the Risale-i Nur openly. But Divine favour overspreads us, so we should offer thanks in perfect patience.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Itfty yeecome necessary to explain two of my strange and subtle states of mind.

The First:>When, being in solitary confinement, I was unable to meet with my brothers such as yourselves, whom I love more than my life, it was imparted to two yt there was a Divine favour and a benefit in this. For numerous of our brothers of the hereafter were spending fifty liras coming to Emirdag to see me, for fifty minutes, some for ten minutes, andn concreturned without seeing me at all, and these they would have thrown into this School of Joseph on some pretext. Even if with my little available time and the state of mind arising from my seclusion I had been mind,o, the work of serving the Risale-i Nur would not have permitted me to converse at length with those devoted friends.

Secondly:>One time a famous scholar was seen on numerous fronts in the War by those who had gone to the jihad.>They said n grea... And he replied: "Certain saints are doing this in my place in order to gain reward for me and allow the people of belief to benefit from my teaching." In

exactly the same way, in Denizli it was even made known officialble prt I had been seen in mosques there, and the governor and warders were informed. Some of them became alarmed, asking, "Who opened the prion of tes for him?" Exactly the same thing happened here. But rather than attributing a very minor wonder to my own very faulty and unimportant self, The Ratifying Stamp ofof it nseen Collection, which proves and demonstrates the Risale-i Nur's wonders, wins confidence in it a hundred or rather a thousand times more, and ratifies its acceptance. And the heroic students of the Risa confiur in particular ratify it with their pens and states, which are truly wonders.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Don't worry about me, I am pleased and happy just to bnd witther with you in the same building.

Our task now: one set of my defence speeches should be sent to Isparta. If possible, twenty copies should be they both in the new letters, and by duplicating machine in the old. It should even be shown to the public prosecutor there. A copy should also be given to our lawyer in person, andth aboer copy given to the prison governor, which he should give to our defence lawyer. It should also be sent in both the new letters and the old to the departments of governmscared Ankara, as it was sent while we were in Denizli. If possible, five copies should be prepared to send to Ankara. For the copies of the Risale-i Nur in the old letters which were seizion isre sent to those departments, and particularly to the Directorate of Religious Affairs, before being sent here. Also, tell our lawyer, Ahmed Bey, that when writing out my defence on ctive pewriter to pay especial attention to its being correct. For my manner of expression does not resemble anyone else's. Sometimes a wrong letter, or even a wrong poinns botnges the matter in question and spoils the meaning. Also, if you are not given permission to use the two typewriters that have been sent, they should be returned. Also don't burt

alarmed or dismayed. And don't despair. As the verse Verily with every difficulty, there is relief>{[*]: Qur'an, 94:6.} infers, Divine favour will swiftly comdicineur aid, God willing.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

The Risale-i Nur meets with you in my place and gives excellent instruction to the new brothers whosses. ager for it. We have seen from experience that to be occupied with the Risale-i Nur by either studying it, or reading it out loud, or writing it out, affords an expansivenes aposthe heart, an ease to the spirit, health to the body, and makes sustenance plentiful. Now a hero of the Risale-i Nur like Husrev has been beste was n you. God willing, this School of Joseph will be another blessed place of study, part of the Medrese>tü'z-Zehra. {[*]: Medresetü'z-Zehrâ: the Islamic uniunimpoy Bediuzzaman had since his early youth endeavoured to found in eastern Anatolia, in which the modern and religious sciences would be taught side by side, and which he intended woulds a lithe central and unifying role in Asia that al-Azhar plays in Africa. Despite twice receiving funds for it and actually laying the foundations, it was neve Worlpleted due to the vicissitudes of the times. Although it was not realized in the form he had originally foreseen, while in Kastamonu (1936-'43), he wrote: "Endless thanks be to Almightyunted or He has made the province of Isparta into a Medresetü'z-Zehrâ, which has long been the goal of my dreams, -into an al-Azhar University." See, Kastamonu Lahikase (1960), 172. [Tr.]} Up to now, I had not shown Husrev {[*]:s thatv Altinbasak (1899-1977) was from Isparta and became one of Bediuzzaman's leading students. With his fine handwriting he wrote out hundreds of copies of e Divieatises of the Risale-i Nur. He is reputed to written nine copies of the Qur'an showing the 'coincidences' of the name of 'Allah'. He was together with Bediuzzaman in the prisons of Eskishehir, Denizli, and Afyon. uthful to 'the worldly,' and I was hiding him. But the published collections have shown him up completely to the politicians, and nothing secret has remained. Iess antherefore described two or three of his tasks to my 'special '(has)>brothers. But now before us among those who will listen to the truth are two awesomely ling.

te people. One of them emerged in Emirdag, on account of both atheism and communism, and the other here. They are trying with extreme cunning to alarm the officials and turn themnever st us with slander. At present we have therefore to act with the greatest caution and not be scared, and to bide our time relying on God till His grace comes trch, aassistance.

My friends in prison and brorty yein religion!

It occurred to me to explain a truth to you which will save you from both worldly torment and the torment of the hereafter. It is as follows:

For example, a person killes at tone's brother or one of his relatives. A murder which yields one minute's pleasure of revenge causes millions

of minutes of both distress for the heart and the anguish of prison. And the feian corevenge by the murdered man's relatives, and anxiety of finding himself face to face with his enemy drives away all his pleasure in life. He suffers the torment of both fear and anger. There is only one solution for this, and t Throu reconciliation, which the Qur'an commands, and truth, reality, benefit, humanity, and Islam require and encourage.

Certainly, in reality what is required is peace, because the appointed hour is set, it does not change. Since h; his ointed hour had come, in any event the murdered man would have stayed no longer. As for the murderer, he was the means of God's decree being carried out. So long as there is no reconciliationverse. sides perpetually suffer the torments of fear and revenge. It is because of this that Islam commands that "one believer should not be vexed dorsednother believer for more than three days." If the murder was not the result of a vindictive grudge and enmity, and a two-faced troublemaker instigated the discord, it is essential to make ear, Lquickly. Otherwise, the minor disaster becomes a large one, and continues. If they make peace, and the murderer repents and prays continuously for the man he killed, then both sides will gain much and become likby thehers. In place of one departed brother, he will gain several religious brothers. He will be resigned to Divine Decree and Determining and forgive his enemy. Esive, uly since they heed the lessons of the Risale-i Nur, both individual and public peace and well-being, and the brotherhood that there is in the sphere of the Risale-i Nur, require that they put aside all the har

"Rings that exist between them.

It was thus in Denizli Prison; all the prisoners who were enemies became brothers through the lessons of the Risale-i Nur. It was one reason for our acquittal, ano makeed even the irreligious and ungodly to say about those prisoners: "Masha'llah! Barakallah!">Also it was an utter relief for those prisoners. I myself have seen here a hundred men suffer inconvenience on account of one man and ago, out to take exercise together. It is oppression towards them. A manly believer of sound conscience will not cause hundreds of other believers harm because of some petty error or benefit. If he makes a mistake and does cause hathe Ri should repent immediately.

My Dear,Loyal Brothers!

I congratulate both the Risale-i Nur, and you all, and myself, and give you thelly innews of Husrev, Hifzi, and Bartinli Seyyid. Those who went on the Hajj this year learnt that prominent scholars in Mecca were translating the main collections of the Risale-i Nur into both Arabic and Hindustani ar colle trying to have them published. They had also found such favour in Medina that they had been placed on the blessed tomb of the Prophet (PBUH) in the Rawdat al-Mutahhara.>Haji Seyyid saw withed thewn eyes The Staff of Moses (Asâ-yi Mûsa)>on the Prophet's tomb. That means it has been found acceptable by the Prophet (PBUH) and was met with pleasure by him (PBUH). As we told those who were going from here to maches g Hajj, we had made the intention and the Risale-i Nur was going to visit those blessed places in our stead. Endless thanks be to God, y, and the many benefits of the Risale-i Nur heroes publishing those collections after having corrected them, is that they saved me both from the task of correcting them myself and from that anxiety; so too, since tIn facopies will form the source for others written out by hand, they have become like hundreds of 'correctors.' May the Most Merciful of the Merciful have written in the records of their good worknswer housand merits for each letter of those collections. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Ali, who assists me, came to me and said: "I had a dream in which you and Husrev kissed thur, wh of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him)." Then I received the letter telling me that the Hajjis had seen The Staff of Moses Colle unive which had been written out by Husrev, on the Prophet's (PBUH) tomb. This is to say, in effect The Staff of Moses kissed the Prophet's (PBUH) hand in my place by means of Husrev's pen, and was found acce, and by the Prophet (PBUH).

My Dear, Loyal Brothers and Companions in Prison!

Firstly:>Do not worry that we have not been able to meet in persnot a are constantly together in spirit. Whichever of the treatises of the Risale-i Nur you are able to get hold of and read, and which you listen to, you will see me within it, but resposervant of the Qur'an instead of my insignificant person, and you may converse with me. For my part, I meet with you in imagination in all my prayers and in ore, wou have written, and it is as though we are all the time together in some sphere of existence.

Secondly:>We say this to the new students of the Risale-.

Sin this new School of Joseph: as indicated by the Qur'an, and as even the committee of experts had to admit, "The faithful Risale-i Nur students will enter their graves in a state of belief. And through the ccuse ence its collective personality, according to his degree, each student receives a share of the spiritual gains and supplications of all his brothers. It is as thoughable fseeks Divine forgiveness and worships with thousands of tongues." These two profits and results reduce to nothing all the difficulties and hardshit saysthis extraordinary time; the two high profits are given their faithful customers at a very lost cost.

My Dear, Loyal Brothersmy souhe Afyon defences contain important truths concerning both ourselves, and the Risale-i Nur, and this country, and the Islamic world.

It is ptrictey necessary to prepare five to ten copies of them in the new letters so they may be sent to the departments of government in Ankara. Whether they release us or punish us is of no importance, our task now is to inform both the Governbeen tand the courts, and the nation of the truths the defences contain. Perhaps that was one reason Divine Determining sent us to this place of study. They should be writteup thaby typewriter as quickly as possible. Even if they were to release us today, we would still be obliged to send them to Ankara. Don't be deceived and put it off; enough now! Let this be our last defence in the face of the extrxpandepression and unprecedented torments we have suffered three times in fifteen years for the same matter on trumped-up charges. Since in

the previous courts they legally gave us a typewriter so that we could defend ourselves, theed to cite no law for depriving us of the right here. If you find no solution officially, our lawyer should write out five copies outside on a typewriter, but he should pay great attention to their containber 19 mistakes.

My Loyal New Brothers and Old Prisoners!

I have formed the firm conclusion that, in respect of Divine favty to ou are an important cause in our entering here. That is to say, with its consolation and the truths of belief, the Risale-i Nur is to save both you from the distress of this calamity of prison and from much worldly harm, and youave no from passing profitlessly and in vain through grief and sorrow and being wasted on the winds of fancy, and your hereafter from weeping like your worl, thereeping now; it is to provide you with true solace.

Since the reality of the matter is this, of course you must be brothers to one another, like the Denizli prisoners and students of the Risale-i Nur. You can e, oncat they examine all your possessions, and food, bread, and soup which come from outside so that a knife does not get in among you and you do not attack one another. The warders who faithfully serve you sufnt forch trouble. Also, you do not go out to exercise together, as though you were going to attack one another like wild beasts. New friends, who are by nature bold and courageous! With great moral courage you should say to the grou whethhis time:

"If not knives, but Mausers and revolvers were given us, and the order to fire as well, we would not hurt our friends who are unfortunate and suffering this calamity like ourslts of Through the guidance and at the command of the Qur'an, and belief, and Islamic brotherhood, and our interests, we have decided to forgive them and to try not to offend them, even if formerly there were a hundred reasons for our haSaid'snd hostility," so transforming this prison into an auspicious place of study.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Just as every group of the worldly engaged in politics, ou likr some duty, or some task related to the life of society, or some particular commercial activity, gathers together in congresses of a sort to discuss its work, so the Risale-i Nur students, who are eng theren the sacred service of certain, verified belief, {[*]: 'Certain, verified belief': an approximate translation of "tahkikî (Arabic: tahqiqi) iman." It also has the meaning of 'ascee soldd through enquiry,' 'resulting from investigation,' and 'confirmatory.' See also, page 569, footnote 1. [Tr.]} have gathered together in the congress of this School of Joseph at the ordrder, Divine Determining, impelled by dominical grace. God willing, numerous valuable, beneficial and significant results will be bestowed in consequence, and thatich coe leading students have a value of 'one' in other places like an alif,>{[*]: "Alif:" the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, the numerical value of which is one, and which is written statioertical dash. [Tr.]} here coming shoulder to shoulder with three other alifs>and meeting with them, they will become one thousand one hundred and eleven, artial consequence of this coming together their value, and God willing, their sacred service and reward, will be a thousandfold; the single alif>will become a thousand.

My Due Chroyal Brothers!

The reason they nailed up my window today was my greeting the prisoners in connection with the trial. They apparently made something else the pretext. Don't be at all anxious. On the contrary, not enthey are preoccupied with my unimportant person and not causing too much trouble to the Risale-i Nur and its students, I am earnestly and sincerely pleased. Sin the ry are persecuting me by insulting and tormenting my person, it means they are not doing the same to you and the Risale-i Nur, and lessens to an extent their interfering with an evesale-i Nur, so I offer thanks in patience and am not anxious. You too should not be at all upset. I am of the opinion that our covert enemies' directing the attention of the officials towards my person is an instance of Divine favour n himsgood thing from the point of view of the well-being of the Risale-i Nur and its students. Certain of our brothers should not become angry and speak sharply. They should act circue me wly and not become alarmed. They also should not speak of this matter to everyone. For there are spies who attach the wrong meanings to what our naive brothers and those who are not yet acssed oed to being cautious, say. The spies make mountains out of molehills

and may inform on them. Our situation now is no joking matter. Nevertheless, do not be at allarded ed. We are under Divine protection and are resolved to meet all hardships with perfect patience, indeed, with thanks. We are obliged to offer thanks, for a small amount of hardship yields plentiful mercy and reward.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

For two important reasons, and in consequence of a powerful warning, I have been obliged to leave, with respect to the heart, the task of all the defences to the Risale-i Nuby denents who have been sent here and will be its leading students in the future, especially H, R, T, F, S.

{(*): Husrev, Re'fet, Tahiri, Feyzi, and Sabri.}

First Reason:>I understooe furtainly both in the examining magistrate's office, and from numerous other signs, that as far as they possibly can they are trying to make difficultif wise me and to prevent me defeating them intellectually, and that they have received official communications. They are not allowing me to speak on various pretextsd as aough if I do, I shall display political and scholarly prowess sufficient to silence the court, and practised diplomats. In fact, while being questioned, I replied "I don't know" to one Furthe questions. In astonishment the judge asked: "How could someone of your extraordinary intelligence forget something?" They suppose the wondrous elevatedness of the Risale-i Nur and its scholarly findings to be the product of my thought ancrific have taken fright. They do not want to let me speak. Also, they think that anyone who meets with me immediately becomes a devoted Risale-i Nur student, so they do not allow me to meet with anyoutterie Head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs even said: "Whoever meets with him is immediately drawn to him; his power to attract is considerable."

This means that the best thing for us nowon andr me to hand over my work to you. And my old and new defence speeches, which you have, should take part in your consultations in my place. That is sufficient.

The Second Reason:>This is being left to another time. Howevertest iief indication of that warning is this: an extremely powerful duty which looks to the hereafter and an effective state of mind, which for twenty-five years have made me give up politics, newspapers, and other transitory

things, andri'a onted me being occupied with them, are most definitely preventing me being preoccupied with this question in detail. When consulting with your two defence lawyers, you ma resemtimes discuss my duty too.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

This was imparted to me now as I was performing the prayers: because of their exceof savy good opinion of you, your brothers await instruction and assistance, both material and spiritual, from you. Just as in worldly affairs you have handed things over to the 'special '(has)>studed his eaving them to the leading students (erkan)>to confer over, and you were right to do so, so you have appointed the Risale-i Nur and the collective personality of its students to perform your scholarly work related to beliefand beQur'an and the hereafter, and the collective personality of those purely sincere 'special' students performs that duty of yours much more completely than yt a si addition to the duties of its members. They always have done so up to now. For instance, someone who meets with you and receives brief, minor instruction and a littldie noce, may receive from a single part of the Risale-i Nur instruction a hundred times greater. They may also receive advice from it. Thinking that thein. Theective personality, whose 'station' is extremely elevated and prayers acceptable, is an 'Ustad' and helper who, God willing, is always with them, it was consolation for my spirit, and good news, them de me feel at peace.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

There being two small explosions in two days in extraordinary and meaningful fa it tewhen there was no apparent reason for them, does not resemble chance.

The First:>The cast-iron stove in my ward suddenly made a loud bang like a revolver, and the thick, strong iron of its lower pahe traloded like bomb, splitting into two pieces. Hamdi the Tailor was startled and we were left in astonishment. For on numerous occasions this winter it had been red hot with the coal, and had withstood it.

The Second: betteecond day in Feyzi's ward, for no reason at all the beaker on top of the water pitcher suddenly disintegrated in extraordinary fashion. It occurred to me t thinke terrible bombs prepared against us in

Ankara caused our defence speeches, which had been sent to six departments of government there, t, 1948ode, without causing us harm, God willing; and the angry stove which had been lit against us split into two without harming us. It is also possible that my beloved stove, my only and very useful companion, cannoted to my sorrows and entreaties, and was giving me the news: "You're going to depart from this dark dungeon, no need remains for me..."

Today, due to a spiritual warning, I felt a disquiet, a grief, on account of you. Just when I was feeling upset at those of my brothers who being anxious about thee fideelihoods want to be released quickly, a blessed memory occasioned a truth and some good tidings to be imparted to me: the 'Three Months' will begin in fivsoon a time, which are truly blessed and are the months of highly meritorious worship. For if the reward yielded by good works at other times are : In td, in the month of Rajab they are more than a hundredfold, in Sha'ban they exceed three hundredfold, and in Ramadan they reach a thousandfold, while on Fridays in Ramadan they reach thd a nes and on the Night of Power may reach thirty thousand. It is certainly highly profitable therefore, to spend those three months -which are thus a sacred market for the trade of the hereafter earning plentiful gains for it, and an exceptionalo showition for the people of reality and worship, and in three months may secure for the believers a life of eighty years- in this School of Joseph, which incrshion the profits tenfold. Whatever the hardships suffered, they are pure mercy. As with worship, so with the service of the Risale-i Nur; with respect not to quantity but quality, its profits are fivefold. For people are continuously enteris, ands guest-house, then being released, and they are means of the Risale-i Nur's lessons being disseminated. Sometimes one man's sincerity yields the benefits of twenty men. It is of no importance iial tr a man suffers a little hardship and distress so that the mystery of the Risale-i Nur's sincerity might spread among the unfortunate prisoners, who are inclined to be political heroes and are much in need of the Risale-i Nur's solace. In regard to the problem of livelihood, since these three months are a market for the hereafter, I felt perfectly easy at it and understood that being here inside ueginnihe Bayram {[*]: Bayram: Arabic, 'Id, the two big festivals in the Muslim calendar. Here, the festival marking the end of Ramadan. [Tr.]} is a great bounty, forgementsince all of you were sent to this prison in place of numerous other Risale-i Nur students, and some of you in place of a thousand, they will help out in your business outside.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>I offer you congratulations with all my heart and soul for the month of Rajab and the holy night of Ragha'ib>atedlyow.

Secondly:>Don't give up hope, and don't worry or be alarmed. God willing, Divine grace will come to our aid. The bomb that was being prepared these last three months explodinue te news given by my stove, Feyzi's beaker, and Husrev's two drinking-cups turned out to be true. But it was not terrible, it was slight. God willing, the fire will be extinguisthe Rimpletely. All their assaults are to discredit my person and taint the Risale-i Nur's conquests. The blow the man more harmful than the cover, a brembler in Emirdag and merely a pawn in the hands of secret atheists, and the 'semi- hoja'>who favours the innovations, were trying to strike us as hard as they could was reduced twentyfold. God willing, they will cause us not eveng of oound, and what they think and intend and their plans to scare us away from each other and from the Risale-i Nur will come to nothing. It is absolutely essential that out of respect for these blessed monthsnd theting that they are gaining abundant reward for us, we steadfastly offer thanks in patience, and relying on God, submit to the rule 'He who believes in Divine Determ thereis saved from unhappiness.'

to give up their misguidance and wrongdoing through teaching them about God and reminding them of Hell-fire. But now there are a hundred absolute disbelievers in one small town instead of perhaps one in a whole country. Those who lose their w. So l to science and learning and obstinately oppose the truths of belief have increased a hundredfold in relation to former times. With pride like that of the Pharaoh and their terrible mis defamce these obdurate deniers oppose the truths of belief. A sacred truth is therefore much needed that will completely destroy the bases of their disbelief in this world, like an atom bomb, and will halt their aggressionIt lasring some of them to belief.

All praise be to Almighty God that with its many comparisons, as the perfect remedy for the wounds of this time, the Risale-i Nur -a miracle of the Qur'an of Mnd theous Exposition proceeding from its effulgence- has routed even the worst of those obdurate deniers with the diamond sword of the Qur'an. Its proofs and arguments to the number of the athat is the universe demonstrating Divine unity and the truths of belief show that in twenty-five years it has not been defeated in the face of the severest attacks, but has itself prevailed and been vict thous. Yes, with its comparisons of belief and unbelief, and guidance and misguidance, the Risale-i Nur proves those truths self-evidently. If note is taken, for example of the proofs and flashes of the Second Station of the ty, fa-Second Word, the First Stopping-Place of the Thirty-Second Word, the 'Windows' of the Thirty-Third Letter, and the eleven proofs of The Staff of Moses (Asa-yi Musa), it will be understood that it is the truths of the Qur'an manifQur'anin the Risale-i Nur that will smash and destroy absolute disbelief and perverse misguidance at this time.

In the same way that the parts of the Risale-i Nur which solve the greatest mysteries of religion and e Risaddles of the world's creation have been collected together in The 'Mysteries' Collection (Tilsimlar Mecmuasi),>the pieces which describe the hell in this wf it tf the people of misguidance and the paradise-like pleasures of the people of guidance and show that belief is like a seed of Paradise while unbelief is a seed of the Zakkum-tree of Hell, wilto actut together in a small collection, God willing, and published.

{(*): Thiaults,e was written by Ustad Bediuzzaman's lawyers, with his permission while he was being held in Afyon Prison, and was sent to the government m(kile)ies mentioned. Signed, Sungur}

All members of the Government who saw the Proclamation of the Constitution, the First World War, the Armistice Period, ing ittting up of the Nationalist Government, and the Republic know me well. Nevertheless, with your permission, we shall take a look at my life as though on a film.

I was born in the village of Nurs in the province of Bitlis. As a stuexpounI debated with the scholars I encountered, and through Divine favour, defeating in scholarly debate all who opposed me, I came as far as I is thl. In Istanbul, winning calamitous fame, a victim of my rivals' trouble-making, I was dragged to the lunatic asylum on the orders of Sultan 'A similmid. On the Proclamation of the Constitution, I attracted the attention of the government of the Committee of Union and Progress with my activities during the Thirty-First of March Incident. I confronted them with the prs stud to open an Islamic university in Van called the Medrese>tü'z-Zehra, resembling al-Azhar University. I even laid its foundations. On the outbreak of the First War, I gathered together my students and took part in the War as the and fnder of a militia force. I fought on the Caucasian Front and was taken prisoner at Bitlis. I escaped from where I was being held and returned to Istanbul. I was appointed a member oundre Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-Islâmiye. During the Armistice period, I worked against the occupying forces with all my might, and on the victory of the National Government, in appreciation I was summoned by it to Ankara, wheducedrepeated my proposal to open the university in Van.

The life I had lived up to then had been that of a patriot. I had wanted to serve religion by, cons of politics. But from then on, I turned my back on the world completely, and in my own words, buried the 'Old Said'. As the 'New Said', devoting myself entirely to the hereafter, I withdrew from the wor they tiring from social life, I went into seclusion on the hill Yusha Tepesi in Istanbul. Later on I went to Bitlis and Van, in my native region, where I lived in a cave. I rem and galone with the pleasures of my spirit and conscience. That is to say, taking as my principle "I seek refuge with God from the Devil and politics," I plunged into the depths of my own spded inl world. Passing my time studying the Qur'an of Mighty Stature, I started to live as the 'New Said.' But the manifestations of Divine

Determining sent me as an exile to other places. Then, getting those with me to write down the inspir, 'arb born in my heart from the effulgence of the Qur'an, a number of treatises came to be written. I gave them the name of the Risale-i Nur. This nand the born in my conscience, for truly they were based on the light of the Qur'an. I believe absolutely certainly that this was Divine inspiration, and I said to those who were acting as scribes: "Barakallah!">For it is notsi

Exchanging copies, these treatises of mine were written out by a number of believers. I formed the opinion that they were driven on by God i affirr to strengthen the injured belief of Muslims. I understood that just as no believer could obstruct this Divine prompting, so I considered it atercesious obligation to encourage it. Anyway these treatises, which now number one hundred and thirty, consist entirely of discussions of the hereafter and belief, and contain no deliberate mention of politics or this world. Neverthg a co they became the object of interest of a number of opportunists. Investigations were carried out into them, and I was arrested and sent to the prisons of Eskishehir, Kastamonu, and Denizli. Trials were held. As a rebetweetruth was manifested and justice was executed, but those opportunists never wearied of hounding us. This time they arrested me and sent me to Afyon. I am under arrest and am beilence errogated. They accuse me as follows:

1) You have founded a political society.

2) You publish ideas opposing the regime.

3) You harbour political aims.

The evidence for these are ten or fr'an w sentences in two or three of my treatises. Respected Minister! As Napoleon said: "Bring me a straightforward sentence to which no second meaning can be attached, versalll have you executed for it!" There is no sentence uttered by man which may not constitute an offence by having forced meanings attached to it. Especially the writings of someone like me who has reached seventy-five years of age, has witcongra entirely from the life of this world, and has dedicated his life here to that of the hereafter - they will certainly be free. Being close to having a good intention, he will be fearless. It is unfair to study them simply in order to seek o than ences in them. It is nothing other than unjust. Not one of any of my one hundred and thirty treatises comprises any purpose connected to the matters of this world. Proceeding from the light of the te spe, they are all to do with the hereafter and belief. In any event all the trials held up to now have come to the same conclusion and have resulted in acquittals. It is therefore a shame to busy the courts unnecessarily and take inglu, w believers away

from their work and business in the name of the country and nation. While the Old Said spent all his life for the sake of the ha God [s of the country and nation, how could the New Said be preoccupied with politics when he is seventy-five years old and has completely withdrawn from the world? This is your opinion too.

I have only one aimrbal ss this: at this time as I approach the grave, I hear the hooting of the Bolshevik owls in this country, which is a Muslim land. The sound is damaging the fundamentals of belief of the Islamic wo hopeMaking them lose their belief, it binds the people, and particularly the youth, to itself. Struggling against it with all my strength, I am calling the youth and all Muslims to believe. I am struggling against these unbelieving maichrisI want to enter the Divine presence with this struggle of mine. This is all I do. As for those who prevent me from doing this, I am frightened that they are communists! For me it is a sacred aimef whi-operate with the forces of religion who have embraced the struggle against these enemies of belief. Release me! Let me work to reform the youth, poisoned by communism, and for this country's faith! Let me serve Divine uni, but Prisoner

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

The most effective remedy for the ghastly troubles and hopelessness of the world, especially aComman time, especially those smitten by disaster and the Risale-i Nur students in particular, is to console and enhearten one another and strengthen one another'sose woe, and like true, devoted brothers to pour balm on one another's sorrows and afflictions and with true compassion, soothe one another's troubled hearts. Thacious brotherhood between us which looks to the hereafter cannot sustain anyone feeling offended or taking sides. I have placed all my trust in you and am counting on you,ere boou know that I have decided to sacrifice happily not only my comfort, self-respect, and honour for you, but also my very spirit, and ind over ou can see this. I swear even that the torment caused these last eight days by the trifling incident of two leading Risale-i Nur students apparently avoiding and upsetting eachps of instead of consoling each other, has caused my spirit, heart, and mind to weep and cry out: "Alas! Alas! Mercy! Succour us O Most Merciful of the Mercifune els6

Preserve us and save us from the evil of satans from among jinn and men. Fill my brothers' hearts with loyalty, love, and fraternal feelings for each other!"

My brothhters s unyielding as steel! You help me. Our situation is extremely sensitive. I relied on you to such an extent that I handed over all my duties to your collective personality. So for your paris tak should help me immediately. For sure, the incident was trifling, temporary, and unimportant, but even a hair, a mote, on the mainspring of our clock or the pupil of our eye causes pain. This point must be very important, for taker.

hysical explosions and three non-physical observations gave news of it exactly.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

My stove and te thou drinking-cups of the Feyzi's, Sabri, and Husrev disintegrating foretold a terrible calamity. It is absolutely essential that we practise true solidarity and disemble one another's faults, our most powerful point of support, and never take offence at a hero of the Risale-i Nur like Husrev, since he takes my place and is an important representative of the Risale-i Nur's collective personality. TThe Stt few days I felt a terrible distress and despair, and said to myself in alarm: "Our enemies have found a way to defeat us." Both my stove and the absolutely corts woubservation I made in my imagination gave correct news. Beware! Beware! Beware! Quickly repair your solidarity, which up to now has been as strong as steel. There is a le on possibility this incident will cause more harm -especially at this juncture- to our service of the Qur'an and belief than our being sent to prison.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

The night of the Prophet's (PBUH) Ascension is the equivalent of a second Night of Power. Working this night as much as one possibly can caus on tthousandfold increase in spiritual gains. In accordance with the mystery of spiritual partnership, on this valuable night, God willing, like

some angels who glorify God with forty thousand tonrabic you will perform worship and supplications with forty thousand tongues. This will yield much reward in this place of tribulation, and you will be offering thanks through your worship tonight for the coming storm involvinterfereing reduced a thousandfold. Together with congratulating you for your perfect caution and prudence, I give you the good news that dominical grace is being manifested most clearly for us.

My Dear receil Brothers!

Firstly:>I congratulate you with all my heart and soul for the Night of the Ascension.

Secondly:>It has been our claim for twenty years that as far as it is possible the Risate prour students do not disturb public order. As a Divine favour, and as a wonder resulting from your loyalty and sincerity, the harm of our imprisonment has been reduced a hundredfold. For there was a strong possibilitgh dom those who attack us could have taken it as a sign supporting their main claim that we disturb public order and breach security and made it a pretext for refuting our case. The mountaiforefamade into a molehill. Otherwise those who makes mountains out of molehills concerning us could have taken advantage of it and induced many people to believe their slanders against us.

Thirdly:>Do not worry about me. My being in ths not building as you reduces all my difficulties and distress to nothing. In fact, our being gathered together here is important in numerous respects, and it is in many ways beneficial for our service of belief. Indeed, since a number of signn, so t facts in the supplement to my written objections have been sent to the six departments of government, and have come to their attention and i the Rced them to an extent, it has reduced all our troubles to nothing.

Fourthly:>Busying oneself with the Risale-i Nur both dispels distress, and may be counted as five sorts of worship.

it shy:>The previous misfortune was lessened a hundredfold through the teachings of the Risale-i Nur. Otherwise, because of the sensitivity of the time and place, that single molehill would have become mountains, like putting a match to guoup ofr. In fact, some officials said: "Those who listen to the lessons of the Risale-i Nur were not involved." If only everyone had listened to its teachings, nothing would have happened. As

far as you can, don'n defew things to escalate; don't let anything else be added to the difficulties of prison. Like the Nurjus, the other prisoners should be brothers and not be angry at each other.

My Dear, Loyal,has care Brothers!

It has become obligatory for us to practise as far as we can within the bounds of possibility the principles of the Treatise On Sinceritoint osincerity in its true sense among ourselves and towards one another. I have received certain information that for the past three months three men have been postedoo it to distance my 'special '(has)>brothers from one another by playing on differences in ideas or temperament. They are also drawing out the courer, theedings in order to make the resolute Nurjus fed up and to shake them, and to make the sensitive and irresolute one's suspicious and cause them to give up their service of the Risale-i Nur. Bew. It ieware! Don't let the self-sacrificing brotherhood and genuine love you have maintained up to now be shaken. If they are shaken only a jot, it will cause us great harm. For only a small jolt in Denizli caused hoja>s like... to keep their rd Exace. Our service of the Qur'an and belief necessitates that if necessary we sacrifice our very souls for one another; true devotees do not become vexed with one another because of difficulties or irritability arising ur's cther things; with perfect humility, modesty, and resignation, they attribute the faults to themselves, and try to increase their love and sincerity. Otherwise it will be blown up out of all proportion, possibly causing irreparable he One eaving it to your perspicacity, I cut this short here.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

In consequence of an important warning I received, there are now one or two ? I asconnected with the Risale-i Nur, which are to try with all your might, through the lessons of the Risale-i Nur, not to fall into dispute or take up biased sides in among the other unfor have prisoners in this third School of Joseph. For there are terrible troublemakers who are concealed and attempting to take advantage of differences, grudges, hatred, and obstinacy. Since if necessary the majority swiftl fellow-prisoners manifest a vein of heroism which makes them ready to sacrifice

their lives for their country, nation, and friends, surely those brave men should sacrfice for the good of the nation anquivale and quiet here in prison their obstinacy, hatred, and enmity, which are entirely without benefit and extremely damaging in these stormy times. For in this way they may be savedpreciathe corruption of those who are covertly inculcating communism, which turns into anarchy. It may otherwise lead to significant difficulties and upsets at this time, like putting a match to gunpowder, both for a hundred wretched prisohas cuand for the innocent Risale-i Nur students, and for the town of Afyon. It might also lead to the intervention of a secret society which is here but whose roots are abroad. Since Divine Determining sent us here for tit, anake, and because of their happiness and ease of mind some of us do not want to leave and we sacrifice our comfort for them and endure every hardship only gtly, certainly it is absolutely essential that for the sake of those new brothers of ours, like the Denizli prisoners, and out of respect for the months of Sha'ban and Ramadan, we do not become angry with one and hav and make peace like brothers. In any case, we and I consider them to be within the circle of Risale-i Nur students and include them in our prh of M

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>In accordance with the meaning of "Good lies in what God wishes," there y can ny instances of good in our trial being delayed and those of our brothers who have been released being here on the day it recommences.

Yes, since the Risale-i Nur question is of importance for each slamic world in general and this country in particular, there should be lively gatherings such as that in order to attract everyone's attention to its truths. For in its glittering fashion, beyond all our hopes and precautionust co our concealing it, and our enemies belittling it, and outside our wills, the Risale-i Nur teaches its truths openly to friend and foe alike.ry as hesitatingly divulges its most private secrets to the most distant stranger. Since the truth is this, we should consider our trifling difficulties to be a bitter medicine like quinine, and offering thanks in patience, say: "This too will pe. Andod willing."

Secondly:>I wrote this to the supervisor of this School of Joseph: just as when I was a prisoner-of-war in Russia, the Bolshevime or m first

erupted in the prisons, so the French Revolution first began in the prisons and with the prisoners known in the histories as "vagabonds." Because of this, in both Eskishehir and Denizli we Risale-i Nur stto him tried to reform the other prisoners as far as we possibly could. In both prisons it was extremely successful. Here it will be even more useful, for as a result ofiency isale-i Nur's instuction at this sensitive time, the squall {(*): The squall was a revolt that broke out in the prison, but none of the Risale-i Nur students was involved.} that blew up was only a hundredth of what it womparabve been. Otherwise the harmful outside currents which take advantage of conflict and such incidents, and await such opportunities, would have ignited the gunpowder and caused a conflagration.

My Dear, Loyal, Unshakeable Brothers, who do not become dispirited at difficulties and abandon us!

Due to some physical and spiritual t in pation, my evil-commanding soul was feeling sad on your account when this was imparted to me: if you had suffered these difficulties ten times over in order to meet with allnd thabrothers here at close quarters it still would have been cheap. It appears necessary that like in former times the people of reality used to gather together and meet at least once or twice a year, the Risale-i Nur students gather togetherd to u few years in the School of Joseph. In keeping with the God-fearing and ascetic way of the Risale-i Nur, and its teaching those most in need, everyone, even those who oppose it, and to allow its collective personality to speak, ifnion. tails a thousand difficulties and tribulations, it is of no importance whatsoever. A few of our weak brothers becoming fed up in our previous prisons and leaving ts servcle of the Risale-i Nur caused immeasurable loss to them but no harm to the Risale-i Nur. More resolute and sincere students appeared in their stead. Since the trials of this world are transient and pass nd in y, leaving us their fruits and rewards, we should trust in Divine grace and offer thanks in patience.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>Send the last two pageoms ofeither the old letters or written by typewriter, unofficially to the Chairman of the Court by means of someone serious you consider suitable. When you do so, give him also the following note, written separatehis daaid thanks you and says: 'They've unnailed the windows, but the prosecutor does not permit any of my brothers or those who attend me to come to me. And he requests that you give him his precious, miraculous Qur'an, which is in thehings,, so that he can read it during these blessed months. He sent three juz'>{[*]: A juz' is a thirtieth part of the Qur'an. [Tr.]} of that wondrous Qur'an n orde Directorate of Religious Affairs as samples so that they could print it photographically. Besides that, he requests one of the Risale-i Nur collections which is in the cotreatm that he can read it in his loneliness, solitary confinement and severe distress, and it can comfort him and be a companion. In any event, three or four courts of law wo yeaeen those collections and not objected to them. Similarly, they have been much appreciated and praised by the leading scholars of Mecca, Medina, Damascus, Aleppo, and the university of al-Azhar s!

ro, and none of them has criticized or objected to them.'"

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Feyzi has two copies of the Hizb al-Nuri>{[*]: Hizb al-Nuri: A fortia doe-page Arabic piece which Bediuzzaman described as "manifesting the meaning of the Hadith 'An hour's reflective thought may be better than a year's [su Risalgatory] worship,' a luminous proof of the Risale-i Nur, a supreme invocation springing from it, and a small sample of it." [Tr.]} with him. If he hundr in need of them, let one of them be sent to me, or let Mehmed Feyzi write out another copy. Also, the Treatise On Ramadan and the printed Suprwith tgn (Âyetü'l-Kübra) are needed here. Quickly reduce the tension between you and repair the damage. Beware! Beware! The slightest deviation causes enor heardarm to the Risale-i Nur circle. Don't get carried away by feelings arising from the difficulties. My stove exploding was an indication of this calamthing. Said Nursi

My Dear, Loyal Brothers Husrev, Mehmed Feyzi, and Sabri!

Trusting in you with all my strength, I was expecting to enter the grave with peace of mind and to leave to you the welfare of the Risale-i Nur.gue an certain that nothing at all could part you from each other. Now there is an official communication concerning ghastly plans to create differences between the leading Risale-i Nur students. Since, as necessitatedpolitie strength of your loyalty and your intense concern for the Risale-i Nur, you are ready to sacrifice your lives for one another if necessary, certainly you are bound to sacrifice your extremely trivial, temporary, and le-i Nrtant feelings. It will otherwise cause untold harm at this juncture, and I tremble at the possibility of anyone leaving the Risale-i Nur circle. For the last thre times I have again been shaken by distress such as I have never before experienced. I have now understood certainly that petulance as slight as a hair on the eye on the part of those like yourselves has the effect of a bombshell on our lives with y studsale-i Nur. I'll tell you this even, much effort was made during that storm [revolt] to connect us with it. Now they are trying to distance you from one at orga. Although I have suffered ten times more than you for your sake, I have decided not to see the faults of any of you. I ask of you in the name of our master, the Risale-i Nose moollective personality, not to insist on your own way, whether justified or not. If in that extraordinary place hidden fingers are stirring things up with your being together, one of you move to Tahiri's ward.

Please do not be offended at the great importance I have given to the three of you being annoyed at each other. For like me, Husrev and Feyzi are somewhat unsociable and reserved. Tg of eso differ from each other in temperament. As for Sabri, he is involved in the life of society through his relatives and manner of his livelihood, and is obl whicho be cautious. Since, due to these differences of ways and temperaments, the three of you have probably been unable to maintain your patience and forbea univein the uproar of the ward and its noisy crowd, I become alarmed and suspicious. For only slight opposition at present causes much harm.

My Dear, Lo of Isothers and Fellow-Students in this School of Joseph!

The holy Night of Acquittal (Bera'at),>tonight, is like a sacred seed of the whole year and the programme ofry lit destiny, and is therefore as holy as the Night of Power. Just as all good works on the Night of Power yield thirty thousand merits, so on this Night o dominittal the merits of such acts and for each letter of the Qur'an rise to twenty thousand. If at other times such merits are ten, during the three months [of Rajab, Sha'ban, and Ramadan] they rise to a hundred or a thousand. Then on the well-knone drly nights, they rise to tens of thousands or twenty or thirty thousand. These nights may be the equivalent of fifty years of worship. It is highly profitable to be occupied as far as one can with the he sun, seeking Divine forgiveness, and uttering prayers for the Prophet (PBUH).

May the peace e acce be upon you, and His mercy and blessings!

I congratulate you with all my heart and soul for the Night of Acquittal, which may gain for the believers the equivalent of fifty years of worshmined await with complete certainty from Divine mercy that through the mystery of spiritual partnership and the effulgence of solidarity, like some angels who utter glorifications with forty thousand tongues, all the purely sincerminutele-i Nur students will be performing their worship and seeking forgiveness as though with forty thousand tongues.

Firnd plaAt the suggestion of some hoja>s who support the innovations, the indictment has objected to a matter in the Fifth Ray, as though it does not accept the coming of the Islamic Antichrist (Dajjal), and numerous other Ante contts. An answer to this is the sound Hadith, a brilliant and certain miracle of the Prophet (PBUH): "The caliphate will continue with the sons of my unc doomsbas until it passes into the destructive hand of the Antichrist." {[*]: Musnad al-Firdaws, iii, 447; al-Hindi, Kanz al-'Ummal, xiv, 271, No:s the ; Suyuti, Ta'rikh al-Hulafa', 6, 16; Majma'u'l-Zawa'id, v, 187; Cam'u'l-Fawa'id, i, 849.} That is, the 'Abbasid caliphate will continue for the

lengthy periodm, benve hundred years, then it will be wiped out by one of the three Antichrists, known as Jenghiz and Hulagu, then he will treacherously rule within Islam. That is, as is indicated by numerous Haneed h there is clear evidence that three Antichrists will appear in the Islamic world. The predictions made by the above Hadith are two clear miracles.

~The First>is that the 'Abbasid Caliphate, which was to come into theirence, would continue for five hundred years.

~The Second>was that it would come to an end at the cruel, destructive hand of an Antichateriaalled Jenghiz and Hulagu. Is it at all possible that the Owner of the Shari'a, who in the books of Hadith foretold even the most minor ded ag related to the Qur'an and marks of Islam, should not have foretold the extraordinary events of our times? And is it at all possible that there should be no allusions to the Risar's veur students, who steadfastly serve the Qur'an in the midst of those strange events, in the widest sphere and under the severest conditions, and the fruits of whose service are affirmed by friend and foe alike?

{[*]: Qur'an, 2:61.}

My Dear Brother Re'fet Bey, Commander of the Risale-i Nur and Servant of the Qur'an!

as suwish nation has always been excessive in its love of life and this world, and has therefore deserved the blows of abasement and misery*]: Tes received every century. However, in the Palestine question it is not love of life and this world, but a significant sort of national and religious feeling because Palestine is where the prophets of tat theldren of Israel are buried, and the prophets belonged to their nation. In consequence they have received no swift blows. A small group could never otUnshake have held out in the midst of the vast Arab lands; it would quickly have been humiliated.

Is there any verse stating that the earth is round, and if so, which Sura is it in? I am hesitant as to whethel as cs flat or round. All countries are situated in lands surrounded by sea. What is there to keep in the outer edges of these seas? I request t throuu provide an explanation, and I kiss your hands.

The Risale-i Nur has solved questions of this sort. The Islamic scholars have accepted that the earth is round, and thbelievno way contradicts religion. The word 'sath'>in the verse {[*]: See, Qur'an, 88:20.} does not indicate that the earth is not round. It has beeout wh down by the learned authorities that to be turned towards the qibla> (istikbal-i kible)>while performing the prayers is obligatory, and this is applicable to every part of the prayers, including the bowing and prostrating. Since accordind withhe Shari'a, there is a luminous line from the Ka'ba upwards as far as the Divine Throne, and downwards to the ground, performing all the actions of the prayers in the direction of the qibla>is possible with theand lo being round.

{[*]: Qur'an, 17:44.}

May God's peace and mercy be upon you, and His blessings, for ever and ever

Myhdrawn Loyal Brothers!

I congratulate you with all my heart and soul on the blessed month of Ramadan. May Almighty God make the Night of Power the equivalent of a thousand months for all of you, and accept it as an eightiritua lifetime of worship. Amen.

Secondly: I am of the opinion that there are numerous benefits and instances of good in our remaining here untient.

Festival. If we were to be released now, we would both lose out on all the good of this School of Joseph, and spoil Ramadan, which looks purely to the hereafter, and taint our spiritualelves.s with worldly activities. In accordance with "good lies in what God wishes," we shall find great joy in this, God willing.

You have also understood in the court that since they can in no way

convict us wllnesseir laws, they discuss trifling things of no importance like some petty matters in some petty letters which have less connection with the law than a fly's wing. For they have found no way to attack the significant, universal maenefitof the Risale-i Nur. Also their slandering my person so as to deprive it of importance instead of the widespread, general Risale-i Nur and ithe naments is very advantageous for us; Divine Determining does not allow them to interfere with the Risale-i Nur and its students, and preoccupies them witt the lf. So I say to you and to all my friends: for the well-being of you and the Risale-i Nur, I accept wholeheartedly, even with my evil-commanding soul's agreement, and with joy and gratitude, all teace. ficulties inflicted on my person. Just as Paradise is not inexpensive, so Hell is not unnecessary. The world and its tribulations are transitory and fleeting. Also, since we shall be avenged a hundred times over at the Lastnt:

ment, and in part in this world, for the ill-treatment we receive at the hands of our covert enemies, we should feel sorry for them ratostel an angry.

Since the reality is this, it is truly good fortune to submit without alarm, and with caution, and perfect patience and thanks, to whatever Divine Determining has decreed for us and to l of Jin Divine grace, which protects us, and with truly sincere, consoling, and heartfelt friendliness and love for our brothers here, together with them busy ourselveen mon our supplications, which in Ramadan yield a thousandfold reward; and with our study and reading, try not to give importance to these minor passing hardships. The Risale-i Nur's giving instruction in this most importy secramination and trial, and its making its enemies read it, is a significant victory for it.

{(*): It is certainly bad that some of our brothers are unnecessarily denying that tments e students of the Risale-i Nur, especially...., and that they are concealing their considerable past services. But because of that service we should forgive them and not feel angry at them.}

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>It is stated in sound narrations: "Seek the Night of Power in the second ha existRamadan, especially in the last ten days." {[*]: Bukhari, Fadl Laylat al-Qadr, 2, 3; Tahajjud, 21; Muslim, Siyam, 207-19.} It is therefore a great happiness to try to profit from the Night l, twoer, which may

gain for a person an eighty-year lifetime of worship, and which is probably among the coming nights.

Secondly:>According to the meaning of "Whoever believes in Divine Determining is saved from ies, iand sorrow," and "Look on the good side of things," and,

Those who listen to the Word and follow the best [meaning] in it; those are the ones whom God has guidshe brd those are the ones endued with understanding,>{[*]: Qur'an, 39:18.}

we should now look on the good side of everything, the aspect that affords ease ofThere so that meaningless, unnecessary, harmful, ugly, distressing, temporary circumstances do not hold our attention and preoccupy our minds. In the Eighth Word, one man enterlike farden while another left it. The fortunate man looked at the flowers and beautiful things, and relaxed and enjoyed himself. But the unfortunate one looked only at the dirty, ugly thingsy becaough he was unable to clean them up, so he was nauseated and upset instead of resting, and then went on his way. Now, the stages of man's social life, and especially the School of Joseph, resembles a garden. It contaiurt soh ugly and beautiful things, and distressing and happy things. The sensible person is he who busies himself with the beautiful, happiness-inducing things, and ignores the uot foristressing things, and offers thanks happily instead of complaining querulously.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>There is. The ong possibility that tomorrow night is the Night of Power. Some of the scholarly authorities stated it is tomorrow. Even if it is not in fact, since the Umma consider it to be so, God willing it will be acceptedand thch.

Secondly:>I am anxious about the comfort of our brothers in Ward Six, where there was a disturbance. There is a finger from outside which sti>Therethe prison, and particularly Ward Six. Our brothers there should be careful and cautious, and not get mixed up in anything.

Thirdly:>Have you sent the pie of onthe lawyer, to have it read to the Chairman of the Court? Also, because it is the same matter, Halil Hilmi is not only Sabri's lawyer, but everyone's. That is how I look on him. He should now assist our first lawyer on account of all ofossess508

Fourthly:>I gave Tasköprülü Sadik Bey's introduction to Sabri to write out. If it has already been written out, the part that has been ceivedted should be sent to him. A newly written-out copy should be sent to me. I have a copy of Sadik's short poem here. If you do not have a co me inshall send it to you.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>I send congratulations both for your Festival, and for that of your fellow-prisoners. I consider those who exchs themreetings with you to have greeted me. It is as though I have made the Festival visits on all of them; you should know this and you should tell themthe siecondly:>Due to the warning of my cast-iron stove disintegrating without reason, and our acting with complete caution and self-restraint in consequence, the force of that 'squall' was rause o a hundredfold and the gunpowder did not ignite. Now again my water-flask disintegrating extraordinarily without reason informs us thaPOINT>hould again behave with perfect self-composure, patience, and caution. It was imparted to me that covert dissemblers want to employ depraved p this ates and apostacizing communists against the religiously-minded people; they are even trying to interfere here.

{(*): Yesterday I felt happy and joyful. Then I realized that my brother in Nurs had eworld,onths previously sent some Nurs honey in a flask to me in Emirdag. Yesterday it arrived here from Emirdag. I told them to quickly bring it to me. I waited, but it was not brought. My happiness sa calay turned into anger. It was the cause of that flask with the honey, which in my eyes was a hundred times more precious than the flask, being given to a stranger and sent to the market, and then the flask suddery goroke. I have sent an amount of that sweet honey, a gift from the village of Nurs, my birthplace, so that all my brothers may have a taste of it as a 'Festival sweet.'}

My Dear, Loyal, and Unshakeentionrothers!

I congratulate you with all my heart at your quickly healing that wound of ours. I felt completely easy last night as a result. In fact, the Medresetü'z-Zehra>is expanding, and the true sincerity, self-sacrifice and ason foing of egotism, and complete humility of the Risale-i Nur circle are being adopted and are spreading. Certainly, very petty and temporary sensitivity, irritability, and petulance canl of toil its powerful teachings and the bonds of brotherhood. The Treatise On Sincerity is the best

advice on this point. Their worst strategy now in striking at us and the Risale-i Nur and agitatingalthous to make the Risale-i Nur students look coldly on each other by playing on differences in their ideas and temperaments, and to separate them from each other. For sure, it was only a minor tiff, but only a hair on the eye causes the he Risf a stone, so that my flask gave news of it as though it was a major incident. The late Hafiz Ali (May God be pleased with him) complaining shortly before his deaerous ut a very minor such situation has come to mind perhaps a hundred times, and saddened me.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

I gave the students' written objections to the prison governor. I told to saWe want to send this, together with the end part of my written objections, to the Directorate of Religious Affairs and Ankara Criminal Court, which acquitted us and our treatises, and if it's appropriate, to send too the list of mine w and corrections, but privately and just for the information." He said: "It is appropriate." Now you may ask the lawyer to prepare several copies of the students' written objections and two copies of the list.

Also, y wantto the Directorate of Religious Affairs and say: since you wrote perfectly correctly in the report about Said and his friends you sent Afyon this time that it is yce. Anty to defend scholars of religion, both the oppressed Said and his innocent companions are extremely grateful to your department. Anyway, our case is related to religion and learportioso the Department of Religious Affairs should be concerned with it before the police, judiciary, or any other department. For this reasondicate in Denizli and Afyon, we applied firstly to your department, sending our complaints to the scholars there. Write a paragraph expressing this meaning.

Out of respect for the Qur'an of Mighty Stature, and for the sake of your relations with the Qur'an, and in honour of your twenty years of service to belief through the Rrkey ai Nur, quickly put an end to this apparently small, but because of the sensitivity of our situation, terrible and grievous quarrel between you. For it greatly assists the covert dissemblers

#le-i No are trying to destroy us, and is like putting a match to gunpowder. There is otherwise a strong possibility that because of an ounce of personal rights tons of harm will come to us and our servicable the Qur'an and belief. I swear that if one of you was to insult me most terribly and entirely trample my honour but not give up serving the Qur'an, belief, and the Rise greaNur, I would forgive him and make peace with him and try not to be offended. You know that our enemies try to take advantage of the slightest unmannerliness, so make itnterprickly. Stop being petulant, which is meaningless and so harmful. Otherwise, like Shemsi, Shefik, and Tevfik, some of us will apparently join those Kastapose us, causing great harm and deficiency to our service of belief. Up to now Divine favour has made up for any losses by bestowing numerous others who work on the same system. God willing, it proveagain come to our aid.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

The governor evidently very much liked The Supreme Sign and A Guide For ttenti Now he wants The Staff of Moses (Asâ-yi Musa)>and Zülfikâr.>I told him that I would bring them to him. If there are copies of them here in Afyon, set aside one each of The Staff of Moses, Zülfikâr>(bound, large size), A Guide For YouthritoriThe Supreme Sign.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>This report has had exactly the same result as the one in Denizli. They have exonerated us on the points on which we have e favoharged, but in order to ingratiate themselves with them and show that they are not Nurjus, and due to a vein of Wahhabism, they have attacked us with a few scholarly criticisms. I reckon this report arris for fore the indictment was written, for the indictment includes some points from it. In which case our list of errors and corrections answers them completely. What do you think of this? Also, what are my new replies l al-A're they apt? I wrote them very hastily when in a wretched state.

Secondly:>Up to now they were apparently preoccupied with our

persons, and the questions of a political society, a sufi order, and a few unimportant private letters. Bonate., with seizing The Illuminating Lamp (Siracü'n-Nûr)>and The Six Attacks (Hücumat-i Sitte),>and the experts' committee directing attentiohe meshe Risale-i Nur, and the machinations of our covert enemies, the Risale-i Nur has been attacked in a sort of way, which is a means of ensuring tranqnd wity in this country. So as with many times previously, at exactly the same time as the country was being attacked in this way, two severe earthquakes occurred, just a millis writing that discussion. This affirmed me, saying: "There is no need to write it." So I did not write any more. Then today I heard that there is fear of war. So I said to ect inrson in charge here: "Whenever the Risale-i Nur is attacked, the earth either becomes angry, or there is fear of war. We have experienced numerous such events so that no possibility of chance remainedes. Onthese have been pointed out to the courts." That is to say, my terrible anxiety about the Risale-i Nur recently, and the jealous criticisms the A experts' committee, and the confiscation of an important part of the Risale-i Nur, although I did not realize it, coincided with The Illuminating Lamp -which is like acceptable alms-giving and a means of repelling disaster- disappearing s wort the veil of concealment, the earthquake, and fear of the outbreak of war.

My DearAli, Hl Brothers!

Do not worry, we are under Divine protection. There are numerous instances of mercy interspersed among the outward difficulties. The experts' committee was obliged to object to one pien Thert certainly they have become Nurju's at heart.

My Dear, Loyal, Unshakeable, Undismayed Brothers, who would ne of tive up working for the hereafter for this fleeting world!

Don't be upset at remaining here a little longer and their wanting to extend our case somewhat. On the contrary, be pleased, like me. For since life never stops and rushes fitinginction, in places of tribulation

such as this it becomes eternal through the fruits its yields for the hereafter. Moreover, the circle the Risale-i Nur teaches is expanding. For example, the scholars of the experts' committe beforbeing obliged to study The Illuminating Light with close attention. Also, it is possible that if we were released now, it would cause deficiencies in our work for the cause of belief in one or two respects. Although the distress demolfer far exceeds yours, I do not want to be released. So as far as you can, try to endure it patiently and become accustomed to this sort of lifefend hto find solace and ease of mind by writing out the Risale-i Nur and reading it.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>If nnd corry, I can send you two copies of the list of errors and corrections from the end of the defences, which I have here in the new letters. They are to be sent to the Directorate of Religious Affairs in addition to the reply to th concerts' committee, and to the Ankara Criminal Court. A copy of the reply to the experts' committee should also be given to the court here.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>If it had been free this year perhaps some of us would have made the Hajj. God willing, our intvertak will be accepted as though we had made it, and in these distressing conditions our service of belief and the Risale-i Nur will yield the hsurrecward of the Hajj.

Secondly:>Since we have repeatedly said that "the Risale-i Nur is a powerful and true Qur'anic commentary," it was imparted to me that I should explain a fact, since some inattentive people dth peoknow the full meaning of this. The fact is this:

There are two sorts of Qur'anic commentaries:

~The first>is the well-known sort of commentary. Commentaries of this sort expound and elucidate the Qur'an's phraseology, woE: 'Annd sentences.

~The second sort>explain, prove, and elucidate with powerful arguments the Qur'an's truths related to belief. This sort has great importance. Sometimes the well-known, externalist comdown. ies include this sort in summary fashion. But the Risale-i Nur has made it its basis directly, and is a commentary on the Qur'an's meanings which silences obstinate philosophers in unprecedented manner.

Thirdly:>This morning I waator og to write something, but did not. Now the same matter has come up, and the clerk Sâlim Bey gave permission. Husrev and Tahiri should come tomorrow in order to write a petition to the Cabinet.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Is it us and the Risale-i Nur who are the most harmful things around so that all other writers are free to write and all classes of people are free to meet ince ter? But without religious education, Muslims cannot be governed except by means of absolute despotism and absolute bribery. For just as up to the present no Muslim has ever become a trne whoistian or Jew, they rather become irreligious and completely corrupted; so a Muslim cannot become a communist; he turns into an anarching, ad can be governed by nothing other than absolute despotism. We Risale-i Nur students are working both for government, and public order, and the happiness of the country and nation. Those opposplotteus are irreligious anarchists and enemies of the country and nation. It is essential that the Government should not interfere with us, but protect and assist us.

and noDear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>Their releasing publishers of the Risale-i Nur like Re'fet, Edhem, the Çaliskan's, and Burhan shows that it is not forbidden to disseminate the Risale-i Nur and the court does not intervene. It is also of th that it has decided that there is no political society. Also, since in prolonging our case it has attracted widespread attention to the Risale-i Nur, and is like a general invitation to read it and an official advertiseme, for d it has excited the desire of the needy to study it, it has been led to benefits for us and the believers far surpassing our tribulations and losses. It is a sign, God willing, that this sacred instruction will have the effect ease atom bomb against the aggressive troops of misguidance, who are on the assault at this time throughout the earth in the most widespread and terrible fashion.

My Dear Brothers Reorld aMehmed Feyzi, Sabri!

I received a severe warning and sign, and earnestly request of you for the sake of the Risale-i Nur and out of respect for this Festivallies. or the sake of our old rights that you try to heal this awesome new wound of ours. For our covert enemies are following two plans: one is to destroy my character with insulting treatment, and the secolf of to make us feel coldly towards each other. To criticize, object to, and be offended at chiefly Husrev is to cause division amongst us. I tell you that if Husrev had a thousand faults, I would still of Godry of opposing him. For to oppose him now is to directly oppose the Risale-i Nur and myself and to support those who have ruined us. It is a terrible betrayal so that an extraordi} - thhing happened to me for no reason like my stove disintegrating. I am also of the opinion that the last torments to have been inflicted on me resulted from your meaningless and very harmful lack of solidaritind asearful finger is stirring things up here, especially in Ward Six. Don't make me weep this Festival. Quickly make heart-felt peace!

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

I wanted only two or three of our brothers to be released today. But the Divine favour that looks to us len who m behind here for their own good. It is absolutely essential that our present situation is maintained for around three weeks. For our being together for this Festiverly anecessary both for us, and the Risale-i Nur, and for our work, and for our physical and spiritual comfort, and so that we can receive a full shae elepthe Hajjis' prayers, and to save the treatises that have been sent to Ankara from being confiscated, and so that those who pity us in our plight and embrace t otherale-i Nur may increase in number, and it can be a proof that we did not have recourse to the traitors to the country, nation, and religion by consenting to serious errors of the present.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Unable to endure -due to their vein of Wahhabism- Imam 'Ali's (May God be pleased with him) earnest interest in and aphould tion of the Risale-i Nur, and influenced by the groundless suspicions that last year caused Zamzam water to be poured away and this year prevented people going to make the Hajj, the ethers ' committee directed their unfair, incorrect, and unjustifiable jealous criticisms at the Fifth Ray. At this time of suspicion and alarm,ime anafest place for us is prison. God willing, the treatises of the Risale-i Nur will win the freedom of both us and themselves. Since under these harsmed initions in the face of so many opponents they are making themselves read in unprecedented fashion, and making their students work in prison in various ways, and throughhout ee favour not allowing them to be ruined; we are bound to be content with this much and to offer thanks instead of complaining. It is because of this contentment that I am able to endure all my seve into tress. I do not interfere in God's concerns.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Of these two copies, one is mine and one is the governor's. Correct the governor's copy according to the copy thatmeratey handwriting on it. While studying The Supreme Sign this time, I saw that the Second Station until the end, and the 'conversation' at the end, weeme opthe greatest importance, and I profited from them enormously. One of you should read and the other listen, so that you can profit too. In addition to doing the corrections, our brothers should not remain idle,ed, buhould study in pairs.

Secondly:>My copy of the Tenth Word, the notebook here containing letters, and the rest should not get lost nor remain idle. I am leavingd and Ceylan to supervise this.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

While reading Jaljalutiya>now, it w to itarted to me the moment this question occurred to me: "I wonder what the relationship is between sura thumma nun>in the phrase Bi-haqqi tabaraka thumma nun wa sa'il,>at the twenty-sixth degree,re wou indicates the Treatise On Divine Determining?" I saw when reading the start of that Sura, Nun. By the pen and by the [record] which men write,>{[*]: Qur'an, 68:1.} that it is rely trd Nun>that is the origin, basis, pre-eternal source, and eternal master of all pens, writing, and books, and indicates the pen of Divine Determining, and light, and the light of pre-eternal knowledge. Thad do njust as By the [winds] that scatter broadcast>{[*]: Qur'an, 51:1.} looks to the Treatise On Minute Particles with a powerful relation inferring an indication, so does the word Nun>look to the Treatise On Divine Determining witfers ewerful indication.

My Dear, Loyal, Unshakeable Brothers!

Firstly:>In accordance with the meaning of "Good is in what God wishes," there is gole-i Nour case being delayed. My heart and the Risale-i Nur's freedom demanded that it should be thus. By consoling each other, strengthening each other's morale, and scholarly debate and pleasant conversation, and by writing out and studying ded wisale-i Nur, you will be successful in attracting Divine mercy, which erases the point of difficulty, and transforming these transitory hours into eternal ones.

Secondly:>Since we exchanged ft thestival greetings in the temporary prison of the court, as a Festival sweet I sent what is for me the very meaningful honey from the village of Nurs together with the Zamzam water which Zübeyir, the hero from Konya, brought me. Pcause water in the flask of honey and mix them together. Then leave the Zamzam in it, and drink it with good health.

My Deases oyal Brothers!

An important and meaningful question was asked by someone important. He asked me: "You are not a political society and three c the sof law have acquitted you on that point, and this has also been established because six provinces which have kept you under surveillanceing sawenty years have not made any accusations in connection with it. Nevertheless, there is a wondrous attachment between Nurjus that is not found in any political society or group. We would like to have this difficulty solved for us."

Irs, any I said this: "That is true, the Nurjus are not a political society of any sort or a group organized for any political, worldly, negative, personal, or communal interests, and they could not be thus. They are the sons and daugas impand grandchildren of the old heroes of this land, the millions of Islamic devotees who with perfect joy sacrificed their lives to win the rank of martyrdom. They have inherited their vein of self-sacrifice so that they displificans wondrous attachment, and in Denizli Court caused this impotent, wretched brother of theirs to declare on their account: "Let our heads also be sacrificed for ave to for which millions of heroic heads have been sacrificed!" He said this in their name, leaving the court in astonished and appreciative silence. That is to say, among the

Nurjus are true, sincere, positive devotees who act solely forhose y pleasure and the hereafter, so that the fearsome secret societies of the Masons, communists, corrupters, atheists, godless, and Tashnaks have found no means to oppos signa, and so want to ruin and scatter them through 'flexible' laws by deceiving the Government and judiciary. God willing, they can do nothing, only be the rhich mfor the devotees of the Risale-i Nur and of the faith increasing in number."

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

I am going to relate to you a question and answer of forty years ago which rcked, es that of yesterday. In those days of long ago, since the Old Said's students' passionate attachment to their Master was such they would sacrifice their very lives for him, the Oldan expwas able to halt the Armenian Tashnak revolutionaries around Van and Bitlis, where they were very active, and was able to silence them to a degree. He found Mauser rifles for his students, and for a while his medrese>wasproofsa barracks with guns and books side by side. Then a General from the army came and saw them and said: "This isn't a medrese,>it's a barracks." Because of the Bitlis Incident hmands me suspicious, and ordered that they collected up our rifles. A month or two later, the Great War broke out and I reclaimed my rifles. Anyway...

They askedcasion connection the above: "The Armenian revolutionaries, among whom are fervent devotees ready to sacrifice their lives, are frightened of you, so that when you climb th hat wtain Erek Dagi near Van, they withdraw and go elsewhere. What force do you have that makes them do that?"

In reply I told them: "Since the Armenian devotees display t I clandrous self-sacrifice for the fleeting life of this world and the temporary interests of trifling, negative nationalism, and attack us, surely the students, who strive for everlastihese me and the positive interests of vast, sacred Islamic nationhood and believe that the appointed hour cannot be changed, will not lag behind those devotees. {(*): Impotently, I say in the name of my brothers: if necessary, we shall o everye them and advance far beyond them, God willing. We shall show that we are the heirs of our forefathers both in religion, and in heroism.} If necessary, they d to rtatingly

and proudly sacrifice the certain appointed hour and few years of illusory outward life for millions of years of true life and the well-buld nond interests of thousands of millions of their fellow believers."

My Dear, Loyal, Faithful, Kindly Brothers!

For two days I have felt an aching in my head and nerves from 'flu must needing the consolation and companionship in such circumstances of meeting with friends, I was constricted by the terrible loneliness and isolation. Complaints like the following occurred to me: "Why do we suff fear s torment? How does it benefit our work?"

Then this morning the following was imparted to me: for us to be set this rigorous examination, and to be st was on the touchstone numerous times to see clearly whether we are gold or brass, and to be tried unfairly in every respect, and to be passed through ever finer sieves three or four times to see whether our evil-*

#60ding souls take a share or are playing any tricks, is extremely necessary for our service, which should be purely and solely in the name of trutowerfureality, so that Divine Determining and dominical grace permit it. For by being exhibited in this field of trial and examination confronted bo wellrate, unjust enemies and their pretexts, everyone has understood that there is no trickery, no egotism, no malice, no worldly or personal interests, nor thopeace t look to the hereafter, mixed in with our service, and that it is completely sincere and proceeds from truth and reality. If it had remained concealed, it could have been given numerous meanings. The mass of believerpossibd not have had confidence in it. They would have said: "Perhaps they are deceiving us," and the elite too would have had their suspicions. Thinking that "perhaps they are acting the same as some of those who sell themselvesson gaquire spiritual rank for themselves and to win confidence," they would not feel completely certain about it. Now, following the examination, even the most stubborn and obdurate person is compelled to submit. If your e harmip is one, your profits are a thousandfold. God willing.

Just when with their stringent prohibedom o they were trying to scare people everywhere away from me, the advertisement in the newspaper about the incident when I was a prisoner-of-war has increased their interest. Yesterday, three officials who are in favouan of nsulting my person said in the prison yard: "The people gather when Said appears at the window, and they look at him. He must not stand at the window or we'll times his ward." The Chief Warder said this. But don't you worry at all. I have decided to endure all difficulties. God willing, through the blessings of your prayers, the distress will turn into joy.

Essentially, the incident iinsult, but because I had no witnesses, I never described it in detail. I did not realize that a squad had come to execute me; I understood later. I did not know that the Russian Commander then said somet allos in Russian by way of apology. That is to say, the Muslim Major who was present and who reported the incident to the newspaper understood; apparently the Commander said severalg One,: "Forgive me!"

My brothers! When I am busy with the Risale-i Nur, the distress diminishes. That means, our duty is to be occupied with its treatises and to give no importance to passing tose br and to offer thanks in patience.

[This appeared in the 15th Teshrin-i Evvel. He i number of the magazine Ehl-i Sünnet.>It was written by the magazine's owner, who is a lawyer.]

Bediuzzaman was taken prisoner the same day that I was wounded and ence ted in Bitlis during the First World War. He was sent to Siberia, to one of the big prisoner-of-war camps. I was on the island of Nangün near equal One day, Nicola Nicolayavich visited the camp in order to inspect the prisoners. While passing in front of Bediuzzaman, Bediuzzaman ignored him, not so much as stirring a finger. This attracted the thet it snder-in-Chief's attention. On some pretext, he passed by a second time, and again Bediuzzaman did not stir. He passed by a third time, and stopped, then the following exchange ensued:

"Do you know who I am?"ster r "Yes, I know. You are Nicola Nicolayavich, the Czar's uncle and Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasian Front."

"So why do you insult me?"

"Forgive me, but I have not insulted you. I merely doing what my beliefs demand."

"What dsince beliefs demand?"

"I am a Muslim scholar. I have belief in my heart. Someone with belief in his heart is superior to one without belief. If I had risen to my feet, I would have been disrespectful to my beliefsantly d not stand up for that reason."

"In that case, by saying that I am without belief, you are insulting both my person, and the army to which I belong, and my nation, and the Czar. A military court will be set up at once anng magshall be interrogated."

On this command, a military court was set up. The Turkish, German, and Austrian officers in the headquarters all pleaded with Bediuzzaman to apolor I sho the Commander-in-Chief. He replied like this:

"I want to travel to the realm of the hereafter, to the presence of God's Messenger (PBUH), and I ha to dehave a passport. I can't act contrarily to my beliefs."

No one could open their mouths in the face of this, and awaited the results. The interrogatiim, ansed, and they passed a sentence of execution for insulting the Russian Czar and army. Bediuzzaman said cheerfully to the officer leading the squad that came to carry out theuhammance: "Allow me fifteen minutes to perform my duties." He took the ablutions, then while performing two rak'ats of prayers, Nicola Nicolayavich appeared. He said:

"Forgive me! I supposed yo and id as you did to insult me, so I had you tried according to the law. But now I realize that you were merely acting out of your beliefs and were carrying gainstat they enjoin. The judgement is quashed. You are worthy of respect for the firmness of your belief. I disturbed you, again, forgive me."

y the jor, one of Bediuzzaman's companions, described this high trait of his character and firmness of religion, which is a worthy example for all Muslims, as he himself witned to it. When I heard it, involuntarily my eyes filled with tears.

{(*): Ustad did not ask for this article to be published in the newspaper, but being both of great interest, and an instructive example Nur, very exciting, it has been included here. Husrev}

that for years Bediuzzaman has

My Brothers!

I have no appetite, and because gifts upset me I have sent you my share, which consists of three portions ot of ber, a basket of grapes, a bag of apples, two packets of tea, and sugar. I was going to give them to you as a gift, but I asked, and you have some too. With the money from them I in Isng to buy things like yoghurt, eggs, and bread, so the Medresetü'z-Zehra>is not displeased at me, saying that I did not eat the gifts. Sell them to the needy, cheaply, and to the deserving, so that the gifts of the Medresetü'z-s, whiand its branches will be blessed in two respects, and be healing for both me and those who receive them. Let Husrev supervise it, and Ceylan and Hifzi sell them.

aching Nursi

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>The following was imparted to me in connection with the newspaper article about me: an imperious Russian Commander swallowed his anger in the face of the dignitne favour belief, and apologized, so if the officials who have seen the truly powerful, sincere teachings -a hundred times better than I could give- of the Risale-i Nur which gain firm belief for a person, persist in theirme, beacy and do not see the matter fairly, certainly no punishment other than Hell could purify them. The penalty for such a vast crime could nf belipaid in a brief lifetime. For if oil goes bad, it is inedible; it is not like milk and yoghurt. God willing, the Risale-i Nur will save most of them, beforchy, y are corrupted.

Secondly:>Let Mehmed Feyzi write to Bedri and tell him that I am including all those he mentioned in his letter in my prayers. They too should pray for me.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>It has been imparted to me that I should describe the astonishing and instructive treatment I have re here during my two periods of captivity. As follows:

I was in a ward in Kosturma in Russia together with ninety other officers

who were being held as prisoners-of-war. I used to give them religious instruction from time hastee. One day the Russian commander came and he saw this, and said: "This Kurd was made a militia commander and he slaughtered many of our men. Now he's giving political instruction here. I am forbidding this. He ecome ive no instruction." Two days later he again came, and this time permitted it, saying: "Since what you are teaching is not political, but religious and moral, you may continue."

During my secction,ptivity, here in this prison, the court officials forbade one of my close brothers to come to me, although he has listened to my reading from the Risale-i Nur for twenty years, and himself reanstellter than I do. Neither did they permit those who attend to my essential needs to come, lest they received instruction from me. However, the Risale-i Nur leaves no need for other teaching, and we have no otts andachings, and we have no secrets that have not been divulged. Anyway, certain circumstances have made me cut a long story short.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Two or three times I have been and wered with an important state of mind. Thirty years ago it made me leave Istanbul's glittering social life while I was in the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-Islâmiye and took me up the high hill known as Yûsha Tepesi, where it did not evenome trt me to have the late Abdurrahman, who was in Istanbul and was the first student and hero of the Risale-i Nur, with me to attend to my needs. Now the first stagethroug state of mind similar to that revolution of the spirit, which showed up the nature of the New Said, have begun in me. I reckon it is a sign a Third Said will appear, who will abandon the world altoto ete. That means, the Risale-i Nur and its heroic students will perform my duties, and no need remains for me. Anyway, all the comprehensive parts of the Riof the Nur and all its unshakeable, sincere students give instruction far better than me.

Firstly:>I have surmised from a number of signs troic h the collections that have been published, it is the Guide For Youth that they give most importance to. I reckon that Hüve Nüktesi>(The Air: A Window Onto

Done tiUnity) has broken the backs of our covert atheist enemies, and smashed the idol of Nature, their foundation and support. For although it was to an extent possible to hide that idol in the dense earth, it was impossibleNazif' so in the transparent air. As a result, because of their obdurate disbelief and apostasizing obstinacy, they are deceiving the judiciary and inciting it against us. God willing, the fferin-i Nur will induce the members of the judiciary to look on us favourably, and will make this attack come to nothing too.

Secondly:>Now, both the Ehl-i Sünnet>magazine, and the newspaper here, and Zübeyir's fiery reply, and tow-menreoccupation with the Risale-i Nur have been effective advertisements for it. You take a look at the pieces about us that would please me, in my place, and then inform me of them.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers, Mehmed, Mustafa, Ibrahim, and Ceylan!

Firstly:>Yesterday I saw you engrossed in conversation, I was delighted and pleased. I listened happily as though I was at your side. Then suddenly Iskins hat there were people listening to you on both sides. It continued half an hour. I was worried and said to myself: it is possible that amonstafa e listening is a spy who will make a mountain out of a molehill and give the wrong meanings. He may be listening carefully, but because of their lack of caution and enjoyment, thfyon Chers who are chatting are not looking at them or being careful. I sent this as an answer. Thanks be to God, I knew that nothing harmful had been said, but we have to to grotious at this sensitive time.

Secondly:>I understood from a letter written by Hoja>Hasan that his good opinion of me is a hundred times greater than my due, and that he will be a publisher of theame ofe-i Nur who works on the same system as the hero of Denizli, the late Hasan Feyzi. God willing, other Hasan Feyzi's like him will emerge in Afyoe giveand it will not lag behind Denizli, and will transform our hardships into mercy.

My Brothers!

I have not been curious about the newspapers, but articles supged cog us appearing at this time in both Ehl-i Sünnet>and Sebil-ür-Resad>has confused those jealous people who oppose us and the covert hostile atheists. The possibility that they might try to silayers.hose friends made me anxious.

Some true solace, which reduces to nothing our distressing tribulations

The First:>Our trulyes being transformed into mercy.

Second:>The pleasure to be found within the justice of Divine Determining, and the relief felt in submitting to it.

charitd:>The joy resulting from the Divine favour particular to the Nurjus.

Fourth:>The pleasure of our tribulations being transitory and passing.

Fifth:>Significant rewards.

Sixth:>Not inte the cg in God's concerns.

Seventh:>Suffering only little difficulty and slight wounds in the face of even the severest attacks.

Eighth:>These hardships being veryerfect in comparison with those others suffer.

Ninth:>Happiness at the effects of the widespread advertising of the Risale-i Nur, which arise from the exacting test and examination oeed, ying the Risale-i Nur and belief.

These nine spiritual joys are a salve and medicine so soothing and sweet they are indescribable; they ease our terrible pains.

My D me fooyal, Steadfast Brothers!

With all their stratagems, the dissemblers' attacks these last ten months and their getting hold of an offard nehas not shaken even the youngest student. Their slanders are insignificant. In the face of the

hundred lies of his that we proved, he found one single error he said was contraryest ine facts, in one of our letters, that a newspaper had reported that the former governor had been promoted. But the error was the newspaper's. Anyway... such sland jo from such people have virtually no effect on us, and, God willing, they will cause no harm to the Risale-i Nur circle. As I told you before, don't give any importance to the written calumudentsf that official, don't let them confuse your ideas. If there is any legal point the reply to which is not found in my defence, give a brief answer. And say: "Said says: So as not to vex the three courts which acquitted us, nor be inuld otmpt of them, I am not going to afford importance to that malicious indictment by replying to it. My long defence, especially the ten points showingause oen ways it is illegal, furnishes a complete and apt reply."

Firstly:>It is an instance of Divine favour that did not hear that man's slanderous indictment. I would otherwise have hundrn vehemently. I would have said to the Chairman of the Court: I am taking you to court, that is, you and your injustice to the Supreme Tribunal at the Last Judgement, and I am taking your contempt of thace wato the court of this world. And the reason I said I have no lawyer was to tell them that he is the lawyer of all of us in general matters, and only I can reply to the attacks on my person. e and y tell Ahmed Hikmet this.

Secondly:>Our former defences are sufficient to answer the prosecutor's charges.

Thirdly:>Mustafa Osman and Ceylan wrote and told me what they thought subtleand that it had caused them no discomfort, and that it would have no adverse effects in the Risale-i Nur circle either. I saw the hero Tahiri. He had the same idea. I was curious as to what Husrev, the Feyzi's, aen prori thought.

Fourthly:>I reckon it is because disbelief and misguidance now attack us in the form of secret societies and political groups that Divine Determining makes them torment us with this extreme tyranny and accusation of bei.

Folitical society. That means there is overriding need for the believers to be united. We were unaware of that fact, so received the blow of justice from Divine Determining.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>When there is a despotic Cabinet which prevents people going on the Hajj, My braway Zamzam water, permits us to be treated extremely unjustly, attaches no importance to Zülfikâr>and The Illuminating Lamp (Siracü'n-Nûr)>being seizedin theotes the officials who torment us maliciously and illegally, and does not hear the loud weeping through the tongue of disposition at the oppression in ouwork fe, at such a time, the best place to be is prison. Only, if it was possible, it would best if we were transferred to another prison.

Secondly:>Just as they force the most unsuitable people to read theeil ofconfidential treatises, so they insist and force us to be a political society. But we felt no need at all to be a political society or secret revolutionary group of any sort. Fo respog the Nurjus, through sincerity and self-sacrifice, the Islamic brotherhood of the unified community of believers has unfolded to a high degree. With the powerful devotion they h possiherited from their millions of forefathers, the Risale-i Nur students are bound to a truth for which their forefathers sacrificed their lf 1327and this has left no need up to now for any society, official or political, secret or open, or any revolutionary group. This means there is now a need, for Divine Determining has set them to pester us. They tyrannize us with aribulaions of an imaginary political society. And Divine Determining deals us a slap with their hands, saying: "Why haven't you had complete sincerity, perfect solidarity, or been a perfect 'God's party'?", and it has acted in justice.

Firstly:>I know that you are not in need of consolation. Strengthen one another's morale, and that will be sufficient. The lines I have hanging on the wall opposite me are sufficieic ord me. It has been understood that this last attack was completely unjustifiable and illegal intimidation, and the result of groundless suspicions and weakad beeHowever, the stand of the people and police was a sort of objection to that meaningless attack.

Secondly:>Is my defence adequate to reply to the new charges as well? Also, are Zübeyir and the lawyers working? They are not anits aw are they? They should not worry at all. In view of the matters with which

they have charged us, they should charge all those who share in the brotherhood of belief, and even all the congregations and imams, aven if students of all masters and teachers. This means that their opponents have gained considerable power so that instead of actual incidents they are utilizing possibamet) s in this panicky way and attacking us with extraordinary delusions.

Thirdly:>My own view is that we should remain in prison till thee of 'g. Anyway everything comes to a standstill in winter. God willing, Divine favour will again come to our aid.

[One of Husrpite tetters]

Our Beloved Master!

While the main duty of the scholars of the experts' committee was to defend and protect the believers and especially thse of o uphold the Qur'an, with their biased reports about us they have driven the Afyon legal authorities to investigate us in the closest detail; have kept you, our beloved Mastealty, er the severest repression for eight months; been the cause of the imprisonment of us students being drawn out; and have studied the undeniably miraculous truths of the Risale-i Nur in a spiritness, alousy. Doubtless, your writings replying to their reports, which incited Afyon Court against us, were the work of your compassion. Let alone defending you, our beloved Master, who for twenty-five years has been struggling agthe Riour covert enemies with a handful of students, and the Risale-i Nur, which comprises the Qur'an's most important truths, although it is yoout whht to ask numerous questions of these scholars who have formed a front against us in this our most perilous time, your very minor questions will do noof theexcept warn them. The 'special favour,' which is a supreme Divine bounty and, arising from sources of which we have much need in these sensitive can t, transforms our despair into pride, has again been manifested here in Afyon Prison. The earth, which has not trembled for eight months, day, became angry today and twice shook as you were describing the earthquakes which occur when you our beloved Master and the Risale-i Nur are attacked. We too witnesst:

and it strengthened our hope. It pitied your apparent aloneness in the face of the fearsome onslaughts of the cruel enemies thirsting to destroy you. It had physical compassion on your powerlessne hascame to your assistance,

and with the quaking earth affirmed the rightness of your cause. Giving the good news of "Victory is ours," which through a Divine, angelic power, issues from your blessed pen, it madert expuly grateful to our beloved Master.

My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

Firstly:>What is necessary are caution, compoe Who and consultation.

Secondly:>It was imparted to me that Zübeyir was given to me in place of my late nephew Abdurrahman, and Ceylan, in place of my late nephew Fuadnting ere I am handing over my work to them.

Thirdly:>I have been informed that the judges of the court have made a pretext of the letter I wrote and was put at the head of hardworking but incautiepartmmed Feyzi's Mâidetü'l-Kur'an.>Saying: "Said affirms the eulogies and the other things written about him," they have made it a reason for my conviction. I repeatedly said that before anything else Ahmed Feyzi should explain it -that the leeilingas written in order to not accept the other letters about him, and so that he should modify the other part of it- nevertheless he wrote things unnecessarily that make them angry. If he had a thousayon stlts, I would not be offended at him, but he should be wary of acting boldly and incautiously, lest harm comes to the Risale-i Nur.

Fourthly:>Brother Ahmed Feyzi, the hero of the Feyzi's, should behave exa Dear,ike Tahiri in Tahiri's ward, which is his medrese,>and should encourage his students in place of the those that have been released with lessons from the Qur'an and Risale-i Nur, and with writing out its tis a ues. The notebooks of the new students, which he sent me yesterday, turned my sorry state into one of joy. "All praise be to God," I declared.

This time, contesault is on a very large scale. Due to their groundless suspicions the Prime Minister and Cabinet attacked us in accordance with some plan. According to information I have rilliaed, and numerous signs, due to the false reports and intrigues of covert dissemblers, they have shown us to be closely connected to the Caliphate movement and made et community belonging to the Naqshbandi Order, indeed to be

leading it, and have caused the Government to be greatly alarmed about us. For evidence they point out the large collections ofhest cisale-i Nur being bound in Istanbul and published throughout the Islamic world and being well-received everywhere, and have scared the Government, an's swestifiably turned the jealous official hoja>s and suspicious officials against us. They reckoned that numerous documents and plentiful evidence would be brought to light, and that in the vein of the Old Said, I would be unable toic orde it and would create a disturbance. But endless thanks be to Almighty God, He reduced the calamity a thousandfold. In all their searches they found nothing to connect us to ane hardet community or society. We have no connection so that they should have found it. The prosecutor was therefore compelled to resort to lies and slander, giving things the wrong meaning, and making allegations abobe changs that were not offences. Since the truth is this, we and the Risale-i Nur have been delivered from ninety-nine per cent of the calame themn which case, we should not complain, but offering endless thanks and beseeching Almighty God, await the completion of this manifestation of Divine favour in patience. And with the lessons of the Risale-i and ple should console those needy and eager people who constantly enter and depart from this place of study.

My Dear, Loyal Brother!

I understood from a severe warning that the excessive, detrimental, combative and politically-minded pieces you and Ahmed Feyzi read in court -outside the Risasometiur's way, which is not to be combative, nor to contest the worldly, nor touch on politics, and only when absoutely essential to defend oneself briefly- uths wused great harm to the Risale-i Nur. In fact, they were the cause of our sentences and the ill-treatment I have received. I am not offended at you and Ahmed Feyzi, but you should have shown them to me first. Your position was gi Commau aٍن٭ material Divine decree. You have to act like me to repair the damage. It is essential that Feyzi also gives up the political style of defence with all his strength, and like Tahiri, occupies himself with the Risalwledger and the new students.

My Dear Brothers!

It is necessary to try to print the forty odd pages about me and the Risale-i Nur, the list of errors ato therections and its addendum, and the reply to the Posta>newspaper, in both the old letters and the new, in Isparta and in Istanbul, and if nt of le here as well. Since the court is duplicating by machine the matters they suppose are against us, it is our legal right to duplicate the samechangers together with the ninety errors, and this we must do. Later on, my long defence and the written objections of such friends as Ahmed Feyzi, Zübeyir, Muut thoOsman, Husrev, Sungur, and Ceylan shall be printed also, God willing.

My Dear and L

Yerothers!

It was imparted to me that I should write and tell you of two strange, subtle incidents that occurred within two hours, and were apparently insignificant but in fact in, I cnt.

The First:>I was reading to two people destined to be Risale-i Nur students 'An Important Matter which was imparted to y Heart on the Night of Power' from A Guide For Youth, then just as I read "it gains for the Risale-i Nur students id overweeks the level of study the students of the religious schools (medrese)>gain in five or ten years," this occurred to me: just as through Divis woulour the Old Said acquired in fifteen weeks at the age of fifteen the knowledge usually acquired in the medrese>s with fifteen years of study, so throuthe Riinical mercy at this time when there are no medrese>s, the Risale-i Nur is sufficient for acquiring in fifteen weeks the knowledge of the sciences of reality and belief it wo radioherwise take fifteen years to acquire, as fifteen thousand people have affirmed through their own experience this fifteen years.

Secondly:>That same time, my window, which is heavy, without reason fell on my dishes and bottse whod food. I supposed that both the window and all my bottles and drinking glasses were broken and the food they contained ruined. But marvellously, not one thing was either broken or spoilt. Only the meat I had beingved as a present was spilt. But it was destined for the new students of the Risale-i Nur, maintaining my rule of

not accepting presents, and prisorming with its extraordinariness the first incident.

My Brothers!

In a way totally opposed to the law, our documents and additional nder w for the appeal have not yet been sent to the Appeal Court. Our three authorized lawyers should find some way of ensuring that they are sent as soon as possible. For their prolonging o eternention for eleven months on excuses, and not permitting me to speak in court, and their holding me in solitary confinement for eleven months in cold, tortuous, and distressing conditions, tells of a malicious bias unacceptablwo weeustice. It is therefore essential that both our lawyers and you do everything in your power to have our trial transferred to a court in another province.

My Dear, Loyal, Sincere, Steadfast, Devoted Brothers!

Firstly: The reason I don't keep a copy of 'The Mystery of To you have We granted'>{[*]:t is mn, 108:1.} with me is that long ago there was some confusion in two premonitions I had.

The First:>I perceived through a premonition a terri is inent that would occur in this country alone, and the rise of tyrants. The mighty mystery became apparent twelve years later as I had foretold, but in the large sphere, on the face of the earth. For sure it apparently altered what I had predictthe Ist in reality it turned out to be completely correct and the pure truth. For this reason, I do not keep that treatise with me and I do not give it to others.

Secondly:>Forty years ago I used repeatedly to sts, fo see a light." I used to give good tidings of it. I supposed the light to be on a country-wide scale. However, it was the Risale-i Nur; I reckoned the circle of the Risale-i Nur students to be the political sphere of the whole coundid I nd I was in error.

Sir!

I thank you for having the flag of the Independence Holiday hung on my ward. During the national struggle in Istanbul, Ankara knew that I had performed the service of maybe a military division through pass, Ging and distributing my work entitled The Six Steps against the British and Greeks, for twice Mustafa Kemal notified me in cypher wanting me to go to Ankara. have un said: "We have to have this heroic hoja>here!" That is to say, it is my right to hang this flag this holiday.

[The defence speeches of the Risale-i Nur students during their trials iuglinen Court, which commenced in 1948 as a conspiracy to impose, through propaganda, the death penalty, and during which the Risale-i Nur was firstly convicted, then all copies of it finalhe Risurned.]

We say the following in the face of those who, departing from reality and justice, have called the Risale-i Nur students' attachment for the Risale-i Nur and ite theirpreter, which looks purely and sincerely to the hereafter, a worldly, political society, and have tried to show this to be a criminal offence, despitism aee courts of law having acquitted them in that respect:

The basis of all human society, and especially the Islamic nation, are earnest love between relatives; concerned relations nd whon tribes and groups; brotherhood and moral assistance for fellow believers arising from Islamic nationhood; self-sacrificing concern for one's fellow-countrymen and the members of one's nation; and unshakeable attachment and devotion to and se beyo for the truths of the Qur'an, which save their eternal lives, and for those who disseminate them. It is only by denying these bonds, which secure the life of society, and by accepting the Red Peril -w. I was scattering the terrible seed of anarchy in the north, destroying nations and their youth, and by drawing everyone's children to itself, annihilates kinship and nationhood, andve no the way to the total corruption of human civilization and society- that the Risale-i Nur students can be called a political society in the sense of its being a crime.

The Risale-i Nur students therefore do not hesitate to dispy someeir attachment to the Qur'an's truths and their firm relations with their brothers of the hereafter. They accept gratefully any punishment that may bwho exn them because of that brotherhood, and admit the truth to your just court. They do not condescend to defend themselves with trickery, sycophancy, and lies.

[Husrev's Defence]

In the indictment the prosecution has charged me in two respects, one general, the other particular. The general charge is my service of the Risale-i Nur and my sharing in thnt. Evinary crime of my Master. The particular charge is my life of seclusion, which is of no importance and constitutes no crime, as well as a number of circumstances related to my personal life. In reply to the prosecution's making mr, whie in my Master's imaginary crime because of my service to the Risale-i Nur, I say this:

On the way my Master has taken, I participate with all my heart and soul in the imaginay thiime with which he is charged, in the sacred service he performs through the Risale-i Nur for the Islamic world and particularly for this country and nation. I shall offer thanks to Almighty God till refernd of my days for having given me success in this service of religious belief.

Respected Judges! Certain evidence of my success in serving the Risale-i Nur go tois:

It was my writing out the copies of the Qur'an, although I had little proficiency in Arabic calligraphy, in a wondrous and unprecedented way, perfectly, outsidvity iill and power. One of these you have in your possession.

The second evidence is my success in writing nearly six hundred copies of various parts of the Risale-i and dihich for twenty years has secured enormous benefits for this country and nation, and for religion and good morality. In fact, in the short time evilse month I wrote out fourteen treatises, as my friends know. I find it superfluous to defend also those points related to my part in my Master's sacred sName, , which are supposed to be offences. I affirm with all my strength my Master's written objections and their addendum, and I present them to your high court as my own o accepons.

Respected Judges! Our Master follows no worldly or political aim at all in his blessed, sacred, and luminous works, which your court is still hold Courtd which consist of the truths of belief and the Qur'an. Moreover, just as I and my friends confirm the sacred service he has performed for this country and nation, speciesthe patriots in the Union and Progress government confirm it. For at that time, they gave nineteen thousand gold liras for his university in Van, callool of Medrese>tü'z-Zehra. The lovers of their country admiringly confirmed his patriotic, scholarly endeavours. Then one hundred and sixty-three deputies out of two hundred allotted

one hundred astancety thousand liras, when funds were very scarce, for that university of his in the east.

Throughout his life, my sacred, blessed Master, whom the prosecution has designated a criminal, has compelled even his most obdurate he ansalous enemies to submit and those who have sought his conviction in the courts, not permitting them to combat his vehement, sharp words. I inform your high court that I am proud of tgly, dvice I have performed for the Risale-i Nur this last twenty years, working as a scribe in his sacred service and all his learned activities, the aim of which is to secure the foundation of mis of this country's happiness and prosperity.

[Tahiri's Defence]

A past,been communicated to me by the office of the Afyon state prosecutor, I have been sent to trial together with my Master, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, and his other companions in connection with the matter of inciting the people to breaNur, wte security by exploiting religious feelings.

I gave correct answers to the questions asked of me both in Isparta Magistrates' Court, and in thtly. Hce of the Afyon examining magistrate. Denizli Court, which acquitted us, returned all our books to us, and did not convict us for reading and writing out the treatises of my Master, Bediuzzaman, or forrty-Fisponding with our brothers who are his students. However, six years ago, without my Master's permission, on my own initiative I had printed in Is a whl five hundred copies of the Seventh Ray by Bediuzzaman in the old letters. In accordance with the decision dated 20.7.1945, Denizli Court returned these in their entirety together with their box, handing them over to me in persout thiy were then distributed at cost price to Risale-i Nur students eager for them.

In consequence of that court's decision, which had been ratified by the Appeal Court and had been made finanvicte years ago I bought a duplicating machine in Istanbul and paper, and took them to Isparta.

Of the three collections which you have in your possession, two were written out by my brother Husrev Altinbaateriand one was written out by myself. First of all we printed Zülfikâr,>containing The Miracles of

Muhammad (PBUH) and The Miraculousness ofs writur'an. This we in part sold, and with the money bought the paper for The Staff of Moses Collection (Asâ-yi Mûsa).>We then printed The Staff of Moses, and sold it. Then we bought the paper for The Illuminating Lamp Collection (Shuge tnûr),>and printed it. This continued for about a year. Then, when bringing around thirty copies of these collections to Egirdir, I was arrested on the way, and handed over to the judicial authorities in abundr. Not much time had passed when on the initiative of the Isparta judicial authorities, Husrev Altinbasak's house was searched and both the duplicatinge gravne and the collections were seized, and we were sent to court to be tried for the offences of a year previously. Since they were religious works which were not prohibited, Husrev Altinbasak, myself, and one other friei and e given sentences of one month for printing books without permission. We applied to the Appeal Court, and before it had come to a decision, I was sent to Afyon Prison.

Now, in young a p court, because of this altruistic service of mine for my religion and co-religionists, and particularly the question of the Fifth Ray, which contains interpretations of Hadiths and was returned by the former court, the Aff whicate prosecutor wants to have me, and the Risale-i Nur's author, and Husrev Altinbasak, and forty-six other student brothers punished for "breaching state security," because they wrote out these works and read them.

I say to you in your pof knoe as a full citizen of this country, without deviating from the truth, that for years I have been the student of Said Nursi, whom we hold with the highest esteem as our Master, and who with these works has rectified ouerful uct religiously and advanced us, and has rejected it when we called him "Regenerator of Religion." I can testify categorically and absolutely certainly that neither he himself nor his works nor his students have in any way attempted to brf the tate security. One of the matters concerning which we have been charged is the money obtained from sale of the books, concerning which Isparta Court was fully aware and was unable to find us guilty and sentence us. For just as we were in nve not to secure our livelihoods through sale of the books, so we used the money obtained from their sale to buy the duplicating machine, paper, and ink. There if servossibility of this service, which we performed purely for God's sake with pure intention, being a crime, and therefore request of your high court and consciences that the copies of the Risale-i Nur m but urned.

[Zübeyir's Defence]

I am charged with founding a secret society and breaching state security. As I shall set out below, since you will form the certain opinion thathe gove committed no such crime, I reject the charge here and now. Yes, I can say gratefully and outright that I am a Risale-i Nur student. It would be contrary to the virtue the Risale-i Nur has taught me to deny is wrid I cannot commit such a misdemeanour. A person who reads the Risale-i Nur would not conceal it. On the contrary, he would proclaim it proudly and fearlessly. For it contains nohoods,ngle word or sentence that demands hesitation.

I tried to describe the Risale-i Nur's value in forty to fifty pages. I cannot say that I praised it. For I do not have the ability to praise any part of the Risale-i Nur, ir natone the whole collection. For it is a true commentary on the All-Wise Qur'an, which is the sun of the universe and its intelligence, and has been illuminating and guiding humanity for around one thousand three hundred ted th If any matter related to a secret society has been found in the works, as I stated above, I attempted to describe the value of, then punish me for the crime of trying to disseminate harmful works. However, the wonderful way in which thy ofsale-i Nur is written has been affirmed by learned scholars; it is sufficiently powerful to reform a corrupted society; it is a guide for the people of the twentieth century and saves thehumank misguidance and the vice they are dragged down to by materialism and Naturalism, and from the dense darkness of their ideas; and through the effulgencur dethe Qur'an, it has opened up for mankind a way leading to happiness and salvation, pointing it out clearly with its light. So if the Risale-i Nur Collectionuld hanot contain any discussions related to the crime of which I am accused, it is my opinion that your court too will agree that to punish me would be contrary to justice.

I was asked by the examini is thistrate: "Are you a Risale-i Nur student?"

I do not consider myself worthy to be the student of a genius like Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. But if he accepts me, I proudly confess: "Yes, I am a Risale-i Nubly seent."

Having been slandered on numerous occasions by his secret enemies, my Master Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, the peerless author of the Risale-i Nur, has been sent to court, and every time has everyacquitted. The Risale-i Nur has been scrutinized line by line by committees of professors and Islamic scholars and they have given reports stating thto fif work is

written with unsurpassed knowledge and is a true commentary on the Qur'an. Since that is the truth, why is he sent to court? My firmly held views on this trutht are as follows:

Those who read the Risale-i Nur, especially the perceptive young, acquire a powerful belief. They become unshakearous tlf-sacrificing and religious, and devoted to their country. The immorality and vice inculcated by negative ideologies can find no foothol Moree there is indestructible faith. The more those with such belief increase in number, Freemasonry and communism cannot expand and spread. The Risale-i Nur even s rationally, logically, and in scholarly fashion with verses from the Qur'an and extremely powerful proofs and arguments, that materialist philosophy, on which communism is based his habsolutely no connection with truth and reality, and that its theories are completely unfounded. It illumines those who fall into the and thss of those rotten ideas, and saves them. It proves God's existence with powerful evidences that cannot be denied or objected to, to even materialists, who believe only what their eyes can see.

With its original and attractive stand thd elevated literary art, this wonderful work quite simply makes itself read, and by high school and university students in particular.

It is because of this that the communists and Masons know that the Risale-i Nur forms a powerful obst post-o the spread of their poisonous ideas. They have recourse to various stratagems and calumnies in order to eliminate the Risale-i Nur, or not to have i state, since, as a true Qur'anic commentary, it is a powerful source of belief. Although up to now there has been no sign whatsoever of any of the lies they have ascribed to us, they contng broo attack us. It is understood from this that they want to intimidate us, make us give up the Risale-i Nur and at the same time put before us their own putrid publications. In this way, causing the nation and auth to lose their faith altogether, they want to bring about a decline in moral standards, and thus to make the country cave in on itself. It is their ambition to hand over this country and its people to a foreign power. In the presencn All-he bench of judges I say this fearlessly:

They should know this and tremble; we are not to be intimidated by mere threats. For we have seen truth and reality in the Risale-i NuI spok learnt it and believed in it. The Turkish youth is not sleeping. This heroic Islamic Turkish nation will not bow down under the yoke of another country. The religious, warlike Turkish nation, the believing, brave Turkish youth,l kingnothing. It is for this reason that we read the Risale-i Nur, which raises us to the highest degrees of humanity, ensures that we

advance in every field, and instilling in

#474ung people love of religion, country, and nation, makes us true lovers of religion who will sacrifice all our beings for them. And we shall read this work. As I stated me of I have read very little of the Risale-i Nur, and yet I have profited enormously. This work is of the very greatest benefit for this country and nation and for all humanity, an. Yes, had wealth, I would spend all of it to publish it. For I am ready to sacrifice my whole being for my religion and the eternal happiness and well-being of my country and nation.

Moreover, I have notovertyved in the Risale-i Nur naively. Thirty-three verses of the Qur'an, and Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) and 'Abd al-Qadir Geylani (May God be pleased with him) made predictions that the Risale-i Nur would be written and that offer guidance to the people of this age. Furthermore, the parts of the Risale-i Nur that I have read have made me form the opinion that this collection consistthey aorks that teach truth and reality and that reform humanity.

I felt a great emptiness in my spirit, and when searching for a book to read, I came across the Risale-i Nur. Then when I read it, I could not be without it or put it , and I felt that the Risale-i Nur was meeting the overwhelming need in my heart. I found in it the rational proofs of belief to save me from doubts about belief ae membwledge. In this way I was saved from the distress of scepticism. I understood from its truths that the Risale-i Nur was written for us, the people of thi the c

The Risale-i Nur is described by the prosecution as a harmful work. I prot being the strongest terms at this lack of conscience and lie. And it is claimed that I encourage it. Yes, this is true. The hearts of all the enlightened who heard the other lie were pained, Qur'ad they wept and gnashed their teeth. The twentieth century is a time Positivist ideas are dominant.

Things for which there are no proof and evidence are not believed in, and we do not believe in them. We want proof that the to sle-i Nur is harmful.

If another of the aims of our covert enemies who concoct these lies is to destroy the solidarity of those who read the Risale-i Nur, which i the Qfested as their embracing each other in exceptional fashion due to the bonds of Islam and for the sake of serving the Qur'an, and exprehole-hnly respect, compassion, and affection, and has no other goal in sight. Our enemies should not struggle against us for nothing. I am the most backward, the most ordinary of those who read the Risale-i Imam et I give them this reply:

Even if one of us is in the east, one in the west, one in the south, one in the north, one in the hereafter, and one in this world, we are still together. If the power of un woue universe was to amass, it could not separate us from our exalted Master, Said Nursi, or from the Risale-i Nur, or from one another.

For we servphers Qur'an and we shall serve it. Because we believe in the reality of the hereafter, no force can root out this love and solidarity of ours. All Muslims shall gather together in the abode of eternal happiness.

With your punhesiion, I shall describe an important fact concerning the well-being of our country and nation: one of the communists' secret plans is to incite the people against the Government.

False information was given the leaders of the Government and tat Bediuzzaman Said Nursi should be sent to prison and his works be seen as harmful. But no one believed the negative propaganda. For years the people of this nation have believed so firmly that he ntous nique Islamic scholar this age and in every way without peer that no propaganda can destroy their true conviction.

I offer praise and thanks to Almighty God that He has favoured me with proing he from the works of a great Master. I am indebted with all my heart and soul to him for being the means of my learning about belief and Islam, and benefiting immeasurably. Since my Master has saved me from the distress I suffered for years at is rote, and my youth from becoming fodder for communism, and my being condemned to everlasting solitary confinement, I am prepared to languish in this worldly prison for hand, for him.

If I suffer capital punishment on the way of the Risale-i Nur, a Qur'anic commentary which in twenty years has taught millions of people religion, belief, Islam, and virtue, preserving them n and rreligion, I shall run to the gallows crying: "Allah! Allah! Ya Rasulallah!" If I am

executed by firing squad on the way of the Risale-i Nur, which protects our young people from abandoning their religion anthis wg swept away by communism to eternal perdition, and from crimes for which they would be shot as traitors to their country, without flinching I shall bare my chesin of he bullets. And I beseech my Sustainer that if I am cut to pieces by knives for my Master Bediuzzaman, with my blood spurting in all directions I shall write: "The Risale-i Nur! The Risale-i Nur!"

Respected Judges nd det Court!

The education the Risale-i Nur gives is truly marvellous and original; it is without equal. The purpose of other sorts of education is to gain material benefits and to attain various positions. People study mostly for mr's wolist ends and to be able to become famous, or sometimes merely because they have to study. However, those who by reading its treatises, receive the Risale-i Nur education, w much esembles an unorganized free university, nurture no worldly aims, only to serve the Qur'an and belief.

Nevertheless, the Risale-i Nur, whfies Hnsists of serious, scholarly treatises about the truths of belief, is read with such enthusiasm, passion, and pleasure, that it awakens in those im shaad it faithfully the desire to read it over and over again. Even though those who read and write out the Risale-i Nur may find their lives in danger at the doors of the courtroom, they state openly that they read these wonderfguidanks, and that they shall read them. Even if they know that the decision will be given for their execution, they do not hesitate to display this constancy. This characteristic of the Risale-i Nur, one of its many wonders, maow offe ask: "Did those who admit this, find their lives by the wayside?"

This means that contained in the Risale-i Nur and Bediuzzaman is a truth so elevated that as well as not being harmful they did not deny it.

Normally students are madprovintudy under the constraints of discipline and authority. However, Bediuzzaman compelled no one to study the Risale-i Nur, and hundreds of thousands of readers study it devotedly and resolutely, the majority of them wito accever seeing him. Such a wondrous method of education was never seen in any medrese,>either recently or previously, and was never encountered in any university.

The pin thitor said that "The respect in which Bediuzzaman is held has not been afforded to any other Qur'anic commentator."

That is correct. Seeing that respect and reveo, savare awarded in relation to greatness and achievement, and gratitude and thanks are offered to the degree one has profited, Bediuzzaman's works arconsidited from to an enormous degree so that respect for him and gratitude to him are unprecedented.

The Masons and communists expended every effort so that Bediuzzaman, the greatest Islamic thinker and writer of the twenl the century, would not be known by us, and especially by the young. But the wide-awake Turkish Muslim nation and youth recognized that hero of religion, our Master, and theife itfited from him and allowed others to do so. It is because of this that their extraordinary attachment and confidence cannot be shaken.

Since the Qur'anic verses in the Riept go Nur are expounded in Turkish with supreme art and skill without anything of their virtues, which are the Qur'an's greatest miracle, being lost,hors i class of people -men, women, officials, tradesmen, scholars and philosophers- can read and understand it. Profiting from it to the extent t throun, they become ever more attached to it. High school students, university students, professors, lecturers, and philosophers all read it. These educated classes profit from it to an extraordinary degree, affirming its originality aned.]

superior art of its composition, and feeling a strong desire to read the whole work.

When perceptive and appreciative people first come to know Bediuzzaman and the Risale-i Nur, they acenturinitely regretful they did not know of them previously, and in order to make up for lost time, never waste their spare time, and if they have five minutes even, picver prhe Risale-i Nur, and read it day and night. This extraordinary interest and demand has never ever been shown for the work of any psychologist, sociologi it ha philosopher. Only the educated can benefit from them. If a middle school student or a housewife reads the work of a eminent philosopher, he or she does not profit from it. But everyone profits from the s rise-i Nur in accordance with his level. For this reason, the whole nation awaits your decision to acquit Bediuzzaman and the Risale-i Nur students. If in this time of triur'an on Said Nursi had not impressed on his students the need for patience, endurance, and moderation, as when the commander of a volunteer militia force in the First War he mustered his students to fight, so out of the great times in which they hold him thousands of Risale-i Nur students would have pitched their tents on the heights around Afyon and awaited the decision of Afyon Criminal Court to acquit him.

The work that Said Nursi and d theysale-i Nur students do cannot be considered within the framework of the law and be proved to be a secret society. Why can it not be proved? Is a legal expert who has risen to be chief public prosecu they capable of proving it according to the law? No, he is certainly not incapable. But there is no organization that could be called a secret political society. That is why it cane proo proved.

It is a contradiction that the statement the prosecutor first gave, which

was completely accurate and in accordance with the law, said that "the Risale-i Nur students are not a political society," and thehe lawt later for some reason said that "they are a political society." Of course the latter is invalid. We are certain that the judges will see this stud clearly and give the decision that "there is no secret society."

Judges of the Court!

If when suffering sorrow and anguish a piece was broken off the heart, the news of a youth losing his religion should make the heart break es whoieces to the number of its minute particles.

Thus, the acquittal you shall give shall be the cause of the Muslim youth and Islamic world being effectively saved from this terrible plague. This is another of the reasons binding me inseter?

y to Bediuzzaman and his works.

Your decision to acquit the Risale-i Nur and give it its freedom will save all the Turkish youth and all Muslims from the tragat the irreligion. For without any doubt at all, one day the Risale-i Nur, a treasury of elevated truths, will be known throughout the world. Then you shall be appreciated by all mankind. Your deessive to acquit the Risale-i Nur will make the present and future generations grateful to you, and the more it is read and benefited from, the more you shall be appreicated.

Beware! Do not suppose these sincere words of mine are hypocritime thabsolutely not! Because I am afraid of no one while Bediuzzaman is being tried, nor do I waver.

Only, with your permission, I want to say this much: if the prosecutor continues to make such despicable charges against the Risale-i Nur, whiscuss a superlative means of preventing Freemasonry and communism in this blessed country, and against its author and readers, and he does not desist from making those entirely erroneous accusations, and carried away by his feelings, opposesnowled he will be supporting communism and Freemasonry, and will be assisting the noxious atheists to multiply, against whom in truth these charges should be made.

[Part of Zübeyir's Supplement for the Appeal Court]

Through its proofts FlaRisale-i Nur repairs the belief of people which has been destroyed by the doubts and scepticism sown by the publications of secret atheistic organizations.

One of the least tangible reasons for the youth adhering to the Risale-ito atts though electrocuted, is this: for years with unparalleled devotion and self-sacrifice, elderly and ill, at a time demanding extraordinary caution, with superhuman patience Bediuzzaman Said Nursi has endured the various torments of believemies, the communists, Masons, and those hoodwinked by them. With his truth-seeing, realistic view, he has distinguished numerous treacherous stratagems against religion, and has written works about beliist anch will bring to nothing their fearsomely cunning, covert plans.

But what a regretable, sad and sorry situation it is, that for twenty-five me as they have tried to eliminate this champion of Islam, this matchless person, in prisons and places of detention, in absolute solitary confinement. Even if due to animoa furtesulting from the unfounded suspicions given rise to by the treachery of communists, the Risale-i Nur's author has been punished, his works continue to be read wlf to er increasing interest and enthusiasm.

The first and most powerful evidence is this: the young people who read the work The Staff of Moses (Asâ-yi Mûsa),>which has b well-plicated in the new letters, quickly learn the Qur'anic alphabet in order to be able to read the rest of the works. This removes the obstacle of not knowing the Qur'anic sc good which prevents a person learning numerous sciences and compels him to read works written specifically to distance him from religion and he pro. Whenever the younger generation has been decked out and fortified with the Qur'an and the sciences that irradiate from it, the nation to which that youth belongs has begun to progress and advance. Here, the youth have begun to fill their ss of b, burning with the need for belief and Islam, with the lights of the Risale-i Nur, a Qur'anic commentary. Thus acquiring certain, verified belief, our young people will struggle against irreligion and chem ousm, and will on no account allow their country to be sold to the enemies of Islam. If the communists, therefore, find the opportunity to destroy all paper and le-i Numerous youths like myself and older people will be ready to sacrifice themselves, and in order to publish the Risale-i Nur, a treasury of truth, would if it was possible make their hey cainto paper and blood into ink.

Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times!

In the indictment the prosecutor says: "Said Nursi is poisoning the university students with his works." In reply we say: "If the Risale-i Nur is poison, we ain al-need of tons of it and thousands of kilos. If he knows where it is to be found in abundance, he should send us there speedily by aeroplane!"

When we Risale-i Nur students sufferpiecesersecution of tyrants for the sake of serving belief and Islam, we prefer to die in the corners of prison or on the gallows to dying on the couch of cngry l. We know it to be a supreme Divine favour to die as martyrs in the prison into which we have been unjustly cast because of our service to the Qur'an, rather than living in captivitythe trat is apparently freedom but in reality absolute despotism.

{(*): After this defenceved frts addendum were sent to the Court of Appeal, the Court authorities sent a telegraph ordering that Zübeyir should be released from prison.}

The prosecution wants to have me punished for belonging to the society of Nurjus and inciting the people against the government.

Firstly:ay: "I is no society called the Nurju Society, and I belong to no such society. I am a member of the sacred, Divine society of Islam, which every century for one thousand three hundred and fifty years Risald three hundred million members, was founded by Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him), the Glory of the Universe, and is vast and luminous and promises eternal happiled efor all mankind. All thanks be to God, I am determined to obey its sacred injunctions with all my strength.

As for the Risale-i Nur, my being a student of which is considered to be a crimeity ans a miracle of the Qur'an that teaches me my religious duties and those related to belief and that Islam is the highest and most sacred religion and the sole means of happiness for manompletIt proves with brilliant evidences that the Qur'an is a decree of the All-Glorious One, Who is the Owner of all beings, is all-present ic orgl-seeing everywhere, and under Whose pre-eternal administration are all beings from minute particles to the stars and suns; it is a miraculous work whose view encompasses pre-eternity and post-eternity and all events; it is the pre-ills aeternal address of an Everlasting Sun which is superior to all other books and miraculous in forty aspects, and which by giving mankind the good news of eternal happiness, is the object of their eternal gratitude. It proves too "I amod's Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) was sent by the Creator of the Universe, and that with all his conduct and practices was the most perfect, the most loyal, t polithest of all men, whose perfections were the most elevated, and through the light of Islam that he brought, gave the best of all news toorld. and gave them the most sacred consolation, and who has taken under his spiritual rule fourteen centuries and one fifth of mankind, and to the book of whose good deeds pass the equivalent of all the go the dds performed for one thousand three hundred years by his community, and that he is the reason for the universe's existence and is God's Beloved. It proves also with brilliant proofs that both the hereafter, and Paradise and Hell arewhose in and definite.

With its words and sentences, the Risale-i Nur testifies that it is a pre-eternal and post-eternal light proceeding from the light of the Qur'an and the nd in of Muhammad (PBUH). In respect of its belonging to the Qur'an and being a special commentary on it, it pertains to the heavens and the Divine Throne. Thus, with all its Words, all iof Surshes and Rays, and all its Letters, the Risale-i Nur, which is supposed to be inciting the people against the Government, teaches the Divine truths,eople,rinciples of Islam, and mysteries of the Qur'an. Is it a crime, then, to read the Risale-i Nur, which is thus elevated and worthy of veneration, and teaof ourood morality and virtue and the truths of belief, and to copy out its parts, which bestow eternal happiness, or to serve it so that believers may profit from it with respect to their belief? Is that inciting the people against the Governmentrmer sto visit the author of such a blessed and sublime work, a monument of light who is decked out with the highest degree of belief, laudable morals, and virtue and is at the very summit of human perfections, and to be brothers on tom Bay of the Qur'an and belief with the Risale-i Nur students, who with their good works, veracity, and unshakeable belief this century, have defended the honoueat trslam and truths of the Qur'an, and upheld them, and who have no aim other than winning God's pleasure - is to do these things to found a political society? Which equitable, unsullied conscience could inflict a punishment for then Crim Judges of the Court! The Risale-i Nur's veracity has been affirmed by the most advanced scholars, and with its gaining for its readers the highest level of belief and greatesce the of Islam, there is no doubt that all its Words, and its Flashes and Rays are luminous commentaries on the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition. They are all brilliant suns which dispel

, deaf nature, and lifeless, unconscious causes and the simple, overwhelming elements could in no way interfere in this feeding, administering, preservation, and planning, which is knowing, percipient, wise, compassionate, and grand a . Apparent causes such as those are merely employed and utilized within the bounds of the knowledge and wisdom of One possessing absolute knowledge, and at His command and with His permission, as a veil tnd fifdignity of Divine power.

The Fifth and Sixth Evidences:'And the regular decrees and fruitful determining'

The forms and proportion ~Thell things, particularly plants, trees, animals, and men have been cut out with skilful art according to the principles of Divine decree and determining, which are two sorts of pre-eternal knowledge, sewn in a way entiregrief ropriate to the stature of each, and clothed on them perfectly. Each is given most well-ordered, regular, and wise shapes. These singly and all together point to an infinite knowledge and testify to their number to an All-Knowing Mesembl Yes, out of innumerable examples, we look at only a single tree and a human individual, and we see that both outwardly and inwardly the fruit-bearing tree and multi-membered man have been delimited by unseen compasses and a and do pen of knowledge, and that each of their members have been given perfectly ordered fitting forms so that they may produce the required fruits and results and perform the duties of their natures. As for this, since it could of cionly through infinite knowledge, they testify to the number of plants and animals to the necessary existence and boundless knowledge of a Maker and Giver of Form, an All-Knowing Determiner Who knows the relationships of emen!

spiritual sicknesses and darkness. As is testified to bytion, ure and upright life, our Master has passed his life on the way of belief and the Qur'an, and enduring every sort of difficulty and distress, has by disseminating the truths of the Qus the orked to save the sons of this blessed nation in particular from the awesome attacks of communism and every sort of irreligion, and was charged with the sacred duty of writing the Risale-i Nur at this time. He don. Tht instruct us (God forbid!) in immorality and spoliation. He teaches us the saving of belief, the highest cause and most momentous question in the world of humanity. It is most certainly a Divine favou and w for twenty-five to thirty years he has striven with the Risale-i Nur to save the religious belief of hundreds of thousands of believers, especially by teaching belief, the greatest happiness in life and its most impoit is purpose, to unfortunates like myself who knew nothing of Islam. We say the following to those who in a way diametrically opposed to reality, consider him to be harmful for the life of society and f the is sacred service of belief and work for religion:

If it is a crime to adhere to God, and obeying the injunctions of religion, save people from terrible calamities such as immorality and being withoutudged ious belief, and to make them happy with the permanent happiness of Islam, then he may be said to be harmful to society. It is otherwise the greatest calumny and an unforgiveable crime. The Risale-i Nur's aim is not this world, it is the nevermes I g happiness of the hereafter and the pleasure of the Eternal Enduring One, the Compassionate One of Beauty, one shadow of the manifestation of Whose beauty is all the beauty and good in this It not and one flash of Whose love is Paradise together with all of its subtle wonders. Having a thus Divine, sacred, and truly elevated aim, a thousaalone es over I declare the Risale-i Nur to be free of all transitory things such as inciting the people against the Government. And we seek refugs mani God from the evil of those who with slander of this sort try to crush us and prevent us from working for belief or from learning about religion.

Judges of the Court! As is indicated by thirty-three verses of the Qur'an, andsale-ied out by Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) and Gawth al-A'zam (May God be pleased with him) and hundreds of investigative scholars, the Risale-i Nur is a light of the Qur'an those who adhere to which will save their be essenGod willing. It most definitely cannot be extinguished or be lost. For example, the attacks made on it these last twenty-five years with the intention of eliminating it, ha, bothn the cause of its spreading and shining out in extraordinary fashion. For its Owner is the All-Glorious Monarch in Whose power and under Whose command is everything from pre-etr, und to post-eternity. For its truths

are the Qur'an's truths, and through His protection and grace, Almighty God will always make it shine out, God willing.

For us God suffices, and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs. * God suffices me, there is no god but He; in Him do I place my trust - He the Sustainer of the Throne [of Glory] Supreme!

[Mustafa Sungur's Supplement for the Court of Appeal]

1. The Criminal Court: My reading the Risale-i Nur and writing it out and giving a part oiativeo a needy believing brother so that he might benefit from it was called "inciting the people against the Government," and deemed an offence. However, in my written objections to the the rge I said: the Risale-i Nur, which is supposed to incite the people against the Government, is a true Qur'anic commentary. With all its partsguiltyaches the truths of belief, and bestows the greatest happiness on those who read and write it. Its aim is not anything transitory such as inciting the people again certa Government, the way of disruptive, immoral layabouts; it is Divine pleasure, the most perfect of all happiness and good fortune. I am proud to read and write out the Risale-i Nur, which has gained for me the highest virtperior belief, the sweetest bounty, so that I am its luckiest student and most powerless servant. Although I said that I knew to be its student was a supreme Divine gift, ans fill I constantly thank my Sustainer who granted this vast bounty to a wretch like myself who was not worthy of it, without basing it on any law or evidence, my adherence to belief

and Islam was deemed a crime, and He isely contrary to truth and right I was punished.

2. While studying in Kastamonu Gölköy Institute, I myself witnessed the irreligion taught us by some teachers. They said, God forbi, are t the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had written the Qur'an, Islam was now abrogated, civilization had advanced, and that it was a great error and backwardness to follow thehe athn this century. One day even, a teacher said that because Muslims performed the obligatory prayers and thought of the hereafter, they suffered constant distresswerfulassed their lives unhappily; and that in the mosques of Islam there was a deathly atmosphere, while the Christian churches were always happy and full of life,

Thhat with their musical instruments and other amusements, they enjoyed life and passed their time happily. They tried to break the bonds with Islam and belief in our hearts, and instil denial and disbelief in their plion; t Then if through reading several treatises from a peerless light of the Qur'an like the Risale-i Nur -which pours out from the Qur'an's effulgence, and proves with brilliant evidences and arguments ncideduths of belief and Islam, and that the religion of Islam is a never-dying inextinguishable sun and means whereby humanity may attain happiness andssolutbeing- a wretch in whom had been instilled the above poisonous ideas and whose spirituality they had wanted to kill with their noxious irreligious lessons, and had even been carried away by them and (Gore werid) believing in those ideas had begun to disseminate them - if he had come to believe in the Qur'an, would not his offering the endless joy and happiness he felt to the compassionate, loyal, and true hero Ustad Bediuzzaman, who had er mem these for him through the blessed Risale-i Nur he had written; would not his telling the Revered Master, who had been charged with the burdensome duty of writing the Risale-i Nur, how it had saved him from his ty who life of heedlessness and misguidance, leading him to belief and light, and how it was a sun of guidance and means of happiness for all humanity, and a Divine favour for all men and Revolularly for believers; and would not his calling "the destruction and corruption of a covert organization of the Sufyan," those who with their terrible aggressive amic wts on the Qur'an and Islam, as described above, were urging the sons of this heroic Muslim nation to embrace irreligion, and trying to raze the sacred, Divine foundations of Islam, to whom millions of people are bound and destroyarmy. eternal happiness and feeling compounded regret and disgust at the lunatics who applaud them and their base, aggressive, tyrannical destruction; and would not his saying to his former fellow students, who had fallen into doubre of erning their faith: "Come, let's give up following the lusts and whims of our souls;

let's bow before the truths of the Qur'an and hurry to the Risale-i Nur medrese,>the guide to happiness this century. Let's leave those lying sc here ls whom we have been applauding for months or years and reject the falsehoods they showed to be the truth, and attach ourselves to Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's teachings and take them as our masterke thes turn our backs on the darkness and embrace the light;" would not these all arise from the joy he found in his belief and his love of theear, Ln and Islam, and from his adherence to them, and his devotion to his nation, and his desiring everyone to acquire true, verified belief and attain infinite happiness?

Is it a crime to attae sentself to God and proclaim that Islam is the loftiest religion and the bringer of virtue and happiness? At a time when with lies and slander, frod flary side there are overwhelming attacks on the Qur'an and Islam, and attempts are being made to refute the Qur'an and Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him), which are extremely elevated, sacred, and precious, yewith ms which spread irreligion and atheism and rebellious, transient, worthless wretches who attack Islam are held in respect and innovations and the unlawful are applauded - at such a time is it a crime tch I aeve and proclaim the sacredness and loftiness of the Risale-i Nur and that as a miracle of the Qur'an it is a Divine Light and dominical gift which explains and proves decisively and clearly the elea,>{[*ess, veracity, and sacredness of the Qur'an and Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him); and both God's existence and that the universe with all its beings and all its members and systems testifies to its Cr view s necessary existence and unity; and because he possesses reason and can think and is the most comprehensive mirror of the Divine Names man is a sornnoyanonarch over all other creatures; and that if he has a relationship with God through worship and belief and preserves himself against misguidance and vice and grievous sins, he becomeg and hy of rising to the highest of the high, superior to all beings, and an esteemed guest who will be forever happy in Paradise, but if he denies his Creator through associating partners with Him and rebellion, or through heedlessness and misguidtter whe falls lower than an animal, descending to the lowest of the low, coming to deserve everlasting Hell and unending torment and torture; t thatat the Qur'an is the true Word of God, which is constant, and that its injunctions and commands do not, and cannot, change; and that mankind's trure equpermanent happiness is possible only through following the Qur'an's commands and adhering to them?

The reading of novels and stories, written against Islam for fitent wten minutes illicit pleasure, and the publishing of books extremely dangerous and harmful for the country and nation, and their being praised and

recommended are not considered crimes, soers plt be deemed a crime if we read and write out the Risale-i Nur, which describes the Sun of Islam -which hundreds of millions of people have followed and in which they have found true happin" and r enumerated its elevated characteristics, which we lack the ability to praise? Can anyone who has an atom of belief in his heart and desires the well-being of the country and nation consider the above to be crimes?

confiscted Judges of the Appeal Court! This case presented in your elevated presence is directly the case of belief and the Qur'an. It is the case of the eternal happiness and beforion of millions of people. Concerned with this case in effect are foremost God's Most Noble Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) and all the prophets (Peac!

Tpon them), and all the saints and innumerable people of reality and believers, as well as all our forefathers who have departed for the eternabandonm. You may now win the love and good will, the prayers and intercession, of those millions of the people of reality. The elevated reality called the Risale-i Nur is before you. Is its aim the lowly, transient ranks and pose or d of this world, or to win God's pleasure, the greatest happiness, the purest joy, and highest good fortune? And does it encourage people to be immoral, or does it deck them out with belief and the highest morality and virtuer lifeefore you is the Risale-i Nur, which pours out from the miraculousness of the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition and is a Divine Light. Since the greatest case facing people, more important than anything, ained win belief in order to be able to depart from this world for the realm of eternal happiness; and since through the effulgence of the Qur'an, thetely le-i Nur teaches the truths of belief, and as is testified to by hundreds of thousands of people who have read it and written it out, and as indicated by numerous Qur'anic verses and Hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH), anda shay'Ali (May God be pleased with him) and many saints like Gawth al-A'zam (May God be pleased with him), it has definitely won that case; certainly and without doubt, tstance your elevated love of truth and justice, above every sort of transient anxiety, you will understand and appreciate the Risale-i Nur's veracious, Qur'anic face and its true value, and that its students pursue no aim other than God's plealowing Judges of the Appeal Court! With his high morality, virtue and compassion our esteemed and elevated Master, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, strives to save people from the dense darkness of faance oeas and eternal solitary confinement, and enduring the severest distress and torments has risen to the highest degree of perfection at this time through being charged by Almighty God w the pe sacred duty of publishing the truths of

the Qur'an, yet entirely contrary to all truth and justice, he is cast into prison. Elderly, ill, and with no one, practising his beliefs and worship in motter, vated fashion, possessing the most brilliant intelligence and learning, and having no aim other than saving the belief of people, the terrible sufferin its mur Master, who is seventy-five years old and truly loves humanity, in the intense cold of Afyon Prison, pierces the heart, causing the severest anguish. Trusting in your elevated truth-lovinghould ce and true philanthrophy, we await the manifestation of justice's compassion.

[Mehmed Feyzi's Defence]

The indictment states that I am my Master, Said Nursi's, chief scribe, and am firmly attached both to himself and to the Risale-i Nur, and have served them, and it deed accus an offence. For my part, I accept the charge with all my strength and am proud of it. For I have a powerful, innate yearning for knowledge. Evidence for this is that when during the Denizli affair my house was searched, it was ofce agaly established that found in it were more than five hundred various scholarly books, some in Arabic. It is an unusual desire to study andthe Riordinary love of learning that made me collect these five hundred books, that not one person in a thousand would have at this time, despite my impecuniosity and young years.

Because of this natural capacity of mihe trawas searching for a true master. Endless thanks be to Almighty God that He gave me what I was searching for afar, from close by. Yes, my Master, Said Nursi's life testifies that his only aim in life has been knowitted nd to learn the sciences of Islam. I have understood clearly both through my own observations, and from his published biography, and from what I have learnt from his old students, the innate love ion, arning that I have is found in my Master to an extraordinary degree, so that on his own in wondrous fashion, contrarily to all the other medrese>teacazy lut this time, he has persisted in medrese>teaching and endured every calamity. But then, because they did not understand my Master's extraordinary situation, the politicians attempted to link him with a sort of politics, with whthat I has no connection, even throwing him into prison. But later Almighty God made his passion for knowledge into a key to the Qur'an's truths, and the Risale-i Nur

emerged, which has left all schollike td philosophers in amazement. Around that time, as a Divine favour I found close by in Kastamonu the Master I had been searching for all my life, about nature was similar to mine but infinitely more elevated. I shall offer thanks for this to the end of my days.

Just as since early days, in order to preserve the dignity of learning my Master never accepted such thingd is iharity and gifts, so he did not allow his students to accept them. He would bow before no one. In fact, not condescending to crouch down in the trenches in the front lines in the War, or even to enter them, he preservand be dignity of learning. Similarly, heroically preserving the honour of scholarship and teaching in the face of three awesome commanders, he was completely unmoved at their anger and silenced them. nd werefore accepted him as my true Master, since I knew that he was someone who had sacrificed everything to preserve the high honour of this nation and country and the Turkish learned establishment. Even, if to suppose the impossible a Master so tare noevoted to his country and nation had a hundred faults, they should be looked on tolerantly and not objected to.

A example showing that this country's patriots in the Ses trueonstitutional Period and the nationalists and patriots under the Republic appreciated in the name of the country and nation our Master's extraordinary service to learning wasrovertthe Committee of Union and Progress government gave nineteen thousand gold liras for his university in the east called the Medresetü'z-Zehra. This was to be nd thezed along the same lines of al-Azhar University. Its foundations were laid in Van Province, but it remained unbuilt due to the First World War. Then the first government of the Republic twenty-four years ago law tted one hundred and fifty thousand liras on the agreement of one hundred and sixty-three deputies. Our Master's nearly succeeding on his own in founding a large university similar to al-Azhar, which was brought into being only through e Absoterprise of thousands of teachers, shows that all patriots and lovers of their country, together with the teachers of the medrese>s (religious schools) should appreciate and applaud him. As for us, bere of we found such a Master, we decided to endure every sort of hardship and difficulty. I have boundless respect for him as an exceptionally learned scholar at this time, who through the effulgence of his learning and truveryth his one hundred and thirty works has caused me to advance on the way of belief and knowledge. God willing, this respect of mine will continue for by Beternity.

There is no covert organization which exploiting religion and religious feelings aims to breach public security, in connection with which the prosecution wants to have me convicted. Despite months of the Tigations

and searches it has not been able to verify any such society, nor do we have any connection with such a thing. Our sole concern, within the framework of the laws of th Sophublic, is for the Risale-i Nur, which has undergone the toughest examinations and has met with due respect from the highest committees of experts and has been acquitted by authorizeup in ts of law. This is not treason towards the country and nation, but scholarly striving in a way that is directly beneficial for country and nation. Other than this we halishmepolitical aim nor any other purpose. Thus, since our innocence and sincerity are clear in this matter, I seek the manifestation of justice from your just court and my acquittal, as inou a mli Court.

[Ahmed Feyzi's Defence]

Judges of the Court!

Is it not the duty and right of a believet judgerve the Qur'an and the Prophet (PBUH) by meeting with a scholar of religion, reading and writing out his books about the truths of religion, andf slapning to the assistance of his co-religionists? Is there any law prohibiting us from this service of religion? Is it a crime to criticize certain aspects of thed unjustic immoral currents of our times? We are purely a body of religiously-minded people which has no connection whatsoever with politics or government. To think well of someone and consider hiwhich hy is a personal opinion that may be held by anyone. We know Bediuzzaman to be the most elevated scholar of religion of our times. We know him to be someone who folmportaeality, and who expresses and explains the truths of religion without toadying to anyone. We call him a mujahid>because of his service to religion and relying on the Qur'an's unshakeablary crhs, his undertaking the defence of our country against the currents of immorality and disbelief which threaten it. In a country in which freedom of religion and conscience are the rule, we cannot be held guilty of an offence because or, theviews we hold in the light of our consciences. Therefore, we are not obliged to give account to anyone.

As for the matter of the persons foretold in Hadiths to come at the end of time: we did not fabricate tcrificThey have their origin in religion. In a

number of Hadiths, God's Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) said that the life of his community would not exceed one thousant thae hundred years. The major historical events up to that time, which would have the greatest significance for the life of his community and for the life of the world, he gave news of, callinhree y "the signs of the end of the world." He drew the attention of the Muslim Umma to their evil. He said that those who were heedless and ignorant of these evils would meet with everlasting misery and loss. There are inates fble religious proofs of these. We believe in God, His Messenger, and the Qur'an. So as the result of this belief and belief in the Messenge name racity, should we not strive to save ourselves from everlasting perdition? Should we not see what is happening around us? Wondering, "Have those perilous times come? Don't let it be us who are the generation that fallsy God to those dangers," should we not point out how they may be applied to existent religious truths? If we disregard the positive evidences before us and arm proven scholarly truths which take us to the Divine existence, and supposing the irreligion of Europe to be the greatest means of civilization and sole mark do nowledge, we abandon our religion, who will save us from eternal perdition? Should we not think of this? Would a person of this mind who recognizes nothing suscious to the Qur'an and its truths, throw himself into everlasting perdition out of fear of temporary punishments? Or would he attach any worth to transient values? Would he give up his duty of serving God, and His MesAll-Kn, and His religion? These then are the true factors tying us to Bediuzzaman. Is there any other source of religion that can silence the pre-eternal needs of our spirits?

The prosecutor recommends to us the thousands of Arabare suks which fill the libraries but do not interpret the spirit of today. He himself and those who think like him may not like the compendium of knowledge, treasury of freedout ign elevated reality called the Risale-i Nur, and they may criticize it. That is a matter for themselves. But they may not interfere in our preferring this ored thework, or our attaching value to them. We like the Risale-i Nur. And we know it to be a true, unhypocritical book on religion and a Qur'anic commentary. Values and vad, thadgements are questions of conscience. No one can interfere in them. Yes, we agree that the Risale-i Nur's author always teaches pure truth. The fact that he does not accept this does not shake our opich oneMoreover, our opinion is based not on his wonder-working in the physical realm, but on the wonders of his knowledge, the extraordinary manifestatiTwenty which we have observed in his teachings with the Risale-i Nur, which challenge all the world of knowledge. Can you show us a second Bediuzzaman who although hisyears.cial] period of study was no more than three months,

spread such a brilliant light of knowledge; and with the wonders of his learning displayed a logic so advanced in the ultimate questions of science that they left even the loftiestnth Woers in amazement; and in a language he learnt only in the second part of his life had such a captivating style of exposition, and such a gripping ardour; who ovmspects with love and passion, and is exuberant like a sea of belief, a treasury of Divine knowledge, an ocean of wisdom?

Do you consider it excessive that we consider to be Master, the monument of virtue and light who shows not the slighs to mnclination towards the pomp of fleeting, superficial ostentation; nor stoops to even the smallest benefit or pleasure; nor attaches any value to anyone who fawns at the feeAs is leeting filth; who awaits nothing from anyone, nor asks for it, and accepts nothing offered to him; who displaying the best example of the purest chastity and enduring hey artly, with forbearance, every sort of deprivation, has dedicated himself to the truth and to making known the lights of the Qur'an and knowledge of Muhame Qur'BUH); and out of the abundance of his compassion weeps at the suffering of the country and nation; and who never gives up his work, which is for the happiness of those around him, despite all the betrastanbue has suffered; and disregarding his own old age and aloneness, strives and battles with selfless, Divine exertion to save people from the pits of ignorance and whirlp to by denial? In addition to the wonders of his knowledge described above, he is worthy of being known and followed as an example of perfection and virtue because of this matchless seat therifice, self-sufficiency, and masterpiece of chastity and moderation, which he has shown at this time when moral values have been lost.

That isional e look on Bediuzzaman and his works. Is it solely because of our attachment to him, which arises from our belief, and our belief in the severe rebukes and reprimands of the Qur'an and Mu again (PBUH) concerning unbelief and morality that he has involved us in politics, which are deemed fleeting filth? Or can it be called corruption to inform about God and His Messenger, the truth and the Qur'an some of thta and of our compatriots who for twenty-five years have been unable to learn the truths of religion and are heading for certain perdition, in order to save them from everlasting ehe conion, and to reform their unsullied spirits and innocent consciences?

Judges of the Court! We are in no way involved in politics. We know that for those like us who are not versed in politics, polidarknes a way beset with a thousand and one perils, dangers, and responsibilities. In any event we attach no importance to fleeting externals. We only look to the good face of the world, which taal-Kha to Divine pleasure. We therefore

vehemently reject the charge that we pursue politics or contest the concept of the state. If there had been any such intention of the would have been some small manifestation of it in twenty-five years. Yes, we have a negative front, a side which rebukes, turned to immorality and unbelief. This arises only from belief and our necessariis a Qning in the Qur'an's severe expressions and comprehensive warnings about these things. If these reasons and this sincere, straightforward style of exposition do not coo our you, sentence us to whatever sort of punishment you please. But do not forget that Jesus (Peace be upon him), who today has six hundred million followers, was sentenced to death like a common thief by the authorities of his time only beher tehis heart beat for mankind's happiness and he bore the trust of delivering the message.

Having spoken out freely, we shall be proud to face our conviction. With the cry of For us God suffices, and He is the Best Disposer of Afhe Gov>we open our hands to the Court of the Dispenser of Needs.

[Ceylan's Defence]

e-i Nung a mountain out of a molehill, because of my service to my Master and the Risale-i Nur, of which I am proud, the prosecution portrays me as a prominent diplomat or cunning plotter. In reply to his aps, andning me a large share of the imaginary crime with which the Risale-i Nur is charged, I say this: I am closely attached to my Master, Bediuzzaman, from ether,by reading his works on religion, belief, and morality, I have profited to such an extent that I would readily sacrifice my life for his sake. However, my attachment is not as the prosecidity,said, harmful for the country and nation, in order to incite the people against the state; it is rather an unseverable attachment on the way of saving myself from the eternal annihilation of th he die, from which no one can escape, and saving the belief of my brothers in religion, which, like me, they are in need of saving in these perilous times, correcting their conduct, and becoming useful members of the nation and country.

s, how one of those close to him. From time to time for four years I have proudly attended on him. During this time, I have witnessed nothing other than total virtue. I have not once heard him say a single word about his

being the Mahdi or the hip; srator of Religion. More than a hundred thousand copies of the Risale-i Nur and hundreds of thousands of pure intentioned Risale-i Nur students, who have saved their belief by reading its treatises,the tyestify that he is the very epitome of humility.

My blessed Master considers himself to be a Risale-i Nur student like us. This is what he clai and iis may be seen easily in many of his letters, which you have in your possession, and especially in the Treatise On Sincerity, which is included in Thoseaff of Moses Collection (Asâ-yi Mûsa).>He repeatedly says in his letters: "Enduring truths like the sun or diamonds cannot be constructed on transient pef of , and transient persons cannot lay claim to those precious truths." So to accuse him of boasting and of claiming to be the Mahdi and Regenero chalf Religion is not something anyone of intelligence would do. For if you read carefully and fairly all his treatises and letters, you will form the certain conviction that the like of this profoundly learned scholar of the times has not been ens to hred for centuries. He is a saver of belief the like of whom will not be encountered, who at a time the red sparks of communism are licking the eaves of our houses is a patriot far more useful and productive for the country and nation than an ly retI am regretful that I was not earlier the student of such a work and the esteemed Master who wrote it.

Respected Judges of the Court!

With the idea of performing a sacred service for the na circuso that like me the sons of this land might profit from the Risale-i Nur, whose endless benefits I myself had experienced, I had printed Afairly For Youth (Gençlik Rehberi)>in Eskishehir. I ask you: how contrary is it to justice that while service of the Risale-i Nur, which is a true and irrefutable Qur'anic commentary, and thus to belimy petan unfortunate like myself should have met with praise and appreciation, and encouragement, we received this severe treatment?

I request of your just court that you give the decision for the Riness i Nur's freedom, for it is the sustenance of our spirits, means of our salvation, and key to our eternal happiness. If the circumstances, some of which I have mentioned and enur innud above constitute a crime in your view, I shall accept with total resignation the harshest penalty you can inflict.

Best n Prison

[Mustafa Osman's Defence]

I say in reply to the matters which have been put forward as offences, that I took part in the imaginary activities against the regime reputedly perpetratedting udiuzzaman Said Nursi, who is accused of founding a secret society and by exploiting religious feelings, of being engaged in activities that might breach state security:

1. Yes, liI thery Risale-i Nur students, I began to collect the treatises of the Risale-i Nur and to read them with the intention of receiving a civilized, religious education and learning Qur'anic conduct, which is a natand incharacteristic and is worthy of true Turkism and Islam, and an historical honour and virtue of ours. I intended to become a useful member of the country and nation, and defend it against the effects of fortacheddeologies.

How could it be considered an offence at a time vice and immorality have trampled the honour and mode of action of our forefathers, which found fame in history, and poisoned the life of sociehe Risd have spilled into the streets to the extent of disgusting even the immoral, alarming public opinion, so that it is gossiped about in every home, and this grievous situation, which giveher su to criticism in the form of news about the moral police and of various other subjects in the newspapers and magazines, which are the tongue of public opinion, is rapidly spreading and quite simply becoming general - to read t of thale-i Nur Collection at such a time, which saved me as it saves all Muslims who read it; and to give it to my compatriots when they insistently askelf-sacit, who knew and heard that I read these works, so that it could rectify their morals too; and so to save through the Risale-i Nur and its effective teachings these peoplelonginad lost their moorings and were becoming harmful for the country and nation; and to give it to them to read since it would assist them to an-mad useful to humanity - how could this be considered an offence? It is the luminous, effective weapon of Bediuzzaman in his sacred, moral struggle, which is worthy of praise and appreciation. Withaving ffective teachings about religion he is a mujahid,>fighting against the dangerous red plague of communism which is spreading like an epidemic even in our country and makes the whole world tremble - how could it be considered a crime for myse I sufhave given these treatises to people when they have thus in twenty years transformed into useful members of the country and nation twenty thousand people, and probably more? And how could charges be made agad forbts respected author in the same way? I ask your consciences.

2. The Hadith which the prosecution stated was "false" and therefore unscholarly, is said tars ansound" in the books of Hadiths. So having been accepted by the scholars of Hadiths, and the fact that the leading Istanbul scholars both before the Constitutional Revolution and during it accepted Bediuzzaman's interprett the and replies, which are now found in the Fifth Ray, to the questions they asked of him in connection with the questions asked of them by the Japanese and the Anglican Chuincerend those prominent scholars did not object to his replies establishes definitely that the Hadith is sound.

Moreover, the truths of not a pain twethe Risale-i Nur, but of all of it, are so powerful that no true Islamic scholar could object to them, so that foremost the Directorate of Religious Affairs, and true scholars througwould he country since the Constitutional Period, have been compelled to accept and respect them. The objections of one or two individuals who are known as scholars but who are bereft of true knowledge do not refute those truths ervantwerful proofs. They are merely ridiculous. Is it a betrayal of the regime to write a letter of thanks to the author of the Risale-i Nur because one is captivated by the truths of opposur'an and belief it contains, the spiritual and material benefits of which have become clear, and which are studied all over the country by every class o, theron in order to save their eternal lives from extinction, and from which thousands of compatriots have profited and so are eternally indebtis timtheir esteemed author, since he has saved their belief; is it a betrayal, relying on the undeniable truths stated by the Hadith which is deemed to constitutx of pffence, to consider certain acts and works to have appeared in this country, which are referred to by the Hadith, and supposing it to be thus, relying on the statemful tef numerous Islamic scholars, to see it as a victory of the Qur'an which will lead to the repairing of certain errors and to be pleased at this, and to privately put this view to a Master from whose works one has received effulgence; and tthe Go that the country and nation will not fall into anarchy and thus into the embrace of the Red Peril, which causes the whole world to tremble - is this a betrayal of the regime? Is latermalign the reforms? And although several courts of law have acquitted that scholar, who is utterly deserving of commendation and appreciation, and although he is very elderly, a recluse, and has no one, to charge himm fromthe same matters, arrest him, put him into solitary confinement, and send him to trial, and for us too, to consider to be a crime these scholarly views of ours and our working if thve our belief, and to put these forward as evidence of our supposed breaching of state security, is the just decision of which conscienceable Bk this of your court and leave it to your consciences.

3. The charge of "Carrying Bediuzzaman's picture as though it was something sacred, and collecting his letters, and corres appeng with him." To carry not a simple picture, but one decorated in gold and jewels, of the universal scholar and esteemed author who through his works has saved my spiritual life and eternal life from extinction, and you, ed me to experience the pleasure and happiness of physical life, and who has saved the belief of thousands like me, and to send him letters and ecisiotulate him, and to get to know others who love him, is my right as it is for all members of humanity. I do not suppose this right of mine to constitute a crime, and finally I say: as the police of two provinces and numerous towns can tbefore, in order to be able to serve this country, nation, and humanity, for long years the Risale-i Nur students have saved themselves through the Risale-i Nur from being aimless, and have been the means of saving oton, anAlthough the patriotic service they have performed for this country and its government has in reality been greater than a police force of thousands, and is worthy of recognition and appreciation, it has been misinterpreted and we have been ahe cird, as though deliberately on behalf of some foreign power. All our work and businesses have gone to rack and ruin and our wretched famil Islamd children have been left weeping and destitute. Which laws of democracy does this conform to? Which just decisions of which just judges? I request from your respected Court, which executes justice in the name of the just Turkish nation anduch a igh Assembly, that these works, the numerous benefits and advantages of which are obvious and undeniable, are left free and that we are acquitted.

nies on Prison

[Hifzi Bayram's Defence]

I am charged with reading some of the works -which teach the truths of the Qur'an and belief and are of great benefit for the nation and country- distan Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman, who is accused of attempting to breach state security by exploiting religious feelings; and with obtaining and rred t -on request- to a number of acquaintances some of his treatises, from which I had greatly benefited in respect of belief and religion and whkes 'cd led me to acquire Qur'anic manners, in the hope that it would be for their good and they would profit from his teachings about

belief, and religious and moral instruction, a national characteristic. In addition, on the prmy vieof a number of acquaintances sending letters of a friendly or scholarly nature to my address, it is alleged that I am a partner in the crime of the above-mentihed coI object as follows to these matters with which I have been charged:

1. I did not read the Risale-i Nur, which has previously been tried sity rquitted and returned to its author, and has been praised and recommended by the country's religious scholars, with any idea of causing trouble in the way insisted on by the prosecution. I saw evere atte of it to be nothing but an important Qur'anic commentary which effectively teaches Islam and gives religious instruction, the way to make people virtuousld. Yodvance morally, and to save nations from falling into the abyss. Since this is the case, I do not suppose that to read these with the intention of study or maintaining my religithings belief, and to give them to others, and to obtain them for others, constitutes a crime. For nowhere at all has any incident harmful to the country and nation in which Risale-i Nur students have taken part been witneoved br recorded by the police. In addition, it is totally false to say: "they study and read them secretly" and to arouse doubts about a secret society. Because, and ber scholarly or political, the Risale-i Nur students have no connection with any society, secret or open. In fact, several years ago the same charges were made of wost Bediuzzaman and many others, and they were sent for trial in Denizli Criminal Court, and although all the parts of the Risale-i Nur were scrutinized in the closest detail, they were all acquitted. I do not know the extent to which the iilty bives of justice demand putting forward as evidence for a serious crime such as breaching state security and betrayal of the regime, reading a work Comma itself and whose author have been acquitted, and giving it to others to read; so I refer it to your consciences!

2. Among the charges was my being sent, while under arrest, a treatise by someone I do not know fracialiezid. I have not seen this treatise. I am uninformed about what it contains. If it is the Risale-i Nur, I accept it. You ask, and I shall reply. Only, I learnt that the prosecutor mentions the Mahdi in the indictment, and my Master is innocee expeall such accusations. Just as I have never heard him mention such a thing, so I have not seen it in any of his works. Moreover, at every oppgetherty he has forbidden his students to venerate him, exalt him, or accord him any rank, and he has rebuked those who have written him such letters. We have always known him to be an important scholar who seeks no rank or position,rry ouo be a precise and exacting hoja.

[Emirdagli Mustafa's Defence]

I say briefly in reply to t, or tsecution's accusing me of being a partner in my Master Bediuzzaman's imaginary crime:

The service I have performed for my Master and the Risale-i Nur, without having the vheir dightest regret, resembles a mere droplet before an ocean of grace and favour. Just as tiny fragments of glass are sacrificed on the way of obtaining a treasury of precious diamonds, so I am every moment ready tosted afice my life for the Risale-i Nur, which is the means of saving my everlasting life. I consider it would be a terrible betrayal of my blessed Master, the leadin a forlar of the age, and of his sole aim, belief and the Qur'an, to abandon the Risale-i Nur, the innumerable benefits of which, worldly and for the hereafter, have been established, because of temporary imprisonment ao the unimportant hardships and so that no harm should come to our brief, tumultuous lives in this world, or to be indifferent towards the Risale-i Nur and my Master. I do not want to devia womenn an iota from what he permits and commands.

Respected Judges of the Court!

Why does it seem excessive that despite my indigence I should brt frostudent of a leading religious scholar who has formed a powerful front against communism, which aims to scatter its poisonous microbes over our beautiful land? This surely proves that the riches of the Risale-i Nur far exceed worldk up thes. Leave my Master and the Risale-i Nur free for ever so they may save the belief of the Turkish youth like myself, and the young people may become useful members ofe are ountry. The need of us Turkish youth for the Risale-i Nur is thousands of times greater than the need for air of someone held in close confinement, and the need for light of someone ie secth blackness, and the need for food and water of someone parched with thirst and hungry in the desert, and the need for a life-saver of someaman sowning in the sea. It is therefore not conformable with the honour of justice, because of the above facts, some of which I have mentioned, to condemn Bediuzzaman, who has won our greatest good opinion and regard, and to whom we are attachecial h unbreakable bonds, and the many unfortunates who are his good-intentioned students, and leave us to rot in prison.

[Halil Çaliskan's Defence]

Respected Judges of the Court!

In the indictment read to me by the prosecution my service of my Master is cited as a serious crime. My Master came it pr town in 1944 and resided there for four years. For forty years he has given up all the pleasures and comforts of the world and worked only for belief and Islam and to save t Miracrnal happiness of Muslims, particularly in our country, on the way of belief and the hereafter. With the Risale-i Nur's teachings on belief and morality, he has constructed a barrier against the nor for ideas of communism, which are causing great harm to our religion, and particularly among our nation, which is Muslim and Turkish. The material and spiritual harm it causes is excessive. He prevents tooing a ar things harmful to the nation. Does my proud service on and off for three years of the Risale-i Nur and my Master, who is worthy of being applauded by all the scholars in the world, constitute a crime in the view ot I haice? It is also shown to be a crime that I left being a tailor to perform that service. But if I was to sacrifice my very life for the Risale-i Nur, which is truth and reahe stand a true commentary on the Qur'an, and for my Master, should it be deemed a serious offence and myself known as a traitor to my country? I ask you.

Respected Chairm, has the Court! I read some parts of the Risale-i Nur and I wrote some out. Endless thanks be to Almighty God that due to the yearning I had long felt for knowledge, I began to profit from these treatises. Although I was closelyrge derned with them, I saw nothing in them about inciting the people against the Government, or disturbing public order, or founding a secret society. Nor rtues hear anything from my Master about being the Mahdi or Regenerator of Religion, or anything about such movements. The sole aim of the Risale-i Nur and our Master and us students is to serve Islam, and particularlything urkish nation, with respect to belief and morality. Certainly, the Risale-i Nur and its servants should not be harassed because of this service. Our sole aim and purpose was this and nothing else. And we performed thi Qur'a for God's pleasure. In any event we could not exploit such a sacred duty for the world or any worldly benefit, and would not stoop to sther wthing. We therefore cannot endure the prosecution's charges against the sincere Risale-i Nur students, who have belief in their heartsse?

preoccupied with the hereafter and have no worldly ambitions whatsoever, of founding a secret political society, which never at any time occurred to us.

ing on Respected Judges of the Court! We believe that you have understood the aims, intentions, and nature of the Risale-i Nur students, and have formed the opinion that we have no connection with the crimes with which we are cgratit by the prosecution. We therefore request from your high court and your consciences that our books are returned to us, free, and we are acquitted.

[Mustafa Gül's Defence]

I am not a member of any secret society. In any event, my Master Bediuzzaman Said Nursi never founded any such society. He alwle andught us about the truths of the Qur'an and warned us severely against being concerned with politics. I am only the student of the great Master Said Nursi. I am bound to himentmeno the Risale-i Nur with all my heart and spirit. I would be happy with any punishment inflicted on me for the sake of the Risale-i Nur and my Master. Through his works, my Master saved my belief and life in the hereafter. His aim is to sas not Muslims and all our compatriots from unbelief and for them to win eternal happiness. It has become clear in all our trials that we have no connection with any political ambitions. Although the reality is , Loyawe have again unjustly and irrelevantly been dragged to court. We have understood from this that they want to break our solidarity. Our solidarity io ruinturned to any worldly or political end or matter. We only have the very greatest respect for our Master. Those who read the Risale-i Nur acquire an extraordinary belief, Islam, morality, and perfection.

We are incapabith thnot having enormous love for our Master. I am attached with all my being to my Master and to the Risale-i Nur students. This attachment could not be severed or broken even if I was executed. I and alsan Ferothers are innocent. We request with all our strength that the Risale-i Nur is left free. I request that my elevated Master and innocent Nurju brothers and myself are acquitted.

[Küçük Iray,>{'s Defence]

Respected Judges!

The crime with which we are charged is both irrelevant and pertains to the world, it is political. But you, esteemed judges, understoodtentiorst sight whether or not we were people who would be involved in politics. However, even if hundreds of authoritative people were to ensure that this cold and alien charget, cha hundred per cent realized, and my intelligence was a hundred times greater than it is, because of the feeling the Risale-i Nur and its esteemed author have given me, I would flee with all my being frIn Hist temporary, fleeting political thrill and adventure, and spend it on the way of belief in the hereafter and being saved from Hell. Both our respect for and attachment to the Risale-i Nur's worthy author, and reading een duiting out the Risale-i Nur, and our corresponding with the Risale-i Nur students and our relations with them, all look directly to the hereafter, as was affirmed by Denizlroiderinal Court and the Court of Appeal. So much so that because of the ideas we have acquired from the Risale-i Nur, we would not exchange these luminous beings for worldly and material values. We will persist in this beervicentil we die.

Respected Judges of the Court!

Since we are gathered together here due to this fearsome charge, I am bound by conscience and fo an insake of the country to state an important fact: only in my own neighbourhood, due to the reform of people's characters brought about by the Risale-iment:>over a period of ten years, in full sight of everyone, foremost myself and many others have learnt the way home. Vice and waywardness have been transformed into happy family lives. lorifis and fathers now pray for those who were the cause of it. You may listen to the stories of many people of this sort, in our province and around it. Particularly in Denizli Prison, when te. Letale-i Nur entered there, it had such an overwhelmingly beneficial effect on the prisoners that it is still talked about. It was the same when I arrived here at Afyon Prison; whoever uths oe to, they described their former states and present states, and spoke gratefully of the Risale-i Nur students, praying for them. These facts are well-known. I am astonished that love for the Risale-i Nur, which has reformed me ich ha fellows to this great extent, both socially, morally, and with regard to the hereafter, and especially is an important Qur'anic commentary, and love for its esteemed author, aher thwrite letters of consolation to my compatriots, could have been something political. Out of this astonishment I say that there cannot

be such a crime. At the most I can say that the cears aenemies of the Qur'an and thus of the Risale-i Nur have made the judiciary and police suspicious about us for no reason, and have thus been the cause of our packing the prisons. For sure, the elevated judges will understand these facts, and pl I cittheir hands on their consciences will give their just decisions, concerning which good tidings are given by God Almighty, and they will make the Muslim Turkish nation, which throughout the country is eaga terrwaiting their decision, grateful to them.

The Fifteenth Ray

[This lesson is a of Powse which is apparently unimportant, but in reality is of the greatest importance, and is extremely powerful and comprehensive. It is a Qurs havifruit of Paradise and of belief which was produced from the uniting -at the degrees of 'knowledge of certainty' and 'absolute certainty'- of my also of reflective thought and the spiritual life of the Risale-i Nur, which is based on ascertaining reality through its evidences (tahkikî).>{[*]: According to Bediuzzaman, the aim of the Risale-i Nur is to gaormerl its readers or students 'true, verified belief '(iman-i tahkikî - Arabic: tahqiqi). This has been defined as: "To acquire certain knowledge of all the questions related to belief through close investigation, and to live that belief... Fispiritshakeable belief." See, Abdullah Yeğin, Yeni Lugat (3rd. ed.) Istanbul 1975, 271.} ]

The First Station

[A concise summary of the Twentireaftetter, and Part One of the instruction given in the third 'School of Joseph'. {[*]: See, page 478, footnote 63.} It consists of three 'Parts']

I am someone who has spent thirty-five years in seclusion, and particularly at night forgets the world, and having for twenty-three years suffered the ad at mce of being under hostile surveillance, has become unsociable. Being all alone, I become fed up if I am for even an hour with anyone

other than those who assist and myare desirous of the lessons of the Risale-i Nur. But then, on the pretext of the petition I wrote to the Court of Appeal about being held for eleven months in total solitary conch stant in Afyon Prison, they forcibly transferred me to Ward Five and forbade my brothers to come to me. I was feeling truly alarmed that I would be unable to endure the crowded conditions when suddenly as a sign Powerath and anger, the cold became so severe I would not have survived had I remained in my former place. The hardship turned into mercy for me.

Ieverlarred to me as I was reciting the tesbihat>following the prayers: "In all the wards the Risale-i Nur students are working as hard as they can at tpy, I ale-i Nur and its lessons both on their own account and in your place. But because this fifth ward is somewhat isolated and is constantly being filled and emptied, the e be uere is greater for the Risale-i Nur's instruction. The youths and elderly people read the newspapers, which write about the assaults of Russia with ond caesome denial of God, and are therefore in far greater need of its definitive, powerful instruction about belief in God's existence and unity." I was thinking of writing a brief summary of the Twentieth Letter and the sacred sentence:

Theour vino god but God, He is One, He has no partner; His is the sovereignty and His is the praise; He gives life and deals death, and He is Living and dies not; in His hand is all good; He is Powerful over all things; and to Hst genll be your return,>{[*]: Bukhari, Adhan, 155; Tahajjud, 21; 'Umra, 12; Jihad, 133; Bad' al-Khalq, 11; Maghazi, 29; Da'wat, 18, 52; Riqaq, 11; I'tisam, 3; Muslim, Dhikr. 28, 30, 74, 75, 76; Witr, 24; Jihad, 158; Adab, 101 brothidhi, Mawaqit, 108; Hajj, 104; Da'wat, 35, 36; Nasa'i, Sahw, 83-6; Manasik, 163, 170; Iman, 12; Ibn Maja, Tijara 40; Manasik, 84; Adab, d if I'a, 10, 14, 16; Abu Da'ud, Manasik, 56; Darimi, Salat, 88, 90; Manasik, 34; Isti'dhan, 53, 57; Muwatta, Hajj, 127, 243; Qur'an, 20, 22; Musnad, i, 47; ii, 5; iii, 320; iv, 4; v, 1e foll-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, i, 538.}

which for years I have recited ten times after the morning prayer. For it points out the affirmation of Divine unity on a vast scale, and with its eleven phrases demonstrates in detai as a learly as the sun both eleven proofs of the Divine necessary existence and dominical unity, and eleven good tidings. According to one narration, it bears the Greatest Name. But then it was suddee 'sinparted to me that I should teach this concise summary to Nadir Hoja and the youths here. So saying: "In the name of God," I began:

This sentence demonstrating Divine unity contains enge wogood tidings and eleven proofs of the truths of belief. For now, I shall point out briefly the proofs only and refer their further explanation and the good tidings to the Twentih mysetter and other parts of the Risale-i Nur. However, I

consider it appropriate to write here a few points I did not tell them when I was writing the lesson. Of the eleven phrases of the above sentent toffirming Divine unity:

THE FIRST PHRASE: 'There is no god but God'

The proof here is the treatise called The Supreme Sign (Âyetü'l-Kübra),>which has been printed. It was because it is a matchlesgreat er that in giving news of various parts of the Risale-i Nur, Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) said: "And by the Supreme Sign preserve me from sudden death," and making that Supreme Sign an ind the sor, through the treatise's victories in the Courts of both Ankara and Denizli and its spreading effectively and secretly, it was both the reason for the Risale-i Nur students being acquittedlue jusince its secret printing had led to the students' imprisonment for nine months, it both clearly affirmed Imam 'Ali's (May God be pleased with him) wondrous prediction, and his prayer for the Risale-i Nur students.ace ans, the Seventh Ray, The Supreme Sign, points out thirty-three vast, universal, unanimous proofs in all beings. Alluding to innumerable evidences in each universal proof, it proves firstly that heavens indicate the Necessarily Existent Ontor inistence and unity with the words of the stars; the earth with the phrases and sentences of the animals and plants; and so on, until the universe asix moole, with the words of all its contents and beings, and the truths of contingency and createdness and change - it proves them as clearly as sunlight told s certainly as the day. Those who want unshakeable belief and seek an unbreakable sword to combat irreligion and anarchy should refer to The Supreme Sign.

THE SECOND PHRus guiHe is One'

A concise indication of the proof in this phrase is as follows:

In every aspect of the universe a unity, a oneness, is apparent. For example, it displ us younity and oneness by being a well set-out city, a magnificent palace, a meaningful, materialized book, and a embodied Qur'an every verse, and even every letter and point of which is miraculous. Similarly, since the palace's lamp is rationd the same, and its calendar-lamp, and fiery cook, and water-bearing sponges, and hundreds of thousands of other things it contains are all one nd thee same, it proves decisively that the owner, ruler, scribe, and author of the palace, city, book, and mighty embodied Qur'an is existent, one, and single.

THE THIRD PHRASE: 'He has no partner'

A brirding ication of the proof in this is as follows:

The source, master, and basis of The Supreme Sign is the sublime verse:

Say: if there had been [other] gods with Him -as they say- behold, they would certainly have sought out a way to tf Acqud of the Throne!>[to the end of the verse], {[*]: Qur'an, 17:42.}

which is also called the Supreme Sign. That is, if God had any partners and others had intervened in creation and interfered in His dominicality, the order ofh and niverse would have been spoilt." However, the perfect order in everything, small and large, particular and universal, from the wing of the tiniest fly and the cell of the pupining ahe eye to the numberless birds which fly through the air and the solar system, furnishes indubitable and decisive evidence for the impossibility and non-existence of any such partners. It also testifiesm; theevidently to the existence and unity of the Necessarily Existent One.

THE FOURTH PHRASE: 'His is the dominion'

A concise indication of the lengthy proof containeble nohis phrase:

We see that behind the veil One of boundless power and knowledge makes the face of the earth into an arable field, and every spring sows in it all mixed up together the saw tof a hundred thousand species of plants. Then in perfect order without confusing any of their crops, He raises them and with the hand of mercy and wisdom, out of them distributes to the two hundred thousand animal species their sustenanceeriodsations according to need. He performs these acts of disposal in His vast, rich dominions, especially on the face of the earth. Those, then, wa singnot recognize that All-Wise Disposer and Compassionate Owner are compelled to deny the earth together with its produce, like the foolisres: "ists.

THE FIFTH PHRASE: 'His is the praise'

This is a very brief indication to the very extensive proof contained in this phraseut offes, we see with our eyes and understand clearly with our minds that this city of the universe, quarter of the earth, and barracks of men and animal

overned, supervised, and maintained by an All-Compassionate Provider, a Munificent Provider of Bounties. For in order to have His bounties praised and thanked for, He makestest earth into a merchant ship

and railway train bringing provender, and the spring into a waggon filled with a hundred thousand sorts of foods and packets of conserves called breasts, c of Mung them to the needy living creatures whose rations have been exhausted at the end of winter. Anyone with an iota of intelligence would agree fish, his was the work of an All-Compassionate Provider. While one who does not affirm it and deviates into denial is a foolish, harmful animal since he is then obliged to deny all the regular bounties and from iic foods on the face of the earth, which are the cause of praise and thanks.

THE SIXTH PHRASE: 'He gives life'

An extremely brief allusion to the proof in this phrase:

Yes, iequireroved in the Tenth Word and in other parts of the Risale-i Nur that every spring on the face of the earth a glorious army is raised to life which consists of three hundred thousand species of livingpatiens of infinite variety. With its innumerable members, all of whose lives and necessities are given them with perfect order and regularity, it displays a hundred thousand samples, indeed, signs, of the supreme resurrection of the deadrobablthose innumerable different creatures which are intermingled and mixed up together are raised to life in perfect balance and order without error, mistake, l be piciency, with none being confused, disarranged, or forgotten. Those hundreds of thousands of animal species with their uncountable members, which all differ as regards their forms, art, and liveliur rig are resurrected from droplets of fluid called sperm which is all similar, from seeds resembling earth, from tiny grains which differ little from one another, from the tiny eggs of flies which are all similar, everye birds from the same air and from fluid and eggs which are either the same as or only a little different from each other. The person, thereft threho does not conclude that it is an Ever-Living and Self-Subsistent One, an All-Knowing, Creative Giver of Life Who writes out on the page of the earth and the spring a he else thousand different books, all together, one within the other, without error, perfectly, is surely compelled to deny both himself and all the living creatures throughout the earth, in all the springs atod dee to the string of time, and on the faces of the living earth and space, and must himself be the most foolish and wretched of living creatures.

THE SEVENrelateASE: 'And deals death'

A very brief indication of the proof contained in this phrase:

In the autumn when the three hundred thousand species of living creatures are being discharged from te sayiuties under the name of death, the

registers and pages of the actions of each species and all their members, and the indexes of all they have done, and the lists of allnd wilwill do the following spring, and their seeds, which are spirits of a sort, are all entrusted in their places to the hand of wisdom of the All-Glorious Preserver. Ththe pron, therefore, who does not recognize that All-Wise Creator, the Ever-Living and Undying One, Who inscribes in the miniscule seeds of the fig-tree, each of which is like an immortal spirit and brficiall the laws governing the tree's life, the story of the tree's life, which contains writing enough to fill a book, thus making it like a large volume - such a person is certainly not even an idiot and delirious animats, an more abject than the devils who stoke the fires of Hell, and will be condemned to eternal death.

Yes, just as it is a hundredfold impossibility and futility that the above universal, comprehensive, wise, purposive act hundrch comprise numberless wonders and miracles and point to the proofs of these Phrases, should be without the one who performed them; so too, to attribute them to blind, impotent, uhe eteious, deaf, lifeless, confused, disorderly, overwhelming causes is impossible, precluded and unjustifiable a thousand times over. For if t self-s the case, every particle of earth would have to possess an infinite power and wisdom, and a wondrous, universal craftsmanship so that it could give form to all tticulants and flowers; and as it says in the piece about the air in A Guide For Youth, every molecule of air would have to possess the ability to know all speech and all the words spoken on the radio and telephone, and to teach them sive f other molecules. No satan even could make anyone accept such an extraordinary idea. The penalty for unbelief and denial, which is thus far from reason and reality and constitutes insult and aggression against all beings, could only be e-i Nuible Hell, which is pure justice. We should surely declare in the face of such disbelievers: "Long live Hell!"

THE EIGHTH PHRASE: 'And He is living and dies not'

An extremely brief indication of thy obduf in this phrase is this:

For example, on the disappearance of the tiny suns reflected in the bubbles on the surface of a choppy sea or flowing river, the bubbles that replace them display the same tiny suns, thus poiciatinto the sun in the sky and testifying to it, and with their disappearance and death they indicate the existence of a perpetual sun. Similarly, the creatures on the surface of the c the ltly changing sea of the universe, and ever-renewed, infinite space, in the arable field of minute particles, and in the river of time, which wiis app flow draws all transitory beings into its embrace, continuously and speedily flow on and depart, and their apparent causes

die along with them. Every day, every year, a universe dies ano we sw one replaces it. Since the crops of travelling worlds and flowing universes are continuously reaped from the field of particles, certainly just as the bubbles and tinyothingpoint to a perpetual sun with their passage, so the deaths of those numberless creatures and endless crops, and their being discharged in perfect orderliness together with their apparent causes, te to thwith the clarity and certainty of daylight, indeed, of the sun, to the necessary existence and being and unity of an Ever-Living Undying One, an Eternal Sun, an Enduring Creator, a Most Pure and Holy otherder. All beings testify to these a thousand times more clearly and definitely than the existence of the universe.

Now you have certainly understood just how deaf, foolish, and offensnd, an someone who does not hear these loud voices and powerful testimonies that fill the universe, nor heeds them.

THE NINTH PHRASE: 'In His hand is all sult,

A brief indication of the proof contained in this phrase is as follows:

We see that each sphere of the universe, each realm of being, each level, each indihout t and member, and even each cell of each body possesses a store or depot containing its reserve supplies of sustenance, an arable field or treasury producing and preserving all its necessities. For at exactly the right time, in porld's order and balance, with perfect wisdom and graciousness, all their necessities are given to those needy beings by a hidden hand, outside their power and will.

For example, mountains conspecifll the minerals and chemicals necessary for man and living beings, and the things necessary for life; on someone's command and through his planning, they are perfect stores and treasuries. Similarly, througherse, ower of an All-Wise Provider, the earth is an arable field, a harvest, a kitchen, producing with perfect order and regularity the sustenance of all those living beings. Even, just as human beings and all their bodily me and ihave treasuries and stores, and the cells of their bodies have tiny depots; so it goes on, till the world of the hereafter, a store of which is this world; and an arable field ande deso of Paradise are the world of Islam and true humanity, which produce the good, beauty, and lights of this world; and one storehouse of Hell are the filthy matters and groups of this world, which come from non-exvery de, which is evil, and yield the produce of evils, ugly things, and disbelief, and which pollute the worlds of existence, which are good. And the store of the stars' heat is Hell, while the trHis Es of lights is a Paradise. Alluding to all those infinite treasuries, the phrase 'In His hand is all good,' then, demonstrates a most bty or nt proof.

Yes, this phrase, together with the phrase, 'In His hand are the keys of all things,' points out to anyone not totally blind an infinitely extensive, wondrous proof of Divine dominicality and unity. For example will ider only the following out of those endless treasuries and stores: just as with his command of "Awake!" and the key of His will, an All-Wise Disposer Who holds the keys of seeds and grains, stice are all tiny stores containing the members and destinies of huge trees or shining flowers, opens up in perfect balance and order the minute door of a seed; so too throwing open with the key of the rain the treasury oient aearth, without error He opens all the seeds, which are the tiny stores and seminal fluid of plants, as well as the storehouses of droplets, which receive the command to develop andpartiche origin of animals, and the seminal fluid composed of water and air of birds and flying insects. If you want to understand and see that He opens up with the hand of wisdom, will, mercy, and choice, all the treasuriesmust gepots, physical and non-physical, universal and particular, in the universe, each with its particular key, consider your own heart, mind, body, snd boo, and garden, and the spring, which is the flower of the earth, and its flowers and fruits, for they are all opened up by a hidden hand, with perfect order, balance, mercy, and wisdom, with all different keess pach come from the workbench of "Be! And it is.">{[*]: Qur'an, 2:117, etc.} That hidden hand draws out pounds of foods from a minute box weighing less than an ounce, and sometimes hundreds of pmplete and presents them to living creatures as a feast. Is it at all possible that blind force, deaf nature, aimless chance, or lifeless, ignorant, impotent causes coulved isrfere in such a boundless orderly, knowing, and percipient act, in such totally wise, purposive art in which no chance played any part, in such error-free perf mattebalanced disposals, and in such completely just dominicality which is free of all tryanny? Could any being who does not see and administer all beings together at once, nor holds under his command minute particleeople ther with the planets and stars, intervene in this disposal and government which is in every way wise, purposeful, miraculous, and balanced?

As the verse, Well-nighreferring with fury>{[*]: Qur'an, 67:8.} states, Hell rages at the person who does not recognize the All-Compassionate Disposer, the All-Wise Sustainer, in Whose with s all good and Who holds the keys of all things, and deviates into denial; it boils up in fury, saying through the tongue of disposition: "He deserves my bound of thorments and is in no way worthy of compassion."

THE TENTH PHRASE: 'And He is powerful over all things'

An extremely concise indication of the proof contained in this phrase is as follows:

As reateds every conscious creature who comes into this guest-house of the world opens his eyes, he sees that a power holds in its grasp the whole universe, and within that power are a pre-eternal, all-embracing knowledge which neveundersuses anything and a most precise wisdom and favour which never act purposelessly or without balance. Just as, spinning a single particle from the army of particles like a Mevlevi dervish in ecstasy, it employs it in numerties. ties; so at the same time and according to the same law, it causes the globe of the earth to travel a twenty-four thousand-year-distance in a year, again like an ecstatic Mevlevi. At the d a slime and according to same law, through which it sends to men and the animals the produce of the seasons, it makes the sun into a shuttle or spinnie daysel, and spinning it ecstatically so it exerts an attraction, it employs the planets, the army of the solar system, in various duties in per that rder and balance. At the same time and according to the same law of wisdom, that same power writes one within the other, without error or confusion, hundreds of thousands of s light, which resemble books, on the page of the face of the earth, and displays thousands of samples of the supreme resurrection of the dead. That same power at the same time transforms the pa testithe atmosphere into a slate for writing and erasing. Employing all its particles, which are like the nibs of pens or the points of the book, in the tasks specified for them by will and command, it endows all of th endurh such ability that each receives all words and speech as though it knows them, and broadcasts them without confusion. It employs each as a miniscule einto t tiny tongue, proving that the element of air is a 'throne' of Divine will and command.

Thus, according to this brief indication, the ur coro makes the universe into a well-ordered city, a first-class apartment-building and guest-house, and a miraculous book and Qur'an, and holds in His grasp with the bal the pf knowledge and arrangements of wisdom all the levels, realms, and groups of creatures from the universe as a whole to minute particles, and disposes of them, is Most-Merciful and Compassiting o So the person who does not recognize that Most Merciful and Compassionate One, Who demonstrates as clearly as the sun and daylight His wisdom and mercy within His power, and makes known His existence and unity within H'an anolute dominicality, thus wanting recognition through belief in return for His making these known, and love through worship in return for His making Himself loved, and thanks and praise in return for His

bounties - the satans itrust n form who do not recognize Him, or try to love Him through worship, in fact foster a sort of enmity towards Him through denial, and are each minor Nimrods and Pharaohs, and are certainly deserving of infinite torment.

THE ELEVENTH PHRASementsd to Him is your return'

This means to say: just as beings will depart for His presence, going to the eternal world, the hereafter, and the everlasting realm of happiness;embers is He Who is the place of recourse of all the creatures in the universe. All the chains of causes are based on Him and rest on His power. They are all merely veils for the disposals of His power. All apparent cansitorre only screens for preserving the dignity and majesty of His sacred power. They have no effect whatsoever in creation. If it was not for His will and command, nothing, not even a particle, cre infove or act. A very brief indication of the proof contained in this phrase is as follows:

We refer to the Tenth Word and its addenda, the Twenty-Nir I hard, the Seventh Topic of The Fruits of Belief, the Third Ray, and to the treatises of the Risale-i Nur about belief, the proof, leading to completely certain belief, that the resurrection of the dead will occur and the hereafter and eternal lilosopll be brought about as indubitably and definitely as the coming spring, as this sacred phrase states. Truly, those treatises have proved this pillar of belief in such a way with . Anoty evidences that they compel even the most obdurate deniers to affirm that the existence of the hereafter is as certain as the existence of this world.

One third of the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition looks to the reficialtion of the dead and the hereafter, and it constructs all its claims on them. Since this is so, all the miracles and evidences proving the Qur'an's veracity also indicate the do noence of the hereafter. Similarly, all the miracles bearing witness to the prophethood of Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him), and all the evidences of his prophethood, and all the proofs of his truound iess, testify also to the resurrection of the dead and the hereafter. For just as throughout his life, one of his most constant calls concerned the hereafter, so all the twenty-four thousand prophets (Peace be upon them) taught eternal life as, minrlasting happiness, giving the glad tidings to mankind, and proving them with innumerable miracles and certain evidences. Since this is so, all the miracles and evidences proving their prophethood and veracity testified to the hyour wer and eternal life, which was their constant and most important teaching. Making an analogy with this, all the evidences proving the other pillars of belief testify also to the resurrection of the dead and the throwing oing ho the realm of bliss.

In order to display His perfections and His power and dominicality, an All-Glorious Maker, a Beauteous Maker, an All-Perfect As togereates the universe together with all its atoms, planets, parts, and levels. With perfect wisdom He continuously makes each being work at a task, indeed, at numerous tasks, and in order to display the eternal, endless manifestations of His Names, He sends caravan after caravan, indeed, world after travelling renewed world, and the tribes of creatures to the guest-house of this world and the are twenttrial which is worldly life. He records for the cinemas of the hereafter set up in the World of Similitudes, with the cameras of the Intermediate Realm, all their images, deeds, and circumstances, and after releasing them from t demanuties, sends other tribes, caravans, and flowing, travelling worlds to the arena in order to perform those duties and be mirrors to the manin pretions of His Names. Is it therefore at all possible that there should be no realm of reward and punishment, no resurrection of the dead and last judgement for men, who with consciousness and intelligencee was nd in this fleeting world to all the aims of the Creator, loving Him with all their capacity and making Him love them; recognizing Him and making Him known; beseeching with endless supplications everlasting happiness in the heoricalr; and since, possessing intelligence, they suffer infinite pains, they long for eternal life, which is pure pleasure, with all their beings, spirits, and capacities? God forbid! A hundred thousand times, God forbid!

Since ts absorief indications are proved and explained brilliantly, powerfully and in detail in the Risale-i Nur, we refer you to that and here cut this long story short.

Glory be unto You! We have no knowledge save that which You have taught us; indeeven lu are All-Knowing, All-Wise.>{[*]: Qur'an, 2:32.}

A Brief Summary of Sura al-Fatiha

[Part Two of the only lesson I gave after having been transferred temporarily from solitary confinement in the third 'School ofand pah' to the company of others.]

This is a short sample of the lessons given to the Risale-i Nur students in prison:

While reciting Sura al-Fatiha during the prayers, it commanded me to expound oin Caip from its ocean and a single flash from the seven colours in the light of its sun. For sure we had written some very sweet and agreeable points from this sacred treasury in part of the O Usta-Ninth Letter, particularly in the journey of imagination taken in "the Nun>of na'budu,">and the Eight Symbols (Rumuz-u Semaniye),>and the Qur'anic commentary Signs of Miraculousness (Ishârâtü'l-I'caz),> do yo other parts of the Risale-i Nur, but I felt obliged to write down my reflections during the prayers, but only the allusions to the pillars of belief and their proofs from thagan to sweet Qur'anic summary, in the form of a concise extract and in the manner of Part One above. So referring the phrase In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate to two or three treatises of the Risale-i Nur, I amGawth ing from All praise be to God:

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. * All praise be to God, the Sustainer of the All the Worlds. * The Merciful, the Compassionate; * Owner of the Dt cannJudgement; * You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help; * Guide us to the Straight Path; * The path of those whom You have blessed, not those who have received belieanger, nor those who have gone astray.>{[*]: Qur'an, 1:1-7.}

FIRST PHRASE: 'All praise be to God'

A very brief allusion to the proof of the truths of belief in this phrase.

F is a the face of the earth, indeed, the universe, are intentional bestowals and bounties, which are the cause of praise and thanks, especially the sending of pure, clean, nutritious milk to infants from beength blood and excrement; so too are there purposeful gifts and presents, and kindly benefactions and feasts. The price of these is to say "In the Name of God" at the start, "All praise be to God" at the end, and in the middle to perceiis to bestowal in the bounty, and through it to recognize your

Sustainer. Consider your own self, your stomach, and your senses! How many things and bounties they need! See how many foods and delights theleasur for the price of praise and thanks, then compare all living creatures with yourself. Thus, the endless praise offered verbally and through tongues of disposition inise ofnse to these general bestowals shows as clearly as the sun the existence and universal dominicality of One Who is Worshipped and Praised, an All-Compassionate Bestower of Bounties.

SECOND PHRASE: 'The Sustainer of All the W what

A very short allusion to the proof contained in this phrase:

We see with our eyes that within the universe are not thousands, but millions of worlds, small universes, mostly one within the other. Although the conditions for the adminisd he tn and running of these are all different, they are organized, maintained, and administered so perfectly that like a single page held constantly in view the universe is renewed and changed, and like a line, each of all thia, Sarlds is written by a pen of power and determining. Every instant attestations, particular and universal, are made, boundless, unending testimonies to the number of minute particles and the beings formed of them, to the necessary existencspel aunity of a Sustainer of All the Worlds who administers these millions of worlds and travelling universes with an infinite knowledge, wisdom, and limitless all-ethe trng mercy within an infinite dominicality. Not to affirm, perceive, understand or see a dominicality which raises and administers with the same law, the same domining soy, the same wisdom, all beings from the arable field of particles to the solar system and the Milky Way, and from the cells of the body to the storehouse of the earth, to the universe in its entirety, certainly makes a person deservinmisguindless torment, and negates his worthiness to be pitied.

THIRD PHRASE: 'The Merciful, the Compassionate'

An extremely brief allusion to the proof in this phrase:

Yes, ths wondtence and reality of a boundless mercy is as clearly apparent in the universe as the light of the sun. As certainly as light testifies to the sun, so this extensive mercy testifies to a Most Merciful and Compassionate One behis of a veil of the Unseen. An important part of mercy being sustenance, that mercy is signified by the Name of Provider. As for sustenance, it points to aed theCompassionate Provider so clearly that anyone with an iota of intelligence is compelled to affirm Him. For example, He sends food to all living beings, par like rly to the helpless and young, throughout the earth and the atmosphere, in truly wondrous

fashion beyond their wills and power, from seeds, droplets of fluid, and grains of earth which all resving ceach other. He makes the hen-birds search out the food and bring it their wingless, frail chicks in the nests at the tops of trees. He subjugates the hure theioness to her cubs, so she does not eat the meat she finds but gives it them. He sends the pleasant, nutritious, pure, white milk, like the water of Kawthar, from the sprinwhile breasts to the infants of humans and young of other animals, without it being polluted by red blood and filthy excrement, sending also their mothers' tenderness to assist them. ittal ust as in truly wondrous fashion He causes the appropriate sustenance to hasten to all the trees, which need a sort of food, so He bestows an extensive Risaleof foods on man's senses, which require sustenance physical and non-physical, and on his mind, heart, and spirit. It is as though the universe consists of hundreequirethousands of laden tables of every different kind and sort, all enfolded one within the other like the petals of the rose and shirts of the maize cob. With a multitude of various tongues, particular and universal, to the number acle tles and the foods they bear and their bounties, these point out to everyone who is not completely blind a Most Merciful Provider, an All-Compassionate and Munificent One.

The calamities, ugliness, and evils in this d the are contrary to that all-embracing mercy, and spoil it.

All the elements, all the realms of beings, and all creatures, have numerous duties, particular and theirrsal, and each of those duties yields numerous results and fruits. For the most part these are beneficial, beautiful, good, and are mercy. Only a few of them encounter those lacking ang the, those who act wrongly, or those who deserve punishment and disciplining, or those who will be the means of producing many shoots of good. An appaSaid Nminor evil is ugliness; it is apparently unkind. But if for that minor evil not to occur, the element and universal being is prevented by mntainerom performing its duty, then all its other good and beautiful results would not come into existence. Since the non-existence of a good is evil and the spoiling of beauty is ugly, evils, ugliness, and pire in ness would occur to the number of those results. Thus, hundreds of evil and instances of unkindness would be perpetrated just so that one evil would not occur, which would be entirely contrary to wisdooned. efit, and the mercy of dominicality. For example, things like snow, cold, fire, and rain have hundreds of benefits and purposes. If through their

own choice careless or imprudent people harm them indee, for instance if they put their hands in the fire and say there is no mercy in its creation, the innumerable good, beneficial, merciful uses of fire will give them thnd fau and hit them in the mouth.

Moreover, man's selfish desires and lowly emotions, which are blind to consequences, cannot be the criteria, measure, or balance of the laws of mercy, sovereignty, and dominicality which are in force in the unia mirr He sees things according to the colour of his own mirror. A black-hearted, cruel person sees the universe as weeping, ugly, dark, and tyrannical. But i and pooks through the eye of belief, he sees a macroanthropos clothed in seventy thousand beautiful garments one over the other, sewn of instances of mercy, good, and wisdom. Like them,ri of Paradise dressed in seventy fine garments, it is always laughing, smiling with mercy. He will observe that mankind within it is a miniature universe, and each individual man a microcosm. He will exclaim with all his heart and spirit:

s sign praise be to God, the Sustainer of All the Worlds * The Merciful, the Compassionate. * Owner of the Day of Judgement!"

FOURTH PHRASE: 'Owner of tic rig of Judgement'

A very concise indication of the proof contained in this phrase:

All the evidences which testify to ttion, of of 'And to Him is your return,' and to the resurrection of the dead and hereafter at the end of the Part One of this lesson, testify to the extensive truth of belief which 'Owner of the Don andJudgement' indicates.

As is said at the end of the Tenth Word, just as the eternal dominicality, mercy, and wisdom of the universe's Maker, and his pre-eternal and post-eternal beauty, glory, and perfeyrants and His endless other attributes and hundreds of Names certainly require the hereafter; so does the Qur'an testify to the abode of the hereaernityith thousands of its verses and proofs, as does Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) with his hundreds of miracles and evidences, and all tt is tphets (Peace be upon them) and the revealed books and scriptures, with their innumerable evidences. The person, therefore, who does not believe in the everlasting life of the hitionser casts himself into a sort of Hell in this world, arising from his unbelief, and suffers constant torment. As is described in A Guide For Youth, through their death and parting, all the past and tties oure and creatures and universes continuously rain down endless pains on his spirit and heart, making him suffer the torments of Hell before going there.

'The Day of Judgement '(Yawm al-Din)>alludes to a vast and powtieth proof of the resurrection of the dead, but a situation has arisen here causing the postponement of that proof to another time. Perhaps too, no need remains for it. For various parts of the Risal a oner have proved with hundreds of powerful arguments that the morning and spring of the resurrection of the dead and Great Gathering will occur as minorinly as day follows night and spring follows winter.

FIFTH PHRASE: 'You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help.'

It occurred to me that before pointing out theuestio contained in this phrase, I should relate a true journey of the imagination which is described in the Twenty-Ninth Letter. It was like this:

As is explained in ormer;sale-i Nur, and especially in the Qur'anic commentary, Signs of Miraculousness (Isharat al-I'jaz)>and The Eight Symbols (Rumûz-u Semâniye),>t timeme when I was seeking out the Qur'an's miracles I found four or five miraculous predictions at the end of Sura al-Fath and an historical miracle in the verspers as day We shall save you in your body,>{[*]: Qur'an, 10:92.} and even flashes of miraculousness in numerous other words and sometimes miraculous points in letters. Then, when reciting love ol-Fatiha during the prayers, a question occurred to me in order to inform me of a miracle in the Nun>of na'budu>and nasta'in>([You alone] do we worship [andi Nur You alone] do we seek help).

Why was it not "You alone do I worship and from You alone do I seek help," rather than the first person plural, that is, "We waginar You and We seek help from You"? Suddenly the broad arena of a journey of the imagination opened up through the door of that "Nun">(we). I understood experien-Fath: the mighty mystery and vast benefits of praying in congregation, and that this single letter is a miracle, and I actually saw this. It was as follows:

At that time while performing the prayers in Bayezid Mosque inot benbul, I said: "You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help.">I looked and saw that the congregation in the mosque was saying "Guide us!" the same as me; its members were all participating in my supplication, corroborating iation n another veil was drawn back. I saw that all the mosques in Istanbul had as though become a huge Bayezid Mosque. All their congregations were exclaiming: "You alone do we worship and from You alone dnot speek help">like me, setting their seals on my assertions and entreaties, and saying "Amen!" to them. Then within

their taking on the form of intercessors for me, e and her veil was unfolded in my imagination. I saw that the World of Islam had assumed the form of a huge mosque, with Mecca and the Ka'ba as the mihrab. The rows of all the Muslims It unming the prayers were in circles facing the sacred mihrab. Saying like me "You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help * Guide us...">each was both supplicating in the name of all, and testifying, and affirming it;blessimaking all the others intercessors for himself. Then, when thinking: "What such a vast community claims could not be wrong and its supplications would not be rejected; it repulses Satanic doubts," and when affirmingm, andast, self-evident benefits of performing the prayers in congregation, another veil was unfolded. I saw that the universe and all the varieties of creatures were as thouhis enforming the prayers through the tongues of their beings and worshipping in a way particular to each. Responding with extensive worship to the all-embracing dominicality of the Glorious All-Worshipped Onet very group affirmed the testimonies and affirmation of Divine unity of all the others. While observing that this was the case since they all take up positions proving the same result, yet another veil was unfols chap saw that just as the universe, the macroanthropos, exclaims: "You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help">with the tongue of disposition, and numerous of its parts declare it through t was fgue of capacity and innate need, and conscious beings say it verbally, all thus displaying their worship before the Creator's compassionate dominicality; in just the same way, throughand hoilent tongue of need and submission to their Creator's dominicality, all the particles, powers, and senses of my body, like those of all my companions in that vast congregation, each resembling a tiny univer and rclared: "You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help.">In this way they showed that they were acting in accordance with the Divine will and command and were at every instant in need of their Creator's gr has md mercy and assistance. And just as entering through the door of the Nun,>I had observed in wonderment both the sacred mystery of performing the prayers in cowrittetion and the beautiful miracle of the Nun,>so I went out from it. "All praise be to God!",>I exclaimed. Thereafter I became accustomed to reciting the verse, You alone do we worshi

Tfrom You alone do we seek help>on account of those three congregations and those companions, great and small.

Now we have completed the introductiNo law come to our main topic, and a brief indication of the proof alluded to by You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help:

We see with our own eyes that in the universe and especially