In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
And from Him do we seek help!
[The preface to Bediuzzaman's official biography, written by an eminent scholar living in Madina al-Munawwara.]
In the preface I wrote about the great Iqbal, I said: "When reading about the lives of great people, and lofty memories of them, and stories, one feels one has entered another world. One's heart is seared by the pure fire of love and is enveloped in a divine effusion. History sometimes tells us of men so great others seem small in comparison.
When recalling the great who honoured history,
The spirit rises to broad worlds from the earth;
It is flooded with a thousands scents
From the rose gardens of the Paradise of the past.
This profound truth overwhelms me in all its splendour as I write this preface. For the work I am presenting to our esteemed readers with all sincerity and good will, belongs to the conqueror of hearts, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, every stage of whose long and fruitful life of nearly a century witnessed thousands of wonders; and to his Risale-i Nur Collection, which consists of one hundred and thirty parts; and to the Risale-i Nur Students, whose fine conduct and virtues, sincerity and good will, belief and knowledge, offer worthy examples not only to one age group in one country, but to the whole world of humanity.
The introduction to a book is said to summarize the work, but how could the contents of this mighty book, every topic of which is too profound and comprehensive to be contained in a single independent work, be contained in the few pages of the introduction?
Never in anything I have written, either poetry or prose, have I felt myself to be at such a loss and so bewildered. So those who will read this work with real pleasure, divine happiness, and joyous excitement, will be amazed to see that from his childhood Bediuzzaman was a distinguished scholar whose education was exceptional and who throughout his life was the recipient of divine manifestations.
Having studied this great human being in the minutest detail, as well as his works and students, and having lived in that world of light with my spirit, mind, and senses, I learnt through some lines of an ancient Arab poet that he expressed a most profound truth: "It is not difficult for Almighty God to bring together in one person the whole world."
The numbers are every day increasing of those who, receiving effulgent inspiration from the loftiness of his goal and cause, and the sublimity of his belief, are drawn to this spiritual pole. This amazing fact on the one hand angers the deniers, and on the other delights the believers. See how a great mujahid described this divine phenomenon, which is like a bond in the hearts of believers, in an incomparable style that addresses the heart:
"At this black time when the flooding filth of immorality threatens to sweep down in every direction and carry away whatever virtue exists, I find solace in seeing that the outflowing of his, that is, Bediuzzaman's, grace passes from heart to heart like a secret, swelling to irresistible proportions. ... Our nights have indeed become dark, but the darkest hour presages the coming dawn."
Yes, everyone who in every part of the country sees the effulgent effects of this irresistible light, spreading from heart to heart, asks in amazement: "Who is this person whose fame has spread to every corner of the country? What sort of person is he? What has he written? What is his outlook? Has he founded a Sufi order, or a religious community, or a political organization?"
More than this, there have been numerous enquiries instigated by the government and judiciary, and there have been lengthy investigations and protracted court cases. But these have all concluded that this divine manifestation consists only of "a faith movement" established in people's hearts. Divine justice has been manifested in this way; Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and his works have been formally acquitted. And now the eternally immutable divine laws, that spirit will always prevail over matter, truth over falsehood, light over darkness, and belief over denial, have appeared like the sun.
It is said the truest criterion for judging the nature, integrity, truth, and sincerity of a reformer of any sort, is the differences in his personal, social, and spiritual life from the day he first annouced his cause and the day he won victory.
For example, in the early days of his mission, he is modest, generous, self-sacrificing, and humble; he is a perfectly upright and honest, distinguished by his example of virtue and morality. But how is he when he triumphs in his jihad, and he is beloved and feted by everyone; is he still the model of sobriety? Or like many supposedly great persons, drunken with victory, does he become arrogant and overweening?
This is the clearest mirror for displaying the true nature and character of any man with a cause, great or small.
Throughout history, the most brilliant examples of those who have won
this terrible trial, have been furnished by firstly the prophets, and especially the Lord of the Prophets (Peace and blessings be upon him), then his Companionns and successors, and then the great persons who have followed in his way.
With his miraculous eloquence, the Prophet pointed out with his saying: "The scholars are the heirs of the prophets," that it is no easy matter to be a scholar of religion. For since they are the heirs of the prophets, they have to adhere faithfully to the path of the prophets in questions of truth and its dissemination - even if it passes over rocky mountain, wilderness, muddy bog, stony desert, or abyss; or worse, if they suffer arrest, trial, and imprisonment; exile, isolation, poison, and the gallows; and whatever other unimaginable forms of persecution, oppression, and torture.
Bediuzzaman was such a person; all his life he trod that rough path and for over half a century pursued that sacred jihad, overcoming as lightning the innumerable obstacles confronting him, and proving by act that he was a scholar who was heir to the prophets.
Of all his numerous virtues, scholarly, moral, and literary, what captivates me most was his belief; it was firmer than mountains, deeper than the ocean, and broader than the skies. O Lord, what sublime belief! What enduring, inexhaustible patience! What a steel will! His head unbowed, his voice unlowered, his breath uncaught, despite all that oppression, repression, torment, and torture, which make one shudder.
At a time I wrote the poem called 'Mujahid,' with the ebullient inspiration I received from the great Iqbal's poetry, some readers suggested that the following lines went too far in their poetic extravagance. However, anyone who reads the masterpiece for which I am writing this introduction, will understand some of God Almighty's servants can do anything and everything if their belief reaches the point of perfection!
If resolve enters a believing heart,
And a person reaches the final point of belief,
The bloodiest death will not restrain him,
A volcano's molten lava will not halt him.
The inspiration from his Lord strengthens his resolve,
Every night the Prophet appears to him in dreams.
Light is the constant mihrab of his believing heart,
Worldly light cannot illumine his horizon.
Neither blizzard nor storm nor pain disconcerts him;
All his life he passes in the cool summer shade.
While here he beholds the worlds of Paradise,
Like a mountain chain, unbending under ruinous blows.
Even if towering cliffs press in on him,
The moon sets, the sun dies, the sky darkens,
And the skies fall - still he does not abdicate his way,
The torch of belief in his spirit never flickers.
How sacred his belief, surging up in his heart!
Traveller, hasten on! The dawn's breaking, don't tarry!
Grasp the torch! Streak the darkness with crimson and ochre!
Step up to the stars, rise to lofty worlds!
A hand's stretched down from Paradise to save humanity.
These lines were as though written for Bediuzzaman, the hero of belief and supreme mujahid. For these are his attributes. See what Almighty God promises the mujahids in this verse:
And those who strive in Our [cause] - We will certainly guide them to Our paths; for indeed, God is with those who do right', [29:69] that is, with those strivers who worship God as though they were seeing Him.
Thus, Almighty God promises that He will point out the ways of truth and guidance to those who strive to their utmost for the sake of the Qur'an and belief, renouncing the world and their own selves. Almighty God never breaks his promise; however, the conditions have to be met so that the promise can be fulfilled.
The verse illuminates us as to how we should understand Ustad's character and personality; in its shining light, we can perceive its finest, most subtle points. Because a person who receives the bounty of Almighty God's protection no longer feels such things as fear, anxiety, sorrow, distress, boredom, and so on.
What clouds can darken the skies of a heart illumined with God's light? What fleeting hopes and desires, what wretched favours and bounties, what vulgar goals and ambitions can satisfy the spirits of God's servants who attain to a constant sense of His presence?
Allah is his friend, preceptor, and protector;
All his senses and feelings turn into light on recalling Him!
Continuously rising to climes of knowledge,
What horizons the Qur'an unfolds in his spirit!
It recalls to him the vow of "Am I not your Lord?"
Since pre-eternity the lover is intoxicated with that emanation.
Thus, Bediuzzaman was an exceptional person who received grace so
wondrous, prisons were transformed into rose gardens, from where eternal light-filled vistas opened up for him. The gallows were pulpits for offering guidance, from where he instructed humanity in patience and steadfastness in pursuing a lofty aim, and in courage and firmness. Prisons all became 'Schools of Joseph' (Medrese-i Yusufiye), which he entered as a professor enters a university to teach. For the prisoners were his students, in need of his effulgent guidance. His greatest happiness was to each day save the belief of a handful of people and to transform criminals into angels.
Doubtless, with his elevated consciousness of belief and sincerity, leaving behind him in the dense world of matter the gilded effects of time and space, he rose in his spirit to the pure luminous climes of the non-physical worlds.
The lofty degree defined by the great figures of Sufism (May God be pleased with them) as 'annihilation in God' and 'permanence in God,' is to attain to this sacred honour.
Yes, all believers have their own particular states of veneration, spiritual advancement, withdrawal, and absorption in God. And every person may receive the outflowing of this divine pleasure proportionately to his belief and knowledge, piety and good works, effulgence and spirituality. But the great mujahids, called "those who do right" in the above verse, experience this sweet state of union perpetually. It is because of this that they do not forget their Maker. Like lions, they spend all their lives fighting. Every breath, they progress and advance to greater heights. Their whole beings are dissolved in the pleasure of the Lord of All the Worlds, with His attributes of beauty, perfection, and glory.
May Almighty God include us among that class of the great! Amen.
Above we mentioned Ustad's tremendous belief, which filled his enemies with fear as much as it captivated those who loved him. Now we shall describe his exceptional personal qualities, morals, and perfections, which enveloped him like a halo of light.
As is known, everyone possesses different qualities. Ustad's personality was formed by the following qualities:
His Self-Abnegation and Unselfishness
Self-abnegation or unselfishness is the quality most necessary for a man with a cause, and especially a reformer, if he is to be successful. For people tend to scrutinize this most important point with the closest attention. Ustad's life is full of brilliant examples of his unselfishness.
I once heard the great scholar 'Allama Shaykh al-Islam Mustafa Sabri
say about self-abnegation: "Today Islam needs such mujahids that they are prepared to sacrifice their lives not only in this world, but in the hereafter as well."
I did not grasp these words entirely at the time, and equated them with the mysterious utterances of Sufis in ecstasy, and did not repeat them to everyone.
Then, on reading the same thing among Bediuzzaman's fiery writings, I understood that this was the measure of lofty person's self-abnegation. Would our most munificent God, the Most Merciful of the Merciful, abandon the mujahids who are happy to practise such bitter self-abnegation for Islam? Would it befit Him to deprive such devoted servants of His favour and munificence, His grace and mercy?
Bediuzzaman was the most brilliant example of this manifestation. He remained single all his life, forgoing completely all the licit pleasures of this world. He found neither the time nor the opportunity to found a home and lead a happy family life. But Almighty God bestowed such blessings on him, transient pens are incapable of describing their magnificence.
Is the head of any family today as happy as Bediuzzaman? Is there any father who has millions of children? And what children! Is there any Ustad and Master who has raised so many students?
With divine permission, this sacred, spiritual bond will endure as long as the world exists and will pour into eternity, a flood of light. For this divine cause has crystallized from the Qur'an's ocean of light; it is born of the Qur'an and will exist together with it.
His Compassion and Kindness
Our great Master discovered truth even in his childhood. Retiring into caves to listen to the cries of his heart and to commune with his spirit, he attained knowledge of God and the joy of the sense of His presence through worship, contemplation, and reflection.
But at that awful time when the black waves of disbelief and atheism were threatening to engulf the Islamic world as well as our country, he sprang into the arena of jihad like a lion springing up from its lair or an erupting volcano. He sacrificed ease and comfort of every sort for this sacred cause. It is because of this that from that day forward all his words were like lava, all his ideas like molten rock. They scorch the hearts on which they fall, causing emotions and ideas to burst into flame.
Our great Master resembles Imam al-Ghazzali in that he returned to guiding others and the life of society after a period of complete retirement and isolation, undergoing similar significant stages.
This suggests that Almighty God lays the duties of guidance and illumination on great guides when they have undergone a period of purification and training in seclusion. As soon as the breaths, now purer than distilled water, leave their breasts and are reflected in people's hearts, their effect is something quite other.
The victories al-Ghazzali won nine hundred years ago in the field of virtue and morality, Bediuzzaman won this century in the arena of belief and sincerity.
Yes, it was always his unparalleled kindness and compassion that drove our Master to fight in this awesome jihad. Let's listen to how he describes it:
"They ask me: Why do you attack this and that? So I tell them: I wasn't aware of it. There is a great conflagration before me, the flames of which are touching the skies. My children are burning in it. My belief has caught fire too, and is burning. I am racing to put out the fire and save my belief. If someone wants to hold me up on the way, or I trip on him, what importance has it? What importance has such a minor incident in the face of that conflagration? Narrow minds! Narrow views!"
His Self-Sufficiency and Independence
The thousands of examples of Ustad's self-sufficiency and independence which he provided throughout his life for every level of society, are well-known to everyone. He adopted as his way of life reliance on the inexhaustible treasury of the Lord of all the worlds, both physically and spiritually, and was completely self-sufficient in the face of all things other than God. This was not merely a habit. He always persisted in this whatever the cost.
Interestingly, this way has not remained limited to himself; he passed it on to his students as a sacred ideal. One cannot help but applaud this self-sufficiency of the Nur students, who have the honour of becoming submerged in the ocean of the Risale-i Nur.
See how in the Second Letter in his masterpiece Mektûbat , Ustad explains this important point in six aspects with all the nobility of belief and consciousness of knowledge:
"The First: The people of misguidance accuse religious scholars of making their learning a means of subsistence. They attack them unfairly, saying: 'They are making knowledge and religion a means of livelihood for themselves.' It is necessary to show this to be false by action.
"The Second: We are charged with following the prophets in disseminating the truth. In the All-Wise Qur'an, those who do this say, My reward
is only due from God * My reward is only due from God [10:72, etc.] and display independence."
The divine triumphs the Risale-i Nur manifests are all the wondrous results and examples of Ustad's heroic fortitude in adhering to this way of the prophets. Thanks to this, he preserved the dignity of learning as though it were a priceless sword. How could a person not be a conqueror of hearts who, unlike everyone else, had not the slightest connection with salaries, ranks, wealth, and the many other personal, material benefits? How could believing hearts not be filled to repletion with the outpouring of his light?
His Frugality
Frugality is nothing other than an elucidation of the self-sufficiency mentioned above. Anyway, it is through the door of self-sufficiency that one may enter the palace of frugality. For the two necessitate one another.
For a mujahid like Ustad who has taken the prophets as his model in this matter, frugality becomes second nature and he suffices daily with a dish of soup, a glass of water, and a piece of bread. For as the fair-minded French poet Lamartine said, such persons "do not live to eat, but eat to live."
Having gained a thorough understanding of Ustad's outlook and way of living, it seems inappropriate to equate his elevated frugality with such mundane things as eating and drinking; for it needs to applied on the spiritual plane and to be measured according to non-material criteria.
For example, Ustad was a genius who evaluated the power of this elevated frugality not only in terms of simple things like food, drink, and dress, but so that non-physical, abstract values like thought, brainpower, potentialities, abilities, time, occasions, the soul, and breathing should not be wasted and go for nothing. This careful thought and accounting, which in the course of his life became a part of his character, he instilled in his students. So it is not easy to get a Nur student to listen to any work or to listen to anything that is said. For the words "Watch out!" are inscribed on the focal point of their hearts, where they perform a careful supervisory function.
Thus, the immaculate generations Bediuzzaman raised prove in fact that he was a powerful reformer and extraordinarily effective educator. He was a rare jewel of creation who added a new page, written in flashes of light, to the history of frugality.
His Modesty and Humility
These two qualities have been profoundly effective in the extraordinary spread of the Risale-i Nur worldwide. For in his works and talks Ustad did
not accord himself such titles as Qutb al-'Arifin (Pole of the Adepts) or Gawth al-Wasilin (Help of those who reach union with God), so people warmed to him immediately, loved him with pure sincerity, and adopted his lofty aims.
For example, he addressed many of his talks and teachings about morality and virtue, wisdom and instructive events to his own soul. It was only at his own self that he directed his fiery addresses. From there they spread outwards, from centre to periphery, to people's hearts yearning for light and joy, happiness and peace.
In his private life, Ustad was extremely mild and modest. He would be infinitely careful not to hurt a minute particle, let alone a person. He would endure untold difficulties and hardships, deprivations and torments, but only on condition no attack was being made on belief and the Qur'an.
If that were to happen, then you would see that the calm sea had raised waves that touched the skies in their awesomeness and ire. For he was a faithful servant of the Qur'an and a valiant, devoted soldier patrolling the marches of belief. He expressed this in the following succinct words: "A soldier on duty never lays down his rifle, even if the commander-in-chief appears. I am such a soldier and servant of the Qur'an: whoever aggressively confronts me while I'm on duty, I shall point out the truth to them and never bow before them."
Like a rearing horse, I'll pull on its bloody bit;
I won't sell my identity to the cunning enemy.
For me to lose my identity is captivity;
What torment to suffer such abasement!
I ever yearn for unending union;
My belief is a citadel, built by the hand of power.
How happy my heart at this sacred ambition;
My martyr forebears have long awaited me in heaven.
My life is eternal so long as my spirit lives;
Death is departure for Allah, and union sublime.
Originally, I wanted to study Ustad's scholarly, Sufi, and literary sides, as well as his ideas. But I realized that these most profound and comprehensive subjects could not be summarized in a few pages, and so decided to mention them in a few sentences.
If God grants it to me, I want with all my heart to study these subjects together with the Risale-i Nur Collection and its students, analytically, in
an extensive independent work. I request our esteemed Master's prayers in this matter, as well as those of my dear brothers.
Ustad's Scholarly Front
With the couplet,
"The truth of the matter appears in the mirror;
The degree of a person's intelligence is seen is his works;"
Ziya Pasha expressed a great truth that has been passed down the generations.
It would be as superfluous as describing the sun at noon to attempt to offer details about the knowledge of the Risale-i Nur' s author, for it is a vast compendium of knowledge and belief. With it he has instilled a sacred light in Muslims' hearts.
Nevertheless, as the melancholy poet said:
«Beauty is such that whoever beholds it, loses grasp of his will.»
to speak of the knowledge and learning, the fine morals and attainments, of one who at every stage of his life was graced with divine manifestations, affords a pleasure of a very different sort. So I cannot stop myself from saying more.
In the Risale-i Nur, Ustad discusses matters related to religion, society, morals, literature, law, philosophy, and Sufism, and in all these was extraordinarily successful.
The most astonishing point is that he both solved with the greatest clarity and certainty, complex subjects about which many 'ulama had gone dangerously astray, and following the luminous path of the Sunnis, arrived at the safe shore, having escaped the swirling vortex, and landed there both his works and his readers.
For this reason I feel honoured to present the Risale-i Nur Collection to every class of our noble people, with perfect confidence and sincerity. It treatises are all shining droplets from the Qur'an's ocean and scintillating shafts of light from the sun of guidance. It is therefore every Muslim's most sacred duty to spread these works, to save belief. For it has often been seen in history that a single work has led to the guidance and happiness of numberless persons, families, and societies. How fortunate the person who is the means of saving his brother's faith!
Ustad's Front Related to Thought
It is well-known that all thinkers have their own systems of thought, their particular aims with their thought, and their own ideals, which they
hold dearer than anything. When discussing these, they first set out lengthy preliminaries. But Bediuzzaman's system may be summarized in a single sentence:
Proclaiming the divinity and unity of the universe's Creator, which was the sole mission of all the revealed scriptures and all the prophets, and proving this with scholarly, logical, and philosophical arguments.
Does this mean Ustad was concerned also with logic, philosophy, and modern science?
Yes, so long as logic and philosophy were reconciled with the Qur'an and served truth and reality, Ustad was the greatest logician and most sagacious philosopher. The most brilliant proofs and certain arguments he used in proving his sacred, universal cause were the modern sciences, which every passing day proclaim more powerfully that the Qur'an is God's revealed Word.
In any event, in so far as philosophy means 'wisdom,' all works that attempt to prove the attributes of the Necessary Existent are the greatest wisdom and their authors the greatest sages.
Thus, since Ustad followed such a scholarly path, that is, he followed the Qur'an's luminous path, he was honoured with saving the belief of thousands of university students. He possesses numerous other qualities, scholarly, literary, and philosophical, which God willing I shall describe with examples in an independent work. Success is from God alone.
His Sufi Front
I once asked a Naqshbandi shaykh, a great scholar who tried to follow the Illustrious Prophet (PBUH) in all his actions:
"What's the reason for the tension between the 'ulama and the followers of Sufism?"
He replied: "The 'ulama are the heirs of the Noble Prophet's knowledge and the Sufis are the heirs of his actions. That is why one who is heir to both is called 'Dhu'l-Janahayn' of the Possessor of Two Wings. The purpose of the Sufi way is to act resolutely in accordance with the Prophet's conduct and morality, and being purified, to become annihilated in God's pleasure. Doubtless, those who rise to this elevated level are the people of reality. That is, they have attained to the aim desired and sought by the Sufi way. But because it is not easy for everyone to do this, specific rules were laid down. In short: the Sufi way is one circle within the circle of the Shari'a. One who departs from the Sufi way, departs from the Shari'a; but, I seek refuge with God, one who departs from the Shari'a, departs for everlasting perdition.
According to what the great scholar said, there is no essential difference between the luminous way Bediuzzaman opened up and true, pure Sufism. They are both ways leading to divine pleasure, and so to Paradise and the vision of God. There is therefore nothing to prevent our Sufi brothers who hold such an aim from reading the Risale-i Nur, on the contrary, they may expand the Sufi field of 'contemplation' with the way of the Qur'an, adding to it the duty of reflective thought as a form of supplication.
Thanks to this reflective thought, which opens up new horizons to one's eyes and heart, an adept who previously was preoccupied with contemplation of the heart only, gazes on, contemplates, and observes with his heart and all his subtle senses the whole universe in all its vastness from particles to the heavenly bodies, and beholds in ecstasy the divine names and attributes manifested in myriad ways in those sciences, and with 'the knowledge of certainty,' 'vision of certainty,' and 'absolute certainty,' he feels himself to be in a mosque of infinite size. This mosque is vast with its congregation of uncountable millions, all mentioning their Creator with fervour and love, in awe and ecstasy. With their sweet voices and different tones, tunes, sounds, and harmonies, they declare: "Glory be to God!", "All praise be to God!", "There is no god but God!", and "God is most great!"
This is the magnificent mosque opened up by the Risale-i Nur, to be entered by those who follow the path of belief, knowledge, and the Qur'an, opened up by the Risale-i Nur. Each person receives its effulgence proportionately to his own belief, knowledge, and sincerity.
His Literary Front
Since early times, poets and writers, thinkers and scholars have been divided into two groups: some have attached importance only to the style and manner of expression, the metre and rhyme, and have sacrificed the meaning to the manner of expression. This is to be seen mostly in poetry. The other group, however, has attached importance to the meaning and content, and has not sacrificed the essence and gist.
I reckon that as a great thinker, Bediuzzaman's literary front will be easily understood from these brief introductory words. For he was a genius who spent his long and fruitful life, not with ordering and arranging words, but with instilling in people the sense of religion and consciousness of belief, and the concept of virtue and good conduct, so that these virtues would ever remain in humanity as a sacred ideal, embedded in their hearts, spirits, consciences, and minds. Naturally, a mujahid who sacrificed his self and all worldly benefits to realize this elevated ideal, would not busy himself with transient forms.
Nevertheless, with his fine taste, sensitivity, depth of thought, and imaginative power, Ustad may be said to have had a really extraordinary literary talent. For this reason, his style changes according to subject. For example, when discussing scholarly and philosophical matters and when convincing the reason with logical, mathematical proofs, he uses very succinct phrases. But when affecting the heart and raising the spirit, his manner of expression attains such clarity it is indescribable. For example, when depicting the skies, suns, stars, and moonlight, and especially the springtime, and Almighty God's power and sublimity manifested in those worlds, he style acquires such subtlety that every simile and metaphor takes the form of a picture framed in gentle colours, every world becomes a wonder of wonders.
It is due to this wisdom that when studying the Risale-i Nur, its students, whatever university faculty there are in, are completely satisfied, both in their senses, and minds, and spirits, and consciences, and imaginations. How could they not be satisfied? For the Risale-i Nur Collection is a bunch of blooms gathered from the universal garden of the Noble Qur'an. So it reflects the light, air, luminosity, and scents of that blessed, divine garden.