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In His Name, be He glorified!And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise.(17:44)

Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings!

My Dear and Loyal Brothers Hoja Sabri, Hâf›z ‘Ali, Mes’ud, the Mustafa’s, Husrev, Re’fet, Bekir Bey, Rüştü, the Lütfi’s, Hâfız Ahmed, Shaykh Mustafa, and the others!

It occurred to my heart to explain to you in concise informative fashion four small matters that have been the subject of curiosity and questions.

THE FIRST

Certain of our brothers like Çaprazzâde Abdullah Efendi had heard related from the diviners of realities that this last Ramadan a relief from difficulties, a victory, would occur for the Sunnis, whereas it did not occur. Why do such people of sainthood and illumination make predictions that are contrary to reality? They asked me, and a summary of the reply I gave them, with which I was inspired, is this:

It says in a Hadith: “Sometimes a calamity is visited on a person, but if it meets with almsgiving, it is repelled.”(*) The underlying meaning of this Hadith shows that while appointed events are going to come to pass under certain conditions, they do not occur. That is to say, the appointed events of which the people of illumination are aware are not absolute, but restricted by certain conditions; if the conditions are not fulfilled, the event does not occur. However the event, like the appointed hour of death, which is suspended, is written and determined in the Tablet of Appearance and Dissolution,(*) which is a sort of notebook of the Pre-Eternal Tablet. It is only extremely rarely that illuminations penetrate as far as the Pre-Eternal Tablet; mostly they cannot rise that far.

In consequence, predictions made as a result of interpretations or illuminations this last Ramadan and Feast of Sacrifices or at other times that do not occur because the conditions on which they were dependent were not fulfilled, do not give the lie to those who told of them. For they were determined, but did not come about because the conditions were not fulfilled.

Yes, the sincere prayers of the majority of the Sunnis that innovations in the month of Ramadan be abrogated formed a condition and important reason. But since innovations had entered the mosques in Ramadan, they hindered the acceptance of the supplications, and the relief did not arrive. Just as in accordance with the above Hadith, alms-giving repels calamities, the sincere supplications of the majority attract a general release from troubles. Since the power of attraction was not formed, the victory was not given.

SECOND CURIOUS QUESTION

The last two months there has been a lively political situation in the face of which some attempt should have been made to alleviate conditions both for myself and the brothers with whom I am connected. While there was a strong possibility that this could have been achieved, I attached no importance to the situation, and on the contrary, had an idea in support of ‘the worldly’ who oppress me. A number of people were astonished at this. They said: “What do you think about the policies followed by those at the head of these innovators and in part dissembling people who torment you, so that you do nothing to them?”

A summary of my reply is as follows: The greatest danger facing the people of Islam at this time is their hearts being corrupted and belief harmed through the misguidance that arises from science and philosophy. The sole solution for this is light; it is to show light so that their hearts may be reformed and their belief, saved.

If one acts with the club of politics and prevails over them, the unbelievers descend to the degree of dissemblers. And dissemblers are worse than unbelievers. That is to say, the club cannot heal the heart at this time, for then unbelief enters the heart and is concealed, and is transformed into dissembling.

And at this time, a powerless person like myself cannot employ both of them, the club and the light. For this reason I am compelled to embrace the light with all my strength and cannot consider the club of politics whatever form it is in. We are not charged with physical jihad at the moment, whatever that duty demands.

Yes, in accordance with a person’s way, a club is necessary to form a barrier against the assaults of the unbelievers or apostates. But we only have two hands. Even if we had a hundred hands, they would be sufficient only for the light. We do not have any other hands with which to hold the club!

THIRD CURIOUS QUESTION

Why do you violently oppose war, although, with foreign forces like the British and Italians interfering in the government recently, it would have excited Islamic zeal – the true point of support and source of moral strength of this country’s government – and been a means to an extent of reviving the marks of Islam and repulsing innovations? Why have you offered prayers for its being settled by peaceful means and come out fervently in support of the innovators’ government? Is this not indirect support of innovations?

The Answer: We want relief, release, happiness, and victory, but not with the sword of the unbelievers. Let their swords be the end of them! We are not in need of any advantage proceeding from them. In fact it is those obstinate Europeans who have set the dissemblers to pester the people of belief, and have raised the atheists.

As for the calamity of war, it would cause great harm to our service of the Qur’an. The majority of our most valuable, self-sacrificing brothers are under the age of forty-five, and would be forced because of war to leave their sacred service of the Qur’an and enroll in the army. If I had the money, I would gladly pay the thousand liras necessary to exempt each of such valuable brothers from military service. With hundreds of my valuable brothers leaving the Qur’anic service of the Risale-i Nur and laying hands on the club of physical jihad, I feel a loss in myself of a hundred thousand liras. These two years of Zekâi’s military service, even, have caused perhaps a thousand liras of his immaterial profit to be lost. Anyway...

Like the One Powerful Over All Things sweeps and cleans in a minute the atmosphere filled with clouds and shows the shining sun in clear skies, so He may dispel these black, merciless clouds and show the truths of the Shari‘a like the sun, and give them without expense or trouble. 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 their hearts; that would be enough. Then matters would put themselves to rights.

FOURTH CURIOUS QUESTION

They ask: “Since what you hold in your hand is light, not a club, and light may not 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?”

A brief reply to the question is this: the heads 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.

They should not be shown them until they come to their senses lest they interfere. There are also many unscrupulous people who out of spite or ambition or fear, deny the light or close their eyes to it. Therefore, I advise my brothers to be cautious and not to give the truths to those who are unfit,(*) or do things which excite the suspicions of ‘the worldly.’(*)

Conclusion

Today I received a letter from Re’fet Bey. In connection with his question about the Prophet’s (UWBP) beard, I say this: It is established by Hadiths that the number of hairs from the blessed beard of the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was small. But despite their being few – for instance, thirty, forty, fifty or sixty – the fact that there are hairs from the blessed beard in thousands of places caused me much thought at one time.

It occurred to me then that what is known as his blessed beard consists not only of its hairs, but also the hair of his blessed head, which the Companions, who neglected nothing,(*)preserved when he cut it. His luminous, blessed hair, which would be preserved for ever, numbered thousands and may be equal to what is now extant.

I also wondered at that time whether or not it was established with sound documentary evidence that the hair found in all mosques was the Messenger’s (UWBP) hair so that it was acceptable to visit it.

Then it occurred to me that it was the cause of visits, and of benedictions being uttered for the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), and his being venerated and loved,(*)and thus was not looked at for what it actually was. Therefore, even if the hair was not truly from the Messenger’s (UWBP) blessed beard, since it was held to be so because of its appearance, and it functioned as a means of veneration, regard, and benedictions, it did not have to be authenticated. So long as there was no definite evidence to the contrary, that was sufficient. For generally held opinions and the acceptance of the Islamic community count as a sort of proof. If some of the pious object to such matters on grounds of fear of God, or caution, or resolution, they do so in particular cases. And if they say it is an innovation, it should be included among commendable innovations, for it is a means of benedictions for the Prophet (UWBP) being recited.

Re’fet Bey said in his letter that the matter had led to an argument among the brothers. I advise my brothers that they do not argue in such a way as to cause differences and conflict; they should grow accustomed to discussing things as an exchange of ideas, without arguing.

In His Name, be He glorified!And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise.(17:44)

Peace be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings.

My Dear and Loyal Brothers from Senirkent, İbrahim, Şükrü, Hâfız Bekir, Hâfız Hüseyin, Hâfız Receb Efendi!

The atheists have for a long time objected to the three matters you sent with Hâfız Tevfik.

The First:

According to the explicit meaning of the verse, “Until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water,”(18:86) he saw the sun setting in a hot, mud spring.

The Second:

Where is the barrier of Dhu’l-Qarnayn?

The Third:

This is about Jesus (UWP) coming at the end of time(*) and killing the Dajjal.(*)

The answers to these questions are lengthy, so indicating them briefly we say this:

since the verses of the Qur’an express matters in accordance with the styles of Arabic, in conformity with apparent meanings, in a way everyone will understand, they frequently explain things in the form of metaphors, allegories, and comparisons.

So to consider the verse, “set in a spring of murky water:” Dhu’l-Qarnayn saw the sun setting on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, which appeared to be a boiling, muddy spring, or in the fiery, smoking crater of a volcano. That is, evidently the Atlantic Ocean appeared to Dhu’l-Qarnayn in the distance as the large pool of a spring surrounded by a swamp which in the intense heat of summer was steaming and vaporizing; he saw the sun’s apparent setting in a part of it. Or he saw the sun, the eye of the skies, being hidden in a new, fiery crater at the summit of a volcano which was spewing out rocks, earth, and lava.

Yes, the All-Wise Qur’an’s miraculously eloquent expression teaches many matters with this sentence. Firstly, it explains that Dhu’l-Qarnayn’s journey to the west coincided with the intense heat of summer, the area of a swamp, sunset, and the time of a volcanic eruption, and so alludes to many instructive matters, such as the complete conquest of Africa.

It is well-known that the sun’s motion is apparent, indicating the hidden movement of the earth and giving news of it. What it intends is not the actual setting of the sun. Also the spring is a metaphor. From the distance a large sea appears to be a small pool. It is most meaningful and apt according to the mysteries of eloquence(*)to liken a sea appearing beyond swamps with mists and vapours rising from it due to the heat to a muddy spring, with word ‘ayn, which in Arabic means both spring, and sun, and eye.

It appeared like that to Dhu’l-Qarnayn because of the distance. So too, the Qur’an comes from the sublime throne and commands the heavenly bodies, so its heavenly address stating that the subjugated sun, which performs the duty of a lamp in this guesthouse of the Most Merciful One, is hidden in a dominical spring like the Atlantic Ocean, is fitting for its loftiness and sublimity; with its miraculous style it shows the sea to be a hot spring and steaming eye. And that is how is appears to heavenly eyes.

In Short: The use of the term “a muddy spring” for the Atlantic Ocean indicates that Dhu’l-Qarnayn saw that huge ocean as a spring due to the distance. But because the Qur’an sees everything from close to, it did not see what Dhu’l-Qarnayn saw, which was a sort of illusion. Indeed, since the Qur’an comes from the heavens and looks to them, it sometimes sees the earth as an arena, sometimes as a palace, sometimes as a cradle, and sometimes as a page. So its calling the vast misty, vaporous Atlantic Ocean a spring shows its lofty sublimity.

YOUR SECOND QUESTION

Where is the barrier of Dhu’l-Qarnayn? Who were Gog and Magog?

The Answer: Long ago I wrote a treatise about this question and it silenced the atheists. I do not have it with me now, and my memory is not working and helping me. Also, this question is discussed briefly in the Third Branch of the Twenty-Fourth Word. We shall therefore only indicate very briefly two or three points about it, as follows:

According to explanations given by investigative scholars, and as indicated by the title Dhu’l-Qarnayn, names beginning with the suffix Dhu, like Dhu’l-Yazan, were used by the kings of Yemen, so this Dhu’l-Qarnayn was not Alexander the Great. He was one of the kings of Yemen(*)who lived at the time of Abraham (UWP)(*)and received instruction from Khidr.(*)Alexander the Greek lived approximately three hundred years before Christ, and was taught by Aristotle.(*)

Human history goes back in regular fashion approximately three thousand years. This deficient and short view of history is not accurate concerning pre-Abrahamic times. It continues back either as superstition, or as denial, or in very abbreviated form. The reason the Dhu’l-Qarnayn of Yemen was since early times in Qur’anic commentaries known as Alexander,(*) was either because it was one of his names and he was Alexander the Great or the Alexander of Ancient Times, or else the following:

The particular events mentioned in Qur’anic verses are the tips of universal events. Thus, through his prophetic guidance, Alexander the Great, who was Dhu’l- Qarnayn, built a barrier between some peoples, oppressors and oppressed, and built the famous Great Wall of China to prevent the raids of those cruel enemies. Similarly, many powerful kings and world conquerors like Alexander the Greek followed in the path of Dhu’l-Qarnayn materially, while the prophets and spiritual poles, who are the kings of man’s spiritual world, followed him in spiritual matters and guidance; they built barriers between mountains, one of the most effective means of saving the oppressed from oppressors,(*)and later constructed strongholds on mountain peaks. They founded these themselves through their material power, or through their guidance and planning. Then they built walls surrounding towns and citadels inside the towns, and finally they made machine-guns and Dreadnoughts, which were like mobile citadels.

The most famous barrier on earth, the Great Wall of China, covers a distance of several days’ journeying and was built to halt the incursions against the oppressed peoples of India and China of the savage tribes known in the Qur’an as Gog and Magog, and otherwise known as the Mongols and Manchurians. These tribes several times threw the world of humanity into chaos. Pouring out from behind the Himalayas, they wrought destruction from east to west. A long wall was built between two mountains close to the Himalayan mountains which for a long time prevented the frequent assaults of those savage peoples, and barriers were also built through the efforts of the kings of ancient Persia, who resembled Dhu’l-Qarnayn, in the mountains of Caucasia, in the region of Darband, to halt the inroads of the plundering and pillaging Tatar peoples. There are very many barriers of this sort. Since the All-Wise Qur’an speaks with all mankind, it mentions what is apparently a particular incident, and recalls all events similar to it.

It is from this point of view that the narrations differ concerning the Barrier and Gog and Magog, as well as the writings of the Qur’anic commentators about them.

Furthermore, the All-Wise Qur’an switches from one event to another distant one due to the association of ideas. The person who fails to think of this association supposes the two events to be close in time. Thus, the Qur’an’s predicting the end of the world from the destruction of the Barrier is not because the two events are close in time, but to make two subtle points connected with the association of ideas.

That is, the world will be destroyed just as the Barrier will be destroyed. Also, just as mountains, which are natural divine barriers, are firm and will be destroyed only at the end of the world; so the Barrier is firm as a mountain and will be levelled to dust only at the destruction of the world. Even if it suffers damage from the assaults of time, it will mostly remain intact. Yes, the Great Wall of China is one particular meaning of the universal meaning of the Barrier of Dhu’l-Qarnayn and has been standing for thousands of years and is still there for all to see. It is read as a long, petrified, meaningful line from ancient history, written by man’s hand on the page of the earth.

YOUR THIRD QUESTION

Brief replies concerning Jesus (Upon whom be peace) killing the Dajjal are found in both the First and the Fifteenth Letters, which should suffice you.

In His Name! And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise.(17:44)

Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings.

My Dear Self-Sacrificing, Loyal, Conscientious Brothers, Hoja Sabri and Hâfız Ali!

about unknown things

Your important question concerning the verse at the end of Sura Luqman about “the five hidden things”(31:34)(*)deserves a serious reply, but unfortunately neither my present state of mind nor my physical condition permit it. I shall allude only very concisely to one or two points your question touches on.

Your question indicates that atheists who have deviated from the true path of religion have made objections and criticisms concerning the time of rain falling and nature of the embryos in the womb from among “the five hidden things.”

They have said: “Instruments in the observatory can discover when rain is to fall, so someone other than God knows. Also the sex of embryos can be learnt by means of X-rays. This means it is possible to learn “the five hidden things.”

The Answer: The time rain falls is tied not to any law, but directly to divine will. One instance of wisdom in its appearance from the treasury of mercy being dependent on a particular divine wish is as follows:

The most important things in the universe and the most valuable are existence, life, light, and mercy. These look directly, without intermediary or veil, to divine power and a particular divine wish. With other creatures, apparent causes are veils to the disposal of divine power, and regular laws and principles screen the divine will and wish to an extent. However, no such veils have been placed on existence, life, light, and mercy, for the purpose they serve is not in force in those things.

Since the most important truths in existence are mercy and life, and rain is the source of life and means of mercy, indeed is pure mercy, of a certainty intermediaries will not veil it, nor will laws and monotony screen the wishes that are God’s alone. In this way everyone in every situation will all the time be obliged to offer thanks and worship and supplications and prayers. If rain had been included under a law, everyone would have relied on the law and the door of thanks and supplication would have been closed.It is clear that there are numerous benefits in the sun’s rising, but since it is tied to a regular law, supplications are not offered for its rising and thanks are not given. And since because of the law it is a part of human knowledge that it will rise again tomorrow, it is not counted among the matters of the Unseen.

But the particular occurences of rain do not follow any law, so men are all the time obliged to take refuge at the divine court with prayers and supplications. Human knowledge has been unable to specify the times of precipitation, men therefore consider it a special bounty proceeding from the treasury of mercy alone, and truly offer thanks.

In consequence the verse includes the time rain falls among “the five hidden things.”

Deducing the preliminaries of rain with instruments in observatories and specifying the times of precipitation is not knowing the Unseen, but knowing by studying some of its preliminaries when it has emerged from the World of the Unseen and drawn close to the Manifest World. When the most hidden events of the Unseen occur, or when they are close to occurring, they may be perceived through a sort of premonition. But that is not knowing the Unseen, but knowing that something exists or is close to existence. In fact, I sometimes perceive the rain twenty-four hours before it arrives due to a sensitivity in my nerves. That is to say, the rain has preliminaries, forerunners; they make themselves felt through a sort of dampness, making it known that rain is to follow. Just like a law, this situation is a means of reaching matters that have left the World of the Unseen but not yet entered the Manifest World.

But to know when rain will fall that has not yet set foot in the Manifest World, nor left through a particular divine wish the treasury of mercy, is peculiar to the One All-Knowing of the Unseen.

THE SECOND MATTER

Learning by means of X-rays whether a child in the womb is male or female is not contrary to the meaning of the verse, “And He Who knows what is in the wombs,”(31:34) which refers to the Unseen. For what is intended by the verse are the preliminaries of the child’s particular capacity and the appointed course of its life, which it will acquire in the future, and even the wondrous stamp of the Eternally Besought One on its face – the child being known in this way is particular to the One All-Knowing of the Unseen.(*)Even if a hundred thousand X-ray-like minds of men were to combine, they still could not discover its true features, each of which is a mark distinguishing the child from all the other members of the human race. So how could they discover the non-physical features of its abilities, which are a hundred times more wondrous than its physical features.

We said at the beginning that existence, life, and mercy are the most important truths in the universe and that the most important station is theirs. Therefore, one reason for the comprehensive truth of life looking with all its fine points and subtleties to the divine will and wish and mercy,which are particular to God Almighty, is this: Since life together with all its faculties is the source and means of thanks and worship, laws and monotony – which are a veil to God’s will, and apparent intermediaries – which screen His mercy, have not been placed on it.

Almighty God has two manifestations in the physical and non-physical features of unborn children.

One shows divine unity, oneness, and eternal besoughtedness, for the child testifies to divine unity by being similar to other human beings in respect of its basic members and human faculties. With this tongue it shouts out: “Whoever gave me these features and members is the Maker of all human beings, for they resemble me in regard to basic members, and He is the Maker too of all living beings.”

This tongue of the child in the womb does not pertain to the Unseen; it may be known since it follows a law and general rule and the species. It is a branch and tongue of the Manifest World that has entered the World of the Unseen.

The Second Aspect: With the tongue of the features of its particular capacity and its individual features, it proclaims its Maker’s choice, will and wish and particular mercy and that He is under no restriction. But this tongue comes from the deepest Unseen; none other than Pre-Eternal Knowledge can see it before it comes into existence, nor comprehend it. These features cannot be known while in the womb even if one or other of the child’s thousand members is seen!

In Short: The features of the embryo’s innate capacity and its physical features offer both evidence for divine unity and proofs of divine will and choice.

If Almighty God grants success, a number of further points shall be written about “the five hidden things.” But for now I have no more time and my condition does not permit it, so I conclude here.

The Enduring One, He is the Enduring One!

Said Nursî

Glory be unto You! We have no knowledge save that which You taught us; indeed You are All-Knowing, All-Wise.(2:32)

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