Yirmi Üçüncü Mektup/en

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 blessings and mercy for ever, to the number of the seconds of the minutes of your life and the particles of your body!

My Dear, Enterprising, Serious, True, Sincere, and Sagacious Brother!

For brothers of the hereafter and the truth like us, differences of time and place are no obstacle to their conversing and intimacy. Even if one is in the east, one in the west, one in the past, one in the future, one in this world, and one in the next, they still may be thought of as being together and may converse. Especially those who have undertaken the same duty to achieve the same goal; they are as though united. Every morning I imagine that you are here with me, and I make over a part, a third, of my spiritual gains to you. May God find them acceptable! In my prayers you are together with Abdülmecid and Abdurrahman. God willing, you always receive your share.

Your suffering difficulties in respect of worldly life saddened me a little, for your sake. But since this world is not eternal and good may come of disasters, it occurred to me to say on your behalf: “This too will pass.” I thought of the Hadith: “True life is the life of the hereafter.”(*)I recited the verse: “God is with those who patiently persevere.”(2:253) I said: “To God do we belong, and to Him is our return.”(2:156) And I found consolation in place of you. If Almighty God loves one of His servants, He makes him feel disgust at the world and shows it to be ugly.(*)God willing, you belong to that class of His loved ones.

Do not let the increased difficulties preventing the spreading of the Words upset you. God willing, when the amount you have distributed comes to manifest divine mercy, those light-filled seeds will open a profusion of flowers.

You asked a number of questions. My dear brother! The majority of the Words and Letters that have been written occurred to my heart instantaneously without the exercise of will; and they turned out very well. If I reply to you relying on my will and strength of knowledge and thought like the Old Said, the answers will turn out dull and deficient. For some time now my heart has received no inspirations and the whip of my memory been broken; so I shall reply extremely briefly to each of them, so as not to deprive you of an answer.

YOUR FIRST QUESTION

What is the best way believers can pray for one another?

The Answer:Their prayer has to be within the bounds of what is acceptable, for supplications become acceptable under certain conditions; their acceptability increases as these conditions are fulfilled.

For instance, when a person wants to offer supplications, he should be purified spiritually by seeking forgiveness; then he should recite benedictions (salawat) for the Prophet (UWBP), an acceptable prayer, for intercession; and following his supplication he should again recite the salawat. For a prayer offered between two such acceptable prayers itself becomes acceptable; as is praying for another without their knowledge;(*)and are the traditional supplications and prayers in the Qur’an and Hadiths. For example:

O God! I beseech You to bestow forgiveness and well-being on me and on so-and-so in religion, this world, and the hereafter.(*)O our Sustainer! Give us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire.(2:201)

General supplications like these when offered sincerely and with humility and tranquillity of heart; and following the five daily prayers, and the morning prayer in particular; and in holy places, and mosques in particular; and on Fridays, and particularly during “the hour when prayers are answered;” and during the three months of Rajab, Sha‘ban, and Ramadan, and on the well-known holy nights, such as the Prophet’s (UWBP) birthday and Ragha’ib, and on the Night of Power in particular – it is to be strongly hoped from divine mercy that such supplications will be accepted.(*)

The results of such acceptable prayers are either seen in this world exactly as requested, or they are accepted in respect of the eternal life in the hereafter of the one who offered them. That is to say, if what was sought does not occur exactly as wished, it should not be said that the prayer was not accepted,(*)but that it was accepted in a better form.

YOUR SECOND QUESTION

Since the phrase, “May God be pleased with him” is used for the Companions of the Prophet (UWBP), is it appropriate to use it in the same way for others?

The Answer:Yes, it may be used, because unlike “Upon whom be blessings and peace,” which is a mark of God’s Messenger (UWBP), the epithet, “May God be pleased with him” is not particular to the Companions, but should be used for persons who, like the Companions, attained to the “greater sainthood” known as “the legacy of prophethood,” rising to the station of God’s pleasure. Examples are the four Imams, and Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir Gilani, Imam-i Rabbani (Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi), and Imam Ghazali. But the general practice among religious scholars has been to use “May God be pleased with him” for the Companions; “May God have mercy on him” for the two generations succeeding them; “May God forgive him” for subsequent generations; and “May his mystery be sanctified” for the great saints.

YOUR THIRD QUESTION

Which were superior, the great imams and interpreters of the Holy Law, or the shahs and spiritual poles of the true Sufi paths?

The Answer:Not all the interpreters of the Law were superior to the shahs and spiritual poles, only Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi‘i, and Ahmad b. Hanbal. But in some respects, some wondrous spiritual poles like Shaikh Gilani reached more brilliant stations in particular virtues. However, general virtue was the Imams’. Furthermore, some of the shahs of the Sufi paths were also interpreters of the Law; it cannot therefore be said that all interpreters of the Law were superior to the spiritual poles. But it may be said that after the Companions and the Mahdi, the four Imams were superior.

YOUR FOURTH QUESTION

What is the purpose and aim of the words: “God is with those who patiently persevere?”(2:153; 8:46)

The Answer:As required by His name of All-Wise, Almighty God placed in all things an arrangement like the steps of stairs. The impatient man does not act with slow deliberation, so either skips some of the steps and falls, or leaves some deficient; he cannot mount to the roof of his goal. Greed is therefore the cause of loss. Patience however is the key to all difficulties, and the saying, “The greedy are subject to disappointment and loss,” and the Hadith, “Patience is the key to happiness,”(*)have become proverbial. That is to say, Almighty God’s grace and favour are with the patient. For patience is threefold:

The First is to patiently persevere in refraining from sin; this patience is taqwa and manifests the meaning of the verse:God is with those who fear Him and restrain themselves.(2:194)

The Second is patience in the face of calamity; this to place one’s trust in God and to submit to Him. It is to be honoured by the manifestation of these verses:God loves the patient.(3:146) * God loves those who put their trust in Him. (3:159)

As for impatience, it amounts to complaining about God, and to criticizing His actions, accusing His mercy, and not liking His wisdom. For sure, man is weak and powerless, and weeps complainingly at the blows of misfortune, but his complaint must be to Him, not about Him. It should resemble Jacob’s (Upon whom be peace) words:He said: I only complain of my distraction and anguish to God.(12:86)That is to say, he should complain to God, not lament saying: “What have I done that this should have happened to me?” as though complaining to other human beings about God; to excite the sympathy of impotent humans is harmful and meaningless.

The Third Sort of Patience is patient perseverance in worship, which raises a person to the station of being beloved of God. It urges him towards perfect worship of God and servitude of Him, which is the most elevated station.

YOUR FIFTH QUESTION

Fifteen is accepted as the age of discretion. How did God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) worship before his prophetic mission?

The Answer:He used to worship in accordance with what remained of Abraham’s (Upon whom be peace) religion, which was still extant in Arabia though in very obscure form. But this was his own choice, to perform a good act, not because he was obliged or compelled in any way. This truth is lengthy, so let it remain at that for now.

Altıncı Sualiniz:

Sinn-i kemal itibar olunan kırk yaşında nübüvvetin gelmesi ve ömr-ü saadetlerinin altmış üç olmasındaki hikmet nedir?

Elcevap: Hikmetleri çoktur. Birisi şudur ki: Nübüvvet, gayet ağır ve büyük bir mükellefiyettir. Melekât-ı akliye ve istidadat-ı kalbiyenin inkişafı ve tekemmülü ile o ağır mükellefiyet tahammül edilir. O tekemmülün zamanı ise kırk yaşıdır.

Hem hevesat-ı nefsaniyenin heyecanlı zamanı ve hararet-i gariziyenin galeyanlı hengâmı ve ihtirasat-ı dünyeviyenin feveranlı vakti olan gençlik ve şebabiyet ise sırf İlahî ve uhrevî ve kudsî olan vezaif-i nübüvvete muvafık düşmüyor. Kırktan evvel ne kadar ciddi ve hâlis bir adam olsa da şöhret-perestlerin hatırlarına belki dünyanın şan ve şerefi için çalışır vehmi gelir. Onların ittihamından çabuk kurtulamaz. Fakat kırktan sonra, madem kabir tarafına nüzul başlıyor ve dünyadan ziyade âhiret ona görünüyor. Harekât ve a’mal-i uhreviyesinde çabuk o ittihamdan kurtulur ve muvaffak olur. İnsanlar da sû-i zandan kurtulur, halâs olur.

Amma ömr-ü saadetinin altmış üç olması ise çok hikmetlerinden birisi şudur ki: Şer’an ehl-i iman, Resul-i Ekrem aleyhissalâtü vesselâmı gayet derecede sevmek ve hürmet etmek ve hiçbir şeyinden nefret etmemek ve her halini güzel görmekle mükellef olduğundan; altmıştan sonraki meşakkatli ve musibetli olan ihtiyarlık zamanında, Habib-i Ekrem’ini bırakmıyor; belki imam olduğu ümmetin ömr-ü galibi olan altmış üçte Mele-i A’lâ’ya gönderiyor, yanına alıyor; her cihette imam olduğunu gösteriyor.

Yedinci Sualiniz:

خَي۟رُ شَبَابِكُم۟ مَن۟ تَشَبَّهَ بِكُهُولِكُم۟ وَ شَرُّ كُهُولِكُم۟ مَن۟ تَشَبَّهَ بِشَبَابِكُم۟ hadîs midir, bundan murad nedir?

Elcevap: Hadîs olarak işitmişim. Murad da şudur ki: “En hayırlı genç odur ki ihtiyar gibi ölümü düşünüp âhiretine çalışarak, gençlik hevesatına esir olmayıp gaflette boğulmayandır. Ve ihtiyarlarınızın en kötüsü odur ki gaflette ve hevesatta gençlere benzemek ister, çocukçasına hevesat-ı nefsaniyeye tabi olur.”

Senin levhanda gördüğün ikinci parçanın sahih sureti şudur ki ben başımın üstünde onu bir levha-i hikmet olarak ta’lik etmişim. Her sabah ve akşam ona bakarım, dersimi alırım:

Dost istersen Allah yeter. Evet, o dost ise her şey dosttur.

Yârân istersen Kur’an yeter. Evet, ondaki enbiya ve melâike ile hayalen görüşür ve vukuatlarını seyredip ünsiyet eder.

Mal istersen kanaat yeter. Evet kanaat eden, iktisat eder; iktisat eden, bereket bulur.

Düşman istersen nefis yeter. Evet kendini beğenen, belayı bulur, zahmete düşer; kendini beğenmeyen, safayı bulur, rahmete gider.

Nasihat istersen ölüm yeter. Evet ölümü düşünen, hubb-u dünyadan kurtulur ve âhiretine ciddi çalışır.

Yedinci meselenize bir sekizinciyi ben ilâve ediyorum.

Şöyle ki: Bir iki gün evvel bir hâfız, Sure-i Yusuf’tan bir aşr, tâ تَوَفَّنٖى مُس۟لِمًا وَ اَل۟حِق۟نٖى بِالصَّالِحٖينَ e kadar okudu. Birden âni bir surette bir nükte kalbe geldi: Kur’an’a ve imana ait her şey kıymetlidir, zâhiren ne kadar küçük olursa olsun kıymetçe büyüktür. Evet, saadet-i ebediyeye yardım eden küçük değildir. Öyle ise “Şu küçük bir nüktedir, şu izaha ve ehemmiyete değmez.” denilmez. Elbette şu çeşit mesailde en birinci talebe ve muhatap olan ve nüket-i Kur’aniyeyi takdir eden İbrahim Hulusi, o nükteyi işitmek ister. Öyle ise dinle:

En güzel bir kıssanın güzel bir nüktesidir. Ahsenü’l-kasas olan Kıssa-i Yusuf aleyhisselâm hâtimesini haber veren تَوَفَّنٖى مُس۟لِمًا وَ اَل۟حِق۟نٖى بِالصَّالِحٖينَ âyetinin, ulvi ve latîf ve müjdeli ve i’cazkârane bir nüktesi şudur ki:

Sair ferahlı ve saadetli kıssaların âhirindeki zeval ve firak haberlerinin acıları ve elemi, kıssadan alınan hayalî lezzeti acılaştırıyor, kırıyor. Bâhusus kemal-i ferah ve saadet içinde bulunduğunu ihbar ettiği hengâmda, mevtini ve firakını haber vermek daha elîmdir; dinleyenlere “Eyvah!” dedirtir.

Halbuki şu âyet, Kıssa-i Yusuf’un (as) en parlak kısmı ki Aziz-i Mısır olması, peder ve validesiyle görüşmesi, kardeşleriyle sevişip tanışması olan, dünyada en büyük saadetli ve ferahlı bir hengâmda, Hazret-i Yusuf’un mevtini şöyle bir surette haber veriyor ve diyor ki:

Şu ferahlı ve saadetli vaziyetten daha saadetli, daha parlak bir vaziyete mazhar olmak için Hazret-i Yusuf, kendisi Cenab-ı Hak’tan vefatını istedi ve vefat etti; o saadete mazhar oldu. Demek o dünyevî, lezzetli saadetten daha cazibedar bir saadet ve ferahlı bir vaziyet kabrin arkasında vardır ki Hazret-i Yusuf aleyhisselâm gibi hakikatbîn bir zat, o gayet lezzetli dünyevî vaziyet içinde gayet acı olan mevti istedi, tâ öteki saadete mazhar olsun.

İşte Kur’an-ı Hakîm’in şu belâgatına bak ki Kıssa-i Yusuf’un hâtimesini ne suretle haber verdi. O haberde dinleyenlere elem ve teessüf değil belki bir müjde ve bir sürur ilâve ediyor.

Hem irşad ediyor ki: Kabrin arkası için çalışınız, hakiki saadet ve lezzet ondadır.

Hem Hazret-i Yusuf’un âlî sıddıkıyetini gösteriyor ve diyor: Dünyanın en parlak ve en sürurlu haleti dahi ona gaflet vermiyor, onu meftun etmiyor, yine âhireti istiyor.

اَل۟بَاقٖى هُوَ ال۟بَاقٖى

Said Nursî

---

Yirmi İkinci Mektup ⇐ | Mektubat | ⇒ Yirmi Dördüncü Mektup

---