The Tenth Flash

Blows Dealt by Divine Compassion

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

On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done, and all the evil it has done, it willø wish there were a great distance between it and its evil. But God cautions you [to remember] Himself. And God is full of kindness to those who serve Him.(3:30) One meaning of the above verse is to be expounded and explained by the blows dealt by divine compassion that my comrades in the service of the Qur’an receive for mistakes they make as the result of human nature. So a succession of extra-ordinary events proceeding from the service of the Qur’an will be explained together with an instance of Gawth al-A‘zam’s(*) wonder-working, since he supervises this sacred service with God’s permission and assists it with his saintly influence. Then those who perform it may persevere earnestly in their service.

There are three sorts of wonder-working associated with this sacred work:

The First Sort is that aspect which prepares the work and urges those employed to perform it.

The Second Sort removes obstacles and repulses the evil of those who oppose it and deals them blows.

There are numerous instances of this second sort and they are lengthy,(*) so postponing them to another time we shall discuss the third sort, which are the lightest.

The Third Sort is this: Whenever those who work sincerely in this service become lax, they receive a compassionate slap. So coming to their senses, they take up their work again. Incidents of this sort number more than a hundred. Out of only twenty, thirteen or fourteen received compassionate slaps, while six or seven received restraining slaps.

THE FIRST

This concerns this unfortunate Said: whenever I have flagged in my duties, and saying, “What is it to me?,” have become preoccupied with my own private affairs, I have received a slap. I have formed the opinion that I received it due to my neglect. Because whatever my purpose was that deceived me and spurred me on, I received a slap that was the reverse of it. Then studying the compassionate slaps that my sincere friends have received, they were always the opposite of whatever their aim was – if they were neglectful – so that we have come to the conclusion that such incidents were wonders proceeding from service of the Qur’an.

For example, as long as this unfortunate Said was busy teaching the truths of the Qur’an in Van at the time of the Shaykh Said events,(*) the suspicious government did not and could not interfere with me. Then when I said “What is it to me?,” and thinking of myself withdrew into a ruined cave on Mount Erek in order to save my life in the hereafter, they arrested me for no reason and sent me into exile. I was brought to Burdur.

There, again as long as I was serving the Qur’an… at that time all the exiles were watched very closely and I was supposed to report to the police in person every evening, but I and my sincere students held ourselves to be exceptions. The Governor there complained to Fevzi Pasha(*) when he visited but Fevzi Pasha replied: “Don’t interfere with him! Treat him with respect!” What made him say that was the sacred nature of service of the Qur’an. Yet whenever I was overcome by the idea of saving myself and thought only of my life in the hereafter and there was a temporary slackening in my serving the Qur’an, I received a slap contrary to my intentions. That is to say, I was sent from one place of exile to another. I was sent to Isparta.

In Isparta I took up my duties again. After twenty days, a number of cowardly people said by way of a warning: “Perhaps the government won’t look kindly on this situation. It would be better if you go a bit cautiously.” In Isparta I took up my duties again. After twenty days, a number of cowardly people said by way of a warning: “Perhaps the government won’t look kindly on this situation. It would be better if you go a bit cautiously.”

And in Barla whenever a slackness has come over me and the idea of thinking of myself alone has gripped me, one of these serpents and two-faced hypocrites from among ‘the worldly’(*) has been set to pester me. During this eight years eighty such incidents have befallen me; I could recount them, but am cutting them short so as not to bore people.

My brothers! I have described some of the compassionate slaps I have received, now if you will permit it and forgive me, I shall relate some that have befallen you. Don’t be offended. If anyone is offended, I will not put his name.

THE SECOND

My true brother and first and most superior and self-sacrificing student, Abdülmecid,(*) had a fine house in Van. He was well-off and he was a teacher. Following his own ideas, he did not join those who were attempting to send me to the border region against my wishes, which was a place more in need of Qur’anic service, and as though for my benefit, did not vote for it. As though, if I had gone there, my service of the Qur’an would not have been apolitical or sincere, and they would have expelled him from Van – so he did not take part. But he received a compassionate slap contrary to his intentions, for he had to leave both Van, and his beautiful house, and his native region; he was compelled to go to Ergani.

THE THIRD

Hulûsi Bey(*)

was crucial to our service of the Qur’an. There were a number of things when he returned to his native region from Eğridir that would have afforded him much enjoyment and worldly happiness, perhaps causing him to become slack in his service of the Qur’an, which pertains solely to the hereafter. For he was reunited with his parents, whom he had not seen for a long time, and he was back home, and because he had returned there with rank and honour, the world was smiling on him and appeared good. However, for those employed in serving the Qur’an, either the world must be vexed with them, or they must be vexed at the world, so that they can perform that service sincerely and earnestly.

Hulûsi’s heart was certainly unshakeable, but his situation drove him to slackness and he received a slap from divine compassion. For one or two years a number of dissemblers were set to pester him, which drove away all his worldly pleasure. They made both the world vexed at him, and him vexed at the world. So in the true meaning of the word he embraced his duty earnestly.

THE FOURTH

This is Muhâjir Hâfız Ahmed.(*) He himself said the following: “Yes, I confess that I made a mistake when interpretating the question of my life in the hereafter and its connection with my service of the Qur’an. I had a wish that would cause me to be lax in my service, and I received a blow that was compassionate, but also severe and was atonement. It was like this:

my Master (Ustad) was not in favour of the new measures.(*)

My mosque was next to his house and the Three Months(*) were drawing close. If I had abandoned my mosque, both I would have forfeited much reward, and the district would have grown accustomed to not praying. If I had not carried out the new practices, I would have been barred. So according to my interpretation I wanted my Master, whom I loved more than my life, to temporarily move to another village. I did not know that if he moved, or went to another region, it would cause a temporary lapse in my service of the Qur’an. Just at that  juncture I  received a blow. It was compassionate but so awesome that three months  later  I  still  have  not  regained  my  senses.  However,  praise  be  to  God, according to what my Master  says, it was imparted to him that we may hope from divine mercy that each minute of the calamity is equivalent to a day’s worship. For the mistake was not due to enmity; the wish  occurred to me only because I was thinking of my life in the hereafter.”

THE FIFTH

This is Hakkı Efendi.(*) Since he is not here now, I am deputizing for him as I did for Hulûsi Bey, and say this: while Hakkı Efendi was carrying out to the letter his duties as student, an immoral Kaymakam(*) came to the district. So he hid what he had written so that harm should come neither to his Master, nor to himself. He temporarily gave up his service of the Risale-i Nur. Suddenly, a court case was opened against him, which was a sort of slap dealt by divine compassion. He was going to have to pay a fine of a thousand liras. He was subject to the threat for a year, until he came here and we met, and on his return he again took up his service of the Qur’an and the duties of being a Risale-i Nur student. Then the compassionate slap’s sentence was lifted, and he was acquitted.

Later a further duty commenced for the students, which concerned the writing out of the Qur’an in a new way.(*) A section was given to Hakkı Efendi. He embarked on it enthusiastically and wrote out a thirtieth part of the Qur’an. But because of his straitened circumstances he felt compelled to secretly undertake someone’s defence in a court case. He suddenly received another compassionate slap. He broke the finger he used to hold his pen with. It was as though warning him: “This finger won’t write out both a lawyer’s case and the Qur’an!” We were astonished at his finger because we did not know about his taking on the case. Then it was understood that the sacred, pure service of the Qur’an did not want to involve the fingers which were particular to it in other work. Anyway I know Hulûsi Bey like I know myself and spoke in his place, and Hakkı Bey is just the same. If he does not like my acting as his proxy, he can write about his slap himself!

THE SIXTH

This is Bekir Efendi.(*) He is not here at present, so in the same way that I deputized for my brother Abdülmecid, relying on his confidence and loyalty and what all my close friends like fiamlı Hafız and Süleyman Efendi say and know, I say this: Bekir Efendi had the Tenth Word printed. Then we sent him the Twent y-Fifth Word, about the Qur’an’s Miraculousness, to print before the new letters were introduced.(*) We also wrote that we would send him the printing costs, as we sent him the costs of printing the Tenth Word. But thinking of my poverty and seeing that the printing costs would be around four hundred liras, Bekir Efendi thought to himself: “Perhaps the Hoja won’t be pleased if I pay it out of my own pocket,” and his soul deceived him. It was not printed and caused considerable harm to our service of the Qur’an. Two months later nine hundred liras of his were stolen and he received a compassionate but severe blow. God willing, the lost nine hundred liras was like a sort of almsgiving.

THE SEVENTH

This is Şamlı Hafız Tevfik.(*) He himself says: “Yes, I confess that because of some things I did unknowingly and in error that would have caused harm to our service of the Qur’an, I received two compassionate slaps. I have no doubt that they were the result of that.

“The First: All praise be to God, I was endowed with handwriting of the Arabic script which is to a degree suitable for writing the Qur’an. My Master first of all assigned me three thirtieth parts of the Qur’an to write out, and divided the rest among the others. Desire to write out the Qur’an destroyed my wish to perform the service of writing out the rough and final drafts of the parts of the Risale-i Nur. I even had the conceited idea of wanting to surpass the others who did not know how to write the Arabic script properly. I had even said arrogantly when my Master told me as a precaution about the writing that it was for him: “I know this. I don’t need to learn it.” I received an extraordinary and unimaginable slap because of this mistake: what I wrote was not even as good as that of a brother (Husrev) who knew the least about writing the Arabic script. We were all astonished. And we have understood now that it was a slap.

“The Second: I confess that two of my attitudes were damaging for the complete sincerity necessary for service to the Qur’an, which has to be purely for God’s sake, and I received a severe blow. For I am like a stranger in the region, and foreign. Also – but I should not complain – since I did not observe frugality and contentment, important rules of my Master, I suffer from poverty. I am compelled to mix with selfish and arrogant people, and so, may God forgive it, I was forced to be generous in hypocritical and sycophantic manner. My Master frequently warned, reminded, and scolded me, but unfortunately I could not stop myself. On the one hand satans from among jinn and men were profiting from this situation of mine which was opposed to the spirit of service of the All-Wise Qur’an, and on the other it caused a coldness and slackness in our service.

“In the face of this fault of mine, I received a severe, but God willing compassionate, blow. I have no doubt that it happened in consequence of that fault. The blow was this: although for eight years I have had both close relations with my Master and been his writer of rough drafts and final drafts, for around eight months, I had been unable to benefit from the Risale-i Nur. We were astonished at this situation. Both I and my Master sought the reason, wondering why it was thus. Now we feel certain that those truths of the Qur’an are light and luminous, and cannot unite with the darkness of artificiality, flattery, and abasement.

So the meaning of those truths’ lights were drawing away from me, appearing foreign to me and as strangers. I beseech Almighty God that He will grant me sincerity worthy of such service, and save me from hypocrisy and artificiality towards ‘the worldly.’ I request of firstly my Master and all my brothers that they pray for me.

“The most faulty,

Şamlı Hâfız Tevfik

THE EIGHTH

This is Seyrani. Like Husrev, he was one of my students who was enthusiastic about the Risale-i Nur and had a good understanding of it. I consulted my students in Isparta about the ‘coincidences,’ which are a key to the mysteries of the Qur’an and to the science of jafr. They responded and took part eagerly, but because Seyrani had other ideas and points of interest, he did not respond, and in addition wanted me to give up the truth I knew to be certain. He wrote me a letter that upset me considerably. I said: “Alas! I have lost this student.” Certainly I wanted to enlighten his ideas, but a further meaning confused matters. He received a blow from divine compassion: he remained for nearly a year in a place of seclusion (that is, in prison).

DOKUZUNCUSU

Büyük Hâfız Zühdü’dür. Bu zat, Ağrus’taki Nur talebelerinin başında nâzırları hükmünde olduğu bir zaman, sünnet-i seniyeye ittiba ve bid’alardan içtinabı meslek ittihaz eden talebelerin manevî şerefini kâfi görmeyerek ve ehl-i dünyanın nazarında bir mevki kazanmak emeliyle mühim bir bid’anın muallimliğini deruhte etti. Tamamıyla mesleğimize zıt bir hata işledi. Pek müthiş bir şefkat tokadını yedi. Hanedanının şerefini zîr ü zeber edecek bir hâdiseye maruz kaldı. Fakat maatteessüf Küçük Hâfız Zühdü, hiç tokada istihkakı yokken, o elîm hâdise ona da temas etti. Belki inşâallah o hâdise, onun kalbini dünyadan kurtarıp tamamıyla Kur’an’a vermek için bir ameliyat-ı cerrahiye-i nâfia hükmüne geçer.

ONUNCUSU

Hâfız Ahmed (rh) namında bir adamdır. Bu zat, risalelerin yazmasında iki üç sene teşvikkârane bir surette bulunuyordu ve istifade ediyordu. Sonra ehl-i dünya, zayıf bir damarından istifade etti. O şevk zedelendi. Ehl-i dünyaya temas etti. Belki o cihetle ehl-i dünyanın zararını görmesin hem onlara sözünü geçirsin ve bir nevi mevki kazansın ve dar olan maişetine bir suhulet olsun. İşte hizmet-i Kur’aniyeye o suretle, o yüzden gelen fütur ve zarara mukabil iki tokat yedi. Biri: Dar maişetiyle beraber beş nüfus daha ilâve edildi, perişaniyeti ehemmiyet kesbetti. İkinci tokat: Şeref ve haysiyet noktasında hassas ve hattâ bir tek adamın tenkit ve itirazını çekemeyen o zat, bilmeyerek bazı dessas insanlar onu öyle bir surette kendilerine perde ettiler ki şerefi zîr ü zeber oldu, yüzde doksanını kaybetti ve yüzde doksan adamı aleyhine çevirdi. Her ne ise… Allah affetsin, belki inşâallah bundan intibaha gelir, yine kısmen vazifesine döner.

ON BİRİNCİSİ

Belki rızası yok diye yazılmadı.

ON İKİNCİSİ

Muallim Galib’dir (rh). Evet bu zat, sadıkane ve takdirkârane, risalelerin tebyizinde çok hizmet etti ve hiçbir müşkülat karşısında zaaf göstermedi. Ekser günlerde geliyordu, kemal-i şevk ile dinliyordu ve istinsah ediyordu. Sonra kendine, otuz lira ücret mukabilinde umum Sözler’i ve Mektubat’ı yazdırdı. Onun maksadı, memleketinde neşretmek ve hem hemşehrilerini tenvir etmek idi. Sonra bazı düşünceler neticesinde risaleleri tasavvur ettiği gibi neşretmedi, sandığa bıraktı. Birden elîm bir hâdise yüzünden bir sene gam ve gussa çekti. Risalelerin neşri ile ona adâvet edecek resmî birkaç düşmanlara bedel; zalim, insafsız çok düşmanları buldu; bir kısım dostlarını kaybetti.

ON ÜÇÜNCÜSÜ

Hâfız Hâlid’dir (rh). Kendisi der: Evet itiraf ediyorum, Üstadımın hizmet-i Kur’aniyede neşrettiği âsârın tesvidinde hararetli bir surette bulunduğum zaman mahallemizde bir cami imamlığı vardı. Eski kisve-i ilmiyemi, sarığı bağlamak niyetiyle muvakkaten o hizmete fütur verip, bilmeyerek çekildim. Maksadımın aksiyle şefkatli bir tokat yedim. Sekiz dokuz ay imamlık ettiğim halde, müftünün çok vaadlerine rağmen, fevkalâde bir surette sarığı saramadım. Şüphemiz kalmadı ki o kusurdan bu şefkatli tokat geldi. Ben Üstadımın hem bir muhatabı hem bir müsevvidi idim. Benim çekilmem ile tesvid hususunda sıkıntı çekmişti. Her ne ise… Yine şükür ki kusurumuzu anladık ve bu hizmetin de ne kadar kudsî olduğunu bildik ve Şah-ı Geylanî gibi arkamızda melek-i sıyanet gibi bir Üstad bulunduğuna itimat ettik.

Ez’afü’l-ibad

Hâfız Hâlid

ON DÖRDÜNCÜSÜ

Üç Mustafa’nın küçücük “üç tokat” yemeleridir.

Birincisi: Mustafa Çavuş (rh) sekiz senedir bizim hususi küçük camiye hem sobasına hem gaz yağına hem kibritine kadar hizmet ediyordu. Hattâ gaz yağını ve kibritini sekiz senedir kendi kesesinden sarf ettiğini sonra öğrendik. Cemaate, hususan cuma gecelerinde gayet zarurî bir iş olmayınca geri kalmıyordu.

Sonra ehl-i dünya onun safvet-i kalbinden istifade ederek dediler ki: “Sözler’in bir kâtibi olan Hâfız’ın sarığına ilişecekler. Hem gizli ezan, muvakkaten terk edilsin. Sen kâtibe söyle, cebir görmeden evvel sarığı çıkarsın.” O bilmiyordu ki hizmet-i Kur’aniyede bulunan birisinin sarığını çıkarmaya dair sözü tebliğ etmek, Mustafa Çavuş gibi yüksek ruhlulara pek ağırdır. Onların sözlerini tebliğ etmiş.

O gece rüyada ben görüyordum ki Mustafa Çavuş’un elleri kirli, kaymakam arkasında olarak odama geldi. İkinci gün ona dedim: “Mustafa Çavuş, sen bugün kim ile görüştün? Seni elin mülevves bir surette kaymakamın arkasında gördüm.” Dedi: “Eyvah! Bana böyle bir söz, muhtar söyledi, kâtibe söyle. Ben arkasında ne olduğunu bilmedim.”

Hem aynı günde bir okkaya yakın gaz yağını camiye getirmiş. Hiç vuku bulmayan, o gün kapı açık kalmış, bir keçi yavrusu içeriye girmiş, büyük bir adam gelmiş, keçi yavrusunun seccademe yakın bıraktığı muzahrefatı yıkamak için ibrikteki gaz yağını su zannedip bütün o gaz yağını temizlik yapıyorum diye caminin her tarafına serpmiş. Acayiptir ki kokusunu duymamış. Demek, o mescid lisan-ı hal ile Mustafa Çavuş’a diyor: “Senin gaz yağın bize lâzım değil. Ettiğin hata için gaz yağını kabul etmedim.” diye işaret vermek için o adama koku işittirilmedi.

Hattâ o hafta içinde cuma gecesinde ve birkaç mühim namazda, o kadar çalıştığı halde cemaate yetişemiyordu. Sonra ciddi bir nedamet, bir istiğfar ettikten sonra safvet-i asliyesini buldu.

İkinci Mustafalar: Kuleönü’ndeki kıymettar, çalışkan mühim bir talebem olan Mustafa ile onun çok sadık ve fedakâr arkadaşı Hâfız Mustafa’dır (r.aleyhima). Ben bayramdan sonra, ehl-i dünya bize sıkıntı verip hizmet-i Kur’aniyeye fütur vermemek için şimdilik gelmesinler diye haber göndermiştim. Şayet gelecek olurlarsa birer birer gelsinler. Halbuki bunlar üç adam birden, bir gece geldiler. Fecirden evvel hava müsait ise gitmek niyet edildi. Hiç vuku bulmadığı bir tarzda hem Mustafa Çavuş hem Süleyman Efendi hem ben hem onlar, zâhir bir tedbiri düşünemedik, bize unutturuldu. Her birimiz ötekine bırakıp ihtiyatsızlık etti. Onlar fecirden evvel gittiler. Öyle bir fırtına onları iki saat mütemadiyen tokatladı ki bu fırtınadan kurtulmayacaklar diye telaş ettim. Şimdiye kadar bu kışta ne öyle bir fırtına olmuş ve ne de bu kadar kimseye acımıştım. Sonra Süleyman’ı, ihtiyatsızlığının cezası olarak arkalarından gönderip sıhhat ve selâmetlerini anlamak için gönderecektim. Mustafa Çavuş dedi: “O gitse o da kalacak. Ben de onun arkasından gidip aramak lâzım. Benim arkamdan da Abdullah Çavuş gelmek lâzım.” Bu hususta “Tevekkelnâ alallah” dedik, intizar ettik.

Sual: Has dostlarınıza gelen musibetleri, tokat eseri deyip hizmet-i Kur’aniyede füturları cihetinde bir itab telakki ediyorsun. Halbuki size ve hizmet-i Kur’aniyeye hakiki düşmanlık edenler, selâmette kalıyorlar. Neden dosta tokat vuruluyor, düşmana ilişilmiyor?

Elcevap: اَلظُّل۟مُ لَا يَدُومُ وَال۟كُف۟رُ يَدُومُ sırrınca dostların hataları, hizmetimizde bir nevi zulüm hükmüne geçtiği için çabuk çarpılıyor. Şefkatli tokat yer, aklı varsa intibaha gelir. Düşman ise hizmet-i Kur’aniyeye zıddiyeti, mümanaatı, dalalet hesabına geçer. Bilerek veya bilmeyerek hizmetimize tecavüzü, zındıka hesabına geçer. Küfür devam ettiği için onlar ekseriyetle çabuk tokat yemiyorlar.

Nasıl ki küçük kabahatleri işleyenlerin, nahiyelerde cezaları verilir. Büyük kabahatleri de büyük mahkemelere gönderilir.

Öyle de ehl-i imanın ve has dostların hükmen küçük hataları, çabuk onları temizlemek için kısmen dünyada ve süraten verilir.

Ehl-i dalaletin cinayetleri, o kadar büyüktür ki kısacık hayat-ı dünyeviyeye cezaları sığışmadığından, mukteza-yı adalet olarak âlem-i bekadaki mahkeme-i kübraya havale edildiği için ekseriyetle burada cezaya çarpılmıyorlar.

İşte hadîs-i şerifte اَلدُّن۟يَا سِج۟نُ ال۟مُؤ۟مِنِ وَجَنَّةُ ال۟كَافِرِ mezkûr hakikate dahi işaret ediyor. Yani dünyada şu mü’min, kısmen kusuratından cezasını gördüğü için dünya onun hakkında bir dâr-ı cezadır. Dünya, onların saadetli âhiretlerine nisbeten bir zindan ve cehennemdir.

Ve kâfirler madem cehennemden çıkmayacaklar. Hasenatlarının mükâfatlarını kısmen dünyada gördükleri ve büyük seyyiatları tehir edildiği cihetle, onların âhiretine nisbeten dünya, cennetleridir.

Yoksa mü’min bu dünyada dahi kâfirden manen ve hakikat nokta-i nazarında çok ziyade mesuddur. Âdeta mü’minin imanı, mü’minin ruhunda bir cennet-i maneviye hükmüne geçiyor; kâfirin küfrü, kâfirin mahiyetinde manevî bir cehennemi ateşlendiriyor.

سُب۟حَانَكَ لَا عِل۟مَ لَنَٓا اِلَّا مَا عَلَّم۟تَنَٓا اِنَّكَ اَن۟تَ ال۟عَلٖيمُ ال۟حَكٖيمُ

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