The Twelve Principles (Usūl)

* A page from The Twenty-fourth Word of the original manuscript of The Words

The Twelve Principles

(Usūl)

The Third Branch of the Twenty-Fourth Word

Since the noble ahadīth (46) (sayings of the Prophet Muḥammad (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām)) regarding the signs of the Last Day (47) and events in the end of times, and the virtues and rewards of some deeds are not understood well enough, some people of knowledge, who trust [and treasure] their own intellects too much, claim that some of them are ḍa’īf (48) (weak) or mawdū’ (49) (fabricated), while others with weak īmān and solid ego go even further to the point of denying them. We are not to delve deep into the details [of determining the strength of ahadīth] for the time being yet we will only explain The Twelve Usūl (Principles).

The First Principle: This is the matter we explained in the later parts of the Twentieth Word [of The Book of Light] in a question and answer [format]. The summary of it is just like this: Religion is a test and trial. It differentiates the sublime and elevated spirits from those lowly ones.

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46. ahadīth: sayings of the Prophet Muḥammad (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām)

47. the Last Day: yawm al-Qiyāmah

48. ḍa’īf: weak

49. mawdū: fabricated 

Religion mentions the incidents that every eye will witness in the future in such a manner that it is neither fully unambiguous nor fully clear in a way that will force all to approve willingly or unwillingly. It will open a door for the intellect, yet it will not take control of one’s will to choose. [Would you imagine what would happen] if the signs of the Last Day were seen so completely clear as the day and all became forced to believe and confirm? In that case, [a person with] a talent and capacity [as priceless] as a diamond would stay at the same level of someone with the talent and capacity [as worthless] as a piece of coal. Thus, the secret of proposed obligation would fail and the result of the test would not be accomplished. That’s why there have been many differences of opinions and much disagreement on many issues like the issue of the Mahdī and Sufyān. Furthermore, the narrations are quite various and different from one another. There have been opposite verdicts in regard to this issue.

The Second Principle: The matters of Islām have layers. As one layer demands a certain proof (50), another may suffice with a prevailing assumption (51). Another of them requires only an acceptance of submission and not denying it. This being the case, for the matters that are not of the articles of īmān, that is to say, a certainty of understanding and absolutely certain proof are not asked for each of the secondary matters or each of the matters related to the history and time. Perhaps not denying the matter and having submission while not being critical of it is enough.

The Third Principle: During the time of the companions [of the Prophet Muḥammad (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām)] many of the scholars

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50. a certain proof: burhān al-qat‘ī

51. a prevailing assumption: ẓann al-ghālibī

from the children of Israel and Christians entered into the religion of Islām. When they became Muslim, they brought their previous knowledge from their religions along with them as well. Some of their previous knowledge, [regarding some matters which actually] did not occur in the past or those that are contrary to the truth, were thought to be the property of the religion of Islām.

The Fourth Principle: Some assertions of the narrators of noble ahadīth or the meanings that they inferred [from ahadīth] were considered to be the text of the hadīth [yet they were not]. Since man is not devoid of mistakes, some deductions or assertions of them that were actually opposite to what happened were assumed to be hadīth, thus judged as weak.

The Fifth Principle: With the secret of اِنَّ ف۪ٓي اُمَّت۪ي مُحَدَّثُونَ (amongst my ummah are hadīth scholars) that is to say مُلْهَمُونَ (inspired ones), inspiration receiving hadīth scholars who are also the people of mystical unveiling and people of sainthood, some meanings that they received through their inspiration were assumed to be hadith. However the inspiration of saints may be erroneous with some failures. Therefore, this sort of inspiration may turn out to be the opposite of some realities.

The Sixth Principle: There are some famous stories that have become so well-known amongst people that they became almost as famous as a proverb - [their literal meaning is not taken.] One does not look at the first meaning yet one looks for what reason it is used. For this purpose,

the Noble Messenger (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām) simply mentioned some of those stories (qiṣṣas) (52) and parables that are known amongst people for the sake of guidance (irshād) (53) as an allegory and allusion (kināya) (54) [so that people understand a specific issue better]. If there is a fallacy in the real meaning of those sorts of matters, the falsity belongs to the tradition and customs of the people. And this fallacy, if any, looks to the cumulative knowledge of the general public and the knowledge heard in the course of time.

The Seventh Principle: There exist many similes and allegories (tashbīh and tamthīl) such that they have come to be thought as physical realities simply because of these reasons: the lapse of time or as these have been transferred from the hands of scholars to common people [and not handled by the experts]. Thus, they do fall into a mere mistake. For example, two angels of Allāh named Thawr and Hūt that supervise the terrestrial and aquatic animals (those of the land and of the water). They are also represented in the image of a fish and an ox in the (‘ālam al-mithāl) (55) (the metaphysical realm of similitudes). Because of this, some criticised the related hadīth supposing them to be a massive ox and a material fish. A further example in this matter: “Once in the prophetic (nabawī) (56) presence, a deep tumbling sound was heard. The Most Noble Prophet (ASW) decreed that this rumble is of a stone that has been rolling for seventy years and it has just this moment fallen down to the bottom of hell (jahannam) (57).”

Someone who has just heard this very hadīth and has no idea about the reality behind it, sways into denial.

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52. qiṣṣa: story

53. irshād: guidance

54. kināya: allusion

55. ālam al-mithāl: the metaphysical realm of similitudes

56. nabawī: prophetic

57. jahannam: hell 

On the contrary, it is certainly confirmed that, just twenty minutes after that hadīth a man came and said to the Noble Prophet (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām): “Such and such notorious hypocrite (munāfiq) (58) died just twenty minutes ago.” The Noble Messenger (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām) explained in a most eloquent fashion that that seventy-year-old munāfiq lived as a stone of jahannam and his entire life was nothing but a mere descent to the lowest of the low (asfal al-sāfilīn) (59), deteriorating and going down the bottom of disbelief (kufr) (60). Allāh Most High let [them] hear the sound at the time of his termination and made that sound a sign for his death.

The Eighth Principle: Allāh, the Possessor of Absolute Wisdom, in this world of test and arena of trial, hides very important things in numerous things. That hiding has very many instances of wisdom in it and many benefits are tied to it. For example, Allāh hid the Night of Glory (Laylat al-Qadr) (61) in the entire month of Ramadān, the time of acceptance of prayers in the day of Jum‘ah (Friday), a beloved saint amongst people, time of death (ajal) in a lifespan, the time of Apocalypse (Qiyāmah) in the life of this world. If man’s time of death were made known to them, they would spend half their lives in complete ignorance (ghaflah) (62) and after that half, every step towards the time of death would terribly frighten them as if they were going to the gallows tree step by step.

Whereas, sustaining the balance of the hereafter (ākhirah) (63) and the world and the wisdom of standing between fear and hope (khawf and rajā’) (64) at all times requires that either death or survival at any moment might hang in

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58. munāfiq: hypocrite

59. asfal al-sāfilīn: the lowest of the low

60. kufr: disbelief

61. Laylat al-Qadr: the Night of Glory

62. ghaflah: ignorance

63. ākhirah: the hereafter

64. khawf and rajā’: fear and hope 

the balance. In this case, an ambiguous twenty odd years of a life in an ambiguous manner is preferred over a certain life of a thousand years when the date of death is known. Likewise, the Day of Apocalypse (Qiyāmah) is the time of death of this world, which is a greater man [in metaphorical terms]. If the time of Qiyāmah had been certainly known, people in the first ages and in the middle ages would fall into absolute ignorance and heedlessness and people in the modern ages would be in an alarming fear.

Man is directly connected with the continuation and survival of his individual life as well as his home and town. Likewise, he is directly connected with the sustaining and continuation of his social life and his kind, that of the globe of the earth and the world. The Qur’ān says اِقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ decreeing that “The Hour (Qiyāmah) is near.” (a) The fact that a thousand plus years have passed and it has not happened yet does not impair its nearness. Because Qiyāmah is the time of death of the world. Compared to the entire lifespan of the world, a thousand years or two thousand is quite like one or two days or one or two minutes relative to a year [in human lifetime]. The time of Qiyāmah is not only the time of death of humanity, thus it shouldn’t be related only to the life of humanity and seen as far away from reality.

That is why The Possessor of Absolute Wisdom hides the Apocalypse in His knowledge as Mughayyabāt Khamsa (The Five Unknown Ones) (65). It is because of the secret of this ambiguity that in every age including the Age of Felicity (66) which is the age of people who loved and followed

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a Qur’ān: Al-Qamar, 54:1

65. Mughayyabāt Khamsa: The Five Unknown Ones Mughayyabāt Khamsa (The Five Unknown Ones) are mentioned in the 34th verse of Sūrah Luqman. They are called "the keys of the ghayb (the unseen)".

Surely knowledge of the Hour [of Resurrection] belongs to Allāh; it is He Who sends down the relieving rain and He Who knows what is hidden in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn [in terms of deeds] tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die; Indeed, it is Allāh Who is al-‘Alīm (All Knowing) and al-Khabīr (All Aware). (Qur’ān: Luqman, 31:34)

(For more information on Mughayyabāt Khamsa (The Five Unknown Ones) please see The Sixteenth Flash, The Flashes)

66. The Age of Felicity: ‘Asr al-sa‘ādah. The Age of Felicity or Happiness or Golden Age is the age in which Prophet Muḥammad (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām) lived and is accepted as the most prosperous age that made people happy. It is also a model age for Muslims to follow and implement its practices into their lives.

the reality; they feared of the Hour (Apocalypse). Some of them even said: “The signs of the apocalypse have nearly appeared.”

Now those unjust people, who do not know this very reality, ask “why the companions (sahāba) (67) did think the end of the world would occur in their age when, in reality, its actual occurrence was some thousands of years away. Although the companions were given the lessons on the details of the hereafter and their thoughts and sights were sharp and their hearts were awake and alert, how come did they think and expect that it would be near in their age which would happen fourteen hundred years later in the future of the world?”

The answer: The companions (sahāba) thought about the realm of the hereafter more than anyone else thanks to the effulgence, [awareness and inspiration] coming from the presence of the prophetic companionship [and guidance]. They knew the temporary nature of this world and understood the Divine wisdom behind the intended ambiguity of the timing of the Apocalypse (Yawm al-Qiyāmah). Just like an individual person’s time of death is [intentionally] ambiguous, they too wait for the time of death of the world at all times in a most alert and vigilant manner and thus they worked with vigour [for their life in] the hereafter.

The Most Noble Messenger (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām)’s repetition of his words such as, “Wait for the Day. You do await it!” are a prophetic guidance rooted in this very wisdom. Otherwise, his words are not far away from reality at all because the ruling of the revelation about this definitely known incident was left ambiguous.

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67. Sahāba: companions of the Prophet Muḥammad (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām)

Reason (‘illah) is different from wisdom (ḥikmah). These kinds of words of the Prophet Muḥammad (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām) are coming from this wisdom of ambiguity.

Yet again, because of the same secret referring to some individuals who will come in the later times (ākhir al-zamān) like the Mahdī and Sufyān were awaited long ago, even at the time of Ṭābi`īn (the followers of the companions), the Ṭābi`īn awaited them and they had the aim of of reaching them. Even more, some people of sainthood said that `Their time has already passed.`

Now, just like the Day of Qiyāmah [is left unknown], the Divine Wisdom requires that their time of arrival is left intentionally ambiguous. Because every day and age is in need of the meaning of Mahdī that will be a means of support for the motivation of people and save them from hopelessness. In this context, every century must have their share from this meaning. In the same way, certain terrible individuals lead the streams of hypocrisy (nifāq) (68) in every century. [People of] every age must hold back and fear them so as not to follow these evil people in heedlessness (ghaflah) and leave the reins of the lower self (nafs) (69) to them by being so indifferent [to the reality]. If they were definitely made known, the benefit (maṣlaḥah) of this universal guidance would be lost.

Now, [we reveal] why there are disagreements of narrations regarding the individuals like the Mahdī and what the secret behind this is. Those, who interpret the ahadīth (sayings of the Prophet (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām)), applied the text of ahadīth to their own comments and deductions. For example, the seat

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68. nifāq: hypocrisy

69. nafs: the lower self 

of the sultanate, in those times were in Damascus (al-Shām) or Madina. When they were handling these ahadīth regarding the appearance of the Mahdī and Sufyān, they imagined that the places like Basra, Kufa and al-Shām would be in the vicinity of the centre of sultanate and thus they interpreted it this way.

And they imagined that the great marks of the [totality of the things that] this collective personality [did] or those of the community that they represented belonged to those individuals’ single identities. That’s why they interpreted it in a way that gave it a meaning as if when these extraordinary individuals appeared and all people would easily recognise them. However, as we said before, this world is a ground for test and trial. A door to the mind is opened yet one’s power of will to choose is not taken away. So, when these individuals appear, many people will not know them - even that horrible Dajjāl himself will not know himself at the beginning to be the Dajjāl yet these individuals of later times are only to be recognised through the vigilance of the light of īmān.

Amongst the signs of the Day of Qiyāmah, a noble hadīth regarding the Dajjāl is narrated: “His first day is one year, his second day is one month, his third day is one week and his fourth day is just like other days. When he appears, the world hears. He travels around the globe in forty days.”

Unjust people claimed that this narration is impossible - Hāshā (May it be far from [being impossible]). They denied this narration and claimed it as false. وَالْعِلْمُعِنْدَ اللّٰهِ (And knowledge is with Allāh alone). The state of the situation must be like this: A person will appear from around the north

which is the most dense of the world of kufr. He will lead a massive movement that stems from the idea of kufr of the naturalists and he will deny the Divinity (Ulūhiyyah). This is a sign that this person will appear from the north; and it is a trace of wisdom rests within this very sign that in a latitude near the north pole, an entire year is of one day and one night. Six months are night, and six months are daytime. A day of the Dajjāl is one year. It is a sign that he will appear in a place near that latitude. What is meant in “His second day is one month” is that coming downwards from the north, in some places in a month of the summer, the sun does not set. It is a sign that the Dajjāl will appear from the north and he will attack the civilised world. There is another sign within this sign in attributing the day to the Dajjāl. When one comes further to this side, one will see that the sun does not set in a week’s time. Further down, between the rising and the setting of the sun is only three hours. When I was in exile in Russia, I had been to a place like this. There was a nearby location where the sun did not set for seven days. Some people used to visit there. [The issue in] the record that tells us that the time of the Dajjāl’s appearance will be globally heard is resolved with the telegraph and radio. The words that say he will travel the world within 40 days has been resolved with the train and aeroplane which are his vehicles. Those atheist deniers who had once seen these two records as impossible regard them as simply normal now.

As I explained in a detailed way to a degree in one of my epistles regarding Ya’jūj and Ma’jūj (Gog and Magog) and the Barrier which are from amongst the signs of the Day of

Qiyāmah, resting this unto that epistle here we now only say this below. In the past, some groups of people called Manchurians and Mongols destroyed and turned the societies and civilisations of humanity upside down and they caused the Great Wall of China to be constructed. There are narrations that they are to yet again destroy the civilisation of humanity with an ideology like anarchism close to the time of Yawm al-Qiyāmah.

Some atheists say: Where are those groups who have done and will undertake such extraordinary tasks?

The answer: A disaster like the plague of locusts appear in a season in very large numbers. As the season turns, the reality of those great many which causes dramatic mischief in a country are hidden in some limited individual insects. When its time comes again, with the Divine command, from these limited number of individuals, the same mischief starts again in massive numbers. It is as if the reality of their nation is weakening yet it is not being cut [at all]. As its season comes again, they do appear. Just like them, those hoards who once devastated the world will do it again with the Divine permission when the season comes and they will cause destruction and disorder in human civilisation. Their promoters of mischief however, will emerge in a different form. لَا يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ (a)

The Ninth Principle: The results of some of the matters of īmān are related to this limited and narrow realm. Others are related to the realm of the hereafter which are broad

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a. No one knows the unseen except Allāh. (Qur’ān: an-Naml, 27:65) 

and absolute. Some of the noble sayings of the Prophet (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām) on the virtues and rewards of practices (a‘māl) have come to give an effect in an eloquent style befitting encouraging and threatening (targhīb and tarḥīb) (70). Since they are uttered in an articulate manner, some people of little attention supposed them to be exaggerated. However, as they are the truth themselves and mere realities, there is not a single instance of cheating by excess (mujāzafa) (71) nor a exaggeration (mubālagha) (72) in them.

Briefly, this is the hadīth that most perplexes the unjust people’s minds:

لَوْ وُزِنَتِ الدُّنْيَا عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ مَا شَرِبَ الْكَافِرُمِنْهَا جُرْعَةَ مَٓاءٍ - او کما قال (73)

Its noble meaning is: “If the world were to have a value equaling that of a wing of a fly in the sight of Allāh, the disbelievers (kuffār) would not be [allowed to take a drink water], nor even a sip from the world.

The reality is that, the word ‘indallāh means from the world of eternity (‘ālam al-baqā). Yes, since a light as small as a fly’s wing from the world of eternity is eternal, this light is then perpetually more than a temporary light that can possibly fill up the entire face of the world. That is to say, it is not a comparison between the massive world and a wing of a fly but rather it means that everyone’s small individual world that fits into one’s very short life is not equal to a perpetual Divine abundance and a single Divine bestowal as small as a fly’s wing from the world of eternity.

And the world has two fronts, maybe it has three fronts.

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70. targhīb and tarḥīb: encouraging and threatening

71. mujāzafa: cheating by excess

72. mubālagha: exaggeration

73. او کما قال (Aw kamā qāl) "Or as he said" This phrase is used after a hadīth narration to indicate that the real wording can possibly differ from what one said. The long form of the tradition is فی ما قال او کما قال (fī mā qāl aw kamā qāl). People who narrate or teach a hadīth are very careful about the authenticity. In case they relate a hadīth in not exactly the same wording as the Prophet said but in a similar wording, they cautiously add this after a hadīth "This is what he said or he said something similar to this." 

One of those fronts acts as the mirrors of the Beautiful Names of Allāh Most High. Another looks to the hereafter (ākhirah) and it is the field of ākhirah. The other looks to extinction, (’adam) nothingness. It is the world that we all know - the world of the people of ḍalālah (74) which Allāh is not pleased with.

That is to say, the world intended in the hadīth is not this massive world, it is not the world of mirrors of the Beautiful Names of Allāh, nor that of the written letters which shows and indicates the One who is al-Ṣamad (75), and not that of the field of ākhirah. It is a sign that even an eternal particle that is given to the people of faith cannot equal and cannot be replaced with the full world of world-worshippers (76) which is the opposite of ākhirah and which is the source of all mistakes and origin of calamities.

Now, just compare how far from each other this most truthful, serious reality and the meaning that unfair atheists understand. [And compare] how far away the reality is from the meaning that those unjust people of atheism supposed as most exaggerated and excessive.

And a further example, one type of narrations, that unjust people of atheism supposed to be an exaggeration, and even imagined to be an impossible exaggeration and excess, is the narrations on the rewards of deeds (a’māl) and virtues of some Sūrahs. For example, “the Fātihā has a reward as great as that of the Qur’ān.”

There are narrations stating that Sūrah Ikhlāṣ is one third of the Qur’ān, Sūrah of اِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْاَرْضُ (Shaking of the Earth)

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74. ḍalālah: misguidance

75. al-Ṣamad: The Independent and Eternally Besought - Allāh, He to Whom all go with their needs, but Who is Himself totally without need.

76. world-worshippers: World-worshipper (dunyā-perest) is a person who forgets his ākhirah and loves this passing world so much so that it is as if he worships it. 

is one fourth of the Qur’ān, Sūrah قُلْ يَٓا اَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ (Say! O You Disbelievers) is one fourth of the Qur’ān and Sūrah Yāsīn has the reward of reading the Qur’ān ten times.

So [looking at these narrations] unjust people and those of little attention said that, “This is impossible because Yasīn is within the Qur’ān and there are many meritorious Sūrahs inside The Qur’ān as well, so it is meaningless.”

The answer: The reality is this, that each and every letter of the Qur’ān has a reward (thawāb) and it is one reward (hasana). By the grace of Allāh, the rewards of those letters bloom. It sometimes bears ten kernels, sometimes seventy, sometimes seven hundred like the letters of Āyat al-Kūrsī. It sometimes grows 1500 like the letters of Sūrah Ikhlaṣ. Sometimes it is 10 thousand like the ones recited in Laylat al-Bara’ah (77) and those coincided with the times of acceptance of du‘ā. And sometimes it bears 30 thousand seeds like a poppy’s plentiful seeds like the verses (āyāt) read on a Laylat al-Qadr and a single letter has a reward of 30 thousand on that night which is pointed out in the Qur’ān that it equals the reward of a thousand months. This is what is understood from these narrations.

Yes, surely, The Wise Qur’ān together with its multiplying of rewards is not and cannot be measured [with any other Sūrahs]. Rather, the original reward of the Qur’ān with no multiplication can only be compared to some Sūrahs that blossomed and its rewards multiplied. For example, let us suppose a field in which a thousand seeds of corn were

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77. Laylat al-Bara'ah: The fifteenth night of the month of Sha‘bān in the Islamic calendar is called Laylat alBaraah. 

planted. If we are to suppose that some grains grow seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains which means a single grain equals almost two thirds of the entire field. For example, if one of the grains grows ten ears on it, and each ear has two hundred grains, in that case one grain equals two times more grains than the original entire field. And just like this, you compare the rest.

Now, we are imagining The Wise Qur’ān as an illuminated heavenly sacred field. Its every letter with their original reward is tantamount to a grain [without being blossomed]. Sūrahs like Yāsīn, Ikhlāṣ, Fātiha, Qul Yā Ayyuhal Kāfirūn and Iẓā Zulzilatil Arḍ and the Sūrahs and ayāt on about which there are narrations of their virtues can be compared with the Qur’ān. For example, there are 300,620 letters in the Wise Qur’ān. Sūrah Ikhlāṣ with the Basmala (78) is 69 letters. Three times 69 makes 207 letters. It means, the reward of each letter in Sūrah Ikhlāṣ is close to 1500. Just like this, if the letters of Sūrah Yāsīn are to be calculated and compared to the totality of the letters of al-Qur’ān al-Ḥakīm, and if we take into account the very secret that every letter of the Qur’ān has 10 rewards, and if we multiply every letter of it with 10, such a result occurs that every letter of the Noble Yasīn has rewards amounting to nearly 500. That is to say, it can be regarded as that amount of reward (ḥasana).

Compared to this, if you apply the same principle to others, you will understand how subtle, beautiful, true and exaggeration-free a reality it is.

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78. Basmala: Bismillāḥirraḥmānirraḥīm. In the Name of Allāh, the Merciful, the Compassionate 

The Tenth Principle: Just as it is seen in many groups of creation, there are some extraordinarily wonderful individuals in humanity in terms of actions and deeds. If these individuals go further in goodness, they become a means of pride for these kinds as well. Otherwise they become a means of disgrace for them. Yet these individuals themselves are hidden from view. It is as if these individuals become a collective personality, a life goal. Each one of the other individuals strive to be like them and there is a possibility that they may become like them. So, a perfect and extraordinarily wonderful absolute individual (al-fard al-mutlaq) is ambiguous yet, that kind of individual, is quite likely to be found anywhere. Moving from this ambiguity, based on the possibility proposition in logic, one can infer that any individual universally is possible to be that individual. That is to say, any deed can possibly give such an [extraordinary] result.

For example, “Whosoever prays two rak‘ah ṣalāh in such and such time, its reward is like that of a hajj.” As we see here, that the two-units-prayer is some certain times equal to hajj is a reality. In every two rak’ah prayer this meaning is universally possible. That is to say, the occurrence of these sorts of narrations (riwāyāt) (79) are [possible yet] not actually definite and valid [for all two-unit prayers], it is [possible] yet not always valid and it is [possible] yet not universally valid in all circumstances for all those who perform the two-unit ṣalāh.

Since acceptance [of a deed] has some conditions, it is not universal and perpetual yet it is actually temporary

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79. riwāyāt: narrations 

and absolute or possible and universal. So, universality in this sort of ahadīth is in regard to possibility. For example, “Backbiting (ghībah) (80) is like murder.” That is to say, there exists such an individual instance in backbiting that it is like murder, [even] more harmful than the poison of a murderer. For example, “A nice word can replace a massive ṣadaqa (81) like freeing a slave.” Now, the aim is to encourage enthusiasm and motivation towards good action. It incites motivation for good deeds and hatred towards bad deeds by absolutely showing the possibility of that unambiguous perfect individual can be anywhere - as if [that individual] is actually there already.

Along with this, the things of eternal world are not weighed with the measurements of this world. The biggest one of this world cannot parallel the smallest of that [eternal] world. Since the rewards of the deeds are related to that world, our worldly perspective falls short compared to that. We cannot fit them into our intellects.

For example,

مَنْ قَرَاَ هٰذَآ اُعْطِيَ لَهُ مِثْلُ ثَوَابِ مُوسٰي وَ هَارُونَ

that is to say

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَ رَبِّ الْأَرَض۪ينَ

رَبِّ الْعَالَم۪ينَ وَلَهُ الْكِبْرِيَآءُ فِي السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَ هُوَ الْعَز۪يزُ الْحَك۪يمُ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَ رَبِّ الْأَرَض۪ينَ

رَبِّ الْعَالَم۪ينَ وَلَهُ الْعَظَمَةُ فِي السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَ هُوَ الْعَز۪يزُ الْحَك۪يمُ

وَلَهُ الْمُلْكُ رَبُّ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَ هُوَ الْعَز۪يزُ الْحَك۪يمُ (a)

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a. Whoever reads this, will be given the like of the rewards of Mūsa and Hārūn (ASM). Praise be to the Lord of the heavens, the Lord of the earths and the Lord of the worlds.

To Him belongs majesty in heaven and on earth. He is Almighty and Most Wise. Praise be to the Lord of the heavens, the Lord of the earths and the Lord of the worlds. Might belongs to him in the heavens and on earth. He is Almighty and Most Wise. To Him belongs the kingdom, He is the Lord of the heavens. He is Almighty and the Most Wise. (Majmu'at al-Ahzab, p 262.)

80. ghībah: backbiting

81. ṣadaqa: voluntary charity 

The narrations that attract the attention of those people of injustice and little attention at the most are narrations like this. Its reality is that we cannot truly imagine and know the greatness of the rewards of Mūsa and Hārūn (‘alayhimussalām) with the short sighted perspective of ours in this world and our very narrow intellects.

The reality of a reward that will be given by The Absolutely Merciful One (al-Rahīm al-Muṭlaq) in the world of eternity and in the realm of eternal felicity in return for the single remembrance (wird) to His limitlessly needy servant (‘abd) could be equal to the rewards of those two individuals but could only be equal in the limits of our knowledge and our estimation. For instance, a peasant commoner has never seen the king (82) and does not know anything about the grandeur and majesty of the kingdom. He envisions a lord in a village, similarly through his limited understanding, he knows the king as only a greater figure than a lord in a village. In the past, there was a naïve group that would say “Our landowner knows what the king cooks by the fire on his pot together with his bulgur soup.”

That is to say, they imagine the king in such a narrow perspective and such a simple form that they think he cooks his own bulgur soup. They imagine the king in the greatness of a simple lieutenant. Now, one comes and says to one of

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82. the king: (lit) sultan. 

them, “if you do this business for me today, I will give you an honour and majesty as great as the king you know. That is, I will give you a rank as great as that of a lieutenant”. That sentence is a reality because the only greatness that enters into his limited intellect from the concept of imperial majesty and pomp is that of a lieutenant.

Likewise, with our worldly consideration and limited perspective, we cannot imagine properly the realities of rewards related to the ākhirah even like the peasant commoner [does of his king]. [So we understand that the intended meaning here] in this comparison is not Mūsa and Hārūn’s (‘alayhimussalām) original rewards that we are not aware of but it compares the rewards of the wird with the rewards in our opinion and estimation. Because the principle of comparison or similitude (tashbīh) compares the unknown with the known. It is the compared rewards of a believer servant’s single wird that we know and we estimate to be true with the real rewards that are unknown to us. The entire face of a sea and eye of the droplet (83) is equal in terms of the ability of reflecting the whole vision of the sun. The difference is in quality. The essence of a reward that reflects on the mirror of the sea-like spirits of Prophet Mūsa and Hārūn (‘alayhimussalām) is the same essence of the reward of a single verse gained by a believing servant who is like a droplet. They are the equal in terms of essence and quantity. Quality is dependent on the capability. There are some cases that one single word, a single glorification (tasbīh) opens such an immense treasury of happiness that it has not been opened by sixty years of worshipful servanthood (‘ubūdiyyah).

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83. droplet: Eye of a droplet is a subtle literary device in the original Turkish text that says the "face" of a sea and "eye" of a droplet and likens them to human body parts. 

So there are some circumstances where one single verse can benefit as great as the entire Qur’ān. The Divine effulgence that The Noble Messenger (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām) receives in a verse, who attains The Greatest Name (al-Ism al-‘Ā'ẓām), can be as great as the totality of the effulgence of a messenger.

By the secret of inheritance of the Messenger (waraṣat Aḥmad) (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām), a believer who manifests the shadow of the Greatest Name in terms of his own capacity can receive quantity-wise a reward as great as the effulgence of a messenger. If one were to say this, this couldn’t be against reality.

And also, reward and virtue are from the realm of light. A world from that realm can fit into a particle. Just as the sky with its stars can be seen on a glass as small as a particle, with a sincere intention, luminous rewards and merits as great as the sky can fit into a dhikr (84) or a verse that gains transparency (shaffāfiyah).

All in all: O unjust and mindless man with weak īmān, strong adherence to philosophy, selfish and critical! Take these ten principles into consideration. Then, just because of a narration that you assume to be untrue and contrary to what had happened, do not ever raise a finger of criticism unto noble narrations as this may blemish and defect the rank of sinlessness (‘ismah) (85) of the Noble Prophet (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām)!

[You cannot blemish his rank of ‘ismah], because, first of all, these ten perspectives (86) of ten principles will dissuade you. They say: “if there is any real deficiency at all, they belong to us”. These deficiencies cannot be ascribed to the hadīth. If it is not real, “Deficiency belongs to your wrong

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84. dhikr: Divine remembrance

85. ‘ismah: There are certain characteristics and qualities of the messengers in Islām. Unlike the current narrations of some Biblical prophets and messengers, the Muslim perspective of messengers takes the view that they are employed by God and they are special people.

They have these highly elevated qualities as follows ṣidq (truthfulness), amānah (trust), tablīgh (conveyance of Divine message), fatānah (strong mind and memory), 'ismah (innocence and infallibility), mu’ jizah (miracle).



86. perspectives: (lit) circles 

understanding” they say. As a result, in order to go [the way of] denial and rejection, you have to refute and defeat these ten principles. Now, after considering these ten principles attentively, if you have a conscience, do not even attempt to deny a hadīth that your intellect regards as contrary to the truth. [Simply say]: “There is either a commentary (tafsīr) (87), or interpretation (ta’wīl) (88) or an explanation (ta’bīr) (89) of it.” Do not ever object to them!

The Eleventh Principle: Just like The Wise Qur’ān has mutashābihāt (90) and they are in need of interpretation (ta’wīl) or they ask for absolute submission, so too do prophetic narrations (ahadīth) have ambiguities just like mutashābihāt. Sometimes it is in need of a very careful and exact commentary (tafsīr) and explanation (ta’bīr). You can suffice with the previous examples.

Yes, just like an awake man interprets the dream of a man who has slept, similarly, sometimes, a sleeping man hears the words spoken by those near him who are awake yet he gives them a meaning and interprets them in a way that applies to his own world of sleep. Likewise, O unjust man who have been put into the sleep of ghaflah and philosophy! [Similarly] do not reject in your own dream but interpret what the real awake and vigilant personage (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām) has seen - he who is the object of the secret of مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغٰي (a) and the ruling of تَنَامُ عَيْن۪ي وَلَا يَنَامُ قَلْب۪ي (b). Yes, if a fly bites someone while he is sleeping, he sometimes regards the reality of sleeping as if he

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a. [His] eyes did not waver, nor did they exceed the limit. (Qur’ān: Al-Najm، 53:17)

b. My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep (Bukhāri, v 2, p 480.)

87. tafsīr: commentary

88. ta’wīl: interpretation

89. ta‘bīr: explanation

90. mutashābihāt: This is a concept in Qur’ānic exegesis referring to those verses whose meanings are not clear and they need to be interpreted. Allāh says in the Qur’ān regarding mutashābihāt:

“It is He Who has sent this Scripture down to you [Prophet]. Some of its verses are definite in meaningthese are the cornerstone of the Scripture- and others are ambiguous. The perverse at heart eagerly pursue the ambiguities in their attempt to make trouble and to pin down a specific meaning of their own; only Allāh knows the true meaning. Those firmly grounded in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it; it is all from our Lord’- only those with real perception will take heed” (Qur’ān: Āl-i ‘Imrān, 3:7) 

gets injuries in a horrific battle. When he is asked, he will say “I was really injured. They fired an arsenal and guns on me.” The people sitting by will be laughing at his agony.

So [it is clear that] this half-asleep perspective of ignorance and philosophical thought surely cannot be a gauge for the realities of prophethood.

The Twelfth Principle: Since the perspective of messengerhood, tawhīd (existence and oneness of Allāh) and īmān (true faith) looks towards waḥdah (oneness), ākhirah (hereafter) and ulūhiyyah (divinity), it sees the realities accordingly. Since the perspective of philosophy and science (91) looks toward quantity, causes and nature, they do see [the realities] accordingly. The points of views are very far away from each other. The greatest aim of the people of philosophy amongst the aims of people of usūl al-dīn (principles of creed) and scholars of kalām (theology) are so little and insignificant that it is nearly impossible to see.

That is why the people of wisdom (science) advanced greatly in the details of the essence of existent beings and their delicate circumstances. However, they are so backward in the real wisdom which is the elevated sciences of divinity and hereafter (ulūm ‘āliya ilāhiyya wa ukhrawiyya), even more backward than the most simple believer. Those, who do not understand this very secret, suppose that the scrutinising scholars of Islām (muhaqqiqīn) are backward compared to philosophers (hukamā). However, how can those people dare, whose intellects are limited to their eyes and who are drowned in multitudes, to reach the level of those who have reached the elevated aims of the divine through

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91. philosophy and science: We see in this very epistle that Imām Nursī compares philosophy and science with the Qur’ān. In order to give full justice to the author, one should read further about which he discussed two types of philosophy.

"The hard blow and assault that The Book of Light launches does not constitute an absolute opposition to all philosophy without qualification, but only the harmful portion thereof. For the [type of] philosophy that serves man's societal life, as well as the [cultivation of] human morality and perfections and the advancement of arts and sciences is the portion of philosophy that is at peace with the Qur’ān and is in fact a servant of the Qur’ānic wisdom. It cannot in any way oppose it. The Book of Light does not disturb this portion of philosophy. 

As for the second portion of philosophy, just as it is a means to misguidance and atheism and of falling into the swamp of 'Nature', so too does it produce heedlessness and misguidance through shamelessness and unlawful entertainments. By way of its magic-like feats it opposes the miraculous truths of the Qur’ān. It is this lost, perverted portion of philosophy that the majority of the parts of The Book of Light engage in exposing and striking a hard blow against by way of powerful criteria and comparisons that are supported by conclusive proofs. It does not expose the upright, beneficial type of philosophy - this is why those affiliated to the modern schools enter [the circle of] The Book of Light, without objection or reservation - and so they should!" (The Fruit Epistle, Imām Nursī) 

the inheritance of prophethood. When a thing is viewed from two different perspectives, it shows two opposing realities; both could possibly be reality. Any certain realities of science cannot oppose the divine realities of the Qur’ān. The very short hands of science cannot reach even the lowest level (92) of its transcendentally pure and exalted realities. We mention here an example just to give you a sample.

For instance, when viewed from the perspective of the scientists and philosophers, the reality of the globe of the earth is that the globe is an average planet that revolves around the sun amongst countless stars. It is a relatively small creation compared to stars. However, when looked at the case from the view of the people of the Qur’ān, the reality is this: the fruit of the universe, mankind, is the most comprehensive and most wondrous, most powerless yet most precious and esteemed, weakest yet most subtle miracle of the [Divine] power. Earth, which has been the cradle and dwelling place of man, is relatively and physically small and humble compared to the skies yet this very earth is the heart and centre of the entire universe in terms of meaning and artfulness. It has been a display and an exhibition of all miracles of the [Divine] art, and it has been the object and focal point of manifestation of all [Divine] Names. It has been the gathering place and a place of reflection of limitless Divine activities.

It has been the pivot and market of generous creation of plentiful smaller species of plants and animals of boundless [creations of] the creatorhood of the Divine, and the small-scale sample-room of the artful creations in the remarkably

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92. even the lowest level: (lit) Dāman (skirt of a garment) 

far-reaching realms of eternity, and the swiftly running weaving workshop of the everlasting textiles, and the quickly changing [performance] place where everlasting sceneries are imitated. It has been a narrow and temporary harvest field and place of nurturing in which tiny seeds of perpetual gardens rapidly grow, bloom and blossom.

Thus, it is because of this greatness of meaning of the earth and its significance in terms of artfulness that The Wise Qur’ān equates the earth, which is tantamount to a small fruit of a great tree [of the heavens].

It does this equation in a way that it is as if it gives the same value to the earth compared to the heavens like holding a tiny heart equivalent to a massive body. It weighs the earth in one scale and all heavens in another. Repeatedly it says: رَبُّ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ (The Lord of the heavens and the earth).

Now, compare other matters to this and understand that spiritless and faint realities of philosophy cannot compete with the bright-spirited realities of the Qur’ān. Since the viewpoints are different, it is seen differently.

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