The couplet by the late Ziya Pasha:
“Actions are a person’s mirror, do not look at his words,
The degree of ones intelligence is visible in his works.”
Expresses a great truth that will be passed down to generations as a remarkable principle.
Yes going into descriptions of the scholarly value of such a distinguished and exceptional man; who has left behind him a great library of iman and knowledge, and who has established in so many hearts a sacred institution of nur; is as unnecessary as describing the sun during midday.
Nevertheless, just as a melancholy poet of ours once said:
“Beauty is such that whoever beholds it, loses grasp of his will”
To speak of the knowledge and learning, the fine morality and attainments, of one who at every stage of his life was graced with divine manifestations, affords an altogether different pleasure, a divine delight. This is why I cannot stop myself extending this discussion.
In the Risale‑i Nur Collection, Ustad deals with the most important matters of religion, society, morality, literature, law, and philosophy and achieves an extraordinary success in all of them.
The most astonishing point is that together with solving the most complex subjects; about which many ulema had gone dangerously astray, with the greatest clarity and certainty; following the luminous path of the Ahl Sunnah Wal Jama’ah he arrived on safe shores and pulled out his works and its readers from such whirlwinds.
For this reason, it is with great honour to present the Risale‑i Nur Collection with confidence and sincerity to all classes of our noble nation. The lights of the Risale‑i Nur are sparkling droplets from the Qur’an’s ocean and lights from its sun of guidance.
Therefore the most sacred duty incumbent upon every Muslim is to work to spread these works of nur, which save iman. For it has been seen many times in history that a single work has led to the guidance and happiness of countless persons, families and societies. Oh! How fortunate is the person that becomes the means of saving the iman of his brother!
Source: Ali Ulvi Kurucu, Preface of “Bediuzzaman Said Nursi: The Authorised Biography”