Firstly, one fruit has brought to the universe and mankind a treasury, a gift of pre-eternal and
post-eternal Light, which is to see with the eyes the truths of the pillars of belief and to behold
the angels, Paradise, the hereafter, and even the All-Glorious One. It raises the universe from an
imaginary state of wretchedness, transitoriness, and disorder and, through that Light and fruit,
shows its reality, which is its consisting of sacred missives of the Eternally Besought One and being

a beautiful mirror to the beauty of Divine oneness. It has made happy and pleased the universe
and all conscious beings.

Furthermore, through this Light and sacred fruit, it shows that man is not merely bewildered,
wretched, impotent, impoverished, with endless needs and innumerable enemies, ephemeral and
impermanent, which is like the state of misguidance; it shows man in his true form of being a
miracle of the Eternally Besought One’s power on ‘the most excellent of patterns,’ a
comprehensive copy of the Eternally Besought One’s missives, an addressee of the Pre-Eternal and
Post-Eternal Monarch, the special bondsman, the admirer and friend of His perfections, the lover
bewildered at His beauty, and a beloved guest appointed to eternal Paradise. It has filled all
human beings who are true human beings with infinite joy and infinite longing.
Secondly, this fruit has brought to jinn and man as a gift the fundamentals of Islam, and
first and foremost the prescribed prayers, which constitute those things pleasing to the Sustainer,
the Ruler of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity, Who is the Maker of beings, Owner of the universe,
and Sustainer of all the worlds. To discover the things that please Him brings such happiness it
cannot be described. For how eager is everyone to find out, from a distance, the desires of a
powerful benefactor or generous king, and if they find out, how delighted they are. They say
longingly: “If only there was some means by which I could communicate with that personage
directly. If only I could learn what he wants of me. If only I knew what would please him that I
could do.”

Man, then, should understand just how necessary it is to be desirous and eager to discover the
wishes and pleasure of the Ruler of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity. For all beings are in the grasp
of His power, and the beauty and perfections to be found in all beings are but pale shadows in
relation to His beauty and perfection, and being needy for Him in innumerable ways, man
constantly receives countless numbers of His bounties.
Thus, as a direct fruit of the Miraj, Muhammad (S.A.W) heard with utter certainty what it is
that pleases the Monarch of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity, behind seventy thousand veils, and
returning, brought it as a gift to mankind.

Indeed, how curious is man to learn the conditions on the moon. If someone was to go there
and return bringing news of it, both what self-sacrifice he would display, and, if he was to
understand the conditions there, how he would be overcome by wonder and curiosity. But the
moon is merely touring in the domain of a Lord of such dominion that it encircles the globe of the
earth like a fly, and the globe flies round the sun like a moth, while the sun is one lamp among
thousands and is just a candle in a guest-house of that Glorious Lord of All Dominion.

Thus, Muhammad (S.A.W.) saw the works and wonders of art and treasuries of mercy in the
everlasting realm of this All-Glorious One, and he returned and informed mankind. And so, if
mankind does not listen to him with complete wonder, curiosity, and love, you can understand
how contrary to reason and wisdom is their attitude.

In order to demonstrate the light of His unity and the manifestation of His oneness in these
levels of multiplicity, the Creator of the universe chose an eminent individual to represent all
creatures, and took him by means of a Miraj that was like a link from the furthest levels of
multiplicity to the source of unity. There, addressing him as representing all conscious beings, He
explained to him the Divine purposes and made them known through him, and observed through
his gaze the beauty of His art and perfection of His dominicality in the mirrors of His creatures,
and caused him to observe them.

Moreover, according to the testimony of His works, the Maker of the world possesses infinite
beauty and perfection. The two of them, both beauty and perfection, are loved for themselves.
Since this is so, the Possessor of that beauty and perfection has an infinite love for them, and His
infinite love is manifested in many different ways in His works of art. He loves His works of art
because He sees His beauty and perfection within them.

The most lovable and elevated among the works of art are animate beings. The most lovable
and elevated among animate beings are conscious beings. And by reason of their
comprehensiveness, the most lovable among conscious beings are to be found among human
beings. The most lovable individual among human beings is the one who has most fully developed
his potentiality and displayed the samples within it of the perfections manifested in all creatures
and spread among them.

Thus, in order to see at one point and in one mirror all the varieties of His love spread through
all creatures and to display, through the mystery of His oneness, all the varieties of His beauty,
the Maker of beings will take a person who is at the degree of being a luminous fruit of the tree of
creation and whose heart is like a seed containing the essential truths of that tree, and will
demonstrate the belovedness of that individual, who represents the universe, through an
Ascension ( Miraj ) that is like a thread linking the seed, which is the origin, with the fruit, which
is the end. He will draw him to His presence and honour him with the beauty of the vision of
Himself. And, in order to cause him to spread that sacred state to others, He will favour him with
His Word and entrust him with His Decree.

it is a requirement of wisdom that the Godhead be manifested. And this desire to be manifested is met at the widest level and in the most brilliant fashion by the comprehensive worship performed by Muhammad (UWBP) in the practice of his religion. Also, wisdom and truth require that the Creator of the world displays His beauty in its utter perfection through some means. And the one who met that wish, and displayed and described the Creator’s beauty in the most perfect fashion was self-evidently the person of Muhammad (UWBP).

It was also clearly Muhammad (UWBP) who, in response to the desire of the world’s Maker to exhibit His perfect art and infinite beauty and attract attentive gazes towards them, heralded them with the loudest voice.

Again it was necessarily Muhammad (UWBP) who, in response to the desire of the Sustainer of All the Worlds to proclaim His unity in the levels of multiplicity, announced all the degrees of unity, each at its highest level.

And, as is indicated by the utter beauty of beings and is required by truth and wisdom, the world’s Owner desires to see His infinite essential beauty and the subtle qualities of His exquisiteness and to display them in mirrors. Again it was self-evidently Muhammad (UWBP) who in response to that desire acted as a mirror and displayed that beauty most radiantly, and loved it and made others love it.

And, in response to the desire of the Maker of the palace of this world to exhibit His hidden treasuries, filled as they are with wondrous miracles and priceless jewels, and through them to describe and make known His perfections, it was again self-evidently Muhammad (UWBP) who exhibited, described, and displayed them in the most comprehensively.

And, since the Maker of the universe adorns it with various wonders and embellishments and has included conscious creatures in it so that they might make tours and excursions and ponder over it and take lessons, wisdom requires that He should desire to make known the meanings and value of those works of art to those who will observe and ponder over them. And it was again self-evidently Muhammad (UWBP) who, in response to this desire of the universe’s Maker, by means of the All-Wise Qur’an, acted as guide in the most comprehensive fashion to jinn and man, and to spirit beings and angels.

Also, the All-Wise Ruler of the universe wishes, by means of an envoy, to cause conscious beings to unravel the obscure talisman containing the aim and purpose of the change and transformations in the universe and to solve the riddle of the three perplexing questions: “Where do beings come from?”, “Where are they going?”, and “What are they?” And again it was self-evidently Muhammad (UWBP) who in response to this wish of the All-Wise Ruler unravelled the talisman and solved the riddle by means of the truths of the Qur’an, in the clearest and most comprehensive fashion.

Also, the All-Glorious Maker of the universe desires to make Himself known to conscious beings by means of His fine artefacts and to make them love Him through all His precious bounties, and, most certainly, to make known to them by means of an envoy the divine wishes and what will please Him in return for those bounties. And again it was self-evidently Muhammad (UWBP) who, in response to this desire of the All-Glorious Maker, by means of the Qur’an, expounded those wishes and things that please Him by word and deed in the most exalted and perfect fashion.

Also, since the Sustainer of All the Worlds has given to man, who is the fruit of the universe, a comprehensive disposition which encompasses the universe and has prepared him for universal worship; and since, because of man’s faculties and senses, multiplicity and the world afflict him; the Sustainer desires to turn his face from multiplicity to unity, from transience to permanence. And again it was self-evidently Muhammad (UWBP) who, in response to this desire, by means of the Qur’an, acted as guide in the most comprehensive and complete fashion, and in the best way, and carried out the duty of prophethood in the most perfect manner.

Thus, among beings the most superior are animate beings, and among animate beings the most superior are conscious beings, and among conscious beings the most superior are true human beings, and among true human beings the one who carried out the above-mentioned duties at the most comprehensive level and in the most perfect form, would of a certainty rise through an all-embracing Ascension to “the distance of two bow-lengths,” knock at the door of eternal happiness, open the treasury of mercy, and see the hidden truths of belief. Again it would be him.

. . .

Source: 31th Word, Risale-i Nur Collection

قُلْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ

proclaims in definite fashion just how necessary and important it is to follow the Prophet’s (UWBP) practices. Yes, among the syllogisms of logic, this verse is the most powerful and certain of the sort called hypothetical or conditional syllogisms. It is as follows:

To exemplify a hypothetical syllogism it is said in logic: “If the sun comes out, it will be daytime.” For a positive result it is said: “The sun has come out. One may therefore conclude that it is daytime.” For a negative result, it is said: “It is not daytime. One therefore draws the conclusion that the sun has not come out.” According to logic, these two conclusions, negative and positive, are definite.

In just the same way, the above verse says: “If you love Allah, you will follow Allah’s Beloved (UWBP). If you do not follow him, it points to the conclusion that you do not love Allah.” If a person loves Allah, it entails following the practices of Allah’s Beloved (UWBP). Yes, the person who believes in Almighty Allah will certainly obey Him. And the most acceptable, the most direct, and the shortest among the ways of obeying Him is without doubt the way Allah’s Beloved (UWBP) showed and followed.

Yes, it is necessary and self-evident that the All-Generous One of Beauty who fills the universe with so many bounties should want thanks from conscious creatures in return. And clearly that All-Wise One of Glory who adorns the universe with so many miracles of art will make the most excellent of conscious creatures His addressee and interpreter, and the herald and leader of His servants. And certainly and self-evidently that All-Beauteous One of Perfection, who makes the universe reflect the innumerable manifestations of His beauty and perfections, will give the most perfect worshipful stance to the person who is the most comprehensive, perfect measure and means of displaying His beauty, perfection, names, and art, which He clearly loves and wants to display; He will make his conduct a fine example to others and encourage them to follow him so that his fine conduct may appear in others too.

In Short: Love of Allah necessitates and results in following the Prophet’s (UWBP) practices. How fortunate the person who follows them to a large extent! And woe on the person who does not appreciate the practices and adopts innovations!  

Source: Risale-i Nur Collection, 11th Flash, Fifth Point.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, who was one of the famous Companions of the Prophet known as the seven ‘Abdullahs, was the greatest and most important of the Caliph ‘Umar, Faruq al-A‘zam’s sons, and one of the most distinguished and learned of the Companions. One day while shopping in the market, in order to be economical and to preserve the confidence and integrity on which trade depends, he disputed hotly over something worth a few kurush. One of the Companions saw him, and imagining the Illustrious Successor of the Prophet on Earth, the Caliph ‘Umar’s son’s wrangling over a few kurush to be an extraordinary stinginess, he followed him in order to understand his conduct. Next he saw that ‘Abdullah was entering his blessed house and had spotted a poor man at the door. He chatted with him for a bit, and the man left. Then he came out of the second door of the house and saw another poor man. He chatted with him for a while too, and the man left. The Companion, who was watching from the distance, was curious. He went and asked the poor men: “‘Abdullah paused a while with you. What did he do?” Each of them replied: “He gave me a gold piece.” “Glory be to Allah!,” exclaimed the Companion, and thought to himself: “How is it that he wrangled like that over a few kurush in the market, then was completely happy to give away two hundred kurush in his house without letting anyone know?”

He went to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar and said: “O Imam! Solve this difficulty for me! In the market you did that, while in your house you did this.” ‘Abdullah replied to him saying: “What I did in the market was not stinginess, but arose from frugality; it was perfectly reasonable, and to preserve confidence and honesty, which are the basis and spirit of commerce. And what I did by my house arose from the heart’s compassion and the spirit’s perfection. Neither was the first stinginess, nor the second immoderateness.”

Alluding to this, Imam Abu Hanifa said: “There can be no excess in good, just as there is no good in excess.” That is to say, just as in good works and benevolence there can no excess or wastefulness – on condition they are for the deserving, so there is no good at all in wastefulness and immoderateness.

Q u e s t i o n : Why do the unimportant actions and personal sins of unimportant men attract the anger of the universe in this way?

T h e  A n s w e r : As proved in other parts of the Risale-i Nur and in the previous Indications, unbelief and misguidance are terrible aggression and crimes that concern all beings. For one of the most important results of the universe’s creation is man’s worship and his responding to divine dominicality with belief and submission. However, due to the denial which is a part of disbelief, the people of unbelief and misguidance reject that supreme result, which is the ultimate reason for the continued existence of beings, and they therefore perpetrate a sort of transgression against the beings’ rights. Moreover, since they deny the manifestations of the divine names which are apparent in the mirrors of beings and exalt their value, they both insult those sacred names, and by degrading the value of all beings, greatly depreciate them. Also, although beings are dominical officials charged with elevated duties, by their unbelief, the people of misguidance cast them down, and showing them to be lifeless, transitory, meaningless creatures, they in a way violate the rights of all of them.

Thus, since the varieties of misguidance impair to a greater or lesser extent the dominical wisdom in the universe’s creation and the divine purposes in the world’s continued existence, the universe becomes angry at the people of rebellion and misguidance, as do all beings and creatures.

O wretched man, whose being is small but guilt great and sin grievous! If you want to be delivered from the wrath of the universe, the rage of beings, and the aversion of creatures, here is the means: enter the sacred bounds of the All-Wise Qur’an and follow the practices of Allah’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), who was the herald of the Qur’an. So put yourself within its fold and adhere to the practices!

From the Risale-i Nur Collection

By means of another wile resembling this one, Satan corrupts the integrity of peoples’ thoughts. He impairs sound judgement concerning the truths of belief and damages integrity and correctness of thought. It is like this:

He desires to destroy hundreds of evidences proving the truths of belief with a slight hint refuting them. Whereas it is an established principle that “a single proof is superior to a hundred denials.” The statement of a witness proving a claim is preferable to a hundred people denying it. Consider this truth by means of the following comparison:

There is a palace with a hundred doors all closed. If one of its doors is opened, the palace may be entered and all the doors opened. If all the doors are open and one or two are closed, it may not be said that the palace cannot not be entered.

Thus, the truths of belief are the palace. Each evidence is a key; it proves the truths and opens a door. If one of the doors remains closed, the truths of belief cannot be abandoned and denied. Satan however, in consequence of certain things or by means of heedlessness or ignorance, points out a door that has remained closed, thus causing a person to disregard all the positive evidences. He deceives the person, saying: “See, this palace cannot be entered. Perhaps it isn’t a palace and perhaps there’s nothing inside it.”

O wretched man afflicted by Satan and his wiles! If you want the life of religion and of society and personal life all to be healthy, and if you want integrity of thought, a sound view, and a sincere heart, weigh up your actions and thoughts on the scales of the incontestable matters of the Qur’an and the balance of the Prophet’s (S.A.W.) practices. Always take the Qur’an and the practices as your guide. Say: “I take refuge with Allah from Satan the Accursed,” and seek refuge with Allah Almighty!

The above thirteen Indications are thirteen keys. Use them to open the door of the fortified stronghold of the Sura,

Say: Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of mankind* The Ruler of mankind *The Allah of mankind * From the mischief of the Whisperer of evil, who withdraws after his whisper– * The same who whispers into the hearts of mankind–* Among jinns and among men;(Qur’an, 114:1-6)

enter this secure citadel and find safety!

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

And say: O My Sustainer, I seek refuge with You from the whisperings of the Evil Ones, *and I seek refuge with you, my Sustainer lest they should come near me.(Qur’an, 23:97-8)

From The Risale-i Nur Collection

Yes, consider the collective personality of this proof: the face of the earth has become his mosque, Mecca, his mihrab, and Medina, his pulpit. Our Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him), this clear proof, is leader of all the believers, preacher to all mankind, the chief of all the prophets, lord of all the saints, the leader of a circle for the remembrance of Allah comprising all the prophets and saints. He is a luminous tree whose living roots are all the prophets, and fresh fruits are all the saints; whose claims all the prophets relying on their miracles and all the saints relying on their wonder-working confirm and corroborate. For he declares and claims: “There is no god but Allah!” And all on left and right, that is, those luminous reciters of Names of Allah lined up in the past and the future, repeat the same words, and through their consensus in effect declare: “You speak the truth and what you say is right!” What false idea has the power to meddle in a claim which is thus affirmed and corroborated by thousands?

19th Word, Risale-i Nur Collection

It may even be said that like spiritual and moral attainments, material attainments and wonders also were first given to mankind as a gift by the hand of miracles. Thus, what first gave man the gift of the ship, which was a miracle of Noah (Upon whom be peace), and the clock, a miracle of Joseph (Upon whom be peace), was the hand of miracles. It is a subtle indication to this truth that most craftsmen take a Prophet as the patron of their craft. For example, seamen take Noah (PUH), watchmakers take Joseph (PUH), tailors take Idris (PUH), and so on..

The Words, Risale-i Nur Collection