If you say: “What keeps me from the prayers and worship and causes me to be lax is not unnecessary things like that, but essential matters like earning a livelihood,” then my answer is this: if you work for a daily wage of one hundred kurush, and someone comes to you and says: “Come and dig here for ten minutes, and you will find a brilliant and an emerald worth a hundred liras.” If you reply: “No, I won’t come, because ten kurush will be cut from my wage and my subsistence will be less,” of course you understand what a foolish pretext it would be. In just the same way, you work in this orchard for your livelihood. If you abandon the obligatory prayers, all the fruits of your effort will be restricted to only a worldly, unimportant, and unproductive livelihood. But if you spend your rest periods on the prayers, which allow your spirit to relax and heart to take a breather, you will discover two mines which are an important source, both for a productive worldly livelihood, and your livelihood and provisions of the hereafter.

First Mine: Through a sound intention, you will receive a share of the praises and glorifications offered by all the plants and trees, whether flowering or fruit-bearing, that you grow in the garden. (Note:This First Station was a lesson for someone in a garden, so it was explained in this way.)

Second Mine:  Whatever is eaten of the garden’s produce, whether by animals or man, cattle or flies, buyers or thieves, it will become like almsgiving from you.² But on condition you work in the name of the True Provider and within the bounds of what He permits, and see yourself as a distribution official giving His property to His creatures.

So see what a great loss is made by one who abandons the prescribed prayers. What significant wealth he loses, and he is deprived of those two results and mines which would otherwise cause him to work eagerly and ensure his morale is strong; he becomes bankrupt. Even, as he grows old, he will grow weary of gardening and lose interest in it, saying, “What is it to me? I am anyway leaving this world, why should I put up with this much difficulty?” He will sink into idleness. But the first man says: “I shall work harder at both worship and licit activities in order to send even more abundant light to my grave and procure more provisions for my life in the hereafter.”

Source: 21st Word, The Risale-i Nur Collection

http://www.erisale.com/index.jsp?locale=en#content.en.201.278

By way of an answer we say: Philosophy has strayed from the path of truth, that’s why. Also, of course you have understood from past Words and what they teach that the All-Wise Qur’an speaks of the universe in order to make known the Divine Essence, attributes, and Names. That is, it explains the meanings of the book of the universe to make known its Creator. That means it looks at beings, not for themselves, but for their Creator. Also, it addresses everyone. But philosophy and science look at beings for themselves, and address scientists in particular. In which case, since the All-Wise Qur’an makes beings evidences and proofs, the evidence has to be superficial so that it will be quickly understood in the general view. And since the Qur’an of Guidance addresses all classes of men, the ordinary people, which form the most numerous class, want guidance which is concise with unnecessary things being vague, and which brings subtle things close with comparisons, and which does not change things which in their superficial view are obvious into an unnecessary or even harmful form, lest it causes them to fall into error.

For example, it says about the sun: “The sun is a revolving lamp or lantern.” For it does not speak of the sun for itself and its nature, but because it is a sort of mainspring of an order and centre of a system, and order and system are mirrors of the Maker’s skill. It says:

اَلشَّمْسُ تَجْرِى

that is, the sun revolves. Through calling to mind the orderly disposals of Divine power in the revolutions of winter and summer, and day and night with the phrase, The sun revolves, it makes understood the Maker’s tremendousness. Thus, whatever the reality of this revolving, it does not affect the order, which is woven and observed, and which is the purpose. It also says,

وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًا

Through depicting through the word lamp the world in the form of a palace, and the things within it as decorations, necessities, and provisions prepared for man and living beings, and inferring that the sun is also a subjugated candleholder, it makes known the mercy and bestowal of the Creator. Now look and see what this foolish and prattling philosophy says:

“The sun is a vast burning liquid mass. It causes the planets which have been flung off from it to revolve around it. Its mass is such-and-such. It is this, it is that.” It does not afford the spirit the satisfaction and fulfilment of true knowledge, just a terrible dread and fearful wonder. It does not speak of it as the Qur’an does. You may understand from this the value of the matters of philosophy, whose inside is hollow and outside, ostentatious. So do not be deceived by its glittering exterior and be disrespectful towards the most miraculous expositions of the Qur’an!

Source: 19’th Word, Risale-i Nur Collection

“Say, the knowledge of it is with Allah alone.” (Qur’an 67:26)

Source: 20^th Letters, Risale-i Nur Collection

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

وَاِنْ مِنْ شَىْءٍ اِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ

This is part of a letter written in response to a gift from his well-known student, Hulusi Yahyagil.

T h i r d l y : You sent me a present and want to break an extremely important rule of mine! Just this time I am not going to say: “I don’t accept presents from you in the same way that I don’t accept them from Abdülmecid and Abdurrahman, my brother and nephew,” because since you are more advanced than them and closer in spirit, I can’t refuse them even if I refuse everyone else’s. But apropos of this, I shall tell you the reason for my rule. It is like this:

The Old Said never accepted favours. He preferred death to becoming obliged to people. He never broke that rule of his despite suffering great hardship and difficulty. This wretched brother of yours inherited this characteristic from the Old Said, and it is not asceticism or artificial self-sufficiency; there are four or five important reasons for it:

The First: The people of misguidance accuse religious scholars of securing advantage through their learning. They attack them unfairly, saying: “They are exploiting knowledge and religion to make a living for themselves.” This has to be shown to be false in practice.

The Second: We are charged with following the prophets in disseminating the truth. In the All-Wise Qur’an those who do this say:

إِنْ اَجْرِىَ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللهِ       إِنْ اَجْرِىَ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللهِ

and they display independence. Most meaningful in regard to this matter is the verse in Sura Ya. Sin.:

اِتَّبِعُوا مَنْ لاَ يَسْئَلُكُمْ اَجْرًا وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ

The Third: As is explained in the First Word, one should give in the name of Allah and take in the name of Allah. Whereas mostly either the one giving is heedless and gives in his own name and implicitly puts the recipient under an obligation, or the recipient is heedless; he gives the thanks and praise due to the True Provider to apparent causes and is in error.

The Fourth: Reliance on Allah, contentment, and frugality are such a treasury and wealth they can be exchanged for nothing. I do not want to take things from people and shut up that inexhaustible treasury. I offer endless thanks to the All-Glorious Provider that since my childhood He has not compelled me to remain under obligation and so suffer abasement. Relying on His munificence, I beseech His mercy that I may remain faithful to this rule for the rest of my life.

The Fifth: In consequence of many signs and experiences over the past year or two I have formed the firm conviction that I am not permitted to accept people’s goods and particularly the gifts of the rich and of officials. Some make me ill. Indeed, they are made to be like that; they are made so that I cannot eat them. Sometimes they are turned into a form that upsets me. This must be a sort of command not to accept the goods of others, prohibiting me from accepting them. Moreover, I have a need for solitude, I cannot receive everyone all the time. Accepting people’s gifts necessitates considering their feelings and accepting them at times I do not want to. And I do not find that agreeable. I find it more agreeable to eat a small piece of dry bread and wear clothes patched in a hundred places, and be saved from fawning and artificiality. It is disagreeable for me to eat the best quality baklava and wear the finest clothes at the hands of others and be obliged to consider their feelings.

The Sixth: The most important reason for self-sufficiency is what Ibn Hajar, the most reliable scholar of our school of law, says: “If you are not righteous it is forbidden to accept something intended for the righteous.”

Out of their greed and ambition, the people of this age sell the smallest gift very expensively. They imagine a sinful wretch like myself to be righteous or a saint and they give him a loaf of bread. If, Allah forbid, I consider myself to be righteous, it is a sign of pride and points to the absence of righteousness. If I do not consider myself to be righteous, it is not permissible to accept those goods. Also, to receive alms and gifts in return for actions that look to the hereafter, means consuming the eternal fruits of the hereafter in transitory form in this world.

اَلْبَاقِى هُوَ الْبَاقِى

Said Nursi

Source: 2nd Letter, Letters, Risale-i Nur Collection.

As for other religions, it is quite to the contrary. That is to say, history shows that they increased in civilization and progressed in relation to their weakness in adhering to their religions and bigotry, and were subject to decline and revolution to the degree of their strength in adhering to them. Up to the present, time has passed thus.

Damascus Sermon, Said Nursi

Words, Risale-i Nur Collection