The Twenty-Second Flash

For nine years I have lived in this province, withdrawing ever further from their world. Nothing concerning my circumstances has remained hidden. Even my most secret and confidential treatises have found their way into the hands of the government and certain representatives of the people.

Had I interfered in worldly affairs, or attempted to do so in any manner that might have caused worldly people anxiety or concern, the authorities of this province and its districts would certainly not have left me undisturbed after nine years of close scrutiny, especially when I have disclosed my secrets without reservation.

Had I committed any wrong that threatened the happiness and future of the people and the country, then everyone, from the governor down to the commander of the village guards, would have borne responsibility throughout these nine years. To absolve themselves of that responsibility, they would have to refute those who turn a mosquito into an elephant and, in my defence, reduce that elephant once more to a mosquito. I therefore leave it to them to answer this question.

As for the people of this province, their obligation to defend me is greater still. For during these nine years, through hundreds of treatises, we have laboured in a real and practical manner for the eternal life, strength of īmānFaith; belief in the six articles of faith: Allah, His angels, His revealed scriptures, His prophets, the Hereafter, and divine decree (qadar)., and happiness of this people, with whom we share bonds of brotherhood, friendship, and blessing. These treatises have caused neither disturbance nor harm, nor has any malicious political or worldly ulterior motive come to light.

All praise belongs to Allah. Through the Risale-i Nur, the province of IspartaA city and province in southwestern Turkey, known for its rose cultivation and natural beauty. It holds particular significance in the life of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, who spent many years in the region during his exile, writing and spreading the Risale-i Nur with the help of his students. has attained a blessed standing in strength of īmānFaith; belief in the six articles of faith: Allah, His angels, His revealed scriptures, His prophets, the Hereafter, and divine decree (qadar). and religious steadfastness, comparable to that of Damascus in former times or al-AzharA renowned centre of Islamic learning in Cairo, Egypt, established in the 10th century. It is one of the oldest and most influential institutions of Islamic education, known for its teaching of the Qur’an, Islamic jurisprudence, theology, and Arabic. in Egypt, which served as a great madrasaAn Islamic educational institution where students study religious sciences such as the Qur’an, hadith, Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), and Arabic, sometimes alongside other subjects. for the Islamic world. Through the Risale-i Nur, the strength of īmānFaith; belief in the six articles of faith: Allah, His angels, His revealed scriptures, His prophets, the Hereafter, and divine decree (qadar). has overcome indifference in this province, and devotion to worship has restrained the inclination towards dissipation. Thus, IspartaA city and province in southwestern Turkey, known for its rose cultivation and natural beauty. It holds particular significance in the life of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, who spent many years in the region during his exile, writing and spreading the Risale-i Nur with the help of his students. has attained a degree of religious excellence surpassing that of many other provinces.

For this reason, every person in this province—even, so to speak, an unbeliever—is obliged to defend me and the Risale-i Nur.

Beside their weighty obligation to defend us, my own insignificant personal right carries too little weight to impel me to undertake my own defence. My duty is complete; and lillāhilhamd“All praise belongs to Allah”; an expression of gratitude and praise, acknowledging that all praise is due to Allah alone., thousands of students have laboured, and continue to labour, in my place. One who has so many thousands of representatives does not plead his own case.

The Second Indication

An answer to a critical question.

The worldly people say:

“Why have you turned away from us? You have never submitted a request and have remained silent. Yet you complain bitterly of us, saying, ‘You are treating me unjustly.’

“But we have our principles, and in accordance with the demands of this age, we have established our own regulations. You refuse to accept their application to yourself. One who enforces the law is not an oppressor; rather, one who refuses to submit to it is a rebel.