Everyone who strives in God’s path must be mentally prepared for the hardships and challenges they are likely to face. Things may not always go as we hope. Our wishes and desires may not be fulfilled. The plans and projects we make for the future may stall and remain unfinished. Along the way, we may be confronted with unexpected difficulties and even face disloyalty or betrayal from people we never imagined.

As Bediuzzaman Said Nursi once said, “Every good endeavor faces numerous harmful obstacles, and devils relentlessly strive against the servants devoted to such good endeavors.” Human and jinn devils alike will harass them and never leave them in peace, just as they did not leave the great Prophets and saints in peace. As expressed in a saying—though not an authentic hadith, yet supported in meaning by Qur’anic verses and sound traditions—“Every good has its obstacle” [1]. In every righteous endeavor, Satan crosses the path of human beings and seeks to block them through various schemes and traps [2].

God has always bestowed His grace upon those who walk in His path and has protected them. Yet being under His grace and protection does not mean that we will never face afflictions and misfortunes. This world is a place of testing, and therefore we will, from time to time, be tried with hardships.

As the Qur’an states in several verses, those who seek to live and uphold God’s religion will inevitably encounter calamities. Those who enter this sacred path will experience certain losses and deprivations. Sometimes we will be tested through the loss of wealth, at other times through the loss of life. If, in the face of such heavy trials, we can endure patiently and restrain ourselves, we will emerge as the winners. For whatever we lose here, we will gain many times over in return.

From the very beginning of the journey, it is vital to be prepared for the kinds of hardships that may arise. A person who sets out knowing that there will be steep climbs, peaks to cross, and deep valleys to pass through will make their preparations accordingly. You may call this an “inner equipment.” By this we mean strengthening one’s inner world and gaining the resilience needed in one’s spiritual and moral life. If such maturity is attained from the outset, external assaults will not cause turmoil. Without such foresight, however, unexpected challenges may leave one bewildered, swept off balance, and clouded in vision.

Let us listen to the Qur’an’s warning: “Or do you think you will enter Paradise without experiencing the trials of those who came before you? They were afflicted with such hardships and adversity, and so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed with him cried out, ‘When will God’s help come?’ Surely, God’s help is near” [3]. Since the Qur’an offers such a reminder, we too must take heed, wake up, and come to our senses.

At this point, we can recall the words of Abbas ibn Ubada, who addressed the Ansar when they pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at Aqabah: “Do you know what you are saying yes to?” People can sometimes be swept away by group psychology, carried along by an emotional current, and pursue a cause with great passion. This is admirable, yet it must not end there. At the very outset, people need to be made aware of the characteristics of the road ahead and be told where they are heading. This path, while offering joy and delight, also carries its share of pain and difficulty. Abbas ibn Ubada, a man of foresight and discernment, reminded them of this reality, implying that tough days lay ahead and urging them to be ready.

Similarly, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted the pledges of new Muslims, he asked them to promise obedience to him not only in times of peace and ease (manshat) but also in times of hardship and trial (makrah).

From this, it should not be concluded that everyone who serves in God’s cause must inevitably face the heaviest of trials. At times, out of compassion for our weakness, frailty, poverty, and inconsistency, the Almighty may spare us from such severe tests.

Indeed, Bediuzzaman expresses this in one place as follows: “Just as the All-Powerful God can, in a moment, sweep away a sky filled with dark clouds and reveal the shining Sun upon the clear face of heaven, so too can He dispel the pitch-dark clouds of confusion and unveil the unshakable truths of faith as brightly as the Sun, granting this in an easy and effortless way. From His mercy, we hope that He will not exact a heavy price from us” [4].

Nevertheless, we cannot base our preparations on this possibility. We must ready ourselves for winter, take our precautions accordingly, and if spring arrives instead, we should embrace it with gratitude and delight.

Those who devote themselves to the service of faith and the Qur’an can be regarded as having formed, so to speak, a spiritual company. Every member of this company is responsible for supporting and helping the others. When some are afflicted with hardship, the others should lift them up and provide the necessary support to strengthen their hearts and spirits. To withstand external pressures and oppression, and to overcome the shock of unexpected events, we all need this kind of mutual support.

It is especially important to strengthen those whose inner resilience is weak and who are easily shaken by pressure. Such individuals must not be left alone; they must be cared for and supported. Visiting a brother or sister in prison, asking after their wellbeing, and meeting their needs will be a great source of morale for them and will fortify their spiritual strength.

We should never forget that when one person who shoulders a cause is wounded or hurt, this affects the entire body of the community, causing cracks and fractures. Therefore, whenever a friend faces difficulty, we must mobilize the blessings God has granted us and try to resolve their problem in some way.

Indeed, everyone may encounter different forms of affliction. Some may overcome these with their own inner strength. Yet not everyone’s spiritual immune system is equally strong; some cannot resist the viruses and microbes to which they are exposed and thus require external reinforcement. In such circumstances, it is a major responsibility of the members of this spiritual company not to leave anyone alone in their troubles, not to let them feel abandoned or helpless. Like the stones of a dome that hold each other in place, we too will stand firm if we support one another. Otherwise, we will collapse and scatter along the way.

Another matter that must be emphasized during times of trial is this: especially those of weak character may criticize destiny, refuse to submit to God’s decree, and begin to question the divine determinations concerning them. In doing so, they act contrary to the verse: “He cannot be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned” [5].

Furthermore, in such times, people may also start searching for someone to blame for the problems at hand, casting accusations on one another. This, in turn, damages morale and undermines spiritual unity, thereby doubling the calamity already being experienced.

Of course, in the face of misfortunes, we must engage in deep self-examination, draw lessons from past mistakes, and resolve not to repeat them in the future. To prevent similar problems from arising, we must learn from experience and act with greater prudence. We should analyze the visible causes of the afflictions that befall us and take precautions to avoid their recurrence. We should also review our activities, plans, and programs once more, seeking new measures to ensure security on the path ahead. But all this should be done without criticizing destiny, without blaming one another, and without hurting or reproaching our friends—rather, it should be done with gentleness and forbearance.

Otherwise, we risk breaking our companions’ hearts, burdening them with guilt, or provoking defensive reactions. Through our criticism and accusations, we may cause disputes and divisions among ourselves. Over time, this could give rise to a group of the alienated and discontented who might even work against us. Without realizing it, we would then have violated both our own rights and God’s rights. While trying to solve one problem, we would open the door to even greater problems and eventually collapse under their weight. Such matters can tolerate neither haste nor harshness.

References

• Kashf al-Khafa,2/89.
• See Nasa’i, Jihad 19.
• Surah al-Baqarah, 2:214.
• Bediuzzaman, The Gleams, p. 131.
• Surah al-Anbiya, 21:23.

Here is our vision on the eve of our journey: Pregnant women go through a period when they feel hungry for a great quantity and variety of food. This is because of what is growing in them; what is buried in the night of the womb. Similarly, when somebody is seeded with an inspiration or when one reaches a time in life that marks the activation of a potential, one feels hunger according to the needs of that inspiration or potential so that it can realize itself in this physical world. A child needs to eat in order to build his body; hence, they feel hunger for food. Adolescents need to become separate individuals by finding their own personalities; hence, they feel hunger for freedom. As young people grow, they reach a time when they are ready to establish a family; hence they feel hunger for beauty and loyalty. The elderly experience the hardships of this life more intensely, and they feel the proximity of the end of their lives; hence, they feel hunger for relaxation and eternity.

On the day of our journey, as we reflect on our vision of the past night, we conclude that depending on the way it is created, each organ of the human body feels hunger, and needs food accordingly. The hunger of the body is satisfied with food, the hunger of the mind is quenched by knowledge, and the hunger of heart by inspiration and love. This list can be extended for the other organs or faculties of a human. Therefore, as human beings, we need not only food to sustain the life of our biological body, but also food for our other faculties such as vision, hearing, spirit, mind, and so on.

As our ship sails through the ocean, we experience a storm in the early afternoon. The clouds make the day seem like night. As the hours pass, we feel saddened. Since we have already been craving light, the nightfall brings a definite darkness to the world outside and inside. This sad state shapes the vision of the second night. We come to understand that we need light and, therefore, we feel hunger for light. The daytime corresponds to our period of feeding with light, and the nighttime to the period when we feel hunger for light. Thus, alternation of day and night also becomes a part of our spiritual lives, aside from the astronomical sense.

Interestingly, just as night and darkness on one side of the earth correspond to daytime on the other, the hunger of one part of the human body corresponds to the feeding time of some other parts. For example, the spirit is fed by keeping away from the material world, and conversely, our body is fed by the material world. As we feed our spirit, our body becomes hungry; then, as we feed our body, our spirit becomes hungry. This is the state of a healthy human character. Trying to make the day of one part permanent will result in the collapse and death of the entire system. Therefore, too much indulgence in worldly pleasures or an extreme refusal of the world are both unhealthy attitudes. This fact brings us to the conclusion that change is a blessing for the continuity of our biological, spiritual and mental lives.

With these thoughts in our minds, we get up the next morning to bright sunshine. As we inhale the fresh air, our contemplation brings us to the conclusion that we need opposites or contrasting experiences in order to appreciate the value of the blessings we have in our lives. The continuity of blessings without their opposites leads to a degeneration in our perception of them. For example: a child who has caring parents does not understand how valuable it is to have such parents; people who do not suffer from hunger cannot appreciate the value of the food they eat; people who have never been poor would take for granted the peace derived from being able to find what they need. Given that the manifestations of God’s attributes are the provisions to quench the varying hunger types arising from our organs and senses, a lack of appreciation of these foods means ignorance of God. To save us from this innate ignorance, God changes His creation periodically so that different kinds and levels of hunger make us understand, feel and experience all levels of qualities in God’s works.

After so much sailing in the spiritual and mental realms, our body falls hungry, and we share lunch with friends. The minor rain shower in the afternoon reminds us of the vision in the previous night, which was inspired by the analogous relation between daytime and feeding, and nighttime and hunger. Knowing that these alternations are omnipresent, the entire universe becomes a palace filled with different kinds of feasts that address the hunger of all our senses.1 An explosion of gratitude towards God shakes us.

During the night, the clouds disappear from the skies, and the face of the heavens draws our gaze with irresistible beauty. Our eyes remain locked on deep distances, as the fresh waters of inspiration flow into our hearts. The level of satisfaction we feel at that moment recalls the moments before setting out on this exploration, and there comes the vision of the night: all this started because of our desire to learn what was hidden behind the question regarding the kind of pregnancy to which everybody is entitled. Desire is a kind of hunger. For anybody, the possibility of change depends on the level of desire, and hence the level of hunger, and hunger is a means of education. Many people can remember how they changed during their adolescence when they felt intense hunger for beauty. Even animals can be trained to perform certain actions based on a hunger-feeding cycle that reinforces those actions. Also, it is reported that God tested Satan with very many different things upon his rebellion. Each time, Satan would not give up his rebellion. But when he was tormented with hunger, only then he said, “You are my Lord, and I am Your slave.”

By now, it has been several days since we left the comfortable lands, where we did not have these questions in mind. At this moment, we are in the middle of the ocean with no land on the horizon, no clue to the answer to the initial problem we set out to solve. It could be that we have undertaken all this toil in vain, that everything was just a figment of our imagination. What if we cannot even go back, and instead we drown in this ocean of questions and visions? No, no, all this cannot be a mere lie. But what if …

We are in a deep and vast ocean, nobody knows the way back home, and nobody knows if the new land really exists. Our food is almost gone, and the extreme uncertainty of the future increases our tension. We need someone who can turn our night into day, someone who knows where we are and where and what our imagined reality actually is. Along with the imaginary character of our visions, the alternation of day and night betrays us; we are stuck in a night of uncertainty and sadness. We need someone to make them alternate. “Please! Save us!”

The following night, in our dream, we see ourselves in the front line of an army ready to fight. We think that this fight is, maybe, the price we have to pay to deserve the answer to the pregnancy question because, without sacrifice, the answer would not be legitimate food for our mind. At the end of the battle, with the excitement and joy of victory, we cry out to people, “This is a realization! ‘God is the friend of the believers; He takes them from layers of darkness into the light.’” With that, we wake up. Pondering the dream of the night before, two flashes of lightning illuminate our minds. The first flash is a further understanding that hunger is a means of education. Our most sincere prayers come in times of misfortune, which take the veil from our eyes which keeps us from seeing God as the only and the ultimate point of help. Therefore, if we are patient enough, our Lord wants to further our relationship with Him, that is, our faith, by answering our sincere prayers. In the light of the second flash, we see that hunger is not only a means of education but also a means of examination because our inner condition is revealed in the face of the uncertainties inherent in the challenges throughout our lives. Hunger forces us to move towards the sustenance that is going to satisfy it. However, there are both legitimate and illegitimate ways to find sustenance; and also, there is legitimate and illegitimate sustenance. Are we to diverge from the straight path, blinded by our hunger? Or are we to keep upright with God’s pleasure as our only and ultimate goal? Thus, hunger reveals what is inside, and in that way, eliminates the immature and the hypocritical.

Hunger has an inherent link to hardship. So, the properties of hunger can be observed in hardship as well. Times of hardship are times when we feel a strong desire for that which is going to deliver us. Therefore, similar to hunger, hardship is a time of education and examination, too. To use another analogy, just like hunger is linked to the nighttime, hardship is also like the night that brings a break in the flow of our lives. That is why we feel under pressure in times when we have to resist the great momentum of events in our lives. Therefore, with the motivating hunger it brings, a night of hardship provides us with an opportunity to evaluate ourselves for a new start. As prayers and worship performed in the lonely hours of the night are invaluable, so too are actions and intentions during times of hardship very important; not only because they are the basis of a new start, but also because they are part of the reason for our existence in this world: to worship God. Therefore, we have to pay the dues of the night.

After a final night of hunger and hardship, the land appears in the horizon as a distant darkness enshrouding the fertility, and we realize that if we are in a period of hunger, then we are pregnant with a new personality and life.

Sermed Ogretim has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at West Virginia University. He has a special interest in psychological fiction.

Notes

1- Nursi, S., Second fruit of fifth branch, 24th Word, The Words, Kaynak 1997.

2- Nursi, S., First Aim, 30th Word, The Words, pp. 240, Kaynak 1997. This is the place where Said Nursi describes the three journeys to the other side of the earth. At the start of these symbolic journeys, he explains the darkness covering the side he departs from, and expresses his desire for light.

3- Quran (3:190–191), “Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day, there are signs for the people of discernment. They remember and mention God, standing and sitting and lying down on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth.”

4- Nursi, S., First Aim, ibid, pp. 228–229. “An entity that is absolute and all-encompassing has no limits and no terms: it cannot be shaped or formed, it cannot be ‘determined’ in any way such that its essential nature can be comprehended.”

5- Quran (2:155), “We will certainly test you with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth, and lives, and fruits (earnings); but give glad tidings to the persevering and patient.”

6- Nursi, S., Ninth point of second section, 29th Letter, The Letters, Vol. 2, Kaynak 1995.

7- Quran (3:27) “You make the night pass into the day and You make the day pass in to the night, …”

8- The quoted text is a part of a verse from the Quran (2:257).

9- Quran (3:138-140) “This is a plain exposition for all people, and a clear guidance and an instruction for the God-revering, pious. Do not, then, bee faint of heart, nor grieve, for you are always the superior side if you are believers. If a wound has touched you, a similar wound touched those people. Such days – We deal them out in turns among people so that God may mark out those who Believe and select from among you such as bear witness to the truth;”

10- Quran (2:168-169) “O humankind! Eat of what is on the earth provided it is lawful, and pure and wholesome; and do not follow in the footsteps of Satan; indeed he is a manifest enemy to you. He only commands you to evil and indecency and that you should speak against God the things about which you have no knowledge.”

11- Quran (51:56) “I have not created the jinn and humankind but to worship Me.”

Prisoners, especially those who are young, need the Risale-i Nur as much as they need bread. Young people, following their blind emotions and desires, prefer an ounce of immediate pleasure to tons of future pleasure. However, an hour of dissolute pleasure may result in life’s enjoyment being utterly destroyed, due to the distress caused by the fear of prison and the fear of one’s enemies.

Muslim youths must act heroically and benefit from the “Fruits of Belief” and the “Guide for Youth” of the Risale-i Nur so that they will not destroy their future in this world, their pleasant lives, their happiness in the hereafter, and their eternal lives. Abuse and dissoluteness will cause them to end up in hospitals, and their excesses will land them in prison. In their old age, they will weep copiously with a thousand regrets.

Young prisoners who spend one hour a day performing the five obligatory prayers, who repent their mistakes, and abstain from other harmful sins will gain a great benefit now and in the afterlife. The Qur’an has promised this. If they practice moderation and obedience, showing their gratitude for the pleasant, delightful bounty of youth, this bounty will increase, become eternal, and be a pleasure. Of course, not doing so will lead to the opposite result, which will harm everyone, including themselves.

If they have been imprisoned unjustly, each hour spent performing the obligatory prayers will be the equivalent of a day’s worship, and they will be like pious hermits. If they are poor, elderly, and sick, and want to learn the truth, each hour will become the equivalent of twenty hours’ worship, and prison will become like a rest-house, a place of love, training, and education. Prison will offer them some protection from sin, and they may actually receive a full education there. When released, they will be penitent, proven by trial, well-behaved, and of benefit to the nation. In fact, the Denizli (1) prisoners became so extraordinarily well-behaved after studying the Risale-i Nur for only a short time that some of those concerned said: “Studying the Risale-i Nur for fifteen weeks is more effective at reforming them than putting them in prison for fifteen years.”

I am 75 years old, and I know that life’s happiness is to be found only in belief and in the truths of belief. O you unfortunate prisoners! Since your world is weeping and your life is bitter, strive so that your hereafter will not also weep, and so that your eternal life will smile and be sweet! Benefit from prison! Just as an hour’s watch sometimes may be equivalent to a year’s worship under severe conditions, each hour spent in worship becomes the equivalent of many hours, thereby transforming hardship into mercy.

In His Name, be He glorified!

My dear and loyal brothers!

I will set out three points for the prisoners and for those who help them and faithfully supervise their diet, which is provided from outside the prison.

First Point: Each day spent in prison may equal as much as ten days’ worship, and, with regards to the fruit of this time, may transform those transient hours into enduring hours. But to realize this gain, you must perform the obligatory prayers, repent for your mistake, and offer thanks in patience.

Second Point:Always be patient, for just as the end of pleasure brings pain, the end of pain brings pleasure. Live in the present, for remembering past pleasures and worrying about the future brings pain. Displaying any type of impatience, and ignoring one’s faults, as if you are complaining about God, is most foolish. So long as you remain patient, your distress is reduced by ten to one. I discovered this great truth through personal experience, and encourage you to adopt the same attitude.

Third Point:There is great gain in meeting the prisoners’ physical and spiritual needs. Feeding them is like an act of charity, and is recorded in your book of good deeds. If they are old, ill, poor, or strangers, the reward is increased manifold. To obtain this high profit, perform the obligatory prayers for God’s sake; hasten to help them with sincerity, compassion, and joy; and do not make them feel under obligation.

In His Name, be He glorified!

And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise.

My friends in prison and brothers in religion!

It occurred to me to explain a truth to you which will save you from both worldly torment and the torment of the hereafter. It is as follows: If you murder someone, you might feel a moment of pleasure, but then you will have to contend with long-lasting distress, prison, fear of retaliation by your victim’s family and relatives, and anxiety. The only way out of this is reconciliation, which the Qur’an demands.

Looking at it in Islamic terms, the victim’s time to die had come, and the murderer was simply the means of executing God’s decree. Without reconciliation, both sides perpetually suffer the torments of fear and revenge. This is why Islam commands that “one believer should not be angry with another believer for more than three days.” (2) If the murder was not the result of a vindictive grudge and enmity, and a two-faced trouble-maker instigated the discord, make peace quickly. Otherwise, that minor disaster becomes a large one, and continues. If they make peace and the murderer repents and prays continuously for the victim, both sides gain much and become like brothers.

This happened in Denizli Prison, where all the prisoners eventually became brothers through the lessons of the Risale-i Nur. This caused us to be set free, and even the irreligious and ungodly said: “Masha’llah! Barakallah!” I have seen a hundred men suffer inconvenience because of one man and be deprived of their exercises. Sincere believers of sound conscience will not cause others to suffer for some minor error or benefit. If they do, they should repent immediately.

In His Name, be He glorified!

My loyal new brothers and old prisoners!

In respect of Divine Favor, you are an important cause for our entering here. The Risale-i Nur can save you from the distress of prison and from much worldly harm, needless grief, and sorrow, and secure a pleasing Hereafter for you.

Be brothers to one another. Do not attack each other. Appreciate those who guard you, for they suffer much trouble. And so, new friends, who are by nature bold and courageous, with great moral courage, say to the group:

“If not knives, but rifles and revolvers were given us, and the order to fire as well, we would not hurt our friends. Through the Qur’an’s guidance and command, belief, Islamic brotherhood, and our interests, we forgive them and to try not to offend them, even if formerly there were many reasons for our enmity and hostility.” Transform this prison into an auspicious place of study.

Footnotes

1. A city in Turkey
2. Muslim, Birr, 25.

Reference

• The Words (Sozler Publ., trans. Sukran Vahide) / Thirteenth Word – Second Station- A Footnote to the Second Station of the Thirteenth Word