Your second principle

 

You should not criticize your brothers and sisters in their service of the Qur’an or belief, and do not provoke their envy by making a display of your attributes. For a person’s hands do not compete with each other, nor do their eyes criticize one another, nor does their tongue oppose their ears, nor does their heart see the faults of the spirit. Rather, their members complete the deficiencies of one another, veil one another’s shortcomings, assist one another in meeting their needs, and help one another with their duties. Otherwise, the life of that person’s body would be extinguished, their spirit would go away, and their body would decompose.

Similarly, the components of a factory are not in rivalry with one another, nor do they attempt to take precedence over or dominate one another. Nor do they find faults with or criticize one another, destroying each other’s enthusiasm for work or condemning the others to idleness. Rather they help one another to work with all their capacities for the achievement of a common goal, and proceed towards the realization of the purpose of their existence in true solidarity and unity. Should even the slightest encroachment or domination interfere, it would cause confusion in the working of the factory, making it dysfunctional. In consequence, the owner of the factory would demolish it completely.

And so, O students of the Risale-i Nur who serve the Qur’an! We are the members of a collective personality worthy of the title of “the perfect or universal human.” We are like the components of a factory working for eternal happiness in the eternal life. We are also the crew of a blessed ship aiming to carry the Community of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, to the shore of salvation, which is the shore of the Abode of Peace and Happiness. Therefore, we need and are compelled to realize true solidarity and unity, which can only be attained through sincerity and which can gain for four people the power of one thousand one hundred and eleven.8

If three 1’s do not unite or come together, they will have only the value of 3. But if they unite or come together, they will gain the value of 111. Four separate 4’s make 16. But if they come together in true brotherhood, along the same line for the fulfillment of the same duty, they will have the value of the power of 4444. History records numerous events which bear witness to the fact that 16 self-sacrificing people in true brotherhood have obtained the moral strength of more than 4000 people.9 This is because each individual in a true, sincere union can also see with the eyes of the other brothers and sisters, and hear with their ears. It is as if each of the ten persons in true solidarity and unity has the value and power of seeing with twenty eyes, thinking with ten intellects, hearing with twenty years, and working with twenty hands.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi

8 Four 1’s put side by side make 1111. (Tr.)

9  In addition to being the means to innumerable advantages and benefits, solidarity and unity based on sincerity is the strongest shield and point of support against fear, and even death. For when death comes, it takes one soul. A person who strives in true unity with their fellows on the way of God’s good pleasure for the realization of the purposes related to the Hereafter, has as many souls as their brothers and sisters. Therefore, such a person meets death with a smile and says, “Even though only one of my souls dies, my other souls will continue to live and cause me to gain as many rewards as they do. So by means of these souls, I will continue to live in respect of reward; I am only dying in respect of sin.”