The Fifteenth Letter

 

A subtlety about sainthood • Internal wars during ‘Ali’s caliphate • Humanity’s final apostasy after an almost universal conversion • The meaning of: All things are perishable, except His Face (28:88)

 

In His Name, Glory be to Him.

There is nothing that does not glorify Him with His praise.

 

FOUR FIRST QUESTION: IT IS SAID THAT A COMPANION OF THE lowest degree is greater than the greatest saint. If this is the case, why could they not discover, through their insight and wisdom, the identity of the conspirators among them that eventually caused three of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs to be martyred?26

ANSWER: There are two points here.

FIRST POINT: Some light can be shed by explaining a subtlety about sainthood, namely, that there are two kinds of sainthood: minor and major. Minor sainthood usually is attained by strictly following a Sufi order. An initiate is sometimes favored by God with unexpected wonders in return for overcoming human instincts and animal desires.

The Companions enjoyed the rank of major sainthood, which is attained through a direct inheritance of the Prophetic mission and, without having to follow a religious order, by full observance of the Sharia, penetrating to the truth and ultimately gaining nearness to God. Such sainthood, though much greater and more valuable than the minor one, is rarely favored with wonder-working. Therefore it is safer, for wonder-working can lead saints to attribute wonders to themselves and thus bring about spiritual desolation. Without having to follow a religious order’s discipline for many years, the Companions attained the rank of major sainthood through the grace and elixir of the Prophet’s presence.

This can be explained by an analogy: People can re-live the just-passed Night of Power and Destiny (Lailat al-Qadr) in two ways.27 One, they can live through the whole year and reach this night the next year. This is how the initiated reach their final destination. Two, they can leave the cover of their material existence, enter the sphere of the spirit, and rise high enough to see all of time as a single point. While material existence is restricted to time and space, whereas the spirit is almost free from both, past and future unite into a single point when people’s inner senses become so refined and sharpened that they can live at the spirit’s level. Thus the quickest way of re-living the new Night of Power and Destiny is to enter the sphere of spiritual existence and unite past and future in the present moment. But this can be attained only through nearness to God, for the nearer people are to God, the freer they are of all time and space restrictions.

Another analogy is the sun’s nearness to us, despite our distance from it, through its reflected light and heat. If we feel its nearness in its reflections and perceive its identity and relation to us through its reflected form in our mirror, we draw nearer to it and establish nearer relations. But if we try to reach and know it from our remote starting-point, we must make a long journey of thought and research. In other words, we will need a very demanding, long scientific study of its formation, heat, light, and seven colors.

In just this way, sainthood attained through direct inheritance of the Prophet’s mission enables people to draw nearer to God because of this direct, unrestricted relation. Accordingly, major sainthood is much greater than minor sainthood, which can be attained only through long years of spiritual discipline within an order.

SECOND POINT: The seditious and plotting people within the Muslim community during the time of the Companions were not limited to a few easily controlled Jews. Many people of different religions and cultures joined Islam during the rapid Muslim conquests, and some of their seductive and misleading views and trends of thought entered Islam’s pure body. Some sought revenge for their national honor and dignity, which had been wounded severely by ‘Umar’s military victories. Some clever and scheming hypocrites are reported to have taken advantage of the prevailing social conditions. Given this, conspiracies could not be dealt with through suppression but only by improving social conditions and channeling the different trends of thought into the right way.

QUESTION: ‘Umar had such deep, wonderful insight and wisdom that he helped the Muslim army fighting in Iraq gain victory by shouting: “Retreat to the mountain!” from the pulpit in the Mosque of Medina. This shout was heard by his commander Saria. Given this, how could he not be aware of his assassin, who lived in ‘Umar’s own neighborhood?

ANSWER: Prophet Ya‘qub (Jacob) was asked why he had not seen Yusuf (Joseph) in a nearby well in Canaan, although the fragrance of his shirt reached him from Egypt. He replied:

 

Our state, especially with regard to miracle-working, is like lightning that is sometimes visible and at other times hidden. Sometimes it is as if we were sitting on the highest point with the whole universe spread out before us, but at other times we cannot see what lies just ahead of us.

 

Although people are free in their actions, Divine Destiny has power over everything: You cannot will unless God wills (76:30). So Divine Will prevails necessarily. Where Destiny speaks, human free will has no say. When Destiny’s decree is enforced, people are blinded to it.

YOUR SECOND QUESTION: What about the internal wars during ‘Ali’s caliphate, and those participants who killed and were killed?

ANSWER: The Battle of Camel, which occurred between ‘Ali (on one side) and ‘A’isha, Zubayr, and Talha (on the other), was a clash between absolute justice and relative justice.28 ‘Ali believed that absolute justice had to be the rule, just as it had been during the time of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, while his opponents asserted that relative justice should prevail. They argued that prevailing conditions did not allow absolute justice to be enforced, because people’s sincere beliefs and pure intentions had been muddied by the incomplete assimilation of new Muslims and the passage of time. Since both sides sought God’s approval and acted for Islam’s good, although ‘Ali was more perfect in his opinions, all participants will enter Paradise, whether they killed or were killed.

Jurists who strive for the truth in those legal matters left open by the Qur’an and the Prophet will receive a double reward from God if the correct judgment is given. If an incorrect judgment is given, they will receive one reward and not be punished. A person known to be trustworthy, whose word is accepted as authoritative in our region, is reported to have said: “Do not gossip about the war between the Companions, for both the killer and the killed are counted among the people of Paradise.”

To explain absolute justice, the verse: Whoever slays a soul—unless it be for murder or spreading mischief in the land—will be as if he had slain humanity (5:32), implies that no innocent person can be deprived of his or her right to life or sacrificed for the community’s sake. Any right is a right in God’s sight, and thus cannot be abolished for one considered just as great or fundamental.

Relative justice means that the part can be sacrificed for the whole. It does not consider the individual’s rights if these harm the community, and maintains that a lesser evil is preferred to avoid a greater evil. However, it is wrong to make relative justice the rule if absolute justice is possible. Imam ‘Ali wanted to continue establishing the caliphate on absolute justice, while his opponents insisted on relative justice, saying that the other was no longer possible.

QUESTION: Why was Imam ‘Ali, despite his extraordinary abilities, wonderful intelligence, and great merits, less successful in state administration than his predecessors?

ANSWER: That blessed man was destined for a more important task. Had he been successful in politics, he could not have become the “prince of saints.” He secured for himself a spiritual kingdom higher in rank than the greatest worldly position, one that will survive until the Day of Judgment.

The war between ‘Ali and Mu‘awiya at Siffin (657) was one between caliphate and sultanate.29 Imam ‘Ali defended some religious commandments and Islamic truths against some principles of sultanate and political expedience, preferring the world to come over the present life. Mu‘awiya based his case on a dispensation from strict adherence to certain religious commandments so that he could reinforce Islamic social life through sultanate. Trying to pursue certain political policies even at the price of some religious principles, Mu‘awiya’s group fell into error.

The struggle of Hasan and Husayn against the Umayyads was one of religion against nationalism.30 The Umayyads based the Muslim state on nationalism and thus preferred the bonds of kinship over those of Islam. This harmed the Muslim community in two ways: It annoyed and frightened the non-Arabs, and prevented serious thought about what was right and just. Racist rulers cannot practice justice, since they give priority to fellow nationals over co-religionists when dispensing rights and justice. Islam forbids this, as stated in a Tradition: “Islam forbids the racism of the Age of Ignorance and commands that there be no disparity between an (Abyssinian) black slave and a Qurayshi lord, provided both are Muslims.” Thus, Husayn rightly fought the Umayyads to re-establish the religious bond, and consequently attained the rank of martyrdom.

QUESTION: If he was on the right side, why did he fail? Why did Divine Destiny and Compassion allow him to be subjected to such a tragic end?

ANSWER: Some of his non-Arab supporters wanted to avenge their wounded national pride. This vindictiveness muddied the pure mission and sacred cause of Husayn and his close friends. The result was defeat. Divine Destiny allowed them to suffer such a painful end because Hasan, Husayn, and their descendants were destined for a spiritual kingdom. As it is usually hard to combine a spiritual and a worldly kingdom, they were made to stand aloof from worldly concerns and empty their hearts of worldly ambition. As a result, they were rewarded with a permanent spiritual kingdom and were chosen to lead the way followed by the greatest saints.

YOUR THIRD QUESTION: Why were they treated so harshly?

ANSWER: Three of the Umayyads’ principles of government caused some degree of wrong: People can be sacrificed to ensure the government’s security (a principle of ruthless politics); administration should be based on racial or national preference (ideological racism sacrifices anything for the good of the race or nation); and the traditional Umayyad– Hashimite rivalry, which continued under Mu‘awiya’s son Yazid and his like.

There is also another factor. Some of Husayn’s non-Arab supporters hoped to avenge their wounded national pride and unjust treatment as virtual slaves under the Umayyads. Such people provoked the Umayyads’ racial feelings. From the viewpoint of Divine Destiny, however, Husayn and his relatives were rewarded with a spiritual kingdom so valuable and a spiritual rank so elevated that the suffering they endured at Karbala pales in comparison and would seem to them easy enough to bear. Consider the rank that privates may attain through martyrdom after an hour’s torture, which others obtain only after a decade of effort. If these martyred privates were asked how God treated them, they would answer that they had earned too much in return for too little a cost.

YOUR FOURTH QUESTION: Shortly before the end of time, Jesus will return and kill Dajjal (the Antichrist), and most people will embrace Islam. However, another Tradition states that the Day of Resurrection will not come if some people still remember and mention God. How will people apostatize after an almost universal conversion?

ANSWER: Those with weak belief in Islam’s pillars regard it as almost impossible that Jesus will return before the end of time, practice the Sharia, and kill Dajjal, all of which is predicted in an authentic Tradition. This and similar Tradition about Jesus’ return, Sufyan (another Dajjal who will appear in the Muslim world), and the Mahdi indicate that two trends of unbelief will appear before the end of time.

ONE: A terrible person acting under the veil of hypocrisy will appear in the Muslim world. Leading the hypocrites and denying the Prophet’s Messengership, he will try to destroy the Sharia. Fortunately, a blessed descendant of the Prophet’s Family31 will oppose him and, at the head of the people of sainthood and spiritual perfection, will eradicate this trend of hypocrisy.

TWO: The second trend is atheism, a consequence of naturalist and positivist philosophy strengthened by materialist philosophy. Just as wild, primitive people do not recognize the king or his army’s divisions, they have to attribute to each soldier a sort of independent kingship and sovereignty. Such people eventually will give themselves some kind or degree of divinity. As a result their leader, supported by some material and psychic means like spiritism and hypnotism, will deify himself. Prophetic Traditions call him Dajjal. How stupid for someone to claim divinity when he cannot make even a gnat’s wing or is defeated by a fly or a germ!

When this trend of atheism is seen as almost at its peak, the true, original religion of Jesus will re-appear. That is, it will come down from the heaven of Divine mercy, and the present version of Christianity, purified of its borrowed elements, will unite with the truths of Islam or be transformed into it, and will follow the Qur’an. The true religion will gain great strength from this union and defeat the atheistic trend. Based on the promise of the All-Powerful One, The Prophet, truthful in his every word and report, informed that Jesus would come down toward the end of time. Since he informed us of this, it is true. Since God promised, He will fulfill His promise.

Given this, how can anyone deny that the All-Wise One of Majesty, Who sends certain angels to the world for specific purposes, sometimes in the form of human beings, Who sends some spiritual beings in the form of people, as well as the spirits of some dead saints in their “energy envelopes,” will return Jesus to the world before the end of time for an important purpose related to Islam?32

God Remember that Jesus is in the nearest heaven with his refined corporeal body and enjoying a particular degree of life, as explained in The First Letter. Even if he had died “completely” and gone to the other world’s farthest corner, it would conform with Divine Wisdom for God to resurrect him and send him here. God promised this, and so it will happen. Moreover, the Prophet foretold all this on the basis of that promise. However, only those nearest to Jesus will recognize him, through the light of belief, when he returns.

QUESTION: Some Traditions report that Dajjal will have a false paradise for his friends and a false hell for his opponents. He also will have a donkey, one of whose ears is like Paradise and the other one like Hell. Other Traditions say he will have a huge physical stature. What does this all mean?

ANSWER: Dajjal is a person, a conspirator, a stupid devil who has forgotten God. He deifies himself because of his tyrannical rule and the apparent splendor of his despotism. The trend of atheism, which he represents, is mighty and comprehensive. The Traditions describing him as an enormous man are actually about this trend, not about the person of Dajjal himself. I once saw a picture of the Japanese commander-in-chief, who had one foot in the Pacific Ocean and the other in Port Arthur [now Lushun, China]. This demonstrated Japan’s power and vast influence.

Dajjal’s false paradise is modern civilization’s passing fancies, charming playthings, and amusements. His donkey represents modern vehicles of transportation from trains [to spaceships]. One end car is a coal-burning engine, a “fireplace” into which he throws his opponents, while the other end car is richly furnished like Paradise, into which he admits his followers. Trains, a very important “mount” of modern corrupt civilization, bring a false paradise to corrupt worldly people and help colonize Muslim countries, exploit their riches, and enslave Muslims.33

During this dramatic episode, Islam will be far stronger due to its union with a purified Christianity and will spread its light to the majority of people. But shortly before the end of time, a new trend of unbelief will appear and have an overwhelming influence. As a result, the great majority will slip into unbelief and only a few will preserve their belief until the Last Day. Nevertheless God, out of His mercy for believers, will make them die just before the world is destroyed so that they will not experience this terrible event. The world will be destroyed over the heads of unbelievers.

YOUR FIFTH QUESTION: Will souls that have gained permanence through death be influenced by the events of Doomsday?

ANSWER: They will be influenced according to their ranks, just as angels are influenced when God manifests His Attributes of Majesty and Overwhelming by destroying sinners. Just as the hearts and minds of people sitting in a hot room are influenced by the sight of people trembling from the cold outside, so those conscious souls that have gone into eternity will be affected, as indicated by the Qur’an, by those important events in the universe with which they have some relation. The people of torment will be affected by them in agony, while the people of happiness will be affected by them in wonder and amazement, and even in a joyful expectation as the final, endless bliss approaches.

Many Qur’anic verses threaten humanity (and jinn) with Doomsday’s shocking events and stress that everyone will experience them. Those who are alive at that time will experience them physically, while those souls whose bodies have or will have melted away in their graves also are encompassed, to some extent, within this Qur’anic threat.

YOUR SIXTH QUESTION: Is: All things are perishable, except His Face (28:88) also related to Paradise, Hell, and their inhabitants?

ANSWER: Many qualified scholars, saints, and people of deep perception and insight have discussed this subject. Some maintain that the permanent world’s inhabitants are not included, while others hold that these people also will enter an annihilation, albeit for such a brief period that they will not feel it. Some saints of spiritual discovery who go to extremes argue that all existence—except God—will perish permanently. But this cannot be, for the Divine Essence and God’s Attributes and Names are permanent. Thus permanent beings in the World of Permanence cannot experience absolute annihilation, for they are the manifestations of God’s permanent Attributes and Names and the mirrors in which they are reflected.

I now briefly mention two points that have just come to mind from the infinite ocean of the Qur’an’s meanings:

FIRST POINT: The All-Mighty is absolutely All-Powerful, and so creation and destruction are equally easy for Him. He can annihilate or re-create all of creation in an instant. In addition, absolute non-existence cannot exist, for there is an encompassing knowledge. As everything is contained or has a kind of existence or an ideal form within the infinite Divine Knowledge, there is no room for non-existence. Within the encompassing circle of Divine Knowledge, relative non-existence is, in essence, a nominal veil reflecting the manifestations of Divine Knowledge.

Some people of profound understanding have called such ideal forms of existence “archetypes.” Based on this, going into non-existence means taking off an outer dress (the body) and returning to the circle of spiritual existence or existence in Divine Knowledge. In other words, that which perishes by leaving its physical body puts on a spiritual body and, leaving the circle where (Divine) Power operates, enters the circle of (Divine) Knowledge.

SECOND POINT: As nothing can exist by itself, everything’s existence depends on God. Since it exists as a manifestation of the permanent Divine Names, it has a permanent, sublime reality due to its reflecting the Divine Name causing its existence. The verse: All things are perishable, except His Face (28:88) also serves as a sword that liberates people from that which is not God (e.g., the world, the flesh, and life’s vanities). Thus whatever people have or do for God’s sake is not included in the meaning of this verse.

In sum, if people find God and act only for His sake, there will be nothing left to be included in the meaning of All things are perishable, except His Face (28:88). So if they want to make their deeds eternal and be rewarded with permanent happiness, they must seek God and live for His sake and good pleasure.

The Everlasting: He is the Everlasting.

Said Nursi

26 Said Nursi is referring to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (d. 644), the second caliph, who was killed by Abu Lu’lu’ Firoz, a non-Muslim Persian slave, for personal reasons; ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (d. 656), the third caliph, who was killed by Egyptian rebels upset with one of his decisions; and ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib (d. 661), the fourth caliph, who was killed by a Kharijite seeking revenge for his group’s defeat at the Battle of Nahrawan (658). (Ed.)

27 The Night of Power: Mentioned in Surat al-Qadr (97), it is one of the most important events in the Islamic calendar, for this was when God began to reveal the Qur’an through Archangel Gabriel. Moreover, on this night Hell is closed and Heaven is wide open to people’s prayers. Tradition says that it falls on one of the odd-numbered nights of Ramadan’s last 10 days. Many believe that it falls on the night of Ramadan 27. The night is so holy that all good deeds performed on that day are equal to those performed over the course of 1,000 months in God’s sight. (Ed.)

28 The Battle of the Camel (656 ): When ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib was elected as the fourth caliph after ‘Uthman’s assassination, some Muslims led by ‘A’isha (d. 678), one of the Prophet’s widows and the daughter of Abu Bakr (the first caliph), Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam (d. 656), and Talha ibn ‘Ubaydullah (d. 656) demanded that he punish ‘Uthman’s killers. But ‘Ali was of the opinion that since the matter did not consist in opposition to ‘Uthman only and there was a general unrest, he had to establish security in the country first and then deal with ‘Uthman’s murder. However, the others insisted upon their opinion and headed for Basra, where they collected an army. ‘Ali, the caliph, marched upon them. ‘Ali persuaded Zubayr and Talha to withdraw from the actual fighting, but both were killed by soldiers within their ranks. The battle ended with ‘Ali’s victory. (Tr.)

29 Mu‘awiya ibn Abi Sufyan (d. 680): Successor to the caliphate after ‘Ali’s martyrdom (661) and founder of the Umayyad Dynasty (661-750). He moved the capital to Damascus, where he had served as governor since 640. He restored unity in Muslim lands. However, by ensuring his son Yazid’s ascension before his death, he changed the caliphate into a hereditary sultanate. (Tr.)

30 Hasan (624-80) and Husayn (626-80) were the Prophet’s grandsons through his daughter Fatima and her husband ‘Ali. Upon his father’s death, Hasan was elected caliph. He fielded a sizeable army against Mu‘awiya, but was plagued by defections. He opened peace negotiations and, in 661, renounced his claim and, together with his brother, totally withdrew from politics.

Husayn rejected Yazid, Mu‘awiya’s son, as the rightful head of the state on the grounds that he lacked the necessary qualifications. Invited by the people of Kufa (Iraq) to lead a campaign to restore the just, purely Islamic system of government, he set out with a small band of relatives and followers. However, most Kufans did not lend their support. The governor of Iraq soon surrounded the force and killed most of them at Karbala. Husayn was decapitated, and his head was sent to Yazid.

Both Hasan and Husayn were enthusiastically loved by all Muslims, and the Shi‘a consider them to be their second and third imams, respectively, ‘Ali being the first. (Tr.)

31 The Prophet’s Family: The Prophet, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn. These people are known as the Ahl al-Bayt, the Family (or People) of the House. The Prophet’s wives are not included in this designation. (Tr.)

32 Archangel Gabriel sometimes came to the Prophet in the form of his Companion Dihya. God sends some spiritual beings here in the form of people, as well as the souls of some dead saints in their “energy envelopes.” (Tr.)

33 In other words, Dajjal uses of modern vehicles, weaponry, and technology to colonize Muslim countries and enslave Muslims. Said Nursi specifically cites trains because they were the main vehicles of transportation when he wrote this Letter. He also did so because communism, or in a wider sense, materialism or atheism are included in the meaning of Dajjal. Masses of innocent Muslims were carried to Soviet concentration camps by trains. Trains were of great importance for modern corrupt civilization, especially during the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries, and retain their importance even today. While they carried the privileged supporters of this corrupt civilization and of the anti-Islamic regimes in the Muslim world to places of enjoyment in richly furnished compartments, the imperialist powers used them to colonize, exploit, and enslave Muslim countries and, as in Asia and Africa, carry them in barn-like compartments to work or to concentration camps. In the Soviet Union and elsewhere, most of them died. (Tr.)