The Seventh Word
The door to human happiness
If you want to understand how precious a key to reveal the enigmatic riddle of the universe and open the door to happiness for the human spirit it is to believe in God and the Hereafter; and to understand how invaluable medicines for all ailments they are to patiently rely on your Creator and ask and pray to your Provider in gratitude, and seek refuge in Him; and also to understand how important, valuable and splendid a ticket for your journey to eternity, a light for the grave, and a provision for the next life they are to heed the Qur’an, abide by its laws, to perform the Prescribed Prayers, and to refrain from major sins12— if you want to understand all these, consider the following parable: Once a soldier in the middle of a battlefield and testing, in the arena of gain or loss, found himself in frightening circumstances. He was wounded on his right and left sides. Behind him was a lion ready to tear him apart, and ahead of him stood a gallows on which his friends and comrades were being hanged; it was awaiting him too. Before him lay a long road, which he had to travel. As the unfortunate soldier was pondering in despair, a wise, pious person appeared on his right and said: “Don’t despair. I’ll give you two talismans and teach you them. If you use them properly, the lion will become an obedient horse for you, and the gallows will become like a swing for your enjoyment. I’ll also give you two medicines that will heal your wounds and make them smell like roses. Furthermore, I’ll give you a ticket that allows you to travel the distance of years in one day. Try them and see if my words are true.” The soldier did so a bit, and found his words true. I, this unfortunate Said, affirm it too. For I also tried them a bit and saw they were absolutely true.
Suddenly, a devilish, cunning man appeared on his left with ornate finery, pictures, fantasies and intoxicants, saying: “Hey, come on, friend! Let’s enjoy ourselves, listen to music, look at these pictures of beautiful women, and eat and drink these delicious things.” He asked the soldier what he was mumbling. The soldier replied: “A sacred invocation,” to which the man said: “Leave these complicated issues. Let’s not ruin our comfort. What’s that in your hands?” The soldier replied: “Medicine.” The man snorted: “Throw it away. There’s nothing wrong with you. What’s that paper with five seals upon it?” When the soldier said it was a ticket and a rations card, the man said: “Tear them up! How can you think of going anywhere on such a beautiful spring day?” This is how that devilish man tried to lead the soldier astray. The soldier eventually has been tempted a bit to follow, for he is human and thus subject to deception.
To his right, the soldier suddenly hears a thunder-like voice: “Wake up! Don’t be deceived. Say to that devil: ‘If you can kill the lion, do so. If you can remove the gallows, do so. If you can heal my wounds, do so. If you can arrange it so that I will not travel this road before me, do so. Do these things, and then we can enjoy ourselves. If you cannot, be quiet!’”
Thus, O my soul, which laughed in its youth and now, weeps at its laughter! The soldier represents you and every other human being. The lion is our appointed hour of death, while the gallows stand for our continual separation from friends. The two wounds are our infinite and troublesome impotence and our grievous and boundless poverty. The travel is the long journey of testing passing through the World of Spirits, our life as an embryo, our youth, old age, the grave, the Place of Resurrection and Supreme Gathering, and the Sirat (the “Bridge” which leads to Hell or Heaven). The two talismans are belief in God and the Hereafter.
Understand: Belief in God and the Hereafter. Through this sacred talisman death (the lion) becomes like an obedient horse to take believers from the dungeon of the world to the gardens of Paradise, to the presence of the All-Merciful One. It is because of this that the pious and learned, those who have a true understanding of death, are not afraid of dying and actually wish to die even before their appointed time. The passage of time, punctuated by separation from friends (because of death, represented by gallows), is transformed by belief into a means to watch with perfect pleasure the perpetually renewed and always colorful embroideries of God’s wonderful acts, His Power’s miracles, and His Compassion’s manifestations. Its like is this: Since the “mirrors” reflecting the colors in the sunlight and the scenes of a film are varied and replaced, the resulting views are even more beautiful.
As for the medicines: one is patience and trusting in God, relying on His Power, and having confidence in His Wisdom. What is there to fear when, realizing our helplessness, we rely upon the Owner of the command, Be, and it is (36:82)13? Even when confronted with a most frightening situation and a great calamity, he says: Surely, to God do we belong, and to Him is our return (2:156), and places his trust in his All-Compassionate Lord with utmost serenity. Those who have true knowledge of God are content to realize their helplessness before God and put their hope in His judgment. There is pleasure in the fear of God. If a one year old were asked what is the most pleasant thing he or she knows, the reply would be: “Taking refuge in my mother’s warm embrace, conscious of my weakness and helplessness—from her sweetest slap.” As a mother’s compassion is only a small spark from God’s Compassion, people of perfection take great pleasure in their helplessness and fear of God. Forsaking what is in their power, they take refuge in God and make their fear and helplessness a means of intercession before Him.
The other medicine is petitioning God with thanksgiving and contentment, and relying upon the Munificent All-Provider’s mercy. How could the guests of an All-Munificent Provider, Who has made the earth’s surface as a table and the spring for flowers to put on that table, regard their own poverty and helplessness before God as unbearable? Their poverty and need become their appetite, and so they try to increase their poverty. This is why spiritually perfect people are proud of their poverty. However, do not misunderstand this! It means to be aware of one’s poverty before God and to entreat Him, not to parade poverty before the people and assume the air of a beggar.
The ticket to eternity comprises the Prescribed Prayers, observing the other obligations, and avoiding the major sins. All people of discernment and learning agree that the only way to get a light, some provisions, and a vehicle for the long journey to eternity is to abide by the Qur’an’s commands and prohibitions. Science, philosophy, and craftsman ship alone are not worth much, for they only light the road as far as the grave.
O my indolent soul! How easy and light it is to perform the five daily Prayers and renouncing the seven major sins, and how important and great their results are! If you understand the truth here, you will say to the devilish one who tries to seduce you into vice and dissipation: “If you have the means to abolish death, impotence, and poverty, and close the door on the grave, then tell us and let’s heed it. Otherwise, be still! In the greatest mosque of the universe, the Qur’an reads the universe, so let’s listen to it. Let’s become filled with its light and act according to its guidance. Let’s read it regularly! It is its right to speak and what it says is true. The Qur’an is the truth, coming from the Ultimate Truth. It guides to the truth, spreading its light everywhere.”
O God, illuminate our hearts with the light of belief and the Qur’an. Enrich us with the perception and offering of our poverty before You. Don’t impoverish us with indifference toward You. We have given up our power and strength for Your sake and taken refuge in Your Power and Might, so make us among those who place their trust in You. Do not leave us to ourselves. Preserve us with Your preserving. Have mercy on us and all believing men and women.
Bestow blessings and peace upon our master Muhammad, Your servant and Prophet, Your chosen one and intimate friend—the beauty of Your Kingdom, the foremost of Your creation, the focus of Your affection, and the sun of Your guidance; the tongue of Your proofs, the embodiment of Your Mercy, the light of Your creation, and the glory of Your creatures; the lamp of Your Oneness among the multiplicity of Your creatures; the discloser of the mystery of Your creation; the herald of Your Lordship’s Kingdom; the preacher of what pleases You; the proclaimer of Your Names’ Treasures; the teacher of Your servants; the interpreter of Your signs; the mirror of Your Lordship’s Beauty; the means of witnessing You and bearing witness to You; Your beloved one and Messenger whom You sent as a mercy to the worlds—and upon his Family and Companions, his fellow Prophets and Messengers, Your angels brought near to You, and Your righteous servants. Amin.
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi
12 The major sins consist of associating partners with God; disrespecting one’s parents; consuming the property of others, especially of orphans; engaging in usury; retreating when the army advances; slandering chaste women; committing crimes with a prescribed punishment (e.g., theft, fornication, adultery, murder); engaging in prohibited acts despite the Qur’an’s or the Traditions’ threat of a severe punishment for doing so in the next life; and deeds cursed by the Prophet. (Tr.)
13 When He wills a thing to be, He but says to it “Be!” and (in the selfsame instant,) it is. (36:82). (Tr.)