From: irfan@apollo.ece.wisc.edu (Irfan Alan)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: DROPLET VOL 1, NO3, PART 3 & 4
Date: 15 Nov 1992 22:15 PDT
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DROPLET VOL 1, No 3, Part 3

D R O P L E T
From The Vast Ocean Of The Miraculous Qur'an

Translations from the Arabic and Turkish Writings of Bediuzzaman
Said Nursi, 

The Risale-i Noor

VOL 1, No 3, Part 3
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THE  FIFTH  WORD

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

"Allah stands alongside those who fulfill their duty and who act
kindly!" [Al Qur'an 16,128]

	Performing the salat (prayer) and not committing the big
(seven) sins are the true duties of human.  They are suitable to
the human nature, and constitute the results of the creation of
human.  If you wish to see the degree of truth in these, then
look at and listen to this parable.

At a mobilization time, in one army, there were two soldiers
together.  One was wise and knowledgeable, and performed his job
with care.  The other one was selfish, naive.  The learned one
paid attention to his duties and trained for jihad.  He never
worried about his ration and food since he understood that it
was the duty of the government to feed him, provide his weapons,
take care of him in case of sickness, and even put the food in
his mouth if needed.  He knew that his real job was to learn
military maneuvers and prepare for jihad.  However, he sometimes
took part in some chores like boiling the pots, washing the
dishes, and distribution of the rations.  If he was asked what
he was doing, he would not reply that he was taking the burden
of the government free of charge; rather that he was working to
earn his necessities.  

The other selfish ignorant one did not pay attention to his
training and war-activities.  He would say that those jobs were
government jobs, and he had nothing to do with them.  He always
ran after his own necessities, always left the military camp,
and then went to the market for shopping.

One day his learned friend told him, "O my friend! Your real job
is to learn war-maneuvers, and fight the enemy; that is why you
are brought here.  You must trust the sultan.  He would never
leave you hungry.  Feeding you is his job.  Also, you are very
poor and weak, and cannot feed yourself anywhere because the
time is a mobilization time.  Moreover, you will be punished as
a rebel.   Yes, there are two jobs related to us.  One is
sultan's job; it is to feed us.  But, sometimes, we must spend
some effort to obtain our necessities.  The other is our job; it
is training and learning how to fight.  For this, sultan
provides many facilities."  If that naive soldier were not to
heed that learned mujahid's advise, you would understand how
much he would be in danger.  [Again  the meanings of these ayats
are illustrated beautifully: "No animal exists on earth unless
Allah provides for it." (Al Qur'an 11:6) and "Allah is the
Provider, wielding  sturdy strength." (Al Qur'an 51:58)]

O my lazy nefs (ego)! That stormy war-field (or mobilization
time) is this somewhat troublesome, hectic worldly life.  That
military with many sections is the human society.  The group
those two soldiers belong to is the present Islamic society.  As
to those two soldiers : the one who knows the responsibilities
of the deen (religion of Islam) and fights with his nefs (self,
ego) and devils in order not to commit the big sins is a devoted
(muttaki) Muslim.  The other one is a fasiq-i khasir (corrupted
transgressor) who absorbs himself into his worldly affairs in
the degree of accusing the True Provider (Rezzak-i Hakiki),
abandons the responsibilities of the deen (e.g., salat, zakat,
fasting), and commits every type of sin he encounters while
running after his earthly income.  Those training jobs and the
duty-instructions are ibadat (salat being the most essential). 
That war is the fighting against nefs, selfish desires, and
devils of both jinn and human in order to be saved from sins,
corrupted morality, and from those things which destroy the
heart and soul.  As to the two jobs: one is giving the life and
sustaining it (which only Allah SWT can do).  The other one is
to love, pray, trust, and submit to the One Who gives the life
and the sustenance (Muhyi, Khallaq-i Rezzak, Mun-im-i Hakiki).  
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To be continued In$a Allah.
Your Br. Irfan in Islam.


DROPLET VOL 1, No 3, Part 4

D R O P L E T
From The Vast Ocean Of The Miraculous Qur'an

Translations from the Arabic and Turkish Writings of Bediuzzaman
Said Nursi, 

The Risale-i Noor

VOL 1, No 3, Part 4
------------------------------------------------------------------


Yes, whoever gives and creates the life, which is the most
shining Samadan-i miraculous art, and the most wonderful
manifestation of the Wisdom of Allah, is also the One who
prolongs it with sustenances (Samad: Eternal, Absolute, and the
One who provides all the necessities but He does not need
anything ).  None other than Him can be.  Do you ask for proof? 
The most weak and foolish animals are fed the very best (e.g.,
fruit worms and fish), and the most fragile and weak of the
creatures (e.g., kids and infants) receive the best quality
foods.  Yes, if you want to learn that the means of obtaining
halal (lawful) necessities do not depend on the degree of
capability and free will; but rather on weakness and inability,
it is enough to compare the fish with the fox, the babies with
the wild animals, and the trees with the animals.  

Thus the one who abandons his ibadat (worshiping) because of any
worldly matter resembles to that soldier who left his training
field and trench, and begged in the market.  However, after
performing his ibadat, if one is -by himself- looking for his
share from the Allah's merciful treasures in order not to burden
somebody else (i.e., without showing dzillah to others), such
effort would be very nice and becomes an act of true brevity. 
That  act too is a kind of ibadat.  Moreover, the nature of
human and his spiritual senses are showing that human is indeed
created for the ibadat.  This is because human cannot even reach
to the level of a bird as far as the capability of earning the
necessities of life is concerned.  However, with regard to human
knowledge, poverty, supplication, and worshiping, which are
necessary qualities for spiritual life and happiness in the
hereafter, human becomes the sultan and the commander of the
animal-kind.

Then understand O my nefs!  If you were to make the life of this
world as your first and ultimate goal, and always work only for
it, you may at most achieve to become a soldier of an
insignificant bird.  On the other hand, you should make the life
of the hereafter your ultimate and most prior goal, and use this
world-life as a means and a field (to cultivate the seeds of
good-deeds).  If you were to work to achieve that goal, then you
would become a honorable commander of the animal-kind, a gentle
supplicating servant, an honored and respected guest of Allah
(SWT) in this world.

	Yes, here you are.  There are two ways in front of you.  You
can follow the one you choose.  Ask for tawheed and hidayat
(faith) from your Creator who is the Absolute Compassionate
(Khaliq-i Erhamerrahimin).

"They said: 'Glory to You of knowledge we have none, save what
You have taught us: in truth it is You Who are perfect in
knowledge and wisdom.'"  (Al Qur'an 2:32)  

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End of the Droplet Vol 1, No 3.
To be continued from Vol 1, No 4 In$a Allah.
Your Br. Irfan in Islam.