From: irfan@wiener.ece.wisc.edu (Irfan Alan)
Subject: DROPLET VOL 1, NO 5, PART 2
Organization: Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison; Electrical & Computer Engineering
Distribution: usa
Date: 21 Nov 92 14:49:28 CST

DROPLET VOL 1, No 5, Part 2

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 5, Part 2
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 TREATISE  ON  IJTIHAD The Twenty Seventh Word  (continued)

   In the view of the forthcoming discussion, suppose a person from
this age with the same level of intelligence, say, equivalent to
that of Sufian ibn Uweyne (2) who memorized the Quran at the
age of four and had discussed the issues of ijtihad with
scholars, would need ten times more time than the time and
preparation that was necessary for Sufian to make ijtihads. If
Sufian had completed his education in ten years, the present one
would need more than hundred years to have the same quantity of
knowledge. This is because Sufians innate education started
immediately when he had differentiated the good and bad (Sinni
temyiz). His skills towards ijtihad had gradually grown, and
were illuminated by taking lessons from every occasion. They had
become like a match (ready to flash). However as to the present
times' counterpart, his mind is drowned in philosophy and
submerged into politics, his heart is bewildered in the earthly
life, and his skills are alienated from ijtihad. Therefore, one
has no right to say, I am as intelligent as those earlier
scholars. Why could not I be like one of them?". [Translator's
note: Questing for such an equivalence with the eminent scholars
of Islam would be overstepping ones bound, underestimating
their intelligences, and a sign of a lack of appreciation of
Islamic knowledge or plain ignorance.]

Finally, there is presently no possibility for a truthful
(mustaqim) ijtihad which would be attributed to the matters of
religion and accepted by Shari'a. (will continue)

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2. Ibn-i Uyeyne: (107-198) He is among the second generation of 
tabi'aen.  He lived in Mecca, but was born in Kufe.  He is an 
eminent scholar of hadith, tafseer, and  interpretation of hadith.  
He narrated seven thousand hadiths.  He is known for living on 
barley bread only.  
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FAITH  IS  SUBJECT TO  TEST  BY  ALLAH (SWT) Know O Dear Friend:
There is only submission in worshipping, and there is no
experimenting and testing.  Only the Master and Owner examines
and tests His stewards and servants, but servants cannot be in a
position to  test their Master.  Therefore human  should not
even dare to test his Sustainer and Creator. 

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ON THE INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  QUR'AN

This TWENTY  NINTH  LETTER  consists of nine parts.  This is the
first part containing nine remarks

In the Name of Allah the Merciful the Compassionate  "The seven
Heavens and the Earth, as well as whoever is in them, glorify
Him."[Al Qur'an 17:44]

Translator's Note:  This work was written to fail the intentions
of bad scholars who were about to support government's idea of
replacing the Arabic recitals in the salat with their Turkish
translations.  In the third part of this letter the truth is
shown to be contrary to such ill-fated goal.  This is a piece of
heroic defense of the basis of Islam in those brutal oppression
days.

	My dear, truthful, and very earnest brother in the service of
the Qur'an!  This time in your letter, you are asking for an
answer to a very important matter which I did not have
sufficient time nor any opportunity to respond.  Thus, I will
leave this very important matter to another time; they will be
answered gradually in the future as Allah permits an answer to
come to the heart out of His Mercy.  However, at present I will
only express these three remarks.
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To be continued In$a Allah.
Your Br. Irfan in Islam.
 
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