From: Irfan Alan <irfan@apollo.ece.wisc.edu>
Subject: DROPLET VOL 1, No 2, Part 2
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Originator: Mughal@Romeo.Caltech.Edu (Asim Mughal -Moderator)
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 19:25:00 GMT


[Postmarked: 14 Aug 92 ]


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 2, Part 2
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O! my rebellious soul, know! One of these two passengers is the
human obedient to the Law of Allah, and the other is the one who
followed the desires of the self (nefs) and was rebellious
against the rules of Allah.  That road is the life-road which
extends from the world of souls (alem-i arwah) to the
resurrection (hashir) via death (berzah).  That bag and the
weapon are ibadat (worshiping) and taqwaa (purity in obedience
to the laws of Allah).  Yes, the ibadat has an apparent burden,
but there is such a comfort and a lightness in the meaning of
ibadat that it cannot be sufficiently described by words.  This
is because, the abid (worshipper) says in his/her ibadat, "I
bear witness that there is no god but Allah."  That is, there is
no creator and sustainer other than Allah.  The creation of the
harm and the good are all in His hands.  He is the Absolute Wise
Who does not do anything in vain, and also the Absolute Merciful
Whose Benevolence and Compassion are boundless.  By affirming
these facts, he would find the doors of the mercy-treasures
shown in everything.  He would knock those doors by the prayer. 
He would see that everything is obedient to his Master and
Sustainer.  Hence, he would seek refuge to his Cherisher and
Sustainer.  He would rely on Him with tawakkul (complete
submission to Allah's Will after fulfilling one's duties) at the
face of any trouble.  His belief would give him a complete
confidence.  

Yes, like in every true goodness, the origin of the brevity is
again in the belief and ibadat (worshipping).  Like in every
sin, the origin of cowardice is the deviation (dalalat).  Yes,
an abid (worshipper) whose heart is completely illuminated with
iman would not fear, even if the earth had become a bomb, and
then exploded.  He would say, "I would be observing a wonderful
Power of Allah with a wonderful enjoyment."  However, a famous
perverted philosopher, whose mind is called as "illuminated" but
whose heart is dead, would tremble in the ground.  When he sees
the Halley's comet in the sky, he would fear that this star
might hit the earth.  He would fall into many misgivings. (In
the past, some Americans were  so much afraid of such a star. 
Many of them left their homes at night and hided in a lake!)

Yes, as human needs countless necessities, his capital is almost
nothing; as he faces many troubles, his ability is not
sufficient enough to overcome them all.  His capital and ability
are only effective as far as his hands can extend.  However, the
boundaries of his desires, longings, pains, and troubles are
extending as far as his sight and imagination can reach.  The
one who does not blind his heart completely would see that the
human soul which is so much weak,  so much poor, and so much
needy needs the ibadat (worshipping), tawaqqul, tawheed and
submission.  

As known, the road with no harm, would be preferred over the one
with many harms (even if only one out of ten possibility of harm
would exist).  On the other hand, the ibadat way, besides having
no harms at all, leads to treasures of the eternal happiness
(with a certainty of nine out of ten).  The way of transgression
and perversion (regardless of the number of its followers) has
no benefit and pleasure at all; yet with nine out of ten
probability, it would result in eternal calamity.  This is in
the degree of ijma and tawattur (this fact is unanimously
informed by many Prophets (p.b.u.t.) and the Saleheen).  

Finally, the happiness of the hereafter as well as of the
worldly happiness are definitely in the ibadat.  Therefore, we
must always say, "Thanks to Allah for giving success in our
prayers," and we must thank to Allah for creating us as Muslims
(Alhamdulillah-u ala deen-ul Islam wa hidayat-ur
Rahman).

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To be continued In$a Allah.
Your Br. Irfan in Islam.