Unbelievable Story Of A Scholar Of Islam! Badiuzzaman Said Nursi!
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The bloodiest war in world history was ending, and the Ottoman Empire, which once ruled on three continents, was in its last days. The foes of Islam tried to take advantage of the fall of the Turks to seek the destruction of Muslims from within. The Minister of the Colonies of Britain held the Holy Qur’an in his hand and said, As long as Muslims hold this Qur’an in their hands, we cannot rule over them. We should remove the Qur’an from their hands or alienate Muslims from the Qur’an. However, there was one person at that time who would resist that. There were repeated assassination attempts on him by the enemies of Islam.
He was poisoned 19 times, but by the grace of Allah, he survived all those attempts on his life. “I will stand up against those who attacked the Qur’an and proved to the whole world that the Qur’an is a light so bright, it cannot be concealed or extinguished.” He was an admirer of the Prophet. Peace be upon him. Bediüzzaman Said Nursi! Said Nursi was born in Bitlis, Hizan in 1878. He started his pursuit of knowledge at the age of nine. He had an extremely bright mind and an extraordinary memory.
In fact, he completed his classical madrasah education in three months, which normally took 15 years, Owing to his level of knowledge at the age of 14 to 15 and his ability to memorize entire books after reading them once. His teachers called him Bediüzzaman meaning, “ wonder of the era, unrivalled.” One day when he was young, he had a compelling dream that would shape his life. He was standing next to a great mountain, Mt. Mount Ararat. Suddenly, the mount exploded horribly. And large chunks of earth spread all over the world.
When he was in a terrified, frightened state, a great person came to him and spoke to him commandingly: “Explain and tell about the miraculousness of the Qur’an.” In other words, go spread the word about how miraculous Qur’an is. After hearing this, he woke up excited and he understood that there would be an ideological transformation in the world to attack Qur’an. Shortly after he had this dream. The meaning of his dream was confirmed. He saw a piece in a newspaper. The Minister of the Colonies of Britain held the Holy Qur’an in his hand and said, As long as Muslims hold this Qur’an in their hands, we can't rule over them.
We should remove Qur’an from their hands or alienate Muslims from the Qur’an. This article had an indescribable effect on Bediüzzaman. It was like a fire blazing in the middle of his chest, burning with nothing but the love of Allah and faith. After that point, he thought about what could happen in the Muslim world. He got worried, but with his worries, his enthusiasm grew bigger. At that moment, he got up and promised to devote his life. “I'll prove to the whole world that the Qur’an is a light. So bright it cannot be concealed or extinguished.” Bediüzzaman established a madrasah. It was a little different from others of its age. He taught science and religion together in compliance.
He realized the need to use reason and persuasion and combine natural science with Islamic knowledge. And he had a dream to establish a university where the same method would be implemented. Even the name of the university was ready. Madrasah al-Zahra. He decided to travel to Istanbul to accomplish his dream. And he embarked on a journey that would take him to different places. He rented a room in an Inn in Fatih, and started a controversial practice that nobody could think of. He hung a sign on the door of his room. Here, every question is answered and no question will be asked. He met with the prominent scholars of Istanbul and answered all their questions.
He drew attention by answering all questions correctly and with his particular personality and attire. In the heart of Istanbul, the center of knowledge at the time, young Said gathered everyone's attention with his self-confidence. Not everybody was friendly towards him. Some were troubled by his confidence. He was subjected to insults and slanders. And dragged his name to numerous machinations. After all, Bediüzzaman was sent to a mental hospital. The doctor who examined Bediüzzaman prepared his report, stating his admiration for his intelligence. Such is the occurrence of intelligence. It is rare in the world. Nobody is sane... if even a fraction of madness exists in this man.
Said Nursi was released from the hospital. After this, he sped up his efforts to establish a university. Because of the effect of the dream he saw and his ability to foresee situations, He knew what could happen. The intellectuals struggle in the fields of science and philosophy would begin, And there would be attacks on the Qur’an with many ideologies such as atheism. That is why he focused on strengthening people's faith as much as possible. When he returned to the eastern part of Turkiye, he lectured in one of the madrasahs in Van, known as ''Horhor'' for six months. He even laid the foundations of the university, his biggest project yet.
While everything was going according to plan, Said Nursi saw something was wrong and started to provide military training to his students in addition to their education. Because the end of an era was drawing close. The time had come and perhaps the greatest event in the history of the world started when, in the year 1914, the First World War began. The Ottoman Empire went to war with many countries, including Russia. As soon as the war started, Said Nursi took up arms to protect his religion, country and flag. He formed a volunteer regiment on the Eastern front with his students. The fighting started against the Russians. With the soldier students he commanded.
He fought for months for his homeland and achived many victories. While fighting the enemy in the front on horseback, he didn't neglect his duties in pursuit of knowledge. He started writing his tafsir of the Qur'an on the front. The work "Signs of Miraculousness", a Qur'an tafsir, one of his most prominent works, was written during the war. In other words, he defended his homeland physically and intellectually. For two years, he fought hundreds of battles and defended the country. In one of these conflicts, he saw Armenian children gathered in an area. Someone said. “They have taken our children captive. Let us take their children, too.” They wanted to take children as prisoners.
Bediüzzaman released those children in accordance with the doctrine of Islam. When the Armenian commander saw the children return to their families, he said, “Since Bediüzzaman did not harm our children. We will not harm the children of Muslims from this point on.” Thus, Bediüzzaman saved the lives of thousands of innocent Muslims. Hundreds of conflicts occurred and many of Bediüzzaman’s students became martyrs. After many victories, he was captured by the Russians in 1916, far from his homeland in a Russian prison camp. He was in a situation where it seemed like the end. But for those who believe in God, there is no such thing as despair. In that prison camp.
A remarkable incident happened one day. Russian Commander-in-Chief Nikola Nikolavich, came to the camp and started to walk among the prisoners. As everyone slowly stood up, Said Nursi didn’t move. The commander deliberately passed by again, but he didn't stand up. The commander passed by a third time, and the same happened. He became furious and asked why he didn't stand up. Bediüzzaman looked at his face and said, “I am a muslim scholar and my heart is full of faith. A person who has faith is far greater than one who doesn’t. If I stood up for you, I would disrespect my faith. That's why I didn't stand up.” The Russian commander became furious listening to these words.
Immediately a court was set up and Said Nursi was sentenced to death. Bediüzzaman’s friends told him to apologize. Otherwise he would be executed. But he said, “I have done what is right by my faith. Besides, I need a passport to travel to the eternal realm to meet the messenger of Allah. Peace be upon him. He is going to provide it” and went to the place where he would be executed without any hesitation. Bediüzzaman asked for permission for his last wish. He performed ablution and prayed two rak’at of prayer. He proceeded to the place where he would be executed. The soldiers were ready with their rifles in their hands. He was moments away from execution.
Soldiers were waiting for the order, but he only dreamed of meeting his Lord and the messenger of Allah (pbuh). While the soldiers were waiting for the order to fire. The Russian commander watched of the whole scene. He realized Said Nursi’s sincerity in his eyes and attitude. He stopped the execution. Because he understood that Said Nursi didn't stand up because of his faith and not to insult him. During his captivity. He never stopped his studies. He continued lecturing many people while he was a prisoner in Russia, for two and a half years. He always dreamt of the university he wanted to build. Madrasha Al-Zahra. After a while, he escaped from captivity.
He reached Istanbul in 1918, through Siberia, Warsaw and Sofia. His escape from Russia to Istanbul was received with such great joy and enthusiasm that both scholars and people from the palace showed great affection and sympathy. He received a medal of Honor for his great achievements in the war. He was offered membership in the Darul Hikmah al Islamiyya, the Academy of Islam of that era. Among its members were notable intellectuals, such as, Mehmet Akif Ersoy. He accepted the offer as he saw it as an opportunity to serve the people. And because his friends urged him to, since he was weary after his escape and the war. After a short time, Istanbul was occupied by the British.
There was lots of misinformation and misperception about the occupation. Said Nursi tried to wake up the public against the occupation with a book he published. At the same time, a fight for independence began in Anatolia. The sheikh al-Islam of the ERA described this movement in Anatolia as a rebellion. Say Mursi issued his own fatwa opposing fatwa of the Sheikh al-Islam. He said: “A fatwa issued under occupation is invalid and supported the fight for independence in Anatolia. The British ordered his execution on sight for his activities against their occupation. But they failed. After these developments, Said Nursi was invited to the Parliament in Ankara.
He arrived in Ankara in 1922, Bediüzzaman was welcomed with an official ceremony in the parliament. He was offered membership in the Parliament, other offices and salaries. But he didn't accept them. He asked for support for his dream. The university. He went to Van to carry his plans into action. He noticed an anti-religion movement was spreading from communist Russia. He needed to act swiftly to establish his university. He intended to raise a generation of Muslims with strong faith and belief against those who wished to harm Islam. However, the political climate of that era and the hidden enemies of Islam hindered his plans in order to stop Said Nursi. He was exiled to Isparta.
No matter what happened. He had no intention of stopping his lectures wherever he went. He lectured about the facts on Allah, Islam and faith. He tried to raise awareness around him and to tell people about Allah. Even though he was in exile. Enemies of Islam also continued their plans in private to drive people as especially young people away from Islam. They put their plans into action to weaken Islam's fundamentals and to spread atheism and communism. One of the known opponents of Islam of the time, Abdullah Cevdet, said that believing in Allah was naive and this belief led people to an incurable irrationality.
He openly denied the afterlife and began to spread his notions to poison people's minds. Books were distributed to indoctrinate children and young people in schools with that idea. There were studies about atheism everywhere as the horrific developments took place in the country. Said Nursi, lived a life of exile. One day while he was walking along the shore of Egirdir Lake, he remembered a verse and started reciting. “So, look to the effects of Allah’s mercy. How he gives life to the earth after its death. Surely that Allah can raise the dead. And he has the power to do everything.
After reading this verse, Bediüzzaman turned to his disciple and said, “Withering and dying with the coming of winter, every plant is resurrected again. Are these not the signs of the resurrection of the man after he was buried in his grave? Then write my brother.” His disciples started writing The treatise "Resurrection and the Hereafter" was ready in a short time. In this treatise, the existence of the hereafter is proved with reason and logical evidence, and the booklet was distributed everywhere. Those who saw this work were baffled. Especially the enemies of Islam didn't know what to do. Because they couldn't disprove any of the evidence. Said Nursi offered.
This time their opponent was not somebody who only knew Islamic knowledge. They were against a scholar of Islam who also knew philosophy, astronomy, physics and many other sciences and their continuous tradition from antiquity. Abdullah Cevdet expressed his desperation for those who awaited a response to the booklet with these words: Said Nursi led me through the streets of the hereafter with his works. How can I deny the streets I have walked in? During his stay in Isparta, Barla, for eight and a half years, he overcame numerous difficulties with his disciples and prepared several works. His only purpose was to ensure the safety of Islam and Muslims.
Foes of Islam could not tolerate all of these works that spread faith and truth about Islam and monitored every move of Bediüzzaman. He was exiled from one place to another and kept in custody for a long time. They didn't let anybody visit him. Yet these works were prepared nonetheless. There was one thing left to do. Eliminate him, his disciples, and his ideas. Without warning, their homes were raided. Skullcaps, turbans and prayer beads were shown as offensive weapons. Bediüzzaman and his disciples were sent from one prison to another on a cold winter day in Afyon prison. The temperature was -15 degrees outside. Bediüzzaman was thrown into solitary confinement.
His cell with a broken window had no heater. The cold was biting. He was given only two blankets to warm himself. He wrapped them around himself to get warm. The jailer brought his food. After eating, he was inflicted with a fever. His hands began to tremble. His lips cracked because of the fever. His body started to turn black. He was poisoned. He lay down while the poison spread all over his body alone. Waiting for death. After some time, two of his disciples found an opportunity to visit him. He was saying to himself, If I die, my friends must not avenge me. After saying this, he shouted, “Brother, they won't be able to kill me.” By the grace of Allah, he pulled through the poisoning.
This is just one of the incidents he lived through in prison. He spent his life in prison while he was innocent. But he never he never thought about quitting. He turned every prison into Madrasa-e-Yusufiyya As Prophet Yusuf (AS) did, He turned prisons into institutions of knowledge and faith. While everybody was inspected for knives and guns. He was searched for paper and pencils. He used cigaret papers from the prisoners to keep writing his works. He transformed murderers into people full of compassion and affection. They tried to poison him more than 19 times. But by the grace of Allah, he survived them all. He grew weary because of assassination and intimidation attempts.
He suffered a lot. But no matter how much he suffered, he never stopped to think about his condition. He woke up every night to pray for the well-being of the ummah until morning. He said to those who wanted to dissuade him from dawah. “If I had as many heads as that count of my hair and if one of them was cut every day, I still wouldn't bow my head to disbelievers to disbelievers and unfaithful. I wouldn't even think about quitting this service to faith and light. He wrote hundreds of treatises on faith. To solve the most fundamental problems in society, He prepared, works as effectively as medicine.
He treated children, young people, patients, elderly with his work as a doctor treats with medicine. He inspired people's hearts with Qur’an and wrote another book, which became an adamant adversary of atheism. A treatise of nature. With this treatise, he ripped the backbone of atheism in half. He proved the existence of Allah with such evidence. The philosophy of atheism could not even produce one argument against it. He challenged those who tried to intimidate him, to turn him away from his path and his dawah, who exiled him from one place to another and who tortured him by poisoning him numerous times. "With the power of the Qur'an, I challenge you all who take the side of the Europeans.
I tore your strongholds, what you call positive and natural sciences, into pieces with my publications, lights of the faith. I made their greatest disbelieving philosophers fall down below the level of animals. Even if all of Europe came together, with the help of Allah, they won't disprove even one of the points I made. Inshallah, they cannot defeat me." There were many scholars who lived for the dawah of Allah. They served people and left this world. Bediüzzaman was one of the most significant scholars in the history of Islam. Even Turkiye’s national pride poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy said: Victor Hugo Shakespeare and Decartes can only learn from Bediüzzaman. They can only be his disciples.
This alone shows how great a scholar he was in the last years of his life. Bediüzzaman gave an interview to Astrophage. He spoke these heartbreaking words. "There is a huge fire in front of me. Its flames rise to the skies. My son is burning inside. My faith is burning inside. I rush to put out that fire to save my faith. Someone tries to stop me on my way, and my foot hits him. Does it matter? Does this incident have any significance in the face of that huge fire? Narrow minds, narrow thoughts! In eighty-something years of my life, I haven't known anything about worldly pleasures. All my life has passed in the fields of war, in prisons, in exile, or in the courts of my country.
I have suffered every pain and experienced every torment. I have been treated like a butcher in the military courts. I have been exiled from my homeland like a vagrant. I have been imprisoned in solitary confinement for months in my homeland. I have been poisoned many times. I've been subjected to all kinds of insults. There was a time, I would choose death over life thousands of times. If my religion had not prevented me from committing suicide, perhaps Said would have rotted in the grave today." Maybe most of us have heard the name, Bediüzzaman Said Nursi. But didn't completely understand how he struggled or what he tried to teach us. He spent all his life for the dawah of faith.
For the ummah, for us. Everyone has a story in this world. And everybody will only leave one signature. So what about your story or my story? Maybe you thought while listening to me. He was a great scholar. Maybe you criticized yourself thinking what am I doing for the dawah of Islam? The message of this man who sacrificed 82 years of his life for this dawah. Maybe hidden in this same. If you want to know your worth in the eyes of Allah. Take a look at what he keeps you busy with.
He was poisoned 19 times, but by the grace of Allah, he survived all those attempts on his life. “I will stand up against those who attacked the Qur’an and proved to the whole world that the Qur’an is a light so bright, it cannot be concealed or extinguished.” He was an admirer of the Prophet. Peace be upon him. Bediüzzaman Said Nursi! Said Nursi was born in Bitlis, Hizan in 1878. He started his pursuit of knowledge at the age of nine. He had an extremely bright mind and an extraordinary memory.
In fact, he completed his classical madrasah education in three months, which normally took 15 years, Owing to his level of knowledge at the age of 14 to 15 and his ability to memorize entire books after reading them once. His teachers called him Bediüzzaman meaning, “ wonder of the era, unrivalled.” One day when he was young, he had a compelling dream that would shape his life. He was standing next to a great mountain, Mt. Mount Ararat. Suddenly, the mount exploded horribly. And large chunks of earth spread all over the world.
When he was in a terrified, frightened state, a great person came to him and spoke to him commandingly: “Explain and tell about the miraculousness of the Qur’an.” In other words, go spread the word about how miraculous Qur’an is. After hearing this, he woke up excited and he understood that there would be an ideological transformation in the world to attack Qur’an. Shortly after he had this dream. The meaning of his dream was confirmed. He saw a piece in a newspaper. The Minister of the Colonies of Britain held the Holy Qur’an in his hand and said, As long as Muslims hold this Qur’an in their hands, we can't rule over them.
We should remove Qur’an from their hands or alienate Muslims from the Qur’an. This article had an indescribable effect on Bediüzzaman. It was like a fire blazing in the middle of his chest, burning with nothing but the love of Allah and faith. After that point, he thought about what could happen in the Muslim world. He got worried, but with his worries, his enthusiasm grew bigger. At that moment, he got up and promised to devote his life. “I'll prove to the whole world that the Qur’an is a light. So bright it cannot be concealed or extinguished.” Bediüzzaman established a madrasah. It was a little different from others of its age. He taught science and religion together in compliance.
He realized the need to use reason and persuasion and combine natural science with Islamic knowledge. And he had a dream to establish a university where the same method would be implemented. Even the name of the university was ready. Madrasah al-Zahra. He decided to travel to Istanbul to accomplish his dream. And he embarked on a journey that would take him to different places. He rented a room in an Inn in Fatih, and started a controversial practice that nobody could think of. He hung a sign on the door of his room. Here, every question is answered and no question will be asked. He met with the prominent scholars of Istanbul and answered all their questions.
He drew attention by answering all questions correctly and with his particular personality and attire. In the heart of Istanbul, the center of knowledge at the time, young Said gathered everyone's attention with his self-confidence. Not everybody was friendly towards him. Some were troubled by his confidence. He was subjected to insults and slanders. And dragged his name to numerous machinations. After all, Bediüzzaman was sent to a mental hospital. The doctor who examined Bediüzzaman prepared his report, stating his admiration for his intelligence. Such is the occurrence of intelligence. It is rare in the world. Nobody is sane... if even a fraction of madness exists in this man.
Said Nursi was released from the hospital. After this, he sped up his efforts to establish a university. Because of the effect of the dream he saw and his ability to foresee situations, He knew what could happen. The intellectuals struggle in the fields of science and philosophy would begin, And there would be attacks on the Qur’an with many ideologies such as atheism. That is why he focused on strengthening people's faith as much as possible. When he returned to the eastern part of Turkiye, he lectured in one of the madrasahs in Van, known as ''Horhor'' for six months. He even laid the foundations of the university, his biggest project yet.
While everything was going according to plan, Said Nursi saw something was wrong and started to provide military training to his students in addition to their education. Because the end of an era was drawing close. The time had come and perhaps the greatest event in the history of the world started when, in the year 1914, the First World War began. The Ottoman Empire went to war with many countries, including Russia. As soon as the war started, Said Nursi took up arms to protect his religion, country and flag. He formed a volunteer regiment on the Eastern front with his students. The fighting started against the Russians. With the soldier students he commanded.
He fought for months for his homeland and achived many victories. While fighting the enemy in the front on horseback, he didn't neglect his duties in pursuit of knowledge. He started writing his tafsir of the Qur'an on the front. The work "Signs of Miraculousness", a Qur'an tafsir, one of his most prominent works, was written during the war. In other words, he defended his homeland physically and intellectually. For two years, he fought hundreds of battles and defended the country. In one of these conflicts, he saw Armenian children gathered in an area. Someone said. “They have taken our children captive. Let us take their children, too.” They wanted to take children as prisoners.
Bediüzzaman released those children in accordance with the doctrine of Islam. When the Armenian commander saw the children return to their families, he said, “Since Bediüzzaman did not harm our children. We will not harm the children of Muslims from this point on.” Thus, Bediüzzaman saved the lives of thousands of innocent Muslims. Hundreds of conflicts occurred and many of Bediüzzaman’s students became martyrs. After many victories, he was captured by the Russians in 1916, far from his homeland in a Russian prison camp. He was in a situation where it seemed like the end. But for those who believe in God, there is no such thing as despair. In that prison camp.
A remarkable incident happened one day. Russian Commander-in-Chief Nikola Nikolavich, came to the camp and started to walk among the prisoners. As everyone slowly stood up, Said Nursi didn’t move. The commander deliberately passed by again, but he didn't stand up. The commander passed by a third time, and the same happened. He became furious and asked why he didn't stand up. Bediüzzaman looked at his face and said, “I am a muslim scholar and my heart is full of faith. A person who has faith is far greater than one who doesn’t. If I stood up for you, I would disrespect my faith. That's why I didn't stand up.” The Russian commander became furious listening to these words.
Immediately a court was set up and Said Nursi was sentenced to death. Bediüzzaman’s friends told him to apologize. Otherwise he would be executed. But he said, “I have done what is right by my faith. Besides, I need a passport to travel to the eternal realm to meet the messenger of Allah. Peace be upon him. He is going to provide it” and went to the place where he would be executed without any hesitation. Bediüzzaman asked for permission for his last wish. He performed ablution and prayed two rak’at of prayer. He proceeded to the place where he would be executed. The soldiers were ready with their rifles in their hands. He was moments away from execution.
Soldiers were waiting for the order, but he only dreamed of meeting his Lord and the messenger of Allah (pbuh). While the soldiers were waiting for the order to fire. The Russian commander watched of the whole scene. He realized Said Nursi’s sincerity in his eyes and attitude. He stopped the execution. Because he understood that Said Nursi didn't stand up because of his faith and not to insult him. During his captivity. He never stopped his studies. He continued lecturing many people while he was a prisoner in Russia, for two and a half years. He always dreamt of the university he wanted to build. Madrasha Al-Zahra. After a while, he escaped from captivity.
He reached Istanbul in 1918, through Siberia, Warsaw and Sofia. His escape from Russia to Istanbul was received with such great joy and enthusiasm that both scholars and people from the palace showed great affection and sympathy. He received a medal of Honor for his great achievements in the war. He was offered membership in the Darul Hikmah al Islamiyya, the Academy of Islam of that era. Among its members were notable intellectuals, such as, Mehmet Akif Ersoy. He accepted the offer as he saw it as an opportunity to serve the people. And because his friends urged him to, since he was weary after his escape and the war. After a short time, Istanbul was occupied by the British.
There was lots of misinformation and misperception about the occupation. Said Nursi tried to wake up the public against the occupation with a book he published. At the same time, a fight for independence began in Anatolia. The sheikh al-Islam of the ERA described this movement in Anatolia as a rebellion. Say Mursi issued his own fatwa opposing fatwa of the Sheikh al-Islam. He said: “A fatwa issued under occupation is invalid and supported the fight for independence in Anatolia. The British ordered his execution on sight for his activities against their occupation. But they failed. After these developments, Said Nursi was invited to the Parliament in Ankara.
He arrived in Ankara in 1922, Bediüzzaman was welcomed with an official ceremony in the parliament. He was offered membership in the Parliament, other offices and salaries. But he didn't accept them. He asked for support for his dream. The university. He went to Van to carry his plans into action. He noticed an anti-religion movement was spreading from communist Russia. He needed to act swiftly to establish his university. He intended to raise a generation of Muslims with strong faith and belief against those who wished to harm Islam. However, the political climate of that era and the hidden enemies of Islam hindered his plans in order to stop Said Nursi. He was exiled to Isparta.
No matter what happened. He had no intention of stopping his lectures wherever he went. He lectured about the facts on Allah, Islam and faith. He tried to raise awareness around him and to tell people about Allah. Even though he was in exile. Enemies of Islam also continued their plans in private to drive people as especially young people away from Islam. They put their plans into action to weaken Islam's fundamentals and to spread atheism and communism. One of the known opponents of Islam of the time, Abdullah Cevdet, said that believing in Allah was naive and this belief led people to an incurable irrationality.
He openly denied the afterlife and began to spread his notions to poison people's minds. Books were distributed to indoctrinate children and young people in schools with that idea. There were studies about atheism everywhere as the horrific developments took place in the country. Said Nursi, lived a life of exile. One day while he was walking along the shore of Egirdir Lake, he remembered a verse and started reciting. “So, look to the effects of Allah’s mercy. How he gives life to the earth after its death. Surely that Allah can raise the dead. And he has the power to do everything.
After reading this verse, Bediüzzaman turned to his disciple and said, “Withering and dying with the coming of winter, every plant is resurrected again. Are these not the signs of the resurrection of the man after he was buried in his grave? Then write my brother.” His disciples started writing The treatise "Resurrection and the Hereafter" was ready in a short time. In this treatise, the existence of the hereafter is proved with reason and logical evidence, and the booklet was distributed everywhere. Those who saw this work were baffled. Especially the enemies of Islam didn't know what to do. Because they couldn't disprove any of the evidence. Said Nursi offered.
This time their opponent was not somebody who only knew Islamic knowledge. They were against a scholar of Islam who also knew philosophy, astronomy, physics and many other sciences and their continuous tradition from antiquity. Abdullah Cevdet expressed his desperation for those who awaited a response to the booklet with these words: Said Nursi led me through the streets of the hereafter with his works. How can I deny the streets I have walked in? During his stay in Isparta, Barla, for eight and a half years, he overcame numerous difficulties with his disciples and prepared several works. His only purpose was to ensure the safety of Islam and Muslims.
Foes of Islam could not tolerate all of these works that spread faith and truth about Islam and monitored every move of Bediüzzaman. He was exiled from one place to another and kept in custody for a long time. They didn't let anybody visit him. Yet these works were prepared nonetheless. There was one thing left to do. Eliminate him, his disciples, and his ideas. Without warning, their homes were raided. Skullcaps, turbans and prayer beads were shown as offensive weapons. Bediüzzaman and his disciples were sent from one prison to another on a cold winter day in Afyon prison. The temperature was -15 degrees outside. Bediüzzaman was thrown into solitary confinement.
His cell with a broken window had no heater. The cold was biting. He was given only two blankets to warm himself. He wrapped them around himself to get warm. The jailer brought his food. After eating, he was inflicted with a fever. His hands began to tremble. His lips cracked because of the fever. His body started to turn black. He was poisoned. He lay down while the poison spread all over his body alone. Waiting for death. After some time, two of his disciples found an opportunity to visit him. He was saying to himself, If I die, my friends must not avenge me. After saying this, he shouted, “Brother, they won't be able to kill me.” By the grace of Allah, he pulled through the poisoning.
This is just one of the incidents he lived through in prison. He spent his life in prison while he was innocent. But he never he never thought about quitting. He turned every prison into Madrasa-e-Yusufiyya As Prophet Yusuf (AS) did, He turned prisons into institutions of knowledge and faith. While everybody was inspected for knives and guns. He was searched for paper and pencils. He used cigaret papers from the prisoners to keep writing his works. He transformed murderers into people full of compassion and affection. They tried to poison him more than 19 times. But by the grace of Allah, he survived them all. He grew weary because of assassination and intimidation attempts.
He suffered a lot. But no matter how much he suffered, he never stopped to think about his condition. He woke up every night to pray for the well-being of the ummah until morning. He said to those who wanted to dissuade him from dawah. “If I had as many heads as that count of my hair and if one of them was cut every day, I still wouldn't bow my head to disbelievers to disbelievers and unfaithful. I wouldn't even think about quitting this service to faith and light. He wrote hundreds of treatises on faith. To solve the most fundamental problems in society, He prepared, works as effectively as medicine.
He treated children, young people, patients, elderly with his work as a doctor treats with medicine. He inspired people's hearts with Qur’an and wrote another book, which became an adamant adversary of atheism. A treatise of nature. With this treatise, he ripped the backbone of atheism in half. He proved the existence of Allah with such evidence. The philosophy of atheism could not even produce one argument against it. He challenged those who tried to intimidate him, to turn him away from his path and his dawah, who exiled him from one place to another and who tortured him by poisoning him numerous times. "With the power of the Qur'an, I challenge you all who take the side of the Europeans.
I tore your strongholds, what you call positive and natural sciences, into pieces with my publications, lights of the faith. I made their greatest disbelieving philosophers fall down below the level of animals. Even if all of Europe came together, with the help of Allah, they won't disprove even one of the points I made. Inshallah, they cannot defeat me." There were many scholars who lived for the dawah of Allah. They served people and left this world. Bediüzzaman was one of the most significant scholars in the history of Islam. Even Turkiye’s national pride poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy said: Victor Hugo Shakespeare and Decartes can only learn from Bediüzzaman. They can only be his disciples.
This alone shows how great a scholar he was in the last years of his life. Bediüzzaman gave an interview to Astrophage. He spoke these heartbreaking words. "There is a huge fire in front of me. Its flames rise to the skies. My son is burning inside. My faith is burning inside. I rush to put out that fire to save my faith. Someone tries to stop me on my way, and my foot hits him. Does it matter? Does this incident have any significance in the face of that huge fire? Narrow minds, narrow thoughts! In eighty-something years of my life, I haven't known anything about worldly pleasures. All my life has passed in the fields of war, in prisons, in exile, or in the courts of my country.
I have suffered every pain and experienced every torment. I have been treated like a butcher in the military courts. I have been exiled from my homeland like a vagrant. I have been imprisoned in solitary confinement for months in my homeland. I have been poisoned many times. I've been subjected to all kinds of insults. There was a time, I would choose death over life thousands of times. If my religion had not prevented me from committing suicide, perhaps Said would have rotted in the grave today." Maybe most of us have heard the name, Bediüzzaman Said Nursi. But didn't completely understand how he struggled or what he tried to teach us. He spent all his life for the dawah of faith.
For the ummah, for us. Everyone has a story in this world. And everybody will only leave one signature. So what about your story or my story? Maybe you thought while listening to me. He was a great scholar. Maybe you criticized yourself thinking what am I doing for the dawah of Islam? The message of this man who sacrificed 82 years of his life for this dawah. Maybe hidden in this same. If you want to know your worth in the eyes of Allah. Take a look at what he keeps you busy with.