THE FLASHES

The Twenty-Sixth Flash

A second example: A man whom I did not know, and whom I still do not know to this day, had placed his horse at my disposal so that I might go out for rides. During the summer, I rode in his carriage for an hour or two almost every day, to take the air and find some relief from my ailments.

I had promised to give the owner of the horse and carriage books worth fifty lira, so as not to violate my principle of accepting nothing from anyone without giving something of equivalent value in return, and thus to remain under no obligation to anyone.

Was there even the slightest fault or impropriety in this?

Yet the governor, the judicial authorities, the gendarmerie, and the police asked us no fewer than fifty times, “Whose horse is that?”—as though it were some momentous political affair or a matter affecting public order!

Eventually, merely to put an end to these pointless interrogations, two men, moved by a sense of honour, came forward. One said, “The horse is mine,” and the other, “The carriage is mine.” They too were arrested along with me.

Through such incidents, we witnessed, laughing and weeping at the same time, as though watching children at play, how those who opposed the Risale-i Nur and its students were making themselves ridiculous.

One amusing exchange among these incidents was the following:

Before I had seen my arrest warrant, which gave “disturbing public security” as the reason for my arrest, I said to the public prosecutor:

“Last night, I slandered you. For I said to a police officer who was questioning me on behalf of the chief of police: ‘If I have not rendered greater service to the public security of this country than a thousand public prosecutors and a thousand chiefs of police—I repeat it three times—then may Allah condemn me!’”

Later, under those circumstances, in that bitter cold, when I was most in need of rest, warmth, and freedom from worldly concerns, I was subjected so deliberately and maliciously to exile, isolation, arrest, and pressure that intense indignation and anger arose within me towards those responsible.

Then Divine assistance came to my aid, and the following was inspired in my heart:

“In the injustice that people inflict upon you, there is a considerable share belonging to Divine decree, which is pure justice.

Within this prison lies the sustenance allotted to you, and that sustenance has summoned you here. Your response to this share should be contentment and submission.

Divine wisdom and mercy also have a considerable share in this matter that you may enlighten the people of this prison, bring them consolation, and earn sawāb. For this share, you should show patience and offer a thousand thanks.

Your own nafs, too, has a share, on account of its faults and shortcomings of which you yourself are unaware. For this share, you must repent, seek forgiveness, and say to your nafs, ‘You deserved this blow.’

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