The Seventh Case

This concerns Şamlı Hāfiz TevfikHāfiz from Damascus; one of the early students and scribes of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi in Barla, known for copying parts of the Risale-i Nur by hand and helping to circulate its treatises.. He himself says:

I confess that, unknowingly and through mistaken thinking, I received two merciful warnings because of actions that caused slackness in the service of the Qur’an. I have no doubt that these warnings came from that cause.

The First

All praise be to Allah, my Arabic handwriting had been bestowed upon me in a form that was, to some degree, suitable for writing the Qur’an. My ustad first had me write three juzOne of the thirty equal sections into which the Qur’an is divided to facilitate its recitation., and then he divided the remaining parts among my other brothers.

However, my desire to write the Qur’an weakened my eagerness for the service of drafting and fair-copying the Risale-i Nur. Moreover, I adopted a proud attitude, thinking that I would surpass my other brothers who did not know the Arabic script. Once, when my ustad gave me some instruction regarding the writing, I even said arrogantly: “This task belongs to me. I know this; I have no need of instruction.”

In accordance with this fault, I received an extraordinary warning, completely unexpected. I could not even keep up with a brother whose Arabic handwriting was the weakest, namely HusrevHüsrev Altınbaşak (1899–1977), one of the prominent students and scribes of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. He is especially known for producing a handwritten Qur’an displaying remarkable tawāfuqāt and for his important role in copying and spreading the Risale-i Nur.. We were all greatly astonished. Now we understand that this was a warning.

The Second

I confess that two of my states were harming the perfect sincerity and the service of the Qur’an performed purely for the sake of Allah. For this, I received a severe warning.

For in this land I am like a stranger, and I live in a state of poverty—may this not be taken as a complaint—partly because I did not observe the principles of frugality and contentment, which are among the most important principles of my ustad.

Moreover, because I was compelled to mix with self-centred and proud people—may Allah forgive me—I was forced, out of social courtesy, into a manner that inclined toward ostentation and flattery.

My ustad frequently warned, admonished, and reproached me, but unfortunately I could not free myself from this state. Yet this condition, which was contrary to the spirit of service to the Wise Qur’an, was used by devils from among both the jinnSpiritual beings created from smokeless fire. and mankind, and it caused a certain coldness and slackness in our service.

As a result of this fault, I received a severe—but inshāAllāhIf Allah wills”; an expression used when speaking about a future event and expressing the hope that it will occur by the will of Allah. merciful—warning. We have no doubt that this warning came because of that fault.

The warning was this: although for eight years I had been the one addressed by my ustad, as well as his drafter and fair-copier, for nearly eight months I could not benefit from the Risale-i Nur. We were astonished at this state. Both my ustad and I searched for the cause and asked: “Why is this happening?”