17 Zi'l-Ka'de 1336/24 Ağustos 1334 (24 August 1918)

Şeyhü'l-İslam

Musa Kazım

The Office of the Şeyhü'l-İslam Mehmed Vahiduddin

Bediuzzaman Said Efendi, a member of the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-İslamiye, has been awarded the rank of Mahrec.

The Office of the Şeyhü'l-İslam is charged with carrying out this Imperial Decree.

18 Zi'l-Qa'de 1336/25 Ağustos 1334

Şeyhü'l-İslam

Musa Kazım [^297]

[^297]:Şahiner, Said Nursi, 185-7; S. Albayrak, Son Devrin, appendix n.p.

On his return to Istanbul, Bediuzzaman had been joined by his nephew, Abdurrahman. Born in 1903 in Nurs the son of Bediuzzaman's elder brother Molla Abdullah, he was very intelligent and able, and was described by Bediuzzaman as both student, and assistant, and friend, and amanuensis, and spiritual son. He remained with his uncle for a number of years, whose biography he wrote during this time. It is forty-five pages in length and forms the main source for his early life. It was published in Istanbul in 1919. [^298] The following is a passage from an appendix to it describing Bediuzzaman's appointment to the Darü'l-Hikmet, and something of his attitude towards it and his resulting activities,

[^298]:Şahiner, Said Nursi, 190, 194.

I have described the life of my uncle, Said-i Kurdi, the author of the Lemeât Collection, briefly in an independent work. But for the past two and a half years they have burdened him with the duty of the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-İslamiye. He used to say: "I would have given it up, but I want to render an account to the nation." And now I am writing a few words about how my uncle wanted to render an account through his duties in the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-İslamiye.

It was two years ago in 1334 (1918) that without his consent, my uncle was appointed as a member of the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-İslamiye. But because he was very shaken by his captivity, he obtained leave not to take up his duty. In fact, he tried to resign on many occasions, but his friends would not let him. So he continued, and now it is two and a half years.

From the beginning I noticed that he did not spend anything on himself over and above what was necessary. In reply to those who asked him: "Why do you live so frugally?", he would say: "I want to follow the major-