ity of Muslims. The majority can only obtain this much. I do not want to follow the extravagant minority." And after putting aside the minimum amount from his salary from the Darü'l-Hikmet, he would give me the remainder, saying: "Look after this!" But, relying on my uncle's kindness towards me and his contempt for possessions, I spent all of the money which had been left over in a year without telling him. So he said to me: "It was not licit for us to spend that money, it belonged to the nation. Why did you spend it? But since this is how the matter stands, I dismiss you from the post of Deputy for Expenditure and I appoint myself!" After this, he put aside twenty liras a month for me, and fifteen for himself. But other expenses were included in his fifteen. That is to say, ten or twelve liras used to remain over for him per month. He used to put aside any money that remained over and above this.

Some time passed and it occurred to him to have twelve of his works printed in the name of religion. He gave the money which had accumulated, about one hundred liras, to cover the expense of having the works printed. Then with the exception of only one or two small ones, he had them distributed free. I asked him why he had not had them sold, and he said to me: "It is permissible for me to take only just enough to live on out of the salary. Anything more than that is the property of the nation. In this way I am returning it.'

His service in the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l-İslamiye was all in the form of personal enterprises like that, for he perceived certain obstacles in working together with the others there. People who were acquainted with him knew that he had donned his shroud and was risking his life. It was for this reason that he resisted and stood firm as a rock in the Darü'l-Hikmeti'l- İslamiye. He would not let the foreigners' influence make the Darü'l-Hikmet a tool for itself. He held out against the wrong fatwas and opposed them. When a current harmful to Islam appeared, he used to publish a work to destroy it. [^299]

[^299]:Abdurrahman, Tarihçe-i Hayatın Zeyli, n.p.

As from this, Bediuzzaman's main service in the Darü'l-Hikmet — and indeed the greater part of his activities in this period — was countering the divisive and corrupting influence of the occupying forces, for the situation in Istanbul under occupation did not permit the Darü'l-Hikmet to fulfil its important functions properly. There were several reasons for this. On being asked on one occasion why he had nothing to do with politics during this period, he replied: "I take refuge with God from Satan and politics. Yes, Istanbul politics are like Spanish 'flu; they make a person delirious. We do not act of our own accord, but at the agency of another. Europe puffs, and we here dance." [^300] That is to say, at a time when the British were using

[^300]:Nursi, Sünûhat, 48-9.