glorified", and are followed by the verse: "And there is nothing but glorifies Him with praise." [^61]
[^61]:Bediuzzaman explained his reason for heading his letters with this verse as follows: "This was the first door opened to me from the sacred treasuries of the All-Wise Qur'an. Of the Divine truths of the Qur'an, it was first the truth of this verse that became clear to me and it is this truth which pervades most parts of the Risale-i Nur. Another reason is that the masters in whom I have confidence used it at the head of their letters." See, Şahiner, Said Nursi, 285, and, Nursi, Barla Lahikası, 179.
My Dear Brothers !
I am now on a high peak on Pine Mountain, at the top of a mighty pine tree in a tree-house. In lonely solitude far from men, I have grown accustomed to this isolation. When I wish for conversation with men, I imagine you to be here with me, and I talk with you and find consolation. If there is nothing to prevent it, I would like to remain alone here for one or two months. If I return to Barla, I shall search for an opportunity for the verbal conversation with you I so long for, if you would like it. For now I am writing two or three things which come to mind here in this pine tree.
The First: This is somewhat confidential, but no secrets are concealed from you. It is thus:
Some of the people of truth manifest the the Divine Name of Loving One, and with that manifestation at a maximum degree look to the Necessarily Existent One through the windows of beings. In the same way, but just when he is employed in service of the Qur'an and is the herald of its infinite treasuries, this brother of yours who is nothing, but nothing, has been given a state that is the means to manifesting the Divine Names of All-Compassionate and All-Wise. God willing, The Words manifest the meaning of the verse: "He who has been given wisdom, has been given great good" (Qur'an, 2:269).
The Second: This saying about the Naqshbandi tarikat suddenly occurred to me: "On the Naqshbandi way one must abandon four things: the world, the hereafter, existence, and abandoning itself." It brought following to mind:
On the way of impotence four things are necessary: absolute poverty, absolute impotence, absolute thanks, and absolute ardour, my friend. [^62]
[^62]:Nursi, Mektûbat, 27 (Eng. tr.: Letters, 37-8).
Another example is Bediuzzaman's famous Gurbet letter. There is no direct equivalent for the word gurbet in English; it denotes the idea of being away from home, exile, and strangeness, and has long been a theme in the literatures of the Islamic lands. After starting in his customary way, he writes: