veins of worldly life, and especially of social life, and of political life, and more than anything of partisanship in regard to the World War, which is a manifestation Divine Wrath in punishment for the vice and misguidance of civilization; this inauspicious age has injected those harmful, passing desires into the very centre of the heart, even as the diamonds of the truths of belief.

Bediuzzaman continues that this age has implanted these to such a degree that they are the cause of difference and disunity among even the religious. Some religious scholars, for example, give only secondary, or less, importance to matters of belief because of those political and social matters and love an enemy of religion who shares the same view and while nurturing enmity for followers of the Sufi path who oppose them, Thus, he himself completely disregarded current events "in the face of this fearsome danger of this age", and he urged his students not to allow the chess-games of tyrants to distract them from their sacred duty, nor let them taint their minds. [^179]

[^179]:Ibid., 80-1.

The prevailing note in many of these letters is one of encouragement, even cajoling. Bediuzzaman frequently points out the great profit and benefits that the Risale-i Nur had brought with the new and direct way it had opened up in gaining 'certain belief', and urges his students to be steadfast and unwavering in their service of it. For the Nur movement was still hardly established and the students met with considerable opposition from both the hojas and religious scholars, and from the Sufis and followers of the tarikats, who saw the movement in terms of rivalry, as well as from the enemies of religion. It is in this light that his frequently pointing out the special instances of Divine Favour associated with the Risale-i Nur should be seen. This hostility was on occasion fanned and exploited by the enemies of religion. Thus, Bediuzzaman always urged his students to act tolerantly and peaceably towards followers of other paths and to return any criticism or aggression with good will, above all not allowing political differences to cause disunity and thus aid irreligion. Religion should be adhered to as the point of unity:

Beware! Don't let worldly currents, and particularly political currents, and currents which look outside the country sow discord among you. Don't let the parties of misguidance unified before you cast you into confusion. Don't let the satanic principle of 'love for the sake of politics, enmity for the sake of politics' take the place of the principle of the Most Merciful, 'Love for God's sake; enmity for God's sake'. Don't agree to the tyranny of