In regard to the decline in moral standards, Bediuzzaman urged his students to adopt the Qur'anic concept of taqwa, fear of God or piety, as the basis of their actions in the face of the corruption and destruction of that time. In a letter marked "extremely important", he defined it as "avoiding sins and what is forbidden," while good works was "acting within the sphere of the obligatory good works", and said that in those severe conditions a few good deeds became like many; those who fulfilled their obligations and did not commit serious sins would be saved. The Risale-i Nur was a "repairer" resisting the destruction. "With the shaking of the ramparts of the Qur'an,... a dark anarchy and irreligion more fearsome than Gog and Magog have begun to corrupt morality and life." Righteous action even to a small degree on the part of the Risale-i Nur Students would have extremely positive results. Bediuzzaman concluded this letter by telling them that their greatest strength lay in each strengthening each other's taqwa:

After sincerity, our greatest strength at such a time in the face of these fearsome events is, in accordance with the principle of 'sharing the works of the hereafter', for each of us to write good deeds into 'the righteous-act books' of the others with our pens, and with our tongues, to send reinforcements and assistance to the 'forts' of the others' taqwa. [^184]

[^184]:Ibid., 106-7.

#### Sincerity and the Collective Personality of the Students of the Risale-i Nu

Sincerity and the Collective Personality

of the Students of the Risale-i Nur

As mentioned in the above letter, Bediuzzaman considered their greatest strength to be sincerity. In another letter he described the way of the Risale-i Nur as being "based on the mystery of sincerity." [^185] While still in Barla and Isparta, he had explained this principle in detail in two treatises, the Twentieth and Twenty-First Flashes, and the points he makes in the Kastamonu letters are by way of reminders. Just as the acquisition of sincerity was essential so that they could form a 'collective personality', so was it necessary in order to prevent the enemies of religion taking advantage of differences among the followers of different paths and ways.

[^185]:Ibid., 186.

Since our way is based on the mystery of sincerity and is the truths of belief, we are compelled by our way not to get involved in worldly and social life unless forced to, and to avoid situations which lead to rivalry, partisanship, and dispute. It is to be regretted a thousand times over that