Prison and first convicted and sentenced to one and a half years, much to Bediuzzaman's wrath, [^36] but the Appeal Court subsequently reversed the decision, and on the court reconvening, was acquitted. [^37]

[^36]:Mehmet Fırıncı, in Son Şahitler, iii, 234.

[^37]:For a description, see also, M. Emin Birinci, in Son Şahitler, i, 257.

Samsun public prosecutor insisted on Bediuzzaman's attending the court to answer the charges against him, so finally the seventy-five-year-old Bediuzzaman decided to make the journey. He reached Istanbul, but here was taken ill and obtaining further medical reports requested to be permitted to give his defence in Istanbul Criminal Court. Once again the case resulted in acquittal. However, it served as a cause to bring him to Istanbul a second time, and on this occasion he stayed three months.

#### The Pakistan Deputy Education Minister's Visit

The Pakistan Deputy Education Minister's Visit

Before describing Bediuzzaman's stay in Istanbul, there are one or two events which occurred previously and should not go unmentioned. One of these was the unofficial visit to Bediuzzaman of the Deputy Education Minister in the Pakistan government, Sayyid 'Ali Akbar Shah, who was on an official visit to Turkey. The visit was made at the suggestion of the Turkish Education Minister, Tevfik İleri, and occurred according to the student who accompanied him, in 1952. Bediuzzaman describes the visit in a letter congratulating those he was writing to on the occasion of the Prophet (PBUH)'s birthday, which that year fell on 28 November. [^38]

[^38]:Nursi, Emirdağ Lahikası, ii, 55.

In Salih Özcan's description of the visit, Bediuzzaman requested him to act as interpreter, since their common language was Arabic.

Bediuzzaman explained the Risale-i Nur and its method of service to his visitor, but when the discussion became more complex, Salih Özcan had difficulty in interpreting. "Whereupon", he writes, "Bediuzzaman straightened himself up onto his knees [on the bed on which he sat] and began to speak in the most eloquent Arabic. I had never heard such fluent and eloquent Arabic before."

The Deputy Minister was exceedingly pleased at the visit and expressed his appreciation when they returned to the hotel they had put up at in Emirdağ, wanting to visit Bediuzzaman again in the morning before leaving. Bediuzzaman did not consent to the second visit. However, as the bus they were to take to Ankara was about to leave, he appeared to see the minister off, and travelled in the bus some seven or eight kilometres sitting next to the minister before alighting. 'Ali Akbar Shah was most gratified at