secure what is beneficial to the country and maintain internal order and security. This partisanship could even therefore allow the seeds of revolution to become established. So too the resulting weakness prepares the ground for foreign intervention. With its meaning, "No one is responsible for the mistakes of another. Even if it is his brother, or tribe, or group, or party, one cannot be considered guilty because of another's crime. Even if he gives it his moral support, he will only be answerable in the hereafter, not in this world", the above-mentioned Qur'anic principle prevents extreme partisanship. It should be taken as the rule of conduct along with other "basic principles", such as "Indeed, the believers are brothers" (Qur'an, 49: 10), and, "Hold firm to God's rope, all together, and be not divided among yourselves" (Qur'an, 3:103).

Bediuzzaman also examined this same question in connection with "the accusation of [political] reaction", which ever since the 31st March Incident in 1909 had been a favourite means of attacking religion by "those who make politics the tool of irreligion." It was continually used against Menderes and the Democrats throughout their ten years in power, by the RPP and İnönü in particular. It will be recalled how an outcry of "reaction" was raised against Bediuzzaman and his students by the RPP in 1934 before the Eskişehir trials. The newspapers were the usual means of these campaigns being carried out. In connection with the matter in question, Bediuzzaman points out that the truth had been turned on its head, for those who attack religion in the name of civilization by making accusations of political reaction are in reality the reactionaries. Because, for example, the 'human' principle which allows individuals to be sacrificed for the good of society, permits minor wrongs when it comes to the good of the state, and has led to whole villages being wiped out on account of one criminal, and so on. And in the First World War, thirty million unfortunates perished on account of the criminal political mistakes of three thousand. Those who supported a barbaric principle which thus destroys the well-being, justice, and peace of mankind are retrogressing to a barbarism of former times. Yet, these true reactionaries pose as patriots and accuse of political reaction those who work to secure unity and brotherhood through Qur'anic principles such as those mentioned above, which are the means to true justice and progress. [^85]

[^85]:Nursi, Emirdağ Lahikası, ii, 81-3.

Another "fundamental Islamic law" which Bediuzzaman advised Menderes and the Democrats to adopt was taken from the Hadith, "A nation's