By reason of this fact, and also because egotism prevails at the present time, I cannot accredit myself with their good opinions, which far exceed my due. I anyway do not have a good opinion of myself as my brothers do. Also, if the station pertaining to the hereafter that my brothers ascribe to this wretched brother of theirs had truly been a high station of piety; and if, according to the rule at the end of the Second Letter, I had ascribed the spiritual gift of those perfections they attributed to my person, to myself, it would have proved that I was not as such; and if I do not recognise myself as such, I should not accept that gift of theirs. Moreover, egotism might interfere if one looked on oneself as having attained to some high spiritual station.

There is one more thing: it may be said that if, from the worldly point of view, the person charged with disseminating the truths of belief were to attain to some station, it would be more effective. There are two obstacles to this:

The First: Even if the person has the rank of sainthood (velâyet), to knowingly and covetously seek high stations is contrary to the sincerity and self-abnegation which is intrinsic to sainthood. He cannot display or claim such things like the Companions, who were the heirs of prophethood, and may not be compared with them.

The Second Obstacle: The station may be refuted in many respects, and if its holder is a transitory, insignificant, ephemeral, and faulty person, it would be harmful for the Risale-i Nur and for the conquests of the truths of belief. There is this point, though: it prompts thanks, for my enemies among the politicians did not know these facts, and thinking me to be the proud and self-esteeming Old Said, they have continually busied themselves with insulting and belittling my person rather than the Risale-i Nur. They have also turned some bigoted, egotistical hojas against me as though trying to extinguish the Risale-i Nur, but they have merely assisted in making it shine even brighter. Its lights are illuminated by the sun of the Qur'an, not by my inferior person. ∗∗∗

► (171) ◄

İbrahim Edhem, the hoja of the village of Alamescid, has written in his sincere letter that six innocent young children who have benefited thoroughly from his lessons and entered the fold of the Risale-i Nur, on their own initiative and not telling their teacher, wrote six notes with their own pens expressing their wish to hand over to this elderly, ill Said a part of each of their lives, which was indeed an astonishing and laudable event