imprisonment, they are as nothing and do not have the importance of a fly's wing; indeed, they make one pleased and proud.

The self-important and famous Prince Bismarck, who a century ago was considered to be the world's most intelligent and scrupulous philosopher and imperious ruler, and although a Christian belittled all the former religions and their scriptures and was even so bold as to deny them, affirmed in writing that he had bowed before the All-Wise Qur'an and assented to it with all his strength, and he announced in the newspapers to all the world that he had renounced his obstinacy, egotism, and irreligion and surrendered to the Qur'an. Just when this was being published, the present terrible government to the north-east, which denies all the revealed religions, is sending many of its Muslim population to the Hajj to make a show before the Islamic world as though it has given up its irreligion, obduracy, and hostility, and no longer denies the Qur'an and as though it recognizes the Qur'an's importance better than the people here and is surrendering to its greatness and having recourse to it in a sort of way. They say that the authorities here are lagging behind them in this question and do not send as many people to the Hajj as they do. In the face of this, at a time our authorities are allowing complete freedom in the question of the Hajj and political propaganda of this type is being carried out, and the Nur students of the Medresetü'z-Zehrâ are publishing with their pens those vast and splendid truths of the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition with such wondrous treatises as Zülfikar and The Staff of Moses, and compelling the most obdurate atheists to affirm them — at such a time, the assaults of the people of misguidance surely cause not only the people of truth to weep, but also the spirit beings and angels, and even enrage the earth and the heavens.

Since a thousand copies of The Supreme Sign (Âyetü'l-Kübrâ) printed in the old letters and all the treatises of the Risale-i Nur have been unanimously acquitted and returned having been scrutinized for two years, to deem it a crime to duplicate in the old letters a number of treatises that have been returned and impose a sentence is a matter of serious concern for the judiciary and insults its honour.

Secondly: I do not have a personal scribe now and the other scribes do not understand my language at all well. Also I am unwell and can only write slowly and with difficulty. Since yesterday, close on twenty letters have arrived and they contain the names of very many of our brothers and sisters. So I congratulate all of them on the festival and with all my life and spirit accept those who wish to be new students. May God Almighty be pleased with both them and those who so prompted them, and may He grant them success in whatever their hearts wish for.