Education would protect the Nur students. But while awaiting their help, the passage at the end of the printed Guide for Youth which says: "Now there is government permission, Nur students should open Nur study centres as far as they can," led to this new assault, and with it our covert enemies tried to turn the Education Ministry against us.

Uptil the present those enemies of ours have many times wanted to wreck us with their strategems and the judiciary, but they have been unsuccessful and their plans have misfired. Then they tried to incite the bigoted, egotistical hojas in high positions against us, and again they failed, Now, by using the Education Ministry against us, on whose assistance I had most relied, they are trying to get certain officials in this government to accuse the unfortunate, innocent Nur students of belonging to Sufi orders and political societies, concerning which we have been acquitted by three courts, and to deprive them and myself of studying the Risale-i Nur. The Education Ministry's catching fire at exactly the same time as my pitiful interrogation for four and a half hours, and there being no means of extinguishing the fire and its being completely burnt down does not resemble a coincidence; it seems to be more a mark of anger.

At the end of my statement and at the same time, I said: "Don't prevent me in my loneliness and exile from studying my books; it'll be a shame both for me, and for this country. [^104] Perhaps the earth will again shake with an earthquake and anger." Three minutes later an earthquake occurred that lasted three seconds. Then at the same time I repeated that passage in court, the earth attacked the Education Ministry with fire, and as has been proved four times in court, numerous times, whether night or day, earthquakes have happened simultaneously with assaults on the Risale-i Nur and its students, which surely could be no coincidence. This means that since the Risale-i Nur is a weighty foundation stone of this country and nation's order and security, with such occurrences and blows, its truths turn the nation's attention to itself, which is a true, veracious, and powerful commentary on the Qur'an, and urging the nation towards itself, it deals compassionate slaps at its opponents.

[^104]:Indeed, it was a shame. [Author]

It is now established that just as almsgiving repulses calamities, so the Risale-i Nur is a means of repulsing disasters. The calamity of the fire occurring just when the Risale-i Nur was being attacked proves that the Risale-i Nur is a means of repulsing disasters. ∗∗∗