with prominent scholars in his youth long ago, and his answering their questions, and even to his replying correctly to their most complex questions without being asked, occurred through neither my wondrous intelligence nor my outstanding abilities. I am quite certain that my answering correctly although I was a helpless, childish, confused, noisy youth who would have been defeated by ordinary hojas or young students, let alone leading scholars, did not result from my capabilities and intelligence. I was amazed at it for seventy years. But now through divine grace I have understood one reason for it which is that a tree which would be a seed to the medrese sciences would be bestowed and that the person who served the tree would have numerous rivals and opponents. Thus, despite it being the custom among Muslims for the adherents of different ways and outlooks to criticize one another and publish opposing works, like the Sunnis and the Mu'tazilites; and at this time, the most effective and devastating opponents who would strike at that Nur tree's servant should have been the medrese hojas, endless thanks be to Almighty God that contrarily to that longstanding custom, the hojas have been unable to produce works critical of the Risale-i Nur. A reason for this is that as a youth, Said answered the ulema's questions correctly and evidently disheartened them, for nowhere have jealous hojas opposed the Risale-i Nur although by their profession they are strongly opposed to Said. I have thus formed the opinion that this is one instance of wisdom in that situation. For if it had been otherwise and in these strange times the people of the medreses had started to oppose it, it would have provided our covert enemies, the supporters of irreligion, with a powerful means of refuting both the Risale-i Nur and the ulema. Endless thanks be to Almighty God that the official ulema, whom the Risale-i Nur offends most, have been unable to oppose it.

Third Example: I am now quite certain that one instance of wisdom in Said not accepting since the childhood of the Old Said, and his not being able to accept, alms and gifts, although both he himself and his father were poor, and his not accepting presents although he was greatly in need, and his never going to collect subsistence although the custom in Kurdistan was for the students' food to be donated from the people's homes together with zakat and their expenses, and his not knowingly accepting zakat even — I am now certain that one reason for this was that I was made to feel disgust at that acceptable custom and harmless practice, and to accept extreme poverty and need, and to avoid awaiting charity from people, so that later in life a sacred task like the Risale-i Nur concerned solely with belief and hereafter should not be exploited for worldly ends or personal benefits, and true sincerity, the true strength of the Risale-i Nur, should not be impaired.