wherever they are found. And they are not unknown like the Nur students. In this way they have opened numerous branches in their general centres, including Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Sudan, the Maghrib, and Baghdad.

Fifth Difference: There are numerous different levels among the Nur students, from seven or eight-year-old children who are learning the Arabic alphabet in mosques to learn the Qur'an, to elderly men and women of seventy to ninety years old; and from villagers and porters to prominent members of the National Assembly; and from private soldiers to high-ranking officers. The sole aim of all these many levels of Nur students is to become illuminated by the guidance of the Noble Qur'an and truths of belief. All their endeavour is to spread knowledge, learning and the truths of belief. They are known for not being involved with anything else. The fearsome trials these last twenty-eight years and their cunning and jealous opponents have been unable to discover any aim apart from this sacred service, and have therefore been unable to convict them and rout them. The Nur students do not feel themselves compelled to search for customers and sup- porters; they say: "Our duty is to serve. We do not seek customers; let them come and seek us out and find us." They attach no importance to quantity. They prefer one person who is truly sincere, to a hundred others.

For sure, like the Nur students, the Muslim Brothers encourage and urge others to adhere to the sciences and learning of Islam and the truths of belief, but due to their situations and countries and their involvement with politics, they attach importance to quantity and increasing their numbers, and they seek supporters.

Sixth Difference: Just as true, sincere Nur students attach no importance to material benefits, so some of them, with their maximum frugality and contentment and poverty, and fortitude and independence, they abstain in some respects with true sincerity and devotion in serving the Qur'an from the advantages of society. This is so that they will not be defeated in the face of the numerous, violent people of misguidance, nor give rise to doubts when calling the needy to the truth and to sincerity, nor make that sacred service the tool of anything other than divine pleasure.

Although essentially the Muslim Brothers follow the same aim, due to place and circumstances and other causes, they cannot give up the world like the Nur students. They do not consider themselves obliged to make that supreme self-sacrifice.

'Isa 'Abd al-Qadir ∗∗∗