► (151) ◄ The Last Instruction Our Master Bediuzzaman Gave the Nur Students Generally Before His Death

The Last Instruction Our Master Bediuzzaman

Gave the Nur Students Generally Before His Death

My Dear Brothers !

Our duty is to act positively; it is not to act negatively. It is solely to serve the cause of belief in accordance with divine pleasure, and not interfere with God's concerns. We are charged with responding with patience and thanks to every difficulty we may meet in the positive service to belief, a consequence of which is the preservation of public order and security.

Taking myself as an example, I say: Formerly I never bowed before tyranny or humiliating treatment. Numerous events established that I could never endure to be treated in that way. For example, not rising to my feet before the commander-in-chief in Russia, and my giving no importance to the pashas' questions in the military court even when under threat of execution, as well as my attitude to four commanders, all show that I never bowed before domination, But these last thirty years, for the sake of acting positively and not acting negatively and not interfering in God's concerns, I have responded with patience and resignation to all the treatment I have received. I have met it with patience and resignation like Jarjis (Upon whom be peace) [^84] and those who suffered the extreme difficulties of the Battles of Badr and Uhud.

[^84]:St. George. An early Christian martyr who was born in Palestine and suffered excruciating torture and martyrdom for his faith.

Yes, for example, I did not even curse a public prosecutor whose eighty-one errors I had proved in court, as a result of whose false accusations the decision was taken against us. For the essential matter at this time is the jihad of the word or moral jihad (cihad-ı mânevî). It is to form a barrier against the moral and spiritual destruction, and to assist internal order and security with all our strength.

Yes, there is a power in our way, but this force is for preserving public order. According to the principle of "No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another" (Q 6:164 etc.) the brother, family, or children of a criminal cannot be held responsible for him. It is because of this that throughout my life we have endeavoured with all our strength to maintain public order. This force may not be employed internally, but only against external aggression. Our duty in accordance with the above verse, is to assist the maintenance of internal order and security with all our strength. It is for