Also, in the district of Hizan, our district, through the influence of Shaykh Abdurrahman Taği, [^27] known as Seyda, so many students, teachers, and scholars emerged I was sure all Kurdistan took pride in them and their scholarly debates and wide knowledge and Sufi way. These were the people who would conquer the face of the earth! When I was nine or ten years old I used to listen when they talked about famous ulema, saints, learned men, and spiritual masters. I used to think to myself that those students and scholars must have made great conquests in religion to speak in that way. Also, if one of them was a little more intelligent than the others, he was made much of. And when one won an argument or debate, he would be held in great esteem. I used to wonder at it because I felt the same way. Indeed, in our district and province there were such astonishing contests among the Sufi shaykhs and their circles as I never saw in other regions.

[^27]:Shaykh 'Abd al-Raḥmān Ṭāghī (d. 1304/1887), a leading Khālidī/Naqshbandī shaykh in south-eastern Anatolia. [Tr.]

Now, in consequence of an admonition I am completely certain that those student friends of mine, those teachers who were like masters, those guides of mine, and those saints and shaykhs perceived with their spirits through a premonition without their minds realizing, that at a critical time a brilliant light would appear among those students and those teachers' pupils and those guides' followers and come to the aid of the believers. Now, despite the extremely severe and testing conditions, confronted with innumerable opponents and encompassed by the plots of suspicious and vindictive enemies, this extraordinary victory of the Risale-i Nur in the lengthy investigations of two gruelling court cases, and its spreading lights concealed from view, and winning its freedom in spite of its enemies shows that it is worthy of that position. For just as Imam 'Ali (May God be pleased with him) and the Gawth al-A'zam (May his spirit be sanctified) foretold it; so did they perceive, like my village, district, province and I myself unwittingly perceived, that it would appear and they rejoiced in it. [^28]

[^28]:Yes, the extraordinary independence of the Risale-i Nur's interpreter, and his never accepting gifts or charity or ever condescending to bow to anyone in order to preserve the dignity of learning, and his undertaking works far exceeding his station despite his coming from a poor, ordinary family with no claim to fame, all arose from the above matter. [Author]

I have told you of this private matter because I hold you to be Abdülmecids and Abdurrahmans, my old students and friends, my brother and nephew.

It means that forty-four years ago I myself and my village and district perceived through a premonition the coming of the Risale-i Nur's rain of