down a house, ten strong men who have undertaken to protect and repair it may be obliged to beseech the child’s parents, or even have recourse to the king. In the same way, the believers are in need of many divine favours in order to withstand the unmannerly people of rebellion.

In Short: If the one speaking of divine determining and the power of choice has perfect belief and is aware of the divine presence, he attributes the universe and himself to Almighty God, knowing them to be under His disposal. He has the right to speak of them. For since he knows himself and everything to be from Almighty God, he assumes the responsibility, basing it on his power of choice. He accepts that it is the source of evils and proclaims his Sustainer free of fault. He remains within the sphere of worship and undertakes the obligations with which he is charged by Almighty God. Moreover, he does not become proud at his good deeds and achievements; he rather looks to divine determining and offers thanks. He sees divine determining in the calamities that befall him, and endures them in patience.

However, if the one speaking of divine determining and the power of choice is one of the heedless and neglectful, then he has no right to speak of them. For, impelled by his misguidance, his evil-commanding soul attributes the universe to causes and divides up God’s property among them. And he attributes the ownership of himself to himself. He ascribes his acts to himself and to causes. His responsibility and faults, he refers to divine determining. He will finally ascribe the power of choice to Almighty God, and he will consider divine determining last of all; thus discussion of them becomes meaningless. To discuss them is only a trick of the soul which is entirely contrary to the wisdom in them, in order to save such a person from responsibility.

Second Topic

SECOND TOPIC

This is a minute and scholarly investigation addressing scholars in particular. [^3]

[^3]:This Second Topic is the most profound and difficult of the questions of the mystery of divine determining. It is held by the all learned scholars to be one of the most important and controversial questions of theology and belief, yet the Risale-i Nur has solved it completely.

If you ask: “How is divine determining compatible with the power of choice?”

The Answer: In seven ways:

#### The First

The First: The All-Just and Wise One, to Whose wisdom and justice the universe testifies with the tongue of order and balance, gave to man a power of choice of unknown nature which would be the means of reward and pun-