Sections of the Treatise of Light that Discuss the Way of the Mahdi
The former Mahdis never assumed the title of the great Mahdi of the end times
In the letter, “Takbirat al-Hujjaj fi Arafat” written by Said Nursi, in response to the ones who asked, “Some precious followers of Lightvery persistently assume you to be the great guide of the End Times coming from the honorable descent of our Prophet (saas) and you insistently do not accept their opinion and you abstain from it. This is a contradiction. We want the matter to be clarified”, Said Nursi said, “ ….the collective personality of the blessed community, that THE MAHDI RASUL WHO WILL COME IN THE FUTURE represents, has three duties; saving the faith, reviving the signs and portents of Islam under title of the spiritual leader of Muslims and with, to some extent, the change of many provisions of the Qur’an and the laws of religion of Islam brought by Prophet Muhammad (saas), THAT PERSON tries to fulfill this great duty. Since the followers of Light see this first duty wholly in the Treatise of Light, and considering the second and third duties to be also of second and of third degree, they rightly regard the spiritual entity of the Treatise of Light as a kind of Mahdi.
Since some of them imagine [Mahdi] to be the Treatise of Light’s mere interpreter who is one of the representatives of this spiritual entity, they sometimes give him that name (the Mahdi). Even so, that the fact that some of the former holy people have figured theTreatise of Light to be that guide of the End Times in their marvels of the unseen can be understood by the examination of this.]
That means there is misunderstanding over two points, and clarification is needed.
The first: The two duties in the End Times are in reality not of the same degree as the first; but, it seems to everyone, particularly to public and politicians and according to the public opinion of this century, that the caliphate of Muhammad and unity of Islam is a thousand times more far-reaching. The truth is that a guide to happiness, a mujaddid and a kind of Mahdi, comes and has come in every century. But in terms of having fulfilled one of the three duties in one aspect, NONE HAS BORNE THE TITLE OF THE GREAT MAHDI OF THE END TIMES .
The Second: BUT THE FACT IS THAT THIS GREAT INDIVIDUAL OF THE END TIMES WILL BE FROM THE GREAT HOUSE. In fact, I am like a kind of spiritual son of Hazrat Ali (r.a). I took the lesson of truth from him. And since the Prophet Muhammad (saas) is represented in the true followers of the Light, I may also be considered as from the Ahl al-Bayt [family of the Prophet Muhammad (saas)]. But since there can be no selfishness and ego and yearning for personal rank or attaining fame and honor, in the Light, and in order not to impair the purity of the Light, even if any spiritual rank were given to me, I would be partially in accord as I find myself obliged to give it up and I would openly and completely not reject any such spiritual title.” (Rays, 14th Ray, pp. 388-389)
They imagined that a truth that would emerge only 1,400 years later was imminent in their own centuries
“The Hour has drawn nigh.” (Surat al-Qiyama: 1) That is, the Day of Judgment is near. The fact that it has not come after a thousand or this-or-that many years does not negate its closeness, because the Day of Judgment is the appointed hour of the world, and in relation to the life of the world one or two thousand years are like one or two days or even one or two minutes in relation to a year. The Hour of the Day of Judgment is not only the appointed hour of mankind that it should be related to it and seen as distant. It is because of this that the Absolutely Wise One conceals the Day of Judgment in His knowledge among the ‘Five Hidden Things.’ It is due to the mystery of this vagueness that in every age including the Age of the Bliss, the Age of the Prophet, people have been frightened of the end of the world. Some of them even said that the conditions had all but appeared.
Thus, unfair people who do not know this truth say: “Why then did the Companions of the Prophet with their vigilant hearts and keen sight, who had been taught all the details of the hereafter, SUPPOSE A FACT THAT WOULD OCCUR ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED YEARS LATER TO BE CLOSE TO THEIR CENTURY, as though their ideas had deviated a thousand years from the truth?”
The Answer: Because, through the effulgence of the Prophet’s conversation, the Companions thought of the hereafter more than anyone, and knowing the transient nature of the world and understanding the Divine wisdom in the hour of the Day of Judgment being vague, they assumed a position of always awaiting the world’s appointed hour and worked seriously for the hereafter. Allah’s Noble Messenger (saas) repeating: “Expect the Day of Judgment. Wait for it” was prophetic guidance arising from this wisdom; it was not a pronouncement of revelation concerning the specific time of its occurrence and far from the truth. The cause is one thing and the wisdom is another. Thus, sayings of the Prophet (saas) of this sort arise from the wisdom in certain things being indefinite.
It is also due to this mystery that they expected the individuals who will come at the end of time like the Mahdi and Sufyan long beforehand, and even in the time of the generation succeeding the Prophet, and hoped to live long enough to see them. Some of the saints even said that they had passed. Like the end of the world, Divine wisdom requires that the times of these individuals are not specified either because every age is in need of the Mahdi’s meaning, for he strengthens morale and saves the people from despair. Every century has to have a share of this meaning. In order that people should not heedlessly follow evil and the reins of the soul should not be left free in indifference, every century the fearsome individuals who come to lead strife must be shrunk from and feared. If they had been specified, the benefits of general guidance would have been lost. (Words, pp. 343, 344)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have three great tasks
My precious, straightforward brothers,
First of all: An important and very precious follower of the Nur asked me on behalf of many others: “Some pure and important followers of the Light insistently assume you to be the great guide of the End Times from the honorable descent of our Prophet (saas) and even though you abstain, they insist on it. You, on the other hand, insistently do not accept their suggestion and abstain from it. Surely they have a truth and evidence in their hands and you, based on a wisdom and reality, do not agree with them. You stand in contrast with them. We want the matter to be clarified.”
In response to many matters represented by this person I say: Those genuine followers of the Light have a truth. But it demands an explanation and an interpretation in two aspects.
FIRST: I have many times indicated in my letters that the spiritual entity of the holy community, that which Hazrat Mahdi (as) from the family of the Messenger (saas) represents, has three duties. If the Day of Judgment does not come to pass very soon and people do not totally turn away from the [true] path, then we hope from the Mercy of Allah that his community and sayyids [those descended from the line of the Prophet Muhammad (saas)] will perform these duties. And HE WILL HAVE THREE GREAT DUTIES :
The first: Under the influence of science and philosophy, and the spread of the materialist and naturalist epidemic into humanity, the first duty [of Hazrat Mahdi (as)] is first of all to save faith as to entirely silence philosophy and materialistic thinking.
Since preserving believers from depravity [preventing believers straying from the true path] and that this duty necessitates leaving behind the world and everything, and being occupied with research a great deal of time, HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) will have no time or means to perform that task himself. Governance with respect to succeeding Muhammad (saas) leaves no time for that. A community before him will probably perform that duty in one respect.
THAT PERSON will make a ready program FOR HIMSELF out of the work already written by that community after a lengthy research , by which he will have fulfilled that first duty in its full sense. The force and spiritual army on which that duty depends consists merely of students who are in full possession of the qualities of purity, loyalty and solidarity. No matter how few in number, they are spiritually regarded as being as powerful and valuable as an army.
The second task: is to revive the essence of Islam with the title of the caliph of Muhammad (saas). Taking the union of the Islamic world as his foundation, it is to save humanity from physical and spiritual dangers, and from the Divine wrath. For this duty, there needs to be a foundation, its servants, and an army with millions of members.
The third task: With the weakening of Qur’anic stipulations as times change and the denial of the laws of Muhammad (saas) to an extent, THAT PERSON strives to perform his great duty with the spiritual assistance of all the faithful and the cooperation of the Islamic union, and the solidarity among the scholars and the saints and, in particular, the contribution of millions of devoted sayyids who are mighty and many in every century . Though this is the actual case now, since the followers of the Light completely see this task in the Treatise of Light because its prime duty and greatest occupation, which is to rescue faith and teach faith to the public in a verifiable and certain manner, and to make faith certain for even the commonest people, expresses the full clarity of the meaning of spiritual and real guide, the second and third tasks are relatively of secondary and tertiary importance compared to this, and they thus rightfully interpret the collective personality of the Treatise of Light as a kind of Mahdi. Since they regard it as a representation of that collective personality, a collective personality coming from the solidarity of the followers of the Light, and since they regard that poor translator as a kind of representative within that collective personality, they sometimes also give him that name.THE FACT IS THAT THIS IS CONFUSION AND MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR IT because this is mainly good opinion, that has existed for a long time, and cannot be objected to. Since I also regard that good opinion of those brothers of mine as a kind of prayer and hope, and a reflection of the pure conviction of the students of the Light, I have not quarreled with them. Even so, that the fact that some of the former holy people have figured the Treatise of Light to be that guide of the End Times in their marvels of the unseen can be understood by the examination of this. That means there is misunderstanding over two points, and clarification is needed.
The first: Actually the last two duties are not of the same degree as the first; but it seems to everyone, particularly to the public and politicians and according to the public opinion of this century, that they are a thousand times more far-reaching than the first with respect to the rule of Islam on earth with the armies of the Islamic Union and the caliphate of Muhammad (saas). And when this name is given to a man, these two duties come to mind; they suggest the meaning of politics and perhaps remind one of boasting; it may reveal a desire for glory, honor, rank and fame. And individuals both now and in the past, credulous and keen for office, claim “I will be the Mahdi.”
A GUIDE, A KIND OF MAHDI AND REFORMER COMES AND HAS COME IN EVERY CENTURY, BUT IN CONSIDERATION OF DISCHARGING ONE OF THESE THREE DUTIES IN ONE ASPECT, NONE HAVE RECEIVED THE TITLE OF THE GREAT MAHDI OF THE END TIMES. And in court, the well-informed people of Denizli said to me on the basis of these misunderstandings on the part of some followers:
“If he claimed to be the Mahdi, all his followers would go along with that.” And I told them: “I do not know myself a sayyid. Generations are not known at this time. BUT THE FACT IS THAT THE GREAT INDIVIDUAL OF THE END TIMES will be from the Great House. However, I spiritually took lessons of the truth from Hazrat Ali (r.a.) like a kind of spiritual son of his and since the Family of Muhammad (saas) embraces the followers of the Light in a sense, I may also be considered as from the Ahl al-Bayt. But since this time is the time of a collective personality, and there can be no personalization or personality or desire for personal rank, or gain fame and honor in the occupation of the Light; and since this violates the secret of sincerity, I give endless thanks to Almighty Allah that I have no pride and have no pretension to such personal ranks endlessly higher than my own limits. And in order not to impair the purity in the Light, I would have to reject any spiritual title even if it were given to me.” And those well-informed people fell silent.(Emirdağ Addendum, An Extract from a Conversation with the Minister of the Interior, pp. 260-263)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be the greatest mujtahid (interpreter of the law), and the greatest mujaddid (reviver), a judge and a ruler, a murshid (guide to the true path), the Mahdi and qutb al-azam (great saint to whom Muslims adhere)
FIFTH SIGN, and it is a very brief answer to an important question.
Question: There are numerous authentic narrations about the appearance of the Mahdi at the end of time and his putting the world to right, which will have been corrupted. However, the present time is the time of the group, or social collectivity, not of the individual. However, no matter how great a genius an individual is, even a hundredfold genius, if he is not the representative of a group and if he doesn’t represent the collective personality of a group, he will be defeated in the face of the collective personality of an opposing group. However elevated and great the power of his sainthood, how will he be able to reform the world at this time amid the widespread corruption of a human group such as that? If all the Mahdi’s works are wondrous, it would be contrary to the Divine wisdom and Divine laws in the world. We want to understand the true meaning of this matter of the Mahdi. How should we?
The Answer: Out of His perfect mercy, every time the Muslim community has been corrupted, Almighty Allah has sent a reformer, or a regenerator, or a vicegerent of high standing, or a supreme spiritual pole, or a perfect guide, or blessed persons acting as a Mahdi, as a mark of His protecting the Islamic religion until eternity; He has removed the corruption, reformed the nation, and preserved the religion of Muhammad (saas). Since His custom has proceeded in this way, CERTAINLY, AT THE TIME OF THE GREATEST CORRUPTION AT THE END OF TIME, HE WILL SEND A LUMINOUS PERSON AS BOTH THE GREASTEST MUJTAHID (INTERPRETER OF THE LAW), AND THE GREATEST MUJADDID (REVIVER), AND A JUDGE AND A RULER, AND A MAHDI, AND MURSHID (A GUIDE TO THE TRUE PATH), AND QUTB AL-AZAM (A GREAT SAINT TO WHOM MUSLIMS ADHERE), AND THAT PERSON WILL BE FROM THE FAMILY OF THE PROPHET (SAAS). Almighty Allah, Who fills and empties the world between the heavens and earth with clouds, in an instant stills the storms of the sea, and IN AN HOUR IN SPRING CREATES SAMPLES OF THE SUMMER AND IN AN HOUR IN SUMMER CREATES A WINTER STORM, SUCH AN ALL-POWERFUL ONE OF GLORY CAN ALSO SCATTER THE DARKNESS WITHIN THE WORLD OF ISLAM BY MEANS OF THE MAHDI. He has promised this, and certainly HE WILL CARRY OUT HIS PROMISE. If the Divine Power is considered, it is most easy. If the sphere of causes and Divine wisdom are considered, it is again so reasonable and necessary that deep thinkers have asserted that even if “....it had not been narrated from the Bringer of Sure News, it still should have been. And it will be”.
It is like this: All praise be to Allah, the prayer, “O Allah, grant blessings to our master Muhammad (saas) and to the Family of our master Muhammad (saas), as you granted blessings to Abraham and to the Family of Abraham, in all the world. Indeed You are measurelessly worthy of all praise, exalted!”, which is repeated by all the Muslim community five times a day in all the obligatory prayers, has self-evidently been accepted. For like the Family of Abraham (as), the Family of Muhammad (saas) have assumed a position wherein these luminous persons stand as commanders at the head of all blessed chains of spiritual authorities in the assemblies of all the regions of the world in all centuries. They are so numerous that all these commanders together form a mighty army. If they took on physical form and through their solidarity were formed into a division, if they awakened the religion of Islam and bound it together in unity, which would be like a sacred nationhood, the army of no other nation could withstand them. Thus, that numerous and powerful army is the Family of Muhammad (saas), the most select army of the Mahdi.
Yes, today in the world there is no family distinguished by such high honor and elevated qualities and nobility in its descendants, in unbroken succession and well-documented genealogy, which is as powerful and important as the line of Sayyids of the Family of the Prophet. Since early times it is they who have been at the heads of all the groups of the people of truth, and they who have been the renowned leaders of the people of perfection. Now it is a blessed line numbering in the millions. Vigilant and circumspect, their hearts full of belief and love of the Prophet, they are distinguished by the honor of their world-renowned lineage. Momentous events shall occur which will awaken and arouse that sacred force within that vast community. CERTAINLY, THE ELEVATED ARDOR IN THAT HUGE FORCE WILL SURGE UP AND THE MAHDI SHALL COME TO LEAD IT, GUIDING IT TO THE WAY OF TRUTH AND REALITY. WE AWAIT FROM THE DIVINE LAW AND DIVINE MERCY THAT IT SHOULD BE AS SUCH, AND ITS BEING SUCH, LIKE WE AWAIT THE COMING OF SPRING AFTER WINTER; AND WE ARE RIGHT TO AWAIT IT... (Letters, pp. 422-424)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his followers will eliminate oppression one century after Bediuzzaman
In the verse, “They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, and Allah will not consent save to perfect His light, though the unbelievers are averse.” (Surat at-Tawba, 32) with its powerful and gentle spiritual relation the statement, “Yureedoona an yutfi-oo noora Allahi bi-afwahihim” (They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, and Allah will not consent save to perfect His light,) each one of “lām” bearing the gemination mark is counted as one and “mīm” as two, for it is included in the main word, it [numerological calculation] suggests one thousand three hundred twenty four (1324 Hijri and 1906 in the Gregorian Calendar). With the intention of extinguishing the light of the Islamic State, the European tyrants hatched a tremendous plot against it, even though, by the proclamation of freedom the Turkish patriots tried to render that plan void in “twenty-four” (1324). Six-seven years later, namely, at the end of the World War, again with the same intention of a plot, [the European tyrants] imposed very severe conditions that were against [living by] the Qur’an by the Treaty of Sèvres (1920) and the Turkish patriots tried to respond and render ineffective [the Europeans] plans of carrying out the infidel ideologies on the dates “four” (34) and “fifty four” (54) with full conformity [by Allah’s preordination] with the date of the proclamation of the Republic in one thousand three hundred twenty four (1324). From these stand out the retorting efforts of those, who try to preserve the Light of the Qur’an in that upheaval, and among who is particularly the author of the Treatise of the Light in “twenty four (24)” and the first pamphlets of the Treatise of Light in “thirty four (34)” and the luminous sections of the Treatise of Light and its self-sacrificing followers in “fifty four” (54) who tried to respond to it.
If “mim” bearing the gemination mark is also considered as one like “lam”s bearing the gemination marks, then it corresponds to one-thousand-two-hundred-eighty-four (1284). On that date, the European infidels intended to extinguish the Light of the Islamic State and only ten years later provoked the Russians and by the inauspicious war of 93, they had laid a temporary veil over the bright Light of the Islamic World. But since the followers of Mawlana Khalid dispersed that cloud of persecution instead of the followers of the Treatise of Light, in that respect this verse draws attention by referring to their leaders. IT NOW OCCURS TO MIND THAT IF EACH OF THE LETTERS “MIM” AND “LAM” BEARING THE GEMINATION MARK ARE COUNTED AS TWO, THE PEOPLE WHO WILL DISSOLVE THE OPPRESSIONS A CENTURY LATER MAY BE THE DISCIPLES OF HAZRAT MAHDI (AS). Anyway, there are many secrets within this luminous verse.
We discussed briefly with the secret of the saying, “The drop signifies the ocean.” (Beams, p. 623-624)
“I think I am a vanguard to set a background for the wondrous person who will appear in the future and a pioneering soldier for that great commander”
My saintly and strenuous brother of the hereafter and my friend in the service of the Qur’an, the Second Hulusi and Sabri-i Awwal. Masha’Allah, you have well conceived the worth of the Twentieth Letter and you have also put it down beautifully. In your letter, you state that you want to learn ilm al-Kalām (the study of “speech” or “words”) from me. You are already taking those lessons. The public Words that you write are the lessons of that bright and genuine ilm al-Kalām. Some blessed people who searched for the truth such as Imam Rabbani Shaykh Ahmad al-Sirhindi said: “At the End Times, someone will expound ilm al-Kalam, that is, the words regarding matters of faith, in such a form that, above those who are masters of knowledge by the inspiration of Allah and orders, he will cause the publishing of those lights. Indeed, Imam Rabbani Shaykh Ahmad al-Sirhindi considered himself as that person.
This humble, poor brother of yours who considers himself to be nothing; I can, very humbly, in no way claim myself to be that man who will come; in no respect have I any qualification for that. BUT I THINK I AM A SERVANT OF THIS WONDROUS PERSON WHO WILL APPEAR IN THE FUTURE, A VANGUARD TO SET A BACKGROUND FOR HIM AND A PIONEERING SOLDIER OF THAT GREAT COMMANDER. And that is why you smelled that wondrous scent from those writings. (Barla Addendum, 28th Letter, p. 250)
They announced the place from where Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear in terms of the old centers of sultanate, yet Hazrat Mahdi (as) will actually come from Istanbul
It is also due to this mystery that they expected the individuals who will come at the end of time like the Mahdi and Sufyan long beforehand, and even in the time of the generation succeeding the Prophet, and hoped to live long enough to see them. Some of the saints even said that they had passed. Like the end of the world, Divine wisdom requires that the times of these individuals are not specified either, because every age is in need of the Mahdi’s meaning, for he strengthens morale and saves the people from despair. Every century has to have a share of this meaning. In order that people should not heedlessly follow evil and the reins of the soul should not be left free in indifference, every century the fearsome individuals who come to lead strife must be shrunk from and feared. If they had been specified, the benefits of general guidance would have been lost.
Now, the difference in the narrations about individuals like the Mahdi, and their meaning, is this: those who expounded Hadiths applied the text of the Hadiths to their own interpretations and commentaries. For example, since the center of power at that time was Damascus or Medina, they imagined the events connected with the Mahdi and Sufyan in places like Basra, Kufa, and Syria, which were in the region of those centers, and expounded them accordingly. Moreover, they imagined the mighty works belonging to the collective identity or community which those individuals represented to be in their persons and expounded them in that way, so that they ascribed a form to them whereby when those EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUALS appear, everyone will recognize them. However, as we said, this world is the arena of trial. The door is opened to the reason, but the will is not taken from the hand. So, WHEN THOSE INDIVIDUALS , and even the terrible antichrist, appear, many people and even himself will not know to start with that he is the antichrist. THOSE INDIVIDUALS OF THE END OF TIME WILL BE KNOWN through the insight and the light of belief.
It is narrated in a Hadith about the antichrist, who is one of the signs of the end of time: “His first day is like a year, his second day like a month, his third day like a week, and his fourth day like other days. When he appears the world will hear. He will travel the world in forty days.” (Muslim, Bukhari) Some unfair people have said about this narration that it is impossible, Allah forbid, and have gone as far as denying and declaring it null. Whereas, and the knowledge of it is with Allah, the reality of it must be this:
It indicates the appearance of an individual from the North who will come to lead a great current issuing forth from the godless ideas of naturalism, in the North, where the world of unbelief is at its densest, and who will deny a Divine Being. There is an instance of wisdom in this, for in the latitudes close to the North Pole the whole year is one day and one night; there are six months of night and six months of day. “One day of the antichrist is a year” alludes to his appearance close to those latitudes. What is meant from “His second day is a month” is that passing in this direction from the North, it sometimes happens that for a month in the summer the sun does not set. This suggests that the antichrist will emerge in the North and invade southwards towards the civilized world. By attributing the day to the antichrist, it points to this. He comes further in this direction, and the sun does not set for a week, and so it continues until there are three hours between its rising and setting. While being held as a prisoner-of-war in Russia, I was in such a place. Close to us was a place where the sun did not set for a week. They used to go there to watch it. As for the part, “When the antichrist appears, all the world will hear of it,” the telegraph and radio have solved this. As for his traveling the world in forty days, the railway and aeroplane, which are his mounts, have solved this matter. Deniers who formerly considered these two statements to be impossible, now see them as commonplace!
Referring to the detailed letter I wrote related to Gog and Magog and the Wall, which are the portents of the Day of Judgment we only say this: it is reported in the accounts that those who, in the past under the titles of Manchuria and the Moguls, turned the whole of humanity upside down and caused the construction of the Great Wall of China, will at a time close to the Day of Judgment, again turn human civilization upside down with an anarchistic ideology. (Words, pp.344-345)
The joint intellectual struggle of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and the Prophet Jesus (as)
The Meaning of your fourth question: After Jesus (as) kills [spiritually] the dajjal (antichrist) at the end of time, most people will enter the true religion. But it says in some narrations: “The end of the world will not occur so long as there remain on the earth those who say, Allah! Allah!” (Muslim, Iman 234; Tirmidhi, Fitan 35; Musnad ii, 107, 201, 259; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, vi, 494).(Muslim, 1: 131; 4:2268; Musnad, 3:107, 201, 268; Kanz al-Ummal,14:227, 228.) So how, after most people have come to believe, will most people become unbelievers?
T h e A n s w e r : Those whose belief is weak deem it unlikely that what is narrated in a sound Hadith, “Jesus (as) will come, he will act in accordance with the Shari‘a of Islam, and he will kill the antichrist [intellectually eliminate it],” will come about. But if the reality of this is explained, no reason remains to deem it unlikely. It is as follows: The meaning expressed by this Hadith, and those about the Sufyan and the Mahdi, is this: at the end of time two currents of irreligion will gain strength.
One of them: Under the veil of duplicity, a fearsome individual named the Sufyan will deny the messengership of Muhammad (saas), and coming to lead the dissemblers, will try to destroy the Islamic Shari‘a. TO OPPOSE HIM, A LUMINOUS INDIVIDUAL CALLED MUHAMMAD MAHDI, OF THE FAMILY OF THE PROPHET, WILL COME TO LEAD THE PEOPLE OF SAINTHOOD AND PERFECTION, WHO ARE FROM THE LUMINOUS CHAIN OF THE FAMILY OF THE PROPHET , and he will kill [intellectually] the current of dissemblers, which will be the collective personality of the Sufyan, and scatter it.
The Second Current: A tyrannical current born of the naturalist and materialist philosophy will gradually become strong and spread at the end of time by means of the materialist philosophy, reaching such a degree that it denies divinity, much like a savage who does not recognize the king and accept that the officers and soldiers in the army are the king’s soldiers ascribes a sort of kingship and rulership to everyone and to all the soldiers. In just the same way, the members of that current, who deny Allah, each ascribes divinity to his own soul like a little Nimrod. And the greatest of them, the antichrist, who will come to lead them, will manifest awesome wonders, a sort of spiritualism and hypnosis; he will go even further, and imagining his tyrannical, superficial rule to be a sort of divinity, he will proclaim his godhead. It is clear just what foolish buffoonery it is for impotent man, who may be defeated by a fly and cannot create even a fly’s wing, to claim godhead.
AT THAT POINT WHEN THE CURRENT APPEARS TO BE VERY STRONG, THE RELIGION OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY, WHICH COMPRISES THE COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY OF JESUS (AS), WILL EMERGE. That is, it will DESCEND FROM THE SKIES of Divine mercy. Present Christianity will be purified in the face of that reality; it will cast off superstition and distortion, and unite with the truths of Islam. Christianity will, in effect, be transformed into a sort of Islam. Following the Qur’an, the collective personality of Christianity will be in the rank of follower, and Islam, in that of leader. The True Religion will become a mighty force as a result of its joining it. Although defeated before the atheistic current while separate, Christianity and Islam will have the capability to defeat and rout it as a result of their union. Then the person of JESUS (AS), WHO IS PRESENT WITH HIS HUMAN BODY IN THE WORLD OF THE HEAVENS , will come to lead the current of the True Religion, as, relying on the promise of One Powerful Over All Things, the Bringer of Sure News has said it. Since he has spoken of it, it is true, and since the One Powerful Over All Things has promised it, He will certainly bring it about.
Indeed, it is not far from the wisdom of an All-Wise One of Glory, Who all the time sends the angels to the earth from the heavens, sometimes in human form (like Gabriel appearing in the form of Dihya), and sends spirit beings from the Spirit World making them appear in human form, and even sends the spirits of most of the dead saints to the world with similitudes of their bodies, it would not be far from His Wisdom -even if he were not alive and present with his body in the skies of the world, and had truly died and departed for the furthest corner of the hereafter- to clothe Jesus (as) in his body and send him to the world, so to bring the religion of Jesus to a good conclusion for such a momentous result. Indeed, He promised it because His wisdom required it to be thus, and since He promised it, He will most certainly send him.
When Jesus (as) comes, it is not necessary that everyone should know him to be the true Jesus (as). His elect and those close to him will recognize him through the light of belief. It will not be self-evident so that everyone will recognize him. (Letters, 15th Letter, pp. 52-54)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be active in the broad sphere of life
We ask and wish with all our hearts from the All-Compassionate Allah that the last part of the account related by the Loyal Messenger saying “the time and conditions for spiritual victory and the dispersal of oppression are close by” comes true. However, as to us, the followers of Light, our job is service; though we should not interfere with the Divine Service, and not make it a kind of experience by basing our service on His, we should understand that the quality is important, not the quantity, and seeing the Treatise of Light’s accomplishments so far under the terrible conditions that have urged [people] to choose debased morals and the life of this world over the life of the hereafter in every aspect and how it stopped the attacks of the atheism and heresy, and how it saved the faith of hundreds of thousands, and how it brought up hundreds and thousands genuine believers, each of whom are as strong as hundreds of thousands, confirmed this report of the Loyal Messenger and proved his words true and is still proving and, insha’Allah, will continue to prove it.
And the Treatise of Light is so strongly established now, insha’Allah, that no power can tear it from the heart of Anatolia. ONLY IN THE END TIMES , IN THE BROAD SPHERE OF LIFE , ITS REAL OWNERS , IN OTHER WORDS, MAHDI AND HIS FOLLOWERS,WILL COME BY THE LEAVE OF THE OMNISCIENT LORD AND WILL BROADEN THAT SPHERE AND THOSE SEEDS WILL THEN FLOURISH. AND WE SHALL BE WATCHING IN OUR GRAVES AND GIVE THANKS TO ALLAH. (Kastamonu Addendum, Page 76, Biography, Page 258, Service Guide, Page 267, Ratifying Stamp of the Unseen, Page 153)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the truly awaited individual who will come a century later
My precious brothers! In addition to my former answer I gave to you in response to your high opinion of me which is way beyond me and which stems from your devotion, I wrote this next paragraph two days ago. In response to your letter of last week, which is evidence of your tremendous devotion and great sincere effort, the wisdom of my response that, to a certain extent, refutes your high opinion is the following: “IN THIS PERIOD THERE ARE SUCH PREVALENT MOVEMENTS THAT, SINCE THEY TAKE EVERYTHING FOR THEIR OWN ACCOUNTS, EVEN IF THAT PERSON WHO IS TRULY AWAITED AND WILL COME A CENTURY LATER (written in Hijr 1354, 1936 in the Gregorian Calendar) comes at this time, I assume that he will disclaim the situation in the political realm and divert his target in order not to let his mission be caught up by those movements…”
There are three issues: Life, the shari’a and the faith. At the point of reality, the most important and the greatest of them is the matter of “faith”. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE MOST IMPORTANT MATTER ACCORDING TO THE GENERAL OPINION AND THE CURRENT WAY OF LIFE IS CONSIDERED TO BE LIFE AND THE SHARI’A, EVEN IF THAT PERSON EXISTS RIGHT NOW, he will probably take the most vital issue to be the basic one and not consider the others as basic issues, because changing the circumstances of three of them all over the world will not suit Allah’s laws in Creation with regards to human beings.
Until the purity of the service of Islam does not get corrupted in the eyes of the public, and the fact that this service does not become instruments for other intentions is established in the easily seducible minds of the public.” (Kastamonu Addendum, p. 61)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will make the treatise of light his own program and he will disseminate and implement it
My dear, valuable friends, first of all: the real, pure followers of Light, with the contents of the Ratifying Stamp of the Unseen, upon the clear message of Osman al-Khalidi who ate a loaf of bread once in every forty days, and did not eat anything for forty days after that, and upon his will to his heirs, and with the clear message of Topal Şükrü, one of the famous holy scholars of Isparta, they considered a very important truth as their cause, but made therein two mistakes and thought that their unimportant brother Said was someone actually important. Although I have been trying to correct their opinion for the last ten years, those brave brothers still persist in their ideas. Yes, they saw a truth just like the story of the two holy shepherds in the Eighteenth Letter, but it needs to be interpreted. That interpretation is as follows:
They presumed [Mahdi] to be entirely in the Treatise of Light, FOR SPREADING OUT THE TRUE FAITH AND SAVING THE FAITHFUL FROM HERESY WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, BIGGEST AND MOST VALUABLE TASK OUT OF THE THREE TASKS OF THE PERSON WHO IS AWAITED BY THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY, AND WHO WILL COME AT THE END OF TIMES. For this reason, Imam Ali and Ghaws al-Azam, Osman Khalidi and many others, referred to the collective personality of the Treatise of Light seeing it [in a spiritual realm] to be as the rank of that person who is awaited by the Islamic community and who will come in the end times. And at other times they thought that collective personality originated from one of its servants, and so they complimented him. SO, IT APPEARS FROM THIS TRUTH THAT, THAT HOLY PERSON THAT WILL COME IN THE FUTURE , AND WILL DISSEMINATE AND IMPLEMENT THE TREATISE OF LIGHT AS A PROGRAM.
THE SECOND DUTY OF THAT PERSON is to implement and practice the religion [religion of Islam]. While the first duty is performed not by material power, but rather with strong faith, sincerity and loyalty, this second task requires a great material power and reign so that the second duty can be performed.
THE THIRD DUTY OF THAT PERSON , is to serve the religion of Islam by building the succession of Islam on Islamic Unity and cooperating with the devoted followers of Jesus (as) [Christians]. However, this duty can only be fulfilled with great authority and power and millions of self-sacrificing followers. The first duty is three or four times more valuable than those other two duties, yet since the second and third tasks are so glorious and performed in such a bright and broad sphere, that they appear as more important in the public eye. Propounding some views of those followers of Light and of our brothers, some of whom are saints, that require clarification and explanation will alarm, and has alarmed, the people who are indulgent in this world and the people of politics, it leads to their attacks. Because they fail to see the reality and value of that first duty; they ascribe to their aspects.
The second mistake of my brothers: They attribute a mortal and perishable personality to this poor brother of theirs who represents the collective personality of the followers of Light and who served as a vanguard for the first task in several aspects. But these two mistakes actually harm the true purity and sincerity of the Treatise of Light, and while harming its specialty of not being made use for any purpose even for spiritual and unworldly ranks, it also endangers the publication of the Treatise of Light by causing doubts amongst the politicians. Since now is the time of the collective personality, such great and eternal truths cannot be founded on mortal and weak people who might fall silent.
Consequently; CONSIDERING THE THREE DUTIES ALL TOGETHER, GIVING THE NAME OF THAT PERSON WHO WILL COME WOULD BE WRONG. Moreover, the sincerity in Light that is not used for any other purpose would be harmed, and the power of truths in the eyes of general believers would decrease. Even the definite evidences would be turned into a high presumption of the present accepted situation; the complete victory over the more persistent heresy and insistent irreligiousness begins not to be seen on the doubtful believers. Then the politicians might get suspicious and some scholars may start objecting. For that reason, it is not appropriate to give that name to the books of Light. Maybe they can be called ‘mujaddid [reviver], his vanguard’.
Thousands of greetings to all my brothers. (Ratifying Stamp of the Unseen, pp. 9-10)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will discharge three tasks simultaneously
My precious, blessed brother Hashmad Hodja,
We read your letter about the mujaddid [reviver] with amazement and accordingly spoke of it to our Master.
Our Master says:
“Yes, this time demands one mujaddid [reviver] both for faith and the religion, one for both the social life and the shariah, and one for both the general law and the politics of Islam. However, the most important issue at the point of preserving the truth of faith is the duty of renovation which is the most blessed and the greatest duty. Compared to it, the shariah, the social life and the political sphere remain at the second, the third and the fourth grade. As is related by the hadith, the real important issue about the renovation of the religion is in terms of the renovation of the truths about faith. But in the general opinion, in the eyes of the people who are indulgent in the life of this world, Islamic social life and the religious political aspects, which are seemingly wide and more attractive on the point of domination is considered to be more important, they look through that glass, with that point of view and thus attach a meaning to it.
“Indeed in this time, all these three duties being present in one person or one community, and in a perfect form, and not impairing one another seem very remote; almost impossible. IN THE END TIMES , THEY CAN ONLY COME TOGETHER IN THE GREAT MAHDI AND THE COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY OF HIS COMMUNITY, WHO REPRESENT THE LUMINOUS COMMUNITY OF THE DESCENT OF OUR PROPHET (SAAS) . Infinite thanks to Almighty Allah that in this century, He made the collective personality of truth of the Treatise of Light, and its followers carry out the duty of renovation for the preservation of the truth of faith; forty thousands of men testify that for twenty years, with its effective and invasive publishing in that blessed duty, it has fully counteracted against the quite horrible and strong attack of irreligion and perversion, and has spared the faith of hundreds of thousands of believers.
He says, “But my weak and poor person should not be pointed as such that it can take on [that] load of thousands- fold heavier than its capability” and he sends greetings to you. We, on the other hand, salute you and those who are involved with the Treatise of Light.” (Kastamonu Addendum, p. 148)
The Great Mahdi will work in the spheres of politics, governance and religion
Nineteenth matter
In the narrations, there are various different prophecies about the MAHDI (AS), WHO IS ONE OF THE SIGNS OF THE END OF TIME AND WILL BE FROM THE FAMILY OF THE PROPHET (SAAS). In fact, some scholars and saints stated long ago that he had appeared in the past.
One of the explanations of these different narrations is this; Allah knows the best: MAHDI WILL HAVE NUMEROUS DUTIES. HE WILL BE ACTIVE IN MANY SPHERES SUCH AS THE POLITICAL SPHERE, THE SPHERE OF RELIGION, THE SPHERE OF AUTHORITY, AND IN THE SPHERES OF STRUGGLE. Similarly, since at times of despair in every century there is a need for the likelihood that a Mahdi, or a kind of Mahdi will come to their assistance to reinforce spiritual power, by Allah’s mercy, a kind of Mahdi (descended from the line of the Prophet (saas)) has come in every age, and maybe every century, and protected the path described and revealed by the Holy Qur’an and revived it. The narrations about the Mahdi are various because Muhammad (saas) saw persons who would perform some of the Great Mahdi’s works; for example, the ‘Abbasid Mahdi in the world of politics, and Gawth al-A‘zam, Shah Naqshband, the four spiritual poles [who are sayyids], and Twelve Imams in the world of religion. For this reason, some of the people of truth said that he had already appeared in the past. Anyway, since this matter has been explained in the Treatise of Light, we refer discussion of it to that, and herein only say this:, there is no family in the world so mutually supportive, nor a tribe in such agreement, nor so ENLIGHTENED A COMMUNITY OR SOCIETY AS THE FAMILY, TRIBE, COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY OF THE PROPHET’S FAMILY.
YES, THE PROPHET’S FAMILY HAS RAISED HUNDREDS OF SACRED HEROES, AND PRODUCED THOUSANDS OF SPIRITUAL LEADERS OF THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY, AND HAS BEEN NURTURED WITH THE LEAVEN OF THE REALITY OF THE QUR’AN AND THE LIGHT OF BELIEF AND HONOR OF ISLAM, AND HAS THUS BEEN PERFECTED. IT IS THEREFORE TOTALLY REASONABLE THAT THROUGH REVIVING THE SHARI‘A OF MUHAMMAD (SAAS) AND HIS SUNNAH AND THE REALITY OF THE QUR’AN AT THE END OF TIME, AND PROCLAIMING THEM AND PUTTING THEM INTO PRACTICE, THEY SHOULD DISPLAY TO THE WORLD THE PERFECT JUSTICE AND VERACITY OF THE GREAT MAHDI, THEIR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. THIS IS ALSO BOTH NECESSARY AND ESSENTIAL AND DEMANDED BY THE PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN SOCIETY. (Flashes, pp.592-593)
References to “the true dawn” and “the false dawn” indicate the 1980s
Moreover, the veils that have eclipsed the sun of Islam, hindered its emergence and prevented it from illuminating mankind have begun to disperse. Those things that were hindering it have begun to fall back. THEN THE TRUE DAWN BROKE IN SEVENTY ONE (HIJRI 1371/1951 A.D.), OR IT WILL BREAK. EVEN IF IT IS THE FALSE DAWN, IN THIRTY OR FORTY YEARS’ TIME (HIJRI 1401/HIJRI 1401- 1991 A.D.) THE TRUE DAWN WILL BREAK. (Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, The Damascus Sermon, p. 23)
The True Dawn- Second lightening that begins to spread after al-Fajr al-Kazib
The False Dawn - the initial redness on horizon that appears towards the morning
1371 + 30 = 1401 = 1981
1371 + 40 = 1411 = 1991
For sure, maybe not now (AFTER H. 1371) but IN THIRTY TO FORTY YEARS’ TIME, in order to fully equip to perfection the three forces of science, true knowledge [acquired through arts, science and skills] and the virtues of civilization, and to overcome those nine obstacles, the desire to search for the truth, equity, and love of humanity will be dispatched to the fronts of those nine enemy squadrons. They have already started to drive them back. Allah willing, IN HALF A CENTURY they will scatter them completely. (The Damascus Sermon, p. 25)
1371 + 30 = 1401 = 1981
1371 + 40 = 1411 = 1991
HALF A CENTURY LATER: 1371 + 50 = 1421 = 2001
“Flowers come in spring, we must pave the way for such sacred blooms”
Fifth reason: Long ago, I heard from one of the learned that; an individual drew a meaning from the hidden signs of the elders and concluded that: “A light will appear from the East and will disperse all the superstitions that would subsequently interpolate into the religion.” I have much observed and observe the appearance of such a light. BUT FLOWERS APPEAR IN SPRING. THE GROUND NEEDS TO BE PREPARED FOR SUCH SACRED BLOOMS. AND WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WITH OUR SERVICE WE ARE PAVING THE GROUND FOR THOSE ONES HAVING LIGHT.” Since it is not of our own doing; surely, there could be no means of pride and gratification in declaring the Divine aid regarding the Lights entitled Words; may be it would be a means of being grateful and recounting the blessings. (The Seal of the Unseen Universe, 189; Letters, 34)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will eliminate the damage caused by the committee of Sufyan
The Second Sign, that is, the Sixth Sign
THE MAHDI’S luminous community will repair the destruction of the superstitious regime of the society of the Sufyan, and will restore the Prophet’s glorious Sunnah. That is to say, the society of the Sufyan will try to destroy the Shari’a of Muhammad (saas) in the world of Islam with the intention of denying his Prophethood, and will be killed and routed by the miraculous spiritual sword of the Mahdi’s community. Moreover, in the world of humanity, the secret society of the antichrist will overturn civilization and subvert all mankind’s sacred matters, with the intention of denying the Godhead. A zealous and self-sacrificing community known as a Christian community but worthy of being called “Muslim Christians,” will merge the true religion of Jesus with the reality of Islam, and will kill [spiritually] and rout that society of the antichrist under the leadership of Jesus (as), thus saving humanity from atheism.
This important mystery is very lengthy. Since we have discussed it briefly in other places, here we make do with this indication.(Letters, p.424)
The Great Mahdi will be confused with the past Mahdis
And, for example, it is well-known that when the Islamic antichrist dies, the satan who serves him will shout out the news to the whole world from ‘Dikili Tas”, the obelisk in Istanbul, and everyone will hear its voice saying that he is dead. That is to say, the news will be broadcast by radio, which is wonderful and leaves even satans in amazement. Also, since the strange circumstances and fearsome activities of the antichrist’s regime, and the covert organization and government that he founds, have been narrated as referring to his person, their true meaning has remained obscure. For example, “He will be so powerful and long-lived that only Jesus (as) will be able to destroy his work and his savage regime and kill him [intellectually eliminate it]; nothing else will be able to.” That is, it will only be a revealed, elevated, pure religion that will be able to overturn his way and rapacious regime, and eliminate them. Such a religion will emerge among the true followers of Jesus (as), and it will follow the Qur’an and become united with it. On the descent of Jesus (as) and the emergence of the true Christian religion, the antichrist’s irreligious way will be wiped out and will cease. The antichrist’s person could otherwise be killed by a mere germ or by influenza.
Also, the explanations and statements of some narrators, made through their own exertions and interpretations, which are open to error, have been mixed up with the words of the Hadith. Their words have been supposed to be part of the Hadith, and the meaning has thus been obscured. It does not appear to conform with reality and in a way has become allegorical.
Also, in early times the social collectivity and its collective personality had not developed as it has at the present and the idea of the isolated individual was predominant; the extensive attributes and widescale actions of the community, therefore, were ascribed to the persons who led them. In order to be worthy and fitting for superhuman, universal attributes, those persons had to have gigantic bodies and be of vast stature and have colossal power and strength a hundred times surpassing their own, so that is how they were depicted. This was not compatible with reality, and the narration thus became allegorical.
ALSO, ALTHOUGH THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND ATTRIBUTES OF THE TWO ANTICHRISTS DIFFER FROM EACH OTHER, THEY HAVE BEEN CONFUSED IN NARRATIONS THAT HAVE COME DOWN TO US IN ABSOLUTE FORM; ONE HAS BEEN SUPPOSED TO BE THE OTHER. ALSO, THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE GREAT MAHDI DO NOT FIT THE NARRATIONS ALLUDING TO THE EARLIER MAHDIS, and these have become allegorical Hadiths. Imam ‘Ali mentions only the Islamic antichrist.
This marks the end of the Introduction. Now we embark on the ‘Matters’. (Flashes, pp. 583-584)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will duly appreciate the treatise of light
One of them is the Treatise of Light. And the other is its interpreter.
The Treatise of Light deserves much more of your good views about it because it is a spiritual miracle of the Qur’an that has infinite wisdom and benefits in each one of its verses and the surahs. I am of the conviction that HAZRAT MAHDI (AS), WHO WILL COME AT THE END TIMES , will duly appreciate it.
-This statement of Bediuzzaman exists in the manuscript of the Emirdag Addendum.
Bediuzzaman says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come a century after him
Secondly: I examined the pages between one hundred and five to one hundred and nine of that published work carefully. At that time while I was lecturing and meanwhile answering some questions, an important saint was among them. I was also not aware about this situation. He objected severely, and said:
“You exaggerate; you see some imaginary facts and meanwhile insult us. It is the End Times and it will get worse.”
Then the answer was given in that published book as follows: While the world is a place of advancement for everyone; is it a place of decline solely for us? Is that it? Here, I will also not speak to you. I will turn to that side and speak to those people in the future:
“O you SAID, HAMZA, OMAR, UTHMAN, YUSUF, AHMAD ETC., WHO, HIDING BEFORE THE EXALTED CENTURY, FROM ONE HUNDRED , even three hundred years LATER FROM NOW (in some of the websites, the phrase “one hundred” is totally omitted from this expression and thus solely the phrase “three hundred years” remains.),
LISTEN TO MY WORDS IN SILENCE AND WATCH ME IN ADMIRATION WITH A GLANCE OF A SCHOLAR WHO IS FULLY AWARE OF THE UNSEEN; you are the ones to whom I ADDRESS. FROM THE BROOKS OF THE PAST CALLED HISTORY, I AM SPEAKING TO YOU OVER THE WIRELESS TELEGRAPH EXTENDING TO YOUR ELEVATED FUTURE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?; I WAS HASTY, I CAME IN WINTER. YOU WILL, INSHA’ALLAH, COME IN A PARADISE-LIKE SPRING. THE SEEDS OF LIGHT SOWN NOW WILL OPEN AS FLOWERS IN YOUR GROUND.Now I ask from you; during the time you pass over the territory of the past, stop by my grave. Put a few of those flowers on the top of my gravestone, which is the custodian of that earth that hosts my bones. That is to say, as it is stated in the Thirteenth Request of the Letter of the Elderly, as a portent of the greatest grave, that grand Van castle became a gravestone for that exalted grave, referring to the demise of my Horhor madrassah which is under the Van castle, and the old school of Madrasat az-Zahra, and the demise of all the madrassahs in Anatolia with their closures. IT MEANS, “O! THOSE WHO WILL COME A CENTURY FROM NOW! “MAKE A FLOWER OF A MADRASSAH OF LIGHT ON THE TOP OF THAT FORTRESS . BUILD THE MADRASSAH AZ-ZAHRA, WHICH HAS NOT REVIVED IN THE PHYSICAL SENSE, BUT WHICH, IN THE SPIRITUAL SENSE, LIVES ETERNALLY AND AMONG A WIDE COMMUNITY, IN ITS PHYSICAL FORM.” INDEED, THE OLD SAID SPENT A GREAT PART OF HIS LIFE WITH THE DREAM OF THAT MADRASSAH AND, BETWEEN THE PAGES OF 147 AND 157 OF THAT PUBLISHED LETTER, WROTE IMPORTANT TRUTHS REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THAT MADRASSAH AZ-ZAHRA AND ITS BENEFITS. (Emirdag Addendum, pp. 98, 99)
Response: You could only receive only one part of the ten parts, for the poor constitutional monarchy fears the savage bears, the dragon of ignorance, the wolves of enmity in your scary, steep mountains and streams that nurse ignorance and enmity; it does not dare to come quite easily. IF YOU REMAIN LAZY AND DOES NOT OPEN THE WAY FOR IT, IF YOU LAZE ABOUT , A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW , YOU WILL SEE HIS FACE ENTIRELY , FOR THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND ISTANBUL IS THE DISTANCE OF A MONTH ; but the distance between you and the people of the constitutional monarchy is more than a thousand months. You resemble the people of the old times. Even if that gentle constitutional monarchy can get rid of the snakes in Istanbul, and while covering that long way, manages to travel over a tremendous marsh like ignorance, frightening deserts like poverty, huge mountains like enmity, it will [ultimately] encounter bandits. In brief, those who can not tolerate their penalty, those whose teeth had been pulled because they eat the flesh of the other and those who attach a meaning similar to a renowned bakhtashi, appear on the road and hijack. On the other side of that road, there are some jabberers; under some pretexts, they want to tear everything apart. Then make him a way or a balloon for him. (Declarations and Illumination, pp. 75, 76)
Bediuzzaman never accepted the title of Mahdi
THE INDICTMENT CONTAINS FOUR BASIC POINTS CONCERNING ME:
First Point: I consider myself to be a reviver of religion, as though I was proud and self-seeking.
I reject this with all my strength. Moreover, all my brothers will testify that I have never accepted anyone’s suggestion that I was the Mahdi. In fact, when the experts’ committee of Denizli Court said “If Said was to declare himself Mahdi, all his students would accept it,” Said stated in his objections, saying:“I am not a Sayyid, and the Mahdi will be a Sayyid,” thus refuting them. (Flashes, 14th Flash, p. 387 )
The Prophet Jesus (as) will pray behind Hazrat Mahdi (as)
Thirteenth matter
There is a definite, sound narration which says: “Jesus (as) will kill the Great antichrist [intellectually eliminate it].”22 The knowledge is with Allah, and there are two aspects to this:
The First Aspect: It could only be a wondrous person with the power of miracles who could kill and change the way of the fearsome antichrist, who will preserve himself through wonders, bestowed on him by Allah in order to lead him astray, such as magic, hypnotic powers, and spiritualism, and will spellbind everyone. AND THAT PERSON WILL BE JESUS (AS), WHO IS THE PROPHET OF THE MAJORITY OF MANKIND, AND WHOM MOST PEOPLE FOLLOW.
The Second Aspect is this: It will be the truly pious followers of Jesus (as) who will kill [spiritually] the gigantic collective personality of materialism and irreligion which the antichrist will form -for the antichrist will be killed by Jesus’ (as) sword, and destroy his ideas and disbelief, which are atheistic. Those truly pious Christians will blend the essence of true Christianity with the essence of Islam and rout the antichrist with their combined strength, in effect, killing him. The narration: “JESUS (AS) WILL COME AND WILL PERFORM THE OBLIGATORY PRAYERS BEHIND THE MAHDI AND FOLLOW HIM,” ALLUDES TO THIS UNION, AND TO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE QUR’AN AND OF ITS BEING FOLLOWED. (Flashes, 5th Flash, p.589)
Some followers of Light are mistaken in commenting merely based on the first duty of Hazrat Mahdi (as)
First of all: I very carefully studied this letter, which is a strong evidence and witness of the Ratifying Stamp of the Unseen, and which was written by Hasan Feyzi, Husrev and Mehmed Feyzi of Aydın, and the spiritual lawyer of the Treatise of Light, Ahmed Feyzi, for three years after very meticulous and masterful works to work out information related to the unknown. And I said, Masha’Allah and BarakAllah, with great surprise and appreciation, as I saw that it was a very meticulous work and it proved the value of the Treatise of Light perfectly, with the verses and hadiths. But still, it needs elaboration to a degree, it is the truth itself. However, as to Said, there are favorable assumptions, particularly in the footnotes of the final part, which made me look like hundred times more valuable than I really am, which is a distortion of the truth.
Yes, both the Ratifying Stamp of the Unseen and the verses and hadiths altogether refer to a luminous truth in this century, and since this century and this time is that of communities, collective personality can rule. Particularly, in spiritual tasks, the importance of physical individuals is little, and mountainous tasks cannot be expected to be carried out by those weak people. Some verses and hadiths POINTS TO A GREAT MUJADDID (REVIVER) THAT WILL COME IN THE END TIMES. However, since the collective personality of the Treatise of Light and its followers fully performed one of the three tasks of that person who will come, which is saving the faith and showing the signs leading to faith like the sun, while actually being the most important task but seemingly the most minor one, sometimes they tried to attribute the indications and signs of that person who will come to the collective personality and even sometimes to the translator of the Treatise of Light, and did not take into account the two important tasks, which is reviving the law of Islam and practicing caliphate, both of which have a very wide effect. Their opinions are useful for them in that it helps them benefit from the Treatise of Light better, and they are harmless; however they harm the pure sincerity of Light’s task and its not being instrumental to anything and not seeking any worldly or spiritual titles or ranks while leading to criticism and attacks by all parties hostile to the followers of Light, particularly by the politicians. That’s why I partly amended this letter written by our very meticulously working brother by removing a part of it and some sentences from it. You completed the amendment, and I sent it to you. Have it printed at the end of the Tilsimlar Magazine. As for the remaining part, we will remove the section about me and amend the other parts and, insha’Allah, will send to you. (Tilsimlar Magazine’s Addendum, Ma’idat al-Qur’an Risalat, pp.168-169)
