Fourth Matter: It mentions positive nationalism that enlivens social life.
FOURTH MATTER
Positive nationalism arises from an inner need of social life and is the cause of mutual assistance and solidarity; it ensures a beneficial strength; it is a means for further strengthening Islamic brotherhood.
This idea of positive nationalism must serve Islam, it must be its citadel and armour; it must not take the place of it. For there is a hundredfold brotherhood within the brotherhood of Islam which persists in the Intermediate Realm and World of Eternity. So however strong national brotherhood is, it may be like a veil to it. But to establish it in place of Islamic brotherhood is a foolish crime like replacing the treasure of diamonds within the citadel with the citadel’s stones, and throwing the diamonds away.
O sons of this land, who are the people of the Qur’an! Challenging the whole world, you have proclaimed the Qur’an as its standard-bearers, not for six hundred years, but for a thousand years since the time of the ‘Abbasids. You have made your nationhood the citadel to the Qur’an and Islam. You have silenced the whole world and repulsed awesome attacks, confirming the verse:
Soon Allah will produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him, lowly with the believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah.1
Now you must refrain from succumbing to the stratagems of Europe and the dissemblers who imitate them, thus confirming the passage above; you must be frightened of doing such a thing!
A N o t e w o r t h y S i t u a t i o n : Being the most numerous of the Islamic peoples, wherever throughout the world there are Turks, they are Muslims. They have not become divided into Muslims and non-Muslims like the other peoples. Wherever there are Turks, they are Muslims. Turks who have abandoned Islam or who are not Muslims, are also no longer Turkish. Like the Hungarians. Even among small peoples there are both Muslims and non-Muslims.
O my Turkish brother! You watch out in particular! Your nationhood has fused with Islam and may not be separated from it. If you do separate them, you will be finished! All your glorious deeds of the past are recorded in the book of Islam’s deeds. Since these glorious deeds cannot be effaced from the face of the earth by any power, don’t you efface them from your heart due to the evil suggestions and devices of Satan!
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1. Qur’an, 5:54.
- Fourth Satanic Stratagem: Nationalist feelings.
- Third Topic: It consists of seven matters about nationality and solidarity in the community.
- What is Bediuzzaman's view on racism?
- Addendum to the Sixth Section, which is the Sixth Booklet: It was written to avoid the hatred and insults that can target us in the future.
- The Twenty-Sixth Letter: It consists of four topics.
- First Topic: It emphasizes the importance of brotherhood and love among Muslims. It explains with a persuasive style how damaging rancor and enmity are from the point of view of both Islam and social, individual and spiritual life.
- What does it stem from that nations have properties and national characteristics different from each other?
- Sixth Matter: It addresses those who go to excess in negative nationalism and mentions the importance of the patriotism of Islam.
- Gleams: Flowers from the Seeds of Reality. A short ‘Mathnawi’ and collection on the subject of belief for the Risale-i Nur students.
- Third Matter: It is an answer given to those who try to include the idea of nationalism in Islam in a negative way.
