“Bismillah” – The Word That Opens Every Door | Risale-i Nur Collection

Find Yourself! - Never Walk Alone!

Once upon a time, there were two travelers in the lands where vast and endless deserts stretched. Travelling in this land where the sun scorched and the wind echoed with howling was not for everyone. The desert would swallow the desolate; it would devastate the unprotected.

The wind would not speak; the shadow would not befriend. The sand was silent; death would look from afar.

This land would recognize only the one with a name; it would forget the desolate. And this desert, just like the world, was harsh, silent and merciless.

There were two travelers in the land of endless deserts. One had his eyes on the ground; his heart was open and he was humble. The other had his head raised to the sky; he was sure that he would walk alone in the desert with pride and arrogance. As they were about to set out, an old man came along. He said: “This desert does not recognize the one who does not know its name. It does not embrace the one who does not have patronage.”

If you want to pass through this land in safety, mention the name of the Sultan.

“He who walks in His name is not alone. That name is like a seal in the desert. With it every door opens, every trouble stays away,” he said

The humble one wrote that word in the deepest part of his heart. The other laughed. “I know my own name is great enough,” he said. “No need for a name or a sultan...” And they set off. The sand was the same; the sun was the same; the sky was the same. But the hearts were different.

One was walking in the name of the Sultan under his patronage, the other with self-confidence.

As the humble one travelled through the desert, the silence of the desert was filled with the neighing of horses behind a cloud of dust. A pack of bandits was attacking. The sound of horseshoes from far away enveloped the desert like a storm. The bandits were approaching. Their eyes held no mercy. They had swords in their hands.

The humble traveler stopped. He was not afraid. He was confident. He simply whispered:

“I am under His protection...” And the bandits stopped as if they had encountered an invisible wall. They retreated without saying a word. Because in that whisper was a power greater than any fear in the desert.

Days later, bent with hunger, he approached a tent. Again, he called out that name, saying, “I am under His protection...” The guards welcomed him. The doors opened, and the people in the tent rose respectfully. They welcomed him and offered him refreshments. Tables were laid. Things more than a slice of bread and more precious than a sip of water were offered:

He was received with dignity and respect. That night, looking up at the stars, he murmured, “That old man was right. This name is not a shadow in the desert, but a sultanate.”

As the proud man who said, "I can take care of myself" was travelling alone in the desert, the desert was silent. Until a howl was heard...

The dust cloud rising from far away was the harbinger of the approaching trouble. Then the sound of hoofbeats began to echo one by one... It was as if the heart of the earth was beating. Then... Silhouettes appeared on the horizon: dark silhouettes.

It was a pack of bandits emerging from the sand. There was no trace of compassion on their faces; no hesitation. Their eyes were sharp, their gaze dark. Fear seeped into his very bones.

His feet moved before his will. He began to run, pounding the sand. But the desert did not love those who fled. He gasped for breath. His knees gave way. He collapsed… He raised his hands, his eyes pleading: “Please… forgive me…” but, now his words were like vapor escaping into the air. The desert was silent. For he had come, forgetting the language of the desert. He had trusted himself, not its owner. Now neither his cries were heard nor his tears were seen. There was no voice. No mercy. And there, he was robbed and enslaved.

The shadows lengthened as the sun set. And he walked through the desert, unchained but bowed down. He was wounded. He was tired. Exhausted. With each step, the sand drew him in a little more. Then... A tent appeared in the distance...

Like an oasis...

Like a hope... His eyes glittered. He approached with all his strength.

Two guards stood in front of the tent. His lips trembled:
“I... I...” he said.
“I am thirsty... hungry... I’ve lost my way...”

A slice of bread... a sip of water... that was all he wanted. But the guards did not turn their heads or raise an eyebrow. His plea became a tired whisper. Their eyes stared at him like a wall. It was as if he had never existed.

And at that moment, the old man’s voice echoed in his ears:

“This desert does not cherish the one who has no patronage...”

There was neither water nor sound anymore.

Loneliness was as deep and thirsty as the desert. And now he was a man whose tongue was speechless, whose body was tired, whose spirit was broken. The tears of his pride could no longer be covered with the sands of the desert.

In fact, this world is a land no different from that desert. A desert where enemies and needs never end. Sometimes it scorches man’s determination with its burning sorrows; sometimes it distracts man and leads him astray with its mirages. And endless enemies, unceasing needs, inexhaustible troubles are hidden in it.

While walking in the desert of this world, man is in the middle of thousands of calamities with his helplessness and countless needs with his poverty. The shivering emptiness left in the soul by helplessness and poverty is filled only by remembering the name of the Sultan, whose power is infinite and whose mercy is limitless.

Yes! You are helpless... and poor... but you are not alone in this world.

If you take that name on your tongue, if you say “Bismillah”... Every affliction will retreat. Every door will open wide. Every heart will soften and every difficulty will become easier. Because you are no longer walking in your own name, but in the name of a Sultan.

Then no enemy can harm you; no threat can frighten you. Your need is met before you even mention it; your thirst is quenched before you even realize it. Because you are no longer Ownerless... The Sultan in whose name you walk will not forget you. This desert will swallow the one who walks alone, but makes those who walk in His name masters of the roads.

For you exist in this desert if you have a name.  So, before you trust yourself in this desert and you become disgraced by drifting alone in this desert, mention the name of Allah, the eternal owner and eternal sultan of this world, on your tongue. Say “Bismillah”...

Keep His name on your lips on the journey of life and do not be one of those who walk alone.