Ali 'Imran 172: Those who follow the call of the Prophet after being injured, those among them who commit good deeds and who abstain from sins – for them, there is a great reward.

This time Allah Almighty speaks of the veterans. Of the veterans. Those who, after being wounded, still answer the call of Allah and the Prophet — especially for those among them who do good and are God-fearing there is a very great reward, it says.

The verses must be understood well. Those who, after being wounded, still answer the call of Allah and the Prophet. That is, those who open their hearts to Islam. In a form that the light of faith gives them, ready to give their lives in the way of Allah and His Messenger, waiting like a troop — such people. Especially those among them who do good; that is, no carelessness because 'I am a veteran'. No carelessness. No disregard for halal and haram. He goes, but after coming back he does bad things. Not these. Not these. Who then? Pay attention to the verse. That's why one must pay great attention.

And they set out at the Prophet's call. Especially for those among them who do good and are God-fearing there is a very great reward. God-fearing. Also, let us pay attention to halal and haram.

Yes.

Those who go to war for Allah and become veterans by being wounded on the battlefields.

Again, according to the call of Allah and the Prophet, for the preservation of the religion of Islam, those who fight for homeland, religion and nation; especially to the God-fearing among them Allah promises a very great reward. A very great reward. What is this great reward, Hodja? Allah knows best. But the reward we know: if He gives the martyrs Paradise, these too He does not distinguish from them.

Allah Almighty has gathered all religions in the religion of Islam. All religions. So neither Christianity has remained nor the Hebrews.

The Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel have been gathered in the Quran. Allah Almighty all these too, in fact, you know, when He says İnne'd-dîne inda'llâhi'l-İslâm, this — if they take it only as 'the religion with Allah is Islam', meaning Muslimhood, as meaning the religion of Islam since the time of our Prophet (peace be upon him), they are mistaken. They are mistaken.

Why are they mistaken?

Allah Almighty — before the Prophet (peace be upon him) came, with the books He sent earlier, if their religion had been outside Islam, when it is said the religion with Allah is Islam, if it is said that since the Prophet (peace be upon him) the religion of Islam is valid, and those after it have no validity, they fall into sin. Besides, if they thought like this: they too were Allah's prophets, they too had religions — if one says so — well, their religions too, whether Christian or Hebrew or (?), because they are upon the nature of Islam, He says the religion with Allah is Islam. From Moses, from Adam on, many prophets and messengers He sent without a book, within their commands, and those who told people their Lord's commands; sending the Torah with Moses, and it too being upon the nature of Islam.

Why? What Allah speaks of is Islam; if it is one Islam, his is Islam too. Being upon the nature of Islam; sending the Psalms with David, being upon the nature of Islam; sending the Gospel with Jesus, being upon the nature of Islam; sending the Quran to Muhammad (peace be upon him) for all the worlds, being upon the nature of Islam — İnne'd-dîne inda'llâhi'l-İslâm, the religion with Allah is Islam, He says. He does not set any of them apart. He does not set any of them apart. But those who went outside them, who after those prophets fell into division, who, after the Prophet, the mercy to the worlds, came, said 'no, this is my religion' and continued in that religion, are unbelievers.

Those who worship idols are polytheists. Those who do not enter Islam and hold various ideologies are non-Muslims.

It must be understood well. One must know the subtleties. Yes.

So, (?) listen: when we say Allah's Islam, by Allah's command, with the books sent through the prophets — the People of the Book, those who follow those books, are upon the nature of the religion of Islam. If He had separated these from the nature of Islam, when He says İnne'd-dîne inda'llâhi'l-İslâm, if He had meant only the religion of Islam He sent through the Prophet,

those who followed those prophets would have been outside Islam. May Allah protect us.

So what is it now? They too are upon the nature of Islam: İnne'd-dîne inda'llâhi'l-İslâm, the religion with Allah is Islam. Whoever fulfilled Allah's command, with the commands He gave to the prophets He spoke to, with the books He sent; whoever followed them until the next prophet; then, when that prophet came, whoever followed that prophet's command until the next prophet; and then, when that prophet came, those who followed his command, right up to Muhammad (peace be upon him); and after Muhammad (peace be upon him) came, those who follow the Quran — these people are upon the nature of Islam.

That is İnne'd-dîne inda'llâhi'l-İslâm: the religion with Allah is Islam. Yes.

What are we saying now? This part will be understood better now. Or rather, it has been understood. Allah Almighty gathered all religions with the religion of Islam — they too were upon the nature of Islam, after all. He gathered them and bestowed the religion of Islam on people as a single religion, that is, in the Quran. Their religions too were upon the nature of Islam; He gathered them — with what? Their originals, and the verses within the books, He gathered. He brought them into the Quran and placed them there. Yes. He bestowed the religion of Islam. He bestowed the religion of Islam on people.

Allah Almighty, who will keep this religion alive until the Day of Judgement, programmed the worlds, and within this program, so that people could find the truth or live their (?), Allah, to people, in this unseen realm, that is the material realm — when you say unseen realm, the material realm, meaning a realm where our Lord is not seen, the unseen realm. Yes, in that realm prophets and books He has sent.

According to His verse, We would not hold anyone responsible for what We had not made known, Allah Almighty, who veils the hereafter from people, according to people's intentions and wishes, with the events He created in the material realm — these worlds have been programmed.

He has programmed these worlds. Allah Almighty will maintain these worlds to the end. Wise people, those who understand that this program will not break, are the ones who take their place with Allah. With Allah. Since these worlds are a program, since Allah brought these worlds into being from nothing, since nothing comes from nothing nor goes into nothing, nothing comes from nothing, comes from nothing. Only Allah brings into being; Allah Almighty made these worlds and whatever will come until the Day of Judgement He has programmed. Outside that program nothing comes from nothing, nor goes from being into nothing.

All of these have their reckoning; He has programmed them. Well, in that case, if people use their minds, that there is a Lord who created them and the worlds, and that Allah Almighty did not create these worlds in vain, nor create man to live his own pleasure and enjoyment at random in the whims of his nafs, for people, it says, by their deeds — humanity by some of its deeds is baser than animals, it says. They are like the four-legged beasts on earth, even more astray in their way, it says. Even, it says, more astray in their way. In that case, that our Lord created the worlds, that He is their absolute owner, that people have no door (?) apart from Allah Almighty, and finally that this person, created close to His essence, will one day be called to account; because what does He say? Who is truer to his word than Allah?

We will resurrect you (?). At that supreme court — Eleysallâhu bi-ahkemi'l-hâkimîn — He who is the judge of judges, who on that day, with His ruling 'judgement is Mine alone', will bring people to trial, Allah Almighty, has endowed every person with the blessing of reason, with the blessing of reason endowed. Though every person knows Allah's existence through this blessing of reason, if he deifies the whims of his nafs, follows every stubborn devil, and follows in Satan's footsteps and turns his back on what Allah says; if, out of the pride and arrogance, grandeur, (?) and fame of his own nafs he does not bow to Allah, and is deceived by the words the taghuts say among their own followers, by gaudy words, and turns his back on Allah, woe to that person's state.

Now it comes to my mind; we don't want it, but it happens, it comes. On television we see it. I was watching, and on the news I looked, and it says: a star has fallen. A star has fallen. Where, I wondered, has a star fallen? How did they make this star fall, how did it happen? I mean, did a star fall in the world, what is it? Where? There was an artist, it turns out. This artist. He drank and drank. He existed, in fact, and died.

These people, they became stars. This one fell, meaning he died.

What kind of star is this?

There are sultans. Do you know the sultans? You all know the sultan.

Who are sultans? People who govern states. Well, temporary sultans. Do you know who the true sultan is? People who, in the sight of Allah, have disciplined their nafs, attained their Lord's mercy and are alive are the sultans.

Eyüp Sultan, Mevlana, Abdulqadir Gilani, Ahmad al-Rifai, Imam Rabbani, countless people, really. These are sultans. Look, they are remembered with mercy until the Day of Judgement. What kind of star is this? A star, right. A star of what? Stars of kufr.

Still we wish, we do wish, that despite their being a bad example to people, despite stripping stark naked outside the religion of Islam, despite displaying every kind of immorality to people, still out of our faith we say: God willing, Allah forgives their sins, and if he (?) with the religion of Islam, God willing, He grants him His Paradise too, we say. Because we are human, we are human. (?), without distinguishing young, old, aged, regardless of women and children, if death catches us, if we do not know when we will die, if we know this world is the only one, if everyone has come to this world to prove what kind of person they are, if they have come to prove what kind of person they are — did you think, without proving what kind of person you are, you would (?), according to the verse?

I say: use your minds. From oppressing people, consuming what is forbidden, drinking and gambling, committing adultery, speaking ill — keep yourselves from these. Do not say these things. If possible, do good. Say beautiful words, sweet words. If possible, turn to piety too. Pay attention to halal and haram.

Only then do we find salvation. Then we attain our Lord's mercy.

That the world is a temporary guesthouse you see. We all see it. Everything is appearing before our eyes.

We will take care of ourselves. Allah Almighty does not say: work constantly and worship Me — Allah forbid. Our Lord does not say that. That you worship at certain times, rest at certain times, at certain times work; the responsibility He placed on you must be fulfilled. Within those times the load you can bear He (?) on you, so that if you fulfil these, while working, this matter of the world, to prove what kind of person you are, is spread before you — (?) exam pieces, exam questions, let's say. When using these, is it for your benefit, or, well, for (?) seizure, for the lawful or for the forbidden?

What are you using it for? According to how you use it, according to your intention, Allah Almighty will give you reward and sin. While living this, these events, you will have proven yourself to your Lord. And you will have made both yourself and those around you witnesses. So a person, within the time of this temporary world, will also seek ways to draw near to Allah. Just as he seeks ways to become rich in the world, ways to live comfortably, he will also seek ways to draw near to Allah. And this is the most beautiful way anyway. The most profitable way. Yes.

But those who, still stubborn, make no concession from their nafs, in the ranks against Allah, in (?), take their places. In the ranks against Allah — where? In drink, gambling, adultery; whatever Allah said, they do the opposite. They even, even say: what have we found in this Islam, what have we found? Look at the one who lives this Islam, he lives like a vegetable, they say, like a vegetable. I mean (?), one who does not live the states of the nafs, who is master of his nafs, whose will is strong — of him they say, he lives like a vegetable. Our answer to them is very bitter. If he insults such a person, I insult him like this.

A short time before the Prophet (peace be upon him) came into the world, those who buried their children alive in the ground, who were ashamed of daughters, who made their mothers and sisters dance at drinking tables, it says, and then like (?) used them and pushed them aside. (?) stripping people bare, for their own nafs making them entertain. Those who say of Islam 'living like a vegetable', 'reactionary' are the ones who brought true reaction into their own time. You are the true reaction. Islam, though, is not reaction, I say. Islam is not a person living like a vegetable. Islam knows the step it takes, checks the firmness of its step by the verses. And, saying, how will I give account tomorrow at the supreme court in my Lord's presence, those who check the words that leave their mouths, who know the weakness of their nafs and are servants to Allah.

These are the Muslims; these are the ones who live in peace. Look at your heart, I say; turn to your heart, don't deceive yourself. living in unrest, in misery; even with your wealth and property, it never brings you peace; seeking peace in drink, here and there, you are a person who has wrapped misery around his own neck, I tell him. Is it so or not? Don't deny it, don't deny it, I tell him. Tell the truth. Allah says, speak the truth. Speak the truth. Those who speak the truth say so too. Speak the truth, He says. Then draw near to Allah, I say.

What is this reaction, then? It is longing for the old. Those who call us reactionary — longing for the old, meaning longing for the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), they say; in fact, the Muslim acts as a mirror for him and he sees himself. The person who says reaction, since in the Muslim he sees himself, longs for the old; his present state, that realm he calls reaction, by living it, what kind of person he is he proves.

That's why we must be alert. We know the steps we take. Islam has been honoured with knowledge oriented to the future. Knowledge is the enlightened person freed from superstitions. The enlightened person. Beware of those who thirst for enlightenment. Be very careful with people who say 'we are enlightened'. Please, I beg you. Take a look at them, at their state. Those who say they are enlightened and deceive themselves.

Those who, at drinking tables and gatherings, search for themselves and adorn themselves with starry words, who return home in a miserable state, who fool themselves saying they're enlightened, who live every kind of immorality outside Islam.

That is not enlightened; the enlightened person is loaded with knowledge, (?) with technology, the future's technology, who has caught the age of the future — that person is enlightened. People who say 'we are modern' prove that they are contemporaries of those who compete in immorality today. A modern person — for you to call someone modern, he must take America's technology, England's technology, the world's latest technology and compete with them within that technology; that is the modern person. What kind of modern are you talking about? If you mean the age of immorality, that's right.

Pay close attention to words, pay close attention to people's states, and let the verses be your binoculars, let the verses be your radar.

Whoever is honoured with Islam, honoured with the verses — honoured with Islam and honoured with the verses, neither Satan nor the (?) taghut can deceive him. What does Allah Almighty say in His verse? (?) Satan (?), it says. (?). That is why my (?) request of you is that you learn the verses very well. That you do not fall for superstitions thinking you know the verses.

The more you free yourselves of superstition, the more your inner unveiling opens. The more peace you attain. (?) the verses confirm one another. And you are freed from depression. Our duty is to serve you. Because Allah loves His servants, He sends scholars to them as servants.

So listen well and grasp it well.

Yes. Whoever takes his place on Allah's side and is with Allah, bows to what comes from Allah and fulfils what Allah says, has surrendered himself to Allah and made jihad for Allah. Not necessarily war.

Not necessarily fighting. Jihad does not necessarily mean 'I will go to war'. Those who fight with their own (?) are also in a jihad. For Allah. As a servant created by Allah, knowing the weakness of his nafs, not following Satan's footsteps, breaking the pride and arrogance of his nafs, opposing the grandeur of his nafs, (?), in Allah's religion, people who advance with character on their Lord's path are also people who have set out on jihad against their nafs. If he masters his nafs and rules it, he joins those Allah loves.

Yes. And if these are God-fearing people, Allah promises them great rewards. They attain great ranks.

Yes. Go ahead, go ahead.