Ali 'Imran 157: If you are killed or die on the path of Allah, know that Allah’s forgiveness and mercy are better than everything they have amassed.

Surah Al-Imran, verse 157. The verse: If in Allah's way you are killed or die, know that Allah's forgiveness and mercy, than all the things they gather, are better.

Those who die or are killed in Allah's way — "what they gather", it says. Who are these?

However much worldly wealth they gather in their lifetime, let them gather. However much worldly wealth one spends. However much one worships. The one who dies and is killed in Allah's way, who gives his life to Allah — what does Allah Almighty say in the verse? Who buys paradise with their wealth and lives, it says. So those who with their wealth, in full sincerity, (?) in Allah's way, those who, unable themselves, for those going to battle buy provisions, buy clothing, buy armor, buy, let's say, weapons, or help their state — those who help with their wealth in this way, when their own strength is not enough, are just as if they took part there.

Yes. It is better than all they gather. So where do we understand that it is better? Do not call them dead. They are provided for from directions you do not know, it says. Allah Almighty says they are provided for. I too felt deep regret within myself. While writing the Quran, while writing tafsir, that verse, at the start of a verse, those martyrs: "What are you waiting for?" it says. "What are you waiting for? Look how beautifully our Lord welcomed us," they say. How beautifully He welcomed. Hearing them, I was deeply moved and could not (?) myself. I began to cry.

Khalid ibn al-Walid's words came to my mind. "Poor Khalid, who could not become a martyr," he said. "At least let me meet death standing," he said. He put on his armor and met death standing. And I, in that way, when I entered a (?) feeling, by inspiration from our Lord I was commanded to wash my hands and face. I went and washed my hands and face. I came to myself. "Have you not heard," it says, "the ink of scholars is like the blood of martyrs," it says. Then I was relieved. Yes.

So, the one who dies or is killed with Allah — however much worldly goods you gather, however much you worship, whether one is alive or not depends on your (?). Of course Allah knows, but their places are separate. They enter among the righteous servants. The righteous servants. In gardens beneath which rivers flow. Yes. Whoever in Allah's way is killed, or if killed, kills, or if they die, these are in the station of martyrs. In this case, even if people in worldly life, within their lifetimes, owned all the created worldly goods, in the end they will leave them with death and go. Those goods are not theirs.

Whose? Allah's. Is there a verse? Is there ever! What does it say? Every soul shall taste death. The inheritance of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah — it will remain to Allah. He created it. We are trustees. We are people who need the substances Allah created to sustain our lives, and who are finally tested with them. Do not forget this. We are people tested with material things. The misfortunes and mercies your Lord gives you in want and in (?) — you will prove yourself within the destiny in your own nature, through the deeds you do.

With what will you prove it? "We will test you somewhat with your lives, somewhat with your wealth," it says. Our Lord knows (?), and will make us bear witness over ourselves. And He will make you say, "Look, this is what you were." So how will these come about? With the goods and substances our Lord created, He made us (?) eating and drinking. Through this eating and drinking, through raising the children under our responsibility, our wives, our children, what our desire for the world is like He will prove to us, make us prove. With what? With the free decisions we will make within our own will, earning our own principles; in return for them we will be called to account tomorrow at (?) the Resurrection.

So I say: O mankind, this world, this world I speak of, is nothing other than a (?).

We are like a traveler journeying in a desert. Surely at the end of this desert we will reach a place. We are going in a caravan.

Some finish their journey before crossing the desert. And some at the end of the road; that is, it does not distinguish young or old. Within this life everyone will return to their Lord. So let us not be deceived by this world's rosy appearance and, falling for the temptations of Satan and the nafs, never turn our backs on Allah's verses. Even if we do not turn our backs, even if we know, let us not hold what our nafs desires above Allah's verses.

Yes.

All (?) will remain in the world. (?) according to Allah Almighty's verse "The inheritance of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah" again, beings will remain to Allah. People will not be able to take from the world to the hereafter even a single degree.

We say what we say as counterparts of the verses anyway. These are all verses. What does it say? Or do you own even an atom in the world? If that were so, nothing would be given from your world.

What does this mean? Man does not have the quality of creator; he is not a creator. In all this (?), whatever substances we see are all created by our Lord and presented to people as a blessing for them to use. From the clothes we wear, to the shoes on our feet, our eating and drinking, to that which gives our form, our appearance within this form — our body: all are our Lord's blessings to us. As Yunus Emre says: "I wrapped myself in flesh and bone and appeared as Yunus." All given to us in trust, and in the end their owner is Allah. He will take those substances back; since we are not creators, we only use our Lord's trusts and in the end hand them back to Him and go.

Hand them back and go.

Into the world we are born stark naked. We will come. And when leaving, we cannot take anything from the world with us. You know, some say you will be wrapped in a few yards of shroud — no, that too stays in the world. He cannot take that either. It does not go there.

Do you know what we take? Either, of the load of sins on our left shoulder, the porterage, or of the load of good deeds on our right shoulder the mount.

Yes, these we will take.

So if, deceived by the world's (?) appearance, we incline toward it, we will be left on foot.

If people die and are killed for Allah, more than what they owned in worldly life, in the hereafter, will be given to them. Above what they desired, what they cannot even imagine, Allah Almighty will give them there.

To the Prophet (peace be upon him) He gives such a station: Maqam Mahmud. What does it say? You cannot even imagine it. If it is beyond my imagination, I do not tire myself at all. I do not even imagine it. Without even thinking a little of how lofty his station is, under its exaltedness, the greatness of the Prophet's glory I think of, that's all. One day in Medina al-Munawwara, the Rawdah — (?). My son is probably listening to me there too. It says Medina there. He is my son too. One day while sitting, the beauty of that Rawdah — a place on which trillions were spent. This beautiful. Even Turkey's budget would not be enough for it.

Many budgets would not be enough. It was built so beautifully. At the Resurrection these will go to waste. The Resurrection will seize it. "O Allah," he said. Such a beautiful place. Such a beautiful place. At least, from that Maqam Mahmud, if this too were given to him — that is, if this place too were his.

Immediately, by inspiration into my heart: This world will put on its finest garment, will put on its finest garment, and tomorrow at the Resurrection will say, "Grant me to one of Your lesser saints." These are in a (?) sense, but there is a verse.

"We — that saint of Ours did not look at you while he was in the world; now should We give you to him?" He will say. Now we have come to the verse. The world, like an old rag, (?), will be thrown into hell.

So, the world's root, in the hereafter, against the freedom of the soul, is a nothing. Accordingly, those who covet the world, who are with it, who make each other hostile, who kill one another for the world, do their own selves harm. Yes.

Moreover, all the blessings they desired in worldly life but did not attain will be offered to people. In the hereafter. That in paradise (?), in the eternal abode of bliss, pleased and content with Allah they will live, Allah Almighty in this verse declares. His saying it is better than all the things they gather — that is, apart from the one who dies and the one who kills in Allah's way, the gathered goods, that is, the goods other people gather, against the lives these gave to their Lord, that nothing measures up to this, yes, that it is far better than all they gather it tells us. It clearly declares the value He gives to those who die or are killed in Allah's way.

In Allah's way. Yes. In the verse Allah Almighty says, do not call them dead. They are provided for from directions you do not know. His saying this declares that, in His sight, these martyrs dying or being killed in Allah's way is better than the created worldly goods. Yes.