Al-Hajj 53: (Allah allows Shaytan/Devil to do this so that) those who have a sickness in their hearts and those whose hearts have hardened, what devil (shaytan) mixes in, becomes a (means of a) test. (As long as they are in that state) oppressors are truly in a far distance (from Allah).

Surah Al-Hajj, verse 53, again one of the wrongly interpreted verses. What does it say? Allah permits Satan to do so, so that, for those in whose hearts is a disease and whose hearts have hardened, He may make what Satan adds a means of trial. The wrongdoers are truly in a separation quite far from the truth.

Now Allah Almighty — according to this verse, but according to the verse interpreted this way — look what meaning it takes on. Before stating the meaning, let me first read it to you once more, pay attention. The wrongly interpreted verse. Allah permits Satan to do so, so that, for those in whose hearts is a disease and whose hearts have hardened, He may make what Satan adds a means of trial. The wrongdoers are truly in a separation quite far from the truth. Now in this case Allah doesn't know what His servants will do. He made Satan a means. Satan will tempt them. Of those who follow Satan, Allah — look, he follows Satan — will say: these people are such people, that is.

Doesn't it come to that meaning? That's the meaning. Let me read it again; after I've told you the meaning, see whether it is the same meaning. Allah permits Satan to do so, so that, for those in whose hearts is a disease and whose hearts have hardened, He may make what Satan adds a means of trial. And this is exactly where the mistake is. May make it a means of trial. Now we read the correct one. Allah permits Satan to do so — He permits it. Why? Because there was to be someone who speaks the truth, He says. And there was to be someone who shows him a way other than the truth, He says. People are to be tested, you see, I mean examined; (?), examined, you see.

In this case Allah Almighty, Satan — by cursing Satan himself, he in turn shows the way to people who are bad. He cannot guide the good, because Satan's temptation is ignorant, it says. Now what does it say? Allah permits Satan to do so, so that, for those in whose hearts is a disease and whose hearts have hardened, what Satan adds may be, for this person, in terms of proving what kind of person he is, a means of examination. Look: so that he proves what kind of person he is, a means of examination for that person. Yes. The wrongdoers, while in that state, it says — whereas the other one, what does it say? The wrongdoers are truly in a separation quite far from the truth. The wrongdoers — now, the wrongdoers being in a separation quite far from the truth — the meaning of the word, of the Arabic word, is quite different: the wrongdoers, while in that state, are in a separation quite far from the truth — different.

Isn't it? Now, as long as wrongdoing people remain in that state, they are far from Allah's word of truth. What does it say here now? Truly quite far from the truth a — the wrongdoers are truly in a separation quite far from the truth. Now, regarding the word wrongdoers, they ask the Prophet (peace be upon him): Whom do they call a wrongdoer? Even a father who discriminates between his children is a wrongdoer, he says. Well, now this one too has ended up far from the truth. Yet he is a Muslim. If a father discriminated between his children, became a wrongdoer, and it says wrongdoers are far from the truth, then Allah Almighty casts every wrongdoer out of Islam.

Allah forbid. What do we say? The wrongdoers, while in that state, are truly in a separation quite far from the truth. If we give an example of these not from Islam but from non-Muslims: are there none among non-Muslims who become Muslim? From among the wrongdoers. So, those people, as long as they are in that state, their ears are closed to the truth, their eyes are veiled from the truth, and their hearts are sealed. As long as they are in that state. Yes.

Having understood this, we continue our lesson, its meaning. Allah Almighty, except for the prophets — except for Allah Almighty's prophets — permits the accursed one's temptation he will give to people. Bring me the Quran here, let me see. Now it must be in Surah As-Sajdah, I think. Let's look at it. Let's support the verse, these words, with verses together. Sir,

Ashab Saba Yes, if we look at Surah Saba, let's take it from its twentieth verse. What does it say? Indeed, Iblis found his assumption about them to be true. Look what it says. Some people, you know, rebel: Your servants, he says, from the path that leads to You I will hold back, he says. He doesn't say this knowingly. He says it by guessing. Of course, as far as his power reaches. And what does Allah Almighty say here now? Indeed, Iblis found his assumption about them to be true. Except for the believers, they all followed him.

Well. Except for the believers, it says. Pay attention. Muslims included. They all followed him. Is there anyone who doesn't follow him? Anyone who doesn't follow Satan's temptation? But in the end he repents. He regrets. Faith protects him. His faith protects him. Yes. We continue. Yet Satan has no authority over them at all. This is the wrongly interpreted verse. Then I'll read the correct one.

Only so that We may distinguish and know the one who believes in the hereafter from the one who remains in doubt, He gave him this opportunity. So now Allah doesn't know, and puts Satan forward. If He put Satan forward and Satan did his duty, why should Satan be cursed — he carried out Your command. Now look at (?). I'll read this part again. Yet Satan had no authority over them at all. Only so that We may distinguish and know the one who believes in the hereafter from the one who remains in doubt. So — He doesn't know, hence "so that We may know". We gave him this opportunity. Your Lord truly knows everything.

Now, the correct version is this. Yet Satan has no authority over them at all. That is, he has no authority over people at all. Only so that the one who believes in the hereafter and those who remain in doubt may be separated from one another, Satan was given the opportunity he asked for. Your Lord truly knows everything. Why was it given? There was one who showed the right. Look — so that he would show goodness too. Now, so that with its goodness the right (?) — Allah knows, after all — He will create a cause. Well, (?) cause. Yes.

How beautifully the verses support one another like this, don't they? Of course. The verses support one another. There is no verse that contradicts another. But verses interpreted with errors and superstitions ascribe attributes to Allah. If we say Allah is free from all deficient attributes, what will they tell us? They'll say yes, won't they? Yes. There is no deficiency in Him, right? They'll say yes. He never makes mistakes, right? They'll say yes. You say: He has no words that contradict each other, right? They'll say yes. Well then, what is this you've interpreted? What is this you've interpreted?

It ascribed attributes to Allah. If you ask whether Allah discriminates among His servants, they'll say He doesn't. He doesn't. Why doesn't He? Oh, He does it according to those (?) minds, they say. He set apart the unbelievers, He set apart the Muslims, they say. Yet the person unaware of the address "Elestü bi-Rabbiküm" — unaware of people who, in proportion to their own covenants and their intentions, with their own wishes and desires made themselves, their characters, their own and had their destinies written accordingly — unaware of this, unaware of this verse — these are people's interpretations, they wrote them.

There are some noises. What is that? Tell them to cut the noise for a minute. It's coming from in there. Are they doing it from upstairs, I wonder? How's it going? Are they cutting it? Yes. What did we say here now? Allah Almighty, except for the prophets, permits the temptation the accursed one will give to people — we just read it. Why? The prophets are charged with guiding people; the prophets, since they are bound to Allah from the heart, as Allah Almighty places revelation deep-rooted and in wording and meaning in the hearts, Iblis's temptation in the prophets' hearts is cancelled. In this case He makes people guided through the prophets, Allah Almighty.

So that every person can live the covenant he gave to Allah Almighty, Allah permits the temptation Satan gives people. He permits it. He permits it even to the prophets. What does it say? When We give revelation to a prophet's heart, Iblis, it says, by all means tries to give him a temptation. It's what comes after this that they interpret wrongly. We cancel the temptation Iblis will give, it says, and place the wording and meaning, deep-rooted, it says, in our Prophet's heart. Now since Allah Almighty, in partial free will, does not interfere with anyone's will, He never interferes with the temptation Satan gives, even if it is a prophet, never.

So how does it happen? We, it says, the wording — We place the revelation firmly in his heart in terms of meaning. The temptation Satan gives hits the truth and is cancelled. So it is in the (?) heart. So the prophet's station of guidance, his feelings, desire and wish toward Allah, his zeal, and, when Allah Almighty places that verse in the prophet, with the wisdom He gives, he grasps the subtleties of the verses, and the temptation Satan gives him is cancelled because it is ignorant. One verse proves this. To My servant who knows Me, Satan's temptation is ignorant, it says. Now here, did Allah cancel it, or, through that servant's knowledge, did Satan's temptation, being false, hit the truth and get cancelled?

If the verses are very well interpreted, they support one another. But if he says I know Arabic and sets out to interpret this, it's half-baked, like the flight of a bird with a broken wing. Since it can't fly, what does it do? It keeps flapping about. Yes.

So that every person can live the covenant he gave to Allah Almighty, Allah permits the temptation Satan gives people. If a person's covenant with Allah is good, even if Satan tempts this person, this person pays no heed to Satan's temptation. Nor does he go outside Allah's command. Allah Almighty, in one of His verses: To My servant who knows Me, Satan's temptation is ignorant, He says. If a person gave his covenant to Allah by denying Allah, this person, as for the verses Allah sent him as guidance and salvation — denying them, he follows the temptation Satan will give him. Isn't it so? We tell them the verses.

What are they still doing, following the temptation Satan gives? They oppose. Today Emre Nasoğlu says I am the Mahdi. Well, we explain who the Mahdi is. But his students say: my Hodja is the Mahdi. Well, if he is the Mahdi, where is Jesus? Then as I said, as he says. Where has Jesus gone? Some say that Said Nursi is the Mahdi. Well, where is Jesus? (?) still alive, (?), he hasn't come yet. Yes. Since I have explained the (?) to you, I don't feel obliged to explain it here. Because it's always the same children of ours listening to me. Yes.

Satan, man, Allah — if a person gave his covenant to Allah by denying Allah, this person, denying the verses Allah sent him as guidance and salvation, follows the temptation Satan will give him. Because this person's aim is to listen to Allah's command, to follow his own nafs desire. Not to listen, to follow his own nafs desire. Therefore, to satisfy their nafs desire, the temptation Satan gives is to these people's liking. And so these people follow Satan. That's right. Now, let's say (?) gave his covenant by denying Allah. Drink gives him pride. He drinks. Indeed, they drink alcohol to celebrate something.

They don't keep a table without alcohol. What is that? I am wealthy. Or: I drink alcohol. Satan deceives him so nicely. That is, not only about alcohol — about all (?), if you tell the man the truth, the man almost reaches the point where the skies, the clouds in the skies, would burst. Yes. The wrongdoers are truly in quite a separation from the truth. These people recognize no right or law; the strong crush the weak; leaning their backs on material things, they want to get all their affairs done through it. Allah's custom, His justice, does not suit such people. Therefore they keep moving away from the truth.

These are the wrongdoers. Here we are defining the wrongdoers. Everyone, living out in deeds in the world what corresponds to the covenant he made with Allah, after holding himself as witness before Allah, in return for what their two hands earned in the world, will be called to account in the presence of Allah Almighty.