Hud 1: Alif. Laam. Raa. This is a Book whose verses have been fortified and then explained by the One (Allah) who is Hakeem (Ultimately-Wise) and Khabeer (All-Aware).

We have come to the first verse of Surah Hud. Elif Lâm Râ. This revealed to you is a Book, by Allah, Possessor of wisdom and Aware of all things, whose verses were made firm and then explained. There are two meanings here. Two meanings. Look, what does it say now? Elif, Lâm, Râ. On letters. These letters. This revealed to you, by the Possessor of wisdom, that is, by Allah, and by the One aware of everything — by Allah its verses were made firm. These letters were joined together. The letters were joined together. and then it is a Book explained. That is, it is a Book that sheds light before you with the rulings of the sharia.

Then We explained it. In fact, My word is based on letters, He says. It is not possible for you to decipher this, and I possess the secret of creation, and these verses, toward you, toward people, in proportion to their reason, so that in the world they can prove what kind of person they are, within a measure of reason that can tell right from crooked, My verses I made firm, I reinforced, and I sent them before you as light, He says. The other, the others are reserved for Me, He says. Which? The muqatta'a verses.

Yes. The muqatta'a verses.

Let's see. What does it say here?

In the seventh verse of Surah Al Imran, the seventh verse, look what Allah Almighty decrees: to the unlettered Messenger, that is, to the Prophet (peace be upon him), that Allah who sent down the Book — how the verses support one another: Elif Lâm Râ, and here it says Elif Lâm Mîm, look now: this revealed to you, by Allah, Possessor of wisdom and Aware of all things, is a Book whose verses were made firm and then explained. What does it say here? That Allah who sent down His Book to the unlettered Messenger as muhkam, that is, as firm — He is the One who sent the Book down without subjecting it to any change.

That is, so that it would never — "is there perhaps in this Book, in this Book, an insertion, is there an error?" — enter the mind of any created being, in such a way We sent these verses of Ours from the Preserved Tablet to the Sidrat al-Muntaha, to the station called Kadir, down. The proof? Ah, the proof. One. The proof of the Quran's descent. One. Allah Almighty reveals it to the Prophet (peace be upon him), to his heart. This is a revelation, He says. Is that so? The Quran is a revelation. What is revelation? It is Allah Almighty, who is outside time and space, to the Prophet, who is within time and space, (peace be upon him), to his heart, by way of communication, making His verses known.

That is revelation. Revelation. This is the first proof. Revelation. Gabriel the Trustworthy — at the Sidrat al-Muntaha, by Allah's command, from the revelation sent down there, the one given to the Prophet, given to his heart — whichever verses of the revelation they are, those verses he takes from there, and Gabriel the Trustworthy is unaware of this. That is, he is unaware of the Quran's verses beforehand. He takes from there those verses sent down by Allah's command and to the Prophet (peace be upon him) he would recite them. Why? His heart would be at ease. The revelation given and Gabriel's recitation — the two would reinforce each other. Here three points are listed.

That the Quran has never undergone any change. One: Allah Almighty sending the Holy Quran down from the Preserved Tablet to the Sidrat al-Muntaha — sending it down. Two: He both sends it down there and, to the Prophet's heart, He reveals the verses He sent down. He reveals, He says. Three: the Prophet — although that revelation was sent down into his heart, by its being recited the same way by Gabriel, his heart is both put at ease, and that the Quran was sent down wholly unadulterated is proven. A fourth proof: when We reveal, He says, when We reveal to the Prophet's heart, lest, He says, Iblis try to give him a temptation.

But We reveal Our revelation forcefully, He says, to the Prophet's heart. The temptation Satan would give strikes that revelation, He says, and turns back. It is annulled, He says. Yes. How well proven, isn't it?

So, in the seventh verse of Surah Al Imran: that Allah who sent the Book down to the unlettered Messenger as muhkam, He is the One who sent the Book down without subjecting it to any change. We explained this. Let's look at what the next part says.

Some of its verses are clear and definitive as the foundations of the Quran, it says. Some verses. That is, My word is based on letters. When I form these letters into a verse in a way you can understand, a verse — this verse shows you a way, and at the same time Allah proves His Being in every verse. He speaks of His Being. In this case, when He says to you it is muhkam, that is, clear and definitive as the foundations of the Quran. The rulings of the sharia, the events I gave that shed light before you, the examples We have given, figurative meanings, similes — all are Our verses that shed light before you, He says.

And some verses are mutashabih, He says. They are mutashabih. Those with doubts in their hearts, to stir up sedition, give meanings by their own reason and follow the interpretation of the mutashabih verses, He says. For example, saying verses like Elif Lâm Mîm, Elif Lâm Mîm Râ, Tâ Hâ, Yâ Sîn mean this and that, this means that — people with (?) in their hearts, with sedition, by interpreting these fall into the passion of becoming leaders. And the Prophet (peace be upon him) says so beautifully: Whoever falls into the passion of being a leader loses his own head, he says. Yes.

Yet only Allah knows the interpretation of the mutashabih, He says. And if Allah says only Allah knows, no one can speak about these, about these muqatta'a verses. Whoever speaks, stamp him as a zindiq. Stamp him.

Those steeped in Our knowledge — that is, people whom Allah Almighty Himself raised, who rose from the nafs mutmainna to the nafs radiya, who entered through the door of 'ilm al-yaqin, and to whom Allah Almighty, through the openness of kashf, showed the meanings of many verses — being steeped in Allah's knowledge means, that is, His showing him many verses — yes, those steeped in Our knowledge say: we believe in it, all the clear and hidden verses are from our Lord. Only those who use their reason and enter through the door of that knowledge know these.

Yes. Go ahead. Hodja, they asked last week, didn't they, whether you believe the Holy Quran is the word of God. They really asked the right person then. After this verse too. Yes.

A miraculous word. A miracle. Look how the verses all support each other like this. If this were a human (?), He says, human (?), you would find in it many words that do not agree, He says.

Elif, Lâm, Râ. These verses are muqatta'a verses. No meaning is given about these. For more detail, one should consult the 1st volume, with the verses of Surah Al Imran. We consulted it too, and explained it here. Yes. The Holy Quran was sent down by Allah, Possessor of wisdom, powerful over all things, aware of all things, to whom alone dominion and praise belong, the One of absolute power, to Muhammad (peace be upon him). Yes, now when it says "sent down", two meanings come out of this. One: its being sent down to the Prophet's heart by revelation. Two: the Holy Quran's descending from the Preserved Tablet to the Sidrat al-Muntaha.

In two meanings. Both were sent down. One zahir, one batin.

Yes.

If it weren't zahir, Gabriel the Trustworthy couldn't have seen it there, read it, and come to the Prophet and recited it. This is the zahir. Batin: Allah Almighty giving it to the Prophet's heart through revelation. Batin means essence. It means root. Root, essence, root. Yes.

The meaning in saying the verses of the Holy Quran were made firm: Allah Almighty is free of deficient attributes.

No deficiency is found in Him. Allah is complete and perfect. For this reason, that in all created existence, since its creation, in the created things no disorder has arisen, and that the created will continue their course until a time decreed — that Allah is complete and perfect in His knowledge and His Being is what this shows us.

The creation of this whole universe within a program, all these created beings, in the duties they will perform, being created without deficiency, and whatever creature has been created, in the duty it will perform, within its bodily garment, without any difficulty, Allah Almighty bringing it forth in the most beautiful way to fulfil its duty, creating it. In this case this goes toward the secret of the secret. In this case no created being, regarding the duty it will perform, to Allah Almighty will be able to complain. No created being.

This is the secret of the secret that cannot be opened. We draw a (?) there, to the other side. We turn to this side now. Yes.

For this reason, one: that there is no deficiency in Allah's word, in many verses He says it like this. Allah Almighty: turn your eye to the heavens. Will you be able to find a crack in it? Your eye will fall back before you, humbled. Yes. There is a verse.

Do you never reflect, He says. That is, do you not think? That for a people who understand there are many wisdoms, He declares. So, since in this created existence and creation, in the heavens and the earth, there is no disorder or deficiency, and since the knowledge of all these created things is also in the Holy Quran, surely the verses of the Holy Quran, firm and muhkam, will have no deficiency in them.

There will be no deficiency. Because this universe was arranged according to the verses of the Holy Quran, and this creation, this existence, from atom to globe, seven layers of heavens and (?), this universe was created programmed on these verses.

What does this resemble? Like an engineer drawing the shape of a building, its strength — what it will withstand, you know, its strength against (?), or its lifespan, or its weight and (?), or which steel will bear it, how much (?), how much, you know, material goes into it — just as he does the calculation (?), Allah Almighty too, the order of this created universe, has calculated, written and drawn according to verses like this. The Prophet, in his farewell sermon: I entrust to you such a trust that everything wet and dry, he says, whatever you seek is in it, he says. What is it, he says? It is the Quran, he says.

Yes. So Allah Almighty too has these worlds thus programmed, and created them within an order. Hodja, haven't you (?) here now? Allah said kun, that is, be, and it was. Didn't He create these like that? He did not create them that way. Well, how do we know what you say, that He didn't create them that way? We, He says, created the heavens in two days, the earth in two days, what is between them in two days, He says. We created them in exactly six days, He says. Where did the word kun stay here? So are you denying the verse? God forbid. You can't understand this verse. So how will we understand it, Hodja?

When Allah Almighty says kun, when He says be: it is My will, I create, He says. Imam Ghazali also says this: That foolish man — what does he say, he says? He said kun — so what became of the sound and the letter? He also adds the "foolish man" thing to it. In this case, Allah Almighty, who created these worlds in six days, by which days did He create them? Since the world did not exist, He created them according to the days of the hereafter. So if a thousand years here are like one day of the hereafter, if it says six days, He created them in six thousand years. He created them in six thousand years by the world's measure.

The verses (?). If you can say otherwise and convince me (?) the verses, the verses are like this.

In this case, why do people (?)? It goes against their knowledge. Which knowledge? Superstitions.

Because it goes against superstitions, they rebel. Instead of rebelling, blessed one, why not be ruled by Allah's verses? What does Allah say? Do you not use your reason, He says. Use your reason. Reflect a little. Make a comparison, a comparison.

Look what Allah Almighty decrees too. We created everything in these worlds upon a comparison, all with each other. Comparable like this. So make a comparison with yourself, let's see. This man says it like this. In the verse it is like this, yes. But is there a verse for what I know? No — whom did I hear it from? From Ahmet, from Mehmet. Well, they know it that way. Well, it's written that way in the books too. Well now, what the Hodja Efendi says is not like that in any book. No, the books were made and written for centuries to insert superstitions. You know, there was that answer from Reddin Muhtar to me.

This man has people read nothing but his own book. Well, those books you read are full of superstitions, the books of Ahmet and Mehmet. And if the Hodja Efendi has no one read anything but his own book, look at the Hodja Efendi's book: the Holy Quran. I don't have people read the Hodja Efendi's book. I have them read Allah's Book.

Yes.

To one who understands, he says, a mosquito is music; to one who doesn't, drum and zurna are not enough.

Since no one can change anyone's destiny, we are obliged to tell the truth. Just as He said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), you are not a guardian over them — and since the idolaters attacked the Prophet (peace be upon him), who came as a mercy to the worlds — these former (?) too will attack the truth as if rabid. They attack the truth. Because this is (?). Supposedly he himself is a believer. Supposedly he is protecting that faith of his. In fact, the one who protects his faith is a person who uses his reason and makes comparisons. The person who will protect his faith. So it's not your faith — you are a person who has deified his nafs, who runs after his nafs, no different from an idolater.

Yes. That is why in the religion of Islam there is using reason. You will use your reason. In the religion of Islam there is evidence, evidence. Just as judges collect evidence, as I explained just now. There is evidence, evidence. The evidence is Allah's verses. Look, these are the evidence. These are the verses. Each one is evidence. (?) books written by people serving (?) mentalities and dark ambitions — if they please that limited reason of yours and you have your reason mortgaged — when you mortgage your own reason to that person's reason, and you follow that two- legged taghut and try to lay falsehood over the truth, you do harm to your own self.

Yes.

So your evidence is not the sentences in this or that person's book. Your evidence will be Allah's verses. Then stand up against me. Come with Allah's verses.

What does Umar say? If you stray from the religion of Islam, he says, with this (?) in my hand I'll beat you back onto the path.

And an aged old man: O Umar, you too, he says, if you go outside the religion of Islam, I too, he says, will beat you back onto the path. With what, he says, will you bring me onto the path? With what strength, he says? In this old state of yours? With Allah's verses, he says — and he falls into prostration. Because there is someone who will bring me onto the path too. Yes. If there is a person who will bring me onto the path too, it is with Allah's verses, not with this or that person's words. Not because it's written so in this or that person's book. But on the heads of people ruled by superstitions, by this or that person's book, I too, like this, strike Allah's verse like a sledgehammer.

Yes.

Those who, saying they live the religion of Islam, pull people into superstitions, who take millions after them and make people ruled by superstitions — for a few hours' pleasure of a world that will pass, they are wretched, deprived people buying the punishment of the hereafter.

Thus we say: since in this created existence and creation, in the heavens and the earth, there is no disorder or deficiency, and since the knowledge of all these created things is in the Holy Quran, surely the verses of the Holy Quran, firm and perfect, will have no deficiency in them. Allah Almighty sent His verses in such a way that there would be no deficiency. Allah Almighty, free of all deficient attributes, sent His verses complete, flawless and firm to people. People who look for deficiency in Allah's verses, out of their arrogance and pride toward Allah and their enmity toward Allah, are helpless, wretched people who want to slander.

Yes.

Like whom? Like the Darwins, like the Abu Jahls.

And the poor people who do not know themselves, to the world and to nature giving life and soul, giving reason,

putting them into an order within a series of adventures, (?) (?), oh this animal was this, three million years ago, five million years ago, it turned into this. To that poor person who thinks himself a scholar, I now call out from here — who thinks himself poor — who thinks himself a scholar, to that poor person: if you are a scholar, if you are a scholar — the genes of all these created beings and their cells, so that they will never undergo any change, Allah Almighty, in a way that your eye, with the world's microscope eyes, cannot see, down to the finest detail, millions of times, by shrinking them, has formed into a (?) chain.

You can only take cells from that (?) chain and (?) it as those cells themselves. You can in no way interfere with those (?) cells. You cannot change them.

It is not possible for these to change. If they did, the order would be disrupted. But from that (?) chain, if you take from the substance there, the matter, you can produce. What does this mean? This whole universe, the 17 thousand worlds, in proportion to Allah's will, (?), by a power that itself created these worlds, by the Lord, has been created. If you were a scholar, you would not come before people with something this ignorant, if you were a scholar. He would know this. Well, if you say I know it too, then you are a two-legged taghut, (?) (?), an enemy of Allah, (?) person. You have already prepared yourself for your place with such a proof.

If a person doesn't believe the Quran and hadith, he says, don't answer him at all, don't talk, end it, he says. Yes. By his creation, man was created helpless. For all power belongs to Allah. But man is strong with Allah. With Allah. Because Allah Almighty gave man strength from His spirit. He is capable. If he uses that ability, his ability, for good, by Allah he is both supported and strong. If he uses it for evil, for evil, it is again that ability in the spirit given by Allah that he uses. But all the fine works he did go to waste. When he passes to the hereafter as a denier of Allah, (?) remains alone.

He will have bought a life of eternal hell.

These created people, when for a passing time in the world they think themselves strong, at the very moment they think so, when a calamity, a disaster befalls them, they lose their strength and fall into helplessness.

(?) As long as man has no support and assurance other than Allah, man is helpless and weak. Man is needy. These needs are met only by Allah. Now if we look at non-Muslims, where their hopes are broken they commit suicide. Yes. They give themselves to drink, to gambling, to fornication, they go to suicide. A Muslim, though, refrains from doing these. That is willpower. Where did he get his will from? He got it from his faith in Allah. In this case, an unbeliever and a Muslim can never be compared.

Man is needy. These needs are met only by Allah. A human being is one who, knowing the day he lives as the day, does not get lost within a day by overstepping Allah's limits, who constantly, forward and always for what lies ahead, for tomorrows, after his death in this world for the hereafter, and for the peace and happiness of an endless life there, can work — that one is a human being. This is what a human being is. That is, this sentence of mine here — this hadith is what it emphasizes. He whose two days are equal is at a loss, he says. Yes.

We wrote this part like this. Knowing the day he lives as the day. One who today, within today, does not get lost by overstepping Allah's limits, who constantly, forward and always for what lies ahead, for tomorrows, after his death in this world, for the hereafter and for the peace and happiness of an endless life there can work — that one is a human being. This is what a human being is.

So the Quran is Allah's grace and light to people, guiding people. Then this Book was explained. The meaning of the explaining here: Allah's word is based on letters. We humans cannot grasp Allah's art of speech. If it is based on these letters, we cannot grasp the art of speech. With the limited reason given to us and permitted for our use, nothing from the Quran could we understand. You would have to have complete reason to understand Allah's speech on letters.

Then, since we would attain the power of creation, Allah closed this matter in people by restricting reason. For this reason He brought forth a language of speech with a word people would understand. That is, our Lord's verses bring forth a language of speech. The most understandable speech closest to Allah's word, and the richest speech, is the Arabic language.

Allah Almighty sent the Holy Quran in Arabic, in a way people would understand. Here, within Arabic too, many dialects are different. Not every Arab understands what another Arab speaks.

Here, in the language of Quraysh, the Holy Quran He sent down. The language of Quraysh. Yes. The Quran's letters, coming side by side, both show us a way and enable the Holy Quran to be understood more easily by people in its meaning. For this reason the Holy Quran, in a way people would understand, was explained by Allah. The Quran is a secret. From top to bottom it is full of miracles and wisdoms. Even if mankind and jinn gathered, they could not produce the like of a single verse of it. For this reason the Holy Quran should be read much and one should try to understand it, so that we better understand Allah's greatness, His power and majesty.

Hodja, I've read the Quran. I've read it. I know it.

You don't know it. I understood as much as I understood. You read it a second time. Did nothing change? Hodja, I understood it a bit better. So if Allah Almighty calls the Quran a dhikr, and if dhikr means a thing constantly reflected upon, that is, repetition — if not reflection but repetition is what dhikr means. For example, Allah, Allah, Allah is a dhikr. Ahmet, Ahmet, Ahmet is a dhikr, for example — that is, if repeating it is a dhikr, and if Allah Almighty's verses are based on letters, the more you go over the Holy Quran, the more comprehension arises in meanings. Like this — you can try it on yourself.

Even though I am this versed in the Quran, every time I read it I gain different meanings. Different meanings. For example, say I've taken its second meaning, I take the third meaning of the same verse. Oh, so this is how it is, I say. A person falls into an ocean. Its fourth, fifth meaning — he falls into an ocean. You look and you've gone past the place you were reading; oh, this is that hadith, you say. The verse. In this case it keeps opening up, and the human mind develops, his longing for his Lord increases, and he reforms his nafs so beautifully, without even trying, that that person truly — however Allah Almighty wants to see him on earth, in that way — (?) the state of such a person.

Yes.