Al-Mu'minun 71: If the Truth had followed their evil desires, verily, the heavens, the earth and within would break down in chaos. No, We have brought to them their gloary and honor, but they turn their backs (to their own honor).

Verse 71, Allah Almighty: If the truth — that is, what is right, the word of our Lord — had followed their evil desires and wishes, that is, if our Lord, Allah Almighty, had followed the evil desires and wishes of the people He created, the heavens and the earth and all within them would surely have been ruined, it says. Everything would have drowned in corruption. Everywhere. Because the One who created our minds short, Allah Almighty — our mind works up to a certain point. Beyond that it does not work. In this regard, one of the (?) puts it so well. "Whoever runs every matter by his own mind is like a legless man wearing an artificial leg," he says.

"He sets out to change today what he did yesterday," he says. In this case, a thing a person believed right — in the end he sees, "Oh, this was wrong", it really was wrong. Now if Allah Almighty too had done that wrong thing, the wrong thing he believed right, that way, conforming to that person's state and condition, the heavens and the earth would have fallen into one another and into corruption. In this case, without any lack, with all qualities equipped, Allah, exalted above all deficient attributes, has created the worlds, created everything in the most beautiful way, without lack, and set it before people; the duty that falls to us is that, by fulfilling what that Creator, our Lord, has commanded us, we act upon the truths He has shown.

This is our duty. Because we are in darkness. In darkness. Like what? We are in a state where our mind cannot guide us, so that we cannot see what is before us. But He created us such that: "If I had not sent you books, you should have found Me with the mind I gave you," He says. "But My mercy reached us — reached you." "We sent you prophets and books, scholars," He says. That is, to save from darkness. Yes. In this case, since we remain in darkness — you know, Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 17, there is that verse; look what it says, Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 17. Let us read.

I won't read the wrong version. The wrong one — leave the wrong version aside. Their state, the hypocrites' state, is the likeness of a fire burning in a dark night. Why? It takes the hypocrite, and not Islam. Now, this point is important. Why does Allah Almighty make a distinction among people? Why does He take the hypocrites, and not the People of the Book?

One must distinguish these points well. The People of the Book also have a book. Even though they ascribe partners to Allah, they know Allah. The hypocrite appears as one of them and also appears as one of the Muslims. He has no religion. In darkness. He does not believe anyway. (?) When it says "they", those polytheists are included in this too. It is the likeness of a fire burning in a dark night. That is, Allah Almighty sent them, all of humanity, the Quran as light. Light. By following it, the Muslims light up what lies ahead of them. They hold it before them as proof. Proof. They see it as a light.

The others, in darkness, as long as they do not follow it — when the fire, the fire lit up its surroundings, that is, when to them the word of truth came, when Allah sent prophets, when He sent books, those who put out the fire leave themselves in darkness; they no longer see, it says. Darkness. Somewhere here — now, if I can find it, I will show it to you.

Let me put it here.

Yes.

Yes.

I couldn't find it here. Here I couldn't find it. In one more place it says, "they are in darkness". Well, if I find that place too, I'll show it to you, to all of you. So who are those in darkness? The non-Muslims who have turned their backs on Allah are in darkness. Because with the statements they make according to their own minds, or with decisions — even if they decide what is right, the right thing — in the end they suffer loss. Well, since the Muslims act by Allah's commands, even if they make a wrong decision, if his intention is right, Allah Almighty still gives him a reward according to his intention; this is still light.

Yes. The others, even if they do right, get one reward, but it is right. Because the intention is bad, afterwards they get two sins. In that case, "We will not even set up a scale for them," He says, Allah Almighty, in the Hereafter. Yes.

What does it say? If the truth had followed their evil desires and wishes, the heavens and the earth and all within them would surely have been ruined. No. We have brought them their renown and honor. But they turn their backs on their own honor, it says. They turn their backs on their own honor. So where are a person's renown, fame and honor? In being honest, in being upright, in having character, in not telling lies. Well, a person, in the finest way, when he is in the state of a human being, that person, if he has also placed the love of Allah in his heart and, as a believer, with the intention of being a servant as Allah wishes, has reformed his nafs — that is the person worthy of renown and honor, who (?) great ranks in Allah's presence — that person.

Those who disregard Allah's commands and turn their backs, the non-Muslims — however high they rise in the world, whatever position and office they may hold —

the flatterers around them applaud, but in their hearts they feel hostility toward those people. To profit from them, they flutter around them like moths, and whenever they get the chance, they trip them up. The Muslim is not like that. When a Muslim has renown and honor, (?) everyone never falls short in respecting him. What a different situation. Yes.

If the Noble Quran that Allah, our Lord, sent raises our renown and honor in Allah's sight — and renown and honor are with Allah, it says. And Allah is not going to come to us. What did He do? He sent us the Noble Quran. He said: "If you follow the Noble Quran, through My words you are with Me. You become worthy of renown and honor. Let Us give you many ranks." What are these ranks? There are seven paradises. The eighth is Maqam Mahmud. It belongs to the Prophet. Now, the first paradise is at nafs-i ammara. The second paradise, at nafs-i lawwama. The third paradise, at nafs-i mulhima. The fourth paradise, at nafs-i mutmainna.

What is this? In the first paradise He gives you one apartment. Let's say He gave fifty dönüm of land. In the second He gave two houses. He gave a hundred dönüm of land. I'm giving an example now. An example. Examples like that, you know. When he is one of the people of karamat, to him, let me tell you, let's say He gave a palace. Well, when he rose to nafs-i mutmainna, He gave a palace, a mansion. Well, when he rose to nafs-i radiya, He gave him two or three palaces. And He housed them by rivers beneath which streams flow. He gave such places. In this way, the more people hold fast to Allah's commands, the more they reform their nafs in the world, the closer they come to their Lord in the world, giving thanks for what He gave and not being ungrateful, the more Allah too raises their rank. Yes.

Allah Almighty created people deficient in mind. Therefore people are deficient and fallible. When those who deny Allah want, according to their own minds, the dominion and people to be governed, if Allah had fulfilled their wishes, the heavens and the earth, these two and what is between them, would fall into one another. Yet every person needs a leader, a leader and an educator. And the light and educator of all people and of the universe is Allah Almighty.

Therefore Allah has sent people their honor. But people turn away from this honor of theirs. The honor here (?) — as we also explained in the verses we went through — is Allah's word, the Noble Quran. Because with the Quran Allah holds a light before all people and leads them to guidance, to renown and honor. But who? Whoever turns his back on the Quran's verses and mocks them, and considers his own mind superior to the verses — because of his conduct unbefitting human honor, he has turned his back on that honor of his. Yes. He has turned his back on his honor.