Al-Fatihah 1: In the name of Allah, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem (the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful).

Peace be upon you, good evening.

As we said last week, this week — of the Holy Quran, from the translation and commentary we have written, from that translation and commentary — we would explain to you with more explanation and in detail, we had said. Today, today, of the Holy Quran, from the beginning, starting with the Basmala, Surah Al-Fatiha, Al-Baqarah, Al-Imran and so on, as long as we live, we will both read the commentary of the verses and explain it in a bit more detail. And we will answer the questions you ask. While we are explaining, questions that come to your mind you can ask right away.

So that we move on understanding. Move on knowing. Let us read.

Yes. The Basmala is counted as a verse, we said. As a verse. And it is the first verse of Al-Fatiha.

We said this in our past lessons too. Some commentators or imams say that the Basmala is the first verse in Al-Fatiha. At the beginning of other surahs, as (?), that is, in the sense of beginning with Allah's name, since it is there in that sense, it is not counted as a verse, they said. They say.

Yes. If it is a verse, it is a verse. There is no not counting it.

Of course everyone has a view.

They can put forward their views hypothetically.

And so, since the Basmala is not counted as a verse, they say it is said silently. If it is not counted as a verse, you might not say it at all at the start of the surah. When you say it aloud or silently — if Allah Almighty says "(?) your Lord sometimes aloud and sometimes silently," then saying verses aloud or silently does not mean (?). So, in this respect the Basmala is a verse. It is a verse. In the Holy Quran, in Al-Fatiha, it appears as the first verse. What does it say? Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. In the name of Allah, the Rahman and the Rahim — we know this. That is, when starting a task, when doing a job, when taking up any work in any way, what do we do?

We mention Allah's name so that our work becomes easier. What do we say? In the name of Allah, the Rahman and the Rahim. That is: I have relied on Him, I have trusted Him. He Who created me, Who sent me to His great world, Who sent me to the unseen so that I prove to myself what kind of person I am, and in the sense that I know my Lord unseen, under His being, believing that He will make things easy for me in this unseen world, I begin my work.

Yes. The Basmala. What do we say now?

In the name of Allah, the Rahman and the Rahim. In the name of Allah, the attributes Rahman and Rahim being His alone — in His name. Yes. The attributes Rahman and Rahim belong to Allah alone.

The letter B of the Basmala points to Allah Almighty's oneness.

What is His oneness? We explain His oneness below too, but we said that if we explain it in a bit more detail, we will understand the sentences below more easily. His oneness — Allah Almighty's oneness: in this universe He has created, from the atom to the globe, seen or unseen, He programs all beings until a set time, and within this program He both protects His creatures and, within this program, firmly runs them. This is Allah Almighty's oneness. He created all His creatures in order and harmony. Their coming apart, disorder, breaking away from each other and scattering are not possible. That will only happen at the Resurrection, and people will bring it about with their own hands.

We said these in our earlier lessons too.

What did we say? How will people — this (?) created unity and togetherness, this order created in the universe, these galaxies — how will they tear them apart from one another? The ozone layer being pierced, the sun's ultraviolet rays at the north pole erasing the (?), the earth's rotation around its own axis slowing, finally reaching zero and turning backwards, the earth, left uncontrolled, spinning fast around its own axis, and finally, due to centrifugal force, the earth exploding — this is in the verse: when the mountains pass like clouds, when they are scattered like carded wool, when the seas swell, when the earth throws out what is inside it, when the sky (?) like molten metal, He says — describing the Resurrection is Allah Almighty. So the Owner of this unity and togetherness, Allah Who created these, within this great creation Who directs and governs them — Allah.

His oneness. Yes. The letter B, to His oneness.

The letter S points to Allah Almighty's secret. What is His secret? What is Allah Almighty's secret? First, that Allah Almighty has no beginning and no end, that He subsists by Himself — a secret of His. Particular to Himself. Also, within all this creation, seen and unseen by the eye, how all the substances He created were created — Allah Almighty, Who knows the secret of creation: it points to His secret. And within this creation, these beings, within the heavens and the earths and what is between them, He is the Owner of wisdom, Who knows what He created and why. Yes, it points to His secret.

The letter M points to His being free of place. The letter M. Allah Almighty created this universe. The universe. If Allah Almighty had remained within this universe, what would we say? It would come to our minds: Does He need His creatures? Because of (?) He stayed among His creatures — such questions could come to our minds. What do we do? What does Allah Almighty do? Being free of His creatures, the attribute Hayy comes to light. What is Hayy? The attribute Hayy — Allah Almighty's attribute Hayy — is His being living. Living. And the attribute of giving life to His creatures but not needing His creatures comes to light.

From what does it come to light? From the letter M — His being free of place. In another meaning, that Allah Almighty is an entity (vücut), it points to. An entity, a being. So the letter M, in a second meaning, that Allah Almighty is an entity, points to. For example, because Allah Almighty gave man of His spirit — because He gave man of His spirit, man is the likeness and shadow of his Lord. Although man, wrapped in flesh and bone, within this matter appears as a skeleton, as a body — although he is seen as a body — back in the first barzakh, when they were created in Allah's (?), they too were a body there.

A body. So between appearing in the material world and appearing in the world of meaning, there are only outward and inward aspects. The essential world and the outward world. But our body is the exact likeness and shadow of our spirit. So if man is a body, and the spirit is a part from his Lord — if it is a part, then that He is an entity it proves. How does it prove this? By His being free of place. So, a being. What kind of being is that being? An entity subsisting by itself, but not an entity that stays in one form like man. Since He is free of deficient attributes, He has the power to change form continually, as He says: however you see Me, I am the opposite of that, and the opposite of that, and the opposite of that.

But also as He says: however you imagine Me — I am as My servant thinks of Me. Yes.

We continue.

It points to the attributes Rahman and Rahim belonging to Him alone. Rahman: He Who protects the worlds; Rahim: compassionate and merciful — in this sense; but these great attributes belong to Allah; we too have small ones of them, partial ones. Partial ones. But it is never equal to His. We too feel pity and protect, but sometimes in us, over our pity, the passion for violence wins out. But what does Allah Almighty say? My mercy has surpassed My wrath. Yes, these attributes belong to Allah. Because Allah is not wrathful to anyone. A question like this may come to your mind. Well, if Allah is not wrathful, then why did He create hell?

When He leaves people in torment there, isn't that wrath? Look what Allah Almighty says now.

Pay close attention to these parts. These are the parts where people are misled.

What you earn is the return of your two hands, He says. How beautifully He puts it. Allah Almighty, again in a verse: We hold no one responsible for what We have not made known, He says. And He tells us. So our Lord tells us: O people, I created you, and in the unseen world I invited you to faith, and I sent you prophets and books. Beware, do not follow Satan's footsteps. Know Me as Lord and worship Me. Even though He says this, man denies his Lord. He associates partners with Him. He considers lawful what Allah Almighty has made unlawful. If he oversteps the limits of Allah Almighty's religious law, Allah was not wrathful to him. He was wrathful to his own self.

That person.

Yes. This is how one must understand it. That is why, if Allah Almighty were wrathful — look what He says now: if, for the actions you did, you were at once seized, you would not find a single living being walking on earth, He says. So out of His mercy He opens the doors of repentance to us. With the doors of repentance He waits for us, after the period of ignorance, to return to Him. Although He knows what every single living being to come until the Resurrection will do, so that man can prove himself within a set lifespan, Allah Almighty patiently grants that person time until the end of his life — He grants it. Yes, Allah Almighty — not as it comes to one's mind, saying "Allah" and passing on, not like that.

Yes, now we enter from the letter B: Allah Almighty's oneness — what is it, we said. We asked. Here we gave the following explanation. Of course we opened these up, and now for these parts we said we went through sentence by sentence. All created beings, the heavens and earths, and what is between the two, have known their Lord's remembrance. Now, Surah An-Nur, verse 41 — is there. Let us read it. Surah An-Nur, the forty-first verse. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Elem tera ennallâhe yüsebbihu lehû men fi's-semâvâti ve'l-ardı ve't-tayru sâffât, küllün kad alime salâtehû ve tesbîhah, vallâhu alîmün bimâ yef'alûn. Yes.

What does it say here? Have you not seen that those in the heavens and those on earth, and the birds flying in the air, all glorify Allah in worship? Each of them has known its prayer and its glorification.

In the first meaning, all of the heavens and those on earth, those in the heavens and on earth, those on earth, the flying birds — when it says heaven, not necessarily this first layer, but all the created heavens. What does it say? Each has known its prayer and its glorification. Now, what have we written as the translation? In this verse Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic, the Holy, to show people the proof of the oneness of His creatures and that there is no god but Him, has made the heavens and the earth and what is between them, living and non-living, all remember Him. He has made them remember Him.

Let us open this up. The neutrons and protons in the atoms of matter, positively and negatively charged nuclei, by spinning around their own axes, by Allah Almighty's creative knowledge, remember Him. So this makes known that there is no god but Allah. Yes. Have you not seen that those in the heavens and those on earth, and the birds flying in the air, all glorify Allah in worship? Each of them has known its prayer and its glorification. This is tawhid; all verses confirm one another. No verse contradicts any other verse. If there is no god but Allah — by creatures remembering Allah, or by our Lord the Creator making His creatures remember Him, it symbolises that there is no god but Him.

How so? A factory turns out a product and stamps its mark on it. This is a product made by Ahmet Efendi. The other is a product made by Mehmet Efendi. Likewise Allah Almighty has stamped His sign on His creatures. What is His stamp? Making them remember Him. Proving that there is nothing but Him.

Yes. So what do we say? In the atoms of matter, the neutrons and protons, positively and negatively charged nuclei, by spinning around their own axes, by Allah Almighty's creative knowledge, remember Him. Yes. Also, these magnetic, positive and negative electronic particles, those nuclei — the nuclei, while spinning around their own axis, create a magnetic field. That is, like a kind of radio transmitter. These are, toward Allah Almighty, the receiver of all, programmed. So when, at any point in the universe, a wish, a desire, an event arises, to our Lord it appears at once. Plus, Allah Almighty is not detached from His creatures anyway.

He sees all with His attribute Basîr and hears with His attribute Semî. Because He programmed His creatures; all are manifest to Him. Yes. His purpose in making them remember Him: as I said a moment ago, when a factory or a company produces a product, to promote its own manufacture it gives it an emblem. This emblem shows that the product made belongs to the factory's company. Also, if the company making the product takes out a licence on the product it makes, no one but that company can make that product. So, our meaning here is this: there is no creative power other than Allah that could create even a single atom.

This is the meaning I want to explain here. Just as Allah Almighty says: or do you own a single atom of your world? If that were so, nothing of your world would be given to you, He says. That is, when you create an atom in your world — from nothing, an atom you brought into being — then it is yours, Allah Almighty says. I did not create it. It is yours. If you created that atom, if you were capable of it, you would also have the power to create your own needs. And I would give you nothing of the world, He says. So if all these created things — the earths and the heaven and what is between them — belong to our Lord, and if He says all souls will taste death and the inheritance of the heavens and earth will remain to Allah — He created, the property is His; if all property will remain to Him, then we, in the capacity of (?) a trustee, cannot be capable of creating anything.

And we cannot get that licence. That is, we cannot get the licence to create. Yes. Also, if the company making the product takes out a licence on its product — so Allah Almighty, if He marks it as His own — no one but that company can make that product. Why can't they? Because Allah Almighty has made Himself known, and to people, to people He has not given a mind that would have the power to create. So Allah Almighty, by making His creatures — everything from the atom to the globe — remember Him, proves to us that none of the created has any right over what Allah Almighty created, and that all created things, by that one God, were created.

Since there is no god but Him and created things are governed by a single power, these, pointing to Allah Almighty's oneness, are proofs. Here the meaning of tawhid also comes out. What are we doing? We are talking a little about tawhid. La ilahe illallah. That is, there is no god but Allah. There is no god but Him. Only Allah exists, Who is the absolute Owner and Ruler of all His creatures. Yes. We continue. Another verse pointing to His oneness is Surah Yunus, verse 55. Let us read that too. Surah Yunus, verse 55.

Yes. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Elâ inne lillâhi mâ fi's-semâvâti ve'l-ard. What does Allah Almighty say here? Know that whatever is in the heavens and the earth all belongs to Allah. So: all souls will taste death, and the inheritance of the heavens and earth will remain to Allah. The verses always confirm one another anyway. Most do not want to understand that Allah's promise is true. Look, Allah Almighty does not say they cannot understand. They do not want to understand.

So, back in Allah Almighty's (?), when Allah Almighty created our spirits, although each spirit knew that a Lord had created it,

they — out of self and pride, because our Lord created us close to Himself — those who turned their backs on Allah, who denied, who waited for the Lord of their imagination — these do not want to understand the true Word of Allah — they do not want to. Yes, and they do not want to understand His true promise. What is it, this true promise of Allah Almighty? What does He say? O nas, O people, your God is one God; there is no god but Him; He created you, He feeds you, gives you drink and provides for you, and finally He will make you die and return you to Himself. My promise is true; whoever fulfils his promise, says Allah Almighty, I will grant him My paradise; and whoever goes against My command, I too will punish him in return for what you did.

Yes. They do not want to understand that His promise is true. Why? Because they wait for the Lord of their imagination. Plus, they follow Satan's footsteps. Plus, they enjoy carrying out what pleases their nafs, the commands Allah does not want. So Allah's true promise they do not want to understand.

We come to another verse pointing to His oneness: Surah An-Nahl, verse 22. Before moving on, let us point this out too. Let us point this out too. Even if people, within their own will, turn their backs on Allah, to Allah's unity and togetherness they can do no harm.

Allah Almighty will complete His light until the Resurrection.

Yes. We come to Surah An-Nahl, verse 22 — let us look at that verse too. What does it say in Surah An-Nahl, verse 22? Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. İlâhüküm ilâhün vâhid, felleziyne lâ yu'minûne bi'l-âhirati kulûbühüm münkiratün ve hüm müstekbirûn. What does this mean? What? Your God is one God. The hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter deny this truth. Just as I explained in the verse a moment ago. They deny. Believing in Allah's oneness their arrogance cannot stomach.

Yes.

We explained it in the meaning of the verse above. Allah Almighty supports this here too. According to this verse too, all created things — now we speak in general — the heavens and the earth and what is between them belong to Allah Almighty, and there is no creator but Him, and He encompasses His creatures with His knowledge and until the time He wills — that is, until the Resurrection — grants them life: this is what He makes known. With this, the verse also comes to light that Allah Almighty has power over all things. Yes.

So, Allah Almighty's oneness, in this way, a little we wanted to explain to you, opening it up. The Basmala continues further. Meanwhile, I will always remind you. Questions about parts that seem wrong to you or that you did not understand you will ask within our topic. If you go outside our topic, I will not consider your questions.

Because, say I am left in the dark, I have lost my way; when I need a light and a guide, you (?) me the treasure of the world — (?) of use to me. Because I have sunk into a swamp. I am trying to get out of that swamp. There I need a light, a guide.

So a treasure is needed too, but it is needed in its place. This time, while I am going by light and a guide, you give me something else — let us say gold and silver — what use is that to me in the desert? You should give me food there. There I need food. Because I am in the desert. I am travelling. There is no bread, no food, nothing there. Even if you bring the treasure of the world before me, it is of no use. I came to the city. You don't give me any food at all. I put the treasure of the world before me. Again it is of no use to me. But you give food and (?). You ask me for money. I have no money.

Then, see, I need treasure. Everything — I want to say it like this. Everything must be in its proper place. Questions too must be in their proper place. From now on — because we are going into commentary, within the commentary, on that path of ours, we will be sifting things out. Yes, the letter S of the Basmala points to Allah Almighty's secret. Now, what is Allah Almighty's secret? Allah Almighty subsists by Himself.

He neither begot, begets, nor was begotten. He has neither family nor children. He has neither beginning nor end. He subsists by Himself. Is this not a secret? A secret. For example, Allah Almighty created these universes. Is this not a secret? We do not know about this either. That is, things people do not know are a secret. What they do not know. And within these secrets, people — since they cannot create the created things they need, and since their own needs are directed to created things — for we need what Allah Almighty has created. Food, drink, water, air, whatever it is. So here too, within these secrets, it makes known that we are in need of the One Who created us.

Plus, it makes known our helplessness. By Allah Almighty being the Owner of secrets. Yes. What did we say? The letter S of the Basmala points to Allah Almighty's secret. So, look what a magnificent verse the Basmala is. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says this, in his hadith:

The Basmala's closeness to the Ism-i Azam is as close as the black and the white of the eye, he says. Its closeness to the Ism-i Azam.

So look, he does not say it is the Ism-i Azam. Its closeness. So the Basmala — the Basmala — all verses are magnificent in Allah's hand, but when the Basmala is at the start of every task, it means relying on Allah, trusting Him, taking refuge in Him, relying on your Lord, the Rahman and the Rahim, asking your Lord to lighten your tasks. Asking your Lord to make your tasks easy. Asking your Lord to bless your tasks. Yes. Allah Almighty's Word is built on letters, we said. In the Holy Quran: Alif, Lam, Mim — what is the meaning of these letters?

Allah knows best. Created beings cannot grasp their meanings. Why no meaning is given for such disjointed-letter verses, we will explain in later verses, we said. By bringing these letters together, Allah Almighty makes His verses appear. With these verses Allah Almighty tells us things. Now let me open this up a little for you. For example, we said: what is Alif, Lam, Mim? We cannot know. Now, Alif is a word with Allah. Lam is a word, Mim is a word, Nun is a word, Waw is a word. These are all a word. But when these come together, they are arranged in such a way, lined up together in such a way, that in this arrangement many meanings come out.

The first meaning, the third meaning, the fifth meaning, the tenth meaning, the seventieth meaning — as the Prophet — what does he say? Every day I repented seventy times for my shortcoming, he says. Now, He sent him as a mercy to the worlds. Can a prophet have a shortcoming? Never, Allah forbid. He came as a mercy to the worlds. Allah's Word — while a person, in a day, of a verse one meaning, or two, or three meanings, perhaps in a whole lifetime cannot grasp, the Prophet (peace be upon him) takes of a verse the meaning — 70 meanings. 70 meanings of one verse. When he took the 49th meaning, in the 48th meaning he saw that he was lacking.

That is, compared to the 49th meaning he sees his lack, his shortcoming. When he takes the 50th meaning, relative to the 49th meaning he sees his shortcoming. When he takes the 70th meaning, relative to the 69th meaning he sees his shortcoming. That is it. Well, this shortcoming is a shortcoming in Allah's sight. Not relative to people, to created beings. No created being can go beyond the meaning of a verse that he grasped. So this shortcoming is shortcoming relative to Allah Almighty's knowledge, for Allah Almighty says this about the Prophet (peace be upon him): The verse: "You forgave your past and future sins too." Yes, we continue.

So Allah Almighty, by bringing these verses together, makes His verses appear. With these verses Allah Almighty tells us things and, lighting our way, teaches us what we do not know. Also, in the verses, making separate meanings heard; perhaps in the letters within these verses Allah Almighty's secrets of creation, belonging to Him alone, are also found. Yes. If the wet and the dry are in the Quran — "with Us is a book, preserved in the Lawh al-Mahfuz; nothing is later added to it, nor is anything taken away," as He says — the Holy Quran being sent down on the Night of Qadr from the Lawh al-Mahfuz to the place called Qadr at Sidrat al- Muntaha — the Holy Quran.

So, since neither any lack nor any excess will be made, if the wet and the dry, whatever exists, is in the Quran, then Allah Almighty's secret of creation is also in the Quran.

Events that will happen until the Resurrection are hidden within the letters of the Holy Quran, in secret, secret meanings. "What, the whole order of this world — is it within this verse?" — such a question may come to our minds. What people yet to come, those programs, will do, what those people will achieve, what they will say, what they will talk about all their lives — how would Allah Almighty know? Is it written in a book this size? Yes. Is there proof? Of course there is. On a tiny card in your phone, 32 MB, 50 MB, 100 MB, 300 MB — if you load it, if you load all people's — many people's, let me say (?) — their stuff onto that card,

can Allah Almighty not load into a book this size the load of those to come until the Resurrection?

(?). So the Holy Quran is full of secrets. Full of secrets. Full of science (?). Yes.

Creating — Allah Almighty's creating — we said, belongs to Allah, the Majestic and Holy, alone. All created beings — Allah Almighty's knowledge and secret of creation they do not possess. What have we said now? Creating belongs to Allah, the Majestic and Holy, alone. Because He is the Owner of the secret; within that secret He has not granted creating to people. That is, bringing into being from nothing. Now people say: so-and-so created such a thing, we created this, we created that. You cannot create anything.

Creating belongs to Allah. What is creating? Creating is bringing into being from nothing. Now those whose faith is weak in their hearts say: well, I discovered electricity, for example, I invented it — didn't I create it? they say. No. You did not create it. Among created things you invented a knowledge. You invented as much knowledge as Allah allows us. That is, it is your invention. You did not create it. For you to create, you would have to create those parts yourself too. Within those parts you would invent this. Or you would create it. Then you would have created. This creating belongs to Allah.

That is, bringing into being from nothing. You do things within created things. You produce things from them. From created things. Allah Almighty has granted people knowledge until the Resurrection; they will find — people will. They will find as much of His knowledge as Allah Almighty permits, and with this knowledge people will earn their living. Earn their living, their sustenance. This is how Allah Almighty guarantees His creatures' sustenance. And all His creatures, within a program, He has provided for. Yes.

In this respect the verses, opening meaning by meaning, like light seeping from lamps, light people's paths. By opening meaning by meaning. So the coming together of those letters — letters each with a separate meaning — lined up within a certain frame, in a way that they support and do not contradict one another, the ordering of these verses meaning by meaning belongs to Allah alone.

In the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), a man says: I too can speak the way Allah speaks — and he spoke very well. They are two brothers; one becomes Muslim, one does not. And he too says words like poetry. I don't remember his name, but this event has come down to us. That is, it is in books, but which book it is in, I do not know right now.

And the Prophet (peace be upon him) issues an execution order about him, issues a death sentence. Since his brother is Muslim, he passes this on to his elder brother. The elder brother flees.

He comes to Mecca. When he is alone in Mecca, he thinks a lot.

And although human speech — human speech — he examines the Quran. He examines the Holy Quran, he examines the verses. Although human speech guides people, they understand each other, they talk, they say things — he realises it cannot even come near Allah's Word, cannot even be its shadow, and to the Prophet (peace be upon him) word he sends: O Messenger of Allah, I want to visit you, and without any pressure, without being under any force, I accept Islam, he says. Yes. This is the greatness of Allah's Word.

In another meaning pointing to Allah Almighty's secret: all the beings created in the universe — why were they created? With what intent did Allah Almighty create them, and what is the purpose of them? We cannot know these. This is Allah Almighty's wisdom. That is wisdom. He knows. Also: to whom We give knowledge, We give wisdom, He says. That is, the ability to perceive what that word means, what these words intend. The people whom Allah Almighty has raised and given knowledge — to this wisdom, but only as far as our Lord permits, only as far as He permits within the knowledge He gave him, He gives him wisdom. For example, as He gave Joseph the interpretation of dreams, its wisdom.

He gave him its knowledge. In that knowledge, with the dream that person saw, the ability to work out where the meanings lead and what they are, the ability to understand. This is wisdom within knowledge.

Yes.

These creations lie in Allah Almighty's willing. They are from His willing. So let us read the verse again, its translation. Another meaning pointing to Allah Almighty's secret: all beings created in the universe — why were they created, with what intent did Allah Almighty create them, and what is His purpose in them? We cannot know this. It is from Allah Almighty's willing. We know one thing. We also know something. He created 17,000 worlds. 17,000 worlds. All of them complementing one another. Like the gears of a clock complementing one another. Just as, if one tooth of that clock's gear is broken, the clock does not work.

So on earth too, when some animals decline, the balance of nature is disturbed. The balance of that region is disturbed. That is why they try to breed endangered animals. So that the balance is maintained. So that the world's balance is maintained. Look, a lion eats an animal.

It leaves the bones. Vultures come. They strip those bones clean. They eat the carcasses the lions there did not eat.

Hyenas eat the bones. Or wild dogs come and eat them. You look and everything has been cleaned away, gone.

So, within order and harmony, the seventeen thousand worlds Allah Almighty creates this way, as the world's filter. And these creatures, in this way, in the world He keeps alive. Now in Africa there are many (?). There are animals that look like water buffalo. Herds of them. The mountains and rocks are full. Full, full.

Kilometres of animals.

Well now, Africa is a place with plenty of rain, the equator. Without them, grass would cover the world. They will eat these. They clean away this grass. Well, if they had no enemies at all, they would spread everywhere and go hungry. He creates their enemies too: lions eat them. Thus Allah Almighty, one by another, keeps the order in this world going. These are among our Lord's wisdoms. Yes.

These secrets belong to Allah Almighty alone, these wisdoms. He has made known to people the fate He willed. And this is but a speck from the oceans. As I said, from knowledge He has given a knowledge. From that knowledge He has given a wisdom. To whom We gave knowledge, We gave wisdom. This wisdom does not mean all the wisdom our Lord created. Within that wisdom He has granted him a little of it. Yes.

The letter M of the Basmala points to Allah Almighty's being free of place, we said. We passed to the letter S.

So, that part — Yes. The letter M of the Basmala points to Allah Almighty being free of place.

Let us read this. After that, from what we read, let us open it up for you meaning by meaning. Allah Almighty created the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and encompassed the universe with the Arsh of Allah. What does this mean? When we say the Arsh of Allah, the seven layers of heavens and what is within them — in the sense that they are Allah's. Allah's. We gave an example for this too. We said: think of these seven layers of heavens as a seven-storey building. A seven-storey building. Think of what is in this building, the people on each floor, as the beings on each layer of the heavens.

The building is Ahmet Efendi's building. It is not named after those inside. If the building is Ahmet Efendi's, it is Ahmet Efendi's building. So, if we think of the Arsh of Allah as the outer walls of the universe, that is, if we think of it as the outside and the whole of a building, when we say the Arsh of Allah, from the atom to the globe, within these heavens, within these layers, up to the places subsisting in time and place — that all the beings within them are Allah's, it points to that. Yes.

From this letter M — that is, when we say free of place — again it proves an entity. An entity. Free of place. Allah Almighty. If He is free of place, He is a being. Since this being gave a part of His spirit, if man was created as a likeness of his Lord — and not Yunus Emre, but Süleyman Çelebi, who wrote the Mevlid-i Nebi — what does he say? "I made My essence a mirror to his essence." What is mirat? A mirror. That is: to see Myself in his self I created, He says. So if Allah Almighty gave man of His spirit, as I explained a little earlier, an being, an entity — and the entity, by being free of place, Allah Almighty proves He is free of deficient attributes, He proves it.

As we said a little earlier, if He had remained in place, a question like this could come to people's minds.

Did Allah Almighty perhaps stay because He needed His creatures? One. Second — second, a question like this could also come to mind. What was Allah's attribute of being Allah? No one will be able to question or query Allah Almighty. Why? Whatever he would ask, he will have seen its answer and be cut off from questions. So, in a second case, if Allah Almighty among His creatures had stayed, perhaps swindlers — those who do not hold back from or fear Allah — saying "I am Allah," would have deceived people, perhaps. Would it come to mind? It would. Aren't there such wretches? There are. Aren't there people who are deceived?

Many, plenty. Yes. Let me give the first example: recently someone appeared and said "I am the Mahdi," and some tricksters gathered around him. Someone appeared, said "I am Jesus," shot the Pope — what did these do, the Pope, they went round and round him, these — So all kinds of questions will come to people's minds; the questions Allah Almighty (?). What do we say now? If we read this part: Allah Almighty created the heavens and the earth and what is between them and encompassed the universe with the Arsh of Allah. Then Allah Almighty rose (istiva) above the Arsh too. That is, He rose from there. (?).

They used to say "He occupied it" (istila). We struggled for years. Finally we succeeded. In the Holy Quran they changed it to istiva. That is, (?) He was exalted and rose; in the place free of time and space He established His sovereignty. And some people whose minds fall short — "Does Allah have sovereignty?" they say. "So you mean Allah set up His sovereignty there?" That is, even attributing sovereignty to Him — it becomes as if (?) out of his ignorance. Concerning that person — out of his ignorance, of course. He has faith. His faith will not, supposedly, attribute a deficiency to Him. Well, when it says Allah's Kursi is above the created beings, what does this Kursi express?

It expresses His sovereignty. That is, there are people who cannot grasp even this much.

And mostly, in our times, these have been conditioned this way. That is why — just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) spread Islam with the young — yes.

We too say: on our tongues many superstitions there are, many superstitions.

With people whose minds work, we will remove these superstitions, the superstitions.

Islam, we said, every two hundred years goes through five eras, five eras. Falsehood entering Islam: one. Falsehood being sifted out: two. Islam rising: three. Islam's era of stagnation: four. Islam's era of decline: five. Then again falsehood entering, then again falsehood being sifted out. Gentlemen, now we are sifting out falsehood. We are sifting out the falsehoods. In Islam the falsehoods will be sifted out, the superstitions will be sifted out. Not according to our minds, but according to Allah's verses. As I said, falsehood and superstitions, according to their own minds — a person who truly sees religion within the verses and gets free of superstitions finds the truth.

If instead, claiming to tell the truth, we are telling superstitions, then they show me the truth with verses, and if I am stubborn — Allah forbid; I would not exchange the world for the hereafter like that. I did not sit here for glory, fame, pride, arrogance, ego, or a longing to be the leader.

I sit here with fear.

Let me say it again: I sit here with fear.

What is this fear of mine?

Once upon a time a sultan, to a great friend of Allah: from now on you will give the fatwas, he says. He says to the sultan: I do not give fatwas. But there is no one more learned than you in this land. Isn't this right yours? Why won't you give them? If I do something wrong — I fear Allah, he says. So fatwas are not my job; I don't give them, he says.

And the sultan says: throw him in the dungeon.

They throw him in the dungeon. The man: at the end of my life, here in seclusion, my Lord I will remember, he says. And the guards — the sultan has the man checked every day: how is he, is he complaining about his place? Meanwhile the guard brings the sultan (?). He says: the man is doing very well. (?) content. And: call his wife, let's see. They call her. What did your husband shy away from in the world? What was he afraid of? He was very afraid of ignorance, she says. Of ignorance. He shied away from ignorant people a lot, she says. He would not stay near them, she says.

He has the town crier call out. He brings the most ignorant person in the country. Then he throws him in with him. And the scholar says: at the end of my life I have found a man to give my knowledge to. He works on him for weeks. He teaches him Alif. The next week, when he moves on to B, the man forgets Alif. (?) to the guard: guard, guard, he says. Take me away from him; (?), he says.

Now we too sit here with such a fear. I know I am under a great responsibility. But it is a duty given, and since I am obliged to fulfil that duty, relying solely on that, trusting my Lord, with sincerity, fully, with all my heart, without any ulterior motive, with the inspiration my Lord gives me, I try to explain it to you. That is why I say: I too am human; maybe I make mistakes. I explain the verses in terms of the verses, but perhaps I am telling you (?); among those who listen to me, me, there are people whose minds work. "Hodja, did you explain this part like this? Isn't it actually like that?" — they warn me.

If he is misunderstanding, I warn him with verses. If I am misunderstanding, he warns me with verses. And carrying one another on a straight path, by the verse "enjoin the good upon one another," we (?) our Lord's mercy. Yes. That is why we say: an era in which superstitions will be sifted out — and we are sifting them out. Without shame or embarrassment, those who know nothing, to Allah and His Messenger, blame attribute. And the Prophet (peace be upon him) too addresses these. What does he say? A time will come when, though Allah and His Messenger did not say it, "Allah and His Messenger said this," they will say, he says.

And they do say it. And we are sifting it out. With verses. You are witnesses too.

My Lord too is witness to this. Yes. We continue our lesson. Allah Almighty created the heavens and the earth and what is between them. He encompassed the universe with the Arsh of Allah. Then Allah Almighty rose (istiva) above the Arsh too. That is, He was exalted and rose above it too. In the place free of time and space He established His sovereignty. So that Arsh of Allah — the Arsh's thing, its Kursi — if it is above the other kursis, Allah Almighty in the place where there is no time or space His sovereignty established. When saying this, supported by this verse too, we say it. Allah Almighty created the earths in two days, the heavens in two days, and what is between them in two days.

He created all of it in exactly six days, He says.

At a time when the world (?) with time, in two days if He created it, if the Quran's thousand years is like one day of the (?) world, He created it all in six thousand years. He created it in six thousand years. Yes.

So, so,

these six thousand years — by world days we are saying, but — six days, this is even more, even more, yes.

So, all together, using our minds, we will try to save our religion from these superstitions. If Allah Almighty were not free of time and space, among His creatures if He had stayed, here a question like this could also come to mind. We explained it a moment ago: perhaps Allah Almighty, because He needs His creatures, stayed among His creatures? Such questions, questions, could have come to minds, we say. Since our Lord is free of time and space and of His creatures, Allah Almighty has thus proved that He is free of deficient attributes, we say. Yes. We move on. Before coming to the Basmala's Rahman and Rahim attributes, to its continuation, that is, to the letter M's being free of place.

So all created things need Allah Almighty, but Allah Almighty is the One Who does not need (?). That is, He proves the attribute Hayy here. Thus it also comes to light that He subsists by Himself with the attribute Hayy. And the attribute Hayy, particular to Him, is this: Allah Almighty, Who is eternal and everlasting, subsisting by Himself, giving life to all His creatures; the created beings not needing Allah Almighty; our Lord not needing what He beholds. Yes.

The attributes Rahman and Rahim belong to Allah Almighty. These attributes cannot be used by any being. That is, have you ever seen — this person, Rahman, Rahman — Abdurrahman they say — that is, servant of Allah, of the Rahman, Abdurrahim for example, servant of Allah, of the Rahim — names like this, Allah's servant (?) in that sense. For example, my name is Metin, but I am not Metin. It should be Abdülmetin. But they registered it on my ID as Metin. When you call me Abdülmetin, they look at me — when we have business in government offices — like this: there's no one called Abdülmetin. (?) There is a Metin.

Yes. We are forced to use the name Metin for some things. "Well, Hodja, couldn't you change it?" If I changed it, then from now on apply — (?). It's been entered like that. Everyone knows me that way, but I introduce myself as Abdülmetin. Yes.

The attribute Rahman: to all the beings He created (?) (?).

He gives life until a set time.

What is the attribute Rahman? To all the beings He created, until a set time He has decreed, giving life, and protecting them, being merciful to them — that is its meaning. That is why no one can use the attribute Rahman, and that is why He says: My mercy has surpassed My wrath; in the life of this world all His mercy is upon all His creatures, we said. So what was the reason the attribute Rahman cannot be used? The reason: to all beings He created, until a set time He decreed, giving life, protecting them and being merciful to them — that is its meaning. (?), we come to the attribute Rahim.

It is for the believer alone in the hereafter. In the hereafter, for the believer alone. The Creator — these worlds as a game (?). "Thank you, Hodja," they say. So it has been understood. Yes. That is thanks to our Lord. I didn't know either. I didn't know either.

By my Lord's mercy we came to know this. And (?) says this too: There are people who learn themselves while explaining, he says. Yes. So while explaining, with the inspirations our Lord gives us, we can open up matters and verses with a little more ability to discern.

The attribute Rahim is for the believer alone in the hereafter. In this respect Allah's — the decision Allah Almighty will give is the attribute Rahim. He decides. The attribute of deciding is in the hereafter. Today the dominion — that is, "today," He says, "the judgement is Mine alone," He says. In the verse. Now people, people interpret the verses wrongly. "The judgement belongs to Allah alone," they say. No. The judgement is not Allah's alone.

There is judgement — my judgement. Your judgement. The judgement of the living. Within this judgement, the actions you did, by your deeds, from your free will, in the direction of your intention's wishes and desires — they are your (?) and your sin. If judgement were Allah's alone, you would slip out of this.

"That day the judgement is Allah's alone," it says. One must pay close attention to this in the verses. That day the judgement is Allah's. Which day? At the great court. At the great court. There we no longer have any say. There the judgement is Allah's. Everyone, with what he did, what he committed, his deeds, comes before Allah Almighty. So if the judgement on that day is Allah's alone, if He — Eleysallâhu bi-ahkemi'l-hâkimîn — is the Judge of judges, if with the deeds we have done He will call us to account — the attribute Rahim. In the hereafter, only for the believer — He knows them and, directly, at once settling their account, for those who, without being thrown into hell or torment at all, enter paradise.

The attribute Rahim. It is Allah Who gives this judgement. So there can be no other being who holds this judgement. One can only be Abdurrahim. Abdurrahim. He, out of his compassion, can forgive some people in this world. Yes. But one is Abdurrahim. He cannot judge like that, like Allah. Yes. So the attributes Rahman and Rahim belong to Allah alone. The Creator did not create these worlds as a game and a plaything, we said, with the attribute Rahim. So if these created beings fulfil their duty towards the Creator, because of the (?) they did in this world, in the hereafter Allah Almighty's mercy they attain.

O soul that has found rest, your Lord pleased with you and you pleased with your Lord, enter among My servants, enter My paradise. With Surah Al-Fajr, verses 27 to 30 — with these verses: in the hereafter, at the great court, when every soul is called to account, those who worshipped their Lord while in this world, and those who did not, will be separated. Then Allah Almighty's attribute — Eleysallâhu bi-ahkemi'l-hâkimîn, is Allah Almighty not the Judge of judges? — will also have come to light. Addressing the believer: on that day there are faces that will shine like light. Neither sorrow nor stain will touch their faces — with (?), the believers, through Allah Almighty's attribute Rahim, will attain their Lord's mercy, we said.

And we ended the attribute Rahim there. But we did not open up the verse. When will we open up the verse? We will open it up when its time comes. But before its time comes, since here too it is within the topics, more nicely, until we get there, to those topics, those verses, we too will have got from these verses something of the topic — some news. So, addressing the believer: on that day there are faces that will shine like light; neither sorrow nor stain will reach their faces — the believers. Well, do they not make mistakes? They do. Because man was created imperfect. Well then, "neither sorrow nor stain"?

Well, in the hereafter, isn't this a stain? A stain. And doesn't it contradict Allah Almighty's (?)? Now let us open it up. This person has reformed his nafs for Allah. For Allah. But meanwhile he knows. Or they don't know. He followed his nafs. But the face is good. The face is good. It is not that big. These people don't make such big mistakes anyway. Yes, he has sinned; of course he will sin. Because he has the nafs-i mülhime, the nafs-i mutmain, the nafs-i raziye, the nafs-i marziye, and after that the nafs-i safiye. These people, in the hereafter — that stain is on their faces. What does it say? Nor will a stain touch them.

So there is a stain. Right away someone with a claim — from this person of yours, this person, to whom you give so much value — when he says: O Allah, he did this to me, fine. "Look here," He will say to him.

"What did I do to you?" "This and that." "Yes, he did. But do you know his remorse? Do you know how much he repented? And do you know what rewards I gave him for his repentance? I did not create these (?)," He says. "Did I ever create you (?)? Today, for what he did to you, how much reward do you need? Say 10 lira." "Here, take 20 kilos of reward," He says. How happy he is. How happy he is. So much that he gets up and kisses him on the forehead. "I wish I had done a bit more, so my Lord would give me a bit more." Neither a stain nor a sorrow will touch them, it says. What is this sorrow? His mother, father, uncle, aunt, someone of his relatives, a torment will (?). Will go to hell.

He grieves. Because he loves him very much. He grieves.

Allah Almighty, in His verse, to you: "We will give you the right of intercession and you will be pleased," He says. So, to these people — from seven people up to seventy people — by giving such people the right of intercession, by their taking those they love from there — their being overwhelmed with joy. So the sorrow too was lifted from them. And how beautifully our Lord opens the verses to people. Yes. We explained that sorrow and stain too. Addressing the believer: on that day there are faces that will shine like light. With the verse where He says neither sorrow nor stain will touch their faces, the believers, through Allah Almighty's mercy, His attribute Rahim, will attain their Lord's mercy, we said. And here we have summed up the Basmala.

From eight o'clock until five to ten, for one hour fifty-five minutes I tried to explain the Basmala to you. Our time is running out too. We have five, six minutes. After I explain these five or six minutes to you, I will close my lesson. But as I said a moment ago, the questions you asked I will answer outside my lesson. Outside my lesson. But that doesn't mean it will always be so. Because I get tired.