Al-Baqarah 44: Do you give directions to people to do good deeds, but forget about yourselves? Do you not mind, even though you read the Book (revelations of Allah)?

Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 44. Do you enjoin good on people and forget yourselves? He says. Look at this beautiful verse. To people, He says, you enjoin what is right, He says, and do you forget yourselves? That is, you told people about Allah, you rolled up your sleeves, yet living by your own nafs, yielding to Satan's temptation, following his steps, saying 'I tell people the truth', did you think you were saved? He says. How beautifully He puts it.

And yet you read the Book; do you not think at all? He says. Do you not think? Now, regarding this verse, Hazrat Mevlana says it, but it is a word to be said everywhere. Either appear as you are, or be as you appear. That's it. That is indeed the manner of Islam. Islam is not like this, like this. Once upon a time, the fox was going to cross the stream.

The snake comes to the fox and says: Brother fox, take me across the stream too. The fox tells the snake: I won't take you across. Why? You'll play a trick on me, he says. No, I won't do anything to you, it says. All right then, climb on my back, he says. The fox crosses the stream; as soon as its feet touch the ground, the snake starts squeezing it. Hey, brother snake, he says, didn't I tell you you'd play a trick on me later? Even though I knew you'd kill me like this, why did I take you across, do you know? he says. Why? it says. Because I admire your eyes, he says. You'll die anyway, you'll kill me, he says.

Show me those eyes of yours once more, he says. The snake, he says, turns proudly like this. When it fixes its eyes on the fox's eyes, the fox, snap, grabs it by the throat. And kills it right there. It climbs onto the bank. It stretches the snake out perfectly straight like this. There, he says, be straight like this. I don't understand anything crooked, he says. The religion of Islam is a perfectly straight path like this. (?) in the religion of Islam. Yes.

We come to the verse. To the forty-fourth verse. You enjoin (?) good on people. Do you forget yourselves? And yet you read the Book; do you not think at all? Now we write: there are three kinds of scholars, we say. Three kinds of scholars. One:

he tells people the truth, enjoins good, but does not practise it himself; this one is fit for burning, we say. He tells, but does not practise it himself. The second: he knows for himself, does it himself, is a miser with knowledge, does not tell people. This one too, he says, is fit for burning. The third both tells people the knowledge of Allah and practises it himself; this one is like the sun, he says, like the sun. So Allah Almighty warns us and commands us both to tell it and to practise it; otherwise, those who told their knowledge but did not themselves become servants of Allah Almighty cannot save themselves either, He commands. What does Allah Almighty say? Good on people, do you forget yourselves? Though you read Allah's Book, do you not think at all?

So then, a person, before the existence of his Lord, fearing Him and remembering the Day of Reckoning, should put his life in order, know that he is in his Lord's presence at every moment, and accordingly try to fulfil his duty of servanthood. Yes.

Selim, our daughter has written a reply. I'd be very glad, Muhsin Paşa. May Allah be pleased with you; I wrote but couldn't finish in time, she says. I wrote but couldn't finish in time, she says. Yes. She will, inshallah.