Al-Baqarah 88: (Among the Jews, many of them) have said, “Our hearts are veiled to understanding the word.” It is not that, because of their blasphemy, they caused Allah’s curse upon them. Hence, only a small group of them will believe.

Many among the Jews said: Now let's also read verse 88 and wrap this up here.

Many among the Jews said — the Jews — when it comes to understanding the Word, our hearts are veiled. That is, understanding Allah's verses.

And what are you saying, Hodja? How beautifully you explained it. May Allah be pleased with you. I understand very well. And I enjoy listening to you. Insha'Allah you will have a TV channel. God forbid, I'm not criticising, Hodja. Insha'Allah, my child. We want it too. We want it too, but superstitions like these (?) superstitions. And those who tell people falsehood, who teach superstitions as truth, sit in the place of honour; all the broadcasts are in their hands. We too want to tell the truth. We are wary of people. I mean, might some harm come to Islam? When people help the religion of Islam, will they wonder whether the Hodja is putting it into his own pocket? We are very afraid of such words.

That is why we try to (?) by ourselves. We have come this far. But Allah Almighty has many unknown doors. In an instant He (?) treasures too. Let's say insha'Allah. Insha'Allah.

Look what Muhsin Pasha says. He says you can't reach every part of the world cheaply with a TV channel. It's easier over the internet, he says. It is easier, Muhsin Pasha, but not everyone knows how to go online. For example, there are people who come to our site. But they can't listen. They really can't. They are very curious. But Mozilla is gone too. There was Mozilla. We used to say: download Mozilla. Now that Mozilla probably conflicts too. So those who come to our site and can't listen turn away. Look now. When I opened this, there were 15-16 people. So far 140 people have visited the site.

So these really can't get in. They close it. They can't get in. They close it. Right now there are 47 people on our site listening. Now. But if it were TV, people would receive it by satellite channel. They have televisions at home. They listen wherever they want. Wherever they want, they turn on the TV. Especially in Turkey. There is a great need. There is a great need. People ask: which channel do you speak on? When you say internet, they turn away. Yes. Because not everyone has internet. They don't know how to go online. People don't know how to use a computer. And so they don't even turn on the computer for the children, won't let them turn it on.

So, I mean, many are left without it.

Yes.

What do the Jews say now? Many of the Jews said: when it comes to understanding the Word, our hearts are veiled. That is not so. Rather, Allah has cursed them because of their unbelief. Look, the verse earlier did not say it. We said it there. Such a cursed people. He has cursed them. That is why only a few of them believe. Of them, it says, only a few believe. Only a few. As I said earlier, among them there are some who perform the prayer. They fast, they even pay their zakat, but they cannot go on Hajj, so that it does not become apparent. Among them there are even hafizes and rabbis too. So these are a cursed people. What was it? Where did their being cursed come from?

We already said it here. Prophets who come outside their wishes and desires they do not accept. They try to force Allah Almighty to decide in their own interest and dare to attempt it. And since Allah Almighty knew what they would do, with His attribute As-Sabur, after constant warnings He cursed this people — so we said. And that comes in the verse after it anyway; what does it say? These are the ones who sold the hereafter for the life of this world; therefore the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be helped. That was verse 86. What does it say in 87?

Now — By My majesty — we read that part too. We come to this part. Many of the Jews said: when it comes to understanding the Word, our hearts are veiled. That is not so, it says. That is not so. We, it says, have not kept anyone's heart veiled from understanding the Word. So a person has his own heart sealed himself. He has it veiled himself. Now, that is not so. Rather, Allah has cursed them because of their unbelief. That is why only a few of them believe. The Jews, putting the blame on Allah, say: You veiled our hearts, that is why we do not understand Your Word.

That is what saying 'veiled' means. What did we say earlier? Allah Almighty veils no one's heart. He speaks His Word in a way people can understand. Rather, you had your own heart veiled and sealed, He says. That is, in the sense of: had You created us obedient to You, we would of course have obeyed You, they blamed Allah. If we go a little beyond this point, Allah Almighty says in a verse: Had We willed, We would have made you a single community. In Surah Al-Mulk, verse 2: to test you as to which of you is best in deeds, it is He who created both death and life, it says. According to the verse, (?) the verses we gave, with our own will, without any pressure or coercion on us, we had our own destinies written by Allah Almighty ourselves.

All these words are contained in the word I spoke earlier. What did we say earlier? We have veiled no one's heart; rather, the words We speak are in a form every person can understand. In fact, because you turned your backs on Allah's words, you yourselves veiled your hearts and had them sealed, it says. That is how we explain this part. Yes. That is what all this writing amounts to. This word.

Allah Almighty created this whole universe and all beings according to His will. Except man. Except man. Now those who think they have knowledge will say: this man has gone astray. Allah, man, er — did Allah not create man as He willed? Allah willed man. He willed him. After willing him, He did not interfere with man's will. He willed all beings and created them. Pay close attention to the words. He willed all beings and created them. We are included too. Except humans and jinn, He programmed all beings according to His will.

Is it coming across? If you didn't understand, let me explain again. Allah Almighty created this whole universe, humans included, by His will. He created it by His own will. Except humans and jinn, He programmed all His creatures by His own will. He programmed them for the tasks they would do. He did not interfere with humans and jinn. He left them free in their will. That is why humans and jinn are responsible to Allah Almighty for the deeds and actions they do.

The subtlety here is probably understood.

Hence, again, since all beings except man act according to the tasks they were programmed for, there is no matter of reward and sin for them. For the other beings. As for man: since by creation man was created as the most excellent of creatures, by having himself programmed he is the proof of the summit of Allah Almighty's art of creation. Hence man, by having his own wishes and desires, his will, written for himself as destiny, has brought about the matter of reward and sin. Arising from reward and sin, the matter of paradise and hell has appeared.

Is there any part not understood? Do you have a question here? What are we saying? Hence man, by having his own wishes and desires, his will, written for himself as destiny, has brought about the matter of reward and sin. Arising from reward and sin, the matter of paradise and hell has appeared. If we go back one sentence: hence, again, since all beings except man act according to the tasks they were programmed for, they have no reward or sin. As for man: since by creation man was created as the most excellent of creatures, by having himself programmed he is the proof of the summit of Allah Almighty's art of creation.

What is this? We always say: a person builds a robot; unless he puts a program in it, that robot does no work. But Allah created man, and his will — that person's own will — He gave to him; in no way did He take that person's will away from him and use His own will instead. Hence man, by creation, by having himself programmed, is the summit of the Creator's art of creation. No one can attain this. I mean, if you build a robot, build a (?), it cannot say by itself: I will be like this, program me like this. It cannot. Allah Almighty said: I will create such a being that this being I create will know Me by its own will.

So He created His Beloved, and from his light, from the spirit of the worlds, He created people. By creating man and addressing him directly, He placed responsibility on people. That is why Allah Almighty says: of a generation We have not informed, We hold no one responsible. He sent (?) a world, and by making His Being known both in the hereafter and in this world, He has held people responsible in their own will.

That is why Allah Almighty says: We hold no one responsible as long as We have not informed them, it says. Hence showing all kinds of miracles, bringing all kinds of (?), Allah never abandons. That is why He (?): what you earn is the return for what your own two hands did. How beautifully it opens up. Anyone who doesn't understand can ask me a question. Anyone who doesn't understand. Yes.

The Jews: our hearts are veiled. You created us like this. Therefore we don't understand Your verses — their saying this, their blaming Allah Almighty, is their (?) that will increase their own punishment. So by blaming Allah, what are they doing? They leave their own (?) to punishment (?). Because Allah Almighty left people free in their own will. Way back, when Allah Almighty said in the world of spirits, I am your Lord, those spirits, out of their arrogance and pride, seeing Him as like themselves, did not obey Allah Almighty and, because they waited for the Lord of their imagination, turned their backs on Allah. And their wishes and desires, their state in this situation, were written for them as destiny.

The script was written there. When we come into the world outwardly, as actors we play our scripts. Because those characters are engraved in us exactly. Yes. For this reason Allah Almighty, reminding them of (?), says: No, it is not so; rather, Allah has cursed them because of their unbelief. See, they received this stamp in (?); in denying — what they would do He knows, after all; in the world too it comes to them, in the same state they (?). So in fact you rebelled in (?). Allah Almighty: We will send you to a world where Our Being is not seen. Your state will not change there either. Because your own will was to rebel against Allah.

And Allah Almighty gave you your will. This is what you are. In this way, saying We have cursed you, He makes the situation clear to people through His verses. Just as Allah Almighty cursed the accursed one for his rebellion there, if He had cursed this one right away too — and He did curse him in his destiny — he would have said: so, I could not recognise You as Lord. Send me to an unseen world, (?), make Your Being known to me, and I will obey You — so that he could not say this, look how beautifully these worlds were created. Now, an unseen world. We sent you to the unseen, and believe in the unseen, He says.

Believe in the unseen.

And there is no belief in the unseen.

You know that Allah exists too; you cannot deny it. So here, after you have proven yourself in this unseen world, in that world of the hereafter, at the Great Tribunal, in the Divine Presence, since you have not a single word left to say, they seize you by the nape, by your forelock, and throw you in through a narrow gate of hell. And you, it says — when you sense you will be thrown in there, how your eyes turn sky blue, if only you could see it. Yes.

That is why He says: very few of them believe. Very few among them believe. The reason for this: You created us among such a denying people; had You created us among a people who know Your Being, we too would have known You — so that you cannot say this, from among you people appear who choose Islam and know the truth, and they are shown to you as an example, He says.