Ar-Ra'd 11: (For all people) there are protecting followers (angels) by Allah’s order in front of them and behind them. Unless a nation changes its characteristics, Allah will not change what it has. When a nation desires evil from Allah, there is no returning it (once Allah’s order is given). And they have no helpers other than Allah.

Surah Ar-Ra'd, verse 11. This is a wrongly interpreted verse; let's see where it is wrong. First let's go through the wrong one. Surah Ar-Ra'd.

For him, in front of him and behind him, there are followers protecting him by Allah's command, angels. Correct. No one, in the course of his life, outside his destiny, suffers any harm. Because outside his destiny, any calamity that would come to him, Allah has prevented through these followers. Otherwise, a person lives 70 years, 80 years, 60 years. Nothing will happen to him by chance outside his destiny. I mean, in 60–70 years. Yes. While we were working at the firing range with Ahmet, it was raining (?). Yes. We closed the workshop. We're walking to the bus road. We're going to ride to the university. Yes.

We're at the end of the road. A bread van, the bakers' (?). Hodja, it came along and its mirror hit me. The front tire went over my shoe, over my little toe. Even though the mirror hit me, suddenly a mist covered my right side. The van passed. Nothing happened to me. The man: we made eye contact through the mirror. Through the mirror. We made eye contact, but the man stepped on the gas and left. But the man was left in astonishment. He looked for me. He thought I had gone under the van. Ahmet is a witness to this. Where is Ahmet? There. Isn't that right, Mr. Ahmet? So it wasn't in our destiny. No, see, you are being protected.

That's how it is, Hodja. The verses. And here we are, making things up so nicely, aren't we?

The proofs are right here too. Yes.

First let's read the wrong ones and see where it was interpreted wrongly. In front of him and behind him there are followers protecting him by Allah's command, angels. Yes.

A lot has happened to me too. Let me tell one or two of them too; we're having a talk.

We set out from Ankara, on the Kayseri road; I mean, we were going to Kayseri. From there we'd go over to Kırşehir. Or go over to Kırşehir and then to Kayseri.

There were 4–5 people in the car.

I overtook the vehicle. I overtook the truck driving in front. And what do you know, a fast car coming from the opposite direction! No way we could escape.

I saw the car jump twice. Allah is witness to this, and I am witness. Those who witnessed it are not here. The car made two jumps. One, the moment I overtook the vehicle, into the middle of the road and in front of the vehicle. We escaped from that.

And I'm coming along on its side; again I meet the same cars. We're going to collide; there's no way, I mean. No way to escape. At that moment I passed out. A state of fainting came over me. Then I saw the car going along in a place like an airfield. I didn't realize where it was. Then I came to my senses. I'm driving on that (?) motorway around Hendek. You know, four or five incidents like this, four or five incidents like this have happened to me. It wasn't in my destiny; we got away. Yes. So these are the verses.

In front of him and behind him there are followers protecting him by Allah's command, angels. Until a people changes the qualities within itself, Allah does not change what is in them. Correct. Once Allah wills evil for a people, Allah. Now it starts. Allah willing evil for a people. Look. Now it starts. Here. Nonsense. "Once Allah wills evil for a people, then for it there is no such thing as turning back. And they have no helper besides Allah," it says. Look. He both wills evil, and it says they have no helper besides Allah. What do we say? Until a people changes the qualities within itself, Allah does not change what is in them. When a people asks Allah for evil; rather, Allah does not wish evil on it. When a people asks Allah for evil, once Allah's command goes out, there is no such thing as turning it back anymore. For example, when destructions happen, no one can turn it back anymore.

When the command comes from Allah. It's not like with us: "with Ahmet's or Mehmet's prayer let it stay, let it be turned back, let's protect these people" and so on; there's no such thing. Once that command goes out, it's over. What is this? When a people asks Allah for evil? Within its own free will. Because it has rebelled against Allah. When the command comes from Allah, there is no turning it back, no such thing as turning back for it anymore. They have no helper besides Allah. So turn back to Allah.

In front of and behind the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) there are followers protecting him. In one verse Allah Almighty says: You are protected by many beings you do not yet know. It is not only for the Prophet (peace be upon him). We say this here because Allah protects (?). What does it say? You are protected by many beings you do not know, it says. People too, while living out their own wishes throughout their lives, within these lives, are protected from accidents or events they would undergo outside their destiny. Allah Almighty protects them. According to what does He protect them?

Did you think you would die without proving what kind of person you are? According to that verse: as I told just now, if it had hit, or if I had perished there, I would not have completed my covenant within my lifetime. In that case, I mean, without filling my time, without fulfilling my covenant, I would have passed on to the hereafter. So, according to the verse "Did you think you would die without proving what kind of person you are?", until we complete our time, our lifespan, from such accidents outside our destiny that we would undergo, our Lord, through such protectors, preserves us. He preserves us with protectors.

Yes.

People too, while living out their own wishes throughout their lives, within these lives, are protected from accidents or events they would undergo outside their destiny. That the Prophet (peace be upon him) is protected, and that to the Prophet (peace be upon him) no created being can do anything, Allah Almighty states clearly. Until a people changes the qualities within itself, Allah does not change what is in them. Again, in a verse Allah Almighty says: Whatever you are, such rulers We bring over you. Whatever a person deserves, Allah gives that person exactly the return of what he deserves.

If he deserves it. Because he wants it. Whatever he wants, He will give him. Why will He give it? He has left man free in his will. Because he was left free in his will, whatever he desired and willed (?), He will give exactly to him. If Allah Almighty had discriminated between people, He would take on an attribute. Then He would abolish hell and admit all to paradise. When a person is very bad, in return not all the doors of mercy are opened to this person. Nor, when a person is very good, are all calamities given to this person. Accordingly, a person is good, he sees the return for it. But then he turns to bad, and this time what was in the person is lifted from him. First the person's characters change; at first the person was good, he carried out Allah's commands, the fear of Allah restrained him, he did not resort to evil.

Then the person followed his nafs; when he left Allah's command, the characters changed; he began to do characters or deeds Allah does not want. That is, he turned into his own characters. The character did not change; he turned into his characters. So when a person turns toward evil, first the characters change. Alongside this, through the desire of the nafs or Satan's temptation, wastefulness and a life of pleasure begin. The person is dragged into poverty and crises. So whatever state a person is in, the moment he changes his state, Allah changes what is in them. That is, the person: Allah does not change it, the person changes it, changes what is in himself. But as long as a person cannot change his own state, Allah does not change what is in them.

What do we say? But as long as a person does not change his own state, Allah does not change what is in them. Nor does He take back what He has given. As long as he does not change his own state. When he wants evil, he meets its return. Because Allah Almighty creates (?) according to people's desires and wishes. That person is to prove what kind of person he is, after all; when evil comes, when evil comes out, that is, when he does it, He says to him: this is what you are. But Allah Almighty knows what will happen in the end. Just because he did evil doesn't mean "you are a bad person". Within his own destiny there is evil and there is good.

Whichever side weighs more, that person will see its return. If the side of good weighed more, he will attain the mercy of Allah Almighty. If the side of evil weighed more, he will serve his punishment and come out. If he passed on to the hereafter as a Muslim. When a people asks Allah for evil, then there is no such thing as turning it back for it anymore. That is, it denied the prophet. It denied the Quran. Earlier. And He gives examples. In this case the person asks Allah for calamity. That is, "if what you say is true, then let Allah destroy us", he says, doesn't he? That's what he says. "If only you would show us a miracle." Like Salih, he shows the miracle.

They cut the legs of the camels. So what happens? Once the command goes out, it's over.

They have no helper besides Allah. If a person does not believe in Allah and the hereafter and asks Allah for a calamity, for example: "Come on, if Allah exists, let Him do this to me, or give me a calamity"; if he utters such words, then surely, since Allah is the Hearing, the Knowing, the calamity that will come to this person or this people, there is no one to turn it back. But if these people turn to Allah before the calamity comes, realize that in their time of ignorance they opposed Allah, and take their place in Allah's ranks, then these too have no savior besides Allah. In this way Allah pardons His sinful servants and forgives them.