On Taqwa

In His Name, be He glorified.

My Dear and loyal Brothers!

I have been tihinking recently of the principles of taqwa and good deeds, which after belief, are taken most often as fundamentals in the view of the Qur'an. Taqwa is avoid sins and what is forbidden, and a good deed is to act with in the sphere of what is commanded and in the way of gaining God's pleasure. While repelling evil and attracting benefit always take precedence, in these times of destruction extravagance and enticing sensuality, the revelling of evil-doing and giving up of grave sins, which constitute taqwa, have become essentialand have gained priority.

Since destructionand negative currents have reached horrific proportion at this time, Taqwa forms the strongest foundation in the face of them. One who performs the obligatory religius duties and does not commit grave sins will be saved. Good deeds performed with sincerity among grave sins such as those are successful to only a very small degree.

Also, under these difficult condition, an insignificant good deed becomes like much.

Furthermore, with in Taqwa is a sort of good deed, For it is compulsory to give up what is unlawfull. Performing a compulsory act gains a reward equal to many act that are sunna. In times such as these, through a small act and giving up hundreds of sins, avoiding a single unlawfull act in the face of the attacks of thousands of sins, is equal to performing hundreeds of compulsory acts. With the intention and aims of avoiding sins in the name of Taqwa, this important point constitutes a significant good deed proceding from 'negative' worship.

At this time must be to take taqwa as the basis of their conduct. since in the present day form of social life every minute a person is confronted with hundreeds of sins, for sure, through taqwa and the intention of a voiding them, it is a though hundreeds of goods works have been performed.

It is well known that twenty men can not construct in twenty days a place which one man destroys in one day. And while it is necessary for twenty men to work in the face of one man's destruction, in the face of thousands of destructive agents at the present time, the very great resistance and effectivness of a repirer like the risale-i Nur is truly extraordinary. If these two reciprocal forces were at the same level, the success and triumph in the repairs it would achieve would be miraculous.

In Short: Respect and compasion, the most important principles in administering social life, have been badly shaken. In some places the results have been most grievousand dreadful- concerning aged parents. Thanks to God that where ever the Risale-I Nur confronts this fear some destruction, it offers resistance and repairs the demage.

Like at the time of the companions of the prophet when a small act were the means of great rewards, God willing, the moral and spiritual struggles of the students of the Risale-i Nur in a situation such as this will be the means of good works and great reward.