Pasa said: `Don't interfere with him; treat him with respect.' What made him say that was the sacred nature of service to the Qur'an. But whenever I have been overcome by the idea of saving myself and thought only of my life in the hereafter, and there has been a temporary slackening in my serving the Qur'an, I have received a slap contrary to my intentions. That is to say, I was sent from one place of exile to another. I was sent to Isparta.
"In Isparta I began my duties once again. After twenty days, a number of cowardly people said by way of a warning: `Perhaps the Government won't look favourably on this situation. It would be better if you go a bit cautiously.' Again the idea of thinking only of myself gained strength with me, and I said: `Let the people not come!' And again I was taken from that place of exile and sent to a third, to Barla.
"And in Barla whenever a slackness has come over me and the idea of thinking of myself only has gained strength, one of these serpents and two-faced hypocrites from among those concerned only with this world has been set to pester me...."
Thus, after his short stay in his second place of exile, Isparta, Bediuzzaman was sent to the village of Barla. At that time the easiest way to travel there through that mountainous country was by way of Lake Egridir. The gendarme who accompanied him from the village of Egridir to Barla, Sevket Demiray, described their journey as follows:
"The morning after market day in Egridir, they called me to the Town Hall. I went, and the head official of the district, the gendarme commander, members of the Town Council, and an imposing-looking man of around forty years of age wearing turban and gown were there. The gendarme commander said to me: `Look here, son, you've got to take this Hoca Efendi to Barla. He is the famous Bediuzzaman Said Efendi. It is a very important task for you. When you hand him over to the police station there, get these documents signed and then report back here.' I said: `Right away, Sir!', and undertook the duty. I went out from there with the Hoca Efendi, and said to him on the way: `You are my superior, forgive me, but what