community [umma] to renew its religion." In addition to Bediuzzaman's students recognizing the Risale-i Nur as such, many established Ulema and religious scholars also did not hesitate to speak out in its defence, recommending it in the most fulsome terms. We can mention three of these. The first and most important was one of the highest of the Istanbul Ulema and former head of the office for issuing fetvas. Fetva Emini, Ali Riza Efendi. He said after studying The Supreme Sign and the Twenty-Fifth Word on the Miraculousness of the Qur'an, and other parts of the Risale-i Nur:
"Bediuzzaman has performed the greatest service to the religion of Islam at this time. His works are absolutely correct, and no one else has been able to sacrifice themselves in such deprivation at this time, that is, give up the world and produce such a work. He is altogether worthy of congratulation. The Risale-i Nur is the Regenerator of Religion; may Almighty God grant him every success and good."
Another was Haci Hafiz Hasan Sarikaya. Known as `the Golden Voiced Hafiz', he had led the morning prayers for Sultan Abdulhamid II in Yildiz Palace before the Sultan's dethronement, and had known Bediuzzaman at that time. Then after the establishment of the Republic and closure of the medreses, he had persisted in teaching religion and the Qur'an, and had produced many hundreds of students. He told his son:
"The Imam and Renewer of this century is Bediuzzaman..... He is not merely a religious scholar. Every century has its Renewer, and he is the Renewer of this century..."
A third example is the Mufti of Karaman Maras, Hafiz Ali Efendi. He told Mustafa Ramazanoglu, one of Bediuzzaman's students, in the 1950's:
"Such a work has not appeared for two hundred years; and it is not clear whether one will appear again in the future [that is, another will not appear]........I have no doubt that he is the