twenty-first Flashes, and the points he makes in these letters are by way of reminders. Just as the acquisition of sincerity was essential so that they could form a `collective personality', so also was it necessary in order to prevent the enemies of religion taking advantage of differences among those following different paths and ways.
"... Since our way is based on the mystery of sincerity and is the truths of belief, we are compelled by reason of our way not to get involved in worldly and social life unless forced to, and to avoid situations which lead to rivalry, partisanship, and dispute. It is to be regretted a thousand times over that now while subject to the assaults of terrible serpents, unfortunate religious scholars and the people of religion make minor faults like mosquito bites the excuse, and assist in the destruction of serpents and atheistic dissemblers and kill themselves with their own hands.”
The secret of the Risale-i Nur's success in combatting the destruction of atheism lay in this sincerity:
"The Risale-i Nur's victorious resistance against so many fearsome and obdurate deniers arises from the mystery of sincerity, and being a tool for nothing, and looking directly to eternal happiness, and following no aim apart from the service of belief, and attaching no importance to the personal illuminations and wonder-working that some followers of the tarikats consider important, and in accordance with the mystery of the legacy of prophethood, only disseminating the lights of belief and saving the faith of the believers, like the Companions of the Prophet, who possessed supreme sainthood... And they do not interfere in things outside their own duties like being successful, which is God's duty, making the people accept or demand [their service], making it to prevail or receiving the fame, illuminations, or Divine favours they deserve. They work with pure, total sincerity, saying: `Our duty is to serve. That is sufficient. "' "The true students of the Risale-i Nur see the service of belief as superior to everything; should they be accorded the rank of spiritual pole even, out of sincerity, they would prefer that of